Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Proverbs: Day 26 - Solomon's Target Market - [Chapter 26]

Solomon must be getting toward the end of his wisdom - not meaning that he is running out of things to say, but he really is hitting hard against people he calls "the fools", "sluggards", and those who "gossip".  The entire chapter 26 are verses devoted to speaking against these types of persons.  Let's take a look at these characters that Solomon has targeted as people who we are not to be like.

Fool: As I mentioned, Solomon has a lot to say about fools.  Today the word fool usually means “a senseless fellow, a dullard.”  For our purposes here, we are also working with the biblical definition which has the added dimension of “someone who disregards God’s Word.”  Solomon generally contrasts a fool with one who is wise.

Sluggard: According to today's dictionary, a sluggard is a lazy, sluggish person - a ne'er-do-well, layabout, do-nothing, idler, loafer, lounger, good-for-nothing, shirker, underachiever.  Doesn't sound like someone with high aspirations, does it?  For Solomon, this kind of person is a procrastinator - putting things off that could and should be done.  But there is always a reason for the apathetic attitude that the sluggard portrays.

Gossip: This person is one who demonstrates idle talk or likes to share rumors, especially about the personal or private affairs of others.  I remember the first week I was in ministry in a small town in west central Minnesota.  I was at the coffee shop where everyone from the community gathered.  Everyone talked about everyone.  I was told that "because we are a small community, there's no use in not talking about it because we're going to find out about it anyway, so we're not gossips".  it was true - most times everyone knew the local news five minutes after it happened.  Solomon shares the primary intent of persons who gossip as the distinguishing mark.  Are they lifting another person up or just wanting to make themselves look good?  Even if someone means no harm, gossip is still gossip.

So we get the primary idea.  Solomon's wisdom says quite clearly do not be like these persons!  And yet, unmistakably, we are.  At least at times, we are.  Tell me if there aren't moments when you disregard God's Word?  What about those times when we put off what we might do right now?  And who among us hasn't listened to the latest dish on someone?  True enough - we have our moments just like these characters from Solomon's time.  Humanity hasn't changed at all over the years.

I suppose it would be pretty easy to just say don't be like them.  A quote that is attributed to either Abraham Lincoln or Mark Twain might say it all...

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool
than to speak and to remove all doubt."

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