Proverbs 26 opens with an extended section on fools with “As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.” Honor doesn’t fit a fool any more than snow fits summer or rain fits harvest time. Each is out of place, inappropriate, contrary to the natural order. The chapter immediately addresses undeserved curses saying “As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.” An unwarranted curse spoken against you without justification won’t land. It flies away like a wandering bird. This is protection when people speak evil against you without cause, their words have no power to stick. But the chapter’s most famous paradox follows with “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” Don’t answer fools on their terms, or you become like them. But do answer fools appropriately, or they’ll think they’re wise. This isn’t contradiction; it’s discernment. Sometimes silence is wisdom. Sometimes response is necessary. Knowing which situation requires which response is the skill.
My spirit anchors in the sluggard section where it is written “The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.” The lazy person invents absurd excuses there’s a lion in the street! They do this to avoid work. They turn on their bed like a door on hinges, endless rotation without progress. They’re too lazy to even feed themselves properly, hiding their hand in their dish and finding it grievous to bring food to their mouth. And despite obvious foolishness, they think themselves wiser than seven men who can actually give sensible answers. This is self-deception at its peak, the laziest person considers himself the wisest.
The chapter warns against meddling saying “He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.” Grabbing a dog’s ears guarantees getting bitten. Interfering in quarrels that don’t concern you guarantees getting hurt. Pick your battles; not every conflict needs your involvement. The chapter also addresses deception saying “As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am I not in sport?” Someone throwing deadly weapons while claiming “I’m just joking!” is like a madman. Deception disguised as humor is still deception. “I was just kidding” doesn’t undo harmful words or actions.
The chapter’s most devastating section addresses gossip and strife saying “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” Remove the wood and fire dies. Remove the gossip and strife ends. But contentious people are like fuel to fire. They ignite and intensify conflict. Talebearer’s words aren’t superficial; they wound deeply, penetrating to innermost parts. The chapter concludes with warning about disguised hatred with “He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.” Hatred disguised with pleasant words is still hatred. Fair speech covering deceit contains seven abominations. Eventually, concealed wickedness gets exposed publicly. Lying tongues hate their victims; flattering mouths produce ruin.
What comes to mind for you listening/reading Proverbs 26? Can you discern when to answer fools and when to remain silent? What absurd excuses are you inventing, your own “lion in the streets,” to avoid necessary work? Are you meddling in strife that doesn’t belong to you, grabbing dogs by the ears? Have you been deceiving neighbors and claiming “I’m just joking” to avoid accountability? Are you the wood feeding fires of strife, or are you removing fuel so conflicts can die? Can you identify flattering mouths and disguised hatred in your life, in yourself or others, that work ruin while speaking fair words? Prayer Warrior for Life.
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