invitations of wisdom and folly

"Wisdom has built up her house; she has set up its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city, 'Let all who are simple come to my house!' To those who have no sense she says, 'Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple waays and you will live; walk in the way of insight.'" (Proverbs 9:1-6) 

"Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point in the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way, 'Let all who are simple come to my house!' To those who have no sense she says, 'Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!' But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead." (Proverbs 9:13-18)

Notice how both wisdom and folly call from the highest point in the city. They have a lot of similarities as well as discinct differences that we can look at. 

1. Wisdom has built up her house. The Word doesn't mention Folly having done any kind of labor to build her own house up and she certainly doesn't have structure in her house as the 7 pillars of Wisdom's house implies. 

2. They both are both seated at the highest point of the city, calling out, wanting to be heard. Both of them call out to "the simple." 

3. Wisdom has prepared her own food and mixed her own wine to offer and share with those that choose to come to her house. Folly says, "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious." She wont even make food for you. 

4. Folly calls out to those who go "straight on their way" which implies that she is seeking to make their paths crooked. Whereas with wisdom, to those who have no sense, she is offering them hospitality and homemade food. 

5. Wisdom makes a call to action; to change. She says, "Leave your simple ways." Folly is making an invitation to those who are simple, just like Wisdom is except she is not requiring them to change. Both say, "come as you are." But only Wisdom says, "Don't just stay as you are. Become better!" 

6. Wisdom is promising LIFE to those who are willing to leave their simple ways; to those who are willing to walk in insight. Folly doesn't call us to change at all. Instead she wants us to stay the same, but this has consequences. It is death. Her guests are spiritually dead. "...her guests are deep in the realm of the dead." 

Just like the tree of life and death and the tree of knowledge, both are out in the open, invitingly. It is up to us, to make the decision, of which one to choose. So, choose wisely.