10:22-25
The wise learn that what makes us rich is the blessing that God gives us. It does not come with sorrow and cannot be increased by our own efforts. It is purely from God. That is the blessing we accept humbly and with great praise. I have been studying for six years now. First a bachelor degree and now a Masters. Although God gave me a good brain, I still struggle with assignments and with believing I can write them. Every assignment is surrounded by prayer and every amazing mark I have received is handed back to God, thankfully and with praise for His provision. Because I know that, without His input and assistance, I would not be able to write what I do. That is a blessing from God. I achieve what He wants me to achieve to further His plans for my life. The wise know this and never forget to seek God and never forget to give the credit for success to God.
The foolish person thinks the life of the wise is boring. They find doing evil things fun and love to see themselves as racy and really living. Sadly they do not know what those who possess Godly wisdom know – true joy and delight is found in following God. That is really living and incredibly racy as so often the wise are called out of their comfort zones to serve God.
Although it doesn’t seem that way, the fool eventually is caught out by the thing he fears. In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus speaks of the wise man who builds his house on the solid rock and the fool who builds his house in the sand. The storm comes and the house is washed away. So too the fool. He may appear wealthy in a worldly way. He may appear powerful. The world may consider him successful, a definite winner. But success is not measured by worldly measures. True success is unrecognisable to those living in the world. The fool may die still full of worldly success, but what will happen to him in death? There is always a price to pay. Some pay it during life and, if they are wise, will change direction and follow God. Others pay it in death, when it is too late to do anything else. The wise man knows to build his house on the solid rock of Jesus. He will survive life’s storms and will find the price has already been paid.
 

10:14-21
These verses are a series of sayings that loosely fit together. It starts with a statement about accumulating knowledge being a treasure. This does not just mean ‘book learning’ but knowledge of life and, more importantly, God. The fool in contrast spends too much time talking and learns nothing and as a consequence wastes time and their brain.
Then there is a change of subject. The wealth of the rich is targeted next. How often we equate wealth with safety. We are taught to seek a good, well-paying job. We are taught to seek home ownership. We are taught to seek car ownership, a healthy bank account, lots of savings, and lots of possessions. We are taught that money and possessions are safe. But that is not so. We are told in the next proverb that the wealth of the rich is their fortified city because wealth brings ‘friends’, not necessarily genuine friends, and power and the illusion of security. But true security lies in God and wealth cannot buy that, whereas poverty has no influence, friends or security. But the poor person who trusts in God has the greatest riches. In Psalm 52:7 we read of the man who makes his stronghold his wealth and seeks his power and security from that. So desperate is he for the security and power he believes riches buy him, he is willing to do evil to achieve them.
The one whose ways are righteous receives life has his wage, but the one who cheats and lies, in other words is evil, reaps sin as his wage and the wages of sin is death.
To truly live one must be disciplined and lead a life that will encourage others to follow. But the person who thinks they are above a disciplined life and refuses to accept correction finds death and leads others there with them.
The person who pretends everything is okay and hides their hatred of others behind false friendliness, preferring instead to slander them is a fool and the way of the fool is death.
The person who fills the air with constant talk, that includes gossip and slander or involves boasting, even if they proclaim their virtuousness in their words, is a sinner. The wise person chooses not to say bad things about others and not to boast. The righteous person makes their words count and avoids self-aggrandisement and putting others down. Their words are pleasurable and encouraging to others. The fool speaks empty words with little value and their lack of judgement and spiritual emptiness leads to death.
All these sayings involve the wisdom of knowledge and seeking and following God. They are the way of the wise and there is the warning of the foolishness of those who do not follow God.
 

10:1-13
The theme of these verses is about what a life of Wisdom looks like. You will notice that I spell Wisdom with a capital W. This is because some Bible translations use the capital W to denote the divine nature of Wisdom and distinguish it from worldly wisdom.
Divine Wisdom is what parents want for their children. Most parents want their children to follow Jesus, get a job and keep it, get married and stay happily married, have children and be good parents and be able to manage the difficulties of life. This also is the picture of the wise person.
The wise person knows that true wealth lies in righteousness and the life that following Jesus delivers. That person knows that God will look after them and meet what He knows are their needs. The wise also know that diligence is what God wants of us, not laziness. This is not saying that those who are poor are lazy, because there are many in this world who work all their waking hours and remain poor. What it is saying is that we need to be diligent in serving God in our lives, whether it is in earning money or in non-paying acts of service to Him. The diligent may not earn money for what they do, but they are still diligent in what they do.
God will reward the righteous person with blessings and even the memory of them will be a blessing.
The wise will accept the authority of others and will walk in integrity, being secure in God. Those who practice subterfuge and maliciousness cause pain to others. They will be punished. The person who stands against such behaviour will bring and be blessed with peace. Such a person who practices uncompromising righteousness will bring life instead of the violence of the malicious gossip. The malicious one is motivated by hatred, which causes great damage. The wise person who stands against it gives healing love. That wise person follows God’s design for living. They know the Wisdom of Jesus and that Jesus is the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30) in whom are hidden all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge (Colossians 2:3).
That is the Wisdom parents want for their children. This is the Wisdom of following Jesus. That is the Wisdom we should aspire to.
 

9:13-18
Folly calls to those who are ‘upright’ and go ‘straight on their way’. There is no benefit in leading the foolish astray. So be on your guard. If your intention is to follow the sensible path then make sure it is in Wisdom or you will be led astray. As has already been discussed, Wisdom means God.
To those lacking in wisdom there is the lure of the pleasures of the forbidden fruit and what fun it is to eat that fruit. The person full of wisdom knows that does not bring true joy and ignores folly, but those who do not have Jesus in their lives (Wisdom) are more easily fooled. Sadly the way of the foolish is death.
How can you be a follower of the sensible path and led astray by folly? Isn’t the sensible path the way of God?
The answer to that question is no. To the person who has their Sunday date with Jesus then goes about the week convinced that date is all they need for salvation, the sensible path is what they are following. Folly does not always dress herself in obviously foolish garb. Clever clothing and words can easily fool the unwary.
So who are the unwary?
If you walk through life without the commitment to follow Jesus every day, all day. Without the desire to case off your old self and take on Jesus. Full of the foolish legalism of the Pharisees. Without the intention to read the Bible, talk to God, serve God. Without Wisdom. Then foolishness will easily lead you astray. And your path will lead to falling away from God. And you path will lead to death. It is easier than you think to fall for the way of foolishness.
 

9:1-12
Wisdom builds her perfect house and goes out on to the streets to seek the simple, easily led and wavering. This is a similar picture to that of Matthew 22:2-4 where Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a King’s wedding banquet for his son. He prepares a beautiful feast with choice cuts of meat and the best wine. Then he goes out to seek the invited. The story continues with the foolish invitees refusing to come, so the King invites the poor. They come willingly while the rejected guests, having realised their error too late, wait outside in the dark and cold never to be allowed in.
The rich invitees are like the mockers and scorners mentioned in these verses. It is no good arguing with them or pointing out their error. They will just mock you. Don’t waste any more time on them.
Focus instead on those simple people who come eagerly to seek insight and understanding. These are the ones who love God, who eagerly accept His invitation to the banquet. Who come immediately rather than putting it off until there are no better offers. Sadly that day usually comes when it is too late.
The wise and the righteous love God and their love and knowledge of God will increase as they increases in wisdom. Sadly the foolish mocker who rejects God cannot learn.
The beginning of Wisdom. In fact the major part. Is reverent and worshipful fear of God. And insight and understanding is Knowledge of God.
Wisdom is deeply tied to a love of God. Without God, there is no wisdom. So to choose wisdom is to choose God. To reject God is to choose foolishness.