Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs,
rather than a fool in his folly.

Proverbs 17:12

It is so interesting that this is the verse for today and that I am actually behind in writing these blog devotionals. Why interesting? Because just two days ago I read a story and saw the video of a group of fools snatching two bear cubs who had climbed a tree which just happened to be next to the back fence of an apartment complex. These fools thought it was perfectly okay to interfere with a family of wild animals! One bear cub was rescued and has been taken to a rescue reserve, but the other ran off and has not been found. Why or how these cubs were separated from their mother is unknown. So, because of these fools, both cubs are permanently separated from their mother And, the other cub is lost, on its own and maybe even dead. 

This is a sad and yet perfect example of fools in their folly.

I get so riled up about things like this! Initially, I think all that was needed was one…just one person with a little common sense to realize leaving these precious cubs alone was the best course of action and to speak up and try to stop the foolish action. But then I read our key verse for today.

Solomon is saying that it is easier for a person to wrestle with a real mama bear than try to deal with a fool in the middle of their folly. No one in their right mind (key phrase right there) wants to wrestle any bear let alone a mama bear who has been robbed of her cubs. Our verse is telling us that trying to restrain or redirect a fool in the middle of their foolish behavior is like trying to wrestle and win against a mama bear. 

There appeared to be a few other people in this bear cub fiasco who were not participating but just watching, and of course whoever was taping the event. [That is a whole other set of blog posts to discuss our obsession with taping everything about everything rather than actually helping people! Or in this case, helping the helpless bear cubs.]

Anyway, were these bystanders trying to speak some sense into these fools? Were they doing what they could to help these cubs without putting themselves or others in danger? It seemed one person was trying to look down and into the trees and forest floor to see if the mama bear was around, but really it is impossible to tell just from the video. What is obvious, is that if they were trying to intervene, they were being completely ignored. 

And so it is for anyone who tries to talk sense to fools who are determined to continue in their foolishness. There is no reasoning with them, especially ‘in the moment’ of their folly. 

Think about these fools who yanked those cubs off the tree. In their folly, they would not be alive today had that mama bear been nearby. Sadly, that mama bear would have been blamed and put down if she had defended her cubs and the cubs would still be without their mother. And the precarious echo system of that area would still be without a family of bears.

My take away from this real-life lesson is that I have to try and help a fool in the middle of their folly, if I can. But my words and actions and expectations have to be in line with all the Bible has to say about fools and their folly and then leave the fool in God’s capable hands. 

I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly
and the foolishness of madness.

Ecclesiastes 7:25