“Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city…” (Proverbs 1:20-23, NASB)

As you read the book of Proverbs, you get a sense that wisdom is gained not by being book-smart but by being street-smart. Listen to what it says about wisdom in today’s reading:

“Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city, she utters her sayings: ‘How long, O naive ones, will you love simplicity? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, and fools hate knowledge? Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.”

The writer says that wisdom can be heard shouting “in the street,” even amid the “noisy streets!” Have you ever been to a busy market where there is lots of noise? You hear the noises of people talking, cars driving by, birds singing, and various mechanical sounds. Although many of these sounds were not around during Solomon’s time, the comparison to street noise is not far off. How can anyone hear sound wisdom in those places? Yet this passage says that wisdom “shouts,” “cries out,” and “utters” her voice, competing against all the noises in the world. Obviously, Solomon is not speaking literally. Wisdom does not have a physical voice, and it is not a woman that he calls it a “she.” In poetic or symbolic language, he is saying that wisdom is not some mystical, secret knowledge, but something obvious and openly available.

To me, it is about having a common sense of how things work, how circumstances happen, and how people speak and behave. Many of these things are not learned through being book-smart but by being street-smart. Being street-smart is not necessarily about literally living on the street, but understanding how things work in real life. If you search the words “street-smart,” you will get a description saying something like, “It is to possess practical, hands-on knowledge gained through real-world experience rather than formal education. It involves a high degree of situational awareness, the ability to read people’s intentions, and the agility to navigate unpredictable environments safely and effectively.”

Jesus even used such knowledge as he said, “And He was also saying to the multitudes, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way. You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?” (Lk.12:54-56) He is speaking of knowledge based on common sense or street smarts. Yet, you can also see that he made connections between sound wisdom and knowledge of God. You become “hypocrites” when you are able to accept street-smart but reject spiritual truths. People made common-sense judgments in life, but not in relation to spiritual life with God. Therefore, not all wisdom is sound wisdom, and not all wisdom leads you to live pleasing to God.

Apostle James points out that not all “wisdom” is sound wisdom, but many are “earthly, natural, demonic” (Ja.3:13-16). Yes, some wisdom comes from a demonic source! You can see this to be true when you see brilliant people with high academic degrees, brilliant minds, and eloquent words deny the existence of God. Their wisdom is indeed earthly, natural, and demonic! Concerning them, God says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps.14:1). True wisdom gives you skills to live effectively in the physical world and in the eyes of God when they are based on the “fear of the Lord” (Prov.1:29), that is, reverence toward God and His words. Such wisdom is not hidden away or far away. It can be found “shouting” in the streets, and even on “noisy streets.” If you are willing to hear God, you can hear His voice anytime, anywhere, and in any circumstances.

• What do you think Solomon meant by “wisdom shouts in the street?
• Have you ever found something true about faith and God while listening to music, watching a movie, or reading a book?