THE CONTRAST
Proverbs 18:2 and 15 NKJV
2 A fool has no delight in understanding,
But in expressing his own heart.
15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
I appreciate the practical wisdom found in the Proverbs. And for anyone involved with working with other people, I highly recommend a chapter a day. The insight into human behavior is of great value.
But be forewarned. Proverbs will step all over your toes. The language was established long before our current culture. But the intent of the book of Proverbs is to impart wisdom, not cause harm.
In the two verses for today, we find a contrast between a foolish person and a wise person. The word fool in Hebrew means fool or foolish. The word has different applications, but a simple and kinder definition is a person who is "unable to deal with life in a successful, practical way." Verse two is a picture of why the foolish is not dealing with life successfully. The fool is more interested in expressing his own heart as opposed to gaining understanding. Taking this stance ensures that the fool is not going to learn much at all. If he is only expressing with no interest in understanding, then his knowledge will remain extremely limited. The bigger problem is the foolish person does not want to understand. He takes no delight in understanding, only expressing what he knows and feels.
Now, contrast the actions of the fool with the wise person. The wise person is seeking knowledge. The wise is not seeking to express but seeking to learn. I don't believe it would be a stretch to assume the wise is a much better listener. Because the wise are seeking wisdom, they are acquiring wisdom. Seek, and you shall find is in play here.
The difference between the wise and the foolish is not intelligence or capacity. It's what each one places as a priority. The wise person places the greatest priority on seeking and gaining knowledge and understanding. Knowledge is the delight of the wise. The foolish person is not seeking to hear but rather to be heard. Self-expression is the highest priority of the foolish one.
The wise person is one who walks in a level of humility. A humble heart is willing to listen and does not assume that they know everything. The wisdom of Proverbs and the wisdom of the Scriptures affirm the importance and value of humility. The proud get resisted while the humble get grace. And all of us can benefit from more of God's grace.