Two Paths to Knowledge Text: Proverbs 19:25
Introduction: The School of Hard Knocks and the School of Wisdom
We live in an age that despises authority and detests correction. Our culture has elevated personal autonomy to the level of a god, and the chief liturgy in the worship of this god is the shrill cry of "Don't judge me." The modern man wants to define his own reality, write his own moral code, and then receive a standing ovation for it. He believes he can learn what he needs to know by "following his heart" or "living his truth." But the book of Proverbs, in its rugged, earthy wisdom, confronts this sentimental nonsense head-on. It tells us that there are really only two schools where you can learn anything of value: the school of wisdom and the school of hard knocks. And your enrollment in one or the other is determined entirely by your posture toward correction.
The world is not a neutral, quiet classroom where we can all peacefully discover ourselves. It is a warzone of conflicting worldviews. On the one side, you have the wisdom of God, which begins with the fear of the Lord and proceeds by humble instruction. On the other, you have the folly of man, which begins with the pride of the creature and proceeds by painful collision with reality. God, in His mercy, has designed the world in such a way that folly always, eventually, gets a black eye. The universe has sharp corners. If you run through it with your eyes closed, you will get hurt. The question is not whether we will learn; the question is how.
This proverb before us today lays out the curriculum for both of these schools. It shows us that God has two basic methods for teaching humanity. One is for the teachable, and the other is for the stubborn. One involves words, and the other involves a rod. One is for the wise in training, and the other is for the fool who serves as a living object lesson. And in between these two, you have the simpleton, the uncommitted observer, who is watching to see which way the wind is blowing. This proverb is intensely practical. It is for parents, for magistrates, for pastors, and for every individual who wants to walk in wisdom rather than stumble in the dark.
The Text
Strike a scoffer and the simple may become prudent, But reprove one who has understanding and he will understand knowledge.
(Proverbs 19:25 LSB)
The Education of the Simple by Proxy (v. 25a)
We begin with the first clause:
"Strike a scoffer and the simple may become prudent..." (Proverbs 19:25a)
Here we are introduced to three characters: the scoffer, the simple, and the one administering the striking. Let's take them in order. The scoffer, or scorner, is not just a fool. He is an arrogant, hardened fool. He is the man who mocks wisdom, sneers at righteousness, and holds correction in contempt. His forehead is made of brass. He has heard the warnings, he knows the rules, but he has decided he is the exception. He is the defiant teenager who says, "You can't tell me what to do." He is the progressive theologian who smirks at the plain reading of Scripture. He is the man who is committed to his sin, and he will not be reasoned out of it.
Because he will not listen to words, God has ordained another method of instruction for him: a blow. "Strike a scoffer." This refers to judicial or parental discipline. It is the rod of correction (Prov. 22:15), the magistrate's sword (Rom. 13:4). It is the painful consequence that God has built into the fabric of reality. Notice that the proverb is not particularly optimistic about the scoffer himself. It doesn't say, "Strike a scoffer and he will become prudent." The blow might stop him in his tracks, it might shut his mouth for a time, but it is not primarily for his benefit. The scoffer's heart is so hard that even the pain of consequence often fails to penetrate. He is being used for another purpose.
His education is a public service. The real student in this scenario is the "simple." The simple man is not the hardened fool; he is the naive, gullible, uncommitted man. He is standing at the crossroads, trying to figure out which way to go. He lacks discernment. He is easily swayed. He is watching the scoffer, and he is watching the authority. And when the authority acts, when the scoffer is struck, the simple man learns a crucial lesson without having to feel the blow himself. He sees the scoffer's rebellion and the painful result, and he thinks to himself, "I don't want that to happen to me." He becomes prudent. He learns to beware. The consequence visited upon the defiant one becomes a cautionary tale for the watching world.
This is a profound principle for all forms of governance. When a father disciplines one child for defiance, he is teaching all his children. When a church excommunicates an unrepentant member, it is warning the entire congregation. When a state punishes a criminal, it is deterring others from the same crime. A failure to strike the scoffer is not an act of mercy; it is an act of cruelty to the simple. It leaves them vulnerable to the scoffer's lies and example. It communicates that rebellion has no cost, which is the most dangerous lie of all.
The Education of the Wise by Words (v. 25b)
The second half of the verse presents a far more pleasant and efficient method of education.
"But reprove one who has understanding and he will understand knowledge." (Proverbs 19:25b)
Here we meet the man of understanding. This is the man who fears the Lord, which is the beginning of knowledge. He is not perfect, he still makes mistakes, but his heart is soft. He is teachable. He wants to grow in wisdom. He does not have a brass forehead. For this man, a blow is not necessary. All he needs is a word.
The word here is "reprove." A reproof is a verbal correction, a rebuke. It is pointing out where someone has gone wrong. In our therapeutic age, any form of reproof is seen as harsh and damaging to one's self-esteem. But in the biblical worldview, reproof is a gift. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend" (Prov. 27:6). It is an act of love. To see a brother straying and say nothing is to hate him in your heart (Lev. 19:17). The man of understanding knows this. He doesn't want to continue in his error. He doesn't want to remain ignorant.
And so, when he is reproved, what is the result? He doesn't get defensive. He doesn't make excuses. He doesn't shoot the messenger. The text says, "he will understand knowledge." The correction is not just received; it is assimilated. It adds to his store of wisdom. His understanding deepens. He is grateful for the correction because it helps him see more clearly and walk more straightly. This is the fast track to maturity. The wise man learns from a quiet word of rebuke, while the fool has to learn from a two-by-four upside the head, if he learns at all.
This is why we are commanded not to waste our rebukes on scoffers. Jesus tells us not to cast our pearls before swine (Matt. 7:6). A scoffer will trample the reproof and turn to attack you. But we are commanded to reprove our brother. There is a temptation to remain silent when we see a wise man stumble, thinking, "He's a mature guy, he'll figure it out." But this proverb instructs us otherwise. A timely reproof to a man of understanding is an invaluable investment. It is potent. It bears fruit. It builds him up, and it strengthens the bonds of fellowship.
The Great Divide
So we have two kinds of people, and two kinds of instruction. The great divide between them is the posture of the heart toward correction. The scoffer says, "I am my own law." The wise man says, "Your law, O Lord, is my delight." The scoffer is proud and unteachable. The wise man is humble and eager to learn. The simple man is caught in the middle, and his future depends on which example he chooses to follow.
This is not just about personal ethics; it is about the health of a civilization. A society that refuses to strike the scoffer will soon be overrun by them. And when the scoffers are in charge, the simple are led astray en masse, and the men of understanding are silenced and persecuted. We are living in such a time. Our elites scoff at God's law, at creation, at the sanctity of life and marriage, and our institutions are too cowardly to strike them. And so the simple, the great mass of people, are becoming foolish right along with them, because the cautionary tales are no longer being told.
The Gospel Reproof
Ultimately, this proverb points us to the gospel of Jesus Christ. For we are all born fools. We are all born simple, at best, and many of us have more than a little of the scoffer in our hearts. We have all, in our pride, rejected God's wisdom and chosen our own path. And because of this, we all deserve to be struck. The wages of sin is death, a fatal blow from the righteous hand of God.
But the good news is this: the ultimate blow fell upon someone else. On the cross, Jesus Christ was struck as the ultimate scoffer. He who knew no sin was made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). He bore the rebellion of all His people. He was mocked, scorned, and smitten by God and man. He received the full force of the divine rod that we deserved. Why? So that we, the simple, the foolish, the rebellious, could see the consequence of sin laid upon Him and become prudent unto salvation.
And what is the result? When the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see Christ struck for us, our hearts of stone are broken. We are transformed from scoffers into men and women of understanding. The cross is the ultimate reproof. It tells us the truth about our sin and the truth about God's love. And having been transformed by this great act, we are now able to receive all of God's lesser reproofs with gratitude. We are no longer afraid of correction, because we know that our Father corrects us as beloved sons, not as enemies (Heb. 12:5-7). He is not striking us to condemn us; that blow already fell on Jesus. He is reproving us to teach us, to sanctify us, and to make us wiser still.
Therefore, let us ask ourselves: which school are we enrolled in? When God's Word or God's providence corrects us, do we stiffen our necks like the scoffer? Or do we humble ourselves like the wise, and say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant hears"? The answer to that question determines everything.