Guidance for Wise Living - Ecclesiastes 10:5-20

© August 9th, 2020 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Ecclesiastes

Last week we looked at the value of wisdom, while also recognizing that wisdom doesn’t solve every problem in the world. We saw that wisdom is something we should seek, and folly is something we should avoid at all costs. Solomon used pithy quotes called proverbs to teach these concepts.

This week, we are again looking at several proverbs. It is difficult to find some sort of logic to how Solomon moves from one proverb to the next, as they seem somewhat disconnected from one another, so I have grouped them in ways that make sense to me, and we’ll look at each group in turn.

Any time we look at a collection of proverbs, however, it is tempting to just see a list of guidelines to follow in order to live a happy life, or worse, a list of rules to follow to get to heaven. Looking only at proverbs can lead us to moralism—the belief that we just need to live better lives and everything will be better. That is not what these verse (or any proverbs) are teaching. These proverbs show us what it means to live wisely, nothing more or less. Even if we live wisely life can be hard. And a person can make good choices in life and still not go to heaven. The most important lesson to learn is this: the source of wisdom and the source of eternal life is one and the same—Jesus Christ. Everything we’re going to talk about today has one underlying assumption; that you are seeking to honor God with your life. It is only against that backdrop that we can find true wisdom or true meaning, either in this life or in the one to come.

As we dig into these proverbs, please keep in mind that all of these things only work if we are putting Jesus Christ first in our lives. As we learned last week, you cannot begin to live wisely until you put Jesus first.

Wise vs. Foolish Rulers

At the beginning of this section, in verses 5-7, Solomon talks about the effects of foolish leaders. He returns to this theme in verses 16 and 17, so we’re going to look at both sets of verses together.

5 There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake 6 when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. 7 I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants! (Ecclesiastes 10:5-7, NLT)

Last week we saw Solomon talk about how even though wisdom is powerful, so is foolishness. Putting a fool in a position of power is dangerous. Solomon says that when we give power and authority to fools, as opposed to people who have proven themselves wise, everything falls apart. The world gets turned on its head.

Verse 7 describes servants (those who should not have power) riding on horses, while princes (those who should have power) are walking and being forced to serve. The point here is that when we put foolish people into positions of power, they do not rule wisely. They despise wisdom, so instead of seeking those who give good advice and help them become wiser, they surround themselves with similarly foolish people who tell them what they want to hear. The result is an ever-increasing ring of foolishness.

Solomon’s own son is an example of this. After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam began to rule in his place. The people came and asked him to lighten the load that was upon them. The wise men who had served his father told him he should listen to them, and he would have loyal subjects who would welcome his leadership. But Rehoboam’s young (and foolish) friends told him he needed to show the people who was boss, and he should make their burdens even heavier! Rehoboam was a fool and took the advice of his foolish friends. He pushed aside the wise counselors of his father. As a result, the kingdom of Israel broke in two, and both kingdoms began a slow march away from the Lord. Who we choose to lead (and advise) is important. Value wisdom in your leaders.

In verses 16-17, Solomon again speaks about leaders in a similar vein.

16 What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning. 17 Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk. (Ecclesiastes 10:16-17, NLT)

He condemns foolish leaders who feast in the morning, as opposed wise leaders who feast at the proper time. He isn’t condemning a big breakfast, but the goal of these kings’ feasts. The fool feasts to party and get drunk, while the wise leader feasts to gain strength for their work. If you feast and get drunk in the morning, you are pretty worthless the rest of the day—you can’t effectively lead your people. This is the problem with foolish leaders—they neglect their duties and abuse their power. They use their power to indulge their desires without regard to how it may affect those they are called to serve. But a wise leader is diligent in the task given to him. He too feasts, not for drunkenness and pleasure, but to give him strength to carry out his tasks the next day. If you are a leader, ask yourself which category you fall into—do you work hard to serve those you lead? Or do you use your position to indulge your selfish desires? The wisdom (or lack thereof) of our leaders is seen in how they serve.

Dangers of Life

The next group of proverbs is in verses 8 and 9.

8 When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. 9 When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax. (Ecclesiastes 10:8-9, NLT)

These verses remind us that life is sometimes dangerous. We should be careful to protect ourselves the best we can. Sometimes despite our best efforts, accidents happen. Though this is true, it’s also true that the person who is labeled as “accident-prone” is probably a fool who is careless and will likely get hurt eventually.

But there’s an additional layer to these examples Solomon gives. Most people believe verse 8 is actually talking about the danger of revenge. Throughout the Bible digging a pit (which the NLT translates “well”) is often used as a poetic way of describing a person setting a trap for someone else. The idea here is that if you try to set a trap for someone else, there’s a good chance you’ll end up snaring yourself!

In the same way, trying to tear down something you didn’t build may come back to bite you as well. Snakes tend to represent evil in the poetic portions of the Bible, and if you are trying to tear down someone else’s “wall” (which could be most anything, including their character), you are likely to be bitten by your own evil actions.

The point is that we should not seek vengeance. The wise person rests in the truth that God is in control and will ensure justice is served rather than trying to seek vengeance in their own power. At the same time, we need to remember that not every bad thing that happens is necessarily a judgment from God. Life is inherently dangerous. But we should not put ourselves in danger because of foolishness. We should take our time, count the cost, and think through our decisions and actions, lest we foolishly put ourselves in harm’s way.

Wisdom in Little Things

Solomon next turns his attention to some of the “little things” of life, that we find are actually big things. He gives examples of this in verses 10-11, 15, and 18-20.

10 Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. 11 If a snake bites before you charm it, what’s the use of being a snake charmer?

15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home. (Ecclesiastes 10:10-11, 15, NLT)

The wise person recognizes the importance of doing some of the unglamorous things of life, because those things ultimately make life easier. If you’re cutting down a tree, it’s tempting to think you don’t have time to stop and sharpen your ax, because that’s time you’re losing that you could be swinging it! But the wise person realizes that the little bit of time he spends sharpening his ax will make the time he spends swinging it that much more effective. The person who stops to sharpen his ax will get done more quickly (and easily) than the person who just keeps swinging. Similarly, if you’re a snake charmer but don’t take the time to actually charm the snake, then what’s the point? Get down to business, and do what’s important—it will help make you more effective in everything.

Most of us don’t swing an ax all day, so the idea “sharpening your ax” is going to look different for each of us. It could mean several things,

· Eating well and getting enough sleep so you’re functioning at your highest potential.

· Reading and studying to become more adept at the tasks you do.

· Taking time away for vacation and rest rather than working until you drop.

· Making time to feed your soul with Bible study, prayer, and worship even when your schedule is busy.

· Making important relationships a priority, knowing those relationships (like with your family) help drive you in other areas of life.

There are lots of ways this applies. He’s not advocating laziness but diligence and recognizing that little things often have a big impact. The wise person faithfully does the little things that help them become well-rounded and as effective as they can be.

He goes on to say in verse 15, that fools are so exhausted by a little work they can’t even find their way home. Fools tend to avoid doing both the little things and the big things. They avoid working hard at all costs, so when they must work, they’re exhausted (especially since they’re probably doing it with a dull ax!) We should work hard at whatever we do—even if what we do seems insignificant. The wise person understands that everything they do is important because they are doing it for the Lord.

Verses 18-20 say something similar.

18 Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house. 19 A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything! 20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said. (Ecclesiastes 10:18-20, NLT)

Verse 18 reminds us that just as doing the little things can make us better, failing to do them will lead to ruin. Owning a home has taught me that routine maintenance is important because it’s a lot easier (and cheaper) to fix small problems than to wait until they become big ones. The wise person is not a procrastinator. They don’t put off important things. They also understand the difference between things that are important and those that are merely urgent. There are lots of things that seem urgent and scream for our attention, but the wise person makes time to do the things that are important, even if there are other far more urgent things. It takes wisdom to know the difference.

In verse 20, he reminds us that mocking others or gossiping about them is always a foolish endeavor. Often our words come back to bite us. The fool thinks they can get away with things, but the wise person realizes everything they do (even the things no one else will see) has an impact on them. So, the wise person is disciplined in all they do—they do the unglamorous but important things, and they control their desires, rather than indulging sinful behaviors they know are harmful. These are good principles for us to build into our lives.

Verse 19 is a bit of an enigma. I wasn’t sure exactly how to understand it. As I read a bunch of scholars, it was clear they weren’t either. One idea is that Solomon was being facetious with these declarations, which was my initial thought (maybe because I’m so sarcastic myself!) But I think another approach fits better with the overall message of Ecclesiastes. I think his point is that bread, wine, and money are all good things, provided we use them for God’s purposes and not our own. Bread, wine, and money can also be our downfall if we indulge our sinful desires with them. Solomon is reminding us that God has given us many things to enjoy, and if we use them wisely (if we follow his precepts on how to use them), they can accomplish much for us. Again, the principle is discipline. Food and drink are intended to strengthen us, not for us to indulge. Money enables us to do many things. If we use our money for the kingdom of God, we invest it very wisely. If we use it simply to indulge ourselves, we squander the gift God has given us. The wise person is disciplined in using everything God has given them, whether that is food, drink, money, time, skills, or resources. Disciplined use of what God has given us will enable us to use those things to great effect.

Wisdom in Speech

The last section is probably one of the most difficult to put into practice. Solomon shows us the difference between how wise and foolish people talk.

12 Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. 13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; 14 they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. (Ecclesiastes 10:12-14, NLT)

Here we are shown the difference between the speech of the wise and the foolish. The words of a wise person bring approval (or are gracious). Wise people use their speech to build others up. They recognize the power of their words and use them for good. Fools use their words to indulge in “wicked madness”, and ultimately their words destroy them. Fools use their words only for themselves, and no one benefits when they speak.

Solomon says that the foolish person chatters on and on even though they don’t actually know anything. I suspect you’ve been around people like this before, haven’t you? People who talk a whole lot, but don’t really say anything? Fools often use their words to try to build themselves up, to convince others of how smart or wise they are. Unfortunately, this often has the opposite effect.

I can probably not be considered an expert on anything, but there are some subjects on which I’m fairly knowledgeable. I have often seen someone trying to show off for others how much they know about a given subject. Occasionally that subject happens to be one I know a lot about. In many cases, as I listen to them talk it becomes clear they don’t know nearly as much as they claim. In fact, the more they talk, the more they show how little they know! I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences in your areas of expertise. You’ve probably heard the old line, “It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”

The wise person is one who knows the limits of their knowledge and chooses not to speak about things they don’t know. People respect a person who says they don’t know when asked a difficult question instead of trying to hide their ignorance with an avalanche of words. People who think they know everything tend not to learn much from others. But the person who recognizes the limits of their knowledge often leaves the conversation knowing more than when they started—because they’ve taken the time to listen.

Solomon reminds us, however, that using our speech wisely is a difficult task. It requires us to think about how our words affect other people, as opposed to simply blathering on because it makes us happy.

In the New Testament, Paul tells us that we should focus on speaking only words that benefit those who hear them. James tells us that controlling the tongue is exceedingly difficult. Jesus helps us understand why. He said that what comes out of our mouths is the overflow of what’s in our hearts.

So how do we become wise in our speech? It starts with our hearts. We need to deal with the selfish and prideful attitudes in our hearts, which often manifest themselves in boastful or hurtful words. Genuine wisdom starts in the heart. It starts with setting our hearts on God and working to trust Him in all our ways—even the seemingly little things like our thoughts. It is only when we begin to put God’s truths into practice in every area of our lives that we will begin to see wisdom take shape in us.

Conclusion

Solomon reminds us again today about the importance of wise living and gives us some practical ways to live wisely. It is not something that happens naturally. Wisdom requires consistent, intentional effort to develop. But part of developing wisdom is recognizing its value—that the hard work to get it is worth it.

Wisdom has benefits to every area of life. It helps us to lead well, it guides us in the things we do each day, it reminds us to focus on doing the most important things even if they’re not very exciting, and it teaches us to guard our speech. The person who does these things consistently in their life will stand head and shoulders above the rest. They will find their hard work to live wisely solves a lot of the problems many others face. They will also bring a smile to the Lord’s face.

If you want to become wise, if you want to live the kind of life Solomon describes in these verses, if you want to have eternal life, it starts by studying and following God’s Word. It means reading the Bible, understanding what it is teaching, and then putting it into practice. It starts by trusting Jesus, following Him with our lives, and seeking to honor Him in all we do. As we do that, the Lord will begin to change us from the inside out. As our hearts change, so will our lives. He will enable us to do more for Him than we could have imagined. We’ll see benefits both in our lives and in those closest to us. And most importantly, we will be able to point people to the One who is all wise, all loving, and worthy of praise and worship. That makes whatever effort it takes, worth it.

© August 9th, 2020 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Ecclesiastes