Learning From The Way Of The Fool, Part 4
4/21/2024
Turn with me to Proverbs 17:14-15. These are our verses to study and memorize this week.
Proverbs 17:14-15 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out. 15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.
Introduction
Here in Proverbs 17:7-26 we are looking at lessons from the ways of fools. As we conclude the first section there, dealing with the fool’s unjust behavior, we are looking at two more dangerous behaviors for us to avoid.
Do you find that your arguments or disagreements sometimes escalate into big issues? Do some comments or actions of others really get under your skin and turn into big problems? Do you have to have things go your way? Do you fly off the handle or get bent out of sorts when they do not? To help us deal with these issues in verse 14 we will see the foolishness of quarreling and contention.
Do you sometimes make excuses for the wicked because they promote and agree with other issues that you agree with, because you like them, or maybe because they are family? Do you sometimes condemn righteous behavior or twist the actions and words of others to look bad because they did something else you did not like? Do you sometimes minimize and excuse your own sin to feel better about yourself, or disparage the righteous because you feel they make you look bad? To help us deal with these issues in verse 15 we will see the foolishness of promoting injustice.
Let’s take a look now at these two proverbs more closely to see what God would have us learn.
14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
Strife escalates like gasoline on a fire, so put away an arguing spirit before its raging fire destroys everything in its path.
The word for “beginning” there is often used in reference to the firstborn child which opened the womb. It also is used of carvings in Solomon’s temple which depicted flowers which had opened up into blossoms. So it has to do with the opening up or beginning of something greater. In our proverb the picture that we have is of water breaking out. The beginning of a quarrel, the start of it, is like that little crack or hole in a dam that is spraying out water. It may start out small like that, but with the full force of the weight of all that water behind it the little spray of water does not stay that way. The pressure exploits that small hole and makes it bigger until the whole dam gives way. The water then comes crashing through wiping away everything in its path. That is what the beginning of strife is like. That is what arguments are like when anger and frustration are pent up behind them.
Some people deal with issues by simply ignoring them and stuffing them to the side. Then, as the issues, anger, and frustration builds, an issue comes up that is finally addressed. It is the straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back. As the issue then escalates everything that has built up over time breaks loose and comes crashing down destructively into the relationship. That is one way this can occur.
In other people an issue occurs and is brought up. But when it breaks out into an argument selfishness and pride take over. The person must have their way. The issue becomes a war. Winning at any cost becomes the focus. Anything and everything becomes fair game to make the point or get what is wanted. Manipulation or abuse may occur. Self-control is lost. Passions are inflamed. Voices are raised. Physical altercations may even break out. A quarrel ends up creating havoc, destroying relationships, and causing lasting consequences. The issue itself may or may not be very consequential. Regardless, it gets blown way out of proportion in the response. As Proverbs 15:17 says:
Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute.
In light of all that, a command is given to us here in Proverbs 17:14: abandon the quarrel. In these chapters of Proverbs a command is quite rare. So that stands out as rather unusual. Usually a command is only implied. Instead, statements of fact are given from which we are to learn our needed lesson. In this case, though, the command is clearly given and is quite direct. We are to abandon, leave, forsake, cut off, stop the dispute, feud, or lawsuit. We are not to let it escalate recklessly. The place to stop quarrelling is at the beginning, as soon as it becomes apparent that an issue is developing into a destructive fight instead of a constructive discussion.
Many of our quarrels, where tempers and frustrations are escalating, really have at their root our own selfishness. Therefore, the person willing to lay aside selfishness, preferences, and the pursuit of what is nicest for oneself can readily defuse the issue and prevent it from becoming a larger problem. Many other times our quarrels come about because of the way that we are dealing with an issue. It is not wrong to disagree, but the way that we respond to disagreements can definitely be. We should not let go of holding on to what is right or to one’s convictions. However, we should abandon the quarrelling aspect, the angry demeanor, the selfish insistence, or other destructive behavior that has gotten intertwined with the issue. We should deal with it in a humble, honest, loving way.
That being said, in abandoning quarrels we must not let that spread into avoiding issues altogether or allowing injustice. Our very next proverb highlights that with its declaration that God views the wicked being exonerated and the righteous being condemned as abominable. All of this means that there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with issues. The wrong way, the foolish way, will be catastrophic. Meanwhile, the right way avoids quarreling, but still maintains justice in condemning the wicked and maintaining the innocence of the righteous.
We need to realize that the quarrel can be abandoned without the truth being abandoned. Sometimes that might mean agreeing to disagree. Sometimes that might mean simply calming oneself down, discussing an issue more reasonably, and trying to work through it constructively. Sometimes that might mean getting help from someone else to help mediate the issue.
But make no mistake, other times it very well will mean giving up our rights, humbling ourselves, and accepting the “loss” to ourselves. We will do that by valuing the relationship, our testimony as believers, or other issues as of more importance than the quarrel and getting our way. As we humbly seek God’s wisdom, through His Word, He will guide us in applying this.
Fools do not live this way. They ruin their marriages by letting the beginning of strife develop into settled disputes and by handling their disagreements in wrong ways. Manipulations, abusive words and actions all work together to tear them apart and make them enemies. They ruin their relationships with their children by not being willing to admit where they were wrong, and by letting disagreements lead to reckless words and actions which rupture their relationships. They lose jobs by not being able to have self-control and rightly deal with issues that come up. They ruin friendships by letting petty issues become metaphorical nuclear war. Strife follows them.
Scriptural Example: In Scripture we see an example of this proverb in Israel and Edom’s relationship in Numbers 20:14-21. The Israelites had left Egypt and by God’s guidance were moving to enter the promised land of Canaan from farther north up above the Dead Sea. So the Israelites asked to pass through Edom’s land on the way there. They even offered to pay for any water they used. But when they were refused twice—even after careful entreaty—they simply turned away and went the longer route. They did not let the issue break into a quarrel or war. The Edomites were descendents of Esau and God did not want the Israelites fighting them. So they abandoned the dispute, overlooked the unreasonable behavior, and preserved what relationship they could by taking the more inconvenient route.
We also see a longsuffering example of this in the life of Isaac in Genesis 26:12-22.
Genesis 26:12-22 Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. 15 Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with earth. 16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.” 17 And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there. 18 Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. 22 He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
God blessed Isaac, but it brought about the envy and anger of those around him. First the Philistines filled up the wells his father dug. Then they outright told him to leave. But Isaac did not let that break into war. He did not become stubborn and dig in. He peacefully left. He abandoned the quarrel and moved on. He re-dug some other wells from his father’s time in the valley of Gerar. He also dug and found a flowing well or small spring. That would have been very valuable and helpful for his herds. But the other herdsman in that new location also quarreled and claimed it all as theirs. He moved on.
The quarrels kept coming until finally he had gotten far enough away that there were no more complaints. He could have claimed those older wells from his father’s time as rightfully his. He could have claimed the spring as one he had made, but he did not consider fighting for his rights worth the lives it would have cost to fight for it. He cared more for other people than for his rights or possessions. He looked at the big picture. He trusted the Lord. Thus he abandoned the quarrel before it brought destruction, and then he praised God for His ultimate provision of a peaceful place to settle.
Proverb in Comparison: When we compare this proverb with the rest of Scripture James 1:19-20 immediately jumps out at us with wise guidance when disagreements arise.
James 1:19-20 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
Be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to anger. If we all followed these commands there would be far fewer quarrels. James 4:1-3 continues on and highlights the main motivating issue behind our conflicts.
James 4:1-3 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Our selfishness, lust, envy, and pride get us into all sorts of trouble when we let them control us.
Contrastingly, if we humbled ourselves, submitted to God, resisted the devil, drew near to God, cleansed our hands, and purified our hearts—as the later verses in that passage talk about—we would let go of our selfishness and be able to humbly deal with the issues in a way that honored God. That does not mean that all issues would be easily resolved, or come out like we wanted. But God will be honored. And that is what matters. 2 Timothy 2:22-26 gives us a picture of what that should look like in the lives of leaders in the church. It also is the perfect pattern for how all of us can pursue abandoning quarrels and handling issues rightly.
2 Timothy 2:22-26 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
All of us should run away from sin and pursue righteousness. We should refuse to engage in arguments over foolish speculation and empty debate. They just produce quarrels and strife that bring division and enmity. Instead, be kind. Be patient. Teach the truth. Gently correct those who have gone into sin and wrong belief in hopes of repentance and rescue from their errors.1
In the end, if we have gently done all that we can and people will not heed God’s Word then we turn it over to God. In church cases this is where church discipline comes in. We have to realize that their quarrel is not ultimately with us. It is with God and His Word. Isaiah 45:9 points out the danger and foolishness of that situation.
Isaiah 45:9 “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
Whether it is someone else, or we ourselves, as part of God’s creation we must all recognize God’s sovereign authority and perfect righteousness. None of us should be quarrelling or disagreeing with God. If we find ourselves quarreling with God’s Word, His will for our lives, or our circumstances then we would do well to immediately abandon that quarrel. Nothing good will come out of it.
Truth in Connection: As we apply this to our lives, we should first see that this is exactly what our sin does with God. It quarrels with Him. It is the beginning of strife that opens up into the bursting of the dam right in front of us. By it we will all carried away in the flood of God’s judgment. Our only hope is to abandon the quarrel. We must acknowledge our sin as the evil that it is before God, as the violation of His righteous commands, as the perversion of what God made for good into evil, as us saying that we know better than God, and as flat out being wrong and deserving of God’s eternal judgment. Turn from that and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Trust what He did on the cross as paying the penalty for your sin. Trust in Him for the resurrection and new life that He alone can give.
Then continue to walk in His wisdom for all the quarrels, strife, and disputes which arise in your life. Hold onto the truth and righteousness, but abandon selfishness, pride, manipulations, abuse and other wrong ways of dealing with disagreements. Let this radically transform and protect your relationship with your spouse, your children, your friends, your enemies, your coworkers, your acquaintances, the people who cut you off while driving, and everyone else. May we avoid and abandon the foolish, destructiveness of quarrels. Let them go. With our flesh it is not always easy, but it is God’s command.
Our second proverb highlights the foolishness of injustices.
15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.
God greatly hates injustice, whether it is the wicked being excused, or the righteous being abused.
This proverb ends this section’s mini focus on learning from the unjust behaviors of fools by directly returning to the issue. We started this focus in verse 8 where we saw the perspective of the fool. To them the manipulative, bribing unjust kind of life brings everything that is needed. Now we cap off this section by bringing in God’s perspective. He finds injustices to be an abomination. Whether it comes from the perverting of justice through bribes and manipulations as we saw in verse 8, through unjust gossip as we saw in verse 9, through ignoring just rebukes as verse 10 examined, through the outright rebellious seeking of evil as verse 11 discussed, through associating ourselves with the folly of the fools as verse 12 warned about, through the unjust repayment of good with evil as verse 13 decried, or through the unjust handling of disagreements as we just saw, God hates injustice.
This proverb proclaims that clearly and does not shy away from describing how God views injustice. It uses strong language. It is an abomination to Him. He despises it. He finds it loathsome. He finds it disgusting, revolting, repugnant, and repulsive.
Then to be even clearer, this proverb also highlights both ways that injustices occur. It can occur when the wicked are excused and go free, as well as when the righteous are condemned and punished.
In his commentary on Proverbs Bruce Waltke points out how this goes against the popular notion in our society that it is better to let 10 guilty people go free than to condemn one innocent person.2 That comparison is a false dichotomy. We do not have to oppose these two situations against each other. Rather, we need to work to make sure neither happen. Before God both situations are a travesty of justice. Both are an abomination to Him. The occurrence of either kind of injustice does great harm to a society. The wicked are allowed and encouraged to flourish when the guilty go free. Similarly, righteousness is suppressed and discouraged when the innocent are punished.
Since God views both avenues of injustice this way it is the utmost of foolishness to live in ways that condemn the righteous or exonerate the wicked. Unfortunately, injustices in both directions continue to happen each and every day and proclaim the great foolishness of individuals and nations.
Scriptural Example: In Scripture we see a number of examples of the condemnation of the righteous where God responded showing how he despised and judged that behavior. For instance:
Joseph was unjustly condemned by Potiphar and his wife for an assault that he did not commit. Joseph was imprisoned, but God intervened by setting him free and exalting him to be the highest ruler in the land after pharaoh (Genesis 41).
King Saul unjustly condemned and put to death a whole village of priests for helping David when he was fleeing Saul’s evil attempts on his life (1 Samuel 22). With that and all of his other disobediences God judged Saul, removed the kingship from his family line, and allowed him to be defeated and killed by the Philistines.
Uriah the Hittite was unjustly condemned and killed by David. For that God judged David and his family and then memorialized Uriah’s name for all time in the very genealogy of Jesus recorded in Matthew 1:6.
Ahab and Jezebel condemned Naboth with false charges and had him put to death for his vineyard. God judged them and their wicked family with violent deaths (1 Kings 21).
In the New Testament Jesus and Steven were both wrongly condemned and killed. What is interesting in their cases is that as they died both of them asked God to forgive the people (Luke 23:34, Acts 7:60). And God did indeed save a number of the people from among those who persecuted them. However, God still did judge those religious leaders and that generation which rejected Him. As Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:2 not one stone was left upon another in the temple. Rome destroyed the nation, leaders, and temple in A.D. 72.
On the other side of things Scripture also records a number of examples of the wicked who are seemingly declared innocent and rewarded. God also responded to those injustices.
In the Old Testament Absalom’s coup against David could be seen as the wicked being declared innocent when most of Israel followed him and went to war to fight against David. God did not approve at all. First He thwarted the counsel given to Absalom. Then he and 20,000 men from his army were killed in their defeat in battle (2 Samuel 18).
In the New Testament Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was vindicated and encouraged by the religious leaders who paid him to lead them to Jesus. Even when Judas was in some sense sorry for his actions later on they refused to take the money back. They were intent on condemning the righteous and exonerating themselves and other wicked-doers.
Their justification of the wicked extended beyond this to Barabbas. Barabbas was a robber who had taken part in a murderous insurrection. When Pilate attempted to free Jesus, having found Him innocent, the crowd demanded that Barabbas be freed instead. While we do not know historically what happened to Barabbas, we do know that Judas’ guilt ended up leading him to suicide. As we have already mentioned, God also judged the unrepentant religious leaders and the nation for their injustices.
Through all this we see that God finds injustices to be an abomination whether they happen to the innocent or the guilty. Ultimately He will bring justice. We will not truly get away with it. Thus to carry out injustices is a foolish way for us to live. We ought not condemn the righteous or justify the wicked.
Proverb in Comparison: When we compare this proverb with the rest of Scripture we see that being just is part of God’s character. In the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:3-4 Moses describes God this way:
Deuteronomy 32:3-4 “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; Ascribe greatness to our God! 4 “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.
Because of that, God’s people, all of His creation, ought to be just as well. We see this in the law in Exodus 23:6-8—
Exodus 23:6-8 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute. 7 “Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty. 8 “You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just. (cf. also 1 Kings 8:31-32 and Isaiah 5:20-25)
This is what was supposed to be true of Israel’s people and kings. While that did not always happen very well there it is what is perfectly true of God’s messianic king, Jesus. He will rule all nations righteously when He establishes His kingdom. This was prophesied in Psalm 45:6-7.
Psalm 45:6-7 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.
Hebrews 1 applies this directly to Jesus. Jesus, as God, will rule forever. His kingdom will come. He will stop every injustice. He will judge it and recreate this earth. He will institute His direct rule.
Indeed, His love of righteousness, as well as His hatred of wickedness is what brought Jesus to the earth in the first place in the incarnation. Being just, God would not allow sinful people into heaven. So to be both just and merciful He had to pay the full penalty of sin and remove it as He also imputed His righteousness to sinners. He would never ignore sin.
Likewise, this is why our sin had to be imputed to Jesus and willingly taken on by Himself. Unless He willingly took it upon Himself it would have been an injustice for God the Father to punish Jesus for it. Thus in John 10:14-18 Jesus said that no one took His life from Him. He gave it.
John 10:14-18 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 encapsulates this just act of God which has brought us salvation from our sin:
2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (cf. also Romans 3:23-26)
Truth in Connection: Thus as we apply this proverb to our lives we see at the foundational level that unless we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior to take away our sin and make us righteous we will remain under God’s judgment. God’s justice means He will not overlook our sin. It has to be justly removed and paid in full. Have you seen your sin in light of God’s justice? He views our sinful injustices as an abomination. Have you turned from that to trusting in Jesus to be made righteous? Trust Him today.
If we have trusted in Jesus and been declared righteous in God’s eyes because of what Jesus has done on our behalf, then we need to keep in mind how strongly He hates injustice. We need to continually remember the great extent that He went to in order to cleanse us from our sins—past, present, and future. He left the glory above that He eternally deserves to humbly serve and save us. He added on humanity, lived perfectly, and gave His life on behalf of all those who trust in Him. We need to let that continue to impact us so that we do not flippantly go back to our old ways of justifying wickedness and condemning the righteous. He died to redeem us from that and institute a perfectly just way to save us from our sins. May we then daily walk in wisdom and carefully hold onto justice in all situations.
When Jesus came He showed us that righteousness and justice go beyond the mere physical commission of sin to also include our sinful thoughts. Thus we should not excuse sin or condemn righteous behavior by our actions, words, or even thoughts. Do not support anyone or anything in such a way that it promotes any kind of injustice. It does not matter whether that is in relation to ourselves, our family, our church, our job, our government, or our preferred political candidate. Never excuse or justify any sin.
We must not even let ourselves get away with unjust thoughts. Confess them to God. Turn away from that way of thinking. Similarly, we should never condemn righteousness. When someone does what is right we should appreciate and support that action, even when it comes from a surprising source. We must have Jesus’ way of wisdom govern our thoughts and protect us from the foolishness of injustice. May we not be an abomination to God in injustice, but a delight in holiness.
Conclusion
If you have any questions on any of this or want help in coming to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior please come talk with us. We are available. Let’s pray.
© 2024, Kevin A. Dodge, All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
English (US) · 