Partaking Of The Great Feast (Proverbs 9:5-6).
“Come, eat you of my bread,
And drink of the wine which I have mingled.
Leave off, you naive ones, and live,
And walk in the way of understanding.”
All are called to come and eat of her food (her bread included the slaughtered beasts - Proverbs 9:2), and drink of the wine that she has mingled. This food and wine was to be found in the words of YHWH (Proverbs 2:6) as revealed through their teachers. How different it was from the food of wickedness and wine of violence in Proverbs 4:17. They are to leave off whatever they are doing, their naive way of living, and come to partake of what she has provided so that they might truly live, and walk in the way of understanding. (In our Lord's parables some refused to leave off, and were therefore rejected - Luke 15:16-24).
This call to ‘live' has been prominent in the Prologue. As we have seen, it includes not only longevity (Proverbs 3:2; Proverbs 3:16; Proverbs 3:18; Proverbs 9:11), but also wellbeing and spiritual prosperity (Proverbs 1:9; Proverbs 1:23; Proverbs 3:8; Proverbs 3:18; Proverbs 3:24-25; Proverbs 4:8-9; Proverbs 4:16; Proverbs 8:21). It is the way of security and peace (Proverbs 1:33; Proverbs 3:2; Proverbs 3:18; Proverbs 3:24-25). And it is the opposite of entering into the grave world (Proverbs 2:18; Proverbs 5:5; Proverbs 7:27; Proverbs 9:18), for that is the threat made against those who reject wisdom. It is a ‘life more abundant' (John 10:10), and it promises on death entrance into the presence and joy of YHWH (Psalms 16:11; Psalms 17:15). And all this comes to the one who walks in the way of understanding.
These concepts of ‘living, and ‘walking in the way of understanding' will in the next subsection be related to the choices made by ‘the wise' and ‘the scorner'. There ‘understanding' will be related to the fear of YHWH and the knowledge of the Holy One (Proverbs 9:10), whilst wisdom will reward her followers with long and prosperous lives (Proverbs 9:11). In contrast scorners will sink into hate.
We all have to choose which way we will go, whether in the broad way, the way of the naive, fools and scorners, or in the narrow way, the way of wisdom and life (Matthew 7:13-14), or, as here, the way of understanding.
Jesus, of course, could take this one step further. Wisdom could only offer knowledge, and understanding, and words, and shrewdness and discernment. Jesus Christ offered us Himself. ‘I am the Bread of Life,' He said. ‘He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst' (John 6:35).