Why might a "scoffer" avoid seeking wisdom from the wise, according to Proverbs 15:12? Verse at a Glance Proverbs 15:12: “A mocker does not love one who reproves him; he will not consult the wise.” Key Observations from the Text • The subject is a “mocker” (or scoffer)—someone who ridicules truth and dismisses godly counsel. • The verse states two linked realities: 1. He “does not love” the one who corrects him. 2. He “will not consult” the wise. • The grammar shows causation: resentment of rebuke leads directly to avoidance of wisdom. Why the Scoffer Shuns the Wise • Resentment of Correction – Proverbs 9:7-8; 13:1 show that scoffers react with hostility to reproof. • Pride and Self-Sufficiency – Proverbs 21:24 calls the scoffer “proud and arrogant”; pride refuses outside input. • Fear of Exposure – John 3:19-20: those who practice evil “hate the light” lest their deeds be exposed. • Love of Sin – Proverbs 14:9: “Fools mock at sin”; they prefer indulgence over transformation. • Preference for Echoes, Not Truth – 2 Timothy 4:3: people “accumulate teachers to suit their own desires,” avoiding voices that confront. • Spiritual Blindness – 1 Corinthians 2:14: the natural man “cannot understand” things of the Spirit; wisdom seems foolish to him. • Rebellion Against God’s Authority – Psalm 1:1 warns against sitting “in the seat of scoffers”; it is a settled posture of resistance. Consequences of Avoiding Counsel • Stagnation in Folly—Proverbs 26:11 likens repetitive folly to a dog returning to its vomit. • Broken Relationships—Proverbs 22:10: “Drive out the mocker, and strife will cease.” • Judgment—Proverbs 19:29: “Judgments are prepared for mockers.” • Loss of Blessing—Proverbs 13:20: “He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.” The Better Path: Humble Reception of Wisdom • Proverbs 9:9: “Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still.” • James 1:5: God gladly gives wisdom to those who ask in faith. • Isaiah 66:2: God looks with favor on the one who is “humble and contrite in spirit.” Application Today • Regularly invite godly correction; view it as a gift, not an affront. • Cultivate humility by rehearsing the gospel truth that wisdom begins with “the fear of the LORD” (Proverbs 9:10). • Choose companions who speak Scripture-saturated truth, not merely what is comfortable. • Measure advice against Scripture itself, the infallible standard of wisdom. |
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