You are invited… great words that fill us with anticipation- and excitement- most of the time. Those words are used often enough to invite us to spend our money, to go to yet, one more thing we don’t have time for, and then we receive the ‘invitation’ and it fills us with dread and guilt. The funny part is that if we don’t receive the ‘invitation’ somehow we feel left out- even if we hadn’t planned to go! What invitation would you love to receive today? What kind of invitations do you like to receive? Parties… games…. Infomercials… time share presentations? What were you invited to last?
You are invited… anticipation or dread.. joy or confusion. I want to look at the invitation that from Proverbs 9:1-6, “Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns. 2 She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table. She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come. She calls out from the heights overlooking the city. 4 “Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, 5 “Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways behind and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”
Wisdom has her house built and it’s ready. She has prepared a great feast. Everything is ready. I can imagine a beautiful table- covered with amazing foods and drinks and all laid out for her company. When I was a kid we would feed the men that came to chop corn or help my dad bale hay. My mom would cook an amazing meal, a couple of roasts, vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy, possibly a salad, pickles, bread, and of course a really good dessert- either pies or a cake. No one ever left hungry! That’s what I see here. Wisdom has prepared her feast- and now to invite the people!
Wisdom sends out her maidens- her servants- she puts it out on social media, “Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, “Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed.” She doesn’t have a special guest list- she wants everyone to come. Everyone is welcome to attend this banquet- She urges the simple- those that lack good judgement to come and eat and drink- so that they can attain wisdom. Wisdom is available to all that come and partake in the meal that is being prepared and offered. But just like any good meal- it won’t do you any good unless you eat it! You have to attend and pick up your fork and knife and eat!
To come to dinner, we are to leave our ‘simple’ ways behind and learn to use good judgement. It isn’t just dropped on us- it is a process. The words here are verbs- leave, live and learn. When we apply those actions to wisdom, we will become wise. We will know the direction that our life, our spirit needs to grow. When we learn the knowledge of God it will result in good judgement. To accomplish the kind of wisdom God desires to fill us with we must read God’s Word daily- study it and live it out every single day!
As we continue to grow in knowledge of God, God will grow us! He will stretch us. He will give us hard exercises to work through to grow strong spiritual muscles. He will speak to us through His Word- as we grow, as we believe, as we put it into practice. We are to “Leave, live, and learn.”
Leave the sinful life you are living. Say no to temptations and leave behind those friends and companions that only want you to continue your life with them. “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33.)
Live: accept the gift of life. The invitation is to live. The truly wise will repent, accept God's free gift, and live. Life and death hang in the balance of this decision.
Repentance is the necessary prerequisite of salvation. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery- ‘neither do I condemn you- go and sin no more.’ Peter told the people gathered at Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized” We must accept Jesus gift of salvation to us- we can’t earn it and we certainly don’t ‘deserve’ it!
Learn-who God is. Learn God’s Word- Follow His precepts and gain understanding. David states it so well, that we are to hunger to know God and to follow Him. (Psalm 119:33-40.)
Line upon line throughout the Bible the message from God is clear. You must accept His invitation and leave the way of foolishness. The Lord Jesus Christ breaths forth the invitation. Will you come? Will you say yes? God wants you at His table. We have the invitation.
Will you come?
