"Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge." - Proverbs 14:7
--------------------
We humans, in a very real sense, are the sum of our thoughts.
Think on that ( :-)) for a moment. Who is the real you? The physical person that other people can see and interact with... or the person "in your brain" ... creepy as that might sound!
We very much doubt that the individual components that make up the brain have any more clue as to what the "person" is thinking, feeling, willing .... anymore than a persons hand knows what it is being used for at any given moment in time.
The "person" that is You--- controls what you think... not your brain! You control what your hand does, not the hand that does it.
Invisible, and intangible, thoughts and ideas may be, but they cause very dramatic and real world consequences, and it may be said, that we are more driven by these thoughts and ideas than we care to think!
Those in Marketing and Politics know this very well! Brand, Image.... "perception is reality".... propaganda, lies.... oh yes, the realm of the mind is the one where the true battles are being fought!
The Bible is much more concerned about our character than our accomplishments. Truth, wisdom, and love for our fellow man are prized over lies, foolishness and hate.
----It is all the more important then, not to be FOOLISH.----
So, what is a fool according the Bible?
The word for foolish in our text, is the word "Kes-eel" used 70 times in the Bible for fool/foolish. There is a companion word "ev-eel", meaning perverse/silly/foolish.
A simple plain search for the word "Fool" will turn up 69 verses, 60 in the OT, 9 in the NT. 57 of the OT occurrences are in the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes. Doing the same for "Foolish" -- 12 verses, "Foolishness" -- 20 verses.
We highly recommend reading these verses in their context to understand this topic more deeply, we will just try to categorize them, and today will just focus on --
DEFINITIONS
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."
(Psa 14:1, REPEATED in Psalm 53:1)
As we saw with scoffers, the root of foolishness is an absence of God, in the fools mind, and in the fools life.
"O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this." - Psa 92:5,6
A fool is compared to a "brutish" man ... a person not much removed from being an animal operating entirely on instinct, with 0 insight.
He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
(Pro 10:18 KJV)
Hey look... hypocrites, passive-aggressive people, secret racists, liars + gossips = slanderers... and the Word calls them FOOLS!
A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
(Pro 18:2 KJV)
How to become and stay foolish ... just don't bother with the truth, facts, reality or logic! Just go with your "gut", and what seems right to YOU!
This self-centeredness on ones own heart is a common theme.
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. (Pro 28:26 KJV)
Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
Trusting such a heart is most unwise, and foolish!!
Dear friends, the LORD has seen fit to give us minds that can reason, think, create everything from music and art to spaceships and rockets. It is up to us to use these gifts responsibly, and not invent new ways to hate, kill and abuse our fellow man, and deny God!
Fools cannot be reasoned with, and hence the warning this week to remove ourselves from even the presence of such.
Why? Here are some self explanatory texts...
CHARACTERISTICS
Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
(Pro 17:12 KJV)
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.
(Pro 27:3 KJV)
Watch out for the foolish wrath of fools, and stay as far away from it as possible!
He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
(Pro 26:6 KJV)
Don't entrust a foolish person with important work... !!!
It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.
(Pro 10:23 KJV)
It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
(Pro 20:3 KJV)
They delight in creating problems.
A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
(Pro 18:6 KJV)
A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
(Pro 18:7 KJV)
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
(Pro 19:1 KJV)
Their speech will give them away...
Lastly, they despise and reject sound counsel....
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
(Pro 14:16 KJV)
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" is a more common way of saying the same thing...
As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
(Pro 26:11 KJV)
Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
(Pro 23:9 KJV)
A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
(Pro 17:10 KJV)
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?
(Pro 17:16 KJV) --- Oh that stings... people seeking wisdom and not finding it.
CONSEQUENCES
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.
(Pro 26:3 KJV)
The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
(Pro 26:10 KJV)
------------------------------------
Wow, being foolish seems to be really bad!!! Is there something worse? Unfortunately, Yes , there is...
Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
(Pro 26:12 KJV)
Let us be sober in our own self-assessments, and pray that the LORD guide us into all wisdom and understanding... let us lay aside every prideful thought and give glory to the only ONE to whom it is due!!
Hallelujah!!