SIMPLIFIED - THE WISE, WICKED, SIMPLE, SCORNER, & FOOL

The opening chapters of Proverbs have introduced us to a little company of characters who will follow us through the remainder of the book: the wise, the wicked, the simple, the scorner, and the fool. They lived in Solomon’s Jerusalem, but we have no difficulty recognizing them in our own world. Human nature has changed remarkably little. The clothes change, the houses change, the tools change—but the heart of man remains much the same.

Solomon therefore does more than give us a collection of clever sayings. He teaches us to recognize wisdom when we see it—and folly when we see that. Wisdom in Proverbs is not merely possessing information. A man may know a great many things and still make a wreck of his life. Biblical wisdom is knowing how to live rightly before God.

In ancient Israel, wisdom was intensely practical. The wise man was not simply the scholar sitting among his books. He was the man who knew how to order his home, govern his tongue, conduct his business, choose his companions, receive correction, resist temptation, and walk in the fear of the LORD.

And so Proverbs asks us a question that is more searching than, How much do you know?

It asks, What kind of person are you becoming?

Let us notice several marks of the wise.

THE SIMPLE

The book of Proverbs does not use the word simple merely to describe someone who lacks education or intelligence. The simple person may be clever, cultured, and well-spoken. His problem is not that he knows too little about everything. His problem is that he has settled too little about anything.

He is easily influenced because he has few convictions.

Proverbs 14:15 — “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”

There is a great difference between faith and gullibility.

Faith believes God because God is true.

Gullibility believes almost anyone because it has never learned to test what it hears.

The simple man has not learned to distinguish truth from error, wisdom from folly, or a safe road from a dangerous one. He receives ideas much as an open window receives the weather. Whatever happens to be blowing outside soon finds its way in.

And this makes the simple man especially vulnerable.

1. THE SIMPLE BELIEVES TOO EASILY

Proverbs 14:15 — “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”

Solomon does not praise a suspicious spirit, but neither does he praise an undiscerning one.

The prudent man considers his steps.

He asks questions.

He weighs what he hears.

He compares it with truth.

He understands that sincerity does not make every idea correct.

There is a strange notion in every generation that an open mind must never close upon a conclusion. But a mind that remains permanently open is not necessarily wise. A door is useful because it can open, but it is also useful because it can close.

There are some things a Christian ought to examine carefully and then settle.

God is true.

His Word is true.

Sin is destructive.

Christ is the Saviour.

Righteousness is better than wickedness.

The road of wisdom leads to life.

Convictions are not the enemy of thought. Proper convictions are often the result of careful thought.

The simple man, however, avoids the labor of reaching sound conclusions. It is easier to repeat what someone else has said than to search out whether it is true.

2. THE SIMPLE CONFUSES TOLERANCE WITH WISDOM

Our age often treats conviction with suspicion.

A person who says, “This is true and that is false,” may quickly be accused of being narrow-minded. Many therefore imagine that wisdom consists in refusing to make distinctions.

But Scripture teaches precisely the opposite.

Biblical wisdom requires discernment.

There are true words and false words.

Good paths and evil paths.

Wise teachers and foolish teachers.

Faithful friends and dangerous companions.

If we refuse to distinguish between them, we have not become broad-minded. We have simply become unable to tell one road from another.

Consider how absurd such thinking would be in ordinary life.

No one wants a pharmacist who says, “All medicines are equally valid.”

No one wants a mechanic who says, “Any fluid will work in your engine.”

No traveler wants directions from a man who believes every road eventually arrives at the same place.

In practical matters, we immediately understand that truth matters.

Proverbs insists that it matters even more in spiritual matters.

3. THE SIMPLE OFTEN LOVES HIS SIMPLICITY

Here lies the deeper tragedy.

The simple person is not merely uninformed. He may actually prefer remaining that way.

Wisdom calls:

Proverbs 1:22 — “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?”

Notice the word “love.”

The problem has moved from the head to the heart.

The simple man does not merely possess simplicity.

He loves it.

Why would anyone love such a thing?

Because conviction carries responsibility.

If I know the truth, I must do something with it.

If I learn which road is right, I can no longer pretend that every road is equally good.

If God's Word clearly speaks, I lose the comfortable excuse of uncertainty.

Sometimes ignorance feels easier because knowledge demands a response.

But ignorance does not protect us from consequences.

A man may refuse to learn that a bridge is unsafe, but the bridge will collapse just the same.

A patient may refuse to hear a diagnosis, but the disease does not disappear.

Likewise, spiritual ignorance does not make spiritual danger less real.

Solomon warns:

Proverbs 1:32 — “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.”

What we refuse to know can indeed hurt us.

4. GOD'S WORD CAN GIVE WISDOM TO THE SIMPLE

The simple man is not without hope.

In fact, one of the purposes of Proverbs is specifically to help him.

Proverbs 1:4 — “To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.”

The word translated “subtilty” here carries the thought of prudence or good judgment.

The simple person does not have to remain simple.

God has given His Word to teach him how to think.

The answer is not merely accumulating information. Solomon describes wisdom as something that must be sought diligently.

Proverbs 2:1–5 — “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

Wisdom must be pursued.

Truth must be searched out.

Scripture must be studied.

Prayer must accompany understanding.

The simple man wants wisdom lying on the surface where it costs nothing to obtain.

Solomon tells us to dig.

God's wisdom is treasure, and treasure is worth seeking.

5. THE SIMPLE IS EASILY LED INTO SIN

Proverbs 7 gives us perhaps the most memorable picture of the simple man.

Proverbs 7:7 — “And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,”

The young man is not introduced as especially wicked.

He is introduced as simple.

That is precisely what makes him vulnerable.

He goes near the wrong place.

At the wrong time.

With no settled convictions.

And when temptation speaks, he has very little within him with which to answer.

Soon Solomon says:

Proverbs 7:22 — “He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;”

He probably did not imagine himself walking toward destruction.

Very few people do.

He was simply following the next invitation.

That is one of the great dangers of simplicity. The simple person allows circumstances, companions, desires, and persuasive voices to choose his path for him.

If you do not decide beforehand what you believe, someone else will be glad to decide it for you.

6. THE SIMPLE OFTEN LEARNS THE HARD WAY

Proverbs 14:18 — “The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.”

There are different ways to learn.

The wise man can learn from instruction.

The simple man often must learn from consequences.

Proverbs 19:25 — “Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.”

The wise man hears the warning.

The simple man watches someone ignore the warning and suffer for it.

Then perhaps he learns.

This is why examples are so powerful. Sometimes a person refuses to believe that a road is dangerous until he sees someone lying injured beside it.

But wisdom says we do not have to personally experience every disaster in order to learn from it.

We can learn from Samson without becoming Samson.

We can learn from Lot without moving to Sodom.

We can learn from Saul without losing a kingdom.

We can learn from Judas without betraying Christ.

One of God's mercies in Scripture is that He allows us to see where certain roads end without requiring us to travel them ourselves.

7. THE SIMPLE DOES NOT SEE DANGER COMING

Solomon repeats one statement twice in Proverbs:

Proverbs 22:3 — “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”

And again:

Proverbs 27:12 — “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.”

The difference is not that the prudent man never faces danger.

He recognizes it. He sees where the road is going.

The simple man sees only what is immediately in front of him.

Wisdom thinks beyond the moment.

The simple man asks:

What do I want right now?

Wisdom asks:

Where will this lead?

The simple man sees the pleasure. Wisdom sees the price.

The simple man sees the invitation. Wisdom sees the destination.

The simple man says, Nothing has happened yet. Wisdom says, That is why now is the time to turn.

IGNORANT OF HIS IGNORANCE

All of us are ignorant about many things.

No man knows everything.

There is no shame in saying, “I do not know.”

In fact, that may be one of the beginnings of wisdom.

The danger comes when a man does not know—and does not know that he does not know.

Worse still, he may not want to know.

The truly teachable person says:

I may be mistaken. Show me from Scripture. Help me understand. What does God say?

The simple man may instead say:

I feel this is right. Everyone else thinks so. It seems harmless. I have never had any trouble from it yet.

But feelings

Crowds

Experience is not an infallible guide.

God's Word must be our guide.

Psalm 119:130 — “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

What a wonderful promise.

God does not mock the simple man for lacking understanding.

He offers him light.

FROM SIMPLE TO WISE

There is hope for the simple because simplicity is not necessarily the end of the road.

Wisdom keeps calling.

The simple man can listen.

He can learn.

He can receive correction.

He can search the Scriptures.

He can develop convictions.

He can begin looking carefully at his steps.

But he must respond while he is still willing to hear.

There is a progression in Proverbs that should sober us.

A simple man may become a fool.

A fool may become a scorner.

And the farther a man travels from wisdom, the less interested he becomes in turning back.

That is why Wisdom asks:

Proverbs 1:22 — “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?”

There is tenderness in that question, but there is also urgency.

How long?

How long will you live without convictions?

How long will you allow others to do your thinking?

How long will you drift instead of deciding?

How long will you hear truth without acting upon it?

There comes a time when indecision becomes a decision.

THE GREAT LESSON OF THE SIMPLE

The simple man teaches us that we do not have to hate truth in order to be destroyed.

Sometimes it is enough simply never to settle what is true.

A boat does not have to sail deliberately toward the rocks to be wrecked.

It only needs to drift.

That is why God calls us to something better than drifting -N

He calls us to wisdom. To discernment. To conviction. To careful obedience.

To a mind instructed by Scripture and a heart surrendered to God.

Proverbs 14:15 — “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”

The great question is therefore not merely:

Am I sincere?

It is:

Am I walking in truth?

And when there is a Bible to read, a life to build, a soul to guard, and an eternity before us, remaining simple is far too costly.

THE FOOL

When the Bible speaks of a fool, it is not primarily describing someone who lacks intelligence or education. A person may be highly educated and still be a fool in the biblical sense.

The problem of the fool is deeper than his mind. It is a problem of the heart.

Proverbs uses several Hebrew words for a fool, describing different shades of foolishness—the stubborn fool, the morally corrupt fool, and the brutish fool. But they share one great characteristic: they refuse God's wisdom.

Proverbs 1:7 — “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

The wise man hears God's Word and learns.

The fool hears God's Word and resists.

Let us notice some of the characteristics Solomon gives us.

1. FOOLS WILL NOT LEARN FROM GOD'S WORD

The fool's greatest problem is not that he cannot learn.

It is that he will not learn.

Proverbs 15:5 — “A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”

You can give a fool instruction, but he rejects it. You can warn him about danger, but he laughs at the warning.

Proverbs 14:9 — “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.”

That is one of the clearest marks of folly.

The fool does not take sin seriously.

He laughs at what God condemns and treats lightly what God warns will destroy him.

Why?

Because:

Proverbs 12:15 — “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”

The wise man can say, “I may be wrong.”

The fool has difficulty imagining it.

2. FOOLS ARE EASILY DISTRACTED

Proverbs 17:24 — “Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.”

The fool is always looking somewhere else.

Instead of dealing with the responsibilities God has placed before him, his attention wanders.

He dreams about what might be.

He talks about what he might do.

He looks for something new.

But wisdom deals faithfully with what is before us.

The fool may spend his life chasing something in the distance while neglecting the duties lying at his feet.

God's Word brings us back to reality. It teaches us where we are, what matters, and what God expects of us.

3. FOOLS CANNOT CONTROL THEIR SPEECH

One of the easiest ways to recognize foolishness in Proverbs is to listen to the fool speak.

Proverbs 15:2 — “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.”

Notice the picture: foolishness pours out.

The fool speaks quickly, confidently, and often excessively.

He may speak before he understands the matter.

Proverbs 18:13 — “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”

Wisdom listens first.

Folly answers first.

Solomon even warns:

Proverbs 29:20 — “Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.”

The fool also talks much more easily than he obeys.

Proverbs 10:8 — “The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.”

It is easier to talk about what ought to be done than actually to do it.

The wise man receives instruction.

The fool keeps talking.

4. FOOLS USE THEIR WORDS TO HURT OTHERS

Foolish speech does not remain harmless.

Proverbs 18:6–7 — “A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”

The fool's mouth gets him into trouble.

His words start arguments.

They spread lies.

They injure reputations.

They create unnecessary conflict.

That is why Solomon gives this simple advice:

Proverbs 14:7 — “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.”

There are conversations from which the wise person should simply walk away.

Jesus said:

Mark 4:24 — “Take heed what ye hear…”

We must guard not only what we say but also what we willingly listen to.

5. FOOLS CANNOT CONTROL THEIR TEMPER

Another mark of the fool is uncontrolled anger.

Proverbs 12:16 — “A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.”

The fool wants everyone to know immediately that he is angry.

He reacts before thinking.

The wise man exercises restraint.

Proverbs 14:29 — “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”

And Solomon gives us this memorable statement:

Proverbs 29:11 — “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.”

Not every feeling needs to be expressed.

Not every irritation needs to become an argument.

Not every offense needs an immediate response.

Sometimes the wisest thing a man can do is remain quiet.

Proverbs 17:28 — “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”

Silence can make even a fool appear wise.

6. FOOLS ARE DIFFICULT TO ARGUE WITH

Proverbs 29:9 — “If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.”

Not every argument can be won because not everyone is interested in truth.

Sometimes a fool becomes angry.

Sometimes he mocks.

Sometimes he simply keeps arguing.

Solomon therefore gives two statements that initially appear contradictory:

Proverbs 26:4–5 — “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”

There are times when answering a fool only drags us into his foolishness.

There are other times when foolishness must be answered so that it is not mistaken for wisdom.

Wisdom knows the difference.

We do not have to answer every argument.

We do not have to attend every quarrel to which we are invited.

7. FOOLS TRUST THEMSELVES

Proverbs 28:26 — “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”

Our culture often tells us to follow our hearts.

Scripture tells us something very different.

Jeremiah 17:9 — “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Our hearts are capable of deceiving us.

Feelings can change.

Desires can mislead.

Motives can be mixed.

Therefore, wisdom does not ask merely:

What does my heart tell me?

Wisdom asks:

What has God said?

There is an enormous difference.

The fool makes himself his own final authority.

The wise man submits himself to God's authority.

8. FOOLS LOVE ARGUMENTS

Proverbs 20:3 — “It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.”

Anybody can start a fight.

Wisdom often shows itself in knowing when to stop one.

The fool frequently mistakes argument for courage. He thinks he must correct everything, answer everyone, and enter every controversy.

But there is no honor in creating unnecessary conflict.

Sometimes walking away requires more wisdom than continuing the argument.

The wise man asks:

Does this matter?

Will this conversation accomplish anything?

Am I defending truth, or simply defending myself?

Will my words produce peace or more strife?

A fool can turn a small disagreement into a great conflict simply because his pride will not allow him to stop.

9. FOOLS BRING SORROW TO OTHERS

Foolishness rarely hurts only the fool.

Proverbs 10:1 — “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.”

And again:

Proverbs 17:25 — “A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.”

Scripture gives many examples.

Cain brought grief upon his family when he murdered Abel.

Esau made choices that grieved Isaac and Rebekah.

Jacob's sons deceived their father concerning Joseph.

Samson repeatedly ignored the counsel of his parents.

David experienced terrible sorrow through the sinful choices of his sons.

The lesson is simple:

Our foolishness never belongs entirely to us.

Our choices affect parents, spouses, children, friends, churches, and others around us.

Wisdom blesses others.

Folly makes others carry burdens they did not create.

10. FOOLS DO NOT LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES

One of the strongest pictures in Proverbs is this:

Proverbs 26:11 — “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.”

It is an unpleasant picture because Solomon intends it to be.

The fool suffers the consequences of his actions and then returns to the same behavior.

He regrets the consequences without rejecting the sin.

There is a great difference between regret and repentance.

Regret says:

I wish that had not hurt me.

Repentance says:

I was wrong, and I must turn from it.

The wise man can learn from painful experience.

The fool simply repeats it.

Peter later uses the same picture:

2 Peter 2:22 — “But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again…”

Folly becomes a cycle until God changes the heart.

11. FOOLS WASTE WHAT GOD GIVES THEM

The fool also has difficulty handling wealth wisely.

Proverbs 21:20 — “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”

Notice the difference.

The wise man has something left.

The fool consumes everything.

This is not simply about being rich or poor. It concerns stewardship.

Wisdom understands that money has purposes beyond immediate pleasure.

There are needs to meet.

Families to provide for.

Future expenses to prepare for.

People to help.

The work of God to support.

The fool sees what he possesses and asks:

What can I spend this on now?

Wisdom asks:

What is the best use of what God has entrusted to me?

12. FOOLS CANNOT BE TRUSTED WITH RESPONSIBILITY

Proverbs 26:1 — “As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.”

Rain during harvest could ruin what the farmer had worked months to produce. Solomon says giving honor and responsibility to a fool can be equally out of place.

Why?

Because responsibility does not create character.

It reveals character.

Giving a fool a position does not suddenly make him wise.

Giving him authority may simply give his foolishness a larger field in which to operate.

Solomon continues:

Proverbs 26:6 — “He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.”

In other words, trusting an important responsibility to an unreliable person can hurt the one who sent him.

Wisdom therefore considers character before giving responsibility.

13. FOOLS MAY BECOME HARDER UNDER CORRECTION

One might think that enough painful consequences would automatically make someone wise.

Not necessarily.

Proverbs 27:22 — “Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.”

In the ancient world, grain could be crushed in a mortar with a pestle. Solomon's picture is intentionally extreme.

You might crush the fool with consequences and still not crush the folly out of him.

Why?

Because circumstances alone cannot change the heart.

Two people may suffer the same hardship.

One becomes humble, The other becomes bitter.

One turns toward God, The other becomes angry with God.

The difference is not merely what happened to them.

It is how their hearts responded.

THE END OF FOLLY

Perhaps the saddest thing about the fool is that he often blames God for consequences produced by his own choices.

Proverbs 19:3 — “The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.”

What a remarkable verse.

The man ruins his own way through foolishness—and then becomes angry with God.

He rejects wisdom.

Ignores warnings.

Follows his desires.

Suffers the consequences.

And then asks, Why did God allow this to happen to me?

Folly is destructive because it separates the sinner from the very wisdom that could save him from destruction.

Proverbs 10:21 — “The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.”

And finally:

Proverbs 5:23 — “He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.”

Folly is not funny when we see where it ends.

THE FOOL AND CHRIST

Jesus told of a wealthy man whose fields produced abundantly. The man planned larger barns and imagined many comfortable years ahead.

But he left God completely out of his plans.

Then:

Luke 12:20 — “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”

Why was he a fool?

Not because he had wealth.

Not because he had successful crops.

Not because he planned for the future.

He was a fool because he prepared for everything except eternity.

That is ultimately the greatest folly.

A man may prepare for retirement and not prepare for eternity.

He may insure his house and neglect his soul.

He may know the value of his possessions and never consider the value of his soul.

He may plan years ahead and never consider that he must someday stand before God.

The wisest decision any person can make is to come to Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 4:10 — “We are fools for Christ's sake…”

The world may call the Christian foolish for believing God, following Christ, living by Scripture, and preparing for eternity.

But there is something far more foolish:

Living as though God does not matter.

Living as though sin has no consequences.

Living as though this life will never end.

WHOSE FOOL ARE YOU?

Proverbs presents us with a choice.

We may be wise in the eyes of the world and foolish before God.

Or we may sometimes appear foolish to the world because we have chosen to believe God.

Proverbs 3:35 — “The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.”

So the great question is not whether someone somewhere will think us foolish.

Someone certainly will.

The question is:

Whose judgment matters most?

The fool says, “My way is right.”

The wise man asks, “What does God say?”

And that difference determines not only how we live today, but where the road will finally end.

THE SCORNER

The scorner is one of the most dangerous characters in Proverbs because he is not merely ignorant—he is proud of his ignorance.

He does not simply reject wisdom. He mocks it.

He does not merely refuse correction. He despises the one who gives it.

Proverbs 21:24 — “Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.”

The scorner's great problem is pride.

He believes he already knows enough.

He sees little need to listen.

He treats correction as an insult.

And because he will not humble himself, wisdom remains out of reach.

1. THE SCORNER THINKS HE KNOWS EVERYTHING

Proverbs 14:6 — “A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.”

The scorner may claim to seek wisdom, but he does not find it because he approaches truth with the wrong spirit.

Wisdom requires humility.

A man must be willing to say:

I may be wrong.

I need instruction.

What does God say?

The scorner does not naturally speak that way.

He is more likely to say:

I already know.

Nobody can tell me anything.

That does not apply to me.

His pride closes the very door through which wisdom must enter.

2. THE SCORNER RESPONDS TO TRUTH WITH RIDICULE

When the scorner does not have a good answer, he often turns to mockery.

Instead of dealing with the truth, he laughs at it.

Instead of answering the argument, he attacks the person.

Instead of listening carefully, he sneers.

This is not strength.

It is often the sign that a person has no real answer.

A man may laugh at truth, but laughter does not make truth false.

He may mock God's Word, but his mockery does not weaken God's Word.

The scorner mistakes ridicule for wisdom.

Solomon does not.

3. THE SCORNER HATES CORRECTION

Proverbs 9:7–8 — “He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.”

The difference between the wise man and the scorner is revealed most clearly when they are corrected.

The wise man may not enjoy correction, but he can receive it.

The scorner resents it.

Correction exposes something the scorner desperately wants to protect—his pride.

So instead of examining himself, he attacks the person who corrected him.

Solomon says:

Proverbs 13:1 — “A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.”

And again:

Proverbs 15:12 — “A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.”

Notice that last statement.

He “will not go unto the wise.”

Why?

Because wise people may tell him something he does not want to hear.

The scorner eventually surrounds himself with voices that agree with him.

That is a dangerous place to live.

4. THE SCORNER CREATES STRIFE

Proverbs 22:10 — “Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.”

This is one of the strongest statements in Proverbs concerning the influence of one person.

Remove the scorner—and much of the conflict disappears.

Why?

Because the scorner feeds strife.

He questions motives.

He mocks others.

He resists authority.

He spreads dissatisfaction.

He turns disagreements into personal battles.

He keeps arguments alive that should have ended long ago.

One proud person can disturb the peace of a family, workplace, church, or community.

There are some conflicts that do not need a better argument.

They need the troublemaker to stop stirring them.

5. THE SCORNER ADDS FUEL TO THE FIRE

Proverbs 29:8 — “Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath.”

The picture is powerful.

The scorner makes tension worse.

The wise man tries to calm it.

When tempers are rising, the scorner adds another accusation.

When an argument is beginning to cool, he brings it back up.

When people might reconcile, he reminds them why they should remain angry.

The wise man does the opposite.

He lowers the temperature.

He speaks carefully.

He seeks peace.

He does not ignore truth, but he does not use truth as a weapon to keep conflict alive.

The scorner enjoys the fire.

The wise man tries to put it out.

6. THE SCORNER'S TONGUE CAN DO GREAT DAMAGE

James gives us a sobering warning:

James 3:6 — “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity…”

A scorner's words can damage much more than the person he is speaking to.

They can divide families.

They can wound friendships.

They can weaken churches.

They can stir whole groups against one another.

Words are small things, but they can have enormous consequences.

A spark is small too.

But under the right conditions, a spark can burn down a forest.

That is why spiritual leaders must be watchful.

Paul warned:

Acts 20:28 — “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock…”

The church must be protected not only from false doctrine, but also from proud and divisive spirits.

7. GOD RESISTS THE SCORNER

Proverbs 3:34 — “Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.”

This verse reveals the seriousness of the scorner's condition.

His problem is not merely that people find him difficult.

His pride places him in opposition to God.

James repeats the same truth:

James 4:6 — “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Peter says the same:

1 Peter 5:5 — “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

That is a frightening position.

The humble man receives grace.

The proud man finds God resisting him.

The scorner imagines that humility would make him weak.

Scripture says humility is the very place where grace is found.

8. THE SCORNER WILL FACE JUDGMENT

Proverbs 19:29 — “Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.”

Mocking God does not remove accountability to God.

Scripture gives many examples of proud people who believed themselves beyond correction.

The builders at Babel said:

Genesis 11:4 — “Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven…”

God scattered them.

Pharaoh asked:

Exodus 5:2 — “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice…?”

He later watched his power collapse under the judgment of God.

Nebuchadnezzar became proud of Babylon, but God humbled him.

Herod accepted praise that belonged to God and was struck down.

The lesson is simple:

God is not impressed by human pride.

The scorner may laugh for a while, but he will not laugh forever.

THE GREAT DIFFERENCE: PRIDE OR HUMILITY

At the heart of the scorner's problem is one question:

Will I humble myself?

The scorner says:

I know enough.

The wise man says:

Teach me.

The scorner says:

Do not correct me.

The wise man says:

Show me where I am wrong.

The scorner says:

I will have my way.

The wise man says:

What is God's way?

That is why humility is so important in Proverbs.

Proverbs 11:2 — “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”

Wisdom and humility belong together.

Pride and scorn belong together.

THE SCORNER AND THE CHURCH

The scorner is especially dangerous in a church because churches are built upon truth, humility, love, and unity.

One proud person can do enormous damage.

He may challenge every decision.

He may criticize every leader.

He may turn minor matters into major controversies.

He may gather others around his complaints.

He may hide rebellion behind words like “concern” or “conviction.”

But Scripture says:

James 3:16 — “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

God's wisdom looks very different.

James 3:17 — “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated…”

That phrase “easy to be intreated” is especially important.

The wise person can be reasoned with.

The scorner cannot.

The wise man can listen.

The scorner only reacts.

The wise man seeks truth.

The scorner seeks to win.

THE DANGER OF BECOMING A SCORNER

No one usually becomes a scorner overnight.

The path may begin with simplicity.

Then correction is rejected.

Then foolishness becomes comfortable.

Then pride grows.

Eventually, the person begins mocking the very truth he once heard.

That progression is dangerous.

A person may begin by saying:

I do not know.

Then:

I do not care.

Then:

I do not agree.

And finally:

Anyone who believes that is foolish.

By then, the heart has hardened considerably.

That is why Proverbs warns us not merely about what we believe, but about how we respond when God corrects us.

THE CURE FOR SCORN

The cure for the scorner is not better debating skills.

It is humility.

The scorner does not primarily need to win an argument.

He needs to bow his heart before God.

Proverbs 3:34 — “Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.”

Grace flows downhill.

It comes to the humble.

The man who says, “Lord, teach me,” can still learn.

The man who says, “Lord, correct me,” can still grow.

The man who says, “Lord, I was wrong,” can still be restored.

But the man who refuses all correction places himself in a dangerous position.

So the question is not merely:

Do I know a scorner?

The more important question is:

How do I respond when I am corrected?

Do I listen?

Do I become defensive?

Do I mock?

Do I attack the messenger?

Or do I humble myself and ask whether God may be trying to teach me something?

That response may reveal whether we are walking in wisdom—or beginning to walk in scorn.

THE WICKED

Proverbs does not speak of wickedness as though it were merely a collection of unfortunate mistakes. Again and again, Solomon places the wicked opposite the righteous, because the real difference lies deeper than individual actions. The deeds reveal the direction of the heart.

Perhaps nowhere is the portrait drawn more vividly than in Proverbs 6:

Proverbs 6:12–15 — “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.”

The old English word “naughty” is stronger here than its modern use. It carries the thought of worthlessness. The Hebrew expression is associated with Belial—that which is without profit or usefulness.

There is something profoundly true in that description. Sin promises much but produces nothing worth keeping.

It promises liberty and produces bondage.

It promises pleasure and leaves emptiness.

It promises gain and eventually brings loss.

The wicked man in Proverbs 6 has surrendered his whole person to evil. His mouth, eyes, feet, fingers, heart, and imagination all become instruments of sin. Even his gestures communicate deceit. His problem is not merely what his hands are doing; something has gone wrong at the center of the man.

Solomon says:

Proverbs 6:14 — “Frowardness is in his heart…”

This is precisely what our Lord later taught:

Mark 7:21–23 — “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

The wickedness of the hands begins with the wickedness of the heart.

And that explains the seven things Solomon next tells us that God hates.

SEVEN THINGS THE LORD HATES

Proverbs 6:16–19 — “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

We should notice the strength of the language.

God does not merely say that these things are unwise.

He does not call them unfortunate habits.

He hates them.

Our generation is often comfortable speaking about the love of God but uncomfortable speaking about the hatred of God. Yet the two are not contradictory. A God who perfectly loves righteousness must necessarily oppose that which destroys righteousness.

A physician who loves life must hate the disease destroying it. A judge who loves justice must hate corruption. And the holy God who loves truth, purity, innocence, and peace hates those things which corrupt them.

Solomon gives us seven.

1. A PROUD LOOK

Proverbs 6:17 — “A proud look…”

It is significant that pride stands first.

Pride is not merely thinking too highly of ourselves. At its deepest level, pride is man's attempt to occupy a place that belongs to God.

The proud heart says:

I will decide.

I know better.

I need no correction.

My will comes first.

And once that principle is admitted, almost every other sin can follow.

This is why Proverbs says:

Proverbs 16:18 — “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

A proud look is only the outward expression of an inward throne upon which self has seated itself.

In the ancient East, a man's bearing communicated his position. Kings were approached with humility; servants lowered themselves before their masters. Solomon takes that familiar picture and turns it inward. The proud man carries himself as though there were no throne above him.

But there is.

Proverbs 8:13 — “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”

Wisdom bows.

Pride refuses.

And sooner or later, the man who will not bow willingly discovers that he is not as high as he imagined.

2. A LYING TONGUE

Proverbs 6:17 — “…a lying tongue…”

God hates lying because God's own nature is truth.

Moses described Him as:

Deuteronomy 32:4 — “…a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”

And Jesus said:

John 14:6 — “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”

A lie, therefore, is not merely a defect in communication. It stands opposed to the character of God.

We sometimes measure lies by their size. Scripture measures them by their nature.

The ninth commandment declares:

Exodus 20:16 — “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”

Truth is one of the invisible foundations upon which human relationships rest.

A marriage cannot long survive without truth.

Friendship cannot survive without truth.

Business cannot function without truth.

Courts cannot administer justice without truth.

Churches cannot enjoy fellowship without truth.

Remove truth and distrust enters immediately behind it.

Our Lord said of the devil:

John 8:44 — “…he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Every lie therefore speaks the language of the enemy.

The Christian ought to speak the language of his Father.

3. HANDS THAT SHED INNOCENT BLOOD

Proverbs 6:17 — “…hands that shed innocent blood…”

Life belongs to God.

From the earliest pages of Scripture, human life possesses a peculiar sacredness because man was made in God's image.

Genesis 9:6 — “Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”

The sixth commandment declares:

Exodus 20:13 — “Thou shalt not kill.”

The command concerns the unlawful taking of human life—murder—not every taking of life under every circumstance. Scripture elsewhere recognizes lawful civil judgment and gives government authority to punish evil.

But innocent blood cries out for justice.

Ancient Israel understood this quite literally. Bloodguilt was not treated merely as a private matter between offender and victim. Unpunished murder brought guilt upon the land.

Numbers 35:33 — “So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land…”

God hears the cry of innocent blood even when human courts do not.

Men may conceal evidence.

Witnesses may lie.

Judges may fail.

Murderers may escape human punishment.

But no bloodshed is hidden from God.

4. A HEART THAT DEVISETH WICKED IMAGINATIONS

Proverbs 6:18 — “An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations…”

Here Solomon takes us from the hand back into the heart.

There is a difference between being suddenly tempted and planning wickedness.

The wicked man nurses evil.

He imagines it.

Develops it.

Plans it.

Waits for an opportunity to perform it.

The imagination is one of God's remarkable gifts to man. With it we can conceive something before it exists. A builder sees the house before the foundation is laid. A craftsman sees the finished work before he begins. A parent imagines what his child might become. A servant of God considers how he might accomplish something useful for the Lord.

But the same power can be turned toward evil.

Before Noah's flood, God described mankind this way:

Genesis 6:5 — “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

The workshop God intended for good had become a factory for evil.

That is why Scripture says:

Proverbs 4:23 — “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

We guard our homes from thieves.

We guard our money from loss.

We guard our bodies from injury.

Solomon says, Guard your heart.

For everything else eventually flows from there.

5. FEET THAT ARE SWIFT IN RUNNING TO MISCHIEF

Proverbs 6:18 — “Feet that be swift in running to mischief…”

There is something almost frightening about the eagerness of sin.

The wicked man does not merely fall into evil reluctantly. He runs toward it.

Solomon describes this same spirit earlier:

Proverbs 1:16 — “For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.”

Sin is impatient.

It wants gratification now.

It dislikes waiting.

It despises restraint.

It says, Why not now?

Wisdom asks, And what will this become tomorrow?

There is also a striking contrast in Scripture concerning the feet of God's people.

The wicked man's feet run toward evil, but Paul writes:

Romans 10:15 — “…How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

The question is not whether our feet are moving.

The question is where they are carrying us.

Some feet carry gossip.

Some carry temptation.

Some carry trouble.

Some carry the Gospel.

If sinners can be eager in the service of sin, surely God's people ought to be eager in the service of Christ.

6. A FALSE WITNESS THAT SPEAKETH LIES

Proverbs 6:19 — “A false witness that speaketh lies…”

At first this sounds almost identical to the lying tongue, but Solomon makes the matter more specific.

The lying tongue speaks falsely.

The false witness uses falsehood against another person.

In ancient Israel, testimony could determine a man's property, freedom, reputation, or even his life. For that reason the law treated false testimony as a serious evil.

A society cannot endure long when its people no longer believe one another.

If witnesses lie in court, justice collapses.

If leaders lie to their people, confidence collapses.

If businessmen lie in agreements, commerce suffers.

If husbands and wives lie to one another, marriage becomes suspicion.

If Christians lie to one another, fellowship becomes impossible.

Truth is not merely a private virtue. Truth is part of the mortar holding society together.

That is why God's people are commanded:

Ephesians 4:25 — “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”

7. HE THAT SOWETH DISCORD AMONG BRETHREN

Proverbs 6:19 — “…and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

The final sin is particularly searching because it concerns relationships among people who ought to love one another.

Notice Solomon's word:

“soweth.”

Discord usually begins as a seed.

A suspicious comment.

A whispered accusation.

A repeated rumor.

A grievance carefully nourished.

A conversation designed to turn one person against another.

The seed may appear small, but the harvest can be enormous.

Proverbs 16:28 — “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”

The sower of discord rarely announces himself as a destroyer of unity. He may claim merely to be concerned. He may insist that he is only telling the truth. He may even persuade himself that repeating the matter is necessary.

But Solomon asks us to look at the harvest.

Does it produce peace or suspicion?

Does it reconcile brethren or separate them?

Does it heal or divide?

Scripture celebrates the opposite spirit:

Psalm 133:1 — “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

And James describes heavenly wisdom:

James 3:17–18 — “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

The wicked sow discord.

The wise sow peace.

Both are sowing.

And both will eventually reap a harvest.

TWO VERY DIFFERENT PORTRAITS

There is a remarkable contrast between Solomon's wicked man in Proverbs 6 and the character Christ describes in Matthew 5.

Solomon begins:

“A proud look.”

Christ begins:

Matthew 5:3 — “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Solomon ends:

“He that soweth discord among brethren.”

Christ says:

Matthew 5:9 — “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

One man is proud.

The other humble.

One spreads falsehood.

The other loves truth.

One destroys.

The other shows mercy.

One creates division.

The other makes peace.

They are not merely two different personalities.

They represent two different kinds of wisdom.

James explains:

James 3:15–17 — “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable…”

There is a wisdom from beneath and a wisdom from above.

One produces strife.

The other produces peace.

One tears down.

The other builds.

One reflects the character of the enemy.

The other increasingly reflects the character of Christ.

THE DANGER OF THE DOWNWARD ROAD

There is one final lesson we must not miss.

As Proverbs unfolds, Wisdom calls to several kinds of people.

At first she cries:

Proverbs 1:22 — “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?”

The simple, the scorner, and the fool are all addressed.

But there is a progression in Proverbs that ought to make us think carefully.

The simple man is inexperienced and easily influenced.

The fool has begun deliberately rejecting wisdom.

The scorner has hardened himself until he not only rejects truth—he mocks it.

Sin rarely announces where it intends to take us.

A man does not ordinarily awaken one morning determined to become hardened against God.

It happens gradually.

One warning ignored.

One correction resented.

One command disobeyed.

One sin excused.

One invitation rejected.

Then another.

And another.

Until the heart that once could have been instructed no longer wishes even to listen.

That is why Scripture says:

Proverbs 29:1 — “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”

There is something terribly dangerous about continually saying no to God.

Every refusal makes the next refusal a little easier.

Every compromise makes the next compromise appear a little smaller.

Every step down the road carries us farther from the place where we began.

And eventually a man may discover that what he once resisted he now accepts, what he once accepted he now loves, and what he once loved he now defends.

Proverbs 4:23 — “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

But there is something even more important.

Man's greatest need is not simply to improve his behavior.

He needs God to deal with his heart.

David understood this when he prayed:

Psalm 51:10 — “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

The Gospel does not merely tell wicked men to behave better.

It tells sinful men that there is a Saviour.

Christ died for sinners.

Christ rose again.

Christ receives those who come to Him by faith.

And the same God who exposes the wickedness of the human heart offers mercy to the sinner who turns to Him.

That is why the warnings of Proverbs are themselves an act of grace.

God tells us where the road ends before we arrive there.

The wise man hears the warning and turns.

The fool hears it and continues.

And so the question Proverbs continually places before us is not merely:

Do I recognize the wicked man?

It is:

Which road am I walking?

THE WISE

1. WISE PEOPLE LISTEN TO INSTRUCTION

Proverbs 1:5 — “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”

One of the first signs of wisdom is surprisingly simple: the wise man can still be taught.

We sometimes imagine that wisdom is reaching the place where we no longer need instruction. Solomon teaches exactly the opposite. The wiser a man becomes, the more willing he is to hear.

The fool says, I already know.

The wise man says, There is still something I may learn.

This is especially true concerning the Word of God. Wisdom requires more than owning a Bible, hearing sermons, or accumulating facts about Scripture. God's truth must enter the heart and then govern the life. Knowledge that never becomes obedience has stopped short of wisdom.

That is why Solomon says:

Proverbs 23:23 — “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.”

Truth is worth paying for—not merely with money, but with time, attention, humility, study, and obedience.

The wise person also learns from correction.

Proverbs 9:8–9 — “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”

Here is one of the great tests of character: What happens when someone corrects us?

The scorner becomes angry.

The fool becomes defensive.

The wise man becomes better.

A man who cannot be corrected has placed a ceiling over his own growth.

2. WISE PEOPLE FEAR THE LORD

Proverbs 1:7 — “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Solomon places the fear of God at the very foundation of wisdom.

In Israel, this was not the terror of a pagan trembling before an unpredictable deity. The God of Israel had revealed Himself to His people. He had given them His law, His covenant, His worship, and His promises. To fear Him was to recognize that God is God and we are not.

There is something wonderfully clarifying about that truth.

Much foolishness begins when man puts himself at the center of the universe. Once I imagine that my desires determine what is right, my feelings determine what is true, and my judgment is sufficient to guide my life, I have already begun walking the road of folly.

But wisdom begins when the creature bows before the Creator.

Proverbs 3:7 — “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

Notice how naturally those thoughts belong together.

Fear the LORD—and depart from evil.

The fear of God is not merely something we feel in worship; it changes the way we live on Monday morning.

Proverbs 14:27 — “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.”

The man who fears God begins to see temptation differently. Sin no longer appears merely as forbidden pleasure. He begins to recognize the hook beneath the bait and the snare beneath the leaves.

3. WISE PEOPLE WALK WITH THE WISE

Proverbs 13:20 — “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

In the ancient world, to “walk” with someone meant far more than taking an occasional journey together. Walking suggested the regular course and companionship of life.

Solomon therefore reminds us that companionship shapes character.

We become, little by little, like those whose voices we continually allow into our lives.

A person may insist, They do not influence me.

Solomon would answer that they already have if we continually walk with them.

This principle also explains the value of reading the lives of godly men and women. Though centuries may separate us, books allow us, in a sense, to walk beside believers who have already traveled the road before us. We may learn from their victories, their failures, their faith, and their devotion.

Scripture itself gives us such companions.

We may walk with Abraham and learn faith.

We may walk with Joseph and learn purity.

We may walk with Moses and learn meekness.

We may walk with David and learn repentance.

We may walk with Paul and learn devotion to Christ.

But Solomon gives us the warning as plainly as the promise:

“A companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

Choose carefully the people who are helping to shape the person you are becoming.

4. WISE PEOPLE KEEP AND USE WHAT THEY LEARN

Proverbs 10:14 — “Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.”

The picture is of storing something valuable.

In Solomon's world, grain was gathered into storehouses because what was gathered during harvest would be needed later. Wisdom works in much the same way.

There are truths God teaches us today that we may desperately need tomorrow.

The wise man therefore does not merely hear truth—he stores it.

He remembers the lessons God has taught him.

He remembers the Scriptures that strengthened him.

He remembers the mistakes that humbled him.

He remembers the counsel that protected him.

And when another season comes, he draws from the storehouse.

There is something tragic about continually learning the same lessons because we continually forget what God has already taught us.

Wisdom gathers the treasure and then puts it to work.

5. WISE PEOPLE FLEE FROM SIN

Proverbs 14:16 — “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.”

Notice the surprising contrast.

We might expect Solomon to say that the wise man is confident and the fool afraid.

Instead, the fool is confident.

That is because foolish confidence often says, I can handle it.

Wisdom says, Why should I trust myself near something God tells me to avoid?

Scripture repeatedly shows the danger of self-confidence. Samson imagined his strength would always be there. Peter was certain he would never deny Christ. Men often fall not because they thought themselves weak, but because they imagined themselves strong.

Paul therefore warns:

1 Corinthians 10:12 — “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Joseph gives us the better example. When temptation came through Potiphar's wife, Joseph did not remain to discover how strong his resistance might be.

He ran.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing a man can do is leave.

2 Timothy 2:22 — “Flee also youthful lusts…”

Wisdom does not ask, How close can I get to sin without falling?

Wisdom asks, How far can I stay from that which would dishonour God?

6. WISE PEOPLE CONTROL THEIR WORDS

Proverbs 10:19 — “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

A wise heart eventually reveals itself through a wise mouth.

Proverbs repeatedly joins wisdom with restraint because words cannot be retrieved once they have been spoken.

The fool feels compelled to say everything he thinks.

The wise man understands that not every thought deserves a voice.

Proverbs 16:23 — “The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.”

Notice the order: heart first, mouth second.

God's solution to sinful speech is deeper than simply teaching us to speak more politely. He changes the heart from which the words come.

A wise man's speech ought therefore to leave people stronger rather than weaker, clearer rather than more confused, encouraged toward righteousness rather than drawn toward sin.

There are times when wisdom speaks boldly.

There are times when wisdom answers gently.

And there are times when wisdom says nothing at all.

Knowing the difference is itself wisdom.

7. WISE PEOPLE ARE DILIGENT

Proverbs 10:4–5 — “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.”

Israel was an agricultural society, so Solomon's picture would have been immediately understood.

Harvest did not wait for the farmer.

When the grain was ready, it had to be gathered.

The wise son recognized the season and worked.

The foolish son slept through his opportunity.

There are seasons in life when God places opportunities before us which will not remain forever. Wisdom recognizes the season.

There is a time to learn.

A time to work.

A time to save.

A time to build.

A time to serve.

A time to teach our children.

A time to reach someone with the Gospel.

The foolish man continually says, Tomorrow.

Wisdom understands that tomorrow eventually becomes yesterday.

God has not called us to frantic busyness, but He has called us to faithful diligence. The wise person recognizes his responsibilities and carries his share of the load.

8. WISE PEOPLE SEEK TO WIN OTHERS

Proverbs 11:30 — “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Wisdom does not end with ourselves.

If we have discovered the way of life, we naturally desire others to find it.

The wise man's life becomes “a tree of life.” There is something nourishing about genuine godliness. His character gives weight to his words, and his words point others toward God.

The expression “winneth souls” carries the thought of taking or gaining a person. The wise person seeks to influence others toward righteousness and ultimately toward the Lord.

That gives us a beautiful picture of biblical wisdom.

The wise man does not merely ask:

What can I gain?

He asks:

Whom can I help?

Whom can I teach?

Whom can I encourage?

Whom can I point toward Christ?

Wisdom that terminates upon ourselves has missed something essential about the character of God.

THE BEGINNING OF TRUE WISDOM

All these characteristics lead us back to the great question:

Where does wisdom begin?

It begins with God.

And for us who possess the completed revelation of Scripture, we see even more clearly that true wisdom ultimately points us to Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that in Christ “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Colossians 2:3 — “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

A person may be educated without being wise.

He may be successful without being wise.

He may be wealthy without being wise.

He may even know much about religion without being wise.

For the greatest question is not simply whether a man knows something about God, but whether he has come to God through Christ.

2 Timothy 3:15 — “…the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

That is wisdom's first and greatest lesson.

Before wisdom teaches us how to use our money, choose our friends, control our tongues, resist temptation, or order our homes, it points us toward God.

And then it teaches us how to live before Him.

Solomon finally gives us this contrast:

Proverbs 3:35 — “The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.”

There are therefore two roads running through Proverbs.

One is the road of wisdom.

The other is the road of folly.

One begins with the fear of the LORD and leads toward life.

The other begins with man's confidence in himself and eventually leads toward destruction.

And perhaps the most dangerous mistake is to imagine that we may stand forever between them.

Eventually every man walks one road or the other.

The way of wisdom is the way of life.