How To Spot A Fool (Proverbs 18)

Ephesians 5:15 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live— not as unwise but as wise.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.” Therefore, in order to live as wise we must avoid bad company. But how do we know who is good company and who is bad company? How do you spot a fool? Many times in my life the answer would have been for me to look in the mirror. Sometimes it is not so easy to spot who is bad company. Proverbs 18 gives us several ways to spot a fool. Unfortunately, it doesn't help finding Waldo in a Where's Waldo Game. Go here:http://www.tekzoned.com/waldo/

A Fool Has No Concern For God
In the Bible when it refers to someone’s “name” it refers to their authority. For example, we pray in the “name of Jesus” because we are praying by his authority. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” A fool doesn’t recognize his need for God’s strong tower. He thinks he is good enough on his own and doesn’t run to the authority of forgiveness in Jesus Name. Acts 10:43 says, “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

The fool, however, does not value the salvation that only comes in the name of Jesus. With a foolish lack of humility, his pride puffs him up so that he has no concern for God. He does not value God in his life or recognize his need for God’s help. The pride of having popularity, wealth or power make him blind to his need for God as a friend. Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” We need that friendship from God, but pride in our self-sufficiency blinds us to that need. Proverbs 18:12 says, “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 15:33 also teaches, “The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

A Fool Has No Concern For Knowledge
Proverbs 18:15 says,” The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.” A fool will be known by his lack of desire for learning. A fool will be characterized by his desire to remain ignorant so that he won’t have to change what he does. Many foolishly think that they will be judged less harshly for their sin, because they kept themselves ignorant of God’s will. They purposely avoided acquiring knowledge so they wouldn’t have to obey what they learned. However, I firmly believe, we will be judged based not only on what we know, but what we could have known but chose not to seek out.

A fool does not enjoy learning about God’s will. Proverbs 18:2 says, “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.” A fool doesn’t want to learn what the Bible teaches, but would much rather have an open discussion about what he believes. He likes religious discussion to be about his relative “take” on a subject rather than the objective principles of God’s Word. You can always tell wisdom from foolishness by its depth. Proverbs 18:4 “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.” Bubbling brooks are shallow not deep. They are safe, not dangerous. They are clean water, not dirty. The deep waters of man’s opinions are dangerously deep. They are murky and dark. They are dirty and dangerous. Wisdom is clear, simple and safe. Foolish opinions are complicated and muddied by the selfish motivations of man.


A Fool Has No Concern for What He Says
Because a fool does not fear the judgment of God, he has no fear of what he says. Because he does not seek the knowledge of truth, but only desires to spew his own opinions, the fool will say anything that crosses his mind without listening to wisdom first. Proverbs 18:13 says, “He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame.” A lack of concern for careful speech will destroy the fool and all who follow his example.

Proverbs 18:7 explains, “A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.” What we say will directly affect our destiny. We will reap what we sow. Proverbs 18:20-21 teaches, “From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Our tongue will bring us joy or strife, blessings or beatings, a harvest of life or death. Whatever we plant with our tongue, we will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:6 says, “A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.” A fool has no concern about what he says because he doesn’t realize the consequences.

A Fool Has No Concern for Others
Because a fool: does not fear God, has no respect for knowledge, and is flippant in what he says, he naturally has no concern for the consequences of his actions. Not only does he not contemplate the consequence on his own life, but he shows even less regard for the consequences of his actions on others. Proverbs 18:1 says,“An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment.” If a man is not friendly, he is showing that he doesn’t care about others. That is a sure sign of a fool. People who care, take care to be friendly. The wicked fool only shows contempt for others. Proverbs 18:3 says, “When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes disgrace.”

The fool is more concerned with his wealth and power than other’s welfare. He does not take his security from God, knowledge or wise actions. He foolishly places his pride in wealth or possessions. Proverbs 18:11 explains “The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.” The fool vainly puts his hope in his wealth to protect himself and thus shows no fear of God, no desire for knowledge, or care for other people. Proverbs 18:23 explains, “A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly.”

The harsh and unfriendly response of the wicked show that they are fools who do not fear God. Because they don’t care about others or about how what they say, they inevitably say things that hurt others in the form of gossip. Proverbs 18:8 says, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” Gossip is an overflow of the heart that exposes the inner corruption of a fool. They have no regard for the destruction caused in others’ lives. They crush others with their foolish words. Proverbs 18:14 says, “A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?”

A Fool Has No Concern For Relationships
This lack of concern for others naturally flows over into personal relationships. Proverbs 18:22 “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” A fool has no regard for his or her spouse. He doesn’t view his partner as a gift from God. The fool will see his partner as a burden to carry, a ball and chain to break free from, or a resource to exploit until she no longer serves his purpose. When she no longer meets each and every perceived desire of the fool (which he calls needs), he will throw away his “favor from the Lord” and break his holy covenant like it was nothing.

The fool doesn’t care for other family relationships either. He will have no respect for parents and no love for siblings. Proverbs 18:19 “An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.” He will offend his brother without regard to the fact that family relationships are the hardest to repair. He will forget what Paul said in 1 Timothy 5:8, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” I once heard someone say that a girl should never marry a man who can’t gently love his mother and a man should never marry a girl who doesn’t respect and submit to her father. I think that is wise advice. The fool shows no concern for his family.

A Fool Has No Concern For Justice
Lastly, because of a lack of fear for God, concern for others, and desire to know and practice the truth, the fool doesn’t care about justice. Because a fool speaks judgment before listening, he makes poor judgments. Proverbs 18:17 says,” The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.” Because fools are poor listeners who hastily speak, they often only hear one side of an issue and make poor judgments. They don’t care about knowledge and hearing the whole truth. In fact, they foolishly avoid it, because they fear where it would lead them. So, they only listen to what they want to hear and cut off all other information. They don’t want justice based on all the truth. They want what they want.

Because fools take pride in their wealth or power, they try to influence the judgments of others through bribery and coercion. Proverbs 18:16 “A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.” They don’t care about what is fair or just. They just try to manipulate by the use of their money or influence their own will that is based upon their partial and biased judgment. But Proverbs 18:5 warns us,” It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice.”

The fool’s lack of concern for others and relationships makes him indifferent to the suffering of others. He doesn’t care about his own relationships, much less, how his actions destroy others’ relationships. He doesn’t care that a lack of justice destroys a family, a friendship, a company, an organization, a church or even a nation. He doesn’t value justice, mercy or peace. He could help settle disputes, but he doesn’t care. Proverbs 18:18 “Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.” The fool misses the opportunity to do good, because he just doesn’t care.

This general apathy toward God, knowledge, and others comes out in the fool’s work ethic. Justice demands that a person should give an honest days work for an honest days pay, but the fool does not see this matter of justice. Proverbs 18:9 says, “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.” Because a fool is slack in his work and only does it half-heartedly, the company suffers. How many companies have gone under because leaders, management, or even the general employees are slack in their work? The fool doesn’t care about the justice of earning their pay. The fool doesn’t care about the consequences of his laziness on his own life or the lives of others. He ignores that knowledge. The fool will never care about what is fair or just, nor will he contemplate the consequences of any of his apathy.

You can spot a fool, because he just doesn’t care.