Category: Devotions

A woman, whose husband of fifteen years had unexpectedly died, was devastated. “If one more person tells me they know exactly how I feel, I think I’ll scream.” They don’t know! They couldn’t know! Her pain was her own. No one else could share it. Recall the case of Job’s grief and his comforters, who, when they saw him they knew him not, so acutely had he changed under his grief. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and nights, and none spake a word unto him (2:11-13). This is the message of our proverb today. Every heart carries its own special grief or joy. Surely the one absolutely private event is death, and yet, “the worst of a saint is passed when he dies” (Swinnock)

Here we move from the Fools’ Folly to the Saints’ Favour. There is no mocking of sin among the righteous. Contrast those noisy fools, jesting and ridiculing any thought of guilt being incurred by their little sins, and turning their sacrifices into a sham, and the favour of God and man that rests upon the righteous.

The folly of Fools continues to be the theme. 14:7 shows that time spent with fools is unprofitable, in 14:8 it leads to deception, and in 14:9 it is downright wicked. What a verse this is! The world’s systems are a living commentary on the truth of this ancient proverb. Mock and scorner are from the same root. Mock is singular, while Fools is plural. Now, since sin (guilt or sin-offering) is the only other singular noun, some turn this verse to read, Sin makes a mock of fools. While this is true enough, it sets this proverb on its head. “The singular verb can, in Hebrew, be harnessed to a plural subject” (Kidner). This individualises the fools, giving the excellent meaning, Every fool mocks at sin. Thus the contrast is between the noisy crowd of fools, each one of whom makes a mockery of his guilt, and the favour that rests upon the righteous. To mock at the sin-offering, the atonement, leaves sinners with no other remedy for their sin! A great fool mocks at sin!

It makes sense that “if you want easier travelling, mind or mend your ways.” A right life is the easiest after all. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way. Few have ever been hanged for being too wise.

Do not think it is an act of courage to put your head into the lion’s jaws. That would be foolhardy in the extreme.

There is a great difference between the existence of Truth, and our perception of it. Wisdom helps us to know this difference, and modesty and humility are the true marks of it. But knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. The word understand also means the discerning one, the intelligent one. Richard Sibbes remarked, “Wisdom is easy to him that will understand.” This is the wisdom that “opens the eyes both to the glories of heaven and to the hollowness of earth” (Motyer). The scorner looks only to things down under the sun. The gaze of the understanding is Up Yonder to the Son of Righteousness.

What a tragic note is struck here! A scorner seeks wisdom, and findeth it not. Because of sin, man’s thoughts are not only in rebellion against God and His laws, but he is unable to subject his thoughts to God. The unregenerate walk in the futility of their own darkened minds (Eph. 4:17-19; 1 Cor. 2:14). Man’s own feelings have become the supreme judge of right and wrong, of good and evil. This simply makes every man a god unto himself. Yet, in spite of all his boasting and effort, wisdom is not found, neither will it be there at the end of the day.

“Truth,” said old Trapp, “must be spoken, however it is taken.” Why? Not merely because “truth is the strongest argument.” Pagan philosophers said as much. Rather, it is because God has built Truth into the foundation of the universe. He is the God of Truth, and holds man answerable (Ps. 15:2; Zech. 8:16). The margin reading of Eph. 4:24 suggests holiness of truth for true holiness. Truth is mighty and also holy because it is most God-like. Jesus, in His High-priestly prayer, simply affirms, Sanctify them through thy truth; thy Word is truth (Jn. 17:17).

There is no good achieved without some drawbacks. “This proverb is not a plea for slovenliness, physical, or moral, but for the readiness to accept upheaval, and a mess to clear up, as the price of growth” (Kidner). There are no gains without pains, at least none that can be relied upon! Windfalls are generally rotten apples. All progress has a price. The only question is this: Is the good to be gained worth the price we have to pay or not?