The book of Proverbs is, first and foremost, a book of wisdom - one which teaches us to discern between wise and foolish (good and bad) choices. And here in Proverbs 1 we see that God is depicted as wisdom personified. There is a woman (wisdom/God) who is calling out to mankind and saying, in effect, that there is a natural wisdom, a truth out there which, if people would only recognize and use what we might call common sense, they would be able to avoid many of the hardships of life into which they fall as a result of sin.
It is everywhere - if we would only pay attention or just take the instruction that is out there.
We see that there is an antagonism toward wisdom - toward God. It is not hiding, as we are shown. The people have access to what is common wisdom and it is described as being right out there on the street - out there in the public. It is in the forest; it is in the city; it is on the job - it is everywhere! We are surrounded by it. This is why God can make the accusation He does (in Romans 2) that the Gentiles who do not have the law are a law unto themselves when they understand that they shall not kill. Their own conscious bears them witness that they understand what is right and what is wrong.
It shows in Proverbs 1 that God (or wisdom) uses just about every device to awaken people to what is right so that they will fear evil. And we see her threatening, laughing, and warning, sort of like a dog baring its teeth. If a snarling pit bull braced to attack every time we were about to sin, we would fear then, would we not? Our skin would crawl; our hair would stand on end and we would be almost spitless!
God has not chosen to warn us in that way, but He does warn us through His Word. And He also warns us through the fruit of sin - which we see in this world and also in our own lives. It is almost as if wisdom is saying here in Proverbs 1, I told you so, but you would not listen!
