Considering Proverbs 1:24-27

²⁴ Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

²⁵ But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

²⁶ I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

²⁷ When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

The wisdom of the Lord can be found if we want to find it, and if we listen to the wisdom of the Lord then we will find instruction that keeps us from paths of destruction.

As mentioned in previous verses, fools despise wisdom because they have a wisdom of their own: the wisdom of the world.

When we disregard the wisdom of God—when we disregard Jesus—we are going to die.

A Christian can always grow in wisdom. We can always seek Jesus to provide us with strength to walk in the right paths. Maybe we go astray for a time then we come back with a better appreciation for the wisdom of God and a better zeal for truth. Maybe we have sin and personality struggles that pull us into paths of destruction regularly, but if we truly appreciate the righteous way and are willing to face the truth of our sin so that we can repent and get back on track, Jesus will forgive us and help us. The calamity of the wicked is not for those who love Jesus with a sincere heart.

The calamity of the wicked might vary depending on their disregard for true wisdom and depending on the time we are in. We’ve all experienced the results of sinful living in one way or another.

There will come a time when the Lord and His wisdom are hard to find, if not impossible, and the earth will be in utter desolation. The Lord and His wisdom are taken from the earth because no man regarded the righteousness of God. Instead, they kill and destroy all things that stand for the righteous ways of God and those who uphold the testimony of Jesus.

They will be utterly desolate, or in other words, completely void of life-sustaining knowledge. They will be destroyed in mind and body, and they will face the judgment of God.  

Should a Christian laugh at those who refuse instruction then experience the deadly consequences? We have all sinned. We have all had to face our foolishness and the consequences.

We should try to find understanding of their circumstances so that we can help them see a better way. We should pray that Jesus would open their eyes, because He is the one in control of their blindness in the first place. If it were not for His grace, we would follow foolishness and we would be destroyed too.

So, we should be humble and merciful. We should be compassionate. We should be patient.

This can be hard to do, but God will help us understand the wisdom of this outlook and provide us with the strength to overcome our desire to mock the foolish.

If those who love foolishness refuse to repent and continue destroying those who love the wisdom of God and the testimony of Jesus, then what? Do we become destructive in return? Do we fight? There seems to be a time and place for that, both in human history and in the scriptures. There also seems to be an element of faith, waiting on the Lord’s vengeance, and laying our lives down in peace.

That is a question I will be thinking about today because I have a difficult time understanding the difference between foolish and wise violence.