Reading the Word

“Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.” (Proverbs 26:1, ESV)

Understanding and Applying the Word

I live in Michigan where we enjoy four very distinct seasons each year. We certainly get our fair share of snow in the winter. Can you imagine what it would be like if we got snow in the summer? It would be so out of place. “This just is not right!” we would proclaim. In the same way, rain is unwelcome to the farmer at harvest time. “This is just not right!” they say.

Just as snow should not happen in the summer and rain should not fall at harvest, the fool should not be honored. The Book of Proverbs has already mentioned things that are out of place for the fool, such as fine speech (Proverbs 17:7) and living in luxury (Proverbs 19:10). Fools make foolish decisions and refuse to learn, therefore they end up living with the consequences. When a fool excels and thrives in life, we all recognize that such a thing is out of place. It is the wise, the one who is willing to learn and grow, who we all expect to have success through life.

---

**If you enjoy reading Shaped by the Word, please consider sharing this post on social media. Doing so helps us reach a larger audience. Thanks for reading!

Follow Shaped by the Word on WordPress or Facebook.