For a counseling paper I wrote on the "fool" in the book of Proverbs and how we as biblical counselors can adequately help them from God's Word. Here is part of my conclusion (and plea!):
It behooves the biblical counselor to take this issue to heart and call the foolish man to turn from his simplicity and folly. Let it never be forgotten that “this ‘turning’ is a turning from loving ‘simple ways’ (1:22), that is, a life apart from Yahweh, to the ‘fear of the LORD’ (2:5) and his discipline (3:11-12). The ultimate motivation is spiritual. To love the Lord for His sake is the core of wise counsel (1:7; 2:5; 3:9-12).”[1] The Scriptures really do contain all the information necessary to “life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3).[2]
May the practical and sobering words of Louis Goldberg be etched on our minds as we remember the centrality of the Word of God in all our counseling sessions:
And he concludes by warning,
[1] George M. Schwab, “Proverbs and the Art of Persuasion,” Journal of Biblical Counseling 14, no, 1 (Fall 1995): 12.
[2] Wayne Mack explicates by noting, “An in-depth study of its contents [2 Pet 1:3] is rewarded with insights into even the most complicated human experiences. What happens all too often in counseling, however, is that the counselor assumes that the Scripture does not speak to the particular problem of a counselee, and therefore, the counselor abandons the Word prematurely and seeks input from the ideas of men” (“Providing Instruction through Biblical Counseling,” In Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically [Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005], 163).
[3] Louis Goldberg, Practical Wisdom of Proverbs (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications,
1990), 110-11.
[4] Ibid., 111.
It behooves the biblical counselor to take this issue to heart and call the foolish man to turn from his simplicity and folly. Let it never be forgotten that “this ‘turning’ is a turning from loving ‘simple ways’ (1:22), that is, a life apart from Yahweh, to the ‘fear of the LORD’ (2:5) and his discipline (3:11-12). The ultimate motivation is spiritual. To love the Lord for His sake is the core of wise counsel (1:7; 2:5; 3:9-12).”[1] The Scriptures really do contain all the information necessary to “life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3).[2]
May the practical and sobering words of Louis Goldberg be etched on our minds as we remember the centrality of the Word of God in all our counseling sessions:
Folly, however, does not even begin to satisfy the heart hunger of man, and
offers nothing to slake the thirst of the soul. There is nothing at her table to
help the morally inexperienced progress in discernment, understanding, and
spiritual maturity. All folly has to offer are some stale crumbs and scummy
water.[3]
And he concludes by warning,
For guests feeding on what folly has to offer, life becomes a dismal experienceNotes:
and death a time of horror. Eternity will yawn open to snatch its foolish
victims, and they will be separated from the Lord forever and ever. How can
anyone be so blind as to choose the consequences of such a revolting invitation
to partake of folly’s cursed crumbs?[4]
[1] George M. Schwab, “Proverbs and the Art of Persuasion,” Journal of Biblical Counseling 14, no, 1 (Fall 1995): 12.
[2] Wayne Mack explicates by noting, “An in-depth study of its contents [2 Pet 1:3] is rewarded with insights into even the most complicated human experiences. What happens all too often in counseling, however, is that the counselor assumes that the Scripture does not speak to the particular problem of a counselee, and therefore, the counselor abandons the Word prematurely and seeks input from the ideas of men” (“Providing Instruction through Biblical Counseling,” In Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically [Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005], 163).
[3] Louis Goldberg, Practical Wisdom of Proverbs (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications,
1990), 110-11.
[4] Ibid., 111.
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