foolishness – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

Think!

“Think!”

I’m sure many of us have heard that sentence punctuate the end of a scolding when we were kids.

We do something stupid, and after railing at us for what we did, our parents tell us, “Think next time!”

I can’t remember any specific incidents, but I do have a vague impression my dad did this to me.

That’s what Solomon tells us in this chapter. He says,

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,
but the folly of fools is deception. (Proverbs 14:8)

And again,

A simple man believes anything,
but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. (15)

How often do we get into trouble because we don’t think carefully before acting. Instead we act rashly or impulsively and find ourselves in deep trouble because of it.

Solomon noted,

A fool is hotheaded and reckless.
A quick-tempered man does foolish things. (16–17)

Other times, we may not be acting rashly or impulsively, but we still rely on our own wisdom instead of God’s. And then we learn the truth of what Solomon taught when he said,

There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death. (12)

What then should we do? Well, Solomon gives us a couple of “don’ts” first. He warns,

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

Stay away from a foolish man,
for you will not find knowledge on his lips. (6–7)

In other words, don’t be a person that mocks the wisdom that comes from God. Who looks at the Bible and says, “That was for then, but this is now. Maybe those morals were fine for that time, but this is the 21st century.”

When we say that, we belittle God and his Word, which he says never changes.

As a result, we seek for wisdom relevant to our times, and find none because once we depart from God’s wisdom, there is nothing left.

The second “don’t” is to avoid seeking wisdom from fools.

Some people are simply stupid and arrogant in their ways. They won’t even consider God’s ways, and they never take correction.

Because of this, they will often give you “wisdom” that is at cross-purposes with God’s. And if you follow it, it can get you into real trouble.

So how are we to live? As we give thought to our ways, how do we measure what is best? Solomon tells us several times.

A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil. (16)

And again,

He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress,
and for his children it will be a refuge.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
turning a man from the snares of death. (26–27)

Solomon tells us that as we consider our paths, we are to fear the Lord. We are to ask him, “Which is the best path? How should I proceed?”

And when we do, God delights in sharing his wisdom with us.

As James once said,

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

The evil of mankind

As I write this, a major story in the American sports world is the arrest of an NFL star named Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez is charged with murder.

It seems quite unreal to me. I am by no means a New England Patriots fan. (Actually, I can’t stand them).

But it’s unbelievable to me that someone could have such a blatant disregard for life, that he would plot and carry out the murder of another person.

Hernandez is, of course, innocent until proven guilty, but things don’t look good for him right now. All the evidence that we know of points to him and two others murdering another man.

I couldn’t help but think of that as I read Psalm 36. David wrote,

An oracle is within my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes.

For in his own eyes he flatters himself
too much to detect or hate his sin.

The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

Even on his bed he plots evil;
he commits himself to a sinful course
and does not reject what is wrong. (Psalm 36:1–4)

Do all these things relate to Hernandez’s case? That is yet to be seen. But it shows the heart of so many who do evil.

Evil starts with a lack of fear in our hearts for God. When we refuse to acknowledge God in our lives, then just about anything goes. We are free to do almost anything.

The only thing that would restrain us would be a fear of punishment or our conscience. And apart from God, our consciences inevitably become warped.

Some people’s consciences are warped to a lesser degree than others, but they are warped nonetheless. And they become blinded to what is truly good and right. As David wrote,

For in his own eyes he flatters himself
too much to detect or hate his sin. (2)

How do we flatter ourselves? We think of ourselves as better than we really are. Or we think we are perfectly justified in all our actions.

The result? We can’t even detect, no less hate the sin in our lives. And in our sin, we cease to be wise and to do what is good.

If the prosecutors are right, Hernandez was so angry with the victim that he murdered him.

Part of the reason it seems so unreal to me is that if this is true, not only did he destroy another man’s life, he destroyed his own.

He was rich and had everything he needed from a material standpoint. He worked with a good organization. He seemed set for life.

Yet he couldn’t forgive the grievance he had against the victim, and that grievance became more important to him than anything else.

That includes his fiancée and his 7‑month‑old daughter who will now be without a husband and father if he is found guilty.

But when we commit ourselves to a course of evil, that’s what happens. When we fail to reject what we know is wrong, we destroy ourselves and end up hurting the ones we love.

How about you? You probably haven’t murdered anyone. But how about in your heart?

Do you hold anger and unforgiveness in your heart? Jesus said that if you do, you have murdered that person in your heart. (Matthew 5:21–22)

Aside from that, are you giving yourself to other destructive tendencies in your life?

Do you fail to fear God, saying, “Oh, he’ll forgive me. It’s okay?”

Have you been justifying yourself for actions you know are wrong? Are you committing yourself to a path you know is wrong?

Let us be wise. Let us fear God and do what is right, not giving in to the evil that infects our world.