Hiding from Danger – Proverbs 22:3

God has given wisdom to animals to hide themselves from dangers they cannot overcome.  Here are rabbits who have created a camouflaged nest on the ground in the grass.  We’ve seen octopus who, like chameleons, change their coloring to look like their surroundings.  Do humans have the wisdom to hide from moral danger?

The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. (Proverbs 22:3, ESV)

All our favorite TV shows and movies seem to contradict this proverb.  One ad for NCIS Los Angeles said, “How do you tell the heroes?  They’re the ones running toward danger while everyone else is running away from it.”  There is a movie telling the true story of some military buddies who are on a plane that is hijacked and the preview for the film shows one of these two guys charging up the aisle toward a terrorist with a big old gun pointed at him.

But I don’t think this is the kind of “danger” this proverb is talking about.  This is talking about the kind of danger that presents itself to us in forms that wisdom knows how to avoid.  They are the kind of dangers that if avoided will not bring harm to others or ourselves.

An example might be when David was fleeing Saul and went to the Philistine ruler to see if there might be refuge there, but when it became evident that his life was in danger he feigned madness (1 Samuel 21:10-15).  Psalm 34 was written as a testimony of how God delivered him from this danger.

The simple one, the fool, the one who rests all his hopes in his ability to make things work, runs into danger with a sense of bravado, hoping to be the hero, only to hit his head against a stone.

Where are you butting your head against the rock?  Ask the Lord for wisdom to hide.