The Foolish Person

 

 

 

 

[Proverbs 26:1–12]

 

 

A study once asked 50 elderly people over the age of 95 the following question:
“If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently?”
Among the top three responses, the first answer was:
“I would reflect more.” (Internet source)

Today, we want to put that into practice. That is, we want to take some time to reflect on ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word—the Bible. The question of this reflection is this: When we measure ourselves against the Word of God, are we wise, or are we foolish?

Let us first consider five characteristics of the wise person, as described in the Bible:

(1) The wise person has ears to listen.

Proverbs 15:31 says:

“The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.”
A wise person listens not only to God’s commands (10:8), but also to counsel (12:15).

(2) The wise person possesses knowledge.

Proverbs 10:14 says:

“The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.”
Not only does the wise person possess knowledge, but he also shares it (15:7).

(3) The wise person fears and turns away from evil.

Proverbs 14:16 says:

“The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.”
The wise pursue “the path of life that leads upward” (15:24).

(4) The wise person uses his lips wisely.

Proverbs 16:23 says:

“The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.”
(The Living Bible: “The words of a wise man are marked by caution and persuasiveness.”)
The wise person protects himself with his words (14:3, Living Bible).

(5) The wise person restrains anger.

Proverbs 29:11 says:

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”

Now then, who is the foolish person according to the Bible?
The spiritually ignorant person can be summarized in four categories:

(1) The fool is one who does not know God.

Psalm 14:1 says:

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

(2) The fool takes sin lightly.

Proverbs 14:9 says:

“Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor.”

(3) The fool refuses to listen to rebuke.

Proverbs 1:22–25 says:

“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.
But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke...”

(4) The fool fails to prepare for the soul (eternity).

Luke 12:16–21 says:

“And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.”
Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.
And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’”
But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.’”

In today’s passage, Proverbs 26:1–12, the writer of Proverbs, King Solomon, speaks about “the fool.” Let us reflect on who this fool is by considering nine aspects, and receive the lessons that God wants to give us through them.

First, honor is not fitting for a fool.

Everyone, do you know who holds the record for the most hits in American baseball history? It is Pete Rose (age 74), who played in the Major Leagues for 23 years, from 1963 to 1986, appearing in 3,562 games and recording a total of 4,256 hits — the highest ever.
Excluding him, only Ty Cobb has surpassed the 4,000-hit mark (with 4,191 hits), showing just how exceptional this record is.
With such a record, one would think he is more than qualified for the Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Fame.
However, he has been banned from the baseball world for nearly 30 years due to gambling (according to online sources).

The MLB Hall of Fame is a space created to honor those who have contributed to the development of baseball — currently there are 686 inductees.
To be inducted, MLB players must have played for at least 10 years and have been retired for 5 years. Then, journalists from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote. A player must receive more than 75% of the votes to be inducted.
In 1989, while serving as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Rose came under suspicion of betting on games involving his own team.
While he vehemently denied the allegations during MLB’s investigation, he ultimately agreed to a deal with the MLB office: he would accept a lifetime ban in exchange for halting the investigation. Thus, he left the baseball world.
Fifteen years later, in 2004, he published an autobiography in which he admitted to the gambling.
Now, with the appointment of a new MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, there seems to be an opening for reconsidering Rose’s eligibility for the Hall of Fame (according to online sources).

What do you think?
Do you believe this man should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, or not?

Let’s revisit Proverbs 25:27, which we’ve already reflected on. It says:
“It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to search out one’s own glory.”
(The Contemporary English Bible translates: “Just as too much honey is not good, it is also not good to seek only your own honor.”)

From this verse, we considered that there are two types of honor:

1. Desire for honor, and

2. Greed for honor.
   And when the writer of Proverbs 25:27 said that “seeking one’s own glory is not good,” he was referring to greed for honor.

What is greed for honor?
It is making honor itself the goal, pursuing self-glory by any means necessary, without concern for method or morality.
It’s something we all must guard against.

As an example, I think of Nabal in 1 Samuel 25 of the Old Testament.
He was “very wealthy, with three thousand sheep and a thousand goats” (v.2).
But it also says he was “harsh and evil in his dealings” (v.3).
When he repaid David’s kindness with evil (v.21), David decided not to leave alive a single male in his household (v.22).

Listen to what Abigail, his wise wife, said as she fell at David’s feet:
“Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord… Please do not pay any attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him.” (vv.24–25)

Can honor be fitting for such a fool?

Let’s look again at Proverbs 26:1:
“Like snow in summer and rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.”

Have you ever seen it snow in the summer?
Have you seen it rain during the harvest season?
You probably haven’t seen snow in summer. And while you may have seen rain during harvest, it is rare.
And if it does rain during harvest, it can ruin the crops.

The Bible is saying that honor given to a fool is just like that — inappropriate and harmful.
Giving honor to a fool is like snow in summer — it does not belong (Walvoord).
Also, Proverbs 26:8 says, “Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.”

Imagine trying to throw a stone, but you’ve tied it to the sling — what happens?
You can’t throw it at all (Park Yoon Sun).

Likewise, giving honor to someone like Nabal — foolish, stubborn, and evil in conduct — is not only unfit but absurd.
If others like Nabal are honored for repaying good with evil, it will damage many people — just like rain during harvest harms the crops.

That is why I believe that Pete Rose should not be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Even though he is a legendary player with the most hits in MLB history, if someone who gambled on his own team’s games as a manager is placed in the Hall of Fame, what becomes of the “honor” of the Hall itself?
And if his name is placed there, how will younger players and baseball fans perceive it?

We must not give honor to a fool.
Because it is not fitting in the eyes of God.

Last time, during the “Historical Background of ‘Scripture Alone’” seminar, the guest pastor mentioned the desire for honor of a certain pastor from a large church in Korea. We must not harbor such greed for honor. We must guard ourselves—again and again—against the desire for personal glory.
Yet while we must be on guard against selfish ambition, we must also seek after proper honor.
What is proper honor?

The desire for honor within us is a gift from God, just like our appetites for food, sleep, and sex.
Therefore, if our goal is to acknowledge God as God, and what we do is good in His sight, and the methods we use are upright, and the results bring glory to God and edify our neighbors—then our desire for honor is legitimate and desirable (cf. Deuteronomy 26:18–19).

We must honor those who, with this kind of upright and desirable desire for honor, live humbly for the Lord.

Last week, I saw a post on Facebook. I vaguely remembered reading a similar article on an online news site before, but since I wasn’t sure, I read the whole post again.
After finishing it, this thought came to my heart: “They are truly precious people. Truly worthy of respect. I want to follow their example too.”

Who are these people?
They are two foreign nuns, Marianne (71) and Margaret (70), who cared for patients with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) for 43 years in Sorokdo, Doyang-eup, Goheung County, Jeollanam-do, South Korea.
Sister Marianne first arrived in Sorokdo in 1959, and Sister Margaret in 1962.
For about 43 years, they served faithfully—treating the wounds of patients without gloves, inviting foreign doctors to perform corrective surgeries, and running an orphanage for the children of leprosy patients. They devoted themselves to rehabilitation and care work.

After 43 years of such dedication, now both in their 70s, these two quietly left Sorokdo at dawn without telling anyone, leaving behind just a single letter titled “To Our Beloved Friends and Benefactors.”
In the letter, they wrote:
“As we grow older and are no longer able to work properly, we have often told our colleagues that we should leave before becoming a burden. We felt it was time to put those words into action.”
They also said:
“As foreigners with many shortcomings, we are deeply thankful for the great love and respect we have received, and we ask forgiveness for any pain we may have caused due to our shortcomings.”

It is said that the only thing they took with them when they returned to their home country of Austria was the same worn-out suitcase they had brought when they first came to Sorokdo.
They left quietly so that no one would find out, fearing a grand farewell ceremony.

On the day they left Sorokdo by boat, they looked back at the island and its people from afar—and wept silently, tears flowing without end.
At the entrance of their residence was written, in Korean, a message they had held in their hearts throughout their lives in Korea:
“Be a good and humble person.” (Internet source)

Aren’t such people truly deserving of honor?
Shouldn’t we honor people like them?

Secondly, the unjust curse of a foolish person does not come to pass.

Have you ever disliked someone for no particular reason?
Even though you knew that person did nothing wrong to you, have you still felt a sense of aversion or dislike without cause?
Or, conversely, have you ever been hated by someone without any reason?

When reading the Psalms in the Old Testament, we see that the psalmist was often hated without cause.

Look at Psalm 69:4 (in the modern Korean translation):

“Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.”

Also see Psalm 38:19:

“Many are my vigorous enemies; those who hate me without reason are numerous.”

The prophet Jeremiah also experienced unjust hatred from his enemies (cf. Lamentations 3:52).

In today’s passage, Proverbs 26:2, the Bible speaks about “a curse without cause.”
Let’s look at the verse:

“Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.”
(Modern Korean Bible: “A curse without cause does not return to the one targeted, like a bird flying around aimlessly.”)

While verse 2 does not explicitly mention the “fool,” verses 1 and 3 do.
Therefore, we understand that the one who utters a curse without cause in verse 2 is a fool, not a wise person.

Think about it:
If a foolish person curses someone for no reason, can such a curse be considered just or fair from an objective perspective?
Absolutely not.
It is an unjust curse.

The Bible compares this unjust curse to a wandering sparrow and a flying swallow.
What does this mean?

The sparrow wanders aimlessly—it has no purpose or target.
Since it doesn’t know where to land, it just flutters around in midair without settling anywhere.
That’s what a curse without cause is like—it has no target, no purpose, and thus fails to hit anyone.
In other words, it symbolizes the failure of the curse.

That’s why Proverbs 26:2 says:

“An undeserved curse does not come to rest.”

In short, an unjust curse will not be fulfilled.

For example, Goliath cursed David in the name of the Philistine gods (1 Samuel 17:43–44),
but in the end, David prevailed (verses 48–50).

If a foolish person hates us without cause, curses us, and persecutes us, what should we do?
We must pray to God. And we must meditate on God's teachings (His Word).
Look at Psalm 119:78 in the Modern Korean Bible:
“May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.”

The psalmist prayed that the arrogant who wrongly accused him without cause would be put to shame. At the same time, he resolved, “I will meditate on your precepts.”

Why did he do that? Why did the psalmist, while being falsely accused without reason by the arrogant, decide to pray to God and meditate on His teachings?
Look at Psalm 119:86 and 161 in the Modern Korean Bible:
“All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for I am being persecuted without cause… Though rulers persecute me without cause, my heart trembles at your word.”

The reason is that he trusted in the Lord's commandments and feared not the powerful, but the Word of God.

We, too, like the psalmist, must resolve to pray to God and meditate on His Word, even if someone troubles us without cause, criticizes us without reason, or even curses us without justification.
And we pray that we may truly put this resolution into practice.

When I meditated today on the "causeless curse" mentioned in the text, I was reminded of Jesus who was crucified on the tree of curse (Deut. 21:23), the cross.
From the viewpoint of the Jews at that time, they believed that Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed to be the Son of God, had committed blasphemy (Matt. 26:65), and that He was cursed by God and therefore crucified.

However, the reason Jesus — the true Son of God — was crucified on the tree of curse, the cross, was to forgive all our sins, which deserved eternal curse and destruction, and to save us.
We indeed have enough reasons to be cursed, but Jesus had absolutely no reason to die on the tree of curse. Yet He bore all our sins in our place and was crucified.
Why? Because the Lord wanted to turn the curse that had come upon us into a blessing of eternal life (Deut. 23:5, Neh. 13:2, Eph. 1:3ff).

So then, how should we live, we who have received this blessing of eternal life and all spiritual blessings?
As disciples of Jesus, even when we are falsely accused, insulted, and even cursed without cause, we must quietly obey the Word of the Lord and fulfill the mission entrusted to us.
To do so, we must pray to the God we trust and meditate on the Word of the God we trust.

However, if we have committed sins that deserve criticism, insults, and even curses, then we must listen to those curses, just as David did (2 Sam. 16:5ff).
When David fled from his son Absalom, who had rebelled against him as a consequence of David’s own sin, a man named Shimei from the tribe of Benjamin cursed him.
Even then, David said, “The Lord has told him to curse David,” and he listened to all of Shimei’s curses (2 Sam. 16:5ff).
As he listened to those curses, David believed that the Lord would see his affliction and repay him with good because of those curses (v.12).

With that kind of faith, I pray that you and I may also be able to endure and listen to both justified and unjustified curses.
God will surely repay us with good.

Third, the back of a fool is for the rod.

Not long ago, I saw a news report from Korea about a French public service advertisement against corporal punishment. The ad showed a mother slapping her child—perhaps because the child spilled a drink at the table or was being noisy. The focus of the news was the heated debate across different countries in Europe over whether to legally ban corporal punishment.

According to the report, the Council of Europe, the continent's top human rights watchdog, sent a warning to France for not banning corporal punishment by law, despite having signed the European Social Charter promising to protect children. Among the 47 member countries of the Council of Europe, 27—including Sweden and Germany—have banned corporal punishment, while others like France and the UK still permit it.

Even Pope Francis reportedly entered the discussion. He cited the example of a father who disciplines his child but never hits the child’s face, saying that appropriate corporal punishment can be necessary (source: internet).

What do you think? Do you believe appropriate corporal punishment is necessary in raising children?

In Korea, more than 80% of child abuse cases happen within the home, showing how serious parental discipline can become. As a result, a law banning corporal punishment of children was recently passed by the National Assembly (source: internet). It's hard to fully grasp how the situation could be so severe that 8 out of 10 abuse cases occur in the home. Perhaps this reflects how deeply broken the parent-child relationship has become in some homes.

I absolutely believe that child abuse must never happen in the home. However, I do have questions about how the term “child abuse” is currently being defined in news reports. So I looked it up online and found the definition in Article 3, Clause 7 of the Child Welfare Act, which states:

“‘Child abuse’ means physical, mental, or sexual violence, or cruel treatment by an adult—including a guardian—that harms the health or welfare of a child under 18 years of age, or interferes with their normal development; it also includes abandonment or neglect by a guardian.” (source: internet)

Some time ago, there was a major news story on CNN in the U.S. about a famous football player who disciplined his child, which became a huge issue. At the time, I wondered why a father disciplining his child at home was being treated as such a serious problem in the news. It made me think: because of actual child abusers, we may now be living in a time when even loving discipline from parents is legally restricted.

When it comes to disciplining children, I agree with what Pastor Tedd Tripp says in his book Shepherding a Child’s Heart—that there are two important elements:
(1) Rich, full communication, and
(2) The rod.

Of course, “training them in the instruction of the Lord” means prioritizing communication over physical discipline. I believe both must go hand-in-hand when raising children. Especially when children refuse to listen, commit wrongdoings, and show no remorse, then I believe that a parent must discipline them with the rod.

This is based on Hebrews 12:6:

“The Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.” (NIV)
[Contemporary Version: “The Lord rebukes and punishes everyone He accepts as His child.”]

Also, look at Proverbs 13:24:

“He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”

These verses clearly show that we must faithfully discipline the children we love.

Today’s main passage, Proverbs 26:3, says,

“A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.”
And Proverbs 10:13 (second half) says,
“…a rod is for the back of one who lacks judgment.”

What do these verses mean? They mean that God governs the arrogant and obstinate—those in the status of “fools”—through punishment and disaster (according to commentator Park Yoon-sun).

Why does Scripture say that a fool’s back is for the rod? One reason is that “fools are proud.” Look at Proverbs 14:3:

“A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them.”

Another reason is that the foolish actions of a fool must be corrected with the rod. Look at Proverbs 22:15:

“Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.”
[Contemporary Version: “Children do foolish things, but a good spanking can help them behave.”]

To save the soul of a fool from death (Sheol, the grave), the Bible says he must be disciplined with the rod. Look at Proverbs 23:13–14:

“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from death.”
[Contemporary Version: “Don’t hesitate to discipline your child. A spanking won’t kill them. In fact, it might save their soul from death.”]

From these verses, we can see that a fool—whether child or adult—needs discipline, whether by rod or whip. This principle doesn’t only apply to the parent-child relationship, but also to the relationship between God the Father and us, His children.

Look at Psalm 89:32:

“I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging.”
[Contemporary Version: “I will punish their sins with the rod and their iniquities with beating.”]

As I meditated on this, I was reminded of Isaiah 10:5, where God used the nation of Assyria as the “rod of His anger” and the “club in His hand” to discipline the sinful northern kingdom of Israel. Similarly, God used Babylon as the rod of His anger to discipline the southern kingdom of Judah (see Jeremiah 50–52). Eventually, both Assyria and Babylon became foolish and proud before God (Isaiah 10:12–16, 14:24–25; Jeremiah 50:29), so God broke the rod and whip and judged them.

Friends, even after we sin foolishly, if we do not repent and turn back, God lifts the rod of love to discipline us. So, as Proverbs 22:15 says, God drives our foolishness far away. He humbles us (14:3), and gives us wisdom (29:15).

Look at Proverbs 29:15:

“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left undisciplined brings shame to his mother.”
[Contemporary Version: “Discipline and correction bring wisdom, but if children are left to do whatever they want, they bring disgrace to their mother.”]

Therefore, when we receive God’s discipline, we must not be discouraged (Hebrews 12:5). Instead, we should be thankful. Why? Because God loves us (v.6) and treats us as His children (v.7), which is why He disciplines us.

Moreover, God disciplines us for our benefit (v.10). Though no discipline feels pleasant at the time but painful, later it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (v.11).

Fourth, we must not answer a fool according to his folly.

Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone whose heart is proud and stubborn? If you haven't, try to imagine it. Do you think it would be possible to have a meaningful dialogue with such a person? Personally, I don’t think so. Even if I were to give sound instruction or even lovingly rebuke a person like that, I feel they wouldn’t listen to me and would instead become angry.

Why is that? Why is it so hard to communicate with someone whose heart is proud and stubborn? It's because a foolish person who is proud and stubborn “thinks their own ways are right” (Proverbs 12:15). In other words, since they consider themselves wise (Proverbs 26:12), they “do not accept commands” (Proverbs 10:8). In fact, fools “despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

Honestly, when I reflect on myself, I notice that when I’m being foolish—when my heart becomes proud and stubborn—I don’t really listen to anyone either. Even when it’s advice from respected elders in the faith, I find myself resistant. In the same way, I sometimes hesitate to speak biblical truth to someone who thinks they are always right and believes their actions are justified. I often end up not speaking at all because I don’t believe they’ll listen.

What does the Bible say we should do in such situations?

We must not answer a fool according to his folly. Look at today's main text, Proverbs 26:4–5:

“Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.”

At first glance, these two verses seem contradictory. In verse 4, it says, “Do not answer,” but in verse 5, it says, “Answer.” However, the writer of Proverbs is teaching us two wise ways of dealing with fools:

(1) Silence.
When a fool speaks to us, sometimes the wise response is to remain silent.

Verse 4 says:

“Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.”

If someone speaks to us with distorted, untrue beliefs—believing their distortion is truth—how should we respond? If we agree and say, “Yes, you’re right,” then we are answering them according to their folly and participating in their foolishness.

But if we bluntly say, “No, you’re wrong,” what will the fool likely do? Won’t they become angry? Would it lead to any productive conversation? That’s why the Bible tells us not to answer a fool according to his folly.

At such times, remaining silent is the truly wise response.

(2) Teaching when the fool’s ignorance stems from a lack of understanding.
Look at verse 5:

“Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.”

If we do not respond to a fool who speaks out of ignorance, they may become even more convinced of their own wisdom. This is a serious problem: they become “wise in their own eyes” (v. 5).

This is the very definition of ignorance and a sign that their soul is in deep spiritual darkness. In such a case, we must respond—not to argue, but to bring light to their soul. With compassion for their lost state, we must speak the truth of the Word of the Lord, who is the Light.

In John 18:19–24, even Jesus spoke the truth to the high priest, who was spiritually ignorant and darkened (v. 23). Yet, one of the high priest’s officials struck Jesus on the face (v. 22). Jesus was slapped for speaking truth to someone who was spiritually blind.

As disciples of Jesus, we must also speak the truth—even to those who are foolish and spiritually ignorant. We must speak with love and compassion, desiring their salvation, whether they listen or not.

When I think about the need for silence and for truthful speech, I recall how Jesus responded when the high priests and the Sanhedrin sought false testimony to have Him put to death.

In Matthew 26:59–60, many came forward with false witnesses, but none could provide solid evidence. Finally, two men testified:

“This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days’” (v. 61, NIV).

The high priest then asked Jesus,

“Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” (v. 62)

But Jesus remained silent (v. 63).

Again, when He stood before the governor Pilate, and the chief priests and elders accused Him, He gave no answer (Matthew 27:12). When Pilate asked,

“Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” (v. 13)
Jesus still did not reply, not even to a single charge (v. 14).

Jesus responded to the foolish and false accusations of the high priests and elders with silence. This was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:7:

“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth;
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so He did not open His mouth.” (NIV)

But later, when the high priest directly asked Jesus,

“Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63),
Jesus replied:
“You have said so. But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man
sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (v. 64).

Jesus spoke the truth—that He is the Son of God, the Christ, who will sit at God’s right hand and return on the clouds of heaven.

At this, the high priest tore his robes and accused Jesus of blasphemy (v. 65), and the whole Sanhedrin declared He deserved to die (v. 66). The chief priests and elders later cried out to Pilate to have Jesus crucified (27:22–23). Pilate then had Jesus flogged and handed Him over to be crucified (v. 26), and Jesus suffered and died on the cross (v. 35).

Dear friends, I hope we can also be like Jesus—knowing when to be silent, and when to speak. Especially, may we not participate in the folly of fools by responding in kind, but instead respond with wisdom and grace.

Let us also have hearts of compassion toward those who are lost in ignorance and darkness, and speak the gospel of Jesus Christ for the sake of their salvation.

May we be such people.

Fifth, we must not deliver a message through a fool.

Everyone, we have often seen on TV the images of soldiers who lost their legs due to bombs and other explosives during the Iraq or Afghanistan wars. One scene in particular has stayed with me: I saw a person who, wanting to help these soldiers, trained them one by one, and eventually helped them conquer a very high mountain (I forget the name).

I remember being amazed when I saw about six or seven soldiers—some with one leg, others with both legs amputated and wearing prosthetics—being interviewed on TV as part of that training program. I also felt that it was a truly noble thing. Why was I so amazed? Because even someone like me, with two healthy legs, probably wouldn’t be able to climb such a high mountain in such cold weather—yet these people managed to do it with prosthetic legs.

And as I watched those interviews, I thought to myself how precious the work of the person leading that training program was. That individual was helping soldiers—who were surely in despair after losing their legs—by strengthening them both physically and emotionally, giving them hope. It was truly admirable to see.

As we know, these soldiers had been deployed by the U.S. military to Iraq or Afghanistan, and while fighting there, they lost their legs or sustained injuries that required amputation—completely against their will. Surely, not a single one of them cut off their own leg voluntarily because they didn’t want it anymore. On the contrary, they fought faithfully as American soldiers, and as a result of that, they tragically lost their limbs or had no choice but to have them amputated.

In today’s passage, Proverbs 26:6, the Bible says,

“Sending a message by the hand of a fool is like cutting off one’s own feet”
(Modern Translation: “Sending a message through a fool is like cutting off your own feet”).

Now, who in their right mind would voluntarily cut off their own feet? If someone actually did that, would we really think of them as mentally sound? Who, unless they’ve lost their mind, would cut off their own feet?

Yet the Bible says that delivering a message through a fool is just like that—it’s like cutting off your own feet (Proverbs 26:6).
What does this mean? Why does Scripture say such a thing?

Think about it: if you were to cut off your own feet, what would happen? Could you walk properly? Of course not.

Let’s think about it another way. Suppose a mailman, who must walk to deliver letters, loses one leg. Could he properly deliver mail with just the other leg, and no prosthetic?

This is what the Bible is talking about—delivering a message through a fool is as absurd and destructive as trying to walk with your feet cut off.

But there’s more. According to the second part of Proverbs 26:6 in the Modern Korean Bible, it also says it’s like

“drinking poison yourself.”

What happens if someone drinks poison of their own will? Wouldn’t they die? Drinking poison is essentially self-destruction.
Likewise, the Bible says that delivering a message through a fool is like destroying yourself.

Can you think of someone in the Bible who brought news in a foolish way and ended up being harmed or even destroyed by it?

I’m reminded of the person who brought news to David that King Saul and his son Jonathan had died.

In 2 Samuel chapter 1, we find that a man from Saul’s camp—an Amalekite (verse 8)—came to David, bowed down to the ground before him (verse 2), and said:

“Saul and his son Jonathan are dead” (verse 4).

David then asked him:

“How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” (verse 5)

The young man replied that he had seen Saul on Mount Gilboa (verse 6), and that Saul had asked him:

“Kill me” (verse 9).

The young man said that he realized Saul couldn’t survive, so he killed him and took the crown from his head and the bracelet from his arm and brought them to David (verse 10).

When David heard this, he tore his clothes and mourned, weeping and fasting until evening for Saul, for Jonathan, for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel who had fallen by the sword (verses 11–12).

After that, David said to the young Amalekite who had delivered the news:

“Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” (verse 14)

Then he called one of his men and ordered him to kill the Amalekite. So he struck him down, and the young man died (verse 15).

What do you think about this young Amalekite who was executed?

What do you think of the fact that he did not fear killing the Lord’s anointed, King Saul, and then took his crown and bracelet to bring news of his death to David?

Don’t you think he was truly foolish?

Perhaps the Amalekite thought that if he came to David with the news that Saul and Jonathan were dead—and brought the crown and bracelet as proof—David would rejoice.

And judging from the fact that he brought those royal items, perhaps the Amalekite thought David would now become king of Israel.

Maybe he even expected a reward from David.

But one thing is certain:
This Amalekite brought news that ended up harming himself and led to his own death.

Another example of fools who brought harm upon themselves and caused their own destruction is found in 2 Samuel 4. These fools are Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, who killed Ish-bosheth, the fourth son of Saul. They struck Ish-bosheth down and beheaded him, then brought his head to David. Verse 5 tells us that they “came into the house of Ish-bosheth pretending to get wheat,” and while he was lying on his bed, taking a nap in the middle of the day, they killed him and cut off his head (vv. 5–7). Then they traveled all night by way of the Arabah (v. 6, NIV) and arrived in Hebron to present the head of Ish-bosheth to King David. They said, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring” (v. 8).

But what was David’s response? He said,
“As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news! How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!” (vv. 9–11).
Then David gave orders to his young men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron (v. 12).

This was the end of the foolish men Rechab and Baanah, who mistakenly thought they were bringing good news to David. In reality, they dug their own graves. They didn’t realize they were bringing harm and destruction upon themselves, thinking it was good news.

As I meditated on this passage, a question came to my mind:
“What if the church were to send out foolish people to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world?”
What do you think?
Would that help the Church of Christ—or rather harm it?
Would it not be damaging to the church?

In a way, I believe that today’s Church is committing this kind of foolishness—it is harming itself. That is, Christians today are not being the salt and light in the world. Instead, we are influenced by the darkness of the world, sinning against God and losing our saltiness—failing to reflect the power and influence of the Gospel. When we, in this state, go out to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, it can only damage the church.

Why is this happening?
Because we have become foolish.

How do we know this?

Look at Psalm 19:7 (Korean Revised Version):
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”
If we truly loved God’s trustworthy and perfect Word, we would hear it, learn it, and meditate on it day and night, becoming wise. The fact that we are not doing this is evidence of our foolishness.
In other words, our foolishness is shown by our lack of love for God’s Word and our failure to meditate on it day and night.

Friends, we must love and long for God’s Word. We must meditate on it day and night. And in that process, we must ask God in faith to grant us wisdom.

Only then can we go out into the world with the wisdom God gives and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Concerning those who wisely bring the Gospel into the world, Romans 10:15 says,
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
(or in the Living Bible: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings!”)

Sixth, the proverbs from the mouth of a fool are powerless and even dangerous.

Who in the Bible is described as being lame in both feet?
In the Old Testament, Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul and the son of Jonathan, is such a person.
The one who showed him grace was David (2 Samuel 9:1, 7).

How did David show Mephibosheth kindness?
David restored to him all the land that had belonged to his grandfather Saul and allowed him to eat at his table always (vv. 7, 11, 13).
In fact, David treated lame Mephibosheth like one of the king’s own sons (vv. 11, 13).

Until recently, I didn’t fully grasp how great this grace was.
But when I meditated on the latter part of 2 Samuel 5:8, I began to understand:
“That day David said, ‘Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.’ That is why they say, ‘The blind and lame will not enter the palace.’”

Clearly, David’s heart held disdain for the lame and the blind.
And yet he allowed Mephibosheth, who was lame in both feet, to always eat at his royal table.
This shows the great grace David bestowed upon him.

Why did David do this?

Yes, it’s because Jonathan had loved David as his own soul and made a covenant with him (1 Samuel 18:3, 20:16–17), and David, in deep love and faithfulness, honored that covenant (2 Samuel 1:26).
But I also believe there’s a deeper reason:
As I meditated on 2 Samuel 7, where God makes a covenant with David, I came to see that David showed grace to lame Mephibosheth because he himself had received great grace through the covenant God made with him (7:8–9, 15, 21).

In Proverbs 26:7, the writer says:
“Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.”
The Living Bible puts it:
“A wise saying in a fool’s mouth is as useless as a paralyzed leg.”

Doesn’t this remind you of verse 6, which we’ve already meditated on?

In that verse, the writer said,
“Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s own feet.”
Would a sane person cut off their own feet?
If someone did such a terrible thing, it would be because they were not in their right mind.
And once their feet were gone, they could no longer walk properly.

Likewise, entrusting a message to a fool is an act of madness—it is a terrible thing, and the message cannot be properly delivered.

Now, in verse 7, the writer continues:
“Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.”

Friends, is a loosely dangling leg of a cripple of any use? Can those powerless legs be of any benefit for walking or running? The main point the writer of Proverbs is making is this: just as the dangling legs of a cripple are useless, so too are the proverbs—["words of instruction and admonition" (Naver Dictionary)]—in the mouth of a fool. Why are a fool’s proverbs useless? Because they are foolish.

Think about it. Isn't it a bit ridiculous for a fool to speak in proverbs? What would you expect from the words of instruction and admonition (proverbs) that come from a fool’s mouth? Would they be wise? A fool doesn’t even realize he is foolish—on the contrary, he considers himself wise and tries to instruct others. I personally think that in itself doesn’t make sense.

If a fool doesn’t know when, where, or how to apply a proverb to himself, can that proverb be powerful or useful when he tries to teach it to others? A proverb coming from the mouth of a fool who cannot even apply it to himself naturally lacks both power and usefulness. Don’t you agree?

On the other hand, if a wise person lives out a proverb and then teaches it to us, isn’t that the kind of proverb that truly benefits and helps us?

In today's passage, Proverbs 26:9, the writer again speaks about the "proverb in the mouth of a fool." He says, “Like a thorn bush in the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.” Now imagine a drunk person holding a thorn bush in his hand. What comes to mind? Or to ask differently: what would you think if a drunk person were holding a knife? Wouldn’t you think that’s dangerous?

Moreover, if a drunk person has a thorn bush in his hand, he might stagger around and end up pricking himself. Wouldn’t that hurt? In the same way, the proverb in a fool’s mouth can cause pain and danger not only to the fool himself but also to those who hear it. Why? Because a fool misapplies and distorts proverbs (MacDonald).

Today, there seem to be many Christians who distort the Word of God and misapply it. In particular, even among those who sincerely long for and pursue God’s Word with spiritual devotion, there are people who misunderstand, misapply, and distort the Word—and end up bringing serious spiritual harm to themselves. What’s more serious is that these people open their mouths and teach others with this distorted understanding, thereby inflicting serious spiritual harm on them as well.

This is why we must be spiritually awake. We must be spiritually sensitive, and we must constantly sharpen that sensitivity through prayer and the Word. Then we will have spiritual discernment to distinguish between the proverbs of a fool and those of the wise.

As Proverbs 13:20 says, “He who walks with the wise grows wise.” That is how we gain wisdom.

“Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning.” (Proverbs 9:9)

Seventh point: We must not hire a fool.

As many of you already know, Korean archery is recognized as one of the best in the world. Especially the Korean women’s archery team dominated the gold medals in both individual and team events from the 1984 Olympics to the 2004 Olympics. Just to give an idea of their skill level—at some Olympic Games, Korean archers shot so precisely that their arrows destroyed the camera placed at the center of the target (according to online sources).

Now imagine someone with that level of skill recklessly shooting arrows at people passing by. What do you think would happen?

In Proverbs 26:10, the writer says, “Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a fool or a passerby.” In other words, hiring a fool or a passerby can be just as fatal as a reckless archer shooting arrows indiscriminately and injuring people. It’s extremely dangerous.

Who would want to be hit by an arrow from an archer shooting randomly? Naturally, anyone would try to avoid getting struck. So we can understand how dangerous it is to hire a fool. As we learned back in verse 6, sending a message by the hand of a fool is as fatal as cutting off your own feet or drinking poison. Likewise, entrusting a task to a fool or hiring one is self-destructive.

That’s why, in any organization, when someone applies for a position, they are usually required to submit a resume. Then the hiring team reviews the application and resume to decide whether to hire that person or not.

The same applies to the church. When someone submits a resume, the session or the pastoral search committee reviews it, and if interested, they conduct an interview.

Why do they do this? Because if the wrong person ends up in the church, it can bring great harm. I still remember—several years ago, a few elders from a church on the East Coast came to visit our church. Why? A pastor I know in Southern California had submitted his resume to become the senior pastor of their church. The elders flew all the way from the East Coast to meet with me and investigate his background. That’s how thorough some churches are when hiring a pastor.

Now imagine this: What if a church’s search committee, while looking to hire a senior pastor, just picked a random person walking down the street who says he’s a pastor and installed him as their church's leader? What would happen to that church? Wouldn’t it become a complete mess?

Back in March 2011, I reflected on Judges 17:1–2 and 18:19 under the title, “A Dysfunctional Family, a Dysfunctional Church,” and I recently reread that message. The “dysfunctional family” refers to the household of a man named Micah, and the “dysfunctional church” refers to the tribe of Dan, which I considered a spiritually broken tribe.

I called Micah’s household dysfunctional because, although his mother initially cursed the thief who had stolen her 1,100 pieces of silver, when Micah confessed and returned the money, she turned around and blessed him, saying she wished for him to be blessed by the LORD (17:2). How could a mother bless a son who had stolen from her, without holding him accountable? It makes no sense.

Even more troubling is what she did next. Though she claimed to dedicate the silver to the LORD, she only gave 200 pieces to a silversmith to make a carved image and a metal idol for her son (vv. 3–4). What a baffling and inconsistent action. And what did Micah do? He placed that idol in his house (v. 4). Shockingly, the one who had been blessed by his mother with “May the LORD bless you, my son,” even had a shrine (v. 5).

Everyone—both Micah and his mother—did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. If this isn’t a dysfunctional household, what is?

I considered the tribe of Dan to be a dysfunctional tribe for good reason. Micah had made his own ephod, which was worn by the high priest, and even had household idols called teraphim (v. 5). Later, when a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah (v. 7) came to the hill country of Ephraim seeking a place to stay, Micah offered him a yearly salary of ten pieces of silver, a set of clothes, and food, and appointed him as his own “father and priest” (v. 10). After this, Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest” (v. 13).

Later, when the tribe of Dan sought to take the land of Laish (18:7) as their inheritance, they sent five valiant men to spy out the land. When they returned, six hundred Danites came and entered Micah’s house (vv. 13, 15, 17). They took Micah’s idol, ephod, teraphim, and the carved image (v. 17), and said to the Levite, “Come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Isn’t it better to be a priest for a tribe and clan in Israel than just for one man’s household?” (v. 19). The Levite was glad, took the items, and joined the Danites (v. 20). As a result, the tribe of Dan began idol worship. This is why I call them a dysfunctional tribe.

I believe this mirrors the state of many churches today. The root of the issue, I believe, lies with the pastors—specifically those who are not qualified but still become pastors. One of the biggest problems is that seminaries accept students who have not been properly vetted. Even more concerning are what I call “ghost seminaries,” which may admit unqualified candidates under financial pressure to keep operating.

King Jeroboam of northern Israel did something similar: “He appointed anyone he wished as priests for the high places—from all the people” (1 Kings 13:33). In the same way, many modern seminaries seem to admit anyone who applies, perhaps with only a minimal entrance exam, allowing them to pursue theological education.

In today’s text, Proverbs 26:10 (as translated in the Contemporary Version) says: “Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a fool or someone passing by.” What does this mean? Hiring a fool or someone you barely know is sure to bring harm. The author of Proverbs compares it to an archer shooting arrows at random, injuring anyone in his path. In other words, it is fatal to hire someone without discerning whether they are qualified (commentary by Dr. Yoon-Sun Park).

What would happen to a company if someone in a senior position hired just anyone—whether foolish or unfamiliar? What would happen to the employees working there? And what if a pastoral search committee hired a foolish pastor? What would become of that church and its members?

Based on Proverbs 26:6–10, Dr. Yoon-Sun Park outlines four characteristics of a “foolish minister”:

1. A foolish minister does not know God (Psalm 14:1). Lacking true knowledge of God, they are not inspired by the Holy Spirit and rely only on mechanical, human reasoning.

2. A foolish minister treats sin lightly (Proverbs 14:9). They do not resist sin to the point of shedding blood (Hebrews 12:4).

3. A foolish minister hates correction (Proverbs 1:20–33). The Bible values rebuke, but foolish ministers do not (cf. Proverbs 27:5–6).

4. A foolish minister does not prepare for eternity (Luke 12:16–21). They live only for this life and have no eternal hope in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:19).

Proverbs repeatedly says that fools deserve discipline:
“Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools” (Proverbs 19:29);
“A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools” (Proverbs 26:3).

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg once revealed his sole hiring principle:
“I will only hire someone to work directly for me.”
He added, “The most important thing is keeping the team as small as possible.” Although Facebook serves billions of users worldwide, their team is under 10,000 people. Thanks to modern technology, he said, “Big companies tend to become bloated.”

If you were an employer, how would you apply Proverbs 26:10 when hiring?

I’ve thought of two principles:

1. Thoroughly vet anyone you hire. Even if the candidate comes with a personal recommendation from someone you trust, you must carefully evaluate them yourself.

2. Do not hire fools. Instead, hire wise individuals—those who fear God, obey His Word, and have truthful and faithful character.

En marzo de 2011, reflexioné sobre Jueces 17:1–2 y 18:19 bajo el título “Una familia deshecha, una iglesia deshecha”, y recordé esa meditación, así que la leí de nuevo.
En este contexto, “una familia deshecha” se refiere al hogar de un hombre llamado Micaía. Y la “iglesia deshecha” la asocié con la tribu de Dan, que era una tribu espiritualmente desordenada, de ahí el título.
Dije que la familia de Micaía era una familia deshecha porque, aunque su madre maldijo al ladrón que le había robado 1.100 piezas de plata, cuando descubrió que había sido su hijo y él se las devolvió por temor a la maldición, ella no lo reprendió, sino que le deseó bendición de parte del Señor (Jueces 17:2).
¿Cómo puede una madre bendecir a un hijo que ha robado, sin corregirlo primero? Es algo incomprensible.
Más incomprensible aún es que esa misma madre, diciendo que consagraba la plata al Señor, tomó 200 piezas y las dio a un platero para que hiciera una imagen tallada y fundida para su hijo (vv. 3-4). ¡Qué comportamiento tan absurdo por parte de una madre!

¿Y qué hizo Micaía?
Colocó la imagen en su casa (v. 4).
Sorprendentemente, este Micaía, a quien su madre había bendecido diciendo “¡Que el Señor te bendiga, hijo mío!”, tenía incluso un santuario personal (v. 5).
Tanto la madre como Micaía actuaban según su propio criterio. ¿No es esto una familia deshecha?

Y consideré que la tribu de Dan era una tribu deshecha por la siguiente razón:
Micaía no solo tenía un efod (como el que usaban los sumos sacerdotes), sino también ídolos domésticos (v. 5).
Y cuando un joven levita de Belén de Judá pasó por la región montañosa de Efraín en busca de un lugar donde vivir (vv. 7-8), Micaía le ofreció diez piezas de plata al año, ropa y comida, y lo contrató como su sacerdote personal (v. 10).
Entonces Micaía dijo: “Ahora sé que el Señor me bendecirá, porque tengo a un levita como sacerdote” (v. 13).
Más tarde, la tribu de Dan envió cinco hombres valientes de sus familias para espiar la tierra de Lais y, después de regresar, llevaron a 600 hombres armados (18:7,13,15) y llegaron a la casa de Micaía (v. 17).
Tomaron la imagen, el efod, los ídolos y la imagen fundida (v. 17).
Le dijeron al levita: “Ven con nosotros y sé nuestro padre y sacerdote. ¿Qué te parece mejor: ser sacerdote de una casa, o de una tribu y familia de Israel?” (v. 19).
El levita, contento con la propuesta, tomó los ídolos, el efod y la imagen tallada, y se fue con el pueblo (v. 20).
Como resultado, la tribu de Dan cayó en idolatría. Una tribu deshecha.

Creo que esto refleja la condición de muchas iglesias hoy en día.
El problema, primero, está en los pastores.
Uno de los grandes problemas es que personas sin los requisitos necesarios están siendo ordenadas como pastores.
¿Por qué sucede esto?
Creo que es porque los seminarios aceptan a personas que no han sido debidamente examinadas.
Más grave aún es la existencia de seminarios “fantasma” (de dudosa legitimidad), que, bajo presión financiera, admiten a estudiantes sin verificar si están cualificados.
Así lo hizo Jeroboam, rey del norte de Israel.
“De entre el pueblo nombró sacerdotes para los lugares altos; cualquiera que lo deseaba, él lo consagraba” (1 Reyes 13:33).
Del mismo modo, muchos seminarios hoy aceptan a cualquiera que se postule, les hacen un examen superficial y les permiten estudiar teología.

En Proverbios 26:10, dice:
“El que da empleo al necio o al que pasa, es como el arquero que hiere a todos los que pasan” (versión Biblia al Día).
¿Qué significa esto?
Significa que quien contrata a un necio o a un desconocido inevitablemente causará daño a otros.
El autor lo compara a un arquero que dispara al azar y hiere a cualquiera que pase.
Contratar a cualquier persona sin examinar sus cualificaciones es potencialmente fatal (según Park Yoon Sun).
¿Qué pasaría si los responsables de una empresa contratan a necios o a cualquiera sin filtros?
¿Qué sería de los empleados de esa empresa?
¿Y si un comité de búsqueda pastoral contrata a un pastor necio?
¿Qué pasará con esa iglesia y sus miembros?

El Dr. Park Yoon Sun, basándose en Proverbios 26:6–10, menciona cuatro características de un “ministro necio”:

1. El ministro necio no conoce a Dios (Salmo 14:1).
   Este tipo de pastor no recibe inspiración divina, sino que solo piensa de forma mecánica y humana.

2. El ministro necio toma el pecado a la ligera (Proverbios 14:9).
   No lucha contra el pecado hasta la sangre (Hebreos 12:4).

3. El ministro necio detesta la corrección (Proverbios 1:20–33).
   La Biblia valora la reprensión, pero el necio no.

4. El ministro necio no se prepara para la eternidad (Lucas 12:16–21).
   Solo se enfoca en esta vida y no en lo eterno (1 Corintios 15:19).

Proverbios insiste en que los necios deben ser corregidos:
“El juicio está preparado para los burladores, y los azotes para la espalda de los necios” (Proverbios 19:29);
“El látigo es para el caballo, el freno para el asno, y la vara para la espalda de los necios” (26:3).

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO de Facebook, una vez compartió un único principio al contratar empleados:
“Solo contrataré a alguien que yo mismo estaría dispuesto a tener como mi jefe” (“I will only hire someone to work directly for me”).
También dijo: “Lo más importante es mantener el equipo lo más pequeño posible.”
A pesar de que Facebook sirve a miles de millones de personas en el mundo, su equipo no supera los 10,000 empleados.
Gracias a la tecnología moderna, esto es posible, dijo, y añadió que “las grandes empresas tienden a inflarse innecesariamente.”

Entonces, si tú fueras empleador, ¿cómo aplicarías Proverbios 26:10 en el proceso de contratación?

Yo lo resumiría en dos principios:

1. Examinar exhaustivamente a las personas antes de contratarlas.
   Aunque un candidato venga recomendado por alguien de confianza, es necesario evaluarlo cuidadosamente y comprobar todo con diligencia.

2. No contratar a necios.
   En su lugar, debemos contratar personas sabias:
   Personas que teman a Dios, que obedezcan Su palabra, que sean de carácter íntegro, verdaderas y fieles.

Eighth, the fool repeats his folly.

Everyone, have you ever seen a dog return to eat what it vomited? Isn't it rather disgusting even just to imagine it? I don’t recall ever seeing a dog eat its own vomit, but I have seen a dog eat feces. Doesn’t even the thought of that make you feel nauseated? When you think of a dog acting that way, don’t you consider it to be a very foolish dog?
In the same way, how foolish must it be in God's eyes when we humans repeat our foolish actions?
An example of this is the Israelites in the books of Exodus and Judges in the Old Testament. What they repeatedly did was grumble against the leader God had appointed, Moses — and even against God Himself — and disobey God's Word.
How foolish do these Israelites appear, not only in God’s eyes but also in ours, as they repeatedly sinned?
But everyone, don’t you think this reflects our very own image?

In today’s passage, Proverbs 26:11, the Bible says:
"As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." (RETURN… REPEATS)

Dr. Park Yun-sun explains two reasons why the author of Proverbs compares the fool to a dog:

(1) The "fool" here is not merely someone who is immature or naïve, but someone who makes sin their occupation.

In other words, the "fool" mentioned in today’s passage is someone who feels no pangs of conscience when committing sin.
This kind of person is often described as one whose conscience is seared.

1 Timothy 4:2 (Korean Revised Version) says their “conscience is seared,” while the modern Korean version says their “conscience is numb.”
So who does the Bible say has a seared or numb conscience?
“Those who lie with hypocrisy” — or as the modern version puts it, “hypocritical liars” — are the ones whose consciences are deadened (1 Timothy 4:2).
Such foolish people don’t regard unclean things as problematic, and in this regard, they are like dogs.

Jesus said, “Do not give what is holy to dogs” (Matthew 7:6), meaning that dogs do not recognize what is holy.

(2) A "fool" refers to one who is hardened, who does not turn away from sin but continues in it.

In other words, a fool is someone who does not repent.

A prime example of this is Pharaoh, the king of Egypt in Exodus.
Though he faced the ten plagues and sometimes seemed as if he might repent, he never truly repented, but hardened his heart again and again.
Likewise, a fool hardens his heart, refuses to turn away from sin, and continues repeating the same sin without feeling any guilt in his conscience.

Therefore, the Bible says that “the fool repeats his folly.”

Proverbs contains many other statements about such foolish people:

• “The heart of fools proclaims foolishness.” (Proverbs 12:23)

• “The mouth of fools feeds on folly.” (15:14)

• “The mouth of fools pours out foolishness.” (15:2)

• “Every fool displays his folly.” (13:16)

• “The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools yields only folly.” (14:24)

• “The instruction of fools is folly.” (16:22)

So, what exactly is this “folly” that the fool repeats?

One example is found in Proverbs 17:9:
“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”
A wise person seeks love and therefore covers his friend's offense, but a fool repeats the matter and causes division.

Another example is Psalm 78:41:
“Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel.”

Everyone, how did the Israelites test God again and again during the Exodus?
They distrusted God, complained in discontent, and disobeyed His Word, thus sinning against Him.
This is precisely the kind of repeated folly that fools commit.

We must not, like the Israelites, repeatedly test God.
We must not provoke the Holy One of Israel again and again (Psalm 78:41).

And if we do, do you know what God will do to us?
Look at Jeremiah 25:4:
“And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention.”

God continually (diligently / again and again) sends His servants to us.
And through them, He repeatedly tells us:
“Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil deeds” (verse 5).

Our God is still speaking to us today — again and again.
We must listen to and obey the repeated words of God.
We must return (RETURN) to God.
And we must confess and forsake our foolishness and repent (REPENT).
We must not return to our sinful habits.
We must not repeat our foolishness again.
Instead, we must turn and become wise —
and no longer repeat our folly,
but rather repeat and practice the Word of God.

Ninth and finally, a foolish person considers himself wise.

I still remember clearly. When I was in college, a pastor used to come to campus once a week and lead a small group Bible study at a school apartment where one of my upperclassmen lived. During that time, while going through discipleship training, we studied a Bible series on the “Five Assurances,” and I will never forget the lesson on the assurance of salvation, which involved the concepts of Fact (truth), Faith (belief), and Feeling (emotion). The reason it stuck with me is because, at that time, I had no assurance of salvation based on the truth of God's Word. Rather, I was living out my faith emotionally, and so I often lacked assurance of salvation even when I thought I had it.

One of the other assurances we learned was the assurance of God’s guidance. The key passage for that was Proverbs 3:5–6:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Since learning that passage, as I have walked the journey of faith, I have often experienced the indwelling Holy Spirit bringing that verse to mind. Every time I meditated on it, I experienced the grace of deep reflection, and one part that especially convicted me was: “Do not lean on your own understanding.” That is still true for me today.

On February 17, 2011, I preached a Wednesday prayer service sermon titled “A Wise Person (1),” based on Proverbs 3:1–10. I looked back and reread my notes from that sermon, particularly on verses 5–6:
“A wise person who inscribes God's commandments on the tablet of their heart and keeps them, trusts in the Lord with all their heart (Proverbs 3:5–6).
Here, trusting in God with all your heart refers to ‘exclusive trust.’ This kind of trust is what Dr. Park Yun-sun calls ‘childish confidence’—a wholehearted, simple, childlike dependence on God. To trust God like this, we must not lean on our own understanding. The more we rely on our own understanding, the less we can trust God with childlike simplicity.”

After that, I also preached on Proverbs 3:7:
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”
“When we rely on our own understanding, we end up thinking we are wise. Especially when we manage something by our own insight and it succeeds, we tend to deceive ourselves into thinking that the success came from our own wisdom. Those who rely on their own understanding consider themselves wise. So King Solomon tells us: Do not be wise in your own eyes. How is that possible? It becomes possible when we fear the Lord.
When we fear the Lord, we can turn away from the evil of thinking we are wise in our own eyes (v.7). If we are not trusting God and acknowledging Him in all our ways, it means we are relying on and acknowledging ourselves. That is a sign that we are considering ourselves wise in our own eyes. That is the vain faith of a foolish person who does not fear God (14:16).
The root of this vain faith—believing oneself to be wise—is pride, which comes from setting our hearts on high things (Romans 12:16). Why do we set our hearts on high things? It’s because we do not know the Most High God intimately. Without an intimate knowledge of God, we become wise in our own eyes (Proverbs 3:7) and pretend to be wise (Romans 12:16).
When we fall into this pride, even though we know God, we neither glorify Him as God nor give thanks to Him. Instead, our thinking becomes futile, and our foolish hearts are darkened. Although we claim to be wise, we become fools (Romans 1:21–22). Therefore, we must not consider ourselves wise. Rather, we must fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
Those who fear the Lord do not set their hearts on high but rather set them on lowly things. In short, those who are wise because they fear the Lord are humble. We must be humble, turning away from evil because we fear God. God will raise up and use those humble ones.”

In today’s passage, Proverbs 26:12, the Bible says:
“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Translated literally from the original Hebrew, it reads:
“Do you see a man who considers himself wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Park Yun-sun)

Friends, why do we think we are wise when we look at ourselves through our own eyes? Why do people consider themselves wise? Of course, the root is pride, but I began to think: where does this pride come from?
In other words, when we are proud and look at ourselves with arrogant eyes, believing we are wise—how did we get to that point?

What came to mind was Romans 2:19–23:
“You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—
you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?
You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?
You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?”

Just as the Pharisees did, when we fail to teach ourselves with God’s Word and live in disobedience to it while still enjoying teaching others, we fall into pride and begin to consider ourselves wise.

Believing you are wise in your own eyes is extremely dangerous, because such a person will neither be taught by God’s Word nor can be taught.

That’s why Proverbs 26:12 says there is more hope for a fool than for a person who is wise in his own eyes.
You may ask, “How can there be hope for a fool?”
And yet the Bible tells us that the fool has more hope than someone who is wise in his own eyes. That shows how truly hopeless and doomed such prideful people are.
But those who possess wisdom from God have a future and their hope will not be cut off (Proverbs 24:14).

Therefore, instead of being wise in our own eyes, we must heed the words of James 1:5:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Let us ask God for wisdom in faith, and may we live by the wisdom that God gives.
Then, we will surely have a future and a hope.