Wise and Foolish...

—The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall.

1. The honor and happiness of the obedient.

They will receive the commandments. That is: they will take it as a privilege, and a real joy!

And this is their wisdom; those who are wise in heart, these are teachable, able to be bent and thus shall stand and be established, in that they are well advised.

2. Then we see the shame and the ruin of the disobedient.

They will not be governed, nor put on Christ’ yoke, unteachable, will not heed counsel!

They are fools, commonly is shown in their words. Literally ‘prating’ means fools of lips.

A whole lot of words, but it’s a whole lot of nonsense, boasting of themselves.

Talking spitefully against those that warn them:

— Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words...

These troublesome fools shall fall into ruin.

They shall fall into hell because they received not the commandments.

Those who use that tongue to produce a lot of words, generally do not look too much to their feet and therefore they stumble and fall!

— Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.

1. Wisdom and grace are the honor of good men:

He that has understanding, that good understanding

Demonstrated in those that do the commandments, wisdom is found in his lips, that is,

it is discovered to be there, and consequently that he has within a good treasure of it,

and it is derived thence for the benefit of others.

It is a man’s honor to have wisdom, but much more to be instrumental to make others wise.

2. Folly and sin are the shame of bad men:

A rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding—

of him that lacks a heart for God;

Perhaps exposing himself to the lashes of his own conscience,

to the scourges of the tongue,

and to the righteous judgments of God.

Those that foolishly and willfully go on in wicked ways are preparing rods for themselves,

the marks of which

will be their perpetual disgrace.

— Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

1. It is the wisdom of the wise that they treasure up a stock of useful knowledge,

which will be their preservation:

Wisdom is therefore found in their lips (v. 13), because it is laid up in their hearts, out of which store, like the good householder, they bring things new and old.

— Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

[This statement refers to the disciples’ task to bring forth new truths out of the truths contained in the treasure house of the Word of God.]

Whatever knowledge may be at any time useful to us we must lay it up,

because we know that at one point or another, we’ll have a use for it.

We must continue laying up as long as we live; and be sure to lay it up safely.

— but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

2. It is the folly of fools that they lay up mischief in their hearts,

which is prepared for them by all they say

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Though believers are justified by faith alone in terms of God’s relationship to them (; ),

God will publicly vindicate them and declare them righteous on the judgment day according to how their speech and actions show their faith in Christ to be genuine (25:31–46; cf. , ).

and works terror and destruction both to others and to themselves. They love devouring words (), and these come uppermost. Their mouth is near destruction, having the sharp arrows of bitter words always at hand to throw about.

So, what comes out of the mouth of the fool works terror and destruction both to others and to themselves.

They love devouring words (), and these come uppermost.

Their mouth is near destruction, having the sharp arrows of bitter words always at hand to throw around.