Proverbs 14:9

Proverbs 14:9 "Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour."

Being one of Solomon's more well-known and repeated sayings, this proverb is known for its first part.  This proverb is almost always used to identify a fool by his lack of sobriety towards sin.  This is an appropriate application of the proverb as it is certainly true that fools lack an appreciation for the seriousness of sin.  It is indeed foolish to laugh at sin when we should shutter at the sight of sin.  Fools lack reverence for the holiness of God and void of that sense, they make a mock at sin instead of saying a prayer at the sight of sin.  Because fools lack understanding, they don't recognize the danger of societal or individual sin.  They foolishly make a mock at sin instead of making an escape from that sin because they don't have the sense that God hates sin and will punish sin.  They don't know that the sin they're mocking can easily become theirs or that the sinner they're mocking can easily provoke Heaven's wrath and in so doing, put them in the consequential blast zone.  Fools see fire and instead of calling 9-1-1 or running out of the building, they make a mock at it.  They laugh at how it started and what it's doing to the room it was started in.  Rather than taking the fire as seriously as they should, they ridicule the person that caused it and how that fire starter is scrambling to put it out.  Fools aren't smart enough to treat sin for what it is - dangerous and contagious.  

While all of that is very true, very important and very applicable, there is more to this well-known proverb than that.  The word, "at" in the proverb is crucial to understanding its fullest meaning and truest application.  We're not told that fools make a mock "OF" sin.  We're not told that fools go around mocking the idea of sin as though they think it's hilarious to murder people or kidnap children or assault women.  Sadly, there are very evil people in our deprived world that make a mock of sin like that but that's not the type of person Solomon is referring to in this proverb.  The fool that this proverb speaks of makes a mock "AT" sin, meaning they make a mock at a particular sinful event.  The mockery has less to do with the concept that something is bad and more about the scenario of something bad happening.  These people are not laughing off the idea that murder is bad - they're laughing at how a person got murdered.  These folks aren't laughing at God for declaring murder evil - they're laughing at the murderer for how he killed someone or for how he got caught.  These fools aren't making a mock of the law that states lying is evil - they're making a mock "AT" the liar for what he said and how he got caught and that he just keeps lying.
 
Fools are looking for events and circumstances that they can laugh about.  Fools are always looking for unfortunate situations that they can make a joke about.  They lack the sense to realize that some things just aren't that funny.  They lack gravity in a dark and dangerous world.  They don't ever think that one day, the scenario they're mocking could be theirs or their loved ones’.  They don't ever imagine that their sin could one day take the brunt of everyone's jokes.  It's not that fools necessarily think sin is not wrong - in this case, it's that fools don't have an appreciation of how wrong sin is.  Fools don't appreciate how far out the fallout of sin extends.  They don't realize that someone else's sin or societal sin especially can lead to societal consequences.  If a fool knew that societal sin could provoke Heaven's wrath on their society, he wouldn't make a mock at it when it's happening - he would make amends for it or at least a prayer of mercy for it.  When a fool witnesses or hears about sin, he doesn't consider his own sinful nature of his own unique moral weaknesses.  If he did, he would be sober, humble and considerate.  We know a fool doesn't "consider himself, lest he be tempted" (Galatians 6:1) because he makes a mock at that sinful scenario, including AT the sin and AT the sinner.

Now knowing that fools make a mock "AT" sin, the second half of the proverb has clear meaning and precise application.  "Among the righteous, there is favor" because there isn't any sin to make a mock AT.  The righteous, while not perfect, don't display much sin for the fool to make a mock AT.  The righteous, while still flawed, don't provide much material for the comedy and ridicule of the foolish.  The righteous are boring to the fool.  They aren't any fun.  They don't do the types of things that get the fool giggling, laughing and mocking.  No one seems to be immorally stepping on the moral garden rake and hitting themselves in the head.  No one appears to be immorally hitting their thumb with the moral hammer and screaming out in moral pain.  No one is making a moral mess of their lives.  Seemingly, no one is getting beat up by God for being bad.  Righteousness robs the fool of fuel for his mockery.  Righteousness dries the well of laughter for the fool's comedy hour.
 
Void of material to laugh at, the fool doesn't hang around the righteous.  Bored and deprived of fun, fools tend to move on quickly from the righteous in search of sinful scenarios for which to laugh at.  This leaves the righteous absent of any mockers.  The fellowship of the righteous consists then of only those who have a sincere reverence for the holiness of God and the consequential respect for the danger of sin.  When sin is made known among the righteous, it is treated soberly and wisely.  When a member of the righteous is "overtaken in a fault," the righteous are spiritual, not comical.  Because they "consider themselves, lest they also be tempted," they "restore such an one in the spirit of meekness" (Galatians 6:1).  This righteous mindset ensures that no one is mocked and that no one's punishment is mocked.  This fellowship has no mockery, only favor.  This precious people-group only knows kind and considerate treatment of one another.  This social circle only knows the favor of its members.  Because they are righteous and because they have an appropriate assessment of virtue and its counterpart, virtue is commended.  The righteous honor those with virtue and pray for those with vice.  The righteous especially favor those who are faithful but still show their favor towards those who have been unfaithful "considering themselves."  Among the righteous, there is only favor because the fools have left for lack of fuel for their mockery and because what little the righteous sin, they don't make a mock at it.

It is Scripture's advice that we be righteous and enter the fellowship of the righteous for there is no fuel for the fool in that place.  There is no mockery in that place - only favor.  If and when you fail in that place, there is no mockery - only favor.  Get among the righteous by being righteous!