000 Allen FMT (i-xxii) - The Presbyterian Leader

184 Proper 19 [24]/Year B
Proper 19 [24]/Year B
Proverbs 1:20–33+ (Semicontinuous)
An important question is how the human community arrives at an interpretation
of the nature, presence, and purposes of God. Scholars sometimes
say that the Bible puts forward three modes whereby human beings
learn about God: (1) through God’s actions in history, for example, the
exodus from Egypt; (2) through direct revelation from God, such as God’s
giving the commandments to Moses; (3) by observing life and drawing
conclusions from it. The first two modes involve special moments of revelation,
whereas the third derives from interaction with everyday life
experience. These three modes all involve interpretation on the part of
the receiver or observer, and they overlap in practice.
Much Wisdom literature, such as the book of Proverbs—along with
Job, Ecclesiastes, Sirach (also known as Ben Sira or Ecclesiasticus), and
Wisdom of Solomon—falls generally into the third category. The underlying
theological presupposition is that God has created the world to
reflect the divine purposes. By paying close attention to what happens in
the world, we can deduce the character and aims of God (e.g., Prov.
6:6–11; cf. Proper 18/Year B on 22:1–2, 8–9, 22–23).
The term “wisdom” (hokmah, a feminine term) is used in two related
but different ways. First, in a general sense wisdom is the awareness of
God’s presence and aims in the world and the act of responding appropriately.
Foolishness is misperception of the divine presence and aim, and
the fool lives accordingly. Second, wisdom is more than a body of awareness;
it is also an agent of God and is active in the world. This literature
often personifies wisdom as a woman. Today’s lesson offers a general portrait
of Woman Wisdom, while Proverbs 8 focuses more specifically on
wisdom as agent and sustainer of creation (Trinity Sunday/Year C).
Wisdom appears in Proverbs 1:20–33 as a woman calling in the streets.
She stands at the city gates or on the public square where the economic
and social life of the community is centered and where orators sometimes
stood to gain an audience (1:20–21). She implicitly offers the awareness
of God’s designs for community, but many people (e.g., simple ones and
scoffers) reject God’s hopes (1:22). Despite this rejection, this woman continues
to invite the city dwellers to partake of wisdom (1:23).
Wisdom does not actively harm people who do not listen to her call,
but the consequences of their foolishness fall upon them (Prov. 1:24–26).
Panic besets them like a storm and calamity like a whirlwind (1:27). In des-