The Wisdom of Solomon
Bible Facts Newspaper Article (Ian C. Kurylyk)

“Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words” (Proverbs 7:4-5). One man stands out in history for his unparalleled wisdom, King Solomon. God appeared to Solomon early in his reign and invited him to ask something from Him. When Solomon chose wisdom, God was pleased with him and gave him a very special gift. He also became the author of the book of the Bible that has wisdom as its theme, Proverbs. “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding” (Proverbs 1:1-2).

Wisdom does not come easily or naturally to us in this world. The entrance of sin into the human family has made us inclined to be foolish. We need help. Solomon offers it through his proverbs. “To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings” (Proverbs 1:6). A proverb teaches by the process of comparison. It speaks about things often that we are familiar with, but also has a rhyme of thought to reveal things that are more profound. So Solomon writes that we might understand his proverbs, and the “interpretation”.

Bible wisdom is ultimately about a right relationship with God. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever” (Psalms 110:10). The fool in Solomon’s writings is not a mentally deficient person primarily but one whose ways and choices are foolish in view of God’s existence and in view of eternity.

In Proverbs, chapter 7, Solomon’s proverb is the story of a young fool that gets taken in by a woman of ill repute. He describes his subject as one of the “simple ones”, a “young man void of understanding”, in verse 7. He reveals his character by being unconcerned and unguarded about the dangers of this woman Solomon calls the “strange woman”. The young man wanders into her neighbourhood. “Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night” (Proverbs 7:9).

Solomon goes on to describe his seduction when he meets this woman “with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart”. In today’s words, she was dressed like a hooker. With her words and her ways she draws him into her net. “He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks” (Proverbs 7:22). Without the defense of wisdom he is snared as the next verse tells. “Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.”

This eastern description of a scene observed from the king’s window is a proverb. Now it is true that Solomon’s words are in themselves a warning about the dangers of being snared into prostitution. But there is more in the dark sayings of the wise. The seduction described here is a proverb about the lure of sin, all sin. The young man is a fool, not because he is mentally deficient, but because he is deficient morally and especially spiritually. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God”, begins Psalm 14:1 and goes on to show where it leads: “They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” The proverb of the strange woman is a drama of the course of sin in its attraction and final end. “Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death” (Proverbs 7:25-27). “

So God portrays the choice of every life between the wisdom of God in Jesus Christ and the folly of sin. This is the consistent message of the Bible, the choice of life or of death.