Trying to Teach a Fool is Useless

Service stations everywhere are using do-it-yourself credit card pumps. No attendant is needed since the customer can make his gasoline purchase and never go inside. Soft drink machines are ... More

Relationships

When invited to a banquet, hosted by someone who is of a higher station in life, a person needs to exercise self-restraint and remember where he is (vv. 1-3). A ruler host may seem to be friendly and try to “butter up” with a nice meal but, he may be planning to later take advantage of his guest. There are many warnings in Scripture about making the accumulation of wealth the object of a person’s life. These verses do not speak against being industrious but against making money the primary goal of your life (vv. 4-5). Restraint is needed, especially in the present day when materialism drives many people to excessive workloads to accumulate more money.

A stingy host who entertains solely for the purpose of gaining a good personal relationship with others is pictured in verses 6 through 8. He will seek to take advantage of those who eat at his table by putting them under obligation to him. Ultimately, you will be sorry you ever partook of his food and will even wish that you could vomit it up.

Trying to teach a stubborn fool is useless (v. 9). It is a waste of time to try to teach someone who has no desire for wisdom. It is better to spend our time teach­ing those who really want to learn. To steal land from a neighbor by moving his boundary stone is bad but to take things from orphans is worse yet (vv. 10-11). The Lord opposes all who mistreat and steal from fatherless children.

Application

I need to be very careful about my motive in developing personal relationships with others. Is it for personal gain or to honestly be a help and encouragement to the other person?

Proverbs 23:1-11 (English Standard Version)


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