The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness. Proverbs 15:9
In “The Road Not Taken,” poet Robert
Frost reflected on the significance of a choice. Walking in the woods one day,
he came to a fork in the path. He could not see what lay ahead in either
direction. Which way should he go? In the end, he chose “the one less traveled
by, /And that has made all the difference.”
Two contrasting paths is a common
picture in the wisdom literature of Scripture. Just as Proverbs gives us a
portrait of the godly person who takes the first path, it also gives us a
picture of the sinner who takes the second path. What might that second picture
look like, based on today’s chapter? A fool has a poor relationship with his
parents (vv. 5, 20). He spurns discipline and correction (vv. 10, 12, 31–32).
The things he loves are stupid or evil or both (vv. 14, 21). The words he says
are harsh (v. 1), deceitful (v. 4), ignorant (v. 7), quarrelsome (v. 18), and
impetuous (v. 28)—and since “the mouth of the fool gushes” (v. 2), there are a
lot of them!Comparison proverbs make even better sense in light of the two paths (see vv. 16–17). The general form of this type of proverb is, “Better is A with X than B with Y.” A is usually an apparently negative quality, activity, or circumstance, with B as an apparently positive opposite. X is usually a genuinely positive quality, activity, or circumstance, with Y as an opposite, resulting in a reversed perception of A and B. For example, in verse 16, A is “a little” (materially) and B is “great wealth.” B seems preferable. But add in X as “fear of the Lord” and Y as “turmoil” and the perception flips. A right relationship with God is far more valuable than financial wealth!
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