Wise Children and Foolish Children

[Proverbs 10:1-32]

A few days ago, I read an internet news article about the death of Jeong Yun-hee's son, who, together with Yoo Ji-in and Jang Mi-hee, was one of the top stars of the 70s and 80s. Then, yesterday, the news reported that the cause of death was acute pneumonia caused by drug use and alcohol consumption. I found this article intriguing because of the celebrity background—Jeong Yun-hee’s son, who was 22 years old, was attending the University of Southern California (USC), a private university in Los Angeles. This made me reflect on various things. For a long time, I have heard that many international students at USC, especially children of wealthy families from Korea, come to study in the U.S. but end up straying from their studies, indulging in alcohol and drugs. This tragic news confirmed, in a way, the stories I had heard before, and I felt a sense of bitterness. I also wondered about the hearts of Jeong Yun-hee, who is now 57 years old, and her husband. What must they be feeling after the loss of their child? What must the heart of a parent feel when they lose their child?

If we look at today's scripture, Proverbs 10:1, the Bible says: "The Proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother." This means that a wise son brings joy to his parents, but a foolish son becomes a source of grief. Based on this verse, I want to reflect on the title "Wise Children and Foolish Children" and learn the lessons about who the wise children are—those who bring joy to their parents—and who the foolish children are—those who cause grief to their parents.

First, wise children seek righteousness, but foolish children seek unrighteous wealth.

Let’s look at Proverbs 10:2: “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.” A while ago, after our family finished dinner, we played a game called "Life" with my youngest daughter, Ye-eun. One of the reasons I decided to join in the game was that I had heard from my wife that it was a very materialistic game, and I wanted to play with my children to better understand it and teach them some lessons about materialism. As I played, I realized that, despite it being just a game, it involved thousands, tens of thousands, and even hundred-thousand-dollar bills circulating on the board, which made me think about how materialistic the game had become. So, I told my children, “You should not love money more than God.” They replied, “I know.”

The truth we must recognize as children of God is that unrighteous wealth is worthless (v. 2). Here, “unrighteous wealth” refers to money acquired through greed (see Proverbs 1:19; 28:16), unjust means (see Proverbs 16:8), and especially through theft or deceit (Walvoord). A good example of this can be found in Proverbs 1:13, where the wicked entice God’s children by saying, “Let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit” (vv. 11-12). Of course, we may not actually kill someone and steal their wealth (though such things do happen in the world), but we are often tempted to become slaves to greed and seek to fill our own bank accounts with ill-gotten gains.

The issue is that once greed seeps into our hearts, we may say that we are earning money or accumulating wealth for righteous purposes, but the methods we use to achieve those goals may deviate from God’s Word. If we attempt to gather wealth through deceit or even theft, the Bible calls us foolish. In today’s scripture, the Bible clearly states that foolish children bring grief to their parents by obtaining unrighteous wealth. We must remember that such wealth is worthless (v. 2). Furthermore, we must not forget that “the Lord will reject the craving of the wicked” (v. 3). Another important point is that, as we see in Proverbs 10:16, “The wages of the righteous is life, but the income of the wicked is punishment.” What does this mean? It means that the wicked's income leads to punishment. Isn’t this interesting? While we think having more income is good, the income of the wicked becomes a source of judgment. God will indeed judge the wicked, and He may even use their wealth as a snare to trap them.

Ultimately, the issue is not how much wealth we have, but whether we act righteously or not. That’s why the Bible says in Proverbs 10:2, “But righteousness delivers from death.” This means that while unrighteous wealth is worthless, righteousness is profitable.

One thing we need to clarify is the meaning of the word “righteousness” in this context. When we hear the word “righteousness,” we may think of it as the moral duty one must keep. However, in this context, it refers to “righteousness” as living according to God's commandments. Some interpreters suggest that “righteousness” means showing compassion and love for others (Deuteronomy 24:13), but Dr. Park Yun-sun interprets it as “living a righteous life according to God’s commandments” (Park Yun-sun). I believe Dr. Park's interpretation makes sense. The reason is that unrighteous wealth comes from unjust methods like theft or deceit, which are not in line with God's Word. Therefore, righteousness is the opposite of unrighteousness, and righteousness is defined by living according to God’s Word. While unrighteousness loves wealth, righteousness loves God and keeps His commandments.

So, what benefit does righteousness bring to us, according to the Bible?

(1) The Benefit Justice Brings Us: God Saves the Righteous from Death

Let us look at today’s passage, Proverbs 10:2: “Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.” What does it mean that “righteousness delivers from death”? It means that even though one may face hardships while keeping righteousness, in the end, they will bear good fruit (according to Park Yun-seon). When we live a righteous life by keeping God's commandments, even though there may be difficulties and adversity, God will work everything together for good and bear beautiful fruit. God will enable us to bear good fruit, and He has declared us righteous through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We, who have been declared righteous, are saved from death and enjoy eternal life by the righteousness of Jesus Christ that has been credited to us. Therefore, the benefit justice brings us is eternal.

(2) God Does Not Let the Soul of the Righteous Go Hungry

Let us look at Proverbs 10:3: “The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.” The Bible clearly says that God will not allow the righteous to go hungry. Whether physically or spiritually, our God provides for us. Even when we go through trials and poverty, He will give us our daily bread through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, through whom we are made righteous. Moreover, God uses these trials and hardships to refine our faith, making it as pure as gold (1 Peter 1:7).

(3) The Benefit Justice Brings Us: God Blesses the Righteous

Let us look at Proverbs 10:6-7: “Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.” The blessing that God gives to the righteous is the blessing of prosperity. Even though the righteous may encounter difficulties and challenges on their journey, in the end, God will make their path prosperous (according to Park Yun-seon). God will also ensure that the name of the righteous is remembered by future generations, and that they will be remembered as a person to be praised. A good example of this is Joseph, as mentioned in Genesis. The Bible says that because God was with Joseph, He made him prosper, eventually raising him to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt. Through Joseph, God preserved the lives of Jacob and his family, and made the nation of Israel thrive in Egypt. In the end, Joseph's name was remembered and praised by future generations.

Dear friends, we must become wise children of our Heavenly Father, bringing Him joy. We should never be foolish children who bring sorrow to our Father. As wise children of God, we should seek the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We must love our Heavenly Father. Therefore, we should live a righteous life by keeping God's commandments. We must never live a life blinded by this world, chasing after useless and unjust wealth. We should never become foolish children who cause sorrow to our Heavenly Father.

Secondly, Wise Children Are Diligent, but Foolish Children Are Lazy

Let us look at Proverbs 10:4: “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Imagine this: a child who sleeps late, wakes up late, does nothing, and wastes every day without being productive. How would that make the parents feel? Wouldn't they be frustrated? How much sorrow would it bring the parents to see their child lying in bed all day, eating and sleeping, living a lazy life? In Proverbs 6:6-11, we already discussed the idea of being “worse than the ants” and considered the lazy person, who is habitually idle and inactive, without discipline or plans, and a moral failure. Such a person is not only unfaithful to God but also unjust. We learned that the lazy person is worse than an ant, as they don’t work well even if someone is supervising them, they do not act voluntarily, they don’t cooperate, and they don’t plan for the future (Proverbs 6:7-8).

What would the parents feel when they see such a lazy child? Proverbs 10:4 says, “Lazy hands make for poverty.” This means that a person will become poor if they do the work lazily, even if they are working. The lazy person dislikes using their hands to work (Proverbs 21:25). In fact, lazy children create problems for their parents (Proverbs 10:1). Even worse, lazy children of God neglect God's work (Jeremiah 48:10). How much sorrow do such lazy children bring to our Heavenly Father? Jeremiah 48:10 says such people “will be cursed.”

Moreover, in Proverbs 10:5, it says that a lazy person sleeps during the harvest. Many of God’s children today are spiritually asleep while there are many souls to be harvested. We are neglecting the spreading of the gospel. This is a word of warning for us. These lazy children bring shame to their Heavenly Father (verse 5). In Proverbs 10:26, it says, “As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.” What does this mean? It means that a lazy person is a detestable and frustrating presence for their employer or those who direct them (according to Park Yun-seon). In other words, when an employer sees a lazy worker, it makes them angry or disgusted. Think about it: if parents are already frustrated with a lazy child, how much more would an employer feel when they see a lazy employee? How much would the employee’s laziness irritate the employer? Naturally, the employer would not be pleased with such an employee.

In ancient Egypt (about 4,500 years ago), the wise man Ptah-Hotep is said to have spoken the following about the proper attitude toward work: “The wise rise early to start to work, but fools rise early to worry about all there is to do” (Matthews). How about you and I? Do we rise early and begin working diligently, or do we worry about all the tasks ahead throughout the day? King Solomon, who was considered the wisest of all, contrasts the lazy person with the diligent one in today's passage, Proverbs 10:4, saying that those who are diligent in their work will become rich (10:4). In other words, a diligent person works hard, especially during harvest season, like in the summer, staying awake and working diligently to gather the fruits (v. 5). The Bible calls such a person a “wise son” (v. 5). And the Bible says that such a wise son becomes a source of joy to his parents, not a source of worry (v. 1).

Thirdly, wise children receive commands, but foolish children speak without caution.

Let’s look at Proverbs 10:8: “The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fall”. In the Gospel of Matthew, 21:28-31, Jesus told a parable about two sons to the chief priests and the elders of the people. A father told his first son, “Son, go and work today in the vineyard,” and the son answered, “I will go, sir,” but did not go (28-29). Then, the father went to his second son and said the same thing, and the second son replied, “I will not,” but later repented and went (30). After telling the parable, Jesus asked the chief priests and elders, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” (31). They replied, “The second” (31). Hearing this, Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him” (31-32). In this parable, the first son, who said he would obey but then disobeyed, represents the chief priests and elders. The second son, who initially rejected his father’s command but later repented and obeyed, represents the tax collectors and prostitutes whom the religious leaders despised. The important point here is that what matters is not whether we answer “yes” or “no” to God’s voice, but whether we actually obey or disobey. Whenever I reflect on this parable, I sometimes wish there was a third son who would say “yes” and obey from the start. But Jesus only speaks of two sons. I believe the reason for this is that while the third son would indeed be the best in the eyes of the Father, such a son can only be the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. As adopted children of God in Christ, we are taught that at least like the second son, we must repent when we say “no” to the commands of our Father and then obey them. What’s important here is repentance and obedience.

In Proverbs 10:17, the Bible says that wise children listen to their parents' discipline. And in verse 8 of today’s passage, the Bible says that such wise children will obey their parents’ commands. As I meditate on these verses, I wondered, what commands do parents give to their wise children? In today’s passage, I found four commands given to them:

(1) Parents command us to walk in the right path.

Look at Proverbs 10:9: "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out." What parent would want their child to walk on the crooked path, that is, the path of sin? Isn't it the heart of all parents that their children do not walk on the path of sin but instead walk in the right way? What does it mean to walk in the right path? Does it not refer to living a righteous (pure) life? Those who live a righteous (pure) life are first and foremost untroubled by their conscience. Therefore, their hearts are at peace, and even after hardship, they will experience God's blessings, which bring peace to their hearts (Park Yun-sun). Where in the world would a parent not want their children to enjoy this blessing of God? However, the problem is that our children, by disobeying their parents' words, go astray. Even so, the heart of the parent yearns for the children to return to the right path, the path of life, even if it requires discipline. We pray, hope, and wait (persevere) for this.

(2) Parents command us not to hate, but to love.

Look at Proverbs 10:12: "Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs." What parent would want to see their children fighting and hating each other? Rather, wouldn't parents want to see their children loving one another? The love that God the Father commands us to have for our neighbors is a love based on knowledge (v. 14). It is not a love driven solely by emotion. What kind of knowledge is this? It is the knowledge of God. The more we come to know the God of love, the more we understand that He loved us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. Through that love, all our wrongs are covered by the precious blood of Jesus. As a result, we are able to cover the faults of others with that same love. However, foolish children prefer to expose the faults of others rather than cover them. The reason for this is that the hateful heart of a foolish person leads them to assume that even non-existent faults exist in the person they hate (Park Yun-sun). Such a foolish person tends to hide their hatred towards others. Regarding such a person, Proverbs 10:18 says: "Whoever conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool."

(3) Parents command us to control our speech.

Look at Proverbs 10:19: "Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues." When I think of this verse, I have no words. The reason is that I often reveal my own faults by speaking too much. Therefore, while I can't put a bridle in my mouth, I strive to control my speech. In Proverbs 10:20, King Solomon says, "The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver." Why is this so? Because the righteous use their words to instruct many people (v. 21). When I think of a tongue that teaches many like choice silver, I am reminded of Ezra from the Old Testament. Ezra was "a teacher well-versed in the law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given" (Ezra 7:11). He was a scholar who "devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel" (v. 10). Ezra had the "tongue of the learned" which the prophet Isaiah prayed for (Isaiah 50:4). Shouldn't we, like Ezra, possess the tongue of a scholar, study and obey God's Word, and teach His people?

(4) Parents command us to find joy in wisdom.

Look at Proverbs 10:23: "A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom." From a parent's perspective, how would it feel to see their beloved child finding joy in wickedness? Right now, God the Father commands us, His children, not to find joy in evil, but in wisdom. God desires that we love the truth and delight in it. He also commands us to live according to His Word of truth, in reverence to Him. So, what should we do?

Thus, wise children obey their parents' commands, but in today’s passage, Proverbs 10:8 and 10:10, the Bible says that foolish children will be ruined because of their foolish speech. What does this mean? It means that those who speak foolishly will bring trouble upon themselves because they speak without caution (Park Yun-sun). Why do foolish people bring trouble upon themselves with careless words? The reason is that foolish people do not hold on to knowledge as the wise do (v. 14). In other words, foolish people lack knowledge (v. 21). Therefore, the mouth of the foolish speaks rebellion (v. 32). As a result, the rebellious tongue of the foolish will be cut off (v. 31). Additionally, the Bible says that foolish people die because of their lack of knowledge (v. 21).

I would like to conclude this reflection on the word. Wise children of God make their Father happy (v. 1). They fear God (v. 27) and seek His righteousness (v. 2). They walk in God's ways with integrity (v. 29). Furthermore, wise children of God act diligently (v. 4). Wise children of God also obey their Father’s commands (v. 8). Therefore, wise children of God will not be shaken forever (v. 30). However, foolish children of God bring grief to their Father (v. 1). They do not fear God and pursue worthless and unjust wealth (v. 2). They are lazy (v. 4). Moreover, they speak carelessly, bringing trouble upon themselves (v. 8, 10). Are we wise children of our Heavenly Father, or foolish children?