8 Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath ~ Proverbs 29:8
Solomon said that a city is set aflame by scoffers, but wise men turn away wrath. In other words, scoffers—those who mock God’s wisdom and stir up strife—agitate a city until neighbors become enemies and communities begin to tear themselves apart. Because where scoffers dominate, communities eventually suffer. Businesses close, families move away, and neighborhoods deteriorate because strife always destroys what wisdom seeks to build.
We have all watched tragic events become occasions for anger, destruction, looting, and violence. Instead of seeking justice through wisdom, many choose revenge, and entire communities suffer. Solomon’s words are just as true today as when he first wrote them: scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.
In Proverbs 11:11, Solomon went on to say:
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted,
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
A city is exalted by the blessing of the upright, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. So, who is the scoffer but the wicked person? The one who does not know, nor do they acknowledge God in their hearts. Yes, they may honor Him with their lips, but their hearts, the part that counts the most, is far from Him. Businesses have had to relocate and close doors in some places because of the wickedness of scoffers, and move to a city that is blessed by the righteous. There is too much destruction in that city. They want total anarchy. They want the police defunded. They want what is not theirs, and to do as they please because they are entitled to it.
On the other hand, the wise do not answer evil with evil. Rather than responding with violence and vengeance, they seek peace, forgiveness, and justice God’s way. There is no taking to the streets in a blind rage to burn and loot and destroy. But instead, spontaneous worship breaks out. People begin to ask questions about God and His kingdom. People begin to return to church and seek God once again. That’s the difference between a scoffer and the wise. One turns to hate and violence, while the other turns the other cheek and seeks love and forgiveness.
Maybe the next time something doesn’t go your way, or you feel you have been wronged, you should evaluate your response and ask, “Am I responding like a scoffer, or am I responding like the wise?” Seek wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, so seek first the LORD God Almighty and His kingdom. Allow His Holy Spirit to order your steps and so direct your paths, and everything else will fall into place.
Father, help me to make the right decisions. Help me to act wisely and not like a scoffer. Give me strength and endurance to seek You and Your kingdom first, that I might stick to the course that You have planned for me, and that I will be a blessing to the city and community in which I live, and not set my city aflame, in Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.