There’s Foolishness – and Then There’s Real Folly

Here we are on April Fool’s Day, the annual day when we can engage in telling folks their shoes are untied – when they’re wearing loafers or leather sandals. Or telling some guy his zipper’s down, when it’s not. “April Fool’s!” 

 

No one knows for certain how and when this custom of carrying out practical jokes and pranks began, but it likely dates back at least several centuries. Seems no generation has lacked for having its share of fools and foolishness. There’s nothing wrong with good-natured trickery, but we need to understand that folly is a devastating year-round pastime for some people.

 

Reading the Bible, we find no mention of April Fool’s Day. But the Scriptures have much to say about fools and folly. The Proverbs, for example, are replete with warnings against the perils of foolishness. Exhortations start with the book’s first chapter: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

 

There’s an admonition not to foolishly neglect work that must be done: “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man” (Proverbs 6:10-11).

 

We find folly and its enticements personified in a very sober manner: “The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way. ‘Let all who are simple come in here!’ she says to those who lack judgment…. But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave” (Proverbs 9:13-18).

 

Numerous other examples are woven throughout Proverbs, but here are just a hardful:

“Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly” (Proverbs 13:16).

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20).

“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down” (Proverbs 14:1).

“A fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them” (Proverbs 14:3).

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception” (Proverbs 14:8). 

“A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions” (Proverbs 18:2).

 

I think you get the idea. The Word of God overflows with cautions against foolish thinking and behavior. If we desire to experience a rewarding, fulfilling life, we’re advised to pursue wisdom and avoid folly.

 

But perhaps its strongest admonition of all is found in the Psalms, focusing on the importance of faith in God. King David, who wrote many of the Psalms, declared: 

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:1-3). 

 

Apparently, the king of Israel didn’t want this to be overlooked. In case the reader might have scanned over those verses and missed the urgency of the message, it’s repeated almost word for word later in Psalm 53:1-3.

 

So, on this April Fool’s Day, some of us will be duped by harmless, no malice of intent pranks. Ha, ha! But the foolishness of rejecting God – pridefully refusing to consider, much less accept, His loving offer of forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ – is no laughing matter.

 

We read about this in the first chapter of Romans: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them…. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:18-25).

These words might seem harsh, but they assert that God is dead serious about this. There’s no harm in a silly April Fool’s prank, but to foolishly rebel against the Lord is a matter of eternal consequence. 

Fools, Folly, Foolishness and Other Fun Stuff

Happy April Fool’s Day! Based on what we typically see on the news day after day, one might think this deserves to be become another national holiday. But for now, it’s just a silly day for little pranks and tricks with no treats. 

 

No one knows for certain the origin of April Fool’s Day, but it’s been observed in many parts of the world for centuries. Some say it dates back to the 16^th century; others claim the observance can be traced back to ancient Rome. No matter. It’s clearly an age-old tradition that “honors” a human trait having no national or cultural barriers: Foolishness. 

For the most part it’s just a time for harmless trickery. “Hey, your shoelace is untied!” You look down and realize you’re wearing loafers or sandals. “April Fool!” Deftly affixing a sign on someone’s back that says, “Kick me!” Bogus news reports: “The Pope is converting to Judaism.”

 

Sadly, even without the fanfare, every day has been “fool’s day” since the beginning of time. It all started when the serpent asked Adam and Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Then it proceeded to assure them, “You will not surely die…. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:1-5). Wow, did they play the fool! Humankind has been struggling with being fooled ever since.

 

An old proverb states, “A fool and his money are soon parted,” and there’s no doubt of its veracity. Many of us have learned that lesson at least once. Abraham Lincoln sagely noted, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” I hope that’s still true.

 

Henry David Thoreau offered the view, “Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.” Can you think of any recent examples? Then we have a classic from a 1546 collection of proverbs, “There’s no fool like an old fool.” I hope I never resemble that remark.

 

If you want to find substantial commentary about fools, folly and foolishness, there’s no better place to look than the Bible. There are many verses in the Old Testament book of Proverbs that speak about them. They address the foolishness of laziness; being lured by sexual temptation; speaking rashly before thinking; infidelity; ignoring necessary correction and rebuke; selfishness; unrestrained anger, and a host of other topics.

 

Entire chapters in Proverbs are devoted to the contrast between wise and foolish thinking and actions. We could cite many passages, but Proverbs 14:8 kind of sums them up: “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”

 

Mark Twain, ever a master of clever word play, famously observed, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” I think it’s stated even better in Proverbs 17:28, written thousands of years earlier: “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”

 

An extended passage describes a young man’s encounter with a woman “dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent…. With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter…” (Proverbs 7:6-27). We can apply the warning of this passage not just to sexual sin, but also to being enticed by immoral or unethical behavior in any form.

 

One of the “wisdom books” of the Bible, Proverbs presents us with truths and insights worth reading over and over. Consisting of 31 chapters, it’s a good exercise to read one chapter a day for an entire month. Then, as I have, the reader might well decide it’s worth reading again for another month – or more.

 

However, the subject of fools and foolishness in the Scriptures isn’t limited to Proverbs. Perhaps the sternest denunciation of fools and their foolishness is found in the book of Psalms. It’s so serious that Psalm 14 and Psalm 53, which have almost identical wording, both start with the same words, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.” As if to say, “In case you missed it the first time….”

 

Some who read this might think, ‘How intolerant! How judgmental!’ However, this statement isn’t from a book written by a human author, or a speech given from a podium. It comes from the Word of God, and it’s been my experience that His opinion carries a lot more weight than mine – or anyone else’s.

 

If believing there is no God is foolishness, what’s the remedy? The Scriptures tell us that as well. Jeremiah 17:5-7 declares, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord…. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” Similarly, Psalm 144:15 asserts, “blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.”

 

So, if you like, have a bit of fun this April Fool’s Day with a harmless prank or two. But when it comes to matters of faith, it’s no time for foolishness.

Day for Fools in a Foolish Age

Tomorrow, April 1, is affectionately known as “April Fool’s Day.” We’ve designated almost every date to honor something these days, ranging from corn dogs and donuts to cancer awareness and canines. So why not have a day for celebrating fools and foolishness?

For the most part it’s a harmless observance. Some people try to trick friends into believing a falsity, like saying that their shoes are untied – a bit embarrassing for someone wearing sandals who looks anyway. “April Fool’s!” But throughout history, it seems there’s been no shortage of folks willing to play the fool; some have done so extremely well.

Greek philosopher Plato commented, “Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.” Martin Luther King Jr. sagely observed, “We must learn together as brothers or perish together as fools.” Charles Darwin reputedly stated, “I love fools’ experiments. I am always making them.”

Some of the world’s famous statesmen were acutely aware of the peril of fools and foolishness. Benjamin Franklin observed, “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain – and most fools do.” French military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte offered a different slant: “Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.”

Writers seem inclined to think about fools and foolishness a lot. For instance, Russian playwright and author Anton Chekhov opined, “No psychologist should pretend to understand what he does not understand…. Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand nothing.” And French philosopher Voltaire commented, “Prejudices are what fools use for reason.” American writer, editor and critic Edgar Allan Poe offered this perspective: “I have great faith in fools – self-confidence, my friends will call it.”

And there’s the famous quote of unknown origin, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” Sad to admit, there was a time when that described me. The Bible speaks to this: “Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?” (Proverbs 17:16).

The Scriptures also have a lot to say about fools and their folly, but not in the funny, ha-ha, April Fool’s sense. The book of Proverbs offers dozens of verses that address the topic directly. For instance, the opening chapter declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Proverbs 10:14-15 expands on that idea: “Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment. Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.”

Foolishness, the Scriptures point out, is not an exclusively masculine pitfall. “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down” (Proverbs 14:6). Another passage, in sharp contrast with earlier verses about the virtues of wisdom, informs us, “A foolish woman is clamorous, she is simple and knows nothing. For she sits at the door of her house, on a seat by the highest places of the city, to call to those who pass by…. ‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.’”

Regarding family relationships, we’re told, “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother” (Proverbs 15:20). Another passage states, “A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him” (Proverbs 17:25). Other types of relationships are important, too, as Proverbs 13:20 points out: “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

Our society has encouraged a philosophy that excuses people from their own failures and foolish actions. When they make unwise choices, the consequences are – we’re told – always someone else’s fault. This apparently isn’t a new perspective: “A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord” (Proverbs 19:3).

The Bible’s commentary on fools, folly and foolishness is not limited to Proverbs. Citing the evils of greed and self-indulgence, Jesus described a rich man who smugly determined that in his quest to accumulate more and more, he would build larger barns to store it all. In the story, the man reasoned, “I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’” (Luke 12:16-20).

But the greatest indictment against foolish thinking is found in Psalm 14:1, which declares, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’….” On the day when people like that stand in judgment before their Creator, April Fool’s Day will be the least of their concerns.