How Low Are You Willing To Go To Make Yourself High And Your God Unknown?

When a *mocker *strikes you, *his youth *grows more *shrewd; but *correct a man towards *his understanding *so that *he will discern *wisdom. (MAST)

*[a mocker] literally, a scoffer. But this is a boasting and proud individual who makes himself the showbread of everyone’s shame at the expense of ignoring his own. The context defines this mocker as a shrewd youth who is naïve about his own accomplishments. He boasts in himself while striking at the ignorance of others. He believes he is smarter and higher than all his opponents. He thinks more highly of himself than ought to think (Rom.12:3).

*[strikes you] literally, the Hifil verb stem in the second person, “When a mocker strikes you, . . .” The verb stem is constructive of a hypothetical cause. Should a mocker strike you, the stem follows the cause. The cause is the mocker, but the effect is what follows. But in this verb stem there is a double cause which is to write a double effect.

*[his youth] literally, a youthful, naïve and gullible person. This is narrowing down the definition of the mocker’s cause. It is out of his youthful naivety that this “man” strikes with his immature mocking (2Tim.2:22).

*[grows more] The Hifil cause is that “this man” grows more immature in the pride and arrogance of his self-esteem because of the “effect” of his mocking, which deflates those whom he strikes with his self-cause.

*[shrewd] literally, to be subtle or crafty. This is characteristic of a snake that attacks “prey” from behind or with self-inflation from the front in self-defense when preyed upon. This is the growth process of a bully who walks in the doctrine of the survival of the fittest. The pattern of thinking that drives this mocker is that only the strong will survive and the weak must be walked over with his power and strength. The effect is that his shrewdness is perfected as he slithers his way to the top. Therefore his shrewdness (the Qal stem) is the effect of the cause of his success at mocking (Hifil stem).

*[but correct a man towards] literally, therefore rebuke the man! Again, this is the secondary cause of the Hifil stem of “when the mocker strikes you.” Solomon is teaching his son not to imitate this foolish man by envying “the success” of his shrewdness, but by meekness, not weakness, to turn the other cheek and lead him towards choosing the humble path. In other words, don’t press charges and take him to court over his foolishness towards you, but demonstrate your integrity in defending what you know is righteous (in God). Do not permit him to showbread your righteousness as evil, for your righteousness is not in the name of a man of pride but in the God-who-saves (Rom.14:16). Literally, it can be rendered, “Be found righteous towards him who is without understanding.”

*[his understanding] literally, the Nifal participle. He who is passive in understanding. This is representative of a wicked taskmaster who continually beats his slaves until there is no strength in them to accomplish his will. This is the type of man who is so self-absorbed that he is stupid. He ties his own hands and feet just so his subjects give him all his attention (Mk.15:34;Ps.22:1;Matt.11:28-30). He is cruel and inconsiderate of his slaves. But meekness, Solomon says, will correct him. Be found righteous by him who is cruel and mocks at your weaknesses. In this, I dare to proclaim to you that this is also a picture of our God in this wicked taskmaster (Gal.3:24). While God is certainly not like this wicked mocker in any degree, but that which the Law of God requires, which is the scourging of the body that houses the soul that sins (Deut.25:1-4;2Cor.11:24; Lk.12:47-48;Acts 16:23), Christ has substituted the punishment of this on his cross (Isa.53:5; Mt.10:17;20:19;Mt.23:34;27:26;Jn.19:1). Be found in Christ by the Law of God in peace! Because you are a sinner, you deserve a beating, not by this wicked taskmaster, but by the Spirit of God (Rom.11:4). Therefore, respond to this wicked man by doing your righteousness unto God alone who is worthy of our worship (Gal.1:10;Eph.6:7;Col.2:8;3:22-23;1Thess.2:4). Don’t puff up this mocker with flattery but show up this mocker with sincerity and truth (1Cor.5:8).

*[so that] literally, the reflexive of the Hifil (causative) stem and the Qal stem, “to discern.” Discernment is the effect of correcting this mocker with meekness. It silences his shrewdness and replaces it with true wisdom “from above.”

*[he will discern] literally, to actively understand. The passivity of this man’s understanding changes to that of giving close attention to how you respond to the mocking in wisdom. You literally pull his ear down from his own self-esteem like taking a dog by the ears and having a staring contest. He seeks to learn of your wisdom. He seeks to know the standard of your judgments.

*[wisdom] literally, the ability to understand knowledge. The generic usage of this noun is knowledge, but in construct with “to judge between,” it is the faculty to know the distinctions between the knowledge of good and evil. This requires a standard that is not inherit to man. This is a standard that must be externally acquired. It is the knowledge of the Law of God that “empties” (unleavens) a man of his self-esteem, but it is the knowledge of God (the Persons and work of God) that builds in him the reason to discern good from evil and the clean from the unclean. To answer the question of the mocker we must first ask ourselves how high we are willing to go to receive the wisdom that is from above, and how low we are willing to go to make known our God among those who have suppressed His wisdom to exalt their own unrighteousness?

James 3:13–18 (NKJV)

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.