Proverbs 9:11
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For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
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How long do you want to live? Lady Wisdom offers free life extension! If you embrace and obey wisdom, the days and years of your life will be extended. But if you choose to ignore or reject wisdom, you must love death, for it is coming soon (8:36).
Solomon is ending his long personification of wisdom (9:12), which began in 8:1. The first person pronoun, "me," refers to Lady Wisdom, who was last referenced by similar pronouns in 9:5. Solomon used this elegant and persuasive style to present the character and benefits of wisdom, which includes the promise of long life. Are you interested?
Consider Solomon and his dream from the LORD (I Kgs 3:5-15). Readers for 3000 years have wished they could make his choice for wisdom and also receive the added benefits of riches and long life (I Kgs 3:13-14). Yet that is exactly what Solomon offers you, by the inspiration of the same LORD - riches and long life (8:18,21; 9:11)! All you have to do is also choose wisdom, and she offers these things as additional benefits! Believe it!
Solomon observed more about life and analyzed it better than any ten of the world's great thinkers. He summarized his findings without error in these proverbs, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Eccl 1:12-18; 12:8-11). He observed life and death, and he saw that wisdom resulted in living longer and folly in cutting your days short (Eccl 7:17; 8:13).
Every father wants his children to have long lives, so Solomon stated his observations about wisdom to his son several times (3:2,16; 4:10; 8:35; 9:11; 10:27). He saw that wisdom tended to life in those that had it (10:16; 11:4,19; 12:28; 14:27; 19:23). Even ordinary men know that hard living - foolish and wicked living - shortens men's lives.
But there is another factor beyond the natural consequences of folly and wisdom; there is the sovereign government of God, Who gives long life supernaturally for wise choices like honoring parents (Eph 6:1-3) and showing mercy even to brute creatures (Deut 22:7).
Wisdom can preserve your life naturally by avoiding the hard life of sinners that shortens their days, by avoiding the sword of justice of the ruler avenging crimes, by avoiding the accidents that often claim the foolish, by avoiding the diseases associated with certain sins, and by avoiding the sovereign judgment of God, Who judges every sinner.
True wisdom lays hold of eternal life and makes his calling and election sure, for endless days are the future of all the elect, made wise by grace (I Tim 6:17-19; II Pet 1:10-11).
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