Are you part of the Hakam? Proverbs 26:12

“Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?  There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Proverbs 26:12

I don’t like this proverb.  In once sense I do.  Its true.  Its short, to the point, and communicates a truth in truly a humorous way.  In that sense, I do like it.  But in another sense, I don’t like it.  

It's not hard to guess why.  If you were reading this, and you were my younger brothers, you would have a pretty solid opinion of why I wouldn’t like it.  I think any of you out there, as you are thinking about older siblings you had (if you weren’t blessed to be an oldest born anyway), you would know what I am referring to:  “That oldest boy (girl), he’s  (she’s) a ‘Know it all.’”  Yep.  

My brothers developed a saying they would respond  with when I came out with one of my "considered" opinions.  “Can’t win,” they would say, interrupting me.  Then they would walk away.  Of course I would be left fuming.  Now I might argue that I have a legit right to an opinion in a given circumstance (so do all of your older sibs, mind you).  But what, in hindsight, this was telling me is that, rightly or wrongly (probably rightly) I had a reputation with my brothers that I was not correctable and was stubborn in my opinions.  They might say "Wise man?  He's more of a wise guy!" Cue the Three Stooges!

Hmm.

Now looking from the outside in, I certainly might be right many times.  But I am wrong many times too.  And I have been right enough that I have been inclined to stick to an opinion or idea longer than maybe I ought to.  And this sort of thing is the kind of thing that can get one in trouble….particularly if one is traveling ("yes honey, this is the right way to go"), or spending large amounts of money ("Look! I KNOW this thing is a good deal!")…etc. 

We must beware those times when we have convinced ourselves that we have everything all figured out.  This verse cautions us against that very kind of thinking.  The word for "wise" in this verse is Hakam.  It literally means “Skillful.”  In the Hebrew mindset,  the wiseman is one who is skillful at living life.  If we convince ourselves that we have joined the hakam, that can leave us vulnerable to a lot of blindspots.  Because being Hakam, what need have we for advice or correction?  We lose our teachability.  A fool often times can at least be taught that he’s a fool.  Sometimes he even knows it already.  He has limitations, and can at least be shown them, or may even be aware of them already.  But a person who is convinced of his own wisdom?  You can’t even bring him to the point where he has to admit that he’s wrong, not got it figured out, or that he’s headed for disaster.  That’s why there is more hope for a fool than for him.

This certainly is a contrary message to what this world wants us for us today, isn’t it?  Convince yourself, rather of your need for humility and teachability.  Convince yourself that you don’t have it all figured out.  If you don't believe it, ask your younger siblings.