Proverbs 27:22 ¶ Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a
mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
In Proverbs we have been taught that
foolishness is the opposite of knowledge.
Proverbs 12:23 A prudent man concealeth
knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of
fools poureth out foolishness.
Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but
the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.
And that it is sin, not just silliness as some
would use the word today.
Proverbs 24:9 The thought of foolishness is
sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, links it to madness
and wickedness;
Ecclesiastes 7:25 I applied mine heart to
know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to
know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
Ecclesiastes 10:13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and
the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Look at the company it keeps,
according to the Lord Jesus Christ;
Mark 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out
of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts,
covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the
man.
Here, in this Proverb, a fool’s foolishness,
which is clearly more than just some kind of silliness or childishness, can’t
be separated from him. Remember, in context, this verse is right after a verse
about seeing what a man’s true character is by how he handles praise.
John Gill points out several verses in relation
to this verse, like Isaiah 1:5 and Jeremiah 5:3 concerning Judah.
Isaiah 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any
more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart
faint.
Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken
them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused
to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have
refused to return.
A fool will continue to do evil no matter how
hard he is pressed or punished. He simply will not change because it is part of
his nature to do what he does. A fool will not even so much as believe in God.
Psalm 14:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of
David.» 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, is in spite of the fact that all existence
declares the truth of God.
Psalm 19:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of
David.» The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his
handywork.
Romans 1:19 ¶ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for
God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the
creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
He refuses to be corrected for his
wickedness: his foolishness.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in
his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
If you have had the Gospel of Jesus
Christ shared with you and you insist on rejecting God’s mercy and plunging
willfully headlong into Hell and a burning, Christless eternity then you are a
fool. If you think you are going to have eternal life with Christ on any other
terms than depending on His righteousness and not your own to get to Heaven
then you are a fool. If, although saved, you will not read the words of God,
hear them truthfully preached, and let them change you by degrees into the
person Christ wants you to be, then you are a Christian fool but a fool
nonetheless. And lest the Holy Spirit of God show you mercy and break through
your foolishness you will likely remain one even though you be ground up and
crushed like wheat under the efforts of a mortar and pestle.
Proverbs 27:23 ¶ Be thou diligent to know the state of thy
flocks, and look well to thy herds. 24 For riches are not for ever: and doth
the crown endure to every generation? 25 The hay appeareth, and the tender
grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. 26 The lambs are
for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. 27 And thou shalt
have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for
the maintenance for thy maidens.
Christians are told to not be slothful in
business in Romans 12:11. These Proverbs encouraged the Hebrew of old and the
Christian today to work hard and to work smart. We are not to take things for
granted, even in faith, but to apply ourselves to our employments, whether they
be for our own business or under the authority of someone else.
Farmers of old were fairly self-sufficient
producing almost everything they needed to clothe, feed, and house themselves
and their families. Of course, they had no expectations of cheap, plastic junk
made in China or cell phones, computers, televisions, etc. like we do today.
Our work ethic is given in many verses but with
regard to our employments it is specifically said;
1 Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be
quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we
commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and
that ye may have lack of nothing.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour,
working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him
that needeth.
The more self-sufficient you are, the better for
you. We all can’t be completely self-reliant but our efforts should be toward
being as debt free as possible and capable of producing something useful that
we can rely on to help sustain us. Being dependent on others or a government is
not a good testimony for the Christian. There are circumstances where we have
no choice but to lean on the help of other people but our efforts from a very
young age should be to work hard, prepare for our old age, and to give our
children the best start in life we can provide, both spiritually and
physically. Sadly, in our consumer culture since World War II we tend to view
being entertained and experiencing pleasure as a need and a vital necessity so
much of our earned money is spent on those two frivolous pursuits which tend to
make us unprepared for the realities of life and eventually make us dependent
on others for support.
Young people, work hard and work smart, say no to yourself at
least once a day, take your entertainments and pleasures as a treat to yourself
and not a daily need, put away money for your own old age, and teach your
children to be as self-reliant and disciplined as is possible for you to teach.
Just remember your needs; your wants won’t kill you. Never spend money you
don’t have. Finally, remember;
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all
your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
One final comment I have on this passage is that the modern
Cultural Marxist regards self-reliance as a token of white supremacy because
their ultimate good is you being dependent on the government for survival.
However hard work and self-reliance are Biblical values and have nothing to do
with race.
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