Folly is Foolishness
Nancy Redmond
The 26th chapter of Proverbs is broken into sections that intertwine or overlap in theory. It opens by highlighting some out of the ordinary occurrences such as snow in the summer or rain in harvest (v. 1-3) to call attention to what is going to be stated next. Offering words of wisdom Solomon admonishes the reader to refrain from engaging in conversation with a person when they are lacking good sense. They are often irrational, belligerent, unreasonable, arrogant and more. He refers to it as being in their folly and calls him a fool. He describes various scenarios that give clarity to foolish things (v. 6-10). In this state the person is so engaged in themselves and their perceived knowledge that there is no openness to logical reasoning. By doing so you are lowering yourself to their level and they become seemingly wise in their own sights. At this point they continue to walk in error being thoroughly convinced they are right (v. 11-12).
Here there is a shift from the fool to the lazy person. What is the connection between the two? The scripture describes the actions of the lazy person (v.13-15). The writer is showing how both are foolish yet both see themselves and their actions as being wise (v.16).
The remainder of the chapter deals with the tongue and how we interact with one another. We are admonished to check our hearts. The heart controls the actions of the person including the speech. What is in the heart will find its way to the surface.
© 2015 by Nancy Redmond. All Rights Reserved.
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