Today’s passage will conclude this series on Proverbs 1-9. As we can see from the series up to this point, chapters 1-9 serve as a foundation for making use of the wisdom found in the book. God is the only source of wisdom, and He gives it to those saved in Christ. The way of wisdom also parallels the way of Christ, and wisdom itself also foreshadows and points to Christ, both in His deity and earthly ministry. In this, the goals of Christ’s coming and that of wisdom are the same, and to grow in Christlikeness entails growing in God’s wisdom, as found in His Word. Thus, all the wisdom of Proverbs (and even beyond Proverbs, to the rest of Scripture) is to be read through that frame, and not as something secular, or as something that can be employed or followed apart from God’s express gift of His wisdom. Likewise, God’s wisdom is learned only from His Word, but then applied to all of life. Its content entails obeying His commands from a new heart directed only at Him, thereby growing toward singular loyalty to God in all one’s heart (our whole person). This entails loving the One God with all one’s heart, soul, and strength, and our neighbours as ourselves; being a command that includes within it all the commands of God, summarizing all that He would desire of us. That is also growing in the fear of the Lord (increasing our estimation of Him), which is the beginning of God’s wisdom. We can find all of this taught in the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit to work this out in us. Thus, by this grace, we are to work out our salvation in fear and trembling, growing in all sound wisdom and judgement to the pleasure and glory of the Father. That is the context for the wisdom of Proverbs, and the rest of the Scriptures.
Today’s passage is actually found between the two passages covered last time, contrasting lady Wisdom and woman Folly. It shows how those pursuing wisdom are to regard and respond to the foolish and wicked. The two parties are not merely to shout at each other and fight. No, that would be folly. Instead, there is a wiser course of action. Did you notice a pattern in both the discourses of lady Wisdom and woman Folly? Who were both appealing to? They were not appealing to each other, but to the simple. Those given over to foolishness (wickedness) hate God’s wisdom, and would love nothing more than to destroy it. Likewise, those pursuing God’s wisdom hate all foolish and evil, and would love to see it destroyed. In light of this, here is our passage,
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. 11 For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. 12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
So, Wisdom calls out to the simple, and wisdom itself is best taught for those already seeking it. The simple have not yet entrenched themselves in the hatred of the good and in the love of evil (they have not yet been given over to their base desires). Likewise, people can only make use of the wisdom of God if they already have a new heart. Jesus said this for good reason, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Matt. 7:6). He did not say this to be mean, but to show that the wicked cannot receive the wisdom of God. God would have to first give them new hearts (He would have to save them first, which would then open their eyes to wisdom). By contrast, the simple (including unbelievers), not yet having developed a hatred for the good, would be much more open to learning about wisdom, even if they cannot yet practice it themselves. He may give the simple a glimpse of the majesty and goodness of God. At this juncture, having heard the truth, the simple cannot remain simple. God (when He wills) uses the wisdom of His Word to draw them to Himself, producing a conviction in them of the truth, that then leads to repentance. They must either pursue wisdom or evil, and they eventually become given over to one or the other.
It may strike many in our time as odd that reproving a wise man leads to him loving the reprover, or that instructing a wise person in wisdom will lead to his growing in wisdom (verses 8-9). We are so programmed in Western culture to view all reproof and rebuke as something to be scorned and avoided. It is as though we think, “How could that person have the gall to correct me? Who does he think that he is? Does he think that I am stupid or something?” Yet, this attitude betrays a haughty and arrogant attitude, not unlike that of a scoffer and foolish person. We tend to think that we should either never be reproved or rebuked, or that this should only ever happen rarely from a very special class of people—either from “professionals” we do not know (where we can pick and choose impersonally or on our terms, such as in a book or article), or from those rare people we personally deem as very wise in the world (such as a grandfather or experienced individual). Yet, such an attitude is far from the response of a wise man. As strange as it may sound to our ears, we ought to accept reproof and rebuke from almost anyone, and especially from those wise in the fear of the Lord. And we ought to not only accept that reproof or rebuke, but love the wisdom and potential growth that can come out of it. Think of it this way: If we are truly pursuing godly wisdom with all our hearts, then we will not really care so much how or from whom we get it. Yes, we learn discernment between good and evil, and this according to the Word of God. Yet, those loving and pursuing God’s wisdom will learn to recognize it. Their conscience and convictions will be inflamed whenever the wisdom of God is brought before them, and having wisdom brought to bear on their conduct and lives will only serve to help them to apply it better, thereby becoming wiser still. This again qualifies the wisdom that we are to love in reproof and rebuke: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (verse 10). We are to hate all counterfeit wisdom and that which leads away from the express wisdom of God (even such counterfeits that come in the guise of true wisdom in rebuke and reproof, which only move to serve evil). However, if we love wisdom, then we too will become more and more inclined to praise and love those who help us to become more godly, showing humility and looking beyond the initial sting that such a reproof may bring. We will find ourselves being very thankful for those that God uses to help make us more like the Lord we love. Only good and divine blessing can come from wisdom, and this even amidst earthly difficulty.
Interestingly, the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) has an addition to verse 12: “My son, if thou wilt be wise for thyself, thou shalt be wise also for thy neighbors; but if thou turn out evil, thou alone shalt bear evil” (the Syriac and Arabic versions also have a very similar addition). The addition goes on, but this is suitable to show the spirit of the addition, yet retaining the meaning of the original Hebrew verse (Masoretic). The Septuagint includes being wise for helping others, which is certainly an idea taught in the passage on lady Wisdom, and in seeking to reprove those who need it. Those who love wisdom will desire to see it grow in others, and not merely in oneself. By saying “you are wise for yourself,” the text is not saying “wisdom is only valuable for yourself” or that it should be kept to oneself. What love, after all, is there to be from the wise man to the one who reproved him to yet further wisdom? Wisdom is for all who will hear wisdom’s call, and the wise love all that teach and further this wisdom. Wisdom is for the love of neighbour, but only certain ones will accept such love (assuming it is given out of true love for God and for their souls or edification). I won’t get into this now, but Proverbs does have a very strong theme of loving one’s neighbours as a natural outworking of wisdom. In this, wisdom can very much benefit our neighbours. Yet, there is a sense in which one’s wisdom is most directly beneficial to oneself, since such a one can be the only one who applies and makes use of that wisdom. Even if we were to share that wisdom with others, it would only benefit them as far as it becomes internalized in themselves. So, we are the most directly involved in the pursuit of wisdom ourselves, and the one pursuing wisdom stands the most to gain from such a pursuit. By contrast, even if we were to carefully package wisdom for others and seek to model it with utmost care, if they are not also pursuing wisdom, then it will be of little benefit to them. Likewise, such wisdom may only be as valuable scraps of bread when compared to their broader pursuit of God’s wisdom (the feast of God), assuming that they have learned (and practice) to actively pursue this wisdom themselves. Thus, just as we cannot change others’ hearts (only God can do that), so, by this effect, when we become wise we mostly benefit ourselves (keeping our hearts on God). Yet, just as we ought to see all believers become as Christ, so we should share God’s wisdom for their benefit: loving our neighbours as we love ourselves; wanting to see the same growing pursuit of God’s wisdom develop in them as we see growing in ourselves. By contrast, only terrible consequences await scoffers and revilers, and only they will suffer the true consequences of that disposition. So, in wisdom there is great personal benefit (and the love of neighbour), but in scoffing (following the way of woman folly) there are only negative repercussions, even eternal death and despair.
This concludes our Bedrock of Proverbs series. I hope and pray that this has been a good call to wisdom for the simple, and a good catalyst to those pursuing wisdom. May we together pursue the express wisdom of God from His Word, and grow in our fear and estimation of Him to the honour and glory of the Father. Amen.