Proverbs 21.24
“Scoffer is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.”
Scoffers love their own thoughts, and they operate from an attitude of arrogance. They resent being told they are wrong, and their arrogance about their opinions makes them worse than a fool. Scoffers do not and will not seek the insight of wise people; they think they already know it all.
“A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise.” (Proverbs 15:12)
Scoffers look for knowledge, but they look in the wrong places, in the wrong way, and for the wrong reasons. Because of that arrogance, they don’t find true knowledge; they find pseudo-knowledge. Ironically, this only serves to amplify the ego and conceit of scoffers, and they foolishly declare as “fact” things that sound good, but in reality are misleading and deceitful.
This is the thinking trap called “confirmation bias.” It is seeking only information that supports one’s opinion, while avoiding or distorting information that disconfirms one’s opinion. It is a selective and biased consideration of the evidence and info.
“A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 14.6-7)
Being a scoffer is the exact opposite of the central theme of the book of Proverbs: be teachable and learn wisdom. Proverbs admonishes us to commit to the disciplined process of learning and applying God’s standards and principles to our life. You will recall that this process of instruction and correction is the Hebrew word musar, and is referred to throughout Proverbs.
Proverbs 15.5 states it very clearly: “A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.” The metaphor of a father instructing his son is used, because our Heavenly Father seeks to instruct us just like earthly fathers seek to instruct their children. It is a foolish child who rejects his father’s instruction; it is a wise child who responds to direction and correction from his father.
Lest anyone fail to see the importance of responding to the Lord’s instruction and correction, Proverbs 15.10 issues this grave warning: “There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die.” (Proverbs 15:10)
There is a way that God wants us to go about life. There are standards he wants us to know and obey. There is a path he wants us to follow. Musar is the process of learning to live the life to which the Lord calls us. It is learning to stay on the path, and being responsive to his correction and reproof when we stray off-path.
The bottom line: Be teachable and coachable.
