Wise Guy Studies

Lesson 2: Are you an ignorant fool?

After Solomon tells us the value of wisdom for both the young and the old, he declares, in what seems to be the very first proverb, that wisdom or knowledge begins with respect for the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).  Fools, says Solomon, despise wisdom and instruction, therefore they do not turn to the Lord.  David said that it is the fool who says in his heart that there is no God (Psalm 14:1).  He did not say that the fool doesn’t believe in God - only that the fool  says in his heart there is no God.  There is a difference.   

The fool denies what he knows to be true because he doesn’t want to be subject to an authority that will make him do right - he wants to act foolishly (or without God).  Paul spoke of the "godless"Gentiles in Romans 1.  They were godless not because they didn’t believe that there is a God; they were godless because they did not want to believe that there is a God.  They knew the truth, but denied it.  Paul said that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness ... 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” (Romans  1:18-21).

So, the first thing we need to do if we are in search of true knowledge is respect the Lord.  We must respect Him as the giver of knowledge.  James says that God is the giver of all good and perfect gifts (James  1:17), one of which is true knowledge.  If anybody knew that, it was Solomon (1 Kings 3).  Like Solomon, we must go to God for wisdom and knowledge.  We must pray for it as Solomon did. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James  1:5). Of course God is not just going to open up our heads and pour it in.  We do have a certain wisdom or intelligence given us at birth, but “the wisdom that comes from above” (James 3:17) has been written dow n for us in the scriptures.  Paul says that the scriptures will make us complete (1 Timothy 3:16-17).  Why?  Because they come from God.  The Scriptures are the very mind of God written in human words.  They are part of God’s gift to us. 

The fool who does not respect God, of course, does not open God’s Word.  He despises wisdom and instruction so he just stays away from God.  Is it not easy to see the application to us?  None of us wants to be considered a fool.  In our English language, we generally think of the fool as the simpleminded idiot who acts like a fool.  But in the mind of God, the fool is the one with a closed Bible.  The fool is the one who is forced to go to Bible class by his parents, or by his conscience, or by habit - but, in reality, he doesn’t respect or appreciate God as the giver of knowledge, so he doesn’t actually study his Bible. 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).  Until we learn to respect God as the leader of our lives, we are considered as no more than a fool.  Think about that as you consider the words of David in Psalm 50.  He speaks of those who “hate instruction and cast My words behind you” (psalm 50:17).  He speaks of the wicked things that fools (haters of God’s instructions) do (Psalm  50:18-21).  Then he concludes: “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver” (Psalm  50:22).  Those who order their conduct according to the knowledge given by God will be shown the salvation of God (Psalm  50:23).  Those who refuse to do so will be torn in pieces and there’ll be none to deliver.  Which will you choose?

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