The Scoffer and the Wise

Proverbs 9:7-8 “He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself;  he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself. Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;  rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”

There are times when people smile and nod, and yet the true intentions of their hearts are not revealed. For the sake of being polite, many people fail to reveal their position because they don’t want to cause a stir.

There are other times when a particular subject will draw the response and reveal the heart, that subject is the gospel.

The exhortation of wisdom is found emenating from the counsel of the Lord. He is preparing a great banquet, He has prepared the house, slaughtered the meat, mixed the wine, and prepared the table for all who would come and dine.

Proverbs 9:5-6 “Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.”

Is the message to come a call to wisdom?

For those who have understanding, they would recognize they are being labeled a fool. If one lacks wisdom, they are living foolishly. But for the lost, the way of wisdom is shrouded in darkness and they lack the understanding that comes by way of obedience.

The call is not to correct the scoffer but to warn them of the judgement to come.

Proverbs 9:7-8 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”

How does the faithful witness engage someone to discover whether they are wise or foolish?

Maybe you could ask a question. “Where are all the righteous?”, “Where is the wise men among you?”

If you were asked this question, would you respond in anger or in thoughtful contemplation?

I asked a similar question to a young man who I thought was a man of God, and the response was bitterness, anger, and venom.

There response was the revelation of his heart.

The Foolish Response

There are many attributes of the foolish, and most of them are not hard to find. The fool makes clear their position, it is most difficult for them to hide their lack of wisdom.

Proverbs 9:13 “A foolish woman is clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.”

Ask a simple question regarding righteousness, and the foolish respond in error. They have no understanding and the loud shouting or incessant need to express their disdain for your question only adds to their shame.

To correct her is to invoke a hateful response.

Why does the correction of a fool bring shame upon a person?

Asking the blind to walk in the way of wisdom is asking them to perform the impossible. Wisdom is given by God and understanding comes by way of obedience to His leading. The Holy Spirit sanctifies and teaches in the way of life and the fool has no affiliation with God. Sure, the world has a measure of wisdom but it is tasked with achieving gain according to worldly values.

Proverbs 9:12 “If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

The way to succeed in the world is the hope of the lost. Nothing of this world will remain, it will all undergo the fires of God’s wrath.

The Wise Response

When correction is given to the wise, the response is thoughtful, contemplative, and full of remorse.

The wise grow wiser with correction, and he recognizes that correction is done out of love, not spite.

Proverbs 9:9 “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”

Just because someone is wise, does not mean they do not error. The sinful nature is always present, looking to resurface in the lives of all who grow weak. Isolate for long enough, separate yourself from godly influence and accountability and you set yourself up to fall.

There are many wise men in history who have stumbled and fell, there are none who are immune to the weakness of the flesh.

How does the wise man or woman respond when a faithful brother or sister in Christ approaches them regarding their lapse in judgement?

The wise respond in love.

“Thank you for caring enough about me to bring some light to my condition.”

“I know I made a mistake and let a lapse in judgment lead me down a path I didn’t want to take, thank you for being bold enough to approach me and snap me out of my delusion.”

How do believers bring correction to the wise?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Shine the light of truth on a pathway of falsity, and the wise see the truth and grow wiser.

Growing Wiser

Wisdom enables a person to grow in understanding.

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Without wisdom, the foolish only walk toward their ruin.

When Jesus hung upon the cross, the two thieves on each side mocked Him. Bust as the day of suffering continued, one of the fools became wise. He had a front row seat to the greatest event in the history of mankind. Jesus demonstrated God’s love upon that cross and the fool began to fear God. Darkness had come over the land, and yet the insults of the crowd only led to a plea for forgiveness.

When the thief recognized Jesus’ innocence, he began to see Jesus in light of His glory.

Luke 23:42-43 “Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” and Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

The thief on the left continued to blaspheme Christ, and this is the only response a fool can give.

When the world sees Jesus in His people, when the message of the gospel is brought to light or correction is delivered by the Word of Truth…the response will look different. Some will continue to blaspheme the name of God, and others will show hatred towards the faithful…but there will be some who will respond in wisdom.

Believers can’t be discouraged by the response, their duty is to only be found faithful. The revelation of God’s work will show itself in due time and we can thank God it is not up to us to change a persons heart…that is God’s territory.

All a believer must do is to be found faithful. Let the Spirit of God do the leading, let the Word of God do the convicting, and let the intercession of the saints be the strength that God supplies.