Proverbs 26:1 commentary; fools with honor

1 ¶ As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

It is as out of place to give honor to a fool as it is for it to snow in the summer and as inconvenient and troubling for a fool to receive honor as it is to have it rain when you’re trying to bring in the harvest. The first understanding of what a fool is can be found in the verse that underscores how far he or she is from God.

Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

This same sentiment is repeated in Psalm 53:1 only linking the abominable works here to abominable iniquity there.

But, in our culture, in our country in particular, it is common although out of place and troubling when fools and wicked men and women are celebrated as heroes.

Psalm 12:8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

We have a culture of death, a cult if you will, where people who are corrupt and without any moral standard other than “I want” are placed in positions of power in government and, as entertainment celebrities, admired by millions. Excess, waste, depravity, murder, and self destruction are the objects of our fascination. We have placed fools in power over us and we have supported fools with our money and attention.

The fool doesn’t really believe in God or, if he or she has a nominal belief, does not believe God is relevant. To the fool, God can demand nothing from their life and, if He is there, He is there to justify their ambitions and lust for power or fame.

We’ve learned in Proverbs that fools despise wisdom and instruction (1:7), they hate knowledge (1:22), and that punishment and destruction are their end. Its amazing how many fools there are who are professing Christians, who make up their god as they go along, ignoring the words the Creator has left them on the written page to change and sanctify them. Its amazing how many Christians will follow a fool who talks about God’s will for their lives and feeds them with lies and half truths, also ignoring the Bible that God has given us, twisting Scriptures in order to justify an agenda.

And, when all is said and done, it is as unseemly and strange and unhelpful for a fool to receive honor as it is for it to snow in the summer or rain during the harvest.