What Happens When We Disregard Wisdom’s Warning? - Quick Observations - Proverbs 1: 24-33

Quick links to the passage: KJV NKJV NASB NIV

Before we start, let me encourage you again to sign up for our bible study that will take place online starting in June. If you ever desired to know how to study the bible effectively or if you struggle to get results from your bible study, then you need to put your name and email address in the box on the right and join us. You will not only learn the book of 2John, which is what we will be studying, but you will come away with the method of studying the bible and the confidence that you can do it. So go ahead and sign up. Now to today’s quick observation.

Last time we saw that wisdom was out in the public areas yelling to everyone a warning to turn to her. What happens to those who reject that warning? I grew up on Looney Tunes when I was a kid and my favorite was always the Coyote and Roadrunner. I liked all the inventions that backfired on the Coyote as he tried to catch the Roadrunner, but during the chase it was always inevitable that there was going to be some kind of road hazard ahead with a warning sign. And just as the Coyote was about to catch his dinner, the Roadrunner would heed to the warning but the Coyote would disregard it eventually to his impending demise, whether he would fall from a cliff, run into something, get hit by some huge object, or get blown up from some kind of explosive.

This is a comical retake to this passage here. What happens when we disregard wisdom’s warning? The outcome is not so funny.

First we see the wisdom being rejected in verse 24. Then we see wisdom’s response in verse 25 to 28. It seems that the response from wisdom is harsh but it might be better to see it like this: Have you ever noticed the Coyote’s reaction sometimes after his experience with the calamity? Either he would stare at the audience laughing at him or he would take his frustration out on any warning that was given to him. After his mishap, it is almost like the hazard warning or the gadget instructions are laughing at him because they warned him of impending danger but he did not heed to it. Wisdom is the same way. She is already warning us of impending danger and when we do not heed to her and problems happen as a result, her very presence has a “I told you so” or “I warned you” atmosphere to her, at rightly so.

Calling for wisdom to help after the results of rejecting her is a fruitless exercise. Rejecting the warning of wisdom is the same as rejecting the fear of the LORD according to verses 29 and 30. And remember that verse 7 of this same chapter says that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.

This section ends with the sow and reap principle which we were introduced to in verses 10 to 19. Those who reject what wisdoms warns against will experience hardship and problems. But those who listen to wisdom’s warnings will be safe and will not have to fear evil.