Proverbs 9:7-9

“Whoever corrects a scoffer wins abuse;
whoever rebukes the wicked gets hurt.
A scoffer who is rebuked will only hate you;
the wise, when rebuked, will love you.
Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will gain in learning.”

Sarcasm, disdain, and the desire to harm should not exist between two believers. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 NRSV). Do I have such a need to be “right” that I would refuse to learn, refuse to love, refuse to forgive?

One of the connotations for “scoffer” (Hebrew: luwts) is “talks arrogantly” (Strong’s). Merriam-Webster defines “arrogant” as “an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.” The fact is, we do try to be overbearing, to dominant those who disagree with us. We try to have the last word, to exult when others can’t counter our arguments, to rejoice when others are beaten down. Conversely, we are angry and distraught when we ourselves are attacked and derided.

Is being right so important that we must—that I must—talk arrogantly to other believers, rather than living in a state of humility, rather than being teachable? Even learning that what someone else says is wrong is still learning. Thomas Edison, after trying to invent the lightbulb and failing time after time: “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

It’s interesting in this proverb that the emphasis isn’t upon the content of what is being learned, but rather upon the character of the learner. We, then, need to decide what kind of learners we are. Are we the wicked, the scoffers, those who speak arrogantly? Or are we believers, those who love each other, the righteous who will become wiser still?

© 2008 Robin L. O’Hare. All Rights Reserved. International copyright reserved. This study may be copied for nonprofit and/or church purposes only without permission when copied in its entirety (including this notice).