Day 203 Skunks and Bears | Proverbs 17:11-12

Skunks and Bears

11 

Evil people are eager for rebellion,
     but they will be severely punished.

12 

It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
     than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.

Verse 11

This evil man refuses to change his behavior. Even punishment will not stop his evil behavior. A ruler will send an official to put the evil man in prison.

Verse 12

Bears are very dangerous animals. Even when a bear is content, you are in danger. This bear is a very angry bear, which you must avoid. The bear could kill you.

A fool is someone who hates wisdom. He loves evil things and he hates God. A ‘foolish fool’ is even worse. You must avoid him. It is safer to meet the angry bear.

There are some people, whom nobody can control. They are very evil people. We should realize this. We can pray for them. But we might be in danger if we try to help them. God can change their hearts - but we cannot do this.

The first proverb teaches that if someone tries to overthrow a powerful king, they will face execution. On a deeper level, it means that people who mock or rebel against God are foolish and will face death. Rebelling against God is wrong.

Sometimes, tourists in National Parks try to pet bear cubs, often with deadly results. Proverbs 12 says it’s safer to meet the cub’s mother than to listen to fools. Fools are proud of their foolishness and ignore wise advice. Nowadays, many fools defend their foolish ideas by saying they found them on the Internet.

Let me ask you: if someone is set on doing something foolish, they will reject anyone who tries to reason with them. It might be wiser to let them face the consequences of their actions. You can’t wrestle with a skunk without getting stinky yourself.

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