“Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave (Proverbs 9:17, 18 NIV).
The first part is the invitation of Folly. She is described as sitting at the door of her house on a seat at the highest point of the city calling out loudly to people who pass by to step in.
Isn’t she familiar to you? Aren’t her favorite spots of invitation situated in the most prominent and busy places? Isn’t she loudly and repeatedly calling out for attention? Have you not felt the irresistible urge within you to step inside her doorway?
If you have ever done so, you have also eaten food in secret and also drunk of stolen waters. They might have tasted delicious and sweet; didn’t they? When you chose to step inside her doorway, you chose to listen to one who is undisciplined and without knowledge.
But those who turn away her invitation and walk away from her display self-control, which is the fruit of the Spirit. They also show that they love knowledge which begins with the fear of the Lord.
Again, if you choose stolen water and food eaten in secret, you’ll lose valuable years from your life. The strength of youth will drain away in sinful pleasures as you eat and drink from it.
Even the Word of God agrees that sinfulness has pleasure. That is why stolen water is sweet and food eaten in secret is delicious. But its jaws bite into your very life!
But on the other side someone else is also calling out to you. She is wisdom. She is warning you and pointing out to you the consequence of your choice to listen to Folly.
Wisdom is informing you today that when you walk through the doorway of Folly, you are walking straight to the depths of the grave. There nothing is sweet nor is anything delicious.
Therefore, fear God; choose wisdom and earn life, and turn away from following Folly!
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