Don't Surrender to Foolishness

Introduction

In September of 2022, Jacob Runyan, 43, of Ashtabula, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 36, entered a fishing tournament in Ohio, on Lake Erie. In this tournament, fishermen competed to see who could catch the five heaviest walleyes in Lake Erie.

They were initially declared the winners, but the director of the tournament noticed something wasn’t right. He thought the walleye weighed more than they looked they should weigh, so he cut them open. After cutting them open, he discovered weights located inside the walleyes. They had placed 8 weighing 12 oz, 2 weighing 8 oz, and several walleye fillets stuffed in them. Had they won the tournament, they would have received $28,760.

Runyan called it "the most ignorant decision I’ve ever made in my life" in his apology to the court and "to everybody."

They were sentenced Thursday to 10 days in jail and 1 1/2 years of probation. They were also fined $2500 but it would be cut in half if they donated to an organization that focuses on children and fishing. Plus their fishing licenses were suspended for 3 years (maximum by law). They will forever have a felony conviction that can be discovered by any future employers and other interested parties. Oh and by the way, Chase Comisky had to surrender his bass boat which was valued at $130,000.

One foolish decision cost them much...

Have you ever had that moment in time you wish you could get back and do over…ever had a word you said you wished you didn’t…I don’t think there is anyone in this worship center who can deny ever doing that...

I think it is safe to say that all of us want to have an abundance of wisdom to aid us in our navigation of life…but do we realize how fragile that life of wisdom can be?

That is what Solomon is telling us in Ecclesiastes 10…he is giving us practical advice that centers around what he says in Eccl 9:18 “Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.”

Main Idea: Beware! A Lifetime of Wisdom Disappears With Just A Little Foolishness!

This section of Ecclesiastes is not a well constructed argument. It is however a collection of short stories, case studies, maxims, proverbs, comparisons and exhortations.

In this chapter, Solomon creates a clear contrast between two entirely different ways to live…the way of wisdom, way of folly.

So as we walk through this text, we need to ask ourselves “Am I living wisely or foolishly?”

It would probably be a good idea here to make sure we are all on the same page when it comes to truly understanding the biblical definition of a fool.

Most believers find it easy to distinguish between good and evil…what is morally right and morally wrong.

So we pattern our lives after that which is right…which is good.

The problem is that some of the most important choices in life are not matters of good versus evil, but between wisdom and folly.

Biblically, a fool is not necessarily someone who is at the low end of the IQ scale…rather the Bible declares the fool is someone who lacks the proper fear of God.

Psalm 14:1 NASB95

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.

Now for the believer we know there is a God and He is very real to us…but on the practical side of life we would fit the Bible’s definition of a fool because we often fail to consider God in our choices…we believe in God but sometimes we act as if God doesn’t exist.

Folly is not just choosing to do wicked things.

Fools are characterized by impulsive disobedience, self-centered arrogance, and a disregard for the holiness of God.

I’m not going to ask for a show of hands, but how many of us here this morning have ever been impulsively disobedient, self-centered, or even did something without ever considering how our actions negatively reflect God’s holiness?

So Solomon’s words here this morning ought to serve as a challenge to us for a time of evaluation of our tendencies to respond to life with either wisdom or folly.

Solomon’s first challenge to consider is to think through the truth that...

It Only Takes A Little Foolishness to Ruin an Abundance of Wisdom (1)

Explanation

Eccl 10:1 “Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.”

Solomon is not afraid to tell us like it is…

Wisdom is sweet, like a fragrant perfume, but it does not take much foolishness to turn things sour.

One rash word, one rude remark, one hasty decision, one foolish pleasure, one angry outburst.

You can’t get the toothpaste back in the tube once it’s out.

With today being Mother’s Day, hopefully no one gives you perfume with dead flies in it...

You can spend a lifetime of making wise decisions and when you make a foolish one, what are people going to remember most…your foolishness…and it doesn’t have to be a lot of foolishness…a small amount will destroy you…just ask Jacob and Chase!

Flies are small yet if they are in the perfume, the entire batch is ruined because they cause it to stink.

We have no idea how the flies get in there which really speaks to the uncertainties of life…even the smallest of events or issues where we respond foolishly can ruin us.

Application

We must apply diligence to even the most mundane affairs and routines of life.

We cannot neglect to think about life in mature ways that reflect the change of our heart towards Christ-likeness.

If we neglect worship, if we neglect to pray, if we neglect our mediation on Scripture, if we neglect to spend time with God’s people, our life will begin to stink like the fly spoiled perfume.

Remember it only takes 1 foolish decision to negate a lifetime of wisdom…1 day of neglect can lead to a lifetime of regret!

Foolishness is Dangerous (2-19)

Explanation:

This is where the text becomes challenging because it is difficult at times to see the connections.

What Solomon does here is to provide examples of how just a little foolishness can be dangerous.

Foolishness leads you in the wrong direction (2-4)

Eccl 10:2-4 “A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left. Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses.”

This is not a designation of one political party over the other…but if you want to make that connection you are free to do so...Solomon is drawing a basic contrast between the wise man and the fool.

This also is not a slam on those who are left-handed.

However, the Bible generally treats the right side as the good side…it was used to convey blessing like when Jacob crossed his arms to place his right hand on Ephraim’s head in Genesis 48…it was also associated with authority…Jesus is on the right hand of God.

By saying the fool’s heart is inclined to the left, he is telling us that the man is going the wrong direction in life.

The reason the fool goes that way is because his “heart” is leaning the wrong direction.

The heart is the core of who we are

It is that part of us that either loves God or does not love God.

Everything in life follows the heart

The wise person goes the right direction because his heart leans that way…wisdom and folly are inclinations of the heart.

V. 3 — indicates the fool is on the wrong road entirely but sadly doesn’t even realize it.

He seems to be the only person who doesn’t know he is a fool.

His very words and actions make it clear he is a fool.

Fools don’t heed the advice of others…Prov 12:15.

Fools have a habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time…Prov 18:6.

V.4 — is a benefit of wisdom…when confronted with an angry ruler the tendency is to run away…instead wisdom tells you to stay and speak gently and seek to defuse the situation…however, wisdom is so fragile, that one wrong word, or one wrong tone can be like throwing fuel on the fire.

Application

Don’t be a fool. Don’t be the person who refuses to listen to wise counsel.

Which direction are you going in life? Are you moving toward temptation or away from evil? Is your spiritual growth moving the right direction? Are you drawing closer to God’s people or isolating yourself? Which way does your heart lean, toward God or away from Him? Do you have a growing appetite for God’s Word or is it stale? Are you getting more serious about sin or have you stopped pursuing personal sanctification?

When leaders show their folly do not compound their folly with greater foolishness.

Respond to harsh leaders/bosses/teachers/professors with kindness and a soft word…don’t run away when you can potentially make a difference with a godly response.

Follow Jesus’ example — 1 Peter 2:23 “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

Who is that angry or foolish person in your life? How are you going to respond to them?

Foolishness turns society upside down (5-7)

Eccl 10:5-7 “There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler— folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.”

Solomon reports again what he has seen.

I know I don’t have to tell you that many foolish people exist in government.

As foolish as they are, they still manage to work themselves into positions of political leadership.

We have obviously seen some that are completely incompetent…it is not my place to tell you who they are because the fool lets you know they are foolish by their words and actions.

Solomon’s point here is that when the wrong people get into power, everything gets turned upside down.

v. 5 — Errors in leadership produce evil in society…then he gives an example in verse 6.

v. 6 — rich sit in humble places…on the surface some might say that is a good thing that the filthy rich are finally put in their place…but in the context of Solomon’s day this meant that people with financial resources do not have the power to use them for the public good.

v. 7 — in Biblical times, horses were associated with power, wealth, and royalty…slaves did not ride on horses…they walked either behind or in front…when folly reigns, everything is backwards …slaves ride, princes walk.

I am not going to use the pulpit today to tell you who to vote for by pointing out who is wise and who is foolish…as Solomon says here, it will be clearly evident

When society celebrates immorality, perpetuates wrongful violence, punishes righteousness, denies the authority of God, persecutes his people…you know fools are in charge!

Foolishness leaves you unprepared (8-11)

Eccl 10:8-11 “He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.”

v. 8-9 — set forth the truth that certain disasters can occur in life which we would call occupational hazards.

pit — used by hunters…hunters had to be careful to remember where they placed the pit or else they would fall into it…preparations had to made to mark the location of the pit

breaking down the stone wall — sometimes snakes would hide between the stones and could very easily strike the unprepared person.

Accidents happen…especially to those who are not paying attention!

Placing both these items together require caution when you are participating in them.

v.10 — work smarter not harder — Solomon compares wisdom to a sharpened blade…it takes more strength to wield an axe or sword if the blade is dull…to cut something in two you have to keep whacking at it…that’s how foolish people live

they keep flailing away at their work or in their relationships without ever making any progress.

Wisdom would tell you to take the time to sharpen your blade…if you need training, get training, relationships can get messy if you don’t take the time to work on them by listening to one another, compromising with one another, looking out for the needs of the other person above your own…take the time to think through what you need to do to be successful

v. 11 — Don’t wait too long to act…there is a danger in moving too slowly…if the snake bites the snake charmer before he has charmed the snake, he dies…once the snake is charmed, it can be controlled…the snake charmer must get busy and charm his snake before it bites.

Taken together, vs 10-11 show us why we need God’s wisdom…Sometimes it is important to take the time to prepare. Other times we need to act before it is too late.

for wisdom to work it must be applied and applied at the right time.

Application

Make sure you have the right tools for the job God has placed before you…take the time to discover and develop the skills and abilities required to be successful.

Prepare yourself for action and don’t be afraid to act. What is God preparing you to do?…wisdom must applied at the right time if you want to be successful..trust God to give that wisdom to you when you need it most.

Listen to the words of Jesus to build your house on the Rock…Matt 7:24 ““Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Foolishness negatively impacts your speech (12-15)

Eccl 10:12-15 “Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness. Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him? The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.”

Notice the progression from the negative damage of the words of a fool to the total incompetence of the fool.

v. 12 — he contrasts the words of the wise man and the fool

emphasis not just on the words that are spoken, but on the instrument that speaks the words…he doesn’t say words of a wise man, he says MOUTH…(a more graphic picture)

The characteristic of the words of the wise man is that they are gracious…have positive benefits in the lives of other people

consume = to swallow up…the words of the fool bring great harm to himself

v. 13 — the damage grows..this verse sets forth both the beginning and the ending of the words of a fool…there is nothing positive about the words of the fool…they start as foolish and progressively get worse...

The fool begins talking and immediately you know they are a fool.

Sadly, they continue to talk, revealing a heart that has no idea how life works and their words are extremely harmful, not just to themselves, but to those around them…madness Solomon says.

v. 14 — gives you some insight into the madness Solomon references.

the fool never stops talking and he talks about things he knows nothing about.

No one knows the future, yet the fool thinks he does and demonstrates his lack of knowledge with a multiplicity of words.

v.15 — continues the progression of the fool into foolishness moving beyond the speech to his actions.

The Hebrew of this verse reads literally… ‘the work of fools wearies him”… meaning the work that has been assigned to fools is to engage in endless talk out of the fullness of their ignorance, especially regarding the future.

What further compounds their ignorance is that they don’t even know the directions to town, the best - known place in the region…they cannot give simple direction

Application

Think before you speak…Eph 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

James 3 tells us that a mark of maturity is seen in the person who learns to control their tongue.

Foolishness ruins a country (16-19)

Eccl 10:16-19 “Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning. Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for drunkenness. Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks. Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything.”

v. 16-17 together show a contrast between an immature, inexperienced ruler and a mature, competent one.

Solomon tells a story here of a national disaster with someone completely incompetent in charge.

child = is not always limited to people under a certain age…in a political context it refers to someone older who is immature…Solomon used this term in 1 Kings 3:7 to indicate his lack of experience

His son Rehoboam was 41 when he began to reign and he had no idea what he was doing and as a result his kingdom was filled with corruption and his judgment was unsound.

Solomon describes the danger of immature leadership here as the kingly court of gluttonous princes who feasted every morning…this is not having a hearty breakfast, it was a royal banquet that included enough alcohol to get plastered…instead of getting up in the morning to improve and defend their country, these princes lie about in a drunken stupor

He is not saying there is anything wrong with a proper feast at the proper time and for the proper purpose…he praises those who do it right in verse 17.

v.18-19

sagging rafters, leaky roofs speak of ruin because the immediate needs were not addressed…their laziness and idleness let the kingdom fall in disrepair…when the royal court is ruled by fools it brings ruin to the country.

v. 19 - is somewhat ambiguous…talks about feasts, wine, and money…what is unclear here is whether Solomon is speaking of this in a positive way or a negative way.

He has already told us that these things are gifts from God and are to be enjoyed.

Yet they are also empty.

Perhaps Solomon was intentionally ambiguous inviting us to think about both the positive and negative affects of feasting and money.

Yes money can be used well when used on the right things..

When it comes to leadership some just think “throw money at it” and it will be better.

Even Private Foolishness Can Come Back to Haunt You (20)

Explanation:

Eccl 10:20 “Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.”

This reinforces the idea that something small can cause great destruction.

Solomon warns against even thinking bad things against the king.

Something as small and hidden as a bad thought about the king or a bad word spoken in secret in the bedroom can get you into a lot of trouble.

He doesn’t say how but uses proverbial sayings as the justification for the warning…the point is not HOW the thought or word gets out, but that in some way it MOST LIKELY will get out.

Application:

We need to be careful what we think and what we say, even in secret…something even that small can cause great damage!

Remember a fool’s speech will come back to haunt him…so as Mark Twain once said, “it is better to let men think you’re a fool than to open your mouth and prove them right!”

Matthew 12:36 (NASB95)

“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.

Godly wisdom teaches that we as God’s people are to discern between right and wrong, justice and injustice, and then we are to do the right and good thing no matter if we are in front of others or alone with our spouse.

In truth, we are never alone. God is with us and watches over us always. Do we truly believe that? Then we must seek to be consistent in our behavior whether we are in front of people and when we are alone

Stay Vigilant!

We must do our part to remain at our post and be on guard because the life of the fool can easily overcome us…whether by our own actions or by those around us.

Don’t surrender to foolishness! Stay alert…Stay vigilant.

We need God’s help!