A Fool's Errand

"He that trusts his own heart is a fool" [].(KJV; NASB)

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool” (English Standard Version)

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But he who walks wisely will be delivered.[1]

Jonathan Edwards: His own wisdom, resolutions, stability, and merit, and so goes presumptuously on, proceeding without caution

:5Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

. The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

22 Speak, “Thus says the Lord,

‘The corpses of men will fall like dung on the open field,

And like the sheaf after the reaper,

But no one will gather them.’

23 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;

24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised—

26 Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”

But your eyes and your heart

Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain,

And on shedding innocent blood

And on practicing oppression and extortion.”[1]

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But he who walks wisely will be delivered.[1]

Ø The Hebrew here is picturesque; a greedy man is one who has a “wide throat.” By contrast, those who trust in Yahweh can wait for their appetites to be satisfied, cause no discord, and in fact will be satisfied. Verse 26 extends the theology of trust to one of submission to God’s teaching. Those who trust in God do not lean on their own devices to keep them safe. The teaching here recalls the wise and foolish builders of

.

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

28 aWhen Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;

29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Ø Jonathan Edwards: There was much in the circumstances that the angels that fell, were in, in heaven, in their great honors and high privileges, in beholding the face of God, and view of his infinite glory, to cause in them exercises of humility, and to keep 'em from pride; yet through want of watchfulness in them, their great honor and heavenly privilege proved to be to them an undoing temptation to pride, though they had no principle of pride in their hearts to expose 'em. Let no saint therefore, however eminent, and however near to God, he thinks himself not to be in danger: he that thinks himself most out of danger, is indeed most in danger.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.