The Wisdom of Humility

He who disciplines a scoffer receives disgrace for himself,

And he who reproves a wicked man receives injury for himself.

Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you,

Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

Give knowledge to a wise man and he will be still wiser,

Make a righteous man know it and he will increase his learning.

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:7 - 10 LSB

Over the course of my life, I have been blessed to be a part of building a couple of structures including a barn and a room addition we called, the great room. Something I learned from those projects is this, foundation is foundational. Swinging a hammer or slapping on a coat of paint produce an effect on a final product, but everything created or constructed must be erected upon something of substance. In other words, foundation is the basis upon which something stands. Whether pouring a concrete slab or building a life, the underpinning or footing of either is evident over the years. That upon which we build will be exposed in the wear and tear of every day and the stresses of a hostile environment.

Scripture describes this reality in several ways. We see it in the analogy of a firmly rooted tree:

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of Yahweh, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:1 – 3 LSB

Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh and whose trust is Yahweh. And he will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends forth its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor refrain from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

We also experience it in the description of how to build our structure, our lives:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell⁠—and great was its fall.”

Matthew 7:25 – 27

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:9 – 11

Recognizing, then, how foundational is our foundation, it follows that the wisdom to receive correction or reproof or training in righteousness flows only from the humility of responding rightly to the Foundation of life – Yahweh!

As we see in the passage from the Book of Proverbs, there is a quantifiable wisdom in the humility of fearing God. It produces a heart attitude that is receptive and teachable and results in the many and varied blessings of obedience.

Not true of dealing with a fool, that is, a scoffer. Often, we think that if we present the information differently, they will receive it joyfully. The problem, however, lies not in the preparation nor in the presentation but rather in the foundation upon which he or she is building their life. Until the foundation is altered, the structure itself will not, cannot stand.

When you read a passage like Proverbs 9:7 – 10, do not ask yourself the question: how do I receive discipline and reproof? Rather, start at the bottom and work your way up.

A better question for all of us is this: upon what is my life built? The answer to the former is anchored in the answer to the latter.

Written by: Carol A. Jenkins (9/2022)