(Prov 13:19) “ . . . it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.”
The Hebrew word for “fool” used in the text today is not a nice picture at all – “Stupid fellow, dullard, arrogant one”. It also carries the idea of “fat and sluggish”. We call him a sensual fool.
Since he has progressed from the silly fool, he believes that he is always right and his ways are the right way and best way, therefore he feels that to do right and rearrange his living to align with God’s ways is disgusting. He has a bent for making wrong choices and this is true because he trusts his own philosophy and reasoning and rejects God’s standards and ways.
These type fools do not have a mental deficiency, but arrogance against right. They desire pleasure and as much as they can get. They are of the group Paul mentions concerning the last days – “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” He glories in his shame and his god is his belly – “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: {19} Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” Adam and Eve sinned in eating of the forbidden fruit and then realized they were naked and became ashamed, so they made aprons of fig leaves. God came and dealt with them about their sin and made them robes to cover their nakedness. The sensual fool tries to expose as much of their body and shamefulness as they can. This may not always be in the sense of exposing their bodies with the lack of clothing, but is also accomplished by their immoral minds and thinking. Their jokes and stories they spew out to entertain and try to look popular with others – especially simple and silly fools – “It is as sport to a fool to do mischief” – it’s all a big game to him. It is also seen in his entertainment choices.
A sensual fool will prosper for a while but soon he will be emboldened to his lifestyle and think he has it all figured out, but destruction will come all too soon – “the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.” God calls for punishment of these fools not counsel – “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.”
A sensual fool should be avoided because he will lead others astray – “ a companion of fools shall be destroyed”. God has more to say about the sensual fool than any other. This fool is unreasonable, even to his parents – “A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.” He is argumentative and brash to his parents when they attempt to instruct him – especially when he becomes an adult. His insolence and ridicule of his parents and authority are reason for punishment in an ideal society – “A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. {7} A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” Jesus says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45) and the sensual fool does that to his own destruction.