Invitations.

"The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces."

-Proverbs 10:8

"Doing wrong is fun for a fool, while wise conduct is a pleasure to the wise."

-Proverbs 10:23

"Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others."

-Proverbs 12:15

"Wise people don't make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their folly."

-Proverbs 12:23

"A foolish man may be known by six things: Anger without cause, speech without profit, change without progress, inquiry without object, putting trust in a stranger, and mistaking foe for friend."

-Middle East proverb

"The woman named Folly is loud and brash. She is ignorant and doesn't even know it. She sits in her doorway on the heights overlooking the city. She calls out to men going by who are minding their own business. 'Come home with me,' she urges the simple. To those without good judgment, she says, 'Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!' But the men don't realize that her former guests are now in the grave."

-Proverbs 9:13-18 NLT

It seems like we've reached a turning-point here in Proverbs as we get ready to leave chapter nine and head into chapter ten. The first nine chapters contain one invitation after another for the readers to choose wisdom.

Chapter one, - "The purpose of these proverbs is to teach wisdom . . ." (v. 2). "Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser" (Proverbs 1:5a).

Chapter two, - "My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions. Tune your ears to wisdom . . ." (vv. 1-2a).

Chapter three - "Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding. For the profit of wisdom is better than silver and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly" (vv. 13-18).

Chapter four - "Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do" (v. 7a).

Chapter five - "My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel" (v. 1).

Chapter six - Speaking of the wise commands of parents, "Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck" (v. 21).

Chapter seven - "Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family" (v. 4).

Chapter eight - "Listen as wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice" (v. 1)!

Chapter nine - "Wisdom has built her spacious house with seven pillars. She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table. She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come. She calls out from the heights overlooking the city. 'Come home with me,' she urges the simple. To those without good judgment, she says, 'Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your foolish ways behind, and begin to live; learn how to be wise'" (vv. 1-6).

As we head into chapter ten be prepared for the little roadsigns along the highways of life. Solomon posted these signs to help us choose wisely the right choices for our lives. But each proverb is just that, a choice. We are the choosers! We have been, are, and always will be the choosers for the paths we travel. We are, right now, the sum total of all the choices we've ever made. Yes, we are the choosers! Proverbs are not just fun quotes from the Bible; they are life-changing, eternal principles to guide our daily choices. What they are saying is, "Choose wisely."

Satan is a copycat. He's a deceitful copycat but he is a copycat nonetheless. He tries to make his plans look like God's plans. Satan is not very creative but he is very clever. Did you notice in Proverbs nine that wisdom and folly both built their houses on the heights overlooking the city (vv. 3, 14)? Hmmm. I'm sure wisdom's house was built first and the copycat came along and built one, maybe even trying to use the same plans as wisdom.

Did you notice the invitation? "Come home with me" (vv. 4, 16). At times, I would think, the invitations even sounded much the same. The house are both up there, they look the same, the invitation is the same . . .

Wisdom's invitation continues, "Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed" (v. 5). Folly's invitation is, "Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best" (v. 17)!

This is where the driveways and destinations part. On one hand the menu is my food and my drink, on the other there's the offer of food like you've never had it before! C'mon, take the risk, every's doin' it. Eat with us! Now it's time to choose . . . wisely would be the right choice but foolishly is still an option.

Not everyone will make the wise choice and that's tragic because the final destinations are as far apart as the east is from the west. Wisdom's offer is, "Leave your foolish ways behind, and begin to live; learn how to be wise" (v. 6). This offer is for the wise and the fool alike. Leave, live, and learn, that's the offer: Leave foolishness, really live, and learn wisdom. Who wouldn't want that? The other guys . . . the guys taking the other invitation, going to the other house, eating what they'll regret for a lifetime (however long, or short, that may be), because Folly's offer is deceitful and deadly: "But the men don't realize that her former guests are now in the grave" (v. 18). I can hear them now, "How did this happen? How did I get here? Why didn't somebody tell me?" Somebody did tell you, but you . . . wouldn't . . . listen. It was your choice.

Two invitations!

This house, that house?

This food, that food?

Leave, live, and learn . . . or die?

Choices.