Proverbs 26:8 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

Navigator

Proverbs 26:8

Comments

This unusual and surprising illustration is a picture of the inappropriateness of honouring the fool. The sling is used to hurl a stone at great speed at a target. To hit its target it must be released at exactly the right moment and then it flies accurately and delivers the intended effect. So honour directed towards one who deserves it is a good thing and finds its target. But if someone were to do a very perverse thing and tie the stone into the sling so that it could not be released when intended, he would thwart the whole process. The slinger may well hurt himself because the stone which he wants to send flying away is still there and its weight may do him unexpected harm by flying back and hitting him instead. How much more foolish if the slinger ties the stone in place himself! No one would do such a foolish things, and yet, says Solomon, the one who honours a fool when he does not deserve honour is doing something similar. In what way does inappropriate praise hurt the one offering praise? It may be that the judgement and wisdom of the one offering praise is immediately called in question because it is so obvious that he has misjudged the fool. It may be that the fool tries to take advantage of his good reputation with his admirer, in order to do even more evil than he has done before. He has recruited the wise man onto his side and will use this alliance to defend his wickedness. The wise man’s praise does not find its target, but rebounds upon him to his hurt.

Application

Note that God will never give honour to those who are not worthy of it. He never flatters man, or looks at him unrealistically, or misreads is character. Though God justifies the wicked, he knows that they are wicked and is not in any way deceived about them. When he justifies, he at the same time begins the work of sanctification in their hearts and causes them to die to sin. God does not call those his children who are not his children, for the effect of this would be to encourage men and women to be deluded about their state.

We may apply this to those who preach a watered-down gospel without any mention of sin. They tell of all the so-called benefits of the Christian life, but they will not preach for conviction. They give too much honour to the fool. The result is that no one is convicted or converted. They ruin the church by bringing in wood hay and stubble, and they pervert the gospel by silencing God and making the gospel something weak and powerless.

Questions

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Proverbs 26:8 Commentary and Bible Study