A fool's folly

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

A FOOL'S FOLLY

Prov 19:9-10

9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish.

10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury — how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

NIV

Nine is simply a repetition of five except the result of ruin and perish are slightly different but mean the same. It would seem this needs to be considered with heavy thought as whenever the word of God repeats, or we are told over and over again regarding a certain issue, it is of grave importance. So let us neither lie nor contend with those who do. As for it not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, it does not mean a fool should not have delight, but that those who live foolishly simply do not attain luxury. Our minds immediately consider material gain as the definition of luxury, yet would not the grace of God be the ultimate delight, pleasure or luxury?  It is not fitting for the fool, the person who defies God, who rejects his provision for their salvation, to enjoy his grace. So often those who think of themselves as wise are fools.

Rom 1:21-23

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools  23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

NIV

This saying speaks directly to this issue. It is not about living a foolish life in the material sense. If we spend all our money foolishly so what. Those who think it wise to store up wealth are the true fools as that is in direct defiance to what God tells them, unless of course they are rich toward God, which is they use all their wealth to advance the kingdom of God. But in most causes that is not true, as they store it up for their own security for retirement. Then they are like the foolish rich farmer. This argument is one that will live on in the household of faith, as some would say storing up is being a good steward. So we need to consider it is not fitting for a person who refuses God, a fool, to enjoy the benefit of salvation. It is also not fitting that one who is a slave to sin to rule over the lives of those who are princes in the kingdom of God, which are all believers. This may not mean those who sit in the seat of government, but rather those who would influence the lives of others. So then it is not right for those who are slaves to sin to influence our lives as believers in Christ Jesus as we are also free men, having been freed from the bondage of sin. We might also conclude that because Satan is the father of all lies, those who are slaves to sin have lips filled with lies and as such we should avoid taking any advice, any counsel or allow them to influence our way of thinking or living. This certainly is hand and glove to the 1^st Psalm.

Ps 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

NIV

It goes on to talk about the ungodly the fools of this world, the slaves to sin.

Ps 1:4-6

4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

NIV

This is the truth of this proverb, repeated again and again as we have seen other truths of God done. The foolish will not see the kingdom of God, true delight, true luxury, nor should they have any influence upon our lives.