"The mind of fools is in the house of pleasure." (Ecclesiastes 7:4) This wisdom from Solomon is repeated by Paul in Romans 1:24, from the perspective of God, Who no longer restrains the desire of the fool: "God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity.." This initial "giving over" by God (there are 3) signals the obstinacy of a fool determined to pursue the lust of his heart, set as he is on the house of pleasure. God's gracious restraining influences are persistently ignored, for the fool will have his way, and not even a hundred blows of harsh correction will dissuade him. (Proverbs 17:10) The uncorrectable nature of fool is a prominent feature of fooldom, and God's response of abandoning fools to their folly points to how we should, in some cases, respond to a fool.
Fools Reject Their Purpose
This episode links the discussion of the Biblical fool to the grand narrative of mankind's purpose, restored in salvation. The ultimate purpose of salvation is the restoration of mankind to his original purpose, where he gives God glory in response to beholding God (faith) and regarding the works of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Mankind's fundamental problem since the Fall is idolatry, where man and his works replace God and His works as the consuming focus of life. God initiates restoration: the accumulated sin debt of man is paid for and satisfied in Christ on the cross, and the wages of man's works, all tainted by sin, are paid in full. (Romans 6:23) Repudiation of the old man and his works, coupled with faith in God, is essential for salvation. Consequently, "repentance from dead works" and "faith toward God," ("repent and believe the gospel") are the first two foundational principles of Christianity. (Hebrews 6:1) Christ and His works progressively become the focus of life in Christian sanctification, replacing the idolatrous focus on man and his works. The Biblical fool, fixated on himself and his dead works, suppresses and exchanges the truth of God for a lie. (Romans 1:18-23) He rejects his God-given purpose of reflecting the glory of God while delighting in God and His works. The fool instead finds purpose in pursuing his own glory and ends, shaped entirely by his idolatrous fixation on himself. Perpetual rejection of the knowledge of God and His gracious offer of redemption in Christ leads to "eternal destruction." Christ, on his return, will deal out "retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) The Biblical fool then is ultimately held accountable for his WILLFUL ignorance and rejection of the gospel.