The Problem of Fools, Part 1

Tonight we begin a new study for the next several weeks concerning your problems and that is how to find solutions to life's most common problems. And what does the Bible have to say? How does the Bible address the issues that you and I face every single day? And to do that we are going to study the book of Proverbs and we are going to look at the different verses in this book written by a man by the name Solomon. There was a couple of chapters, one written by Agur and another one King Lemuel.

But Solomon over his time put into print some 3,000 different Proverbs. As you recall Solomon was a wise man. In fact the Bible says in Matthew 12 and 1 Kings 4, the people gave him all over the world to obtain wisdom from this man.

The man who when asked by God what it is he wanted he responded by saying, I just want to have wisdom that I might make the right decisions. And God granted him wisdom that pleased the Lord. And Solomon was able to counsel people, give them wisdom from what God had given to him.

But unfortunately during the latter years of his life he did not apply those truths as readily as he did at the beginning of his life. And so he writes about those things and he puts them in what is commonly called Proverbs or sayings, little sayings, little phrases that are drawn from his life experiences. These little phrases, these contrasts, these comparisons are stated in such a way that they have one central point.

And it is remarkable to see how they are put together because these Proverbs speak to great truths in small sentences. So it tells you you don't have to say a lot about the topic to discuss it. You can just basically state the principle and be done with it because that's what Solomon does.

And so we're going to examine those statements that he made that God inspired him to write in order that we might find the biblical solutions to the problems that we face every single day. Most of us don't know that Proverbs was written specifically for young people. It's the only book in the Bible designed specifically for young people.

But Solomon was writing to his son and he wanted his son to understand the principles of life. He wanted his son to be wise, to understand, to be discerning, to have knowledge, to receive instruction. And so as Solomon would write to his son, he wanted him to grow in the wisdom and stature of God.

And so if you're a young person this evening, you need to realize that this book is designed specifically for you. If you're a parent and you have children, you need to know the book of Proverbs forward and backwards because in there, in that book, we'll have the answer to every problem your child will ever face. And as parents, we need to know how to help our children through life, how to raise them properly.

As a parent, if you know the book of Proverbs, you know how to teach your children, how to instruct your children, how to help them through difficulties. If you don't know the book of Proverbs, tonight's a good time to begin. And because it's written to young people, it doesn't mean that those of us who are older, it has nothing to do with us.

No, that's not the case because if you read the book of Proverbs properly, us old folks are going to know why we are in the situation we are in today because Proverbs tells you. It tells you how you got to be where you are today. And it also tells you how you can turn things around in your life, no matter how old you are, that you might walk with God and honor Him the rest of the days that God gives you.

So it applies to all of us. And yet we need to understand that when we face difficulties, when we face problems, what does the Bible say we need to do? Solomon begins with these words in Proverbs chapter 1. He says, Proverbs 1, to know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice, and equity, to give prudence to the naive, to the youth, knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.

The Bible, specifically the book of Proverbs, helps us understand life's puzzles. Helps us unscramble those things that seem to be so confusing to us in order that we might find solutions, that we might understand what God has for us. And so we're in for a fascinating study.

And we're not going to cover every problem you face, but we will cover the basic problems that you face, and help give you the tools to understand what the Bible says concerning the solution to those problems. Now, verse number 7 of Proverbs 1 is the key verse of the book of Proverbs. And that key verse introduces us to our very first problem.

It says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. So at the outset, we have a problem, a problem that all of us face.

And that is a problem of foolishness, the problem of being a fool. Now, if you read the Bible, you understand that the wise man is the believing man, and the foolish man is the unbelieving man. Yet, many of us who are believers and understand the wisdom of God, at times act in foolish ways.

And so Solomon is going to address those issues to help us come to grips with what we need to do so that we are not fools. Now, maybe you hear tonight and say, I'm no fool. Well, the Bible says that the fool is the one who despises knowledge and instruction.

He rejects it. Has there ever been a time in your life where you have heard something out of the Bible, and you tend to put up roadblocks and say, I don't want to do that. That's not going to happen to me.

Then you're a fool because you despised wisdom and instruction. It happens very easily. In fact, the Bible says this, Proverbs 3, 11, My son, do not reject or do not despise the discipline of the Lord or loathe his reproof.

Many people despise the discipline of God. They loathe the fact that God is going to reprove them. And the writer of Hebrews, Hebrews 12, verses 5 to 11, speaks voluminously about the discipline of the children of God.

How many times have you found yourself in a situation under the chasing hand of God and have despised his reproof? The Bible says you're a fool because a fool despises wisdom and instruction. When God chastens you, when God disciplines you, he does it that you might become wise, that you might receive instruction, that you might know more of him so you will know more how to respond to him. And when you begin to despise that reproof, then you are a fool because you despise wisdom and instruction.

Remember what it says over in Matthew 6, verse number 24, No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Christ says you can only serve one master.

You can't serve two. And the one you long for, the one you hold on to, the other one you automatically reject or despise. Whenever we decide in our own hearts and minds to affectionately go a direction other than God and long for something more than God, we in effect are rejecting God and despising God.

And that makes us a fool because we despise the wisdom and instruction of God. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse number 20, that we are not to despise prophetic utterances, but we are to examine everything, holding to that which is good and refraining from that which is evil. In other words, Paul says that we cannot reject prophetic utterances.

That is, when the word of God is given and we understand what God's word says, we can't put up a roadblock and reject it. Instead, we need to examine everything that is said, hold on to that which is good and reject that which is evil. Whenever we despise the word of the Lord, we despise wisdom and instruction.

Matthew 18, Christ says that we need to be careful that we don't despise one of his little children, that we don't reject one of his little children or look down upon one of his little children. Why is that? Because in the family of God, we are all children and we got to be careful not to put stumbling blocks in front of one another. And whenever you put a stumbling block in front of someone else, you are causing them to fall into sin and you, in effect, are despising them and rejecting them.

And when you do that, you are utterly rejecting God and that makes you a fool. So I think that all of us would have to say that there are times we act in a very foolish way. And so it becomes a problem for us.

And Solomon begins by dealing with that at the outset, helping us realize that it's the wise man that fears the Lord. But the foolish man is going to despise what God says. He's going to reject the word of the Lord.

He doesn't want to receive instruction from God. So tonight, we want to look at the very first problem, the problem of fools. And look, number one, at the description of a fool.

How do you know you're a fool? We're going to look at the conduct. We're going to look at the character and the conversation of a fool. How do you spot a fool? Let's look, first of all, at the description of a fool by looking, first of all, at his conduct.

How do you know a fool? Number one, a fool is known because he's quickly given to arguments. Proverbs chapter 18, verse number six. Now, I'm going to give you a lot of verses this evening, and we're going to read them.

I'm not going to make a lot of comments about them because the Proverbs don't need a lot of comments. But you need to understand that a fool, his conduct is marked by he quickly gets into arguments. Proverbs 18, verse number six says this, a fool's lips bring strife and his mouth calls for blows.

Proverbs 20, verse number three, states it this way. Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel. You ever met people who like to argue? People who like to argue are fools.

Now, they argue about anything because they live to argue. They live to debate. They live to always be on the other side of the fence.

So whatever view you take, they take the other view. Because they love to live in the realm of conflict. They love to argue back and forth.

They're quickly led into arguments. Why is that? Because number two, they purposefully treat sin lightly. They treat sin lightly.

Proverbs chapter 10, verse number 23 reads as follows. Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool. Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool.

Proverbs 13, verse number 19. Desire realized is sweet to the soul, but it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. You see, a fool purposefully treats sin lightly.

Why? Because to a fool, it's an abomination to depart from evil. They don't understand what Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2.22, that you need to flee youthful lusts. They don't understand what Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, where he says you need to flee immorality.

He doesn't understand what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6.11, when Paul told Timothy, you, O man of God, you flee these things. That is, you flee the love of money. The foolish man doesn't run away from sin.

He runs to sin. He likes sin. He loves to live in the realm of sin.

The Bible also says in Proverbs 14.9, the fool mocks sin. He mocks sin because he treats it lightly. But there's something else about a fool.

And that is that he hypocritically makes vows to God. He hypocritically makes vows to God. Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes follows the book of Proverbs. Ecclesiastes 5.1 says, guard your steps as you go to the house of God. That's a great phrase, isn't it? Guard your steps.

Watch over your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools. Solomon says, when you go to the house of God, make sure you go to do one thing, and that's to listen. Don't go to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know what they are doing is evil.

Verse 2, do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth. Therefore, let your words be few.

Isn't that interesting? Solomon says, you know what? Don't be so hasty to go to prayer. Don't be so quick to throw up your words to God. Listen to what God has to say.

First, before you do that. And then he says, for the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for he takes no delight in fools.

Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. You see, the fool offers up a sacrifice, a sacrifice of fools.

And what is the sacrifice of fools? The foolish man does not go to the house of God to listen to God in order to respond to God and obey God. The foolish man goes to God or the house of God and begins to tell God what he's going to do. He begins to communicate with God what he wants to see happen, but he has no intention in following through on his vow.

You met people like that? They go to church, they make a decision. I'm going to make sure that I'm in the word of God every day. And I'm going to make a vow to God that I'm in the word every day, reading his word.

Others say, I'm going to make a vow to God. I'm not going to miss church. I'm going to be there every Sunday.

When the doors are open, I'm going to be there. God, I'm going to be there. You can count on it.

I give you my word. It's a foolish vow if you don't keep it, right? It's better not to say anything than to make a vow and not keep it. But people like to make these vows about these decisions that they've made for God.

And then I have to tell everybody about it. So they seem to be, you know, spiritual. But the foolish man hypocritically makes vows to God.

He promises God something but never follows through. That's a fool. He purposefully treats sin lightly.

He mocks sin. And he is one who quickly gets into arguments. He easily falls prey to seduction.

The foolish man easily falls prey to seduction. And the reason that is, is because he has no discernment. He has no wisdom.

And so he easily falls prey to seduction. Proverbs chapter 7, verse number 21 reads as follows. With her many persuasions, she entices him.

With her flattering lips, she seduces him. Suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter. Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool.

Until an arrow pierces through his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare. So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

The fool doesn't know that when he succumbs to sexual temptation, he finds himself seduced by the temptress. That it's going to cost him his life. He doesn't understand their ramifications of what he's doing.

All he can see is the here and now. All he can see is what's in store for him immediately. He cannot see the future.

He does not understand that to follow the way of sin will only lead to death, not to life. And so he's easily seduced by the temptress. None of the conduct about the fool is that he readily squanders his money.

Proverbs chapter 21, verse number 20. There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up. The foolish man is one who squanders his money.

The foolish man is one who has no idea what he's doing because he lives for himself. And he lives so others will know of his accomplishments. Christ would speak about this in Luke chapter 12.

It says in verse number 13, And someone in the crowd said to him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me. But he said to him, Man, who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you? He said to them, Beware and be on your guard against every form of greed. For not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.

He told them a parable saying the land of a certain rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself saying, What shall I do since I have no place to store my crops? And he said, This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones.

And there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said to him, You fool, this night, this very night, your soul is required of you. And now who will own what you have prepared? So is the man who lays up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God. The foolish man squanders his money.

The foolish man is one who just looks to get all the goodies of life. And then once he obtains them, just keep gathering more and more and more and build bigger barns and get bigger houses, bigger places of storage so that he can say, Look at what I've accomplished. Eat, drink, and be merry.

And Christ says, You're a fool. This very night, your soul is required of thee. Because man's life does not consist in the abundance of things in which he possesses.

That's the foolish man. The foolish man is one who is continually filled with anger and resentment. He's continually filled with anger and resentment.

Ecclesiastes 7, verse number 9, Solomon said, Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools. That's why the Bible says to be angry and not sin and not let the sun go down upon your wrath, lest you give opportunity for the devil. You ever been angry? Ever been resentful and gone to bed, seething as you laid next to your spouse, wishing they would say something, but they don't.

So you continue to sit there and boil over, letting the sun go down upon your wrath. When you do that, you give opportunity for the devil. You give opportunity for Satan to infiltrate your home.

You've acted in a foolish way, for anger is in the heart of the fool. Another thing about the fool is that he habitually practices lying and deceit. Proverbs chapter 14, verse number 8, says these words, The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.

Proverbs 15, verse number 7, says, The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the heart of fools are not so. Proverbs 17, verse number 7, Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, much less are lying lips to a prince. In other words, it's the fool who has the lying lips.

It's the prince who has excellent speech. Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool. Why? Because they have deceit in their hearts.

So that's the conduct of a fool. He speaks lies. He has a heart filled with anger.

He loves to get into arguments. He squanders his money. He easily falls prey to seduction.

He hypocritically makes vows to God. He purposely treats sin lightly. Why is he this way? Well, number two, because of his character.

That's why, his character. He's this way because he believes he's right. Proverbs 12, verse number 15, says this, The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

You see, the foolish man is right in his own eyes. The foolish man believes he's always right. The foolish man believes he's never wrong.

He can't be wrong. And if he ever was wrong, it's because you thought at one time he was wrong, because he always believes he's right in his own eyes. He's not right in the eyes of God.

He's right in his own eyes. And the Bible says that there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death, not life. And so the reason he is this way is because he always believes he's right.

So whatever decision he makes, it's gotta be the right decision, because he is the God of his life. Also note that Proverbs 17, 10 says that he does not respond to any reproof. A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.

Proverbs 27, verse number 22, though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him. You see, the foolish man does not respond to reproof. That's why the Bible says over in the book of Proverbs 23, verse number nine, do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

There are people over the years that I have counseled and talked with and given them the word of the Lord and saying, thus says the Lord, this is what you need to do and give them some assignments to do and they go home, they come back and they don't do it. And I say, well, how come he didn't do it? And they said, well, I didn't think it was necessary. And I don't say this to them, but I wanna say, you're a fool.

You're a fool because you despise wisdom and instruction. And I know what the Bible says in Proverbs 23, nine. It says, don't speak in the hearing of a fool.

So I say, you know what? Our sessions are over. I had nothing else to say to you until you're willing to follow the word of the Lord. And that's how it ends.

Unless they wanna come back and do what God's word says. Because the Bible says, don't speak in the hearing of a fool because he despises wisdom and instruction. So if you tell him what God's word says, he doesn't follow, he doesn't wanna do it.

It's because he has rejected the word of the Lord. The fool despises wisdom and instruction, doesn't wanna hear it. And that's why he can do whatever his heart desires because he's in control.

Listen, only God can change a foolish heart. Only God can do that. I told you on Sunday, all of us are born fools.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of the child and erotic correction would drive it far from him. But foolishness is bound up in the heart of each child. We are born fools and we need to become people of wisdom and knowledge and instruction.

May God give us the wisdom to understand his instruction so that we don't go down the path of the foolish but that we encounter the way of the wise. Let's pray.