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The Fool Page 2 (The Fool Continued)
The Fool Continued
· Proverbs 23:9
o “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words”
§ That passage seems to speak for itself, but how might that relate to Former President Trump?
· Proverbs 26:4-8
o “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
§ I taught this in a recent Sunday School class based on the book “The Ultimate Proof of Creation” by Jason Lisle.
§ In that study Jason Lisle suggests that if try to argue against the folly of a fool you will become like him and in so doing you will also be like the fool.
o “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
§ If you speak the truth from the Word of God to a fool about his folly, he will become wise.
o “ … Like one who binds a stone in a sling is he who gives honor to a fool.”
§ He who gives honor to a fool will be dragged down into the realm of the fool.
I am sure that you will no doubt be offended and be insulted that I seem be calling you fools. You may even criticize me or say that I am the one being hypocritical. But it is worth thinking about:
· Do we become as fools when we are complacent in refusing to hear the truth?
· Do we become as false witnesses if we give credence to the lies of a fool; therefore becoming fools?
· “he who begats a scoffer, does so at his own sorrow.”
So, are you being hypocritical if as it appears that you or anyone is doing when you refuse to listen or acknowledge that the truth might actually be different than that which you willfully choose to accept as the truth?
In another instance during a recent Bible Study, we got on the subject of how many people had died from COVID-19. In the context of that discussion, I said, “Tell that to the 170,000 people who had died.” I was immediately rebuked by another person in the Bible Study at that time who said, “The 170,000 figure that had died was an ‘exaggeration.’” I would assume that it was Fox News that had reported that the figure was an exaggeration or that the “actual” number was less. Trump continued to downplay the coronavirus and Fox News continued to coddle him; however, the doctors and hospitals reported that at that time there were at least 170,000 deaths and perhaps even more. I choose to believe them, not Fox News or President Trump.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Are you doing that when you give credence to the lies of Donald Trump? Are you testing the spirits to see whether they are from God?
· 1 John, Chapter 4 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
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The last two verses summarize the rest of the cited passage in 1 John Chapter 4:
· “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God … They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32
· This verse, of course, pertains to knowing the truth about Jesus.
· However, I would submit that it certainly could also apply to what you believe as pertaining to the lies and misleading statements from our leaders, both past and present.
· It has been said that if you speak only the truth you don’t have to remember the lie that you spoke previously.
Would that apply to what we believe about Trump and his seemingly baseless proclamations?