WHY WON’T THEY LISTEN?
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Opening Prayer
Speak to me, O Lord, through your Word. Give me a teachable spirit that responds to your voice and puts into action what you teach me.
Read PROVERBS 1:20–33
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Wisdom’s Rebuke
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[a] she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Are you a casual listener? In what ways are you challenged to listen carefully and respond?Wisdom is personified in today’s passage as a woman roaming the streets, calling out for anyone to hear her. Perhaps you might picture her as a street preacher, desperately trying to interest people in the gospel. Or these days she might be depicted on social media, trying to speak truth into the cacophony of angry, misleading, or time-wasting posts.
Wherever you picture her, you can sense her frustration as she watches people pursue foolish ends in foolish ways. She longs for them to turn from their folly, but ultimately everyone has to make their own choices.
Verses 24–31 sound shocking, as those reaping the consequences of their poor choices ask for help too late. Yet the Bible repeatedly urges us to ensure that we are right with God—the very bedrock of wisdom—while we have time (e.g., Isaiah 55:6; Matthew 7:21–27; 25:1–13).
In Genesis 7 there came a point when God shut the door of Noah’s ark and those who refused to heed his call were left outside. In the same way, there will come a day when we run out of time to act wisely. Let us turn and listen to wisdom while we still can.
Apply
Where might you be putting off a response, an attitude, or an action that God is calling you to?
Closing prayer
Father, thank you that you love to give wisdom to any who will listen. Forgive me when I close my ears to you. Help me to turn from my foolish ways and walk in your wisdom.
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