Message
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4 Fools
1. The Fool who didn’t believe in God: Psalm 14:1.
Here the Psalmist David, a man after God’s own heart,
tells us that
“the fool hath said in his heart there is no god”.
Indeed David repeats the words again in Psalm 53:1.
We are surely reminded that Job was right when he
declared “for God speaketh once, yea twice ,
yet man perceiveth it not” (Job 33:14).
Foolish indeed because God has revealed himself to us through:
Creation. Psalm 19:1-6. Paul can say, “so they are without excuse...professing themselves to be wise they became fools”. (Romans 1:20b and 22)
His Word. Psalm 19:7-12. Paul adds, “all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
Christians. Paul again states, “Ye are our Epistle written in our hearts , known and read of all men”. (Corinthians 3:2).
The Lord Jesus exhorted those around him to believe in God. In John 14:1 he said, “Believe in God , Believe also in me”. How critical. The writer to the Hebrews put it like this, “but without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” ( Hebrews 11:6)
2. The Fool who had no time for God: Luke 12:16-21. In this parable the Lord Jesus tells of the successful farmer whose ground “brought forth plentifully”. After a bumper harvest he planned to pull down his existing barns and replace them with larger ones. He anticipated many years of comfort, however God said “fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee...” The farmer spoke to himself...but not to God. No, not a word of thanks to the God who had blessed him so abundantly. Too busy to give time to God.
3. The Fool who refused God’s way: Matthew 7:24-27. Here was a fool who recognised his need for shelter and so built a home however he did not take care to build on a solid foundation and built on sand. It may have looked fine but when the storms struck the house fell down and “great was the fall of it.” The Saviour explained that this man represented the person who heard His words but did not do them. How foolish to reject God’s word, to reject God’s way of salvation provided though the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Himself.
4. The Fool who died just outside the place of safety: 2 Samuel 3:31-34. What a sad story. After the death of King Saul one of his sons called Ishbosheth stood against the new King... David. In battle Abner, a General of Ishbosheth, killed Asahel, the brother of David’s General Joab and so Joab sought revenge and slew Abner. David declared, “Died Abner as a fool dieth...thy hands were not bound nor thy feet put into fetters...”. He had died at the gate of Hebron , a city of refuge. So very close to safety. How he reminds us of the person who may well believe in God, have time for God and indeed know the word of God but who sadly never quite comes to the point of trusting in Christ for personal salvation. Paul says, “ Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
“O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end” (Deuteronomy 32:29)
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”.
Jim Elliott. (Martyred for Christ in Ecuador in January 1956)
Gary Carson
