by Dennis Smith

Created on: January 06, 2009

When we read through the Proverbs we read of those who are wise and those who are fools. We read of how fools can be wise and how the wise can become fools. The book of Proverbs is wonderful for setting people into groups or categories. Now I am one who does not really like to put people in to groups, and in fact a recent study found that there are two types of people. Those who put people in to categories and groups and those who do not, and I in fact do not. But the book of Proverbs so clearly puts people in to groups. Those who are wise and those who are fools. For example, have you ever told a lie about someone?

Proverbs 10:18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,

And whoever spreads slander is a fool.

You see Proverbs 10:18 says that when we tell a lie about someone, spread a rumor if you will, then at that moment we are fools. Now that does not mean that we cannot be wise.

Prov. 17:28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;

When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

Now surely every single one of us in this room can identify with this one. Surely we have all had moments when we realize that it would be wise for us to say nothing at all.

Now we can read in the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes as well that there is an association with anger and being foolish as well. We read in Ecclesiastes 7:9;

Eccl. 7:9 Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,

For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

And we read in Proverbs 14:29;

Prov. 14:29 He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,

But
he who is impulsive exalts folly.

Now what is clear to us from scripture is that if you are easily provoked to anger you are acting foolishly. If you are one who is slow to anger you are exhibiting signs of wisdom. One of the things that came out in the 2008 elections was the subject of anger, and how a particular candidate was quick tempered, which was considered unwise for a president to be. So we can see even by today's standards that a person's temperament says a lot about their character.

We more than likely know someone who can be quick tempered (or perhaps even we ourselves) and we may wonder is anger (quick temperedness) something that we can control? I hear all the time that, that is just the way someone is, or that is the way they are and there is nothing that can be done about it. However, this is not at all what the Bible says about it. We read in Proverbs 16:32

Prov. 16:32 He who is slow to anger is
better than the mighty,

And he who rules his spirit than he who takes

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