| THE MAKING OF A FOOL |
| Even a genius can be one. |
| As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. 26:11 |
| Fools, in modern English, are people who lack brains. But the word has a different meaning in the Bible. Fools may have high IQ's. People may admire their reputation for success. Yet a wise person views them as a disaster. One of the Bible's worst insults is "You fool!" People become fools by ignoring the wisdom God offers them, preferring to follow the crowd or their own conceited opinions. They may think themselves very clever, but their cleverness will land them in trouble. Proverbs aims its sharpest warnings, not against acting immorally, but against becoming a fool. If you develop such a character, no set of rules can keep you out of trouble. A wise person ought to learn to recognize a fool from far away, and stay out of his or her path. Poignant proverbs on foolishness: 1:7; 10:8; 12:15, 16, 23; 14:8, 9, 16, 24; 15:14; 17:10, 12, 16; 18:2, 6; 20:3, 11; 27:22; 28:26; 29:11. Life Questions: Do you know anyone whom Proverbs would call a fool? If so, how should you relate to him or her? |