Wisdom from Ecclesiastes 10
What To Do when Fools Rule
What To Do when Fools Rule
Wisdom and folly are incompatible.
·
Wisdom = to see life from God's perspective and
adjust our life to His view.
·
Folly = to see life from our own perspective and
live as if ours is the right view.
10:1 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Beware of the influence of a fool. Just
one fool can spoil the sweetest fellowship.
Sometimes the fool is a co-worker, even our
boss. Sometimes the fool is a church member. Sometimes the fool is
a leader. Sometimes the fool is a family member - the most painful
reality, especially if your child is the one playing the fool. Remember:
· A fool lives without regard, respect, commitment, or conformity
to wisdom.
· A fool contaminates and ruins by their folly the pleasing
purpose of that which is wise or honorable.
Understand:
· The overwhelming majority of the world's population are by
definition fools. They do not see life from God's perspective and adjust
their lives to His view.
· Fools prefer to follow fools.
· So, fools rule the world, as Solomon puts it, "under the
sun."
So, what do we do when fools rule? Here
are seven strategies:
1.Stay clear (vv 2-3).
2 A wise man’s heart ⌊goes⌋ to the right,
but a fool’s heart to the left.
but a fool’s heart to the left.
If I were a politician, this would be my
tagline! :)
3 Even when the fool walks
along the road, his heart lacks sense,
and he shows everyone he is a fool.
and he shows everyone he is a fool.
We should be able to discern a fool. We
should be able to see them coming. Do not get entangled with a fool.
Pray for them. Love them. Help them. But do not get
entangled with them and their folly. A fool cannot help but to stink up
their life and the lives of those who do not stay clear.
2.Stay calm (vv 4-7).
4 If the ruler’s anger rises
against you, don’t leave your place,
for calmness puts great offenses to rest.
for calmness puts great offenses to rest.
Don't panic. Don't run for the hills.
Keep your wits about you. Better yet, keep focueed on God's view.
5 There is an evil I have
seen under the sun,
an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler:
6 The fool is appointed to great heights,
but the rich remain in lowly positions.
7 I have seen slaves on horses,
but princes walking on the ground like slaves
an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler:
6 The fool is appointed to great heights,
but the rich remain in lowly positions.
7 I have seen slaves on horses,
but princes walking on the ground like slaves
When fools rule, common sense, to say nothing of
godly wisdom, is turned on its ear. The wise and godly person must fight
the urge to run away and determine to stay and to stay calm with the hope of
being a constant influence for truth and right.
3.Stay cautious (vv 8-9).
8 The one who digs a pit may
fall into it,
and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9 The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;
the one who splits trees may be endangered by them.
and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9 The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;
the one who splits trees may be endangered by them.
Be careful. These endeavors can be
dangerous.
4.Stay competent (vv 10-11).
10 If the ax is dull, and one
does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.
We need to keep our minds and methods sharpened.
11 If the snake bites before
it is charmed,
then there is no advantage for the charmer.
then there is no advantage for the charmer.
The best medicine is preventative medicine.
If the snake has already bitten, it is too late to seek a charmer.
5.Stay content (vv 12-15).
12 The words from the mouth of
a wise man are gracious,
but the lips of a fool consume him.
but the lips of a fool consume him.
To be consumed is to be exhausted. Such is
the impact of foolish talking. A fool's speech exhausts him, it sucks the
marrow out of life.
13 The beginning of the words
of his mouth is folly,
but the end of his speaking is evil madness.
but the end of his speaking is evil madness.
The road to “evil madness” begins when a fool
gives words to his folly, his ignorance of or his rebellion against God's
wisdom. His words represent the first steps onto that proverbial slippery
slope.
14 Yet the fool
multiplies words.
No one knows what will happen,
and who can tell anyone what will happen after him?
No one knows what will happen,
and who can tell anyone what will happen after him?
So many words - so little meaning! Sounds
like all the political speak and spin that dominates our news media these days.
The wise person does not need more words that
turn out to be no more than wind.
15 The struggles of fools
weary them,
for they don’t know how to go to the city.
for they don’t know how to go to the city.
The constant dedication to live life our own way
without regard to God's perspective is fruitless, futile, and fatiguing.
Moreover, these struggles do not produce answers - only more questions without
answers.
When we employ wisdom it is like using a lantern
in a dark forest. We may not see the entire forest or the whole path
through the forest; however, as we take the steps made visible by wisdom's
torch, we will discover additional steps being revealed.
6.Stay controlled (vv 16-17).
16 Woe to you, land, when your
king is a youth
and your princes feast in the morning.
and your princes feast in the morning.
Morning was the time for princes and rulers to
govern, to hear the people and judge their cases. To feast when they
should be serving is the height of arrogance and self-indulgence.
17 Blessed are you, land, when
your king is a son of nobles
and your princes feast at the proper time –
for strength and not for drunkenness.
and your princes feast at the proper time –
for strength and not for drunkenness.
A noble man is a free man, a man free from
slavery to self and free from the bondage of handlers. This nobility
leads to propriety, to doing what needs to be done in timely fashion.
7.Stay conscientious (vv
18-20).
18 Because of laziness the
roof caves in,
and because of negligent hands the house leaks.
and because of negligent hands the house leaks.
Industrious and diligent, though demanding, hard
work is the foundation that provides solid footing upon which a man, a family,
and a nation can stand.
19 A feast is prepared for
laughter,
and wine makes life happy,
and money is the answer for everything.
and wine makes life happy,
and money is the answer for everything.
If we would enjoy good food and goof friends, we
must be conscientious in our labor in order to secure the means to secure the
stuff for the feast. The fool wants a handout, they want to enjoy the
pleasures of this life but are not willing to work for them.
20 Do not curse the king even
in your thoughts,
and do not curse a rich person even in your bedroom,
for a bird of the sky may carry the message,
and a winged creature may report the matter.
and do not curse a rich person even in your bedroom,
for a bird of the sky may carry the message,
and a winged creature may report the matter.
Is this the origin of the saying “A little bird
told me”?
I think the point is not beware what we say lest
the authorities find out and get us. Rather, our speech betrays attitudes
and thoughts dominated by complaints and gripes. Don't be that person.
Whiners never win, and winners never whine!
Finally, please note the common imperative in
all seven of these strategies - stay, stay the course. When fools rule,
stay the course. Even when the people playing the fools are people we
care very much about, stay course. Stay the course, that course revealed
by seeing life from God's perspective and adjusting our life to His view.
Selah.
