“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1: 7
Very interesting -To be called a fool was not necessarily a negative thing. Let’s first look at a simple fool.
“How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge?” Proverbs 1: 22
A simple fool was someone who made mistakes but recognized their mistake as sin; they quickly repented and were restored back into proper fellowship with God and others. King David was a simple fool. Even though he was an adulterer and a murderer, God still called him a man after his own heart. David’s heart was bent towards God. King David acknowledged that he sinned against God, and this is why God didn’t turn away from him.
“Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies..” Proverbs 1: 31
Do you know someone that no matter how many hardships or trials come upon them, they never learn from those hardships and trials? We all know someone like that, and those people are hardened fools. Such people are one’s that God continues to rebuke, but eventually are made to “lie in their beds.” I remember when I was counseling in our local Crisis Pregnancy Center… it didn’t matter that I gave them advice straight from the Bible, some of those girls/women would just continue being sexually promiscuous. It was a domino effect; these girls would have their babies at 15 or 16, and maybe a year or two later… be pregnant again! Some were going to school, but had to drop out because they’d have nobody to take care of their babies while they were in school. Some were on Welfare. It’s a very tragic thing. They ended up eating the fruit of their own way. King Saul was a hardened fool. He was one who made mistakes but he never did repent. He just continued in His sin, even after realizing it.
Making mistakes is inevitable. We are all sinners. But the question lies here… Once we realize it, what are we going to do? Repent? Avoid that same sin in the future? God says that if we do, he will pour out His Spirit on us…
“Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” Proverbs 1: 23
Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!
The mocking fool is simply someone who mocks the things of God. This fool sneers at God and shows nothing but contempt. Unlike someone who walks by God’s wisdom, he follows the path of foolishness, and refuses to listen to the wisdom of others. The God-denying fool despises holiness and says “there is no God”… The atheist is a mocking fool.
Before knowing God, I think I was a hardened fool. I was always running from my problems, never dealing with them head on. It didn’t matter where I ran; time after time, I was confronted with the same problem when I arrived at my new destination. I definitely had to “lie in my own bed” many times. I bet some of you were forced to lie in the beds that you’ve made too. Sometimes people have to be broken… they have to be taken to the end of themselves… sometimes it’s simply better to let satan chew on people until the hard soil of their hearts is fertile enough to present truth to them.