The wise store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.
Summary: What is knowledge? The answer to that question leads us to turn to God. Only God truly “knows” all that there is to know.
Once again, Solomon compares the wise to the foolish. The wise are prone to things that are healthy, the fools tend to “invite ruin.” To “store up knowledge” is indeed wise, but there is something that the wise know that the fool does not: that is the difference between true knowledge and foolish noise.
True knowledge is more than a simple fact. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day, for example, possessed many facts. The difference between facts and the knowledge of the wise is measured in degrees of truth. Wise people understand the limits of their knowledge.
John’s Gospel records an interesting encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees (John 7: 14-24). In it, Jesus chides the Pharisees for “knowing” the law but not keeping it (John 7: 19). They “knew” the words of the law but did not understand its meaning. Jesus admonishes them to “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly” (John 7:24).
We have discussed the nature of knowledge before in “What is Knowledge?” and “God Knows.” In these essays, we touch on the nature of knowledge. Knowledge is more than knowing about something. Knowing something involves a personal knowledge of whatever it is we are talking about.
For example, the Pharisees claimed to “know” the laws of Moses (John 9:29). Jesus, on the other hand, actually knew Moses (John 8:58, Luke 9:30). Moses, for his part, wasn’t speaking on his own but instead was speaking for God (Exodus 7: 1-2). God, as it turns out, happens to be Jesus. So Jesus knows what the intent of Moses’ words was because they were his words.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee who was wise enough to know that Jesus was someone special (John 3:2). Instead of telling Jesus that he should obey the laws of humans, he had the smarts to ask Jesus about his teachings.
Recognizing that God actually knows the answers to our questions is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).
Application: Follow the example of Nicodemus: ask and listen.
Food for Thought: What comes out of the mouth of a fool and why does it lead to ruin?
Whatever comes out of the mouth of “a fool” is likely not going to be God’s word used correctly. Thus, the fool is speaking from a secular world view and is not speaking God’s truth. They are speaking lies. To follow them leads away from God and His truth and ends up at a bad place.
Rich,
Thank you for pointing out the importance of our viewpoint. Looking at Scripture from a worldly view changes everything. Looking at Scripture through the eyes of the heart opens the mind’s door to understanding.
Hi
Hi Earl
04-24-2022, Proverbs 10:14, What comes out of the mouth of a fool and why does it lead to ruin?
Wisdom comes from God and is seen in those who by faith understand and live in obedience to the knowledge He has given. To simply know does not make one wise. Many know a great deal, and spend their time puffing themselves up. They are quick to speak and slow to listen, which makes them greater fools.
Proverbs 12:15, 18:2, 28:26, Romans 1:21-22
As James 1:22 tells us, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.”
Amen, brother Ron!
I would add, for those who might be new to the faith, “doers of the Word” does not mean that we are judged by what we do in a legalistic sense. It means that believing in God causes us to make choices God approves of. Each of us are at a difference place in our walk so doing the Word of God might look different for each of us. What is common to all believers is that what we do is to please God rather than ourselves. (John 8:15)
Great add on brother Jeff. As a few of us older guy’s remember,
” You talk the talk. but can you walk the walk?”
So……. some of us are kinda new walking this path. When being doers of the word and the word says to be fruitful, salt, and light……… it doesn’t mean hand out fruit to people, salt the roads when it’s all frozen, and replace lightbulbs to brighter ones?
LOL!!
Brother Tim – Two Gold Stars!!
🌟 🌟
I’d like to briefly comment on your application today. Ask AND listen. Doing both is important and quite possibly the difference between a wise man and a foolish man in disguise.
A wise man sees his limit, asks for instruction, listens and acts upon advice given to him.
A foolish man perhaps sees that things turn out differently for another, asks why, and then ignores the advice given when he realizes that he doesn’t like it.
A,
Thank you for the additional comment. Your observation is spot on.
🙂