We last looked at "Where Does Wisdom Come From."
So, today I would like to turn our attention to what the "Way of the Fool" has to offer.
It might be good to first define what "Fool" is.
Many think it means someone who is acting silly or naively – someone “acting in
a way that is unaware of the possibility of being led into trouble.”
However, the biblical term for “fool” is not about someone who is acting naïvely.
Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’
Fools willingly reject God’s wisdom with hatred. They choose not to fear the Lord. They ignore God’s advice and even when He disciplines them they refuse to walk in His wisdom and ways.
Proverbs 1: 7 reminds us that
"The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
"...but fools despise wisdom..."
Why would one despise wisdom?
For some this may seem odd why anyone would not want to live wisely- but for many - they are blind to it, or simply have no interest in following God's way.
Whether it's because of a rebellious heart or an indifference to God - many choose to live outside of God's provision and ways.
As we look the book of Proverbs - there are two "Ladies"
Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly.
Both are actively pursuing you to follow in their ways.
One leads to a life of peace and rest -
the other leads to temporary gratification and ultimate destruction.
One is steady, safe and life giving -
the other is fast, thrilling yet leads to pain and destruction.
The book of Proverbs is a book written with the father's heart that tells us that those who follow Lady Wisdom are blessed and that she is the image of a loving mother. If we have her, we are blessed. We are told that if we have her, that she will be life to our hearts and peace for our unsettled soul. When we have the wisdom of God, we have peace. Lady Wisdom even tells us about herself,
“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old,” (Proverbs 8:22).
Lady Folly lead us in the complete opposite direction of Lady Wisdom. She is described as, “For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword,” (Proverbs 5:3-4). She is seductive and alluring - a temptress.
To follow Lady Folly is to commit adultery against our own creator for a fling with a cheap whore.
Proverbs 6:29 likens to following in this way "He who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished."
So the father cries out - Proverbs 1:8-16
"My child listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.
My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! They may say, “Come and join us…
My child, don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths. They rush to commit evil deeds…
Lady Wisdom shouts in the streets… Proverbs 1:22-25
"How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge? Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise…
I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered."
Lady Wisdom turns from pleading to a stern warning if one chooses to continue to follow Lady Folly.
Proverbs 1:26-33
"So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you…
When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord.
They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them.
Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes.
For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
*But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”*
Lady wisdom - like any good parent does to their beloved children - desires a turning from foolish and destructive living -
Just like we see Jesus telling us in Matthew 7:24–27 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Only trusting in God and His wisdom will last as we will see in the following verses.
“How long, you simpletons (foolish), will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
Come and listen to my counsel..”
How long will we continue to push away God’s wisdom - Look at our world – there is destructive foolishness all around us.
G.K. Chesterton has this to say about foolishness: “When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything.”
Today, wisdom and grounded truth seem to not matter- one's own narrative is the way of Lady Folly.
She has dressed herself in new alluring clothing.
Yet even still - Lady Wisdom (God) continues to reveal His truth and wisdom and continues to call out to any who will listen and are willing to allow Him to peel away the scales on our eyes that blind us to our foolishness.
Let's take one closing look at what Lady Folly has to offer.
Proverbs 28-31.
When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord.
They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them.
Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes.
For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.”
Lady Folly may look satisfying - but she offers only poison.
Where as Lady Wisdom offers us -
Understanding, common sense, and will be a shield to protect us.
She will enter your heart and will fill you with joy.
Her ways will watch over you and keep you safe... (Proverbs 2)
God does not owe us wisdom and understanding.
God does not owe us His kindness and goodness and love.
God does not owe us help when you we get in trouble- but because He is good and He is love -
God gives all these blessings and more because He is gracious and desires a relationship with you.
He is a good Father- yet, if we choose to rebel in sin, we will surely lose these precious treasures – and even worse – our relationship with the most loving, caring, giving, nurturing Father one could ever hope for or imagine.
We often times choose to ignore God because we are too lazy, proud, rebellious, or think we already have life figured out and we do not like being told to change and live differently – so we refuse to humble ourselves under God’s protective hand and submit to His wisdom.
