A fool hellbent on folly ...

---

We don't expect eloquence from fools, nor do we expect lies from our leaders. A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense does more than a whack on the head of a fool. Better to meet a grizzly robbed of her cubs than a fool hellbent on folly. What's this? Fools out shopping for wisdom! They wouldn't recognize it if they saw it! Having a fool for a child is misery; it's no fun being the parent of a dolt. The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard; fools look for it everywhere but right here. Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they're smart. -Proverbs 17:7,10,12,16,21,24,28 MSG

---

Solomon writes profusely about fools sharing many proverbs about the behaviors of foolish people and foolish actions of those who think themselves to be wise. He usually contrasts foolishness with wisdom and speaks plainly to us about how to avoid acting like a fool. In these verses Solomon tells us that lying is a foolish act and teaches us that wise people will receive a rebuke. He opines about foolish children and compares fools to dolts and dunces.

When I consider what it means to be a fool I remember how King David described a fool, in two different psalms, as one who says in their heart that "There is no God." It speaks to me about how foolishness, like wisdom, is a matter of the heart and not the head - some of the most brilliant people are fools. These who profess to be wise reveal their foolish hearts when they spout atheistic drivel. For these it is true that they seem wise when they keep quiet.

Help us Lord to live from our wise hearts. Keep us from foolish words and foolish acts.

---