“The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. ” (Proverbs 9:13, ESV)

Folly, personified in Proverbs as a woman, is the muse of the Fool. This is what makes one a fool. The Fool chooses the reasoning of Folly instead of the Wisdom of God. And it is tragic indeed.

Three things are brought to our attention in this verse, and they are vitally important…

“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” (Hebrews 11:4, ESV)

This text contains one of the most important truths about worship one can ever learn: It is not the sacrifice that makes the one who offers it acceptable, it is the acceptance of the one who offers it, which makes his sacrifice acceptable…

“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. ” (Proverbs 2:1–5, ESV)

Spiritual wisdom is not a natural faculty. Even those wisest in the ways of the world can be without it. It must be valued as treasure, paid attention to, inclined toward (fondly desired), asked for, and sought for like mining for silver or other hidden treasure. And in our day of instant gratification, that frankly sounds like too much work. No wonder then, we have little success against our sins. For as our text will show – unless we are desperately seeking God’s wisdom, our own hearts and minds will only lead us with the wisdom they already have. And – how’s that been doin’ for ya?