"The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating (talkative) fool shall fall." Proverbs 10:8

We come to a very telling contrast today, those who listen and receive, and those who run their mouths. The first half of our contrast tells us that those who are wise receive wisdom and knowledge from an outside source. Wise people are aware of the fact that their wisdom does not flow from within, it comes from godly principles that have been gained through listening along with a receptive heart.

However, the fool can’t hear wisdom, he is too busy talking. He has no need of instruction or outside wisdom; he is content to call his foolishness wisdom as long as he doesn’t have to encounter anything contrary to his own way of thinking. This can be done intentionally, or out of naivety. I always cringe when I see a young immature person dominate a conversation in a crowd of older, much wiser people.

I remember a time when a group of young men were having an informal discussion with a much older, much wiser, preacher. A particular passage was being considered, and before the older, wiser, preacher could begin to comment, a young individual proceeded to teach the crowd, as well as the older preacher, about the original Greek meaning of the words in the passage. While I couldn’t really hit the nail on the head, I remember thinking to myself “What is wrong with this person?”. With a confident, satisfied look on his face, he was the portrait of the second half of our verse.