Proverbs 14:6
"A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge is easy to one who has understanding"
As in anyone's life there comes times when the scoffer does not know what to do. They are at a crossroads and desperately want to know which choice is the right choice. But their negative, mocking perspective keeps the wise choice from being perceived. They see it as too simplistic, impossible, and it will never turn around and benefit them. They are literally blinded to the truth because they have had the mocking, scoffing tone. They cannot see the Triple-Win choice as a viable winning strategy. It looks like a sure losing play to them.
scoffer
This is the critic's way of life. The Bible makes a direct link between pride and the scoffer. In fact, James 4:6 God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble is a repeat of Proverbs 3:34 in which the word proud is the word scoffer. It is the height of arrogance to always point out what is wrong with something or someone. When you put yourself in the position of being the critic of something, then you put yourself in the position of being superior over that thing. Often, it is those who cannot do it themselves who become critics.
It is so easy to see the negative-attacking style of the scoffer as sophisticated and intelligent, but it really robs these people of the ability to find wisdom when they need it. They are so used to seeing everything wrong with things that they invent negative outcomes for the wise course which prevent them from taking it. In other words, when they see the wise course that would put God, others, and then themselves, they are prevented from choosing this course of action because they can see too many potential problems and too many ways that this course of action could go wrong. They cannot factor in the goodness and grace of God or the good side of people. So they count on negative consequences and bad reactions from others and generally get them.
Finding the negative and bad possibilities and seeing the glass as half-full can become a way of life. It is a dark-cloud perspective and will color your whole view of life and eventually rob you of the ability to perceive wisdom.
Scoffers are like a leech that sucks away the energy and joy of a positive project. Every project worth doing will have problems, but these become reasons not to continue the project – to the scoffer.
Proverbs 1:22 Scoffers delight themselves in scoffing. It is one thing to notice potential problems and concerns but to retain a positive outlook on life and most projects. But it is another thing to take delight in finding the negative and bad. It can become a delight in scoffing and criticalness. This becomes a whole lifestyle in which the scoffer usually feels that they are superior to everyone else because they can see all the problems – even ones that aren't there. These people have less friends because who wants a critic around all the time. Their whole life takes a negative cast. They begin to believe that they are better than others. It is often the case that if they get into this way of life enough, everything they do begins to involve seeing the wrong with something. Eventually they may lose the ability to be negative, skeptical, and condescending about everything. They also will not be able to be positive or empowering about anything.
Proverbs 3:34 God scoffs at the scoffers. He finds a lot negative and is critical about their arrogant, critical, and negative way of life.
Proverbs 19:25 The scoffer must be severely punished for their critical, negative ways in order to keep the naive from thinking their sophomoric questions and critical negative assessment of everything they are involved with is a wise and righteous way of life.
Proverbs 21:24 Proud, Haughty, Scoffer are his names. The scoffer is the most common form of pride. I can only place myself above you and criticize what you are doing or have done.
Proverbs 22:10 Get rid of the scoffer and contention, strife and discord will stop. These people can just see the negative perspective and create gossip, hard feelings, and rumors over even the simplest things.
Proverbs 24:9 says that the scoffer is an abomination to all men.
Psalms 1:1 Do not become involved in this way of life.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz