Proverbs 9:1–6 (ESV) Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

4. Pillar #4 – PROPRIETY. Wisdom considers what is appropriate. It takes into account who, what, how, when, where & why. The figure given to us here is that wisdom has “mixed her wine.” Mixing wine refers to two practices. Sometimes, wine was mixed with water to dilute possible intoxicating properties – and thus prevent drunkenness, and other times it was mixed with spices and other compounds which increased its potency – quite altering it. The second kind of mixing made it stronger but more savory. While we minister the very same Word of God to all, we sometimes have to “mix” the wine given the audience, the need and the state of the individuals. Martin Lloyd-Jones for instance completely refused to discuss topics like election with unbelievers. It didn’t belong to them yet. They needed the Gospel first. Babies don’t eat meat yet. Conversely, those long in the faith need to take in the stronger things and deal with them like adults. They take up complex and stronger doctrines like election and predestination etc., and they know not to get drunk on them. They recognize their potency and use them appropriately. Wisdom isn’t monolithic. It assesses, and adjusts accordingly. We give all the very same substance of God’s Word. But we also prepare it according to their capacities and stations. “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14, ESV)