Do and Don't Answer a Fool

Scripture:
Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness
or you’ll be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his foolishness
or he’ll become wise in his own eyes.
Proverbs 26:4-5

Observation: In the midst of wise sayings that address the nature of 'fools' is this dual statement. The first says do not "answer a fool according to his foolishness", and the second says to do exactly that. Of course, this is just a limitation of English translations of words. The first "according" means to do so in an engaging manner, as in to engage in a debate and thus to answer "according" to the same logic. The second "according" means to respond and not ignore foolish statements, as in to correct that thus answer "according" to the accuracy of the logic.

With this understanding, this proverb is clear. A wise person does not engage in a logical and detailed debate with a fool, but rather succinctly calls out the error of their logic and moves on.

Application: The fools are all around, declaring foolishness. The most natural thing to do is debate them. The easiest thing to do is ignore them. The Lord would have us do neither.

Prayer: Lord, I hear and understand your instructions, so now tell me this. How do we declare that the overwhelming majority of people are wrong? How do we tell 71 percent of the population that they are ignorant of the most basic truth of the universe? How do we tell 97 percent of the population that their allocation of time is flawed? And by 'how do we' do these things, I mean how do we do them in a manner that brings glory and honor and praise to you, and advances your kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ on earth?

We are well past the point where the 'fool' is a person shouting vitriol and heresy on the street corner. The fool is now everyone everywhere. The fool is running every government. The fool is leading industry. The fool is posting videos that are viewed by millions of people in a matter of hours. The fool is codified within the law of the land.

Everything else you say about the fool is true. All these things are like archers shooting indiscriminately, like a drunk randomly swinging a thorned club. And collectively the fools are wise in their own eyes, for they justify they are wise because all the other fools agree and reinforce and praise their foolish declarations.

Lord, my Lord and my God, my wisdom and strength and father and savior, how do we not answer the fools according to their foolishness, but instead answer the fools according to their foolishness, in this time and place?

Like Habakkuk, I will stand my guard post, wait on the lookout tower, and wait for what you will say to me. Amen.