“As snow in summer and rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool…A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the fool’s back. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Like the legs of the lame that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of fools. Like one who binds a stone in a sling is he who gives honor to a fool. Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. The great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages. As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:1, 3-11).
Fact # 2: A fool is nigh to impossible to help (v. 3).
Because of their superior physical strength and stubbornness, horses and donkeys can only be convinced to comply with the wishes of their master by use of harsh treatment (Ps. 32:9). A whip and a bridle are essential equipment when handling equine. Without them, these brutes will be unreasonable, unruly, and unmanageable.
Like Nabal (1 Sam. 25:17, 25), a fool cannot be instructed or reasoned with. Like a stubborn mule, he is impossible to help without the use of force and significant pain. Graduating first in his class from the School of Hard Knocks may be of little, if any, lifetime benefit to a fool.
Gentle persuasion, polite tact, and firm suggestions are wasted on a fool. A fool is nigh to impossible to help.
