Something Worse Than an Angry Bear

What would you rather meet: a grizzly bear robbed of her cubs or a fool doing something foolish? I’m guessing most of us would opt for the fool. A foolish fool sounds a lot safer than an angry bear.

Solomon disagrees: “Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly” (17:12). That’s right, if Solomon was walking down the road and saw a fool doing foolish things on one side and an angry bear looking for her stolen cubs, he’d choose to cross paths with the bear! How is a foolish fool worse than an angry bear?

Meeting an Angry Bear Makes for a Bad Day (17:12)

Any day we meet a bear is a bad day. But this is worse; this is a bear who’s been robbed. Worse still, she’s been robbed of her cubs. It’s no accident that an angry mother is often called a “mama bear.” Good mothers are fiercely defensive of their children, but the bear is an example of this beyond compare.

And, of course, an angry bear is far more destructive than an angry mouse. A bear can kill with one sweep of its paw, with one bite with its mouth, or even one hug with its arms. Meeting an angry bear is a bad day.

A bear day is a bad day.

What could be worse than meeting an angry mama bear?

Meeting a Foolish Fool Makes for a Worse Day (17:12)

Just when you thought your day couldn’t get any worse, along comes your worst nightmare, a fool engaging in folly. What’s so dangerous about this person? The Bible identifies five kinds of fools:

• The Atheist Fool (Ps. 14:1). He tells himself and others there is no God.
• The Rationalist Fool (1 Cor. 15:35–36). She relies on her own reasoning rather than God’s revelation.
• The Shameless Fool (Prov. 14:9). He mocks and laughs at sin without any embarrassment.
• The Disobedient Fool (Matt. 7:26). He builds on the sand of hearing God’s word but not doing it.
• The Busy Fool (Luke 12:20). He thinks so much about his worldly assets that he has no thought of God or eternity.

It’s more dangerous to meet any of these five fools engaging in their folly than a savage beast on the rampage. Why? Because a bear can kill the body, but these fools can kill the soul. Bears shorten our lives here, but fools can ruin our lives forever.

Are you more dangerous than an angry mama bear? Are you foolish and still in your folly? Are you a danger to those around you? If so, seek the wisdom that is from above and that can be found only in Christ (Matt. 12:42; 1 Cor. 1:30; Col. 2:23).

Are your friends more dangerous than an angry bear? Do they threaten your spiritual, mental, moral, and physical well-being? If you’d run from the bear, why wouldn’t you run from a fool to a loving Savior?

A foolish fool is worse than a bitter bear.

Changing Our Story with God’s Story

When fishing in remote Alaska, I walked along many riverside bear trails praying, “Lord, keep me from meeting a bear in the forest.” Yet, how rarely have I prayed, “Lord, keep me from meeting fools in their folly.”

Although Jesus inspired this proverb and therefore knew the truth of this proverb, he came to a foolish world full of fools doing folly. He met atheist fools, rationalist fools, shameless fools, disobedient fools, and busy fools. And they responded with grizzly aggression, ultimately killing him in their fury. Yet, he willingly endured this to save many fools, even those who savaged him. Jesus meets fools in their folly to save fools from their folly. And he still does.

Summary: How is a foolish fool worse than an angry mother bear? Find safety from fools in the wisdom of God.

Question: Who is the greatest danger to you, and how are you seeking protection?

Prayer: My Safety, protect me from bears and especially fools, and make me safe for others rather than a danger to them.