LOL (Again)
Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, and so is wisdom to a man of understanding. Proverbs 10:23 NASB
Sport– What makes you laugh? Seriously, what do you laugh about? According to Solomon, the fool laughs at doing wickedness. The NASB attempts to capture the idiom with the translation “sport,” but the word is sehoq, a variation of tsehoq meaning “laughter.” A fool (kesil) who thinks God doesn’t care what we do, laughs at the fact that he can get away with things. After all, punishment is not instantaneous. His behavior confirms to him that there are no gods for if there were, his “sins” would be instantly disciplined. Who could imagine that you could insult a god and he would do nothing about it? In the ancient world of the Near East, an insulted god sought vengeance—immediately! Since YHVH does not do that (at least, not often), the kesil assumes that this impotent God doesn’t really even care. So he laughs.
As Solomon says, he’s a fool—just like us! Have you and I never thought, “Well, God will forgive me,” and then gone right ahead with a plan to disobey? Isn’t that being the consummate fool? Have you and I never once imagined that God doesn’t really care about some tiny little indiscretion, some sin that doesn’t affect anyone else, something we can easily hide and justify? You fool! God’s delay of punishment does not mean He is impotent or that your behavior doesn’t matter. It means just the opposite. The punishment is so severe that He forestalls in order for you and I to repent.
Oh, yes. And the word translated “wickedness” is not a word about horrific acts. It is zimma’, a word that is about planning or devising to do something wrong. The act doesn’t even have to be executed. Just working out how to do it is enough. The fool laughs to himself because he thinks that just imagining what it would be like to do such a thing is inconsequential and unknown. He takes no thought captive because he thinks what he wants. After all, who was ever arrested for thinking of doing something wrong? Forget about that tenth commandment.
So much for the fool. Hopefully we are now in the camp of the righteous. This verse has something to say about those too. The verse is a bit cryptic. It actually just says, “But wisdom to a man of understanding.” Some translations attempt to add a verb. It isn’t there. We are to assume that the same construction applies to the man of understanding, that is, he also laughs. He laughs because his plans are about doing what is right and this brings him delight. He laughs because God assists him. He laughs because he is restoring the earth. He laughs because the ways of the wicked will fail. He laughs because it just feels good to do what is right. “Smile on me, O Lord, for I am fulfilling Your plans with pleasure.”
I don’t want to be a fool. I want to laugh with God, and feel the joy of His delight.
Topical Index: laughter, sehoq,tsehoq, zimma’, plans, fool, kesil, Proverbs 10:23
LAST CONFERENCE OF THE YEAR IN VIRGINIA BEACH
This coming weekend, December 6-8, I will be teaching at the usual location in Virginia Beach. If you’re in the area, please come along. All the information is on the web site under the travel tab.
Yes may we who daily ask for wisdom in our complicated lives ….trust and soar like an eagle
Isaiah 40:27- 31
Ps
Learnt the other day that in hebrew the verse that says ….those that hope in YHVH will RENEW their strength can be rendered… ‘exchange their strength for that of Yah!
‘He invigorates the exhausted, gives strength to the powerless…..
Oh that I may not be a fool or devise any ‘zimma’ against another but do what is right! Yes may we ‘laugh with Him and feel His joy and delight’ no matter what our circumstances – that truly is the challenge of wisdom and love.
We are told that we were ” made for God’s pleasure”: His joy: but I think we were created to run on His joy (in us), too. What does a small child want most? The pleasure of his or her parents. A kid (not to mention a dog) can run all day on that stuff! Where does joy come from? If we were to ask that child wouldn’t they say that it was the sense of being ‘right’ with the world around them, as exemplified by their parents’ (or others’) pleasure in them? What encourages the child to ‘do it again’? The knowledge that he or she got it right the last time! The “way”; or, direction of our next choice is determined by whether or not the last choice ‘paid off’, or produced a sense of ‘getting ahead’, or, to put it simply, made us happy (pleasure).
What is a “just” person? Just what is this “justification” business, anyway? Is it not the sense that the last choice we made was the ‘right’ one; which is to say, the one that we ‘got ahead’ on; the one we don’t have to back up and redo or ‘pay’ for? I think our “way”, or, direction of our next choice, is determined by the vicarious anticipation (“joy”) of reward. (We are told even Yeshua ran on this stuff.) How does “justification” play into this? I think that joy (pleasure) is created by feeling that the last choice was ‘right’: that we somehow ‘got ahead’ by it: that our cosmic parent/god of choice is happy with that choice so they will mold reality around it; will support it. I think everybody wants justice: I think we all want to be justified: to have a sense that reality will reward us by agreeing with us. I don’t think this is wrong: I think this is how we (as well as all creation) were designed. But I also don’t think this is just wishful, magical, little-kid thinking, for isn’t a “right” choice one that not only lines up with reality, but actually shapes (through the mechanisms faith unleashes) the direction (“way”) of it?
So our sense of being “justified” is our sense of “getting it right” – of reward. I believe that this is what produces joy, which is the literal fuel in the tank of any person who is truly “getting ahead” (as opposed to one who is either eating their own tail (or other versions of self sabotage) or, conversely, is being imposed upon (stolen from) or literally robbed of their choices by another), of course. So if all joy is some version of believing that we are justified – supported (which is to say reality agrees with us and is rewarding us in some way for being where we are at) – then the question becomes just exactly what (or Who) are we looking to for that justification – for that approbation?
Faith unleashes love into reality. I think it (through humility) agrees with the design of creation, but by that agreement, obtains the right (justification) to shape that reality through choice: choice that is empowered by heaven because it agrees with the will of God. I believe faith is fueled by anticipating the “joy of the Lord”. This, I believe, is the essence of wisdom.
However, I suspect that folly, on the other hand, is all some form of seeking justification for ‘getting ahead’ by means of taking more than we are giving. This requires attempting to justify ourselves (using self as a basis for rationalizing – justifying – choices) instead of employing faith that God knows best. A fool’s joy – anticipation of reward – comes from believing that the universe runs on his or her choices (self idolatry). I think we entertain this delusion because we have learned how to covet: to want more than we have to offer; and we continue to get away with the resultant theft, like Skip is saying, because the rest of creation – which was all designed to keep us alive (love) keeps handing it over (“and the righteous does not resist”). What we do not realize is that all these self-centered forms of ‘survival’ are costing (death) more than they are paying off. Each time, that joy of anticipation is going to be a little harder to come by, and a little harder to justify (thank God for the heavy curses that correct us “under the law”). Hard “way”!
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There’s a lot to consider here, Laurita, and much of it makes sense of an individual’s experience in relation to reality that is real (truth). Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Laurita, you speak with authority; I am amazed. “I believe faith is fueled by anticipating the joy of the Lord.” Yes and amen. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. I agree that we need the fruit of joy in our daily diets in order to be connected and whole. I was thoroughly convicted and sobered by Skip’s teaching. Your offering gives me hope and encouragement to seek wisdom by spending less and less time and energy in the fool’s camp.
LOL, hello folks, I could say a lot here but in brief the scriptures would say God is Not mocked whatsoever a man soweth he will reap. That’s the truth of the matter. We can laugh if we want, But as time goes on, God’s word will be settled. Shalom. Folks
It’s not merely the DOING of what his right
That gives a man cause for delight
But WHY a man does what is right
That’s the difference between day and night
That gives cause for joy and not fright!
Why, oh man, do you what you do?
Is it for the glory of God?
Or is it for the glory of you?
————————————
All their works they do to be noticed by men… [Mat 23:5]
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. [Prov 14:12]
Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. [Prov 16:18]
He who sits in heaven laughs! Adonai mocks them. [Psa 2:4]
He guides the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way. [Psa 25:9]
For Adonai takes pleasure in His people. He crowns the humble with salvation. [Psa 149:4]
He’s making a list,
And checking it twice,
Gonna find out
Who’s naughty and nice.
(ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
In my experience, there’s been no greater joy or delight
than knowing I am forgiven. It’s also been my experience
to know that there is great joy in BEING the forgiver!
“And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one
another, even as God in Christ forgives you.” Eph 4:32
Like most things, He thought of it first, as He then invites us
to be grand participators in the joy of forgiveness.
It’s the Oneness of being in Him.
Keep the flow going, as the Lord’s prayer says “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”.
That was a *much* needed kick in the kiester! Thanks Skip!