Do Not Waste Wisdom on a Scoffer – (Proverbs 9:7-9)

Daily Bible Study
The Bible tells us multiple times do not waste time teaching wisdom to a fool or giving correction to a scoffer. The term scoffer, or fool, does not refer to someone's ability to learn or retain knowledge. Rather, it refers to one whose heart is hard, whose heart is cold and dead to God, dead to morality and what is good and decent. Someone whose heart consists of stone as it relates to God. This is a person who hates God with an emotional hatred and will do anything to rebel against the Lord. This is a person who will claim there is no God, yet deep down they know there is. What's really going on in their hearts as they have an extreme anger and hatred toward God, therefore because of the emotion of hatred there is no logic or wisdom in their rebellion. This is generally someone who has consumed themselves with the things of the flesh and set their hearts against the Lord.

Moreover, the fool or scoffer has taken their rebellion, even further, by openly scoffing or making fun of God, the things of God and most of all, the people of God. It's this individual whom the Lord tells us not to correct. Because in the end, until this person's heart is changed, we will only bring harm to ourselves. When a person reaches this state they are generally beyond our reach and can only be reached by God through the work of the Holy Spirit or by genuine love and compassion on our part and not by correction. A heart which is dead and trespasses and sins, and in open rebellion against God, can only be reached by the Holy Spirit. This is why it's so important we let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit and not by our desires. Only the Holy Spirit knows whose hearts are ready to receive the Gospel message and believe in Jesus. And because of that He alone will put us in the right place at the right time to witness to those who are ready to receive God's free gift of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.