It seems to me that God (and at least some of the prophets who wrote the scriptures) may have had a way of categorizing humans based on the humility they had adopted. It seems to me at present that there may have been three basic categorizations―three “camps”, into which they were divided. Let me introduce the three camps, and then I’ll show you where I find them in scripture.
I. Camp Mocker
The first camp is filled with this who are so averse to humility under God that they scoff at the very idea of it. They are the mockers.
II. Camp Wise
Opposite Camp Mocker is the camp of the wise or discerning. They are the ones who are so convinced of humility’s value that they voluntarily seek after it, even at the cost of having to fight their own pride in order to do so. They are the wise/discerning/prudent. And they are always learning more of this virtue. They are not perfect, mind you, but wise.
III. Camp Simple
Between Camp Mocker and Camp Wise are where all the rest live. It’s the camp for all those who haven’t decided to go all out toward mocking at godliness/humility, or toward loving and embracing it these things. This is Camp Simple, and it’s for those who are not training themselves in righteousness under God.
Where I Find This in Scripture
I’m eager to do a full study of all such language, but have seen enough so far to perceive what I believe to be a pattern in it. Here’s one of the clearer examples of the passages I have found:
Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
Proverbs 19:25. NIV.
It seems to me that:
- The mockers are distinct from the simple.
- The mockers have decided not to learn the things of God. They count themselves above it, whether they will admit to as much, or whether they even pretend to be Christians.
- The simple will not generally go after learning the things of God themselves, but can be shocked into learning by what they see befalling the mocker.
- The wise are so committed to learning that they will learn, even accepting the embarrassment of being corrected by someone else.
“Since You Refuse to Listen”
In the end, the wise prevail, but it does not go well for either those who are still living the life of a mocker, or who still love their simple ways:
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
Proverbs 1:22-33. NIV.
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke! [NOTE: The wise have this ability to change their minds.]
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
[NOTE: The wise do accept a wise rebuke.]
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
[NOTE: The wise don’t spurn the wise rebuke.]
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Caught in the Middle
Note from the proverb below that the Camp Simple is in the gradient between the mocker and the wise. They can learn from what befalls the mocker, as well as by “paying attention to the wise”. But it would seem to me that the default attitude of the simple is that they don’t pay close attention to either.
When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.
Proverbs 21:11. NIV.
Much more could be said of all this, but this is sufficient to flesh out this three-camp model. And it raises the question for each of us: Which camp am I in?
While there are mockers aplenty, I would venture to say that most people―even among churchgoers, would fall into the “simple” camp. There are so few wise people that the churches tend to cater to the simple, and often get caught up in simply trying to get them to stay, forgetting that there’s no good spiritual value in being there if they don’t adopt wisdom along the way.
Anyway, this whole post is just a topic-opener for me, and I’m far from ready for any grand conclusion here.
