What is the meaning of Proverbs 1:28? Then they will call on me • The “they” are the scoffers who earlier “refused to listen” (Proverbs 1:24). • A genuine invitation had already been extended (v. 23); ignoring it was an act of wilful rebellion, not ignorance. • The call comes only after disaster strikes (vv. 26–27), revealing a crisis-driven, not heart-driven, cry. • Similar scenes appear in Psalm 18:41 (“they cried for help, but there was no one to save”) and Isaiah 55:6 (“Seek the LORD while He may be found”), stressing that opportunity is time-sensitive. but I will not answer • The silence is judicial, not arbitrary; God’s patience has been exhausted (Romans 2:4–5). • Proverbs 29:1 warns that repeated hardening leads to sudden, incurable ruin. • Saul’s experience illustrates this truth: “the LORD did not answer him” (1 Samuel 28:6). • Micah 3:4 and Isaiah 1:15 echo the same consequence for persistent disobedience. they will earnestly seek me • “Earnestly” shows intensity—yet desperation is not the same as repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). • Hosea 5:15 foretells a similar frantic search: “In their distress they will earnestly seek Me.” • When motives remain self-focused (“save me from trouble” rather than “change my heart”), the search falls short (James 4:3). • History records Israel doing this in Judges 10:10–14—crying out only after misery set in. but will not find me • A sobering line: there can be a point of no return after chronic rejection (Hebrews 12:17). • Amos 8:11–12 pictures a famine of hearing God’s word where seekers “shall not find it.” • Jesus echoes the warning in Luke 13:25–27—doors shut on those who delayed obedience. • This finality underscores Proverbs 8:36: “All who hate me love death.” summary Proverbs 1:28 teaches that ignoring God’s wisdom is not a harmless postponement; it hardens the heart until, at last, cries for help meet divine silence. Today remains the open window to heed His voice, receive His wisdom, and avoid the tragic moment when seeking comes too late. |
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