Proverbs 26:1-5 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 26:1-5, which read,

v.1, 2 - Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for the fool.  Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, so a curse without cause does not alight.

This chapter is full of "like" verses that deal with the fool.  Solomon gives us many comparisons to identify the fool and his or her inconsistencies and the not following of godly counsel.  The first "like" puts snow in the summer and rain during the harvest.  Snow in the summer can do a lot of damage as with a rain during the crucial time of harvest.  Both put a halt to what is going on.  The fool's actions bring snow or a halt to the summer work and the fool's activities bring rain or a hinderance to supplies for the future in the harvest.  When we honor a fool, we are taking a step back from continuing and completing necessary work.

The second "like" has a couple of birds never landing.  They are flitting and flying with no place to alight.  They will eventually get really tired and probably come down in a very dangerous place rather than some place planned ahead of time that is secure.  The fool gives out curses without a cause.  They say things that fly and flit out without having a place to land that is secure to reason for the curse.  Curses happen but they need to have solid conviction behind them so that they land on God's Word.  The curses of the fool are just said and who cares where they land.  So the posts go up on FaceBook for the world to see that many times have to be retracted because they didn't have a place to land that gave them credence.

v.3 - A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. 

The whip and the bridle are not to be used to punish the animal but to direct them in the way that you want them to go.  The rod in the Bible is spoken of as a discipline tool to give direction to the right while avoiding the wrong.  The whip, bridle, or rod is in the hand of someone who has to have godly direction so that it doesn't turn into a punishment tool.  Fools need those discipline tools to keep directing them in the way of the right.  Fools need those discipline tools to keep them working rather than snowing and raining at the inappropriate times and flitting and flying without a cause to what they say.

v.4, 5 - Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him.  Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he not be wise in his own eyes.

We are to give an answer to the fool but don't give an answer that agrees with his or her disagreement with God's counsel.  Give an answer to the fool with the words and ways of God so that he or she can see their error.  How about this phrase, "Let's just agree to disagree."  It may be appropriate in some situations but many times the agreeing to disagree is dealing with black and white words of God.  God says to not do this otherwise you are telling the fool that what he or she thinks has credence even though it goes against God's word and that is okay.  The whip, bridle and rod of discipline need to come out with an answer that is full of context to God's instruction.

It is hard sometimes to respond with God's word in the face of clear opposition to it.  We want to be everyone's friend and we think that we will be "unfriendly" if we tell them the truth.  What happens many times is the friend distances themselves from us and we interpret that as a sign that we have not been a friend but God says that we have.  Friends share God's words to help their friends stay on the path.  It is unfriendly to just go along with whatever is popular at the time.  So many times we need to go back to the definitions that God has given us from the ones we have created.  Let us pray.

"Lord, may we see things Your way.  May we work in summer and harvest and not be hindered by actions that would halt real eternal value to You.  May we make sure what we say has a cause in relationship to You.  We need the help of others, real friends by Your definition, to keep us walking and thinking Your way.  Amen."

Pastor Adam