Proverbs 17:16, Lost Opportunities of Youth!

November 14, Proverbs 17:16

Matt. 13:9-17; 25:24-30 “Who hath ears to hear let him hear.”

Lost Opportunities of Youth!

This touches most of us to some degree. Who does not wish that he or she could “claw back” some of the wasted opportunities of those youthful years? This proverb is also at the heart of the modern universal-education demand. Why invest education-dollars on fools in these times of economic constraint? While this is widely recognised in principle, to apply it could spell political suicide. After all, we must make allowances for under-achievers, one of the modern buzz-words for fools!

1. The Motivation: A price in the hand refers to all the means of acquiring something, in this case, wisdom, knowledge, education. This is what, in fact, fools have so much need of. The fool here is not a man without reason, but rather an unreasoning man. What of the spiritual opportunities many have had but not used? Pious parents, faithful friends, hearing sound sermons, all showing that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Yet so much of it falls on deaf ears. They have no heart to it. In their unreasoning state they despised the Gospel (Lu. 4.28, 29; Mt. 11:21; 13:19; Jn. 18:40). How heartbreaking for Paul and Barnabas to have to tell their Jewish brethren, Seeing ye put it [the gospel] from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). They had no heart for it! Peter had to deal with those who scoffed at the promise of his [Christ’s] coming. They preferred to be willingly ignorant than to be willingly informed (2 Pt. 3:5). So is it still for the many. “The world is preferred to heaven, time to eternity; and the immortal soul, for which such a cost has been paid, and such prospects prepared, perishes in folly” (Bridges).

2. The Provocation: Wherefore is there a price? Is it all in vain? If fools had no means for obtaining wisdom, there would be no provoking question at all. Since they have the means, what excuse can they give? There are lots of reasons proposed by the education experts. These include prejudice, heredity, peer-pressure, environment, money. Wherefore? This is the question before us. The opportunities are there, but the will is not! “It is far better,” said David Thomas, “to have the heart without the means, than the means without the heart.” Thousands of our youth have no heart to it (no will, goal, courage, appreciation, sense of purpose) until, for many, it is, alas, too late. What a waste! How galling to have to recall that wasted opportunity in later life! Yet the price will not be lost to those who gave fools the chance to obtain wisdom. They (teachers, parents, friends, pastors) have the peace of having done their best to “serve their generation.” They leave the final judgment with the Lord (Isa. 49:4). Nor will God, who still gives fools the price, lose anything. Even the despisers of His bounty and grace will vindicate his long-suffering justice. God declares, Israel would none of me, so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts (Ps. 81:11-13; Rm. 1). Opportunities, like time, do not wait.

Thought: “No man is conquered until his heart is conquered” (Barlow).

Prayer: Lord, save me from despising the things of eternity.