Proverbs 24-27
Beware
He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him. Proverbs 26:27 NKJV
It may take some time but I am convinced that the truth will come to the surface if we will wait and observe. In the end this can save us a lot of time, trouble, and heartache.
Solomon’s son is at the stage in life where he will become a leader. He will need wise counsel for the decisions he will have to make. He will need the tools to determine wise counsel from foolish wisdom and personal agendas. So will we if we are to succeed.
In Chapter 26 Solomon describes four different types of people and the things they do and think. We can’t avoid them as they are prevalent in this world and will be happy to share their lifestyle and “wisdom”, but their “wisdom” will not deliver, so we need to be able to recognize foolishness disguised as “wisdom” in order to avoid it.
In verses 1-11 Solomon talks about the fool. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:20 that God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. In Romans 1:22 Paul said although the sinners described in verses 18-32 professed to be wise they became fools. Jesus put it this way; they are salt that has “lost its savor”. Matthew 5:13&Luke 14:34. That term “lost its savor” is the same word translated “foolish” or “fools” in the verses above. The wisdom of a fool has no value because it has no basis in truth.
If you blink you may miss the next one because Solomon describes him in one verse. In verse 12 he says there may be hope for a fool but little hope for a man who is wise in his own eyes. There are three Hebrew words translated as “fool” in the book of Proverbs. They indicate that foolishness is progressive in nature. A child may be foolish because of ignorance. This is the meaning of one of the words. As he grows he may be considered stupid or silly. This is the most used word translated “fool” in the book of Proverbs. Then there is the fool that becomes stubborn or hardened. This is the worst kind of fool we can encounter. The reason this fool is so dangerous is because in his heart he has determined there is no God so all of his counsel and beliefs stem from this decision. (Psalms 14:1) In his eyes he sees himself as wise. The word for this fool is “Nabal”. There was a man named Nabal and you can read his story in 1 Samuel 25. He would fit the description in verse 12.
Third, there is the lazy man. He too will offer wisdom. He must in order to justify his laziness but his wisdom is really worthless. The danger in taking in his wisdom is that it will lead us to be like him. The question we should be asking is, “How’s that working for him?”
Finally, we come to the wicked man, although at first he seems like a jokester or prankster. He will try to hide what is really in his heart, but his words and actions stir up trouble. He is particularly troublesome because he is deceptive. Solomon says watch and wait. The consequences of his words and actions will expose his heart and the truth will come out. Verse 27
We need to develop good observation skills. What is in a person’s heart will eventually come out in their actions and their words. In order to be a good leader and to attain all that God has called us to be we need to make sure we are taking in God’s wisdom and not worthless worldly foolishness disguised as wisdom.
As we encounter these kinds of people we need to be reminded that we are a leader and counselor as well. We are to have God’s wisdom in our heart and lead from that wisdom. Our goal is to influence and encourage people with God’s wisdom so they can attain all that God has for them, and not let them influence us in a way that brings us down. In verses 4&5 we are told not to answer a fool with foolishness, but we are to confront the fool’s foolishness with God given wisdom. To ignore his foolishness is to validate his foolishness in his own eyes. That is not the job of a leader.
May the Lord grant you discernment as you test and observe the wisdom you encounter today.
Pastor Dave