Proverbs 26:4-11

Wow! Solomon has some pretty strong thoughts on "fools."

He spends so much of this passage referring to fools, I think we need to first define what the word fool means. When the Bible refers to foolishness, it is not generally focused on intelligence. Just because someone is slow-witted does not mean that they fit the criteria for being called a fool. When you consider the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus said anyone who calls another man a fool is in danger of the fires of hell,,,you know the word has to carry more weight than simply being a synonym with "idiot." Most often in the Bible the fool is the person who is spiritually blind. It has nothing to do with raw intellect and is centered around a person's response to God with their lives. Jesus himself called the religious leaders in his community "fools" in Matthew 23:17 because they could not see through their own pride to what was important. They were blinded by ambition and selfishness, and could not see that the God they claimed to serve was walking around in the flesh amongst them (Jesus) - they were fools. So a truly foolish person is someone who is blind to the work of God in the world...does not acknowledge the existence of the Creator...does not humble themselves before God...is too prideful to understand their need for salvation. That is the kind of person that Solomon is referring to, and it really fits with his words of wisdom.

Verse 4 - Solomon instructs us to stay away from useless conversations with the spiritually blind. Don't get drawn into arguments that are going to descend into bitterness and hate...if you allow yourself to do that, you are acting foolishly. Honor God with your words...stand up for your faith...but when a person who is spiritually blind seeks to draw you in to verbal confrontation - walk away. Nothing positive comes from arguments with fools. Remain consistent in your love and remain consistent in your words/deeds...let that be your argument.

Verse 11 - One of the most famous and graphic descriptions of spiritual blindness in scripture. "Like a dog returns to his vomit, is a fool who repeats his folly." Dogs are such simple creatures...they are driven by appetite...and they can't help themselves. Even when staring a pool of their own vomit...they see "tempting" morsels within and cannot help but eat the food they just threw up. I know that is a disturbing image, but Solomon equates it to the life of a fool...and I think it is very accurate. A person who live in rebellion against God...a person who refuses to see the work of God in the world...they will continually go back to the foolish choices that have always plagued them. Without an anchor of unshakable truth provided by God, there is nothing to keep people from making the same mistakes over and over again. No matter how many times material possessions/other human beings/achievement/etc have let people down...they will continue to return to those things for fulfillment when they live in foolishness. It is heartbreaking. Do you see areas in your life where foolishness has crept in? Where you continue to seek out the stupid things that have brought pain and destruction into your life before? What do you need to do about that? What needs to change so that you do not continue to go back to the same pile of vomit believing that this time it will taste better?