Proverbs - Who Surrounds Us?

Proverbs 14:7-9

 Go from the presence of a foolish man,

when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way:

but the folly of fools is deceit.

 Fools make a mock at sin:

but among the righteous there is favour.

Here we are being instructed about foolish people.  One thing the Lord is telling us is to not continue in the presence of one who is speaking foolishly.  The next two verses give us a definition of foolish speaking.  One criterion would be deceit and the other is mocking sin. 

If we are around those who are deceived or are comfortable with deceiving others, we are not in a good place.  These kinds of friendships will contribute to confusion and cloud our ability to understand our way.  Deception can cross over and darken the plainness of the path of the righteous.  Wise friends will help us seek the Lord and understand what the Lord wants us to do.  We need the Lord to give us perception with those whom we spend time.  He instructs us to be the ones to go from their presence.

Secondly, mocking sin is evidence of a foolish person.  I heard some people on a radio station the other day laughing about someone being in a rehab center for alcoholism and challenging another young person to catch up and get to that point soon.  They were mocking the sin of drunkenness and they are fools.  At that point, the station should be changed or you or I should leave the presence of such dialogue if we were in a store or someone’s home.  We need righteous companionship – the kind of friendships that promote favor with God.  We need people in our lives that seek to please God and do what He deems right.  Go from the presence of a foolish person when you perceive not the lips of knowledge.