This episode, focusing on Proverbs 26:4-5, admonishes believers to engage fools without being carnal. Fools are naturally defensive in regards to correction, since their identity is virtually synonymous with the lusts they pursue. Potential correction is threatening to their identity. The identity of Christians, by contrast, is Christ Himself, so believers SHOULD more easily abandon behaviors upon correction, because they are not reflective of their true holy identity. That being said, the Christian's old fleshly nature is often provoked by fools through personal attacks and verbal abuse designed to draw us into fleshly combat. Upon encountering fools, we need to find rest and peace in our secure positional identity in Christ, acknowledging that fools are insecure by nature, depending as they are on the world and its lusts that are passing away. (1 John 2:17)
Wickedness and Slander, a Deadly Combination
"Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool (Proverbs 10:23), and "he who spreads slander is a fool." (Proverbs 10:18) Wanton pursuit of the "lusts of deceit" and a lying tongue are the trademarks of the kesil fool. This episode unpacks this deadly combination, particularly focusing on a tongue commandeered by wickedness. This fool's mind is consumed by lusts (Ecclesiastes 7:4), and the lust for reputation ("the boastful pride of life") produces many casualties via lying, slander, gossip and dissention. In the dog-eat-dog world of the fool, slander and destructive gossip are counter-intuitively the means of preserving reputation: incited negative attention on competitors deflects from the plots of the fool. So the Proverbs connects slander with concealment: "He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool." (Proverbs 10:18) No one is safe, for even "the companion of fools will suffer harm." (Proverbs 13:20) The episode notes that believers, as recovering fools, have an advantage. We know the dynamics of fooldom since all of us are still being delivered from the "lusts of deceit." The program admonishes believers to challenge residing sympathy with the deeds of the flesh, particularly sins of the mouth that often get a pass, in light of the usual suspects of immorality and sensuality.
The Fool Trusts a Sick and Deceitful Heart
"He who trusts in his own heart is a fool." (Proverbs 28:26) This episode spells out the distinguishing traits of the kesil fool, particularly where he differs from the eviyl fool Whereas the eviyl fool trusts that his WAY is right (Proverbs 12:15), the kesil fool "trusts in his own heart." (Proverbs 28:26) And this confidence breaches the dam holding back wickedness. "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick." (Jeremiah 17:9) The kesil fool pursues his own lusts without restraint, "for his mind is in the house of pleasure." (Ecclesiastes 7:4) The "lusts of deceit" consume him as the objectives of life, and God "turns him over" to "degrading passions" and a "depraved mind." (Romans 1:26, 28) The episode marks a transition in the correctability of fools. The previous fools, though ignorant and close-minded, are reachable, for they have not committed themselves to wickedness. They are potentially receptive to the wisdom of correction. Kesil fools however are committed to wickedness, and God Himself at one point no longer pursues them. This of course anticipates the limited response of believers to kesil fools.
The Futility of Fooldom
This episode mostly addresses the devastating consequences of the Fall/Great Exchange on mankind himself. The Fall initiated "Fooldom," the kingdom of fools, in which mankind suppresses truth, worshipping and serving himself, rather than God. "They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible god for and image in the form of corruptible man." (Romans 1:23) Truth is replaced with a lie, the creature is worshipped instead of the Creator. The consequences of this idolatry? Both the mind and emotions of man that were designed to glorify God are now fixated on serving and protecting the new sovereign. No longer glorifying the Creator, God-given desires become self-centered lusts, and the mind is principally employed in pursuit of "the big three," "the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life." (1 John 2:16) Fear, anxiety, envy, and strife mark the emotional life of idolaters competing in the rat-race of Fooldom. Solomon noted that "all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor." (Eccles.4:4) The episode finally provides the Biblical solution: Christ reverses the Great Exchange where fools ensnared in fooldom can experience the liberty of the Kingdom of God, if they would embrace Christ as King.
The Underlying Idolatry of a Fool
This episode spells out the consequences of "fooldom," where one prefers "foolish speculations" over the knowledge of God. Declaring in their hearts that "there is no God"(Psalm 14:1), the fool suppresses the available knowledge of God, speaking through creation and conscience. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, fools fill the void with futile speculations, ultimately aiming to "exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man." (Romans 1:23) Self-serving idolatry then is the objective behind the rationalizations and actions of fools, who in varying degrees, resist the knowledge of God in pursuit of their own ends and glory. A common theme of future broadcasts is that "fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) The underlying idolatry of the above "great exchange" anticipates hostile reactions to any who might correct the fool.