If You Think That's Foolish

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We know that Solomon weighed and studied and arranged many proverbs with great care (Ecclesiastes 12:9). He “sought to find words of delight, and uprightly wrote words of truth” (12:10). He was an early, if not the original, wordsmith. According to 1 Kings 4:32 we know that he spoke at least 3000 proverbs. I figure he especially enjoyed his work in Proverbs 26.

Any one of these verses can stand on its own with plenty of prodding pointiness (like the goads in Ecclesiastes 12:11). That’s not surprising for a collection of short, pithy statements. Proverbs are more often bite-sized servings than full-meal deals. But what we have in the first half of this chapter are little less than a dozen smaller points that make a bigger point that, after a few more details, makes an even bigger point.

It’s one of those movies that you have to watch all the way to the end, maybe even one where you miss something if you don’t watch all the credits. It’s tempting to stop too soon, to see an earlier peak and quit climbing. We’ll try to avoid that tonight.

Verses 1-11 have been called the portrait of a fool or even the Book of Fools (Toy, 471). The fool is a key player in the book of Proverbs, mentioned more often than any other character. It’s not hard to see a pattern in his resume.

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
so honor is not fitting for a fool. (verse 1)

Two points are made about how fools and honor don’t belong together. Honor for a fool is like snow in summer ; it doesn’t fit. It’s out of place and you’re probably underdressed for it. It’s like trying to force a Lego block into a table-top puzzle. Also, honor for a fool is like rain in harvest ; not only doesn’t it fit, it ruins. Too much shoving the Lego block will mangle the cardboard puzzle like too much rain would destroy the crops. So honor for a fool is inappropriate and destructive. Why? Because the fool will start to think he’s the boss. Elevating incompetency doesn’t fix anything, it is the first of many more problems.

Like a sparrow in its flitting,
like a swallow in its flying,
a curse that is causeless does not alight. (verse 2)

Verse 2 is the only verse that doesn’t explicitly mention the fool but, in context and in content, the verse applies to the fool. The birds are aimless, or apparently aimless in their flight patterns. There’s a lot of movement and no benefit. A curse that is causeless does not alight or it doesn’t stick. It doesn’t do any good. Fools are the ones who use a lot of words without saying anything or making a point, even when they’re fired up about something.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the back of fools. (verse 3)

A horse, if it’s a wild one, needs training or perhaps needs some “encouragement” to get going. That training comes in the form of pain through a whip . A donkey, characterized by its stubborness, needs a bridle to give it some direction. Dumb animals understand brute force, so also a rod for the back of fools . Fools are notorious for being hard of hearing and, worse, impossible to reason with. A good beating is something they understand.

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. (verses 4-5)

These two verses clearly belong together except for the fact that they don’t. They appear to be saying the exact opposite things. If they weren’t right next to each other we’d have to assume that one of them was not inspired. You know Solomon smiled putting this in here. How do you answer a fool? Not according to his folly, but according to his folly. It’s the ultimate “pastor answer,” yes and no.

Verse 4 instructs us not to stoop to the fool’s level. Disregard their foolishness by not answering in the same way. Don’t become a fool to deal with a fool. “Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly” (Proverbs 17:12). It can and will go badly if you fight fire with foolishness. Tune them out rather than take what they say to heart.

Verse 5 requires us to love the fool and mock the foolishness. The NAS translates, “Answer a fool as his folly deserves.” I think that is a horrible translation, but a good interpretation. Sometimes, wisdom returns a sharp answer in hopes that the fool will be ashamed. There are times that it’s appropriate to call a spade a fool, for their own sake and for others around us.

Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. (verse 6)

Before text messages or telephones or even the USPS, sharing information was not always direct or certain. To get words from your lips (or fingertips) to another’s ears (or eyes) usually required a go-between. Choosing to send a message by the hand of fool was counterproductive. To “cut off your own feet” means to remove your own footing. Now you can’t move anymore. To “drink violence” means to have a warm glass of “you’re an idiot and now everyone knows it.” Here is a case where, if you want something done right, whatever you do, don’t send a fool.

Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. (verse 7)

This proverb evokes sympathy for the paralyzed. Legs are useful; we shouldn’t take them for granted. They stand us up, move us around, all sorts of good things. A lame man can’t use his legs, they hang useless . So useless is a proverb in the mouth of fools . Proverbs are quite useful in a normal setting. And fools will use them as effectively as a crippled man dances (Martin Luther). In other words, don’t hold your breath waiting for a fool to do the wisdom waltz.

Like one who binds the stone in the sling
is one who gives honor to a fool. (verse 8)

Solomon returns to the issue of honor. In his position, we might imagine that he saw more than his fair share of men who didn’t deserve the honor of being honored. Some of the plushest offices in Administration departments are chaired by fools. In verse 1, Solomon said honor for fools wasn’t appropriate and could be damaging. Here he picks up the damaging idea and puts it in the context of obvious stupidity. To bind the stone in the sling was to super-glue your bullet in your gun. The rock is meant to be thrown out of the sling, not sewed in permanently. And when would you be using a sling? In battle or at least in a threatening situation. Not only would your weapon be useless, it may swing around and hit your own head.

Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
is a proverb in the mouth of fools. (verse 9)

We might think that fools would run from proverbs. Only sort of. A fool may find a proverb that he likes, but it’s like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard . A fool picks up anything he thinks he can use, even though he doesn’t realize how it hurts himself. A drunk may pick up a thorn-stick and just sticks himself. At least he’s drunk so it doesn’t hurt as bad.

Like an archer who wounds everyone
is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. (verse 10)

This wisdom applies to employers. Fools make bad employees. If you want to make life miserable for everyone, hire a passing fool or drunkard . You know the fools’ resume; it’s been provided in the first 9 verses. Fools wound everyone like one who shoots bows and arrows into a crowd.

If you think all that is foolish, if it seems ridiculous, you’re right. But that’s just the rim of the puke pot.

Like a dog that returns to his vomit
is a fool who repeats his folly. (verse 11)

Solomon probably enjoyed this one, too. It’s disgusting. It’s unimaginable, almost. But not only do you know the verse, you know dogs and you know vomit and you know people who can’t see that they’re walking in the thick and chunky of it. No matter how many times they’ve gagged on their own throw up before, a fool repeats his folly , he can’t stay away from coming back and watching the train wreck of his own foolishness.