It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5
Recommended Reading: 1 Kings 3:4-15
The main theme of Proverbs is comparing the life of a wise person with the life of a fool. A wise person is one who through instruction and correction has developed the skills needed to live successfully. A fool has, by rejecting instruction and correction, not learned to live a skillful life. A fool is a person who refuses to accept correction and rebuke when needed.
Solomon, the writer of most of Proverbs, knew well the results of correction versus the flattery of “the song of fools.” As king, he asked God for wisdom to rule (1 Kings 3:4-15) and no doubt endured the flattery of those in his court seeking favor from him. So nearing the end of his reign, it is no surprise that he wrote that rebuke was far better than flattery. Solomon wrote that correction can come from the words of the wise and that the wise person will receive it willingly (Proverbs 9:8-9).
Ask God to make you correctable and immune to flattery so that you may develop a heart of wisdom.
God’s house of correction is His school of instruction.
Thomas Brooks
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