# 401 The Proverbs – ‘A manual for living’ (MSG). Proverbs 1:1-7 (key words: the wise / the fools)

I guess we better get things straight right from the beginning. The author of Proverbs has no concern for what we call in our day, “political correctness”! Basically, he tells it like it is, and I don’t think he wants to be cruel or upset people for the sake of it, but he does want us to wake up to the truth, for our own good.

And so, we don’t have to read too far before we realize that he considers that there two types of people in the world: the wise and the fools!  Now, if you are beginning to feel offended, don’t give up on Proverbs yet, let me try and explain where he is coming from and what he is trying to say.

 Let’s start with the wise. Simply, it applies to those who have learned and possess the attribute called “wisdom.” Now, if you need to remind yourself concerning this topic then just look back to my previous Post # 399 The Proverbs – ‘A manual for living’ (MSG). Proverbs 1:1-7 (Key words: Wisdom).

And now, the more slightly controversial word, fool, which we will discover is simply the opposite of being wise. The word then used for the activities of such people is “folly”, meaning “lack of good sense; foolishness.”

The first use in Proverbs is in 1:7 as follows: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Now, believe it or not, it is then used another 71 times in the Book of Proverbs alone, and another 110 times in the rest of the Bible.                 

Timothy Keller suggests that “In Proverbs… fools are people so habitually out of touch with reality that they make life miserable for themselves and all around them… [people who] sow and reap discord and destruction… the ultimate foolishness [being] … to make anything the center of our lives besides God… Jesus describes the ‘foolish man’ whose home [i.e., ‘life’] is built on sand instead of on the solid rock of Christ’s word and wisdom (Matthew 7:24-26).” (# 51)

Here are a few other verses in Proverbs concerning fools:

A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom. (10:23)

The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves, but a fool’s heart blurts out folly. (12:23)

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.  (13:20)

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. (18:2)

But the most important truth concerns the fool’s attitude to God as follows:

Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.  (28:26)

Rather than trusting in him/her self, the wise person’s attitude is as follows:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  (3:5-6)

As well as the story in Matthew 7 mentioned above, Jesus summed up this topic as follows:

 ¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”   (Luke 12:16-21)

Father, help us not to be foolish in our ways, but rather teach us to live well, with wisdom that enables us to be rich towards you. Teach us to ‘fear the Lord.’ Amen.