Posts Tagged: foolishness
“The Quest for Knowledge. Feeding on Foolishness, and the Depth of Proverbs, Part 2”
“The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.” (Proverbs 15:14, English Standard Version)
“You are what you eat.” (A common saying.)
“You eat what you are.” (My own not-so-ancient proverb)
In yesterday’s post I unpacked a bit of what’s going on in the first line of Proverbs 15:14 (the part about the understanding person who continues to seek knowledge). Today, let’s have a look at the fool. Sometimes, we all act like fools, so this is an important matter to consider. If I want to see a fool, I don’t generally need binoculars, just a mirror. If the mirror fits, wear it!
As with many proverbs—both those in the Bible and others—this proverb is very terse. The business about the fool feeding on folly involves the mouth, and it might also mean that the fool’s speech is junk food. (Think of our expression “He’s feeding you a line!”)
Quite likely though, the proverb means that the fool is nourished (sort of) by foolishness. Hence my flipping of the saying that led off this post: “You are what you eat,” becomes “You eat what you are.”
One of the many problems with acting foolishly is that such acting becomes self-perpetuating. The more you act foolishly, the more you crave foolishness. Wisdom may come with age, but only if you are seeking it diligently. If you act foolishly, you will feed on foolishness.
I say again, mostly to myself but also to you, Dear Reader: Be careful what you do and what you eat! Because, you and I really are what we eat, and we do eat what we are!
“On Not Turning Back to Folly”
“Psalm 85:9
I will listen for the word of God; surely the Lord will proclaim peace to his people, to the faithful, to those who trust in him.”
“Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.”
(Psalm 85:8 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version)
My problem is that I want to trust God, and I want to hear God speak peace to me and to this weary world. On the other hand, I really want to hang on to or return to just a little bit of folly. But having a little folly in my heart and mind is like having a few small mice in my house. Folly breeds folly—rapidly. There are some things that are mutually exclusive.
Foolishness is not a good thing, according in the Old Testament. Commenting on the adjective “foolish,” which is built off the same root as the word translated “foolishness” or “folly” in Psalm 85:8, one Hebrew lexicon has the following rundown on what the word suggests:
“. . . the kᵉsîl is not silent like the “wise”; rather his mouth reveals his “foolishness” (→ ʾᵉwîl 3; e.g., 12:23; 13:16; 14:7, 33; 15:2, 14; 18:2; 29:11, 20), and his false, evil (→ raʿ ) heart (15:7; 19:1; cf. Eccl 10:2) leads others “into conflict” and is a “downfall” and “trap” for the kᵉsîl himself (18:6f.; cf. 10:18). He spreads evil gossip (10:18), is dangerous to his neighbors (13:20; 17:12), disdains his mother (15:20), is grief and misfortune for his parents (10:1; 17:21, 25; 19:13). He is useless (26:6; cf. v 10; Eccl 10:15b) and takes pleasure in acts of shame (Prov 10:23; 13:19). He hates “knowledge” (1:22; 18:2) and is “wise” in his own eyes (26:5, 12; 28:26), an attitude that only more sharply emphasizes his folly.”[1]
This is not exactly the portrait of the man I want to be. It is, however, a snapshot of the man I sometimes am.
So, what will it be? Will I return to folly or not? Will I choose to set myself up to hear God’s
words of peace and well-being, or will I return to foolishness? Today—probably many times today—I will need
to make my choice. May I, may you,
choose wisely and choose wisdom!
[1]M. Sæbø, “כְּסִיל,” TLOT, 2:621.
“Spewing Stupid”
“spew
verb
- expel large quantities of (something) rapidly and forcibly.” (https://www.google.com/search?q=spew+definition&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS844US844&oq=spew+defin&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.4837j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
“He’s just spewing stupid.” (Max, the son of one of my Hebrew students)
“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing his opinion.”
(God, Proverbs 18:2 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version)
https://accordance.bible/link/read/ESVS#Jer._7:13”
My Hebrew students and I were looking at Proverbs 18:1-3 last night. When we encountered the observation and warning about the fool in verse 2, one of my students commented that his teenage son said of someone, “He’s just spewing stupid.”
I had never heard this expression before, and was immediately captivated. That is a wonderful expression: spewing stupid!
It reminds me of another proverb found in Proverbs 15:2.
“The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”
I have often been told that I talk too much. I usually expend a lot of energy (and words) trying to defend myself against this charge. Perhaps I should just accept the truth: I do talk too much. And if I talk too much, I’m almost certainly going to just be spewing stupid.
Oh God, please help me not to spew stupid today. I will intentionally keep this post short in order to avoid spewing stupid.
“God’s Unconditional Love and a Much-Needed Warning”
“NLT Psalm 85:1 For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. LORD, you poured out blessings on your land! You restored the fortunes of Israel. 2 You forgave the guilt of your people– yes, you covered all their sins. Interlude 3 You held back your fury. You kept back your blazing anger. 4 Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more. 5 Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations? 6 Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? 7 Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. 8 I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. 9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory. 10 Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! 11 Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven. 12 Yes, the LORD pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest. 13 Righteousness goes as a herald before him, preparing the way for his steps.”
I was feeling more than a little down about how little I’ve loved Jesus or people this morning. Indeed, I was feeling that I had not served Jesus or people at all.
I asked God for a Scripture to lift my sagging heart. The Bible “just happened” to be open at Psalm 85. My eyes fell upon vs. 7: “Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.”
I thought that “unfailing love” sounded pretty good, but then I said to myself, “But what about all the evil I’ve done in my lifetime, as well as the good I have not done?” So, I decided to go back and read the entire psalm, to see what else it might have to say. I’m glad that I did!
Vs. 2 was especially sweet. “You forgave the guilt of your people– yes, you covered all their sins.” I looked at this in Hebrew, and the word “all” actually means ALL!
Now, we have to be careful. The last part of vs. 8 sounds a warning note. God’s forgiven people (Israel, the Church, this believer) are warned not to return to their/our/my foolish ways. God’s love can and does forgive and cover all our wrong-doings. However, God’s love is not an excuse for continuing in our wrong-doing ways.
Someone has put it this way: God loves us just as we are, but God loves us too much to leave us just as we are. Yes!
Oh, God, thanks for the loving affirmation, but also for the loving warning! Both are needed, and both are good!
POSTSCRIPT: Right after posting this, I turned on K-Love Radio, and the Song “Live Like You’re Loved” came on. Yes, indeed!
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
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