In what the news called "The Miracle at Quecreek," nine miners trapped for three days 240 feet underground in a water-filled mine shaft "decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group."
The 55 degree (Fahrenheit) water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia, so according to one news report "When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned." "Everybody had strong moments," miner Harry B. Mayhugh told reporters after being released from Somerset Hospital in Somerset.
"But any certain time maybe one guy got down, and then the rest pulled together. And then that guy would get back up, and maybe someone else would feel a little weaker, but it was a team effort. That’s the only way it could have been." They faced incredibly hostile conditions together—and they all came out alive together.
This is a picture of the body of Christ, the church. We are to encourage, exhort and come together during trying times in order to help one another. Therefore, being a godly example is imperative for this to occur.
However the devil would want to disrupt this from occurring so he tempts Christians to become what they were never designed by God to be.
In Proverbs 1:10-19, Solomon mentions four types of people to avoid becoming. We already looked at three of them – Practicing Sinners (vv. 10-19); Naïve – vv. 22, 32; Scoffers – v. 22.
4. The Fool – v. 22
The word for “fool” in the Hebrew means a “dullard,” a stupid, insensitive person. A fool is insensitive to the things of God and therefore lives his life in a stupid fashion, i.e. he become insensitive in his relationships to others. The basis for his foolishness is pride. The fool knows it all. Know one is to tell him what to do or how to do it. But when he opens his mouth, foolishness comes out. When he tries to live his life on his terms, he appears even more like a dullard.
What is interesting with these four classes of people is this: There seems to be a digression from bad to worse. For example, those who do not seek after the wisdom of God and therefore obtain it, become initially –
1. Practicing sinners.
Then if they still refuse God’s wisdom, they go from being a general sinner to –
2. Naïve or simple-minded.
If they still refuse God’s light and wisdom, then they digress further by becoming –
3. Scoffers, where they not only privately reject God’s revelation in Christ, but now they publicly scoff at it. And if they continue down this road of scoffing, then there is only one other category left, and that is --
4. Fools, people who are totally in bondage to their unbelief. These people are obstinate unbelievers and will under no uncertain terms listen to godly wisdom.
We find each of the categories of people within the church at times. Some have their foot in more than one category getting ready to transition from bad to worse.
The whole point Solomon is making in chapter 1 is that each of these four classes of people are in dire need of God’s wisdom, and if they refuse to reach out and accept it, then their lives will only become worse, not better.
This makes the question posed by Solomon even more urgent: “How long” (v. 22)? How long will those who are naïve, and those who are scoffers and those who are fools, how long will they remain in their sinful and lost condition? How long will you live like this? How long will you endure such folly? How long will you persist in your unbelief? How long will you continue to reject your only way of escape? How long will you put God aside? How long will you continue to digress toward the bottom? How long will you love to hate knowledge? How long will you live your life as an enemy of God? How long?
Christian, do all you can to avoid becoming any of these kinds of people:
Practicing sinners
Naïve
Scoffers
Fools
Avoid hanging with such people. Oh, you can be with them in the sense of witnessing and sharing Christ. Because now you have an objective, you are out to influence them not to have your life influenced by them. But be very careful. Be on the alert. Don’t compromise. It becomes harder to share Christ with these people especially as you get closer to the bottom.
Actually, the Book of Proverbs is really after the first two groups – people who are general sinners and naïve. But those who are scoffers and fools pretty much have their minds made up. They are not outside of all hope. God majors in the impossible. However, while they live whatever life they have left, they are also storing up wrath for themselves in the day of wrath (Rom. 2:5).
Rather than trying to remember all the little details of each group, just focus on becoming like Christ. When you do, you will not even become near to any of these that Solomon mentions. Because to become like Christ is to become holy, innocent, undefiled and separated from sinners (Heb. 7:26).
