Foolish God In our call to worship this morning, we were reading from the 19 th chapter of Psalm. This chapter ends with a familiar verse. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 NASB) In this sentence, David asked God to control his thoughts and words. It seems to be an acknowledgement that God is the source of wisdom. In today s modern age, the idea of God seems to be out of date or passé. The idea of following a god on faith without solid proof is too much for our enlightened times. Part of the problem may be the prosperity that we all enjoy. We are trained from an early age that we are more important than anyone else so we become narcissistic. We have been taught that we may satiate any and all appetites that we may experience without any thought of moral or ethical standards of correct behavior. In Paul s second letter to Timothy we read a description that seems to fit our times. But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters (or not loving) of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness (or religion), although they have denied its power; Avoid 1
such men as these. For among them are those who enter (or creep) into households and captivate weak (or idle) women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge (or recognition) of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7 NASB) Please understand that Paul is not denigrating women here. In that day, women typically worked at home and were frequently considered as having free or idle time. Today, we all have more idle time than we realize and this phrase may equally apply to any of us. For those who are in our class on Revelation, you are already familiar with the term last days. Some try to fashion this into a prophetic time to indicate an era that immediately precedes the return of Jesus. It really is referring to the era that began with the resurrection of Jesus and includes current and any future times until the return of Jesus. We read this admonition to Timothy and we feel that it is applicable to our time. Well, it is. Just as it was to the time when Paul wrote it. People have always felt self-important. People have always indulged in self-satisfaction. People have always loved money and the things that money can buy. Why is this? I firmly believe that it is because we can touch and feel the physical presence while holding to God requires faith. Perhaps that is the reason why so many young people go off to college or university and abandon God. In these places of higher learning, we are challenged to investigate, to probe, to validate, and to confirm our beliefs or find new things in which we may believe. When we use human logic and understanding, we cannot prove God. We often use the current knowledge base to confirm or deny our beliefs. When we do this, God 2
suffers from the application of human logic and knowledge. The prophet Isaiah tells us in the 55 th chapter of Isaiah: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 NASB) Our scripture today examines the apparent idiocy of the gospel message as viewed from a human perspective. Paul lays out the foolishness of the message from the perspective of a Jewish audience and from a Greek audience. Let s read in 1 Corinthians the first chapter beginning in verse 18. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (or perish), but to us who are being saved (saved) it is the power of God. For it is written, I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached (lit. preaching) to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs (attesting miracles) and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ (or the Messiah) crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 3
For consider (lit. see) your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh (human standards), not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man (flesh) may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 NASB) The message is foolish to those who are outside of Christ. Paul recalls a passage from Isaiah about the wisdom of human logic. In Isaiah 29, we see the absurd argument that human logic brings to the table. Consider Isaiah 29: 13-16. Then the Lord said, Because this people draw near with their words (or mouth) And honor Me with their lip service (or lips), But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence (or fear) for Me consists (or is) of tradition learned by rote, Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed. Woe to those who deeply hide their plans (or counsel) from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, Who sees us? or Who knows us? 4
You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as (or like an) equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, He did not make me ; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, He has no understanding? (Isaiah 29:13-16 NASB) In this passage, God not only tells that the wisdom and strength on which that humans depend will be laid aside. God cautions against serving Him through meaningless rituals. We also see the folly of placing ourselves on an equal footing with God. Shall the potter be considered as (or like an) equal with the clay, that what is made would say to its maker, He did not make me ; or what is formed say to him who formed it, He has no understanding? In Paul s letter to the Corinthian church, he addresses those who are still wanting God to play the part of the Magic Man. Give us signs, give us miracles, and demonstrate that you are God. Paul tells them that we preach Christ (or the Messiah) crucified. Paul also speaks to those who want scholarly words and clever arguments. Neither camp is willing to accept the simple message of Jesus. The Greeks want wisdom and they too are not satisfied by the message of the cross. The foolish message (as so judged by humans) is to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 5
Paul continues to show that the apostles and disciples were primarily of the lesser social status. He points out for consider (lit. see) your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh (human standards), not many mighty, not many noble. In this one statement, Paul reminds us that Jesus told His disciples: if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. (John 12:32 NASB) The calling is the draw of Jesus. It is not strength, wisdom, or social-political status. Jesus used ordinary people not the elite to deliver the message of salvation. God chose the weak, uneducated, and social outcast to bring the most important message-salvation through Jesus. The message of salvation has never been delivered by proud or boastful people. God deliberately chose otherwise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man (flesh) may boast before God. I have a friend that approaches Bible study as the art of connecting dots. We are familiar with the term. As we draw from point 1 to point 2, we reveal the complete picture. I tend to look at the master plan of God. From the initial promise found in Genesis, the rest of the Bible is a revelation of God constructing His plan. The plan is brought to completion in the resurrected Jesus. Paul is writing to a church that had well educated people. People who were the elite of their day. Paul was reminding them that their salvation was by His doing you are in Christ Jesus. Nothing in the plan, nothing in the message of salvation, nothing gospel of saving grace was because of human thought, power, or wealth. Paul ends his argument 6
with a paraphrasing of a passage from Jeremiah the 9 th chapter. In verses 23-24, we read about our pride. We read about our boasts. Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things, declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NASB) Our only reason to boast is that we understand and know God. We have said that the purpose of Bible study is so we may learn more about Jesus and become more like Him. Here, in this passage that is seldom read, we find a clue. As we close this morning, think on this, if God delights in lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, how should we live? Our education, wealth, political power or any other status is not a reason to boast in the eyes of God. Our salvation is due to the fact that God became man and humbled himself to the point of dying on the cross to pay for our sins. This simple message does not leave us room for boasting. It is foolishness to those who are perishing (or perish), but to us who are being saved (saved) it is the power of God. 7