Woman Folly is noisy; she’s stupid and doesn’t even know it. She sits at the doorway of her house, on a seat at the city heights. She invites those who pass by on the path, those going straight on their way. “Whoever is naïve, come in here,” she says to those who lack sense. “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is pleasant.” But they don’t know that the dead are there; her guests are in the depths of the grave. (Pro 9:13-18 CEB)
Folly is the prostitute that sits in the doorway of her house or seated near the places of worship. Her goal is to entice those that are on the straight path, that have no understanding or as the text puts it, naïve. Prostitution doesn’t have to be sexual, in fact, the dictionary defines prostitution as, “the unworthy or corrupt use of one’s talents for the sake of personal or financial gain.” The preacher that misrepresents the gospel for financial gain or personal benefit is practicing prostitution. Their message is cloaked in false promises and false teaching. Whatever promises are made, they are empty and lead nowhere but the grave.
The Christian life is a life built on a firm foundation of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Stay true to the straight path and avoid the temptation to turn to the left or the right.