The Terrible Consequences of Ignoring Wisdom

Proverbs 1:20-27

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,

she raises her voice in the public square;

on top of the wall she cries out,

at the city gate she makes her speech:

“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery

and fools hate knowledge?

Repent at my rebuke!

Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,

I will make known to you my teachings.

But since you refuse to listen when I call

and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

since you disregard all my advice

and do not accept my rebuke,

I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you—

when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

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Wisdom is not hidden – it is not something secret or difficult to gain. When you live in a community, wherever people gather, wisdom is there - easily available and accessible. There is no excuse for ignorance. Listen to the conversations, read the papers, watch the news, talk to those you respect and trust, read books, search the internet – unless you are blind, deaf or stupid, you cannot help but gain knowledge and develop wisdom (common sense). In fact, when you are doing something foolish or wrong, someone who sees will surely tell you and try to make you see sense!

Yet, fools just keep on doing what is foolish despite warnings and consequences. They mock at good advice, rules and guidelines; they have no respect for them and deliberately go against them, and they do this continually. Despite suffering consequences that should reveal the foolishness of their ways, they disregard the lessons and continue to do wrong. They ignore facts and advice, ridicule those who try to correct them and refuse to change.

If such people only listen to sense and learn from their mistakes, they will gain wisdom, because wisdom is eager to communicate with them. Their lives will immediately take a positive turn as they follow the path of good sense. But since they don’t fear the Lord, they despise wisdom as well as the Lord’s discipline (Proverbs 1:7).

God gives us many chances. He reaches out and invites us to turn to him. But fools reject every such opportunity and ignore his word and the good advice of others. There are terrible consequences to such neglect and rejection of wisdom (God, his Word and good advice based on facts and experience), because a time will come when calamity will overtake such people. Then wisdom will mock at them: “I told you so, but you wouldn’t listen! Since you made your own bed, now you must lie in it!” Like an overwhelming flood distress, trouble and calamity will sweep over them as a result of their own foolishness; and there will be no escape or relief from their suffering.

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Avoid bad company!

Proverbs 1:10-19

My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot”—
my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood.
How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.

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One of the most important aspects of wisdom is to recognize right from wrong and to avoid bad company. Children and young people can blindly follow someone who can lead them on the wrong path if they are not taught how to recognise such people and the dangers of associating with them.

The wicked love company and seek ways to add to their numbers. They are always looking for gullible people to influence. Children need to be warned not to be enticed by their promises of personal gain into hurting or harming unsuspecting, innocent people. It may start with a childhood bully in school or in the neighbourhood trying to get a band of people together to join him. They may waylay a lone child in a corridor, beat him up and take away his lunch. Every successful attempt to take advantage of some innocent victim emboldens them to continue in their wicked ways and seek new exploits. They move on to stealing, cheating, bribing and worse as time goes on.

Children and youngsters need to be warned about the dangers of associating with the wrong kind of company. Some are tempted by the power such people enjoy, others by material gain, others by the desire to be popular or to be feared. Wise parents will warn their children at the very first sign of trouble: “What these people do may not at first seem very serious to you, but this kind of attitude and behaviour tends to escalate into more and more wicked and dangerous practices, until such people will stop at nothing, not even murder, to protect themselves and their interests. Stay away from such people, or you will get caught in a way of life far worse than you thought.

"Be alert and watchful and you will clearly see what these people are trying to do and how the gullible get caught in their net. Learn your lesson by observing, and avoid getting trapped! Those who plan evil against others bring down evil upon themselves. Child, don’t go down the path of ill-gotten gain, because it is a path to spiritual destruction!”

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