“So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee.” (Psalms 73:22)
In verse 1of Proverbs 73, we learn this is a psalm of Asaph, but many believe it was written with the assistance of David. Asaph was the worship leader during David’s reign and even until Solomon built the temple. And many times, there was collaboration of many others in writing the psalms.
The word “foolish” used is given emphasis by the preceding word, “so.” He considered himself not only foolish, but even more so, like a dumb beast, meaning senseless. It refers to cattle. And his analogy of himself as a dumb beast goes to verse 3 of the same psalm. “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalms 73:3)
A fool is considered a senseless person. In the Bible it means someone who disregards God and His Word. They don’t learn from their mistakes but continue to repeat their errors. “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.” (Proverbs 26:11) They enjoy wickedness. “It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.” (Proverbs 10:23) They are undisciplined. “A fool despiseth his father's instruction: ...” (Proverbs 15:5a) And ultimately, they despise God. “...The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (Psalms 14:1)
In Proverbs 73, David states that he was foolish. In other words, he didn’t consider God in his thoughts in envying those who prospered without the Lord and acted without a care for others or God. (Proverbs 73:3-12) Those of us who have been delivered from living on our own terms will think twice about such attitudes and thoughts, unless we are fools and wish to return to a life of sin. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” (Proverbs 28:26) I doubt very much such fools were delivered at all. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) So I doubt that a fool listened or learned wisdom and instruction.
Before Christ, like David said in Proverbs 73, we were fools. We went with the flow of the world, disobedient and returned over and over again to our mistakes and wrong choices. “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” (Titus 3:3) We may have believed in God, but we didn’t consider Him in our thoughts and actions. And that is the difference between a wise person and a fool.
A person who has come to Christ cannot be foolish. He is a new person with a new nature. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Corinthians 5:17) The Holy Spirit has come to reside in us. We have God’s wisdom and knowledge at our disposal. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Corinthians 2:9-14)
There is no way except in outright disobedience that we would ever be foolish again. We have the Holy Spirit. He walks with us and talks to us continually. We need to listen to Him. He gives us God’s option at every turn. We have a choice to obey and choose the wisest options or disobey and look foolish. “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1Corinthians 2:16)
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