Proverbs 26

…or does He? That’s what you might have thought if you read the chapter for today. How could you miss this? “Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.” (vs 4) And on its heels: “Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools, or they will become wise in their own estimation.” (vs 5)

If ever there was an example of a contradiction in the Bible, this has to be it. Not to mention they are consecutive verses! So, what’s the deal? Why would Solomon make a declarative statement in verse 4 only to reverse it in his very next breath?

There may be other opinions about this, but I contend that this is not an example of a contradiction, but an example of how the Bible is designed to work. Many people think that the Bible was dictated word-for-word by God and that each and every word in it must be taken literally all the time. If that’s the case, then it would seem to me you’ve got a big problem with Proverbs 26:4-5.

However, another available option is to view the Bible as a record of God’s actions throughout human history, and one of the things we can discover is that different circumstances call for different measures. For instance, as discussed on this blog a couple of days ago, a command such as Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth could be a good thing (a merciful restraint) at one time, but at another time, it might be a bad thing (regression into evil). It all depends on the circumstances.

It seems to me that is what Solomon is trying to say here as well. You will likely come across many fools in your life! Sometimes, it will be best to keep your mouth shut and not say anything. Engaging with them in discourse will likely leave you looking like a fool. At other times, it may be prudent to say a few well-placed words to counter their foolishness. And part of wisdom is knowing which situation is which.

In the Old Testament, God dealt with people in a great variety of ways—according to the situation He was confronting. Even Jesus appeared to treat different people in different ways—saying to one sinful woman “I do not condemn you,” but at another time, calling a crowd of sinful men a bunch of lying snakes. The common denominator for God in all these situations was love. God does whatever is loving in any given situation, and He also does what is wise in any given situation.

If God ever appears to “contradict” Himself, it’s because no two people and no two situations are the same. And as we grow in our relationship with Him, we will also learn that dealing with people in love doesn’t always mean treating them the same way. Sometimes it will be best to talk back to that fool; sometimes it won’t. God will help us discern what is best in each situation.