Remaining Teachable

(Prov 17:10 NLT) A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.

Here Solomon contrasts the receptivity of a wise and Godly person with that of a fool. When you walk with God and develop in His wisdom you have a sincere desire to learn and grow. However, you cannot grow without changing. Therefore, when someone comes to you with a word of correction and they share it in love, you quickly receive it, learn from it, and apply the lesson to your life. This way you remain teachable and God is able to send people your way to help keep you on His desired path.

However, the ungodly fool simply does not listen. God can send person after person, but the fool is so hardheaded and stiff-necked that he refuses to learn anything from anyone. While a simple word of correction teaches the wise, 100 lashes would not get through the fool’s thick skull.

The issue of lashes sounds like a figure of speech for us today, but in Solomon’s time it was a part of life; it was part of their legal system. Moses said, “When men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty. If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall make him lie down and have him flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime deserves, but he must not give him more than forty lashes” (Duet 25:1-3).

Yes, Solomon was speaking of actual flogging. But since the law only allowed a maximum of 40 lashes, Solomon was either saying that the fool was a repeated offender or he was using hyperbole to drive home the message. Either way the point is that the fool does not learn from words or physical punishment. The Contemporary English Version makes it plain, it reads:

“A sensible person accepts correction, but you can't beat sense into a fool.”

John Gill said “A single verbal reproof, gently, kindly, and prudently given, not only enters the ear, but the heart of a wise and understanding man; it descends into him, as the word signifies; it sinks deep into his mind; it penetrates into his heart, and pierces his conscience; brings him easily to humiliation, confession, and reformation.”

So what does this mean to you? It means that you must contemplate the obvious question that is birthed from this text: are you the person of understanding or the fool? Can God teach you by simply sending people your way to share simple and kind rebukes (from time to time), or must He allow you go endure all sorts of challenges to learn the same lessons? Some are willing to learn life lessons from the lips of others, but then again some require the sledgehammer treatment. Don’t let this be you. Remain humble, remain flexible, but most of all, remain teachable. That way God is able to teach you through your head and not your back.

Father, I thank You for Your Word. I receive and apply Your truth. I declare, by faith, that I am right now, and I always will be teachable. I have a teachable spirit and I welcome Your divine correction. When people come to me, in love, to share truth that I need to grow, I will hear them out, process what they have said, pray over it, receive it, learn from it, and make the necessary changes. I have a sincere desire to maximize my purpose and potential in life, before I die, and I declare, by faith, that I will. I am willing to change because I have a desire to grow and I know that I cannot grow without changing. Speak to me Father, Your servant is listening. In Jesus’ name. Amen!