Solomon talks a bit about one of his favorite subjects, which is foolishness. Then he gives us some advice about how to interact with unbelievers. We study his words on the subject along with those of Peter and Paul.
"Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool." (Proverbs 26:1) Solomon says it's unseemly for the morally and spiritually reprobate to be honored and recognized by their fellow man. He exclaims, "Such a thing is as crazy as a blizzard in the middle of July! Wickedness should never be rewarded. People should never be praised for dishonesty and greed." The prophet Isaiah observed the same type of thing going on in the world and he warned, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil." (Isaiah 5:20a) It's the way of this fallen world to reward shrewdness in business dealings, to pay the big bucks to actors and actresses who will perform explicit scenes in movies, and to award Grammy's to musical artists who spew nothing but filth on the stage. Solomon says, "These things are not fitting! These things are wrong! The world may be willing to honor a fool, but God isn't." God says, "These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at My word." (Isaiah 66:2b)
"Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest." (Proverbs 26:2) We need not fret over what the ungodly say about us. They can curse our names or mock our faith or lie about us behind our backs, but Solomon says these curses won't land on us. They are far more likely to return to the roost, to those who spoke wickedly about us. The Lord makes this promise to those who are His, "'No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from Me,' declares the Lord." (Isaiah 54:17) Let the tongues wag all they want; God prove to the world that we are who we say we are in Christ.
"A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!" (Proverbs 26:3) As always, we have to keep in mind what a "fool" in the Bible is. It's a person who lacks a heart for God and who has no respect for His laws. It's a person without morals and one who breaks the rules of both polite society and religious society. Here Solomon compares fools to farm animals. He is saying something like, "Just as it's no use to stand in the barn and read the Scriptures to a horse or donkey, it's no use to explain spiritual matters to a foolish man who has no heart for them. A horse or donkey has to be led wherever we want it to go because it lacks the ability to plan ahead or to know what work needs to be done. A fool is the same way. If left to his own devices, he will end up in trouble time and again."
These next two verses almost seem, on the surface, to contradict each other, "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes." (Proverbs 26:5-6) After consulting several commentaries (some of which skip these verses entirely) I think we can reach a reasonable conclusion about what Solomon is saying. In verse 5 he seems to be advising us, "Don't sink down to the level of a fool. Don't get caught up in an argument with him. His opinion on your faith or your God may hurt you or make you angry, but be careful how you handle this situation. If you get all red in the face and start jumping up and down and pointing your finger at him and screaming, people passing by won't be able to tell the two of you apart. You will both look like idiots." The Apostle Paul warned young Timothy about the same thing, "Do not have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." (2 Timothy 2:23) But does this mean we are to allow the spiritually reprobate person to remain in his ignorance? Apparently not, for Solomon seems to be saying in verse 6 that we are to try and help that person to see the truth. Otherwise, he predicts, "he will be wise in his own eyes". He will be prideful and feel he has no need for God. He will think he's got it all figured out and that he needs no repentance and no redemption.
So how do we begin to reason with someone who opposes the Christian life? First of all, we should follow Solomon's own advice from Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." If someone is hostile toward the church or toward the Christian faith, we aren't going to win them over by yelling and arguing. We must remain calm and respectful when giving our testimony. The apostles in the early church knew what it was like to face opposition at every turn, and Peter speaks with experience and wisdom when he says, "Do not repay evil with evil or insult for insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (1 Peter 3:9,15b-16) Paul agrees with Peter's assessment, "The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
Kindness goes a long way in breaking down barriers to faith. Who would want to hear the testimony of an angry and argumentative person? I wouldn't, and I'm already a Christian, so I can't imagine why an unbeliever would stand and listen to the testimony of someone who doesn't appear to practice what they preach. But an unbeliever just might be willing to listen to the testimony of a person he respects. How do we earn that respect? I think it's by being the real deal, by walking the walk as well as talking the talk, by being kind and gentle and respectful, and by loving others even when they don't agree with us.
Remember the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10? The way Jesus interacts with him is a good example of how to interact with those who reject the faith. The rich young ruler wanted to know the Lord but he idolized money. Money was more of a god to him than the Lord was, so Jesus advised him to remove that idol from his life and to become a disciple and follow Him. The young man turned away, unable to put the Lord first in his heart. From the moment this man approached Him and asked how he could inherit eternal life, Jesus knew he was going to reject His advice, yet the Bible tells us, "Jesus looked at him and loved him." (Mark 10:21a) As soon as Jesus set eyes on this man, He knew everything about him but loved him anyway. He loved him even though he didn't agree with Him. He loved him even though he didn't convert. I think the young man sensed this love. He chose to reject Jesus, at least in that moment, but who knows what happened to him later on? Maybe the words of this Man he respected kept coming back to him later on in life. Maybe when he heard that Jesus rose from the dead he had a change of heart. We don't know his fate, but I think we can safely assume he found it hard to close the door on the words of Jesus who spoke to him with such love. And maybe unbelievers will feel the same way about words we speak to them in love. Maybe someday down the road they will remember our testimonies of faith and our kindness and love toward them. Maybe they will decide to reach out for the Redeemer who loves us and gave Himself for us.
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