Proverbs 26
Proverbs 26
Proverbs 26 talks extensively about two categories of people: fools and sluggards.
Fools (1-11)
The word “fool” appears 11 times in the ESV version of Proverbs 26, accounting for 15% of its usage in the book. David Mathis describes foolishness like this:
The fool does not possess [skill to navigate life well]. He does not navigate life well in God’s universe, from God’s perspective, in God’s categories. The very essence of foolishness is the suppression of God’s truth (Romans 1:18).
Folly is not just silly, but sinful (Psalm 69:5; 107:17; Romans 1:22). Fools desperately need to “learn sense” (Proverbs 8:5), but instead they hate knowledge (Proverbs 1:22). They are complacent (Proverbs 1:32), easily frustrated (Proverbs 12:16), reckless and careless (Proverbs 14:16), and crooked in speech (Proverbs 19:1). Fools are prone to “a hasty temper” (Proverbs 14:29), “anger lodges in the heart of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Fools “walk into a fight” and invite a beating (Proverbs 18:6).
Fools have hearts that are set against God and his wisdom. They have the wisdom of God and his word completely available to them but willingly reject it.
Do you ever feel God’s Word grate against you or get under your skin? This will always happen to some degree, but when it does, are you willing to submit to it or are you more prone to buck against it? Ask God to give you a soft heart to listen to and obey His Word willingly.
Sluggards (12-16)
Sluggards basically refer to people who are lazy. Derek Brown offers 8 marks of a sluggard seen in Proverbs:
1. The Sluggard Will Not Start Things
2. The Sluggard Will Not Finish Things
3. The Sluggard Will Not Face Hard Things
4. The Sluggard Is Anxious and Restless
5. The Sluggard Has Constant Trouble
6. The Sluggard Is a Nuisance to Others
7. The Sluggard Is Self-Deceived
8. The Sluggard Won’t Become a Leader
The good news is that the gospel gives us the power to change from being fools and sluggards. Through God’s grace, we can see this transformation that we cannot achieve in our own power in a real way.
Question:
Are you more prone to foolishness or sluggardness?
By: Graham Withers
Proverbs 26 talks extensively about two categories of people: fools and sluggards.
Fools (1-11)
The word “fool” appears 11 times in the ESV version of Proverbs 26, accounting for 15% of its usage in the book. David Mathis describes foolishness like this:
The fool does not possess [skill to navigate life well]. He does not navigate life well in God’s universe, from God’s perspective, in God’s categories. The very essence of foolishness is the suppression of God’s truth (Romans 1:18).
Folly is not just silly, but sinful (Psalm 69:5; 107:17; Romans 1:22). Fools desperately need to “learn sense” (Proverbs 8:5), but instead they hate knowledge (Proverbs 1:22). They are complacent (Proverbs 1:32), easily frustrated (Proverbs 12:16), reckless and careless (Proverbs 14:16), and crooked in speech (Proverbs 19:1). Fools are prone to “a hasty temper” (Proverbs 14:29), “anger lodges in the heart of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Fools “walk into a fight” and invite a beating (Proverbs 18:6).
Fools have hearts that are set against God and his wisdom. They have the wisdom of God and his word completely available to them but willingly reject it.
Do you ever feel God’s Word grate against you or get under your skin? This will always happen to some degree, but when it does, are you willing to submit to it or are you more prone to buck against it? Ask God to give you a soft heart to listen to and obey His Word willingly.
Sluggards (12-16)
Sluggards basically refer to people who are lazy. Derek Brown offers 8 marks of a sluggard seen in Proverbs:
1. The Sluggard Will Not Start Things
2. The Sluggard Will Not Finish Things
3. The Sluggard Will Not Face Hard Things
4. The Sluggard Is Anxious and Restless
5. The Sluggard Has Constant Trouble
6. The Sluggard Is a Nuisance to Others
7. The Sluggard Is Self-Deceived
8. The Sluggard Won’t Become a Leader
The good news is that the gospel gives us the power to change from being fools and sluggards. Through God’s grace, we can see this transformation that we cannot achieve in our own power in a real way.
Question:
Are you more prone to foolishness or sluggardness?
By: Graham Withers
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