In Proverbs 16:20-24; 27-28, Solomon is giving examples of how good speech and bad speech affect our lives. We can be a positive thing, like a honeycomb, or a negative thing, like a scorching fire. By our words we can change other people’s lives, though that is an implied message in these verses. Mostly it appears Solomon is encouraging the reader (his son) to be wise about his choice of words, and how he uses them so that his life is blessed.

“Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call insight your intimate friend.’ ” Prov. 7. 4.

In thinking about the levels of relationship, sister and intimate friend are two of the closest relationships we can have. A sister can know her sibling(s) better than anyone else. Secrets, joys, personality, all that encompasses a person, that person’s sister knows it all. The good and the bad. So it is with Wisdom. Is it that Wisdom is our sister, or are we Wisdom’s sister/brother? That’s an interesting question. Because, siblings know each other, so technically it would be both. So… we need to know wisdom as if she were a sister. Which means, we know wisdom really, really, really well. Like best friend well.

For my class on Interpersonal Communication, we are studying the book of Proverbs. While reading Proverbs 4 today, I specifically noted that Solomon uses strong, active verbs throughout his whole conversation with his son. He is pleading with his son to hear, to be attentive, to not forsake his teaching because he gives good precepts.