Year 1, Week 47, Day 1 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 47, Day 1

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Proverbs 25-27.

Today’s reading takes us back to additional chapters from the Book of Proverbs. The chapters of today’s reading are a part of a special segment of proverbial sayings: “These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied” (Proverbs 25:1). The proverbial sayings, which run through Proverbs 29, are attributed to Solomon, but they were compiled after the time of Solomon during the rule of Hezekiah. There seems to be a particular arrangement for this section (especially Proverbs 25), and at least one thing that seems obvious is that there is an interplay between a string of sayings that are followed by a group of admonitions. For instance, first there are some sayings that make general observations: “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable” (Proverbs 25:2-3). In this case, the observations pertain to kings. Then, after a few more observations, comes the specific admonitions: “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble” (Proverbs 25:6-7). The admonitions are connected to the subject matter of the preceding observations, which in this case was about kings. So, for each grouping of observations, there is a matching group of admonitions.

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was the focused emphasis concerning fools. There is much said about fools throughout most of the Book of Proverbs, but Proverbs 26:1-12 seems to have a concentrated cluster of observations and admonitions related specifically to the fool. Proverbs does not provide a succinct definition of a fool, but many descriptions of a fool are offered. The first decription that the Book of Proverbs states is: “fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7b).

Proverbs 26 opens with some general observations about a fool: “Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool” (Proverbs 26:1). This proverbial saying is very representative of how proverbial saying functions in terms of how they impart wisdom. They are set in images, which require thought and reflection to make sense of. In case of this particular proverbial saying, we have to mull over the notion of snow in the summer as well as the notion of rain during the harvest. In the case of snow in the summer, such a phenomenon is unlikely. In the case of rain during the harvest, such an incident is unwelcome. Like both of these weather anomalies, so the thought of honoring a fool is unlikely to happen, but also should be considered unwelcome. But there is something more fitting for the fool: “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools” (Proverbs 26:3). Generally speaking, there are inappropriate ways to treat a fool and there are appropriate ways to treat a fool.

Proverbs 26 then moves from general observations about a fool to some specific admonitions concerning a fool: “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” (Proverbs 26:4-5). At first glance, these two proverbial sayings seem to offer contradictory counsel. But these two proverbial sayings are not contradictory. Both are true. In fact, they provide additional practical insight to grasp the meaning of proverbial sayings. Proverbial sayings require making careful, nuanced distinctions. There are times when we must open our mouths and say something to a fool and there are times when we must hold our tongue before a fool. Wisdom to know which one to do in which situation requires more than merely being about to recite the proverbial sayings; wisdom provides the moral perspective and skill needed to decipher which is needed in any particular instance. Wisdom grasps that a wrong word spoken in the wrong way at the wrong time is costly, just as wisdom knows that the right word spoken in the right way at the right time is invaluable. Wisdom consists of deciphering difficult and delicate matters. Thus, there are times when responding to a fool would only make us look foolish; however, there are times when responding to a could be useful to show the fool that he is not as wise as he otherwise thought.

Proverbs 26 resumes with additional general observations about a fool. These observations are insightful, but two provide intriguing insight concerning the usefulness of a fool merely possessing a proverbial saying: “Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools…Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools” (Proverbs 26:7,9). These sayings too are set in images, which require thought and reflection to make sense of. A fool possessing a proverbial saying is as useful as a lame man who has legs. He has legs but they are of no use to him. In fact, a fool possessing a proverbial saying can not only be useless, it can also be as dangerous. A drunkard may have a thorn in his hand that needs immediate attention, but in his numbed state he is unaware of the danger he may be in due to infection and/or other physical damage. But in the case of a fool ready to fire off a proverbial saying, the damage he may be causing will probably be toward someone else because of his misapplication of the saying that he uses.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe