Wise Living (Part 2)

This morning we are going to wrap up our study on Ecc 10.

Solomon has been showing us what it means to live wisely, by demonstrating how foolish the fool lives.

Two weeks ago we looked at how the fool is known by his actions.

and his actions are dictated by his heart stance.

And the heart stance of the fool is that he doesn’t believe, trust, or rely on God.

The fool has no reverence, respect, or proper perspective when it comes to God

Last week we looked at living wisely in the world.

We know that things and stuff happen all around us and there are many things that we don’t have control of so we need to trust in God.

While also understanding that we need to prepare for the reality of the brokenness of the world around us.

We need to prepare by knowing and understanding the gospel message.

We need to prepare by being discipled in the truth of God’s Word.

We need to prepare by being willing to follow Jesus where ever he leads us.

We can’t simply let life pass us by.

We can’t just hope that we become more godly and more holy, rather we need to as Peter says in 2 Peter, We need to Make every Effort to grow in godliness.

To mature in our faith so that we can stand against the world around us.

So that we can stand firm in our faith.

So that we can be good witnesses of the gospel of Jesus.

So that we can be ambassadors of his kingdom.

And this morning we are going to examine ways that we can cultivate the kingdom of God in our everyday interactions.

Solomon is inviting us into divine wisdom.

He wants us to see the beauty of wisdom.

While at the same time showing us the impact of foolishness.

Let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask for wisdom as we study this these verses this morning.

The first area Solomon wants us to examine is the words that we use.

Ecclesiastes 10:12–14 CSB

12 The words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him. 13 The beginning of the words from his mouth is folly, but the end of his speaking is evil madness; 14 yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what will happen, and who can tell anyone what will happen after him?

Watch Your Mouth

There’s this old adage that we used to say on the playground.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

This is dumb. And it’s not biblical either.

Proverbs 18:21 “21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

James 3:7-8 “7 Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

These are just 2 examples, but the reality is that the words we speak can cause damage

Words can hurt.

Words can destroy.

Words can also offer life.

They can encourage.

Lift up.

And be a balm for the soul.

And though words can be harmful and offer life, what we should do is consider the source of where the words come from.

Is the person saying these things wise or is he foolish?

Leading to the question, are you wise or foolish with your own words.

I love what one commentator said about the words we use.

He said “The way we use our words is ‘the acid test of wisdom.’”

What we say and how we speak to one another is important.

The words we say demonstrate if we have wisdom or if we are foolish.

Authors of wisdom literature really love to talk about words.

This is a natural subject for them, b/c they recognize the impact that words have on the world.

How does Solomon demonstrate this?

How does he communicate the differences in the speech of the wise and the speech of the fools?

Well he does it in a couple of ways.

Before we talk about wise words, I want us to look at what Solomon says about the fool.

In v. 12 he says, “The lips of a fool consume him”.

Then in v.13 he says the words of the fool are folly or foolishness, and that his foolish talk brings madness.

In v. 14 he says that the fool multiplies his words.

Meaning he talks without really saying anything.

Not only that, the fool also is convinced at the end of v.14 that he knows the future.

Here’s what Solomon wants us to see.

The fool is foolish in all he says and does.

His words bring destruction.

His words bring foolishness.

His words are many but have no meaning.

Eventually the fools wordiness is going to consume him.

It’s not going to go well with the fool.

So we should not act like this fool and we should watch what we say.

We should be mindful of the words we speak.

Notice that Solomon spends most of his time in these verses talking about the fool, and only needs one sentence to contrast when the wise speaks.

How do the wise speak differently than the fool?

First he wants us to see that wise words bring grace.

They are gracious.

They earn the wise person favor with the one they are speaking to.

And they receive grace from the person they are speaking to.

A wise person is a joy to listen to.

Why?

B/c they speak life.

They allow the recipient to be blessed by the words that are spoken.

Speaking wisely brings approval from the person that is being spoken to.

They get to hear the words that bolster their soul.

And I want to make sure that we understand that this isn’t simple flattery.

Flattery is sinful.

Flattery is saying something that you don’t really mean to make someone feel better.

Using wisdom in our words brings truth.

Truth may hurt.

Truth may expose.

But truth, when received brings life.

So withholding the truth from someone is not kindness.

In fact, it’s unwise.

We should use our words as instruments of grace.

As followers of Jesus, what we say carries weight b/c we claim to be his.

And if we are his, then we represent him.

And if we don’t use our words wisely then we misrepresent him.

So how do we speak wisely?

How do we watch what we say as followers of Jesus so that we don’t appear foolish and have our words consume us?

First, we should be slow to speak.

James 1:19 “19 My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,”

We don’t always need to say the first thing that comes to our mind.

Rather we should examine what we want to say and see if it is helpful and truthful.

When we speak quickly often we will speak harshly and present ourselves as foolish.

A moment of transparency.

This used to be a big struggle for me.

and to be truthful, I still struggle with it.

And the Lord has been working on me in this area.

I used to want to get the first word, middle word, and last word.

I didn’t think about or contemplate what I would say or how it would effect the person I was talking to.

And most of this was due to the self-righteous arrogance that I held in my mind and heart.

It wasn’t until I started learning, growing, and submitting my life to God that I became more aware of what I said.

And then when God called me into ministry, I saw even more of a need to listen and be slow to speak.

So I try now to be very careful with my words.

But I don’t want you to walk away from this morning saying, I’m not going to be in ministry so I don’t need to be careful with my words.

That’s false.

All followers of Jesus should be careful with what they say.

If we walk in the wisdom of Jesus then our words should be gracious.

How we talk to our spouse, kids, family members, and co-workers need to be marked with grace.

If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, what you say matters.

How you talk to others matters.

James 3:9-10 “9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.”

So how should you as the wise disciple of Jesus use your words?

You should offer verbal praise and thanksgiving to God.

Any wisdom that we have comes from God and we should thank him for that.

This verbal praise is good for us b/c it reminds us who we are and who we serve.

It helps to reorient ourselves back to the great king who saved us.

We should also use our words to encourage one another more than criticism.

I’m not saying don’t constructively criticize people, but your words of encouragement should be dominant in your conversations with other believers.

This is wise b/c it builds up others and allows them to thrive in their work.

Like I said earlier, the wise person speaks truth to people.

Not in a hateful, hurtful, or foolish way, but in a way that corrects, informs, and loves the person you are speaking to.

Confronting someone’s sin is a good and godly thing, especially if they claim to be followers of Jesus.

A wise person speaks with gentleness, not anger, frustration, or self-righteousness.

Speaking with gentleness means getting your emotions under control before you approach someone.

Don’t speak out of anger or frustration, but with gentle correction and exhortation.

A wise person is willing to apologize or admit guilt.

They use words like I’m sorry or please forgive me.

But not just as empty words as words that mean something and have weight behind them.

A wise person also speaks with love and affection.

I want to speak to parents about this.

It’s important that you tell your kids that you love them and not just rely on showing them you love them.

Your actions can convey love, but your words declare the love you have for your kids.

Married couples, tell your spouse that you love them.

Let them know that with your words that there is love in your heart for them.

These are just a few of the ways that we can use our words wisely in the world.

But the reality is you can’t use wise words rightly if you don’t have an affection for God.

You can not speak wisely if you don’t have a relationship with God.

If the Lord doesn’t fill your heart, you won’t have the words to speak.

In Matthew 12:34, Jesus says “... For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.”

If you want to speak wisely, you have to have the right heart stance.

You have to have the right affection.

To speak wisely you need to have a heart that overflows from a love of God.

You have to submit to him and follow after him.

Your must fear the Lord and trust in him.

Your life must be one that chases after the Lord if you want to speak wisely.

If you want your words to be sprinkled with grace, you must be living in grace.

In order to speak wisely you have to abandon your selfishness, you must humble yourself before the lord.

You must put other people first.

You must lay aside and allow God to guide you in speech.

You must have the heart of Jesus if you want to speak the words of grace.

Meditate on God’s word.

Let God’s words saturate your life, mind, and heart and you will overflow with gracious words.

In all your speech, you should practice gracious words that bring life.

This includes what you say face to face with others.

This includes what you say in text messages and emails.

This includes what you post on social media.

And yes this also includes what you think about people.

Ecclesiastes 10:20 CSB

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.

Watch your Mouth

Here Solomon wants us to know that what we think and how we think about someone matters as well.

We must not be having evil or wicked thoughts about anyone.

And here he’s specifically talking about someone in leadership, the king.

I know that it’s the easy for us to say something derogatory about a president we don’t like.

I even know some believers who incessantly poke fun or call our current president names.

You don’t have to like him.

But as a person made in God’s image you should respect him.

God placed him in the position he’s in.

“Cursing political leaders is wrong in itself, which is something Christians who life in a democracy need to remember before, during, and after every election cycle.”

B/c no matter how we feel our speech about people needs to be sprinkled with grace for all.

And if we are careless w/ how we think in our minds, we may be careless with what we say with our lips.

And if we say something foolish with our lips, it may come back to haunt us in the future.

That’s Solomon’s warning at the end of v. 20, a little birdie might spread your true feelings to the one who could do something about it.

Here’s how Paul put it.

Eph 4:29 “29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.”

It may be easy to think or speak negatively about someone that you may never meet, but the wise and godly thing to do is to combat those words with godly thoughts and words.

Ecclesiastes 10:15 CSB

15 The struggles of fools weary them, for they don’t know how to go to the city.

Fools Don’t Know

Solomon does take another jab at the foolish in this short proverb.

He wants to show us that foolishness is a struggle.

Here in v. 15, Solomon is basically saying that the fool is so foolish that he can’t even find the well known way back to the city.

The foolish person lacks sense.

His foolishness is so pervasive that it affect his sense of direction.

The simplest things of life the fool makes difficult.

He gets them wrong

The fool makes things needlessly difficult b/c of his foolishness.

He won’t ask for help.

He won’t ask for directions.

He won’t seek understanding

Instead he is perfectly content making his life miserable.

B/c he doesn’t submit to the good things that God has given for him to do.

He doesn’t know and doesn’t care to do good and right things, instead he would rather do and say foolish things that make his life and the life of others’ more difficult.

This is true not only in life, but in relationships, friendships, and work.

All aspects of life are made more difficult b/c the fool continues to live in his own foolishness rather than strive after wisdom.

Rather than seek after wisdom.

...

And like we talked about a few weeks ago, the greater the influence the more of an impact foolishness will have.

Ecclesiastes 10:16–17 CSB

16 Woe to you, land, when your king is a youth and your princes feast in the morning. 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.

Importance of Leadership

One of the things that I want us to see here is that Solomon isn’t against leadership.

He simply says that foolish leaders are a curse to the land.

He specifically here talks about a young prince that feasts in the morning.

This is reference to a young leader that is put in the position of power and influence but has yet to acquire wisdom.

This isn’t always the case, sometimes the youthful can be wise, but often b/c of lack of life experience and the startling lack of humility that comes with youth foolishness is often their default position.

In these two verses, Solomon contrasts the difference between the land being led by an immature prince and the land being led by a mature king.

Leadership should be mature.

Mature in their understanding of life.

Mature in their dealings with people.

Mature in their discretion.

And most importantly spiritually mature.

You know how Solomon demonstrates maturity in this passage, it’s not simply with the words “youth” and “king.”

It’s with the proper time to feast.

The timing of celebration marks maturity.

The youth celebrates in the morning.

He feasts at the beginning of the day.

When as your feasting nothing gets done.

Instead of getting up and defending his country.

Instead of doing what needs to be done to make sure his country is thriving.

Instead of improving his country, he feasts.

He gets so drunk that he is incapable of ruling.

He is incapable of performing his duties.

Why?

B/c he is foolish.

He believes that the power and influence of the kingdom will last forever.

He believes that there’s no work to be done when he’s king of the kingdom.

However, the wise king feasts at the proper time.

Solomon isn’t condemning the feasting.

He’s condemning the timing of the feast.

There is a right and proper time to feast and there is a foolish and improper time to feast.

This improper feasting is self-indulgent, self-satisfying, and self-serving.

It’s excessive and purposeless.

There is a time for feasting in the Xian life.

There is a time for celebration for the Follower of Jesus, but that time isn’t all the time.

We shouldn’t be living at the behest of our pleasure.

Listen, as followers of Jesus we can feast.

We can celebrate, but we don’t do it all the time.

We do it when it’s appropriate.

When there is something worth celebrating.

In the time and culture we live in now, it’s popular to celebrate yourself all the time.

And for mediocre achievements.

But the reality is, if you constantly celebrate yourself, there’s no room to celebrate what Jesus is doing in your life and the life of those around you.

The best celebrations and feasts are centered around Jesus.

One of the times we should feast, is when we are celebrating the Lord’s supper.

We should remember the feast of the Lord and the sacrifice he gave.

His life was given to us on the cross.

and through his blood we find redemption.

We should feast as a church family when something exciting happens within our congregation.

When we can gather together and eat a meal, fellowshipping together.

So we can and should feast as followers of Jesus.

And we should also learn when not to feast.

When to restrain and practice self-control

We should as followers of Jesus practice fasting at times.

Not just from food but also from some pleasures of this world.

Whether it is food, fun, or entertainment.

Sometimes we should fast.

So that we find our full pleasure in Jesus.

Fasting should be part of the christian life and is taught in the NT.

Matt 6:16-18 “16 “Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Fasting gives us an opportunity to disconnect from the world around us and demonstrate our reliance on God.

Finding full pleasure in him and in our relationship with him.

And feasting points us back to his goodness and provision.

Both fasting and feasting can be great opportunities to remember how awesome the God we serve is.

The person pursing wisdom will know the right time to feast and fast.

So feast celebrating the Lord’s Salvation and providence.

And Fast relying on God to fulfill and sustain you.

-----

The last subject Solomon broaches here in chapter 10 has to do with working wisely.

Ecclesiastes 10:18–19 CSB

18 Because of laziness the roof caves in, and because of negligent hands the house leaks. 19 A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life happy, and money is the answer for everything.

Work Wisely

The first thing we see here in v. 18 is that the fool is lazy.

He never gets the things done that need to get done.

He doesn’t exert the effort.

He would rather sit around doing nothing than doing something.

And let’s be honest, it is 1000 times easier to do nothing than it is to do anything.

But laziness and idle hands are destructive and foolish.

Many people are are somewhat aware of Scripture want to blame working on Adam and Eve’s sin.

But the reality is, Adam and Eve were designed to work.

They were commissioned to work in the garden before they disobeyed God.

Sure sin made work harder, but work is in God’s design for humanity.

Laziness has consequences.

If you sit around and do nothing then you will reap destruction and disaster.

In Proverbs the lazy or sluggards are always seen as fools.

Prov 6.6 “6 Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise.”

Prov. 26.16 “16 In his own eyes, a slacker is wiser than seven who can answer sensibly.”

Prov 10.4 “4 Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches.”

Notice that here in Ecc, the lazy man is making his life more miserable by being lazy.

The roof of his house is leaking.

Meaning that he is unable to escape the weather of the doors.

The place that should be his home and solace has now been invaded b/c of his laziness.

The homes in the Ancient Near East had flat roofs that we lined with lime and plaster.

and if the plaster was not maintained then it would crack and cause leaking.

No one wants to live in a home that leaks.

Not only that, but this fool would rather do nothing and let his house collapse than fix it.

The laziness of this man is boundless.

The house is going to leak and the roof is going to cave in, but he doesn’t care b/c he would rather do nothing.

We can look at this man and say, “he’s absolutely foolish” why doesn’t he do the work.

Why is he allowing his home to be ruined.

But let me ask you, what are you lazy about when it comes to your home?

Not the four walls and roof, but when it comes to your relationship with your spouse?

Or with your kids?

Or with God?

How do you neglect the world around you?

Are you lazy at work?

Are you lazy in growing in the knowledge of God?

Laziness is destructive.

If you aren’t doing the work at home with your family.

If you are teaching and guiding them into the instruction of God’s rules you are being destructive.

If you aren’t growing in your relationship with God, then the foundation you may have is being neglected and could be destroyed.

As followers of Jesus we should not be lazy in our lives.

We have to make effort to grow in holiness.

We have to strive to grow towards God knowing that he’s the one to give us the strength to do so.

There is no room for laziness in the kingdom of God.

Sure there is time for rest, but rest and laziness are different.

They aren’t the same thing.

Rest is taking a break from work, laziness is never getting the work started.

There’s work to do, so it needs to get done.

Don’t be lazy.

Solomon concludes this section saying

Ecc 10:19 “19 A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life happy, and money is the answer for everything.”

Again Solomon wants us to see that feasting and celebration is good, but can only be done in the proper context.

Working hard allows us to feast, to celebrate and to have money to be generous.

Working hard is good for humanity.

It’s good for the soul.

It’s good b/c God designed us to work.

It’s one aspect of living wisely in this world.

B/c remember living wisely in this world is what followers of Jesus are called to do.

We should speak wisely.

Lead wisely.

and work wisely.

But this is only possible if you know the lord.

If you have given your life to Christ.

If you are devoted to him as Lord and savior.

If you haven’t submitted to him.

You are by default living a foolish life.

Chasing after wisdom is chasing after Christ.

He wants you to know him.

He wants you to submit to him.

He came and died so that you would be drawn to him.

He’s calling out to you, will you respond?

Will you live wisely or continue to live in foolishness?