The Street Corner Preacher

Posted by Joy Everett on Jan 18, 2012 in Daily Bread | 1 comment

When I read this passage, I think of a street corner preacher in a crowded, bustling city, preaching and trying to reach the masses, but few listen or even notice she’s there. Not the one’s out there holding signs stating, “The world ends 2012” or the ones that say” God hates sinners.”

I also have to address the fact that wisdom is called a she, people have a lot of questions about that and in my OPINION, and wisdom is described as a she because she is a characteristic of God. Anyway that’s a whole new something to write about and I always go over in my words and whether wisdom is a he or she is irrelevant to what I write today.

So, let’s dig a little….

“On top of the wall she cries out…..”

What is a wall?
   Here’s one definition:
   Wall – An immaterial or intangible barrier, obstruction.
So this is what I see and hear:
She climbs to the top of the wall (our limited view and ways) and stands and cries out, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” – Isaiah 55:6-9

…”At the city gate she makes her speech”

City Gates
City Gates were used as a defense, too keep out enemies, but a lot also happened there; Smyrna market village for example, you’ve got the courthouse, Smyrna PD, utility payment, restaurants, library, community and recreation center, festivals take place there, people even get married in the little park area, much like were city gates in ancient times.

This tells me Wisdom is for every part of our lives, in every decision we make; money, relationships, work, raising our children, wisdom in our day to day, from the great to the small.

So what can we gather?

1. Wisdom is alive and active
2. Wisdom is beyond us, but tangible to all who seek her, we have been invited to partake in something bigger than us
3. Wisdom is for every part of our life, the big and the small, and in it is life
4. Wisdom being a characteristic of the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Father, the word wisdom can be replaced with God.

James 1: 5-6 – If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you, But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Further Reading;
Matthew 9:13, Proverbs 4:6-7, Proverbs 24:14, Ecclesiastes 2:26, John 14:15-21,