Proverbs 8 :1-11

The Blessing of Wisdom

1 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.
5 O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right,
7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9 They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.
10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Here is the second woman reaching out to men is the streets in the book of Proverbs, Wisdom or in verse one she is also called understanding. The substance of her message varies from the other woman of proverbs in that Wisdom raises herself up whereas the other woman talks about what you can get away with. Wisdom in this passage appears more self centered, though her benefits are also clearly listed.

Her words are straight - no confusion, she says what she means
Right - that means good all the time
Better than our desires - this is the biggest difference between the two ladies, the first only talked about how she can fulfill the desires of young men. Wisdom simply says she is better than those desires. Often those desires get fulfilled or change. God does not leave you hanging forever with things you desire, now that's not to say that His timing is my timing so I might feel like it is taking forever. What are these better things:
Instruction-there is a way that life just works out better, we can fight it, try to be more enlighten, but at the end of all our striving God has created the world with a particular order and we thrive when we work within it
Knowledge-the right thing to do at the right moment, knowledge separate from action is mental masturbation. One professor in seminary I had said that you never know something until you live it and I agree.
Wisdom-knowledgeable insight into the way the world works that allows you to take and instruct others in right action. This will be looked at in depth throughout the rest of this chapter and as the theme of Proverbs looked at through the rest of the book.