Proverb 9:18

“But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of hell.”

Who is “he”? If we journey back just two verses, we will be reminded that the person the clamorous woman is seducing with deceptions in these verses is a simple man that lacks understanding. Which explains the opening line of this verse: he does not know.

And because he does not know, he is now an easy target for the clamorous woman. He will be more easily deceived than the one who is equipped with knowledge. So the obvious thing would be to educate ourselves. How do we do that? We study. It seems so simple, but as we all know: it’s not easy.

Of all the things vying for our time, we tend to lean into the exciting things on our checklist, or the things we can accomplish with lesser time which gives us the illusion that we are freeing up more time for ourselves. But the fascinating thing is that when we begin our studies—though time consuming—we find that we have more time and more freedom than ever before. Like everything else in the Kingdom world, it doesn’t fit our worldly senses.

As we study, we gain knowledge. We don’t become all-knowing overnight, which can be frustrating for some and a deterrent that discourages some and they give up the fight for knowledge. 

But let’s say you didn’t know math. Would you want to learn? Or would you just trust that everyone you transact with is being honest with your change? Would you be content with money collectors inflating your amounts due, banking on the fact that you wouldn’t know the difference? Only a fool would want to be used over and over again at the expense of his ignorance. So why would it be any different when it comes to our spirit?

The man who lacks understanding does not know that the clamorous woman is playing off of his cravings and baits him with bread and water. She is confident that he won’t know the difference between the lie she is feeding him and the truth: that the dead are there, and her guests—the simple ones she invites to join her party—are in the depths of hell. 

I don’t think this is an if-then verse that is pointing out you will go to hell if you steal bread or water.I think it is an illustrative verse that paints an image of what happens to the soul when we disobey God’s design. 

As we study and educate ourselves on the truth, we can begin to know things. And that knowledge of truth (the belt referred to in Eph. 6:14) equips us with armor that protects us from the enemy’s lines and prepares us for battles like the one this man has found himself in. 

But when we don’t care to know and understand the things of God and the design of his Kingdom, we are subject to the enemy; vulnerable to his attack. And when we believe the clamorous woman’s lies, we find ourselves in the midst of hell and our company is the dead—those who continually trust her lies. I don’t believe this verse is saying we are doomed to hell the second we partake of the bread and water. 

But neither does that doesn’t let us off the hook and permit us partake. We will become like the dead who dwell in hell if we don’t we don’t confess our thievery and what we’ve carried out in secrecy and tried to cover up, like Eve. But we will never know that we need to if we don’t seek out knowledge and truth. 

So where do we begin? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning fo knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).