Proverbs 1:22

Letters to the Faithful - Proverbs 1:22

Berean Standard Bible

“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?

King James Bible

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

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To all the beloved of God in every place, young and old, seasoned and newly born in the Spirit, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I write to you in the fellowship of truth and the urgency of love, stirred by the ancient yet ever-living cry found in the book of Proverbs, chapter 1, verse 22:

"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?"

This is not merely the voice of Solomon echoing from the halls of ancient wisdom—it is the voice of Wisdom herself, personified and pleading, raised in the public square and echoed today through every prophetic voice, every faithful preacher, and every whisper of the Spirit in the hearts of the humble. Her question, sharp and sorrowful, cuts through the noise of our time with aching clarity: How long?

“How long?” is not merely a question of time but a cry of patience strained by refusal. It is the voice of divine mercy grown urgent. It is the voice of a God who waits but does not wait forever. The “simple” in this passage are not merely the uneducated or the inexperienced. They are those who choose naiveté, who close their ears to instruction not because no one has spoken, but because they do not want to be disturbed. Simplicity, in this case, is not innocence—it is willful immaturity. It is the refusal to grow, the spiritual apathy that treats life like a game and truth like an option.

Can you not see it in our own age? In a time when truth is treated as fluid, when conviction is labeled as arrogance, and moral clarity is mocked as intolerance—many have come to love being simple. They cling to comfortable ignorance because wisdom demands too much: change, humility, surrender. The Spirit cries out through Proverbs not because wisdom is rare, but because it is rejected. There is no shortage of light—only a preference for darkness.

Scoffers, too, are called out. These are the ones who not only ignore wisdom but mock it. They use sarcasm as a shield, laughter as a defense against conviction. They twist truth into jest and treat the sacred as if it were profane. Their delight is not in the fear of the Lord, but in seeing how much they can get away with. And yet, even to them, Wisdom speaks. Even the scoffer is not beyond the reach of God’s voice. He says, How long will you delight in your scoffing?—for He would see even the mocker turn and live.

Then there are the fools, who hate knowledge—not because it is false, but because it exposes them. Knowledge pierces through the illusions they have built and demands that they reckon with reality. It tells them they are not gods, that their choices matter, that consequences follow patterns. To love knowledge is to embrace discipline, to admit need, to become accountable. The fool cannot stomach such truth and therefore shuts his ears.

But let us not presume to stand above those addressed in this verse. Each of us must ask, Where have I loved simplicity? Where have I scoffed at correction? Where have I resisted the knowledge that God would freely give me? These questions are not for the unbelieving alone. They are for the church, for the pews as much as for the streets. Far too often, we too have embraced surface-level spirituality, content with clichés instead of depth, and noise instead of stillness.

Wisdom is not merely intellectual—it is spiritual. It is rooted in the fear of the Lord, the reverent awe that makes one tremble not because God is cruel but because He is holy. It is the wisdom that Christ embodied and now offers to His body. And it comes not with condemnation, but with invitation. The “how long?” of Proverbs 1:22 is not a final judgment—it is a window of mercy. It is a chance, even now, to turn.

So what does it mean to turn? It means we begin to hunger for truth that is deeper than headlines and older than trends. It means we silence the voice of the scoffer in our own hearts—the one that doubts every preacher, mocks every call to repentance, and questions every correction. It means we begin to study the Word not to affirm what we already believe, but to be transformed. It means we cultivate the company of the wise, seek counsel even when it wounds our pride, and learn to love reproof as a gift from the Lord.

In practical terms, let us apply this by first assessing our relationship with Scripture. Do we read it as students or spectators? Do we let it challenge our assumptions, or merely comfort our habits? If we would be wise, we must be lovers of truth, even when it is uncomfortable.

Second, let us watch our speech. Are we given to scoffing, even in jest? Do we tear down others with sarcasm or cynicism masked as humor? Let our mouths be instruments of grace and truth, not mockery and complaint. Let the tone of heaven be heard in our voices.

Third, let us embrace correction. Find someone who knows you and fears God, and give them permission to speak honestly into your life. Not everything they say will feel good, but if they love you and love the truth, their words will be life. The fool hates reproof. The wise are saved by it.

Finally, let us teach the next generation not only what to think, but how to love wisdom. Let us raise children who ask questions, seek truth, and prize holiness. Let them see us wrestling with Scripture, confessing sin, and growing—not just aging—in Christ. The world will offer them simplicity, scoffing, and foolishness. We must offer them something more—something eternal.

So I write to you with the heart of a father and the zeal of a brother: hear the voice of Wisdom today. Let the question “How long?” echo in your soul until it becomes the turning point from folly to faith. Let it lead you not to shame but to surrender. For the same voice that questions also calls, and the same God who convicts also redeems.

May we become lovers of wisdom, seekers of truth, and doers of righteousness in a world that desperately needs to see what the fear of the Lord looks like in flesh and blood. May the Spirit grant us ears to hear and hearts to obey. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit guard and guide you in all wisdom until the day of His appearing.

Amen.

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Eternal and Holy God, wise beyond all comprehension and gracious beyond all measure, we bow before You in reverence, humbling ourselves beneath the weight of Your Word, for it speaks not only to ancient hearts but to our own, here and now. We come in response to the voice of Wisdom calling aloud in the streets, echoing through the corridors of time and culture, piercing the noise of our lives with the plaintive question from Proverbs 1:22: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” Lord, we do not come as those untouched by this rebuke, but as those deeply convicted by it.

O God, search us and see where we have embraced simplicity—not the simplicity of childlike faith, but the willful simplicity that turns from truth to ease, from depth to distraction, from challenge to comfort. We confess that we have often preferred shallow thinking because it costs us less, because it demands no transformation, no repentance, no laying down of pride. Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have ignored Your instruction, refused to grow, and hardened our hearts against the wisdom You so freely offer. Forgive us for the times we have chosen ignorance, not because You were silent, but because we closed our ears.

Father, we grieve over the scoffing that has become a pattern in our generation and, at times, in our own mouths. Scoffing at righteousness, scoffing at conviction, scoffing at holiness, scoffing even at the idea that truth could be absolute and that Your Word could be final. We lament that mockery has become currency in our conversations, that sarcasm has overtaken sincerity, that criticism has replaced compassion. Let us not delight in scoffing, O Lord, but in understanding. Break our agreement with that spirit which sneers at conviction and laughs at the call to holiness. Tear down the idols of wit and cynicism that mask our fear of truth and our rebellion against authority.

And God, we plead with You concerning the hatred of knowledge—not academic knowledge, but spiritual knowledge, the knowledge of You and Your ways, the knowledge that comes through humility, obedience, and fear of the Lord. How often have we resisted correction, dismissed rebuke, and pushed aside the voice of conviction? We have surrounded ourselves with words that please our itching ears, while ignoring the voice that would pierce our souls and heal our brokenness. We have treated discipleship as optional and repentance as outdated. Forgive us, Father, and kindle in us a holy hunger for Your wisdom.

O Lord, we pray not only for ourselves, but for Your Church. Let the spirit of wisdom return to Your people. Restore a holy reverence for Your Word in our pulpits and our pews. Let us not be content with motivational soundbites or diluted truth, but let us long for the meat of the Word. Raise up teachers who tremble at Your voice and proclaim Your truth without compromise. Let pastors and prophets not cater to popularity but to purity. Let the body of Christ awaken from its slumber and hear the voice of Wisdom calling.

We pray for the young, Lord, for a generation caught in the whirlpool of distractions and false philosophies. So many are enticed by simplicity dressed as freedom, by scoffing framed as intelligence, by foolishness that masquerades as boldness. Reach them, God. Speak through the noise. Let Your Spirit break through the walls of pride and pain. Call them into truth—not as a set of rules, but as the pathway to life. And let the older generation not stand aloof, but repent where they have failed to model wisdom and begin anew as examples of truth and love.

Lord, we know that the question “How long?” is a question of mercy. It means You are still waiting. It means the door is still open. It means that Wisdom still stands at the gate, still raises her voice, still invites the fool to become wise and the wayward to return. Thank You for Your long-suffering kindness. Thank You that You do not turn away from us though we have so often turned from You. Thank You that Christ has become to us wisdom from God—righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

So we ask, O God, make us lovers of truth. Make us seekers of wisdom. Give us hearts that tremble at Your Word and delight in Your counsel. Grant us the humility to be corrected, the courage to confess, and the diligence to grow. Let Your wisdom be woven into the fabric of our daily lives—in how we speak, how we think, how we spend, how we lead, how we love. Let it guide our families, our friendships, our decisions, our ministries. Let the fear of the Lord be the compass of our souls.

And when we fail, as we surely will, let us run not from You but to You. Let Your mercy be our refuge and Your truth our anchor. Let the cross of Christ be the place where our foolishness dies and our transformation begins. Let the resurrection be our hope that change is not only possible but promised.

We do not want to remain simple. We do not want to delight in scoffing. We do not want to hate knowledge. We want to walk in wisdom, to grow in grace, and to shine as lights in a crooked generation—not for our glory, but for Yours. So hear us, Lord, and answer us according to Your steadfast love. Teach us Your ways. Lead us in Your paths. And may the voice of Wisdom never go unheard in our hearts again.

In the matchless name of Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we pray. Amen.