'...but fools despise wisdom and instruction'

Pro 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
Pro 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
Pro 1:3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
Pro 1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
Pro 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Pro 1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

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Fools despise wisdom and instruction.


wisdom-


H2451
chokma?h
khok-maw'
From H2449; wisdom (in a good sense): - skillful, wisdom, wisely, wit.


instruction-


H4148
mu?sa?r
moo-sawr'
From H3256; properly chastisement; figuratively reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint: - bond, chastening ([-eth]), chastisement, check, correction, discipline, doctrine, instruction, rebuke.


Not many people truly consider themselves foolish. Oh, some might like to "act" the fool, but in "acting" they are only pretending to be the fool, playing the part of a fool to get laughs and whatnot. But a person never likes to consider themselves a real fool, a person who is by definition someone who is deficient in judgment, acting unwisely. Yet how many people despise wisdom and instruction? How many people abhor being chastized or corrected? People don't like being corrected because they feel they are being called stupid, they are being made to look the fool because they NEED correction. Needing correction means you were doing something wrong and who likes to be thought of as doing wrong, of being unwise.


Sure we have criminals who spend their lives in wrong doing yet to them they justify their deeds in one way or another. That criminal would even despise instruction and chastizing by being told they are committing their atrocities in a less effiecent manner. Forget the fact the act itself is wrong, they wouldn't want to be criticized on how they go about doing their wrong.


I know I don't like being made to look like a fool and I feel foolish and laughed at, ridiculed, when I'm caught even innocently doing something unintentionally stupid. It's no wonder we are told this--


'...but fools despise wisdom and instruction'


It's easy to despise wisdom and instruction when it makes you appear like a fool, and yet you are a fool in despising wisdom and instruction.


Yes, on the surface that seems like a very good proverb there and we readily agree to it but at the same time it's sooooooo incredibly easy to to just that- despise wisdom and instruction because being full of pride we never like being wrong and worse yet, we never like being laughed at and made to feel a fool, to feel stupid, by others when we are wrong.


The other day I mentioned that it's hard not to consider myself stupid when I'm constantly reminded of my failings and ridiculed for them- even if the one doing the ridiculing isn't doing so with malicious intent but rather for self-amusement. Perhaps I need to contemplate more this saying - 'but fools despise wisdom and instruction', and when the instruction comes as it always does as it points out my failings, I should just by the grace of God be thankful for the instruction and pray that I learn from my mistakes not despising the wisdom and instruction.


In an ideal world people wouldn't be amused at the foolishness of others, they wouldn't laugh at each others mistakes making the person feel deficient, but we CAN'T change anyone else, we can't even really change ourselves, we need to seek Christ and pray He changes us to be the people He would have us be in Him. Wishing others were different means wishing we ourselves were different because we are all guilty of also being the one instigation another's despising of wisdom and instruction.


By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, In His love now and forever.


Amen.