The Traits of Foolishness 

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 16:20-24.

Memory Verse: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."--Proverbs 16:25.

Weekly Reading: Proverbs 26-27.

Introduction: It was almost 1:00 in the morning when the phone rang in the Winters' home. Dr. Leo Winters, the highly acclaimed Chicago surgeon, was awakened with a start. Tonight it was a young boy, they said, tragically mangled in a late night accident. Could not someone else handle it? Not this time. This time his hands were possibly the only ones in the city, or maybe even in the whole region, which were skilled enough to save. The quickest route happened to be through a rather rough area, but with time being a critical factor, it was worth the risk. He almost made it through the worst of the neighborhood. Almost. Then, at a stop light, his door was jerked open by a man in a grey hat and a dirty flannel shirt. "I've got to have this car!" the man screamed, pulling him from the seat. Winters tried explaining the gravity of his situation, but the man was not listening. The doctor wandered for over 45 minutes looking for a phone. When the taxi finally got him to the hospital, over an hour had passed. He burst through the doors and into the nurses' station, but the nurse on duty only shook her head. Too late. The boy had died about 30 minutes earlier. "His dad got here just before he died," the nurse told him. "He is in the chapel. Go see him. He is awfully confused. He could not understand why you never came." Without explaining, Dr. Winters walked hurriedly down the hall and quietly entered the chapel. At the front knelt the huddled form of a weeping father, in a grey hat and dirty flannel shirt. Tragically, he had pushed from his life the only one who could save.--Jay Utley, The Pitman Proclaimer
  This story dramatically illustrates the outcome of foolishness. The father was desperate and in despair. And in his desperation, his foolish actions eliminated his source of hope. No matter what the reason, if we act foolishly we are pushing away our source of hope: God.

Questions For Study:

1. Who does a foolish man put his trust in? Proverbs 28:26.

2. What do fools think about sin? Proverbs 14:9.

3. What is a fool's conduct in relationship to others? Proverbs 20:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:11.

4. What does Jesus call a person who gains wealth for himself without concern toward God? Luke 12:20,21.

5. How does a fool gain wealth? Jeremiah 17:11.

6. Is a fool willing to learn from instruction? Proverbs 15:5.

7. What is a fool's attitude about God? Psalm 53:1.

8. What does Jesus call hypocrites? Luke 11:39,40.

9. What is characteristic of a fool's conversation? Proverbs 18:6.

10. Can fools hide their foolishness? 2 Timothy 3:9; Proverbs 15:2; 12:23.