Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl: Avoiding Fools & Foolishness I Proverbs 18:1-6

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Proverbs 18:1–6

[1] Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;

he breaks out against all sound judgment.

[2] A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

but only in expressing his opinion.

[3] When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,

and with dishonor comes disgrace.

[4] The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

[5] It is not good to be partial to the wicked

or to deprive the righteous of justice.

[6] A fool’s lips walk into a fight,

and his mouth invites a beating. (ESV)

Avoiding Fools & Foolishness Pt.1

v.1 Living your life only for yourself is selfish and goes against God's design. Some translations render "Whoever isolates himself" as a "hermit" or "unfriendly." A loner isolates himself socially, even when he lives among other people, and is outwardly friendly. This is deeper than that. The Christian life is to be one of mutual support and benefit. Going to church and going home is not the same as participating in the life of the church. A wise person finds where they fit and balances service in the church with their other vocations and responsibilities.

v.2 Foolishness defined! A fool refuses to accept Wisdom from God or those who can teach him God's Wisdom. The fool also tends to voice his opinion as if he were the last word in Wisdom, putting himself ahead of those who are truly Wise.

v.3 Sinful behavior brings consequences. Does the wicked person have contempt for others, or does he receive contempt from others because of his wickedness? Contempt may be mutual to all parties in these situations.

v.4 Scholars debate exactly what the first line of this proverb means. It is repeated in Proverbs 20:5. It is easiest to take the proverb at face value. Our words expose what is in our hearts, often expressing the beliefs we hold deeply. The fountain of Wisdom is the source, i.e., God and those God has placed to dispense His Wisdom. The source of Wisdom is never exhausted, like a stream with some water flow regardless of the season. Steinmann says, "Note the parallel depiction of the life-giving water issuing from God’s temple in Ezek 47:1–12 and also the words of Jesus himself in Jn 4:14 and 7:38–39, fulfilled in Baptism (see the second textual note on Prov 18:4). God’s grace never runs dry, and it provides forgiveness and life for all who drink from it. In fact, wisdom here is depicted as flowing from God’s favor toward humanity, even as Ezekiel depicts the ever-flowing stream in the new Jerusalem, with the tree of life growing on its banks (see also Rev 22:1–2, 14).”

v.5 Come back to this verse when we do Proverbs 17:26. Being partial to the wicked is not good because it has practical, detrimental consequences in society. More so, it is contrary to God's nature. Those who administer justice are God's representatives in the civil realm. God expects them to adhere to His attributes: being fair and impartial.

v.6 Fools get themselves in trouble with their words, even when they are not intended to create a fight. Not said but implied, the Wise man uses Wise words to avoid trouble and extricate himself from a bad situation in which he may have inadvertently embroiled himself.