Foolish Speaking or Deep Understanding?

Proverbs 18:1-13

1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all wise judgment.

2 A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.

3 When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;
And with dishonor comes reproach.

4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;
The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,
Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool's lips enter into contention,
And his mouth calls for blows.

7 A fool's mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the inmost body.

9 He who is slothful in his work
Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe.

11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own esteem.

12 Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,
And before honor is humility.

13 He who answers a matter before he hears it,
It is folly and shame to him.

Do we exercise foolish speaking or deep understanding?  That is the question.  The ones who see only their own perspective (Deuteronomy 12:8-9) and ignore God’s wisdom and understanding rage against all wise judgment.  Why do the nations rage obstinately?  They rage against the Lord and His Christ (Psalm 2:1-2) to separate themselves from God’s rule (Psalm 2:3) without understanding or acknowledging His sovereign omnipotent reign over us all.  As Psalm 2:12 tells us, we should instead hold to the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) who is the living Word (John 1:1, 14) and embrace Him for safety from our due judgment of His wrath on our sin.  The fool denies and rejects this understanding and is therefore unwise and lacks the delight we who are in Christ have in the understanding we have been given by grace.  The foolish can only spout their own philosophy and wisdom of their own making, choosing to deceive themselves (Jeremiah 9:5-6) and refusing to know the wise one.  Such wickedness only results in contempt, dishonor, and disgrace for the ones reusing God’s wisdom in understanding His word because they are devoid of His Spirit and reject Him.  Wisdom, however, comes bubbling up from a heart rooted in deep words from God as an overflowing well, not showing favoritism to the evil or unfair justice against the righteous (Deuteronomy 16:19)  as the fool does in his own set of rules to his own whim or advantage.  The fool seeks arguments and seeks to start fights over the lies set against the righteousness of truth and wisdom, only to trap themselves in their sin.  We are not to engage with them nor become like them.  The gossip and slanderous tales of the unrighteous sound good and many find he flavor appealing, but the end of that way is only death (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25).  They also are lazy in avoiding understanding and reap the rewards of doing nothing by obtaining nothing but destruction in the end.  Ah, but the LORD is our strength and protection for eternity, a safe haven for the righteous to run to for help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16), and the everlasting treasure of security.  Those without that fortress of wisdom find their pride pulls them down because they value that over humility and honor in God’s grace.  Yes, they answer before hearing God’s questions and reap folly and shame; if we are wise and understanding, we listen and learn from God’s word to gain a heart of wisdom instead (Psalm 90:12) as we humbly value the days given us in mercy and grace.  Amen!