The Best Path to Knowledge . . . Being Teachable - Proverbs 14:6

A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding. Proverbs 14:6

It is interesting in our day to see how many mock the things of God.  The large number of best sellers that mock the existance of God and the morality and truth of His Word is a little shocking to the general public - but for those who know the Word - just another proof that we live in a fallen world that rejects God and therefore rejects truth.

The scoffers present themselves as seekers of knowledge.  They paint themselves as the wise among us - and as those who are trying desperately to turn the ignorant masses away from God and away from seeing God's Word as anything more than an old, archaic, rotting document that no longer deserves our attention.  But, no matter how much these mockers present themselves as wise - they are anything but wise in the end.  They may seek wisdom - but they will find none.  The one prerequisite of wisdom is what they lack.  We read in a myriad of places that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - and that is what these individuals lack - any fear of the Lord.  Their mocking shows that they consider themselves to be the ultimate resource of wisdom and understanding - which honestly - makes them fools.  They will not humble themselves and admit that they are not the repository of all things wise.  They are so filled with pride that they will not admit their own ignorance and lack of perfect knowledge.  They not only don't know what is going on in perfect detail on the remotest planet in the universe - they are not even aware of its existance!  Yet they have the arrogance to say that unequivically there is no God in the universe.  Their scoffing will always keep them from knowledge and wisdom.  Only their foolishness will be verified in the end.

We are told something wonderful here though.  Knowledge is "easy" to him who understands.  The concept behind the word "understands" is that this person is teachable.  It is not that he already understands all things - but rather than he has a desire to understand all things.  His admission of a lack of knowledge is what makes his so marvelously teachable.  He longs to better understand things and to know what is true.  Therefore he has a very teachable spirit and heart.  This makes him a perfect candidate for wisdom.  James counsels us that the man who will receive wisdom from God is the very one who says that he does not already have it.  Since he doesn't have it - he asks God for it.  God loves this man - because he is open to all that God has for Him.  The Holy Spirit loves this man because He knows that this man will not resist Him when He comes to teach him truth.  Knowledge then becomes easy to this one - because he is wide open to God when He teaches him.  He loves receiving things from the Lord - and is longing to be taught - to be instructed - even to be rebuked and corrected.  Therefore knowledge becomes something very pleasant to his soul.  He is a wise man indeed - because he admits lacking wisdom.  But the arrogant scoffer - who exalts his own mind - his own learning - his own egotistic sense that he is always right?  That man won't receive anything from God - except an invitation to repent of his arrogance and come to the table to learn from the only One who truly has all wisdom.  My guess is that without God's mercy and grace touching his life - he would reject it anyway.