The Biblical Fool

We all know what a fool is. It's a person who acts unwisely. We got it. The Bible, however, has a slightly different spin on it.

While a term like "ignorant" isn't about immorality -- it is not immoral to not have information -- the fool has a definite moral component. Biblical fools do foolish things (e.g., Isa 32:6). Biblical fools like their condition (Prov 1:22) and actually oppose understanding (Prov 18:2). Biblical fools tend to be angry (Prov 12:16; Prov 29:11). They tend to disregard the words of others when they contradict them (Prov 12:15). Most importantly, the biblical fool is someone who disregards God's Word (Prov 1:7).

Being foolish is the mark of natural man. That is, all of us, at some point or another, are foolish. Any one of us can exhibit the characteristics of a biblical fool. It's not limited to unbelievers and it's not a matter of intelligence. The key component of a biblical fool is that they will say, in one way or another, "There is no God." And all of us do that at some point; some more than others. Some say it as a way of life and others are more like practical atheists, agreeing that there is a God and then living as if there isn't. Fortunately, there is a corrective for any of us who fall into that trap. It's a right relationship with God where we are submitting to His Son and His Word. Because, if you do the investigation, I think you'll find the Bible looks dimly on being foolish. And as we all know, while "Fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Prov 1:7), "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Prov 9:10). That would be the preferable direction.