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Proverbs 18:2

Wisdom and truth are not important to a fool; he is more interested in his own thoughts. When understanding and his opinions collide, he always follows his heart. He loves his own thoughts and desires, and he wants to tell and promote them as widely as possible.

Here is the basic error of the fool - he values his opinions and preferences more than truth. He is in love with himself, obsessively so. And he is always seeking an audience to share his thoughts. This folly is widely promoted today, the perilous times of the last days, when men love their own selves and reject sound doctrine (II Tim 3:1-2; 4:2-4).

Reader, all men are subject to this disease, and the conflict between wisdom and the heart is the crux between a wise man and a fool, truth and lies, life and death. A fool does not want to listen; he wants to talk. He does not want instruction; he wants expression. He does not want to learn; he wants to teach. And his depraved heart will turn him away from wisdom to take him down the path to hell, vainly talking about his ideas all the way.

Delight is having great joy or pleasure in something. A fool does not have great joy or pleasure in understanding, which is obtaining wisdom, truth, and knowledge. He has no heart for it (17:16); he rather despises and scorns it (1:7,22). His great delight is in telling others about his thoughts and opinions, which he believes should receive flattering praise.

Contrast the wise man, who delights in the law of the Lord more than anything else (Ps 1:2; 19:10; 40:8; 119:16,24,35,47,70,77,174). He wants to be corrected, rebuked, and taught (1:5; 9:9; Ps 141:5). He fears his own heart (Ps 19:12-14; 51:10; 119:36; 141:4).

To discover something is to expose, disclose, reveal, or show it: a fool takes great joy and pleasure in exposing, disclosing, revealing, and showing what is in his own heart. Telling his thoughts and opinions is his great delight, and he will gladly spend his whole life doing it. He finds no joy or pleasure in learning wisdom or getting understanding. He is most content with his own thoughts, and he thinks the rest of the world should listen.

Imagine, a human soul enters life without even the understanding to keep from dirtying itself in its own excrement, yet it quickly finds great delight in boldly telling its opinions to others. What depravity, the human heart! And these opinions are exalted today! Children are interviewed at colleges and universities for their thoughts. Actors and athletes are solicited for their opinions on political and moral matters. Polls are taken to promote the most popular opinion of the human heart on many subjects. This is insanity! Historians, philosophers, educators, and sociologists tell us we are the world's most enlightened generation. Yet the lunacy and madness of heart worship is promoted on every side. Mankind has truly sunk into moral hell, ahead of their eternal appointment.

These profane and vain babblings are now considered to be noble, acceptable statements:

I just had to be true to my heart. I wasn't being honest with myself. My heart told me he was the one. It felt so good; it just had to be right. My heart just wasn't in it anymore. Follow your heart, young man. I just knew in my heart it was the truth.

Consider these statements in light of our proverb. All these sentences are the insane drivel and twaddle of a spoiled people obsessed with loving themselves without regard for truth or right. Humanity has gone to hell, willingly and arrogantly.

Our depraved educators have turned things upside down. Teachers no longer say, "This is truth," or "This is right," or "I want to teach you something today." They ask, "LaJon, what do you think?" and "Barbie, what would you do?" Classroom discussion, a pile of selfish hearts all wanting to discover themselves, is exalted as a learning tool! "Class, let's share our thoughts on this subject, and let's respect each other's opinions."

A typical little girl at college is overhead saying, "I just adore Dr. Freud; he thinks just like I do on this subject. He even suggested I teach the next two classes. Isn't that cool?" This is worse than the blind leading the blind; this is the depraved leading the depraved.

What do we have from this "sharing of ideas"? Spotted owls are more important than unborn children; sodomy is an acceptable lifestyle; saving a tree in Venezuela is more important than saving a marriage; children have rights, but landlords don't; hate is wrong, unless it's against Bible believers; rap music and pornography are art; Islam is a peace-loving religion; children can make their own choices, even to divorce parents; and, get ready, the greatest love of all is loving yourself! Of course!

This is not education; this is not instruction or training. This is feeding high-growth fertilizer to the most dangerous weed in the universe - the human heart. Isn't anyone going to say something? The emperor has no clothes! He is stark naked, and he's ugly!

Moral absolutes are gone; truth has vanished (Ps 12:1-2; Is 59:12-15; Hos 4:1-2). Situational ethics and personal preferences rule - do whatever you want; just be honest with your own heart. Lord, save us! (Jer 5:1; Ezek 22:30.)

It would be far more intelligent to worship the moon, for the lunar idolater is at least looking for something higher than himself and the rest of his ignorant race!

Wise men want absolute truth from the highest authority, and God gave us such in His Scriptures. What a privilege to hear preaching of sound doctrine from the Bible! What the Creator God says on a subject is what we should crave and seek with our whole heart! But the fool quickly sells truth for a teacher that will give him fables agreeable to his own depraved heart and itching ears (Isaiah 30:10; II Tim 4:3-4).

One of the noblest bumper stickers today says, "Attend the church of your choice this Sunday." Yes, church attendance is good. But if church is to worship God, isn't His choice more important? These deluded souls even go further and say, "I feel comfortable here; I didn't like the spirit at my old church. The preacher was always telling us what to do. My heart is at peace here." Now isn't that deep and meaningful analysis?

Reader, your heart is the most deceitful thing you will ever meet (Jer 17:9). It lies to you every day, many times. Your only safety is the Word of God, which you must obey regardless of what your heart thinks (Deut 29:29; Ps 119:128; Is 8:20; I Tim 6:3-5; II Tim 3:16-17). The LORD dares you to compare His word to men's dreams (Jer 23:28-29).

A modern father might courageously ask his daughter, "Barbie, what do you like about LaJon?" What is her brainwashed answer? She says, "LaJon understands me more than anyone I've ever met." That is soul-damning deceit! Barbie doesn't understand herself, and LaJon certainly doesn't understand her. For fools delight not in understanding! They are simply happy satisfying each other's lusts - emotional, mental, sexual, or other.

It is the duty of Christian parents to teach their children the poisonous danger of their own hearts. Children must be taught to reject their thoughts and to love God's law instead (Ps 119:113). Parents who encourage their children to express opinions are playing with the fire of hell, and it will come back to burn them. They should be taught, kindly, that their opinions are less than worthless and that only God's opinion counts.

Children must be taught what to think, not simply to think or how to think. They should be taught to delight in God's perfect and infallible word on every subject, as interpreted by those God put over them, parents and pastor (Ps 119:128; Eph 6:1; Heb 13:7). This is training a child in the fear of the Lord - the absolute faith that Scripture alone is truth.

Free expression of opinions by children reduces your family to the lowest common denominator of the human race - the depraved human heart at its most ignorant state. You will give place to the devil, and you will have the devil to pay to keep family peace, for hell is present in the depraved heart of every child of Adam (James 3:14-16; 4:1-5).

There are two other practical lessons we can learn from this proverb. We must hate our own thoughts (Job 42:1-6; Ps 43:1-5; 73:1-22; 131:1). Stop thinking; start praying! And we should reject fools we meet that love their own thoughts (14:7; Matt 7:6; I Cor 15:33).

Wise readers will respond to this proverb by praying, "Lord, search me and know my heart. See if there be any wicked way in me. Save me from my foolish heart. Create in me a clean heart. Open my heart, as you did the heart of Lydia, to you and your word. Turn my heart unto Thee. Let not any sin have dominion over me. Give me your understanding. Teach me thy statures. Lead me in right paths. Amen."

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