1.In general, the world considers a fool to be a stupid or ignorant person.
2.Sometimes, a fool is thought of as a clown or a humorous character.
B.Jesus had a different perspective of a fool from that of the world.Consider Matthew 7:24-27.
1.In this passage, the Lord describes one man as wise and the other as foolish.
a.Both of these men built houses, and the only difference between them was their choice of foundation.
b.The two houses appear to the same as long as the weather is calm.Yet when the storms strike, the wisdom of the one man and the foolishness of the other become apparent.
2.The application of this teaching pertains to our willingness to heed the words of Christ.
a.The wise man is the one who hears the words of Christ and acts upon them, and the fool is the one who hears the words of Christ and does not act upon them.
b.The storms that reveal the wisdom and the foolishness of our choices are the trials and difficulties of life.Death and judgment will be the ultimate revelation.
C.Foolish behavior in the eyes of the Lord is no laughing matter.To demonstrate, let us consider two examples of fools from 1Samuel.
II.THE FIRST FOOL – 1SAMUEL 25
A.The first example that we will consider is a man named Nabal.
1.The name Nabal means “fool,” and this man managed to live up to his name.
2.Notice that Nabal was not the kind of man that the world would consider as a fool.
a.The Scripture does not indicate that this man was stupid or ignorant of the world, nor does it describe him as silly.
b.Rather, verse 2 says that he was very rich, which indicates that he had a measure of intelligence that enabled him to acquire and maintain his wealth.
3.The foolishness of Nabal was in his godless ways and his dealings with others.
a.Verse 3 says that Nabal was “harsh and evil in his dealings.”One of his servants described him as “such a worthless man that no one can speak to him” (v. 17).His own wife said that he was a “worthless man” or a “man of Belial” (v. 25).While his wife was trying to save his life, he was getting drunk (v. 36).Such ungodly ways are contrary to the wisdom of God, thus making Nabal a fool.
b.Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’…”While Nabal may not have explicitly denounced belief in God, his actions revealed the foolishness of his ungodly heart.
B.Nabal’s foolishness ultimately cost him his life.
1.David’s men had been camped around Carmel, where Nabal’s shepherds were shearing, and they had not taken anything from the shepherds (vv. 2-7, 15).In fact, they had provided protection to the shepherds (v. 16).
2.Yet when David made a respectful request that his men be supplied by Nabal (vv. 5-9), Nabal gave a very foolish answer (vv. 10-11).
a.Notice the ingratitude of Nabal as he refused David’s request.He had no regard for the benefits provided to him by David.
b.Notice the lack of respect by Nabal, for he answered, “Who is David?And who is the son of Jesse?”It was not the Nabal did not know who David was, but rather he did not regard David as worthy of his provisions.
3.David prepared his men to utterly destroy Nabal and his household, but Nabal’s wife Abigail interceded to save him (vv. 12-35).However, ten days later, God struck Nabal so that he died, and Abigail became the wife of David (vv. 36-44).
C.What was it that made Nabal a fool?
1.Nabal was a fool because he was ungrateful.
a.He was more concerned with keeping his possessions than in showing any gratitude toward David, who allowed him to have those possessions.
b.Fools refuse to give thanks because they fail to see the need.They have no regard for anyone other than themselves.
2.Nabal was a fool because he had no generosity.
a.He had so much – wealth, a wise and beautiful wife, a good family name (Caleb) – and yet he gave nothing.
b.Because he refused to let go of any of his possessions, he lost everything.
3.Nabal was a fool because he gave a hasty answer.
a.He did not consider the well-reasoned appeal of David, but instead answered foolishly.
b.James said that a man should be “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (Jas. 1:19).Nabal violated all three of these principles.
III.THE SECOND FOOL – 1SAMUEL 26
A.The second example of a fool that we will consider is Saul, king of Israel.
1.Saul was jealous of David, even though the victories of David meant success for Saul’s kingdom.
2.Saul could not stand the praise of David by the people (1Sam. 18:5-9).
B.David became Saul’s foolish obsession, and he pursued David across the land.
1.Saul learned of David’s location in the desert, and he went there to find David (vv. 1-3a).
2.When David knew that Saul had come there seeking him, he went into Saul’s camp (vv. 3b-12).
a.David entered the camp by night with his captain Abishai to find Saul sleeping.
b.Abishai sought to kill Saul, but David refused, saying, “Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’s anointed and be without guilt?” (v. 9).
c.Instead, David took Saul’s spear and jug of water (vv. 11-12).
3.After leaving the camp, David called out to the camp to reveal that he had been there (vv. 13-20).
a.David charged Abner, captain of Saul’s army, with failing to guard Saul adequately, and he showed the spear and jug of water to prove how close he had been to Saul (vv. 15-16).
b.Then David addressed Saul directly, saying, “Why then is my lord pursing his servant?” (v. 18), and , “The king of Israel has come out to search for a single flea” (v. 20).
4.Saul then realized his mistake and said, “Behold, I have played the fool and have committed a serious error” (v. 21).
C.What made Saul a fool?
1.Saul blamed David for the problems that were his fault.
a.Saul’s kingdom was filled problems as the result of his disobedience to God (1Sam. 15).
b.Rather than correcting his own problems, Saul thought that destroying David would be the solution.
i.Any time a person blames others for his own faults, he acts foolishly.
ii.In our time, rather than a person reaching an “age of accountability,” we live in an age of no accountability.People blame their problems on their parents, spouses, children, governments, doctors, employers, etc.It is foolish to do so because such thoughts can never result in solutions to our problems.
2.Saul had opportunities to do good as a king, but he wasted his time chasing David.
a.While Saul wasted time pursuing David, his kingdom was growing weak.
b.David exposed Saul’s folly when he charged Saul with chasing a “flea.”
i.Many people are flea chasers, and they “major in minors.”While they chase fleas, they foolishly neglect the truly important things.
ii.Time is a precious commodity that must not be wasted (Eph. 5:16; John 9:4).
3.Saul allowed envy to control his life.
a.Envy is the bad feeling that is aroused by another’s good fortune.It is an irrational, evil, and foolish emotion.See Proverbs 14:30.
b.Envy is a foolish motivation.It never accomplishes anything of value.It destroys both the one who envies and the one who is envied.
IV.CONCLUSION
A.The examples Nabal and Saul reveal to us the foolishness of ungodliness.In both cases, these ungodly men ultimately lost everything they had, including their lives, because of their foolish choices.
B.How will you be judged?Are you wise, building your foundation on Christ, or are you foolish, building your life on the shifting sands of this world?Remember, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov. 1:7).
