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[0:00] page 531. Having to be selective in this collection, we've chosen to read for you Proverbs chapter 26 verses 1 through 12. Proverbs 26 verses 1 through 12. Follow along with me, please. Like snow in summer, what a day to have that verse, or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless, does not alight. A whip for the horse, bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Like a lame man's legs which hang useless is a proverb in the mouth of fools. Like one who binds the stone in the sling is one who gives honor to a fool. Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or a drunkard. Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for a fool than for him. This is the word of the Lord. Amen. Father, thank you for the truth that is before us. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight and your words to this congregation this day. In Christ's name, amen. We're in the fifth collection of the Proverbs 5 of 7. A couple more to go in our summer series, Walk Wisdom, Walking in Wisdom.

[2:50] And in this particular section, there are 138 Proverbs that are here in chapters 25 through 29.

[3:00] And this particular section, as does the rest of the book, deserves our very prayerful attention on this afternoon. Hearing and processing, prayerfully hearing and processing these particular passages, it's very critical for our growth and development in the Lord. Living with profound, humble reverence for God is what the book is about. It's the goal of the book and helping us to do that, that is living in the fear of the Lord. So we see here these these Proverbs here have been attributed to Solomon. Look at chapter 25 in verse 1. These also are Proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied. Solomon's author, the copiers, were Hezekiah's men. This marvelous king that had a great reputation of being like David. He was a man of humble reliance on God who reformed worship in the context of the southern kingdom and also was such a man of faith that he resisted the oppressive opposition, particularly of the king of Assyria in his day. A very model kind of king. But we see that so therefore his men in his day copied these

[4:35] Proverbs of Solomon. I think it's very critical and hopefully I'll make a tie-in to that at the end of my sermon, perhaps how it might fit together with a particular character that followed Hezekiah.

[4:49] First of all, there are several things that I want to do. I want to come back to chapter 26 verses 1 through 12, but before that I want you to help you to see some of the characteristics of this particular collection that is before us. Of course, we're going to get back to the fool because he really comes into a very clear and specific focus, but this is in the context of other Proverbs that we see here. First thing I want you to see are the clusters of Proverbs that we see in this particular section. As Dave pointed out on last week, we normally think about these pithy one or two-liner kind of sayings that move from topic to topic. But again, what comes into view particularly again in this collection is that we have clusters of Proverbs. They are a range in clusters of verses that deal with certain topics. And we'll see that in the chapter that's before us, but we can also see that in the collection as a whole that's before us. So look at chapter 25. We have Proverbs that are related to rulers and neighbors and enemies are seen in chapter 25. Look at the way that it begins. It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings to reveal things. And again, you could go on down.

[6:17] You can see that particular pattern, but there are other things that are in this particular chapter also dealing with neighbors and enemies. All of these various clusters that are found in chapter 25. Look at chapter 27, where we see one of the things that comes into view are friendships that come into view, particularly in verses 5 through 10. Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

[6:46] Faithful are the wounds of who? A friend. Profuse are the kisses of an enemy. And it goes on down, particularly in this particular verses 5 through 10. It's a cluster related to friendship.

[7:01] Proverbs related to laws and wealth come into view in chapter 28. Look at chapter 28 in verse 4. Those who forsake the law praise the wicked. Those who keep the law strive against them. Again, another focus is that of the law.

[7:21] You'll see that sort of repeated there again and again. You see wealth beginning, the rich and the poor beginning with chapter 28, verse 11. There are particular clusters, and we'll see that again in chapter 26 that we'll look at this afternoon.

[7:39] Looking for the clusters in this particular collection will help you to come to a greater understanding of what is before us in collection 5. Not only are there clusters, but there also are comparisons.

[7:56] This is the elementary school English lesson. Like and as. So you see that. You see that in chapter 25. Like a gold ring, verse 12.

[8:08] Like the cold of snow, verse 13. Like clouds. So you have these comparisons where one thing is likened to another in order to heighten the clarity of what's being said.

[8:21] That's what these comparisons do. And one of the things as you read through these proverbs, you find yourself sort of nodding your head because things really become clear that you understand what the writer has in mind.

[8:36] He helps you to see these things, and you hear these things in the social order that are being compared with things in created order. Snow and animals and wind.

[8:48] Again, in the natural order, and then they're compared with various things that are in the social order as it deals with men and relationships and friends and those kinds of things.

[9:00] Like clouds, chapter 25, verse 14. Like cold water to a thirsty soul, chapter 25, verse 25. Like a roaring lion or a charging bear, chapter 28, verse 15.

[9:14] Is a wicked ruler over poor people. Again, where unjust, powerful rulers are compared to wild beasts that terrorize the vulnerable people under their rule.

[9:26] Again, these are the things, some of the things that we see, and these comparisons that come into view. Look for comparisons as you look in the proverbs in this particular collection in particular.

[9:41] And then there are character sketches. This feature combines the previous two, both the clusters and the comparisons that we've already looked at, but it combines these, and they feature certain kinds of people who are described by comparing them in somewhat unflattering kind of terminology, both from nature as well as in the human realm.

[10:08] The last feature is particularly prominent in chapter 26, where we have some very amusing, quite amusing pictures that are before us.

[10:19] So I want us to look at chapter 26, and we can see some of these features, these characteristics, even as we make our way through these verses particularly, but also I will highlight some of the things that are in the chapter as a whole.

[10:34] Look at chapter 26, and we really can see that there's some real structure that's here. The first 12 verses deal with the fool.

[10:48] And then you move into a section that deals with the sluggard, and then you move into a section that deals with really how people and their use of words and meddling and deceiving and lying, those kinds of things come into view.

[11:02] And here, with very little exhortation, even as we get a glimpse of these, or hear these warnings, we ourselves are warned and challenged that we should not be these kind of people that are really being indicted.

[11:20] What you have in chapter 26 is like a mug shots, or mug shots of certain people that we need to beware of, and that we need to beware of becoming like them.

[11:32] They're warned. We're cautioned about them. But all of those things in chapter 26 are within a context that I want you to see that actually begins in chapter 25 and verse 28.

[11:45] Look at there. This is how it reads. A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

[12:00] Now, look at the last verse in chapter 26, verse 28, where it says, A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

[12:16] So what you have here, it is a picture of an unprotected, vulnerable city, chapter 25, verse 28, that is ripe for overthrow and ruin.

[12:29] The walls, the means of protection are down. They are in ruin. The section extends all the way through chapter 26, verse 8, which closes on the same note showing the connection.

[12:46] Look at verse 28 of chapter 26 again. A flattering mouth that works ruin. Between these bookends, chapter 25, verse 28, and chapter 26, verse 28, we have several kinds of people who are subject to ruin because they are deficient in the very important characteristic of self-control.

[13:15] And we'll see, we get a glimpse of who those kinds of people are. How valuable and critical it is for us to be people of self-control.

[13:27] I mean, we see that in Galatians chapter 5. That is one of the fruits, one of the evidences of the Spirit of God. Love, joy, peace, tempers, self-control.

[13:40] Again, so we see here, but we get a glimpse of at least four sets of people, and perhaps even more, and it's sort of these character sketches of people who are without self-control.

[13:56] The characters in this chapter are menaces both to self and to society. That's what people without self-control are.

[14:10] They work ruin personally, and even as they work their way into groups, that can have a way of spilling over in impacting and influencing others who they do life to life with.

[14:25] So these are mugshots that you and I must be on guard for and on guard to be coming. Their destiny, ruin, is noted by the bookends that we have looked at.

[14:40] Their identities are here. Their destinies are here. Who are they? The fool. Chapter 26, verses 1 through 12, and we'll get back to them.

[14:52] I just want to bullet a few of them. The sluggard. You see that in chapter 26 and verse 13? The sluggard says, again, the structure is clear. Each of those four verses, just like the previous 12, in those 12 verses, you have the fool mentioned in every one except verse 2.

[15:13] Even so here, you have the sluggard mentioned in each of those four verses, verses 13 through 16. Huh? You see his mindset and language.

[15:26] The language of lethargy. You see there, the sluggard says, there is a lion in the road, there is a lion in the streets, and therefore with that, he doesn't move himself to do anything.

[15:40] That gives him a good excuse to be a couch potato because that's really what he is. His limited movement is seen in verse 14, as a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard on his bed.

[15:55] He moves, but he goes absolutely nowhere. Huh? Doesn't allow himself to get anything done. Huh? He is self-conceited and lazy, not complete, will not even complete the most necessary of tasks.

[16:17] You see that, the sluggard buries his hand in the dish. It wears him out to bring his hand back to his mouth. What? I mean, this is very comical.

[16:28] It's somewhat absurd, but the absurdity helps to drive home the point of his conduct, of the silliness, of the foolishness of his conduct.

[16:39] Huh? And in his mind, he is the epitome of wisdom. He's smarter than the smartest seven wise people. Huh? Verses 17 through 18 concern those who are troublemakers by reason of what they say.

[16:55] They make trouble with their speech, with their lips. The meddler in chapter 26, verses 17 through 22. The deceiver or the liar. And again, the whole idea of the lips is repeated again and whisperer and quarrelsome and deceiver.

[17:12] Those are the things that come into view in verses 23 through 28. The meddler. Huh? Huh? But then there's the fool.

[17:25] And again, all of these are destructive behaviors, destructive kind of characters. People without self-control are subject to ruin.

[17:37] But then there, here's the featured person as it were. The fool himself. Huh? He stands at the head of the class of these, of the morally challenged people that we find in this particular chapter.

[17:52] And by the time we get to where we are, chapter 26 in the book of Proverbs, the fool is actually no stranger. Forty times in the book the word fool appears.

[18:03] Fools, plural, 21 times. Folly, 22 times. The topic is a major one and the fool in the book is a major person, a major character.

[18:15] Wisdom is what this book promotes and the fool stands as the very antithesis to the wise person. The wise person who is God-fearing and God-honoring and people-respecting.

[18:30] The fool is none of those things. Huh? The fool's problem is not so much as intellectual. The fool's problem is actually moral. Alistair Begg put it very well in a recent broadcast.

[18:43] He says, the fool's problem is not primarily intellectual impoverishment. It is his moral indifference. And isn't that true? It's not because they're not smart intellectually.

[18:56] It's because they're indifferent really to the things that really count and really matter in life. Huh? Moral indifference. Another note that the root of the problem is spiritual.

[19:09] It's a spiritual problem. It is not essentially mental or intellectual. Fools, according to chapter 1 and verse 7, despise wisdom and instruction.

[19:21] Their concerns are not about the maintenance of order or harmony or pleasing God. For he says in his heart, Psalm chapter 14, verse 1, the fool says in his heart that there is what?

[19:32] No God. So here we have this cluster in chapter 26, verses 1 through 12 that deal with the fool. And with exception of verse 2, you see the fools that are mentioned in every one of those verses.

[19:49] Huh? Where is it then that you and I, even in this world, in our world, where do we find foolish people?

[20:01] Huh? Know anybody that would have the label foolish? They're in our families. Huh? They're in the workplace.

[20:13] They're in our classrooms, in our dorms, in our neighborhoods. Huh? We find them there. So what is then fitting for a fool?

[20:28] Chapter 26, verses 1 and 2, we see what is not fitting for the fool. Honor is not fitting for the fool. You see that? Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for the fool.

[20:42] Like a sparrow in its flitting and a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. Huh? It is incongruent as misplaced weather for honor to be given to a fool.

[21:00] It's unseasonable and unhelpful. Honor is not right for a one who is deemed as foolish. Huh? That which is good is landing on that which is not.

[21:15] It will not land on that which is not good. Huh? That's what's in view. The undeserved curse does not fit. just like a flitting and flying birds don't light or land, a causeless curse does not land.

[21:32] And so what we see in verse 2 is that which is bad is not landing on that which is good. So it's sort of in contrast, but it is stressing the main point that honor is not fitting for one who is deemed to be a fool.

[21:49] Huh? Huh? There are images of honor in our culture. In the academic arena, professors are honored with tenure.

[22:01] There are students who achieve at a certain standard and are honored with academic recognition. Magna cum laude, summa cum laude. Certain symbols that indicate such honors, for instance, the braid that a person has on their gown or the asterisk on the program that said, these are people who deserve to be honored.

[22:26] A friend was telling me recently about a graduate of a Christian college. This person had the academic distinction of being summa cum laude, but little did the school know or many other people know that the person was six months expecting, wasn't showing, so on the one hand, there were honors that were placed upon this individual, but in reality, in her heart, she was not particularly in a place of moral honor at that point.

[23:04] And had they known, the institution known that, she may not even have even been honored in that format academically because of the particular moral failing.

[23:16] honor is not fitting for a fool. If we look further in the passage, we see why honor is not fitting in verses 6 through 10. Because a fool is unreliable for important business.

[23:29] You see that in verse 7. His bent toward folly renders him ill-equipped for certain tasks. And there are a lot of things that are going on in this passage. There's a chiasm that lands on verse 8.

[23:42] You see the whole idea about what is appropriate or inappropriate in the mouth of fools on either side of verse 8. It's important that there are certain things that are so important that you just don't ask a fool to do.

[23:58] Look at verse 8 particularly. It is unsafe to give honor to a fool. Giving honor to a fool, a foolish person, is unsafe. It can come back to haunt you or even injure you just like a sling in which a stone is not released.

[24:16] Just think about it. As it's visible, it's released, it's gone. But if it stays in the sling, it can come back and injure you. That's the point. Like one who binds the stone in a sling is one who gives honor to a fool.

[24:31] The fool is unreliable. It's unsafe to give him honor. The fool is undiscerning. You see that in verse 11. Let me read it for you. Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats the following.

[24:47] Doesn't know the gravity or really what's going on or something that is very repugnant they are gorging on and fulfilling their appetite there.

[24:59] He's confused about what's healthy and unhealthy. Here's a person who's in the dark in life. It is that they have been given a bogus compass and a compass that is not right.

[25:10] Their life compasses off. They're confused about right and wrong. There's something fundamentally wrong. The flaws and these flaws sort of create confusion for everything else in life.

[25:28] The foolish person is not a candidate for honor. He's a candidate for shame. Huh? Long life speaking about wisdom is in her hand.

[25:40] In her left hand are riches and honor but the wise will inherit honor but fools according to chapter 3 verse 35 they get disgrace.

[25:51] Huh? Honor is not fitting for a fool but what is fitting? Look at verses 3 and 4. Correction is fitting for a fool. You see that in verse 3?

[26:03] A whip for the horse a bridle for the donkey and a rod for the back of fools. Actions that are fitting are right for a fool and that's discipline.

[26:15] That's what you see in verse 3. Just as there are things that are needed to prod and restrain and guide animals so prods and restraints are needed to provide correction for those who are deemed foolish.

[26:29] Extra measures are needed for those who operate outside of the boundaries of propriety. Correction is to be consistent with a fool's nature.

[26:41] As one who is unschooled a fool is unschooled in the language of reason. They just don't understand it. Just don't get it. It just doesn't compute. So therefore disciplinary measures beyond simply words are fit for one deemed a fool.

[26:59] So actions that are fitting in verse 3 but also answers that are fitting in verses 4 and 5. Decisive answers. Don't answer a fool in a manner that causes you to become like him.

[27:14] Don't stoop to the level of a fool. That's why it says here on the one hand answer not a fool according to his folly lest you become like him yourself but then there is a time verse 5 for you answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own eyes.

[27:30] There are times the answer a fool recognizing so fools need to recognize and hear the voice of wisdom so you just don't remain silent and to be discerning to know which time is right for each is critical.

[27:45] Answers that are appropriate in order to counter foolish notions answers that are corrective lest a person is wise in his or her own eyes.

[27:57] Honor is not fitting correction is fitting but there is a surprise that we see in as you look at verse 12 or really you can really add verses 11 and 12 together.

[28:11] Hope is fitting for a fool. Hope is fitting for a fool. Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

[28:23] There is more hope for a fool than for him. Wouldn't it be just easy to give up on somebody that acts so so foolish?

[28:40] Oh just think about those who have gone through several cycles of stupidity and you think boy there is no hope for this individual I mean some people they go through their teens and they are foolish and on until their 20s and 30s and 40s and 50s even and they seem like sometimes they are just stuck on stupid stuck on foolishness and we are tempted to say oh boy what is the use there is no hope for them if we feel like there is a person that is worse than a fool and that is pointed out in the verse because those who feel like they are better those who are self conceited what he says is worse off than a fool so we come to the conclusion as we perhaps even self conceited we find ourselves maybe looking down on one that is deemed foolish and saying poor person but the person who is wise and hears her own eyes according to this text and as we see this whole concept in scripture worse off than a fool the fool is not beyond hope while he is not right for honor he is just right for hope so therefore it helps us to see that a fool though the picture the character sketch is not pretty at all such a person it's not beyond hope there is someone that's worse off when one fails to see foolishness that's bad when one sees himself as beyond foolishness that's bad the fool is better off than the self conceited person the ultimate folly as we see in the book of proverbs is the folly or the absence of faith and the cold faith word in the book of proverbs is the fear of the lord the fear of the lord again that means this humble reverence and respect for god it is a it is a fear a faith based kind of fear that's in view the ultimate folly is not to heed the voice of wisdom and there's an interesting picture that we see in the old testament and it's actually has a hezekiah kind of connection if you recall that manasseh was hezekiah's son who did not walk in his ways and the bible describes him and sir just allow me to read just a few scriptures i know i'm pushing the clock a little bit but let me just go here just a little bit manasseh was 12 years old when he began to reign he reigned 55 years i mean this guy lived foolishly for many many years and verse 2 chapter 2nd chronicles chapter 33 verse 2 says he did what was evil in the sight of the lord!

[31:57] according to the abominations of the nations whom the lord drove out before the people of israel and it tells that matter of fact he undid the reforms of his father for he rebuilt the high places that his father hezekiah had broken down and he erected the altars to the bales and to the asterisk and and worship all the hosts of heaven and serve them I wonder just perhaps did hezekiah see some patterns of foolishness within manasseh when he was a child perhaps even when he was in his co-regency with his father because he came on as king at 12 years old which probably was a co-regency and perhaps was it because he saw these particular patterns he said hey hey men go look at Solomon's proverbs and see if we got a little something for this guy but not only for him personally but for others and his son manasseh though hezekiah was wise he fit the image sometimes we look at those perhaps even who come from our own loins and wounds or even a child that you're raising now that may seem to have an interesting bent or an interesting twist to his or her personality don't give up on them so this man for these many years and again it tells about his errors but then in verse 11 well verse 10 he says the

[33:45] Lord spoke to manasseh and his people and listen to this verse 10 and they paid no attention refuse to wayward straying far from the principles of wisdom and of righteousness but then verse 11 therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria who captured Manasseh put hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon this is verse 3 he didn't understand the language of reason even though it was spoken to him but then after the discipline huh look at verse 12 when he was in distress he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the Lord his God he prayed to him and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to

[34:48]  Jerusalem with his kingdom then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God huh huh there's hope there's hope for those who may even be deemed as foolish huh there's hope what hope I mean this particular passage huh what's not fitting for a fool honor is not fitting huh what's fitting for a fool you can't you can't not do anything so sometimes there needs to be discipline in action but also words of correction but see hope is right for a fool maybe one of those that are on your 3-1-2 list huh you may seem that they may seem that they are far away maybe some of those that we're going to be reaching out to in our congregation they may seem to be far away but there's hope for those who may be labeled as fools shall we pray lord we love you we give thanks to you we see these particular images these four kinds of types lord that that are subject to ruin but lord you can save from ruin and from fall the fool and the sluggard and those who are unwise in their use of words and we pray lord that even those among us today though we have on the face of the wise you know in reality where there may be the heart of the foolish even among those who are under the sound of my voice and may we find ourselves walking wisely if we have been labeled for whatever reason as foolish may we lord have the kind of character that would shed cause us to shed that label and being known as such be glorified in us and may each of our lives be based on the firm foundation of your word is our prayer in christ's name amen won't you stand with me