Trying to Teach a Fool is Useless
September 14, 2022
Commentary
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 (NET)
1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat if you possess a large appetite.
3 Do not crave that ruler’s delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
4 Do not wear yourself out to become rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.
5 When you gaze upon riches, they are gone, for they surely make wings for themselves, and fly off into the sky like an eagle!
6 Do not eat the food of a stingy person, do not crave his delicacies;
7 for he is like someone who has calculated the cost in his mind. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you;
8 you will vomit up the little bit you have eaten, and will have wasted your pleasant words.
9 Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone, or take over the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Protector is strong; he will plead their case against you.
Illustration: Self Service Eliminates Relationships
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 now on the market that will talk back to you when you make your purchase. Now, other businesses besides fast food restaurants have drive-through windows for customer convenience. Banks and other financial establishments have had drive-in lanes and 24-hour teller machines for quite some time. American technology is rapidly discouraging face-to-face contact. Perhaps the church is the only remaining institution in society which can show concern for the individual by meeting the human need for face-to-face contact and relationships with other people. (Ed Wood – Sermon Central).