“Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares” (v. 20). In these verses, Wisdom is not silent. No wonder Wisdom is personified as a woman, for they never stop talking! (Don’t hate me; I’m only joking.) Wisdom does not hide in ivory towers or behind locked church doors; she stands in the streets, cries at the crossroads, and pleads at the gates of the city (v. 21). Her voice echoes in classrooms, courtrooms, homes, and marketplaces, calling all who will listen. But the tragedy is this: she is not unheard—she’s ignored (like the foolish husband who ignores the voice of his wife!). “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?” (v. 22a). Wisdom’s call is not an accusation but an invitation. It’s the voice of the Spirit beckoning sinners to turn, repent, and receive the words of life, which are received from Jesus Christ (John 6:68).
But Wisdom will have the final word. “Because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes” (vv. 25-26). This is not the cruel laughter of vengeance but the righteous irony of divine justice. The one who would not listen in calm will not be heard in crisis. The one who refused to fear the Lord when days were long will not find Him when night falls.
Yet there comes a time when Wisdom is silent. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me” (v. 28). These are some of the most terrifying verses in all of Scripture because sinners can grow unwilling to repent. Hardened hearts seal their ears with the cement of pride. And time can run out.
But the voice of Wisdom is still calling now. Her words are printed on every page of Scripture, preached in pulpits, sung in hymns, and whispered in the conscience of saints through the Holy Spirit. She says, “Turn at my rebuke; surely, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you” (v. 23). The promise remains for those who will hear. Repentance is not rejection but return. “Rejection” and “turn/return” are even the same word in Greek and Hebrew. And to return to Wisdom is to return to Christ, who is the Wisdom of God made flesh (1 Corinthians 1:24). He’s the One who stood in the streets healing and rebuking others, who wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), and who still sends messengers to cry aloud His wisdom. His arms are open, but not forever. “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in rebellion” (Hebrews 3:15).
“But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil” (v. 33). This is not a promise of comfort without cost; it’s a promise of peace through faith. The one who listens to Wisdom learns the fear of the Lord and finds rest in Him (see Matthew 11:28-30). Safety here does not mean a life without trials, but a soul anchored in Christ, even during life’s toughest storms. To hear Wisdom is to hear the Shepherd’s voice. To follow Wisdom is to walk the narrow road that leads to Christ. And when the whirlwind comes, as it surely will, the wise will not be swept away (cf. Psalm 1:3-4). They’ll be held by the One who cried out for them first.
The Lutheran Column 