Proverbs Chapter 26

Welcome back to Riddles of the Wise! Today, we are looking at Chapter 26. This chapter has a resounding theme throughout the first set of verses: DON’T BE A FOOL. A few examples are,

Verse 6: “Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.”

Verse 7: “A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg.”

Verse 10: “An employer who hires a fool is like an archer who shoots at random.”

Verse 11: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.”

These verses are pretty strong and direct about the condition of a fool. In summary, don’t trust them. Don’t expect much of them. Don’t hire them. And, don’t expect them to change. Sounds pretty rough, huh? I’m guessing that when you read those verses, you started to think, “Well, good thing I’m not a fool. I’m much smarter than that.” That may be true, but the verse that follows should cause us to pause and reflect.

Proverbs 26:12, “There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise.”

Whoa. There is more hope for a fool than for people who think they are wise? This caught my attention, and I hope it caught yours too. In this verse, I believe God (through Solomon) is saying, “Being a prideful person is worse than the biggest fool on earth.” It is the moments when we say “we got it” and “we have it all figured out” that we experience our greatest mistakes. Have you ever looked back on something you did or said, and thought, “How could I have been so stupid?”

I don’t know if you are like me. But, I usually encounter those times when I get haphazard about life. When I think I’ve got everything under control, I do something really dumb. Verse 26 makes it abundantly clear that pride has no place in our relationship with God. We’ve been learning throughout this study that the FEAR of the Lord (humble reverence and submission) is the beginning of all wisdom.

Today, take an inventory of your life. Are there any areas where you feel like you have things under control? Where you think you don’t need God? Challenge yourself, and re-submit those areas/things to God. You do not want to travel down the path of prideful self-reliance. As we read in this chapter, it does not lead to good places.

Humble + Submitted + Listening = The best posture for wisdom.

Have a great day!
Casey