The “Versus” Verses: Week 5
THE “VERSUS” VERSES (WEEK 5): THE SIMPLE VS. THE ANCHORED
Today: The Simple vs. The Anchored
“The next fool in this list is the Hebrew pĕthiy—the simple. This kind of foolishness is gullibility. ‘The simple believe anything’ (Pr. 14:15). They are too easily led and influenced. Like children, they may be overimpressed by the spectacular and dramatic, or they may need approval too much and so be taken in by forceful personalities who give it to them. They will support dictatorial leaders who promise them peace and prosperity. They can be intellectually lazy, not wanting to ponder and think out a matter. They are also likely to fall for get-rich-quick schemes (Pr. 12:11).” –Tim Keller
Proverbs 1:22 NIV: How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?”
“The simple can change and learn sense (Pr. 19:25) but they can also “inherit folly” (Pr. 14:18)—graduate into being full-blown fools. Nevertheless, we should be careful not to equate credulity and naïveté with a lack of sophistication. We once pastored an entire congregation of somewhat unsophisticated people, but they were by no means simple. You can lack sophistication, as the world assesses it, and still be wise. And you can be sophisticated—well-off, well connected, and educated—but still be simple.” – Tim Keller
Proverbs 14:15 NIV: The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.
"It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We do not know envy when we see it, or laziness, or pride. Jesus reveals to us all that this body has been harbouring before His grace began to work. We have to get rid of the idea that we understand ourselves — it is the last conceit to go." –Oswald Chambers
"But Satan comes to some, and he says, 'If you won't be careless, the next easiest thing is to be credulous (simple, naïve, unskeptical, unquestioning) ...Be credulous, don't search into the root of the matter; be content so long as you swim on the surface, and do not care whether there be rocks down deep at the bottom of the sea.'” – Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892 AD)
For so those also who see imperfectly if they will not shut their eyes and commit themselves unto others, but will be trusting their own matters to their own faulty eyesight, they will commit many more mistakes than those who see not." – St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407 AD)
Like most Proverbs, the problem is rooted in pride and the answer is rooted in humility. The anchored keep learning about and acknowledging at least the possibility that there are viewpoints/beliefs/ways/patterns that they are wrongly believing or following.
They can question without fear because they know that anything strong or foundational can and should stand up under scrutiny. They desire long-term security in their ways of being and believing more than they want to avoid the momentary insecurity of research, learning, correction, nuance, or finding out they are wrong. Being wrong doesn’t surprise them.
"Labour to be sensible of your own blindness and ignorance, and your need of the help of God, lest you be led into error, instead of true knowledge: 'If any man would be wise, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.'" –Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758 AD)
"Does not every man who is truly wise feel himself to be increasingly a fool apart from Divine Guidance? And is it not a token of growth in wisdom and Grace when a man's self-confidence continues to grow less and less?" –Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892 AD)
Closing Prayer: That it may please thee to give us true repentance; to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy Word. – Book of Common Prayer
