The Fool

The Fool – 1st April 2007 am

Psalm 14:1

Today is national Atheist day – April 1st – Why is somebody classed as a fool?

Is it because he has a low I.Q? Is he a fool because he has failed his GCSE’s? Is it because his thinking and speech are slow? Is it because he cannot relate to or work with people or that he has a poor self-esteem or self-image?

The Oxford English dictionary describes a fool as, “a person lacking in judgement, prudence, or common sense, a jester, silly, a harmlessly deranged person lacking in common powers of understanding, a cold dessert of fruit puree mixed with whipped cream.”

Fool is mentioned 145 times in the Bible, and in the Hebrew language, there are 3 basic words for “fool”: Kesyl, the dull, stupid fool; ewiyl, the unreasonable and perverted fool; and nabal -

This Hebrew word for fool is what I would like to spend some time looking at this morning. It is found 5 times in Psalms and nabal means – stupid, wicked, vile person. This word denotes moral perversity rather than a weakness of intellect.

This is the first mention of a fool (nabal) in the Psalms.

Have you heard this word before – I’ll give you a clue, it was someone’s name. It was the name of Abigail’s foolish husband who attempted to confront David’s army (1 Sam 25:25). Abigail fell at David’s feet and said Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. (1 Sam 25:25).

What are the characteristics of a fool?

I. A Fool Will Say There is no God – Psalm 14:1

People who say “There is no God” are not necessarily lacking normal intelligence; in fact they may have very good minds. However, they lack spiritual wisdom and insight.

The nabal fool has a moral problem in the heart, not a mental problem in the head. The American evangelist Billy Sunday used to say that sinners can’t find God for the same reason criminals can’t find policemen – they aren’t looking.

A woman’s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, “You know what? You have been with me all through the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side. When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side... You know what?”

“What dear?” she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.

I think you’re bad luck, get away from me.

That is the fool’s attitude toward God. Man is a fool because he thinks he has no need for God. However, when things go wrong, God is blamed!

To say that God does not exist is what we call an absolute statement. For that statement to be true, you would need absolute knowledge. Let’s put it this way.

If I was to make an absolute statement that there was no gold in China I would have to have absolute knowledge. I would need to have information that there is no gold in any rock, river, ground, shop, ring, or mouth in China. If there is one speck of gold, then my statement is false.

To say categorically there is no God you would need all knowledge that He does not exist. As no human has this knowledge all you can say is that based on your limited knowledge you believe there to be no God.

Therefore the professing atheist is in truth what we call an agnostic. One who claims he doesn’t know if God exists.. The Latin equivalent of that Greek word is “ignoramus” which seems appropriate.

Nabal fools are self-righteous and don’t want or need God. They want to live their lives the way they please. Their problem is wilful ignorance and not lack of normal intelligence. 2 Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Willingly are ignorant = dumb on purpose.

Man can get by, advance along and make progress. His knowledge is the very thing that marks his descent into hell. In all the advances man has made, he cannot advance the length of his life or the morality of the soul. Man is attracted to power, pleasure, fame, and comfort. Humans have drive, motivation and an incentive to seek fortune and fame, but never to seek God.