The Power of Small

Ecclesiastes

I want to share with you a passage from Ecclesiastes this morning

How many of you have read Ecclesiastes lately?

It’s one of those books that we might tend to skip over in the Bible, unless it’s on our “Get through the Bible in one year” plan

Then we have to wade through it somehow

written (it’s believed) by King Solomon

Not entirely clear

Author identified as “The Preacher, Son of David”

There are some other clues in the book that sort of point toward Solomon, but it is not stated outright that he is the author

Nevertheless, this book

English Standard Version Chapter 9

Wisdom Better Than Folly

11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.