Text: “Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence” (Pr 15:32, ESV).

Context & Teaching: As with much of Proverbs and the Wisdom Literature in Scripture, this verse is an example of literary parallelism where the second part of the verse parallels the meaning of the first part of the verse; it just teaches the same principle but with different words. The first part of the verse reminds me of the teenager attitude where the boy or girl thinks he/she knows better than anyone else, especially more than Mom and Dad. The teenager attitude is one where the boy or girl thinks the world is dumb but he/she is the lone sage amidst all the world’s folly, etc. But in the end, the teenager attitude usually dies a series of deaths to all that pride and bravado. The second part of the verse above teaches the same principle as the first part of the verse, namely, that listening to wisdom–and actually heeding that wisdom–go a long way towards the path to maturity and wise living.

Encouragement & Application:   Where I live through the workweek and from where I work, I do not own a TV. That’s deliberate. It’s largely vapid and a complete waste of my time. But I do read the ‘news’ online, and like you probably, I am nervous about the conflagration brewing in the Middle East. I don’t want to see yet another Middle East war that invariably affects the world. I’ve seen enough of those sands as part of my military life. But if I’m called, I will go in an instant. After all, I work for civilian politicians, most of whom have never served at all, but that’s a different topic for another day.

I cannot help but believe that the events we see unfolding are directly related to Proverbs 15:32. Are we not as a culture ignoring instruction from God? Would we not fare better if we would listen to the reproof of God and gain divine intelligence about who we are as sinners, and about what God has done to redeem and restore all those who will listen and heed?