Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Don't fool yourself

April 1 is known as April Fool’s Day. It is not an official holiday, but it is a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on others. It has been celebrated in many countries around the world for many centuries. April Fool’s Day can also be called Atheist’s Day, as per Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1, where David writes: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

David’s son Solomon, who had wisdom given to him by God, wrote many proverbs about fools to contrast the fool’s behavior to that of wise people and in order that people would not become fools. Here is a summary of these proverbs about fools.

The attributes of a fool:
Fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7).
Fools hate knowledge (Proverbs 1:22).
The mouth of the foolish is near destruction (Proverbs 10:14).
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes (Proverbs 12:15).
It is an abomination to fools to depart from evil (Proverbs 13:19).
In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride (Proverbs 14:3).
The folly of fools is deceit (Proverbs 14:8).
The foolishness of fools is folly (Proverbs 14:24).
A fool despises his father’s instruction (Proverbs 15:5).
The heart of the fool does not disperse knowledge (Proverbs 15:7).
The mouth of a fool feeds on foolishness (Proverbs 15:14)
A fool’s mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul (Proverbs 18:7).
He who trusts in his own heart is a fool (Proverbs 28:26).

The actions of a fool:
He spreads slander (Proverbs 10:18).
He does evil like a sport (Proverbs 10:23).
The heart of a fool proclaims foolishness (Proverbs 12:23).
Fools mock at sin (Proverbs 14:9).
A fool rages and is self-confident (Proverbs 14:16).
The mouth of fools pours forth foolishness (Proverbs 15:2).
The foolish woman pulls down her house with her hands (Proverbs 14:1).
A fool has delight in expressing his own heart (Proverbs 18:2).
A fool’s lips enter into contention and his mouth calls for blows (Proverbs 18:6).
The heart of fools is in the house of mirth (Ecclesiastes 7:4).
Anger rests in the bosom of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:9).

The results of foolishness:
The complacency of fools will destroy them (Proverbs 1:32).
Shame shall be the legacy of fools (Proverbs 3:35).
A foolish son is the grief of his mother (Proverbs 10:1).
A prating (chattering, babbling) fool will fall (Proverbs 10:8, 10).
Fools die for lack of wisdom (Proverbs 10:21).
A fool’s wrath is known at once (Proverbs 12:16).
A fool lays open his folly (Proverbs 13:16).
The companion of fools will be destroyed (Proverbs 13:20).
The folly of fools is deceit (Proverbs 14:8).
A foolish man despises his mother (Proverbs 15:20).
Honor is not fitting for a fool. (Proverbs 26:1).
God has no pleasure in fools (Ecclesiastes 4:4).

What should we do when we encounter a fool? Solomon gives good advice to us in Proverbs 14:7: “Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.” Paul also writes in Ephesians 5:15, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.” 

Now that we know all about fools, we should make sure that we don’t follow in their footsteps.  We should fill our hearts and minds with God’s Word and learn wisdom. 

Thanks as always for reading!  See you next time!

 Diane

 

No comments:

Post a Comment