Proverbs 26:1-12 I Pity the Foo

5/16/10

Time Spent: 10 min

Main Idea: There is more hope for a fool than the man who thinks he is wise in his own eyes

What I Learned about God: Foolishness to God is pride because He is the exact opposite of it

Summary: Just like a the picture that Salvador Dali drew where up close the picture looks like a woman playing a chord then looking farther back makes the appearance of a sailboat is what this Proverb is an example of. One might begin to say that this Proverb is about the fool. It gives multiple descriptions about the fool and the warnings to other people in their dealings with him. He is a plague worth no honor as the Bible paints a ghastly picture of the fool. However, the narration takes a huge pivot when they realize that this Proverb is not about the "fool"....it is about the person who thinks they are wise in their own eyes. There is more hope for the fool than for him. This shows the stinging nature of pride. Pride blinds a person to oversee his shortcomings and doubts and even with all the self-destructive characteristics of the fool, there is more hope for the fool than for this man.

Application: This goes all to well to me presently. When I heard people speak, I somehow think that I'm in preaching class and I start critiquing them based upon the Talbot methodology of preaching. I note every stress, every subject change, non-applicable applications, etc. It didn't occur to me that while I was doing that today I had saw myself "wise in my own eyes". That in my own eyes, I was the one who was wise. How foolish this was for me to place myself on this podium, a desire I prayed earnestly against when I entered seminary. I need to remember the cross and God's Word towards me because I am realizing more and more that I need to move away from the paradigm of thinking of myself wise and looking towards the humility of Christ, who emptied Himself for sinners like me.