Proverbs 10:23 (Mini Sermon)

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1.      Pro 10:23 – “It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.”

1. It is as sport to a fool to do mischief:
   1. Definitions
      1. Sport – 1. a. Pleasant pastime; entertainment or amusement; recreation, diversion.
      2. Fool – I. 1. a. One deficient in judgement or sense, one who acts or behaves stupidly, a silly person, a simpleton. (In Biblical use applied to vicious or impious persons.)  The word has in mod.Eng. a much stronger sense than it had at an earlier period; it has now an implication of insulting contempt which does not in the same degree belong to any of its synonyms, or to the derivative foolish.
      3. Mischief n. – 1. Evil plight or condition; misfortune; trouble, distress; in ME. often, need, want, poverty. Obs. 2. a. Harm or evil considered as the work of an agent or due to a particular cause.
   2. In other words, for people who lack judgment and sense, and are therefore simpletons who behave stupidly, doing harm and evil is a pleasant pastime which entertains and amuses them.

• Fools view sin as entertainment.
  1. Fools rejoice to do evil and delight in the forwardness of others (Pro 2:14).
     • Rejoice v. – 1. trans. To enjoy by possessing; to have full possession and use of (a thing). Obs. 2. To gladden, make joyful, exhilarate (a person, his spirits, etc.).
     • Delight v. – 1. a. trans. To give great pleasure or enjoyment to; to please highly. 2. intr. (for refl.) To be highly pleased, take great pleasure, rejoice: in or to do (anything).
     • They have pleasure in unrighteousness (2Th 2:12).
       1. They have pleasure in beholding other peoples’ sins (Rom 1:32).
       2. Pleasure n. – 1. a. The condition of consciousness or sensation induced by the enjoyment or anticipation of what is felt or viewed as good or desirable; enjoyment, delight, gratification. The opposite of pain.
     • If you get enjoyment by watching others sin or portraying sin in movies or videos, you are a fool.
  2. Fools make a mock at sin (Pro 14:9; Isa 57:3-4).
     • Mock n. – 1. a. A derisive or contemptuous action or speech; an act or mocking or derision. B. to make mock(s) or a mock at: to deride (obs.).
     • Mock v. – To hold up to ridicule; to deride; to assail with scornful words or gestures.
     • Deride v. – 1. trans. To laugh at in contempt or scorn; to laugh to scorn: to make sport of, mock. 2. intr. To laugh contemptuously or scornfully.
     • When a preacher or a Christian tells a fool that he is sinning and God will judge him for it, he will laugh at his warnings with contempt.
     • If you think sin is a joking matter or you take it lightly, you are a fool.
       1. Beware of telling or laughing at jokes which make fun of sin (sodomy, fornication, effeminacy, drunkenness, etc.).
       2. Christians should never tell entertaining stories about the sinful things they did in their past such as episodes of drunkenness.
       3. Drunkenness is not funny! It’s wicked and should not be laughed about.

1. Folly is joy to fools (Pro 15:21).
   • Folly n. – 1. a. The quality or state of being foolish or deficient in understanding; want of good sense, weakness or derangement of mind; also, unwise conduct.
   • Joy n. – 1. a. A vivid emotion of pleasure arising from a sense of well-being or satisfaction; the feeling or state of being highly pleased or delighted; exultation of spirit; gladness, delight.
   • If you have fun doing stupid, foolish, or sinful things, you are a fool.
2. Fools will deceive others and then play it off as a joke (Pro 26:19).
3. Fools find it entertaining and amusing to watch someone else suffer or be humiliated (Jdg 16:25).
   1. God will judge those who do such things (Jdg 16:26-30).
   2. Never make fun of a less fortunate, disabled, retarded, or poor person.
4. but a man of understanding hath wisdom.
   1. Definitions
      1. Understanding n. – 1. a. (Without article.) Power or ability to understand; intellect, intelligence. b. of understanding, intelligent, capable of judging with knowledge. Similarly of some, of no, understanding.
      2. Wisdom n. – 1. a. Capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends; sometimes, less strictly, sound sense, esp. in practical affairs: opp. to folly.
   2. In other words, a man with intelligence who is capable of judging with knowledge has the ability to judge rightly in matters relating to life and conduct, and he exercises soundness of judgment in his choice of means to attain the best ends for his life.

• This clause begins with but which is a conjunction which contrasts it with the first clause.
  1. In context, this verse is teaching that a man of understanding has wisdom, and therefore mischief is not entertaining and enjoyable for him.
  2. His understanding of the scriptures has taught him that sin is evil and is to be hated, not enjoyed (Psa 119:104; Psa 119:128).
  3. His wisdom demonstrates that he fears the LORD (Pro 9:10), and therefore he hates evil (Pro 8:13) and departs from it (Pro 14:16; Pro 3:7).