Proverbs 1:22 Types of Fools
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The Opposite of Wisdom
The Opposite of Wisdom
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
The opposite of wisdom = foolishness
Fools: People so habitually out of touch with reality that they make life miserable for themselves and all around them. They think that they can live without consequences.
Ultimate foolishness: to make anything the center of our lives besides God. This always leads to disappointment and breakdown.
Jesus describes this man.
(NKJV)
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Where did the foolish man build his house?
On the sand
Fools step outside of the boundaries embedded in reality and wonder why they sink.
Three kinds of fools in this verse:
The Mockers
The Simple
The Simple
The Obstinate
The Obstinate
Question:
Question:
Where have you seen most recently--either in you life or someone else's--the bitter fruit of foolishness?
Where have you seen most recently--either in you life or someone else's--the bitter fruit of foolishness?
The Simple
The Simple
For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
(NIV)
17 How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!
Even the birds are wiser than those who think they can get up the ladder by trampling on someone else. Something the stupidest animal wouldn't do.
Being ruthless to others unleashes your heart's capacity for cruelty and selfishness.
Leads to bad decisions.
What is the alternative?
Lose your life to gain the world.
(NKJV)
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Ultimate teacher/example: Jesus - we must lose our lives in service to God and others in order to find them.
(NKJV)
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Question:
Have you ever done something selfish that ricocheted back onto you?
How did that incident illustrate the gospel principle "Lose yourself to find yourself"?
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
The opposite of wisdom = foolishness
Fools: People so habitually out of touch with reality that they make life miserable for themselves and all around them. They think that they can live without consequences.
Ultimate foolishness: to make anything the center of our lives besides God. This always leads to disappointment and breakdown.
Jesus describes this man.
(NKJV)
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Where did the foolish man build his house?
On the sand
Fools step outside of the boundaries embedded in reality and wonder why they sink.
Three kinds of fools in this verse:
The Mockers
The Simple
The Obstinate
Question:
Where have you seen most recently--either in you life or someone else's--the bitter fruit of foolishness?
The Simple
The Simple
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.
He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.
Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary;
Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.
The simple inherit folly,
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
Simple (Hebrew: pethiy): a type of foolishness, gullibility
Characteristics:
Believe anything
(NKJV)
15 The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.
Over-impressed by the spectacular and dramatic
May need approval too much (danger: they are taken in by forceful personalities who give it to them.)
Example:
Pinocchio
Dictators: Hitler
Intellectually lazy: not wanting to ponder and think out a matter
Vulnerable to "get-rich-quick" schemes
(NKJV)
11 He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.
Good news!
Not too late to change
(NKJV)
25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary; Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.
Bad News:
Simple people CAN graduate to full-blown fools
(NKJV)
18 The simple inherit folly, But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
Question:
Question:
Whom have you met who you thought was rather simple but turned out not to be so? What traits did they reveal?
Whom have you met who you thought was rather simple but turned out not to be so? What traits did they reveal?
The Mockers
The Mockers
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
A proud and haughty man—“Scoffer” is his name;
He acts with arrogant pride.
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
Scorners/Mockers (Hebrew - Lesim): at the root of mockers' character is a high pride that hates submitting to anyone.
(NKJV)
24 A proud and haughty man—“Scoffer” is his name; He acts with arrogant pride.
(NIV)
24 The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name— behaves with insolent fury.
Their strategy: Debunk everything, acting smug and knowing in the process.
Our attitude determines whether we become wise or foolish.
"Habitually mocking will harden you and poison relationships." Keller
(NKJV)
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
To "sit in the company of mockers" is to make cynicism and sneering a habitual response.
Our culture encourages mocker and discourages reasonable arguments.
Contrast a "mocker" with Jesus.
(NKJV)
19 He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;
Despise no one, respect everyone.
Question:
Question:
When have you been tempted to roll your eyes and dismiss someone rather than engaging with them?
When have you been tempted to roll your eyes and dismiss someone rather than engaging with them?
The Obstinate
The Obstinate
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
The Obstinate (Hebrew - keciyl): commonly referred to as "fool" in proverbs. Characteristics: opinionated, wise in their own eyes, unable to learn knowledge or be corrected.
Guess what: We are naturally obstinate and unwise. We were born that way.
3 types of children and how they respond to difficulty:
anxiety and withdrawal
aggression and assertive action
aggression and assertive action
optimism and an effort to win through by being social and cordial
optimism and an effort to win through by being social and cordial
(NKJV)
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
"To become wise, the anxious must learn to be bolder, the bold to be cautious, and the chronically sunny to be more thoughtful." Keller
Look at Jesus
(NKJV)
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
(NKJV)
32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
Question:
Question:
Where are you most opinionated and least open to new ideas or criticism?
Where are you most opinionated and least open to new ideas or criticism?
The Troublemaker
The Troublemaker
Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
When disaster strikes the foolish, Wisdom laughs.
The Sluggard
The Sluggard
Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
Type of Fool: The Sluggard
The Opposite (wise):
Self-starter
Need only internal motivation, not threats, to do their work.
Not impulsive, practice delayed gratification
No excuses
(NIV)
7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
The sluggard makes excuses for apparently small lapses (a little...a little...a little) but then is surprised when he is assaulted by poverty.
(NIV)
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— 11 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
"He...deceives himself by the smallness of his surrenders. So, by inches and minutes, his opportunity slips away." Kidner
Contrast with Jesus:
(NIV)
17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
Jesus was a hard worker.
Question:
Is there any area of your life that is "slipping away" because you are not getting to work on it?
The Troublemaker
The Troublemaker
A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
He winks with his eyes,
He shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
Perversity is in his heart,
He devises evil continually,
He sows discord.
Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly;
Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly;
Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
Another kind of fool:
The troublemaker: constant conflict.
(NIV)
14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart— he always stirs up conflict.
Opposite of the peacemaker. The bridge builder whose careful, gracious answers disarm and defuse tensions.
(NKJV)
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
(NIV)
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Should you never speak up and cause conflict? What if there is a false peace in the midst of a wicked system?
Insist on honesty and disrupt the false peace with love in your heart.
Clarification:
This is the person who always feels the need to protest and complain rather than overlooking a slight or wrong.
(NIV)
11 A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
Watch out for this...
How do they operate?
present the other side unfairly
produce deceptive omissions, half-truths, innuendo
produce deceptive omissions, half-truths, innuendo
body language (winking, signaling) creates a hostile situation
body language (winking, signaling) creates a hostile situation
What is the lie that troublemakers tell themselves?
That they just like to "speak truth."
Result: Disaster
(NIV)
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.
Time is their enemy.
Their true nature is eventually revealed.
Time reveals a pattern that conflict follows in their wake.
Why does disaster come?
they often discredit themselves
the Lord hates "one who sows discord among brethren" (,)
(NIV)
16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:
(NIV)
19 a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
Question:
Question:
If you have been involved in a series of conflicts, is it because you have the traits of a troublemaker?
If you have been involved in a series of conflicts, is it because you have the traits of a troublemaker?
Do you know any troublemakers you should confront?
Do you know any troublemakers you should confront?
The Sluggard
The Sluggard
Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.
But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
Type of Fool: The Sluggard
The Opposite (wise):
Self-starter
Need only internal motivation, not threats, to do their work.
Not impulsive, practice delayed gratification
No excuses
(NIV)
7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
The sluggard makes excuses for apparently small lapses (a little...a little...a little) but then is surprised when he is assaulted by poverty.
(NIV)
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— 11 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
"He...deceives himself by the smallness of his surrenders. So, by inches and minutes, his opportunity slips away." Kidner
Contrast with Jesus:
(NIV)
17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
Jesus was a hard worker.
Question:
Question:
Is there any area of your life that is "slipping away" because you are not getting to work on it?
Is there any area of your life that is "slipping away" because you are not getting to work on it?
Trapping Yourself
Trapping Yourself
For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
(NIV)
17 How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!
Even the birds are wiser than those who think they can get up the ladder by trampling on someone else. Something the stupidest animal wouldn't do.
Being ruthless to others unleashes your heart's capacity for cruelty and selfishness.
Leads to bad decisions.
What is the alternative?
Lose your life to gain the world.
(NKJV)
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Ultimate teacher/example: Jesus - we must lose our lives in service to God and others in order to find them.
(NKJV)
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Question:
Question:
Have you ever done something selfish that ricocheted back onto you?
Have you ever done something selfish that ricocheted back onto you?
How did that incident illustrate the gospel principle "Lose yourself to find yourself"?
How did that incident illustrate the gospel principle "Lose yourself to find yourself"?