How Do You Deal with Fools? (Proverbs 1:7 and Psalm 39:8-9)

How do you deal with fools who slander you and "despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7)? David sets a great example. When Shimei cursed him, he said, “Leave him alone, and let him curse.” Read on to learn why silence is the best response to proverbs fools. Table of ContentsLeave Fools Alone and Let Them CurseLet a Clear Conscience Keep You SilentRespond to Fools with Godly BehaviorThree Ways David Resembles Jesus in His Response to a FoolDon’t Respond to Fools with WordsHezekiah’s Silence to a FoolJeremiah’s Silence to a FoolFools Fish for ResponsesUnderstanding Proverbs FoolsIdentifying Proverbs FoolsProverbs Fools Hate CorrectionSo, How Do You Deal with Fools?Three Encouragements When Dealing with Proverbs FoolsFirst, God Knows It’s Hard NOT to Respond to Proverbs FoolsSecond, Remaining Silent Is a Sign of MaturityThird, Remaining Silent Looks Like Christ https://youtu.be/APOjm5cCgVg How do you deal with fools who "despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7)? Learn why silence is the best response to proverbs fools. David was experiencing one of the lowest points in his life. He lost the throne. His wicked son, Absalom, is the one who stole it from him. Much of the nation joined Absalom. David was fleeing Jerusalem, and when you think things couldn’t get any worse, Shimei finds him: 2 Samuel 16:8 The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.” 9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. Shimei is related to Saul. Even though Saul lost the throne and died decades earlier, he still blames David for all of Saul’s misfortune. We tend to think that with time people move on. Sometimes they do, but other times the roots of bitterness continue to go grow and become even deeper as each year passes. That was the case with Shimei. He probably despised David more now than he did when Saul died. Leave Fools Alone and Let Them Curse David said, “Leave him alone, and let him curse.” The longer I’m a pastor, the greater wisdom I see in these words. Circle them, underline them, highlight them, or do whatever you need to do to remember them so you can come back to them when people slander you. Gossip is spreading negative information about people to others who have no business knowing that information. But at least the information is true. Slander is spreading lies about people. Let a Clear Conscience Keep You Silent Shimei is slandering David. He falsely accused him of violently overthrowing the house of Saul. But it was just the opposite: David played music to alleviate Saul of his torment, repeatedly spared his life, was friends with Saul’s son, Jonathan, and was gracious to Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth. David knew what Shimei was saying was untrue and this allowed him to remain silent. When David became king again Shimei did a 180, came back to David, and apologized. He said, “Do not let the king take it to heart” (2 Samuel 19:19). David didn’t have to take it to heart because he knew it wasn’t true. When people fools slander us, we don’t have to take it to heart, because it isn’t true. 1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. Having a good conscience allows us to remain silent when slandered: If you know the slander against you is untrue then you can disregard it. You don’t have to give it a second thought, let it ruin your day, or let it weigh on you or keep you up at night. Instead, we should respond with, “good behavior.” Respond to Fools with Godly Behavior 1 Peter 2:12 Keep your conduct among the gentiles honorable, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation...15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. All three verses emphasize responding to slander with godly behavior: “your good behavior…your conduct…your good deeds…by doing good” (1 Peter 2:12, 2:15, 3:16). This is how “to silence the ignorance of foolish people,” or fools. This means keep serving the Lord, remaining faithful, having joy, and investing your time and energy with brothers and sisters in Christ. The pastors I have developed close friendships with have told me about times that they had to put up with their own Shimeis. One of those friends is Cary Green. We became friends when he was going through something difficult in his church and he reached out to me. When we visited them, Katie was talking to Cary’s wife, Lois (a woman Katie looks up to), about it because she seemed to handle it so effortlessly. Lois told Katie, which Katie and I have repeated to each other over the years: “There’s too much work to do for the Lord, and there are too many people to love and serve.” Lois recognized fools could be huge distractions and the best they could do was respond with godly behavior. Lois didn’t want to waste valuable time and energy. She knew there was too much important work to do. One of the other wonderful things about responding with godly behavior is it maintains a good witness to the unbelieving world. As 1 Peter 2:12 says, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they [slander NASB and AMP] you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” Do good so the unbelieving world looks on and doesn’t believe the slander. This response will also upset fools who don’t want you to be godly, because then their slander is shown to be untrue. They want you to be ungodly and live down to what they are saying. David sets a great example. He took the high road and maintained his composure. Three Ways David Resembles Jesus in His Response to a Fool First, Peter took out his sword to attack those coming after Jesus (John 18:10). Abishai was David’s Peter. He wanted to take out his sword and kill Shimei. David rebuked Abishai like Jesus rebuked Peter. If you’re being slandered you’re probably going to have Peters and Abishais in your life who want to take out swords and start chopping off ears and heads. You might also have to tell them not to retaliate. Second, Jesus “[entrusted] himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). David entrusted Himself to the Lord too. When Shimei slandered him, he said, “It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me” (2 Samuel 16:12). This is exactly what we need to do. We should take it to the Lord and trust Him to deal with it. Third, David looks like Jesus regarding their silence. Nobody has ever been slandered as much as Christ. And the worst Christ was ever slandered was at the trials leading up to His crucifixion. If there has ever been a time when it must have been difficult to remain silent, it was then. Yet that is exactly what Christ did. When he was reviled – which is synonymous with slandered – He did not revile – or slander – in return…He did not threaten. Jesus was silent to those slandering Him, David was silent to Shimei slandering him, and we should be silent to fools slandering us. Don’t Respond to Fools with Words Peter tells us how to respond - with godly behavior – and how not to respond: with words. David demonstrated this with Shimei. David talk in the account, and he even rebuked, but not to Shimei. He rebuked his men and told them to leave Shimei alone. That’s how committed David was to ignoring Shimei: he wouldn’t even let his men address him. David describes his approach in the psalms: Psalm 38:13 I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. He acts like someone who can’t even hear what’s being said about him. Psalm 39:2 I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, (now listen to this…) and my distress grew worse. It wasn’t easy for him to remain silent. It got harder and harder. Psalm 39:8 Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! 9a I am mute; I do not open my mouth. David was committed to remaining silent when scorned by fools. And there are good examples in Scripture of other people remaining silent. Hezekiah’s Silence to a Fool When Hezekiah was king of Judah, he was attacked by the Assyrians. Sennacherib was the king of Assyria, and he was antagonizing the Jews: 2 Kings 18:15 Do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’” 16 And his servants said still more against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 [the Assyrians] shouted…with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order that they might take the city. Sennacherib did everything he could to get the Jews to respond. When speaking didn’t work, he stepped up his game and wrote letters. Sennacherib’s behavior is common with foolish people. If they don’t get a response, they get angrier and angrier. There was no response from the Jews, because “The people were silent and answered him not a word,