Proverbs 17—18: Avoiding the Fool
PROVERBS 27:22 MAKES one very clear point about fools—they're incorrigible: "Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him." But if fools can't be reformed, why do we find such an abundance of proverbs about them? The answer is simple—to help us recognize fools, their foolish behavior, and to warn us about the consequences of both. Our greatest danger from fools is meeting them unexpectedly, not recognizing them until it's too late. Recognizing and avoiding fools is our only defense from being undone by their folly. Defensive driving techniques protect us from foolish drivers. The proverbs in this study equip us for "defensive living."
Warming Up to God
One of the signs of a fool we'll explore in this passage is foolish talk. What foolish talk (gossip, lies and so on) do you need to confess to God as you begin?
Read Proverbs 17—18. »
Discovering the Word
- Which verses in Proverbs 17—18 speak about fools?
- Proverbs 17:12 poses a riddle—why are you better off meeting a rampaging mother bear rather than meeting a fool in his folly?
- Describe an episode from your experience or from the experience of someone you know which illustrates the point of Proverbs 17:
- Proverbs 18:2 tells us that opinionated people are apt to be fools—they're always ready with a viewpoint and ever eager to broadcast it. How would you expect a prudent or wise person to behave differently from the fool?
- When have you seen a fool's mouth become his or her undoing (18:17)?
- How does 18:2 account for the truth of 18:7?
Applying the Word
- Jesus warned, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (Mt 7:1). When we use the proverbs about the fool to evaluate people and conclude they are indeed foolish, do we ignore Jesus' warning? Why or why not?
- What areas of your own character that might need work do these proverbs point to?
Responding in Prayer
Who do you know that has been taken in by a fool? Pray for that person.
For Further Study
The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job & Ecclesiastes by Derek Kidner