Audio Download

Proverbs 26 “To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge”

Part 2  (Pro 26:3-5)

[Study Aired February 19, 2026]

Pro 26:3  A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
Pro 26:4  Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Pro 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

The elect have a preeminence before the world in knowing that we are beasts (Ecc 3:19), and with that knowledge we can now look at any story in the bible that references an animal (Pro 26:3) and know that God is telling us something about ourselves or mankind in particular, “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts” (Ecc 3:21).

What befalls us all is death, and unless the Lord delivers us from these bodies of death, our fate is to be withheld from entering into the kingdom of God (Jer 5:25, Joh 3:3-5). Christ said it was expedient for him to go away (Joh 16:7) so that the church could then, with God’s holy spirit sent on Pentecost, be able to die to sinful flesh (1Co 15:31), and be raised together with Christ in heavenly places (Joh 3:5, Eph 2:6, Rom 6:4-6).

Jer 5:25  Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [cannot see the kingdom and cannot be raised or enter into heavenly places (Eph 2:6)]

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Gal 2:20, Php 2:12-13)
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,(Gal 2:20) that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.(Tit 2:11-12, Heb 12:6, Eph 2:8)

Pro 26:3  A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.

Our theme in these proverbs this week is to remember that we are beasts that God is working within, sanctifying to His glory, by the process [three stages horse, ass, and fool’s back] which we have been called unto (Rom 2:4). We are not to think it strange concerning the fiery trials that are to try us as the body of Christ (1Pe 4:12).

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

A ‘whip’ compels the horse to go in the direction it ought to go, and that horse represents the power of man in his flesh, not having ever done good or evil in his flesh (Rom 9:11-13).

Rom 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Christ is typified by Jacob here, and Esau represents his flesh that God ‘hates’. As Christ did, we need to learn obedience by the things that we suffer, which is what is being shown with “a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back”. God’s elect, like Christ (1Jn 4:17), are filling up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ for his body’s sake, the church (Rom 9:11, Heb 5:8, Col 1:24). Christ identifies with our need to go through temptation and judgment while in the flesh (Heb 4:15). He understands the nature of corruptible flesh that needs a bridle and a rod upon it to be brought into subjection unto God (Tit 2:12-13, Heb 12:6, Heb 5:6-7).

Heb 5:6  As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh (Eph 5:30, to think otherwise is the spirit of anti-Christ 2Jn 1:7), when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Christ our hope of glory within (Col 1:27) is the author and finisher of our faith who has all power over heaven and earth as the fit man of (Lev 16:21) so that he can cleanse the temple that we are and drive the beasts out of it, “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back” (Mat 21:12-13). Now we can worship God as true worshippers in spirit and in truth, in His temple that we are (Joh 4:23, 1Co 3:16).

Mat 21:12  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves [ ‘the temple that we are’ ].

Pro 26:4  Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

The minute we start to engage in pointless arguments about words, “strive not about words to no profit” as scripture says (2Ti 2:14), is the moment that we become “like unto him”. The best action to take with someone who is a fool (Psa 14:1) is to step away, is what we are being told. This scenario could easily play out in situations where someone is coming to us with a false gospel, another Jesus, and God’s word clearly says in those instances that you don’t open your spiritual house to that person and start to try to convince them of the true gospel. Bidding them ‘God speed’ is becoming a partaker of his evil deeds (2Co 11:3-4, 2Jn 1:10-11).

2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

At first glance we may say ‘well, how can someone believe in God and still be a fool who does not believe in God, who we should not invite into our spiritual house,?’ and the answer is that while they think they are serving God they are serving another Jesus, another spirit, and even the devils believe and are not converted (2Co 11:4, Jas 2:19). And even false apostles can come in the name of Jesus appearing as angels of light and are yet deceived and of their father the devil (2Co 11:13-14). They are convinced of the idols of their hearts and it behooves God’s elect to know when, and when not, to engage with people that God brings into our lives with these idols (Eze 14:4). Paul was warning the church of that very thing in these verses, (Act 20:30-32).

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Heresies will manifest in our midst to show us who is approved, and we may admonish that person with two admonitions (1Co 11:19, Tit 3:10-11), but when someone comes to us with another gospel, we try that spirit immediately and don’t even begin to open our spiritual house to that person. So there are several different scenarios that can play out in our witness for Christ, and we need God’s spirit and discernment to know how to address each one in a way that will glorify God (Php 2:12-13), hence the proverb that seems to contradict itself at first glance, but actually compliments the “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” approach we’ve been called unto (Pro 26:4-5, Mat 10:16).

Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Pro 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

On the other hand, we are told “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit”, which is also speaking of someone who may want to engage with us, or may be just acting like a hypocrite as Peter was, and Paul applied this proverb to his brother in Christ because He loved him  (Gal 2:11-14, Jud 1:22-24, Jas 5:20).

Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Gal 2:12  For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
Gal 2:13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

Jud 1:22  And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jud 1:23  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (Pro 26:5)
Jud 1:24  Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy

Jas 5:19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.(Pro 26:5)

We can see by these examples that this proverb (Pro 26:5) can be used to represent a brother who needs to be restored from sin (Jas 5:20, 1Pe 4:8). If we don’t help our brother in this situation they will continue on in error, thinking because we have not challenged them and shown them with scripture the error of their way (Mat 18:4-20) that they are therefore right in their stance, and become “wise in his own conceit”. Conceit is spoken of in the book of Romans and is connected to a self-righteous spirit that we need to continually be on guard against in our own hearts (Rom 11:25, Php 3:9).

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness [“wise in his own conceit”], which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: [which righteousness will save us 1Jn 5:4]

God can keep us humble in this life, and through His chastening grace spoken of in (Pro 26:3), we can then go on to be His true witnesses who know how to fulfill the other two verses we’ve looked at tonight (Pro 26:4-5). “To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” is know our Father and Christ (Joh 17:3). We come to know them by putting of our flesh via His chastening grace, that will make us wise in His service (Eph 2:8).

Pro 26:3  A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
Pro 26:4  Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Pro 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.