Q. “An humble believer,” Glasgow; asks, What is the teaching of Proverbs 1:26? Does that passage mean that God will rejoice over the punishment of the wicked? Does “Wisdom” in the context, mean the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, &c. &c.
A. In the passage it is “Wisdom” who speaks, crying in the streets to the simple, the scorner, and the fool, to turn at her reproof, and to love not their own ways; and that Wisdoms spirit would be given them, and Wisdoms words made known to them. (The fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom, verse 7.) When they would therefore be reaping the fruits of the folly they had sown, under the retributive government of God in the world, in their fear and calamity they would call upon Wisdom to guide them, but they would not be heard — it would then be too late to learn Wisdoms ways. Wisdom would then laugh at them as it were (it is a figure of speech), for what they were suffering; having set at naught Wisdoms counsels and reproof, when she cried to them to learn her ways.
The Book of Proverbs refers to the government of God here below, on the principle that “Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). This is true of saint or sinner. Grace saves the vilest, but the Government of God is over all. It is on the principle that if a man squanders his money, or his time, or his health; he will reap the fruit of his ways in the loss of these things, &c. The grace of God in Salvation never sets aside these principles of His dealings with men; nor (does this marvelous grace alter the fact that every man reaps the fruits of his ways under God’s government. A true Christian may do something for want of discretion, and want of hearkening to Wisdoms words, which he may have to repent of all his days.
As to your question, who it is who speak? It is plain from 1 Corinthians 1:24. That Christ is the “Wisdom of God”; and that He is made unto us wisdom, verse 30. (Read Prov. 8:22-35, and compare with John 1:1-2). Christ’s word, that is, the expression of Himself, is to dwell in us richly in all wisdom. The Christian, too, is exhorted to walk in wisdom toward them that are without — the world, redeeming the time (Col. 3:16, 4:5).
It is plain that Proverbs 1:20-23, is not a gospel invitation at all. Hence the danger of using scripture out of its true place and connection. The passage does not teach that God will laugh at the punishment of the wicked, and the rejector of Christ, as you have heard. The divinely taught mind shrinks from such an idea.
Words of Truth 1:60-62.