Guarding Against Folly

INTRO: There was a man who just bought a big, shiny pickup truck—and he wanted everyone to know it. So he drove like it. He hopped curbs, punched the gas on every straightaway, and revved the engine at stoplights like he was auditioning for a car commercial no one asked for.

One afternoon, cruising through a neighborhood, he spotted a few people outside… an audience - and then he saw it: a lonely trash can by the curb.

Perfect. He grinned, lined it up, and hit the gas, fully expecting that can to go flying into next week.

It didn’t go anywhere. Turns out, it was filled with hardened concrete. The truck stopped. Immediately. The bumper caved and headlight smashed. But the real damage was the man’s pride.

Sometimes you don’t need great wisdom to avoid a mess like that…you just need not to be foolish.

Over the course of our study through Proverbs, we’ve noted that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; That fear is not abstract terror, but rather a proper understanding of who God is and a right response to Him.

Since that’s the case, it makes sense that in our pursuit of wisdom, we must guard against folly or foolishness. It’s a similar logic as when we talked about wisdom for the tongue. Just as saying nothing is sometimes the wisest thing we can say, sometimes avoiding foolishness is the wisest course of action we can take.

Now you might be thinking, “Is avoiding foolishness the same as pursuing wisdom?” And that’s a great instinct. Let me show you how they are connected. We can define foolishness as the rejection of God's authority in our lives. In fact, Ps. 14:1

Psalm 14:1 NASB95

1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”...

So, if foolishness is rejecting God’s authority in favor of one’s own authority, then the fear of the Lord begins when we deny our flesh. Does that sound familiar? Those familiar with the Bible recognize Jesus’ words when he said that following Him begins when we deny ourselves and take up our cross… (Luke 9:23)

But denying ourselves is more difficult than it sounds. It is an exercise in both trust and discipline that underscores the importance of Christian relationships that provide support and accountability. IOW, we all need people who will help us guard against folly in our lives.

Proverbs 30 shows us that wisdom is not just something we pursue; it’s something we protect.

This particular Proverb bears the name of Agur, not Solomon, though we don’t have a real clear picture of who exactly Agur is. Nevertheless, God has chosen to use this writing to help form us as His followers. What we can know is that Agur possessed a very humble disposition- one that demonstrates a denial of flesh in favor of faithful obedience to God. Let’s look at verses 1-6 together as we set the stage for setting up our guard. (READ)

Proverbs 30:1–6 NASB95

1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle. The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: 2 Surely I am more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man. 3 Neither have I learned wisdom, Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One. 4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son’s name? Surely you know! 5 Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. 6 Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

Like many poetic writings, there is a picture being painted in these words. The writer acknowledges his weakness and exalts God. Let’s observe together:

Man’s wisdom is limited. He uses the word, ‘stupid’ which might also be translated ‘brutish’ (not British). Basically, he is claiming that, in comparison with God, he might as well be a cow because his own wisdom and understanding of both the world and God is lacking.

Listen to his rhetorical questions: (READ 4)

This sounds much like the questions God asked Job and they prove the same point: God is so much above us… when we recognize that, we find ourselves like Agur or like Paul proclaiming that we cannot boast in ourselves!

In v. 5, he points us to the revelation of God in His word, the wisdom that God has shown us and the wisdom that keeps us.

Where God’s word is silent, we don’t try to add to it our opinions or judgments. Rather, we simply navigate this world in light of God’s revealed Word.

In the verses that follow, we see four types of people who lost the battle to folly; four kinds of people or maybe even better said, four pitfalls of self. These are listed in 11-14, and then illustrated through the rest of the chapter. Our goal is to identify four follies that we can guard against as we battle foolishness in our own lives.

If wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord—then folly begins when we reject His authority. And that rejection doesn’t usually start out in dramatic ways… it starts in the most basic place of authority in our lives. So the first guard we must set up is this…

Guard Against Selfish Rebellion (11, 15-17)

(READ Prov 30:11)

Proverbs 30:11 NASB95

11 There is a kind of man who curses his father And does not bless his mother.

We begin by looking at the rebellion that begins in the home- a denial of parental authority. (11) In the Hebrew world, cursing and refusing to bless are the same idea, especially as presented in this type of writing.

When a child rebels against their parents, they are placing themselves above God’s given authority structure. We see this in the parable of the prodigal son- the son was greedy and selfish; he thought he knew better and rebelled both in word and in lifestyle.

But what we see demonstrated in v 15-17 is that this kind of rebellion is an empty pursuit. (READ Prov 30:15-17

Proverbs 30:15–17 NASB95

15 The leech has two daughters, “Give,” “Give.” There are three things that will not be satisfied, Four that will not say, “Enough”: 16 Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, “Enough.” 17 The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it.

The foolishness of selfish rebellion is that one will never be truly satisfied. It’s like chasing the wind.

Can death ever be satisfied?? Is it not constantly saying “more!”?

Can a barren womb ever be satisfied while remaining barren?

Can the earth be satisfied with water?

Can a fire be satisfied with fuel?

The answer is an obvious no. And yet the pursuit of such rebellion is the equivalent of pursuing your own demise.

I think, we are honest, we all have some rebel in us. As a child or teenager, we struggle with being told no. As a Christian, we sometimes struggle with authority as well- authority of Christ over all of our lives. Authority of pastors and church leaders over spiritual discipline…

The question isn’t ‘Will I wrestle with selfish rebellion?” But “How will I guard against it?”

The answer: We guard by daily surrendering our lives to the authority of God. Folks, we must trust that His design is good and His plan for our lives is perfect. Jesus modeled this for us as He consistently told others that He came to do the will of His Father. He submitted, even as He faced the cross, praying, “Not my will, but your will”

Could it be that some of you here today need to pray that prayer? You can pray that now - “God, I have been rebelling against you. But today, I realize that I am chasing empty pursuits and I want to lay them down and surrender my life wholly unto you.”

Surrender is how we guard against selfish rebellion. But here’s the danger; rebellion rarely presents itself to us as rebellion. We don’t wake up and say, ‘Today I’m going to oppose God.’ Instead, we convince ourselves that what we’re doing is justified. That’s why the next danger is even more subtle. We must...

Guard Against Self-Deceit (12, 18-20)

(READ Prov 30:12)

Proverbs 30:12 NASB95

12 There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness.

Did you know that we can deceive ourselves? Oh yes, we can! In fact, the Bible tells us that we cannot even trust our own heart Listen to Jeremiah 17:9 “9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”

That means that we can trick ourselves into thinking that we are doing something good, when if fact, we are entangled in the wickedness of the devil. Look at v. 18-20 (READ Prov 30:18-20)

Proverbs 30:18–20 NASB95

18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand: 19 The way of an eagle in the sky, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maid. 20 This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wrong.”

This section is intended to set up a contrast. There are things which are pure and almost majestic- they leave no foul trace upon the realm in which they travel. Picture them:

An eagle soaring in the sky… he doesn’t leave a chem trail or pollute the sky. When we see one of those beautiful birds, we all just look at him, don’t we?

A snake on a rock- it’s captivating… I don’t like snakes, but I am amazed at how quickly they move. One minute they’re on the rock, the next second, they’ve disappeared. How in the world does something without legs move so quickly?!?

A ship on the sea… I love seeing the ships come in and go out to harbor. It’s amazing how small that big boat can look! And yet, it moves with grace on the vast openness of the ocean- somehow getting to where it needs to go.

And young romance. We all love a good wedding- We enjoy seeing a young couple fall in love and begin a life together, starting a family. (That’s why all you ladies love those chick flicks!) Us manly men don’t get into all that, but we do remember how exciting young love is.

But all of these pictures are put beside the picture of an adulterer. One who sees sex as an appetite to be satisfied instead of a sacred bond to be esteemed between a husband and wife.

You see, our deceitful hearts can find all kinds of ways to rationalize sin. We can compare ourselves to others or pretend what we are doing is actually good. But this usually means we have seared our conscience. (1 Tim. 4:2)

In our current moral relativistic culture, self-deceit is like an epidemic. Of course, people don’t call it self-deceit—instead, it’s called ‘living my truth.’ Sadly, it’s not just ‘out there.’

Ok, time to be honest: How many of us have deceived ourselves? To guard against this, we must be anchored in truth. Jesus said in John 17:17 as He prayed to God the Father,

John 17:17 NASB95

17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

If the only voice shaping your thinking this week is your own, you are already vulnerable to self-deceit. Friends, we need to be set apart by God’s Word. His revealed word is our plumb bob for righteousness, not our opinions or our desires. Set up this guard by spending time regularly reading and praying through the Bible.

If we deceive ourselves long enough, something begins to happen: we stop questioning ourselves… and we start trusting ourselves. And when we start trusting ourselves as the standard of truth, it’s only a matter of time before we begin elevating ourselves. Which leads to the next pitfall. We must...

Guard Against Self-Glorification (13, 21-28)

(READ Prov 30:13)

Proverbs 30:13 NASB95

13 There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.

The author uses the word ‘arrogance.’ We have looked before at the danger of pride and arrogance. You see, just like the Atlanta Falcons who were beating the Patriots 28-3 at halftime in Super Bowl 51 got a bit arrogant, and ended up losing 31-28, not scoring a single point in the second half, our arrogance is a snare that leads to loss.

I like the way that this proverb paints the picture of arrogance in v. 21-23 (READ Prov 30:21-23)

Proverbs 30:21–23 NASB95

21 Under three things the earth quakes, And under four, it cannot bear up: 22 Under a slave when he becomes king, And a fool when he is satisfied with food, 23 Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband, And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.

All of these positions are unnatural and beyond unlikely. But can you imagine someone more insufferable than one who has a position that they don’t deserve? They might brag about it- they might abuse their position; they don’t have the character to back up their position. They might think they are king of the world, and everyone else exists to serve them.

If you’ve been on Facebook or Instagram, you probably can picture some of this self-glorification… the question is: Does that appear on your timeline or your posts?

ILL: I remember hearing about a man who was really bad at his job… he was hard to work with, had a horrible attitude, and a foul mouth....and he got a promotion! Now he thinks he is really something, but everyone around him knows that he does not deserve to be in that position.

And if you look down to 24-28, we see a bit of a contrast. Let’s read that (READ Prov 30:24-28)

Proverbs 30:24–28 NASB95

24 Four things are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: 25 The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer; 26 The shephanim are not mighty people, Yet they make their houses in the rocks; 27 The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in ranks; 28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands, Yet it is in kings’ palaces.

Here’s the point: Wisdom is not about size, power, position, or status. In every category, Agur says that wisdom is found in leveraging their design. The ants leverage their work to prepare for winter. The shephanim (badger) lives away from its predators, the locusts work together, and the lizard is bold enough to go into the king’s palace.

So, how do we guard against this self-glorification? I believe we must consider our motives. If we are constantly looking for people to notice us or stroke our egos, then we probably have some pride issues.

Now, the opposite of arrogance is humility. That doesn’t mean that we think less of ourselves, but rather that we think accurately and less often of ourselves. We don’t glorify ourselves, but instead we leverage our lives for the sake of glorifying our Lord.

Perhaps the best way that we guard against self-glorification is to foster a great adoration for Christ. When we have our first love in the right order, the rest seems to fall in place.

Pride doesn’t stay theoretical; it always demands expression. When we begin to glorify ourselves, we eventually start living for ourselves. And when life becomes about serving ourselves, our desires take control. That’s where we see the next danger. We must...

Guard Against Self-Indulgence (14, 29-33)

How many of you thought about your diet just then? Well, it’s ok; we aren’t talking about dessert… for now.

(READ Prov 30:14)

Proverbs 30:14 NASB95

14 There is a kind of man whose teeth are like swords And his jaw teeth like knives, To devour the afflicted from the earth And the needy from among men.

The attitude here suggests that this kind of person is greedy and uncompassionate. In other words, they think only of themselves; taking what they want and not caring how it impacts others.

The picture is interesting. 3 animals and a king. Let’s read that together (READ Prov 30:29-31)

Proverbs 30:29–31 NASB95

29 There are three things which are stately in their march, Even four which are stately when they walk: 30 The lion which is mighty among beasts And does not retreat before any, 31 The strutting rooster, the male goat also, And a king when his army is with him.

The word stately can be read as impressive or well-to-do. These may appear positive at first glance… but in context, they warn how easily strength becomes self-serving. Yet, the author gives these examples not that we would emulate them, but as a picture of the power of our flesh to position ourselves for personal gain.

When we watch a lion, he moves with confidence; no natural predator, so he takes what he wants… if he’s in the mood for zebra, he’ll just take it. If he wants a gazelle, it’s as good as his.

A rooster struts and goes wherever he wants… he’s not shy about making a lot of noise. I’ve even known roosters to chase people!

A male goat usually is put at the front to lead the flock… he kind of prances and very audaciously goes forth as if he is victoriously marching about.

And a king with his army may also be interpreted as a king with no uprising. But, with his army, the king feels lauded; He’s the boss. In itself this is natural, but again we are looking at the pitfall. If a king gets sucked into the indulging, celebrating peace, etc., he may not be sober and ready when action is required.

You can recognize self-indulgence by asking why you are chasing after these things. Are you trying to satisfy your appetite or lust? Are you doing what is right, or just what serves you best?

To guard against this pitfall, you simply need to remember your mission. The reason you exist and are here on earth is to bring glory to the God of creation in obedience to His great commission. Or as the shorter Westminster catechism says: “The purpose of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

Now if you step back and look at all four of these—rebellion, deceit, pride, and indulgence—they all have something in common…They don’t stay contained. They grow. They escalate. They take you further than you intended to go.

Look with me at the final 2 verses (READ Prov 30:32-33)

Proverbs 30:32–33 NASB95

32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth. 33 For the churning of milk produces butter, And pressing the nose brings forth blood; So the churning of anger produces strife.

Agur’s final warning is simple: stop before it escalates. Pressing your sin only produces more damage.

Let me say it this way: The path you are on, if you are struggling in one of these areas, only gets worse. It does not self-correct!

Folks, we are all at risk here… we can fall so quickly. We might not be losing the battle today, but I guarantee you the battle will still be raging tomorrow. If your flesh is winning the battle and you just don’t know how to stop or how to change - God has made a way through Christ for you to be forgiven, filled with the Holy Spirit, and set apart according to His purposes.

He has brought you here to a building filled with Christian saints that can walk with you; that can share wisdom with you, that can encourage you and give you accountability. Did you know the best way to guard all four sides around you is to have others help you out?

Today, I want you to remember that the first step of wisdom - to Fear the Lord - is to deny yourself. And as we close our service I invite you to do just that. This table represents dying to our flesh, and joining with Christ.

[PRAY] - Transition to Lord’s Supper

I’m going to invite our deacons to come forward as we prepare to serve the Lord’s Supper. This ordinance is a declaration of Christ’s victory through his death, burial, and resurrection. It’s also a testimony and declaration of our commitment to denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Him.

You do not have to be a member to partake of the Lord’s Supper. However, this ordinance is intended for those who have confessed Jesus as Lord, have been baptized in like faith, and have no unconfessed sin nor unforgiveness or bitterness against their neighbor. If you are not qualified to partake, I will ask that you simply allow the plates to pass by you today.

Yet, I encourage you to see the invitation of Jesus to join His family through faith in His completed work on the cross.

Will you take a few minutes to pray silently - asking God to prepare your heart and mind so that the declaration you make in partaking genuinely reflects your surrender to Jesus as Lord.

[PRAY]

1 Cor 11:23-26

DISCUSS: Why is humility (recognizing our limited understanding) essential for pursuing wisdom?

DISCUSS: What does “daily surrender” to God actually look like in a practical sense?

DISCUSS: How can we practically anchor ourselves in truth instead of our own feelings or reasoning?

DISCUSS: Why is it important to have other believers helping us “guard against folly”?