It Is Finished Audio

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Land of the Free? Home of the Brave? Are We?


Land of the Free? Home of the Brave? Are We?



            I remember the days when we used to say the Pledge of Allegiance to our nation’s flag, celebrated the Fourth of July, and waved our flags in the act of patriotism. We were actually celebrating “Nationalism” which has now become the new dirty word. Yes, we knew that the nation has its problems and a not so pretty history, but we were still proud to be Americans. Now, we have come to the point where it is considered “racist” to say that you are a patriot and a nationalist. Why is that? Could it be that the dark forces who operate behind the scene have more to gain when we are divided and against one another than they do when we unite? We should ask ourselves the question, “Who has more to gain from our division than our unity?” As a Christian Evangelist, I must first say the devil and then those whom he has deployed to do his demonic operations of which many belong to what they consider as liberalistic parties.


            Years ago, we fought through the ballot box and should we have lost, we just accepted it and decided to work harder the next time around. Now, politicians, in an attempt to gain control at any cost, promote violence, exploit other nations, and race-bait to play on the people’s emotions. They do not care that they are causing this nation to go to hell in a handbasket. Yes, this nation is going literally to hell. Why? We have lost what this country was founded on – GOD. That’s right! There was a time when God was included in every aspect of society and even though evil men did evil things, God was what held this nation together. Unfortunately, when we decided to take God out of schools, God out of our courtrooms, divorce God from the family, God out of the churches and make money our new god, we became wicked in every area of society. Yes, God has been left out of many modern-day churches for the sake of new-age ideology, greed, fame, popularity, and prosperity.



Drug-sniffing dogs replaced morning prayers at school. Stocks in the prison system became more prevalent than the 10 Commandments being upheld in the courtroom. Jesus being preached so that we may have life was replaced with taking innocent lives in the womb. The traditional family of one man and one woman was replaced with homosexuals feeling that they needed equal rights. The feminist movement moved men out of the homes. Identifying oneself with who God called them to be from birth has been replaced with the unnatural ideology that we get to pick and choose our sexual identity. Monogamy between a married couple has been demoted to the replacement of pornographic films, sex toys and robots. And somehow, we think that America will be great again while we thumb our noses up at God in defiance of His natural order of things. 



America may or may not get the red wave, but until we have the red blood of Jesus flying over this nation not in words, but in deeds once again, America will NEVER be the land of the free and home of the brave. The Bible says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Please remember this on election day. A nation who rejects its GOD will never be great again regardless of who is in office. “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning” (Daniel 2:21). May those who read this reflect on its words and meaning.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

The Two Types of Women in Proverbs


The Two Types of Women in Proverbs


Introduction
            Many children learn the different parts of speech in school from their teachers so that they may have an understanding as to how words relate to one another. Teachers have often taught them about nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives and other elements to help with their writing, reading, and comprehension skills. Students also learned various figures of speech such as an alliteration, apostrophe, simile and metaphors that are used to describe things figuratively.  The Bible is full of such figures of speech where the writers were trying to give valuable instructions. Jesus, for example, often taught in parables to help people understand various spiritual lessons and the love God has for His children. Likewise, when one reads the book of Proverbs, they will find personifications (to attach a human characteristic to something that is nonhuman) concerning the traits of wisdom and foolishness.[1] These are used to give guidance as to what one should and should not do when it comes to the matters of God.[2] Therefore, the writers of Proverbs introduce the reader to the personification of two distinct women – Ladies Folly and Wisdom.[3]


Lady Folly
            Lady Folly makes her appearance in Proverbs 5, 6, 7 and 9. In Proverbs 5, she is introduced as an adulterous woman who has sweet lips and lacks ethics of any kind.[4] She is a good orator and easily grabs the attention of those in her view.[5] She is very charming in the beginning, but will eventually display her true colors of resentfulness, debauchery and be full of hurtful words when she does not get her way.[6] Many married couples started out being happy and in love with the thought that they would have a fairytale ending to their romance. As the years passed, they found themselves resentful of each other, not communicating, fighting over finances, weaponizing the kids, and having nothing but feelings of anger and bitterness. This led many couples to the divorce court with Lady Folly acting as their mediator. 


Lady Folly aims to entice people through her art of seduction.[7] She lures them through skillful dialogue to tap into their intellect, for she knows that once she gets them to interact with her, she can arouse their curiosity as to the mysterious things that they think she has to offer. It is important for people to be mindful that the traits of Lady Folly can embody that of either a male or female, for folly is a spirit and not an actual woman. Satan, who is the father of Lady Folly, used the spirit of folly as part of his trickery with Eve in the Garden of Eden. He began with a crafty conversation to get her engaged and before she knew it; she had become entangled in his web of lies and deceit.[8]


            Lady Folly is not attentive to the future nor eternity. Her only concerns are for the here and now. She knows that those who follow her will encounter certain death, but in her narcissism, she does not care for others. She only aims to please self and get the spoils of war for which she feels entitled. In Proverbs 6, Lady Folly is known to be immoral and captivates her suitors with her seductive eyes.[9] Yet, the one who succumbs to her seduction will find oneself reduced to nothing for she aims to get at the heart of their very soul.[10] Many people are being seduced by Lady Folly because they are chasing after the things of the world. She makes them think that there is no God and even if there is, He is too busy to pay attention to their individual actions. She promises them the world and makes its attractions hard to resist. Many have tried to resist her but have fallen into her web as vulnerable prey. 


            Lady Folly in Proverbs 7 causes a man to be led astray once again with her words of seduction.[11] Little does the man know that to spend time with her will mean him meeting his demise for she cares nothing about the consequences he will face.[12] She loves the challenge of taking him down by making the pasture look greener than it actually is. Lady Folly knows the things that will bait her prey for she has become a master at her craft and uses the greed of money, desire for attention, lust for material possessions, scents to relieve the stresses of life and the promise of artificial love.[13] The victim of her seduction thinks that he will never be found out for her husband has gone on a trip, but she knows that his sins will eventually find him out for her father of lies has taught her well.[14] She aims to steal his anointing, bury him in sin, disgrace his family, and ruin his reputation.[15] Lady Folly has been the downfall of many of God’s anointed pastors. She seduced them through sex, pornography, pride, greed, hypocrisy and false teachings. They started out as holy vessels but just as King Saul, Lady Folly entered the heart and the Spirit of God left. 


The Bible says that a fool says that there is no God which is the mindset of Lady Folly and those who follow her.[16] Foolishness is living as if there is no God and not making Him priority in one’s decisions which Lady Folly manages to get her suitors to do.[17] It is living as one’s wicked heart desires instead of submitting the fleshly nature to Him. Foolishness is turning away from God by committing idolatry as an adulterer turns away from their spouse. Yes, Lady Folly is a fool and operates in foolishness which has led many to their destruction with more to follow. 


Lady Wisdom
            Lady Wisdom is a woman of good character and is all inclusive in her counsel.[18] The Bible says that wisdom is founded in the fear of the Lord.[19] Biblical wisdom is not the same as a natural intellect, for one can possess knowledge but do not have the wisdom of God to properly use it.[20] Wisdom from God involves learning how to live in accordance to His ways.[21] Lady Wisdom has observed and learned from Lady Folly as to how not to behave so that she may please the Lord. In Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom cries out for all to hear to warn them to stay away from Lady Folly and her foolishness by learning from her instead, and to gain understanding.[22] Lady Wisdom’s demeanor is quite different from that of Lady Folly for she uses her mouth to speak words of truth and righteousness for she loathes the things that God detests.[23]
Lady Wisdom does not indulge in corrupt talk and only words of divine justice come from her lips.[24] People who are wise can distinguish her words from that of Lady Folly for she gives words of knowledge that leads to life and not death.[25] Her words of instruction are of great value and nothing can be compared to her worth for she is priceless.[26] Lady Wisdom possesses knowledge, discernment and carefully makes decisions after weighing out the consequences.[27] She knows that her actions can invoke a response from the Lord either good or bad. Therefore, she carefully treads not in condemnation, but in reverence concerning the ways of righteousness and teaches others to do the same.[28]


            Lady Wisdom knows that God hates pride, wickedness and arrogance; therefore, she humbles herself before the Lord and knows that she will receive His favor upon her life.[29] She counsels those who are in authority over others, for their decisions must be led by the Lord if they truly desire to please Him and rule a nation and/or His people well. Lady Wisdom reigned in abundance with King Solomon until he allowed Lady Folly to seduce him with her worship of foreign gods.[30] Yet, Lady Wisdom’s doors are always open for those who seek to gain instruction from her for she does not seduce men to sin but builds them up so that they will be matured in the righteousness of God.[31]
Lady Wisdom grants her intangible wealth to others, although not in money, but in the instruction of how to use the tools that God gives for His edification and glory.[32] She does so that should material possessions, gifts, promotions and talents do come, the wisdom that she has bestowed upon the righteous man will cause him to think about his Creator before wasting it on the temptations of Lady Folly.[33] The Prodigal Son found himself being tempted by Lady Folly in the parable that Jesus gave when he foolishly wasted his inheritance on the pleasures of the world.[34]
            Lady Wisdom is filled with the Spirit for it is He who has made her and supplies the believer with her abundance. Those who enter her gates will leave eternally blessed for Lady Wisdom has only the best for all her visitors and the Lord will be on the lips of the one who exits. Strength and confidence in God will one find through Lady Wisdom for she acknowledges the One in whose guidance she is surrounded. Unlike Lady Folly, those who stop by Lady Wisdom’s house will not leave in shame, despair and ruin. They will praise the Lord for her and be thankful that He led them away from eternal damnation with Lady Folly. 


The Two Ladies Meet (Proverbs 9)
            In Proverbs 9, both Ladies Wisdom and Folly have houses where they have a banquet that has been prepared for their guests.[35] At Lady Wisdom’s banquet, one will find servings of [love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and a dish of self-control along with other side dishes.][36] Lady Folly’s banquet consists of quite the opposite, for her guests will be served servings of [sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfishness, envy, drunkenness and an array of orgies with delightful appetizers on the side.][37]  Lady Wisdom has gotten things the honest way through hard work and determination with a total reliance on God, whereas, Lady Folly has taken pleasure in accumulating stolen goods through corruption and slothfulness offered freely from her father the devil.[38]
These ladies can be easily found in areas of government, schools, work, social settings, homes and even the church, due to them being positioned in high and common places. They are both speaking at the same time and making promises because they are after the naïve. This makes everyone a target due to the influences that these ladies can have on an individual’s life. Each lady calls out to those passing by her home because they want to instruct those whom they will entertain. They are in constant competition with one another for they both have paths that lead to different ends. The Bible says, “There is a way that seems right unto a man but leads to destruction.”[39]



Lady Folly’s guests will mock Lady Wisdom’s, for she has taught them to look on her and those educated by her with disdain.[40] Lady Wisdom’s guests, however, will try to persuade Lady Folly’s guests to abandon her teachings and gain timeless valuables from Lady Wisdom. Guests of Lady Wisdom beseeches Lady Folly’s guests to beware of the trap that has been splendidly camouflaged by the enticements of Lady Folly’s words.[41] Some will listen to Lady Wisdom’s guest due to seeing the remarkable changes in their lives, while others will roll the dice and gamble away their futures for a chance of luck with Lady Folly. The Bible says, “A wise man will try to gain as much knowledge as possible, but a fool talks himself into a heap of ruin.”[42]
Many people are not totally committed to one or the other of these ladies but at some point, in life, a decision must be made.[43] A person will either befriend Lady Folly or allow Lady Wisdom to instruct.[44] The Bible says that a person cannot have two masters, so a choice has to be made.[45] The young and/or spiritual immature are often on the fence, but as believers who have matured in Christ, Lady Folly would soon be issued an eviction notice for they will come to the knowledge that she stayed well past her time. The Apostle Paul writes that when he was a child, he thought, spoke, and acted like children often due, but when he grew up into maturity, Lady Folly had to go.[46]

 
People Who Dined with Lady Folly
            Many people are falling into the traps of Lady Folly. She does not care that those groomed by her who are being led to their demise. So, one may ask, “How can a person not be subject to the alluring voice of Lady Folly?” The first step is the reading of God’s Word for there are many characters in the Bible who listened to both ladies, but lessons can be learned through their lives to avoid Lady Folly’s pitfalls.[47] Below are a few of those people concerning the choices they made with Lady Folly and their outcomes. 

Cain
The Bible tells the story of two brothers, Cain and Abel, who were guests of Ladies Folly and Wisdom. Cain was a tiller of the ground and Abel was a keeper of the flock.[48] Both brothers brought an offering to the Lord. Cain brought God some fruits that he had grown but Abel brought portions of the fat from the firstborn of his flock.[49] Cain’s offering was unacceptable to God because he had dined with Lady Folly, but Abel’s was received with satisfaction for he had his filling with Lady Wisdom.[50] Cain allowed Lady Folly’s servings of anger, jealousy, pride and bitterness to enter his heart causing him to commit the first murder of his own flesh and blood. If only Cain had listened to Lady Wisdom, she would have offered him joy, peace, obedience, humility and a big dish of self-control. Unfortunately, Cain over indulged at Lady Folly’s house and had no room to eat at the table of Lady Wisdom. For that, he was disciplined by God and was marked for the rest of his life.[51]

Aaron and Miriam
            God chose Moses to be His servant and to lead the Children of Israel out of bondage from Egypt. The Bible says that Moses was a very humble man and did not allow the position that God had chosen him for cause him to be arrogant and prideful because Lady Wisdom fed him well.[52] A problem later developed amongst Moses’ two siblings – Aaron and Miriam. They were not pleased that Moses had married a Cushite woman; therefore, they allowed Lady Folly to cause them to gossip about her.[53]
Not only did Aaron and Miriam become entangled in harmful talk against Moses’ wife, they spoke ill against him as well for they felt that they were of equal status and did not respect God’s appointment of him.[54] Lady Folly had cunningly served them scoops of racism, jealousy, envy, feelings of entitlement, gossip and topped it off with a sprinkle of sibling rivalry. If only they had listened to Lady Wisdom, she would have given them a plate of humility, respect, acceptance, and love. They, however, did not eat what Lady Wisdom had to offer, so God cursed Miriam with leprosy for seven days for eating at the wrong table.[55] Aaron, her brother, got a chance to watch in fear as Miriam suffered for them both. God did not look at it just being an issue of sibling rivalry as Lady Folly would have wanted. The Lord saw them as being in defiance of Him and the one He chose. The Bible says, [“To touch not His anointed and do His prophets no harm.”][56]


King David
            King David had been anointed to be the second king of Israel. God had blessed David tremendously, and he had more than what he could ever ask for. He had followed the instructions of Lady Wisdom and had a heart after God. Nevertheless, King David made a wrong turn and bit from Lady Folly’s forbidden fruit when he lusted after another man’s wife.[57] Not only did he allow Lady Folly to seduce his mind, but she whispered sweet nothings in his ear as he yielded to her calls of seduction by sleeping with his soldier’s wife Bathsheba.[58] Lady Folly once again stroked David’s ego as he planned the ultimate assassination to cover up his adulterous affair.[59] By the time Lady Folly was done with David, he had eaten more than he could handle.
            Lady Folly had served David plates of greed, selfishness, lust, murder, adultery, indifference, exposure and other side dishes. If only he had remained with Lady Wisdom, he would not have received the harsh punishment from God which caused the death of their first child, division in his family, and public humiliation.[60] Lady Folly will bring down God’s anointed if she can, but Lady Wisdom aims to protect those who welcome her. 

The Naïve Prophet
            An unnamed Prophet of the Lord had been given a message to give to King Jeroboam concerning his involvement in idolatry.[61] The Prophet cried out against the altars, Asherah poles and shrines of foreign gods that were being worshiped by Israel and the king.[62] The king invited the Prophet to return home with him and have a meal, but the Prophet refused for God had given him strict instructions not to do so.[63] The Prophet had eaten from the table of Lady Wisdom and adhered to the instructions of the Lord. Unfortunately, his fill of Lady Wisdom did not stay for long.
            Another prophet had received word of the interaction between the Prophet and King Jeroboam along with what the Prophet said upon the king’s invitation.[64] Lady Folly used the prophet to go after the Prophet of God to entice him to disregard the Lord’s instructions. Lady Folly allowed the prophet to deceptively tell the Prophet of God that he too had heard from the Lord and that it was okay to eat, drink and be merry upon following him to his home.[65] Instead of the Prophet of God using Lady Wisdom to inquire of the Lord concerning the truthfulness of this prophet, he allowed Lady Folly’s lure to entice him to disobey and his end resulted in him dying at the paws of a lion.[66]
            Lady Folly had served the prophet a bowl of deceit, a plate of appeasing the flesh, a side of self-indulgence with a glass of disobedience. If only he had checked with Lady Wisdom’s menu for he would have been offered a sampler plate of discernment, obedience, sacrifice and truth with a doggy bag filled with rebuke to hand over to the other prophet. Lady Folly caused another poor soul to disregard Lady Wisdom costing him his life. 


People Who Dined with Lady Wisdom
            Lady Wisdom is always open for a consultation. She has irreplaceable gifts and a buffet to serve everyone who comes her way.  Much of what Lady Wisdom has to give is wrapped up in patience, hard work, and most importantly prayer. Nevertheless, do not let her plain countenance fool you for what she lacks in appearance and speed, she makes up for in value. The Bible gives stories of various characters who listened to Lady Wisdom as opposed to Lady Folly and they received their due reward if not on earth, then will later in Heaven.   


Abigail
            David and his men had to stay out of the wicked King Saul’s sight. He had become their sworn enemy and sought to do David harm out of jealousy.[67] David was a wanderer and had come to a place where some shepherds were shearing their sheep.[68] It was quite common for robbers to try to steal from shepherds and do them harm, but David and his men provided protection for these shepherds.[69] He asked the shepherds if they would tell of his kindness to their employer and ask him for something to spare. The shepherds did as David asked, but the report was not good. Nabal, their employer, did not show any gratitude towards David and his men. Nabal, whose name meant fool, lived up to his name for Lady Folly was where he sat in contentment. [70]
            Upon getting the harsh response to his request, David was about to succumb to Lady Folly himself, and kill Nabal along with everyone near him. Lady Wisdom intercepted David’s plans through Nabal’s wife, Abigail. Abigail was a very beautiful and intelligent woman for she kept company with Lady Wisdom.[71] Abigail was told by the shepherds what had taken place and she knew that she must act quickly. David would bring harm to her entire house if she dared to procrastinate, so she took up counsel with Lady Wisdom and prepared food to send on donkeys for David and his men.[72]
            Abigail melted the hostility of David and due to listening to Lady Wisdom, David did not carry out the vengeance that Lady Folly was waiting around to enjoy.[73] Nabal, after a night of drinking and eating with Lady Folly, finally heard the news from Abigail as to what she had done. The news was too much for Nabal for Lady Folly was angry at what she had done. His heart failed and ten days later, he died. Lady Folly sent him to his demise, but Lady Wisdom prepared Abigail for a wedding.[74] Lady Folly offered Nabal a buffet of anger, selfishness, greed, indifference, poor health and the drink of death. Lady Wisdom, on the other hand, gave Abigail a special serving of generosity, mediation, eagerness, humility and a future engagement.  


Solomon
            Solomon became king after the death of his father, David. This was a huge task for which he did not feel adequate enough to fill his father’s shoes. King Solomon knew that he needed Lady Wisdom to help guide and teach him how to rule. Therefore, the Lord appeared to Solomon and allowed him to ask for whatever he wanted.[75] Lady Folly was at work even then for King Solomon asked God to give him wisdom to rule His people. God allowed Lady Folly to grant King Solomon’s request where he would dine from her table more than anyone else had ever done.[76] She served him an abundance of discernment, barrels of wisdom to go, plates full of knowledge, a river of peace with his neighbors, durability supplements for long life, and a fountain full of riches that would never run dry.[77] Lady Wisdom had never granted any of her guests the type of menu that she served the king, but God promised special favor to Solomon if he would only walk in the ways of Lady Wisdom. [78]
            Towards the end of Solomon’s life, he unfortunately became seduced by Lady Folly. She tempted him with an array of delights through the heathen women he married. She offered him strange scents from the gods that he was not supposed to serve, and she enticed him to build altars to foreign gods.[79] Lady Folly’s goal was to make Solomon displease God and bring about his anger. Due to Solomon’s seduction by Lady Folly, the kingdom was ripped from his son with only a tribe to rule. Lady Folly successfully turned Lady Wisdom’s most promising and prominent protégé into an intellectual fool.[80]

 
Job
            Job was a man who was righteous and blameless before the Lord. He was careful to listen intently to Lady Wisdom who gave him instructions as to how to walk upright before God.[81] He prayed for his children often and made sacrifices on their behalf. He was respected amongst the city and gave to those in need. Lady Wisdom was his frequent advisor for when in doubt, he leaned on her words of direction which guided him well.[82] But one day, Satan was up to no good and decided that he wanted to put Job to the test to see if he would turn away from Lady Wisdom’s teaching when the pressure was applied.[83] God gave His permission, but Satan was not allowed to take his life. Lady Folly came to do her father’s bidding to see if Job would pass the test. Satan took away everything that was dear to Job and plagued him with soars all over his body. Lady Folly was sure that he would succumb to the pressure of turning away from Lady Wisdom’s teachings, but Job never once sinned.[84]
            Lady Folly tried to seduce Job through his wife by advising him to curse God and die.[85] Yet, Job listened to Lady Wisdom and refused to indulge in the plate that Lady Folly wanted to give. Lady Folly stirred up Job’s friends to offer him appetizers of rebuke, scorn, shame, and doubt.[86] Lady Wisdom arose within Job and he did not accept what Lady Folly had to offer. Lady Folly tried one last item and that was to offer Job a dish of questions to give to God concerning his trials, but even then, Lady Wisdom was there to keep Job in balance so that He would be accepting of God’s response even though he did not receive an answer as to the why.[87] Lady Folly tried to have Job eat from her banquet of self-pity, despair, anger, bitterness, apostasy, loneliness, and failure. Nevertheless, Job passed the test due to listening to Lady Wisdom where she served him scoops of hope, patience, endurance, self-control and love. It paid off for Job was blessed with double than he had before thanks to Lady Wisdom.[88]

 
The Ten Virgins
            Jesus told the parable of ten virgins who dined with Ladies Wisdom and Folly.[89] Five of them were wise and received their counsel from Lady Wisdom, while the other five were foolish and spent too much time with Lady Folly.[90] They all knew that the Bridegroom was soon to come and that they were to be ready. The five wise virgins brought their lamps filled with oil and an additional jar of oil to be prepared for a possible long wait in case the Bridegroom’s coming was longer than anticipated.[91] Lady Wisdom believed in preparation and planning for everything when it comes to the ways of the Lord. Therefore, she knew that no one was able to know the exact time when her Master would return, so she helped the wise virgins prepare accordingly for preparation was essential to be ready.[92] Lady Wisdom served the wise virgins emergency meals of urgency, zeal, excitement, expectation and preparedness. She then waved goodbye and sent them off to meet the Bridegroom.[93]
            The five foolish virgins were not prepared and only took the oil that was in their lamps.[94] They had spent time at Lady Folly’s house eating servings of procrastination, laziness, irrelevance, with a drink of regular routine. Lady Folly was delighted to have these five foolish virgins at her home for she knew the longer that they stayed, the least likely that they would be prepared to meet the Bridegroom.[95] Eventually that foolish virgins said their goodbyes to Lady Folly for the hour was getting late and they did not have time to stop for more oil. They figured that they would get some oil from the wise virgins, but Lady Wisdom had already advised them not to share their oil to prevent them from running out before the Bridegroom arrived.[96] The five foolish virgins had to make a run for it to refill their oil for they knew by that time that Lady Folly had tricked them into not being prepared and they had already wasted time by falling asleep.[97]
            While the foolish virgins were gone, the Bridegroom came and took the wise virgins to the wedding.[98] The door was locked while the foolish virgins were away. Lady Folly had served them well for when they knocked on the door of the wedding, it was too late to get inside.[99] They never paid heed to Lady Wisdom as she called for them to come. Lady Folly successfully made them miss out on eternity as she will do yet once again with those who refuse to accept the invitation of Lady Wisdom. 

  Conclusion
            The book of James tells the believer to ask God for wisdom and He will freely give it.[100] Lady Wisdom grants the believer with the tools needed to follow the ways of the Lord in every area of their life. She welcomes all her comes near her dwelling so that she may instruct them in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord. Her aroma fills her house and the outer air, for it is an offering of self-sacrifice which she knows that God desires. She offers the bread of Christ and His living water for the weary soul if they will only stop by. Those who leave will find redemption and restoration for in her is no shame, condemnation, fear, or discouragement.
She builds up instead of tear down and she makes the one who eats at her table filled with desire and understanding for the things of the Lord. No one leaves hungry from Lady Wisdom’s and she welcomes guests to return for frequent visits to be refurnished for their life’s journey. She gives all a warning, however, to stay away from Lady Folly for many became too confident within themselves and slipped with Lady Folly as soon as they left.
Lady Folly despises Lady Wisdom and is always lurking around her home to trick the believer into her web of seduction. These two women are always trying to appeal to the hearts of everyone, but most will be seduced by Lady Folly to have the promise of immediate pleasures, gratification and delightful treats that she has to offer. Those whom have eaten from her table have lived to regret it for she made them wear the stains of which they ate with shame, regret, pain, and loss. She especially tries to appeal to the leaders of Christ’s body because she desires to steal their anointing if possible.
After leaving Lady Folly’s house, there is no honor, no glory, no elevation and no fame. These things were only temporary pleasures that became weights after they sampled her goods. This woman will sadly be the death of many as they will find that she tricked them into spending an eternity with her father the devil. The Bible says that the thief, who is also the taker of souls, aims to kill, steal and destroy.[101] To choose Lady Folly will eventually lead many to hell, but to dine with Lady Wisdom will lead to eternal life.





Bibliography


Apple, Ramond. "The two wise women of proverbs chapter 31." Jewish Bible Quarterly 39, no. 3 (July/August 2011), 175. http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A259381108/AONE?u=vic_liberty&sid=AONE&xid=73cb7974.

Crenshaw, James L. Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction. Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010.

Dell, Katharine. "The Laughter of Fools: The Relevance of Wisdom in Today’s World." Religions 7, no. 9 (2016), 110. doi:10.3390/rel7090110.

Goff, Matthew. "Hellish Females: The Strange Woman of Septuagint Proverbs and 4QWiles of the Wicked Woman (4Q184)." Journal for the Study of Judaism 39, no. 1 (2008), 20-45. doi:10.1163/156851507x193072.

Kidner, Derek. Proverbs. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2018.

Lensch, Christopher K. "Two women in the Book of Proverbs." Western Reformed Seminary Journal 10, no. 1 (February 2003), 1-3. http://www.wrs.edu/Materials_for_Web_Site/Journals/10-1%20Feb-2003/Lensch%20-%20Two%20Women%20Proverbs.pdf.

Longman, Tremper, and Peter Enns. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008.

Luther, Martin. Luther's Works. Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1960.

Olojede, Funlola O. "Woman Wisdom and the ethical vision of the book of Proverbs: An African reflection." HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 71, no. 3 (2015), 1-6. doi:10.4102/hts.v71i3.2846.

Ventureyra, Scott. "The Women in the Book: Woman Wisdom Versus." American Journal of Biblical Theology 16, no. 24 (June 2015), 1-21. http://www.biblicaltheology.com/Research/VentureyraS01


[1] Scott Ventureyra, "The Women in the Book: Woman Wisdom Versus," American Journal of Biblical Theology 16, no. 24 (June 2015): 3-7, http://www.biblicaltheology.com/Research/VentureyraS01.pdf.   
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4]Ibid., 1-7.
[5] Prov. 5:3-4 (New International Version).
[6] Ibid.
[7] Matthew Goff, "Hellish Females: The Strange Woman of Septuagint Proverbs and 4QWiles of the Wicked Woman (4Q184)," Journal for the Study of Judaism 39, no. 1 (2008): 21-23, doi:10.1163/156851507x193072.
[8] Gen. 3:1-4 (New International Version).
[9] Prov. 6:24-26 (New International Version).
[10] Ibid.
[11] Prov. 7:5 (New International Version).
[12] Prov. 7:25-27 (New International Version).
[13] Prov. 7;14-20 (New International Version).
[14] John 8:44 (New International Version).
[15] Tremper Longman and Peter Enns, Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008), 534.
[16] Ps. 14:1 (New International Version).
[17] Longman and Enns, Dictionary, 535-537.
[18] Ramond Apple, "The two wise women of proverbs chapter 31," Jewish Bible Quarterly 39, no. 3 (July/August 2011): 1-5, http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A259381108/AONE?u=vic_liberty&sid=AONE&xid=73cb7974.
[19] Prov. 1:7 (New International Version).
[20] James L Crenshaw, Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction (Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 5-11.
[21] Apple, "Two Wise Women," 2-7.
[22] Prov. 8:1-5 (New International Version).
[23] Prov. 8:6-7 (New International Version).
[24] Prov. 8:8 (New International Version).
[25] Katharine Dell, "The Laughter of Fools: The Relevance of Wisdom in Today’s World," Religions 7, no. 9 (2016): 3-10, doi:10.3390/rel7090110.
[26] Prov. 8:11 (New International Version).
[27] Prov. 8:12 (New International Version).
[28] Prov. 8:13-21 (New International Version).
[29] Ibid.
[30] Ibid.
[31] Ibid.
[32] Ibid.
[33] 1 Cor. 12:8 (New International Version).
[34] Luke 15:11-32 (English Standard Version).
[35] Prov. 9 (New International Version).
[36]Gal. 5:22 (New International Version).
[37] Gal. 5:21 (New International Version).
[38] Ibid.
[39] Prov. 14:12 (King James Version).
[40] Dell, "Laughter of Fools," 3-10.
[41] Christopher K. Lensch, "Two women in the Book of Proverbs," Western Reformed Seminary Journal 10, no. 1 (February 2003): 1-3, http://www.wrs.edu/Materials_for_Web_Site/Journals/10-1%20Feb-2003/Lensch%20-%20Two%20Women%20Proverbs.pdf.
[42] Prov. 10:14 (New International Version).
[43] Derek Kidner, Proverbs (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2018), 21-37.
[44] Martin Luther, Luther's Works (Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1960), 261-263.
[45] Matt. 6:28 (New Living Translation).
[46] 1 Cor. 13:11 (English Standard Bible).
[47] Luther, Luther Works, 261-263.
[48] Gen. 4:3-8 (New International Version).
[49] Ibid.
[50] Ibid.
[51] Gen. 4:10-15 (New International Version).
[52] Num. 12:3 (New International Version).
[53] Num. 12: 1-2 (New International Version).
[54] Ibid.
[55] Ibid., 10-15 (New International Version).
[56] Ps. 105:15 (New International Version).
[57] 2 Sam. 11 (New International Version).
[58] Ibid.
[59] Ibid.
[60] 2 Sam. 12:1-19 (New International Version).
[61] 1 Kings 13 (New International Version).
[62] Ibid.
[63] Ibid.
[64] 1 Kings 13 (New International Version).
[65] Ibid.
[66] Ibid.
[67]1 Sam. 19:11 (New International Version).
[68] 1 Sam 25 (New International Version).
[69] Ibid.
[70] Ibid.
[71] Ibid.
[72] Ibid.
[73] 1 Sam. 25 (New International Version).
[74] Ibid.
[75] 1 Sam. 3 (New International Version).
[76] Ibid.
[77] Ibid.
[78] Ibid.
[79] 1 Sam. 3 (New International Version).
[80] Ibid.
[81] Job 1-2 (New International Version).
[82] Ibid.
[83] Ibid.
[84] Ibid.
[85] Job 2:9-10 (New International Version).
[86] Job 4-7 (New International Version).
[87] Job 38 (New International Version).
[88] Job 42:12-16 (New International Version).
[89] Matt. 25:1-13 (New International Version).
[90] Ibid.
[91] Ibid.
[92] Matt. 25:1-13 (New International Version).
[93] Ibid.
[94] Ibid.
[95] Ibid.
[96] Ibid.
[97] Ibid.
[98] Ibid.
[99] Ibid.
[100] James 1:5 (New International Version).
[101] John 10:10 (New International Version).