The Book of Ecclesiastes - Part 11

Greetings, brethren. Happy Sabbath. It was really nice yesterday. It's not bad today, actually. It's just not as nice as it was yesterday. Yesterday was fantastic. So, a little preview of... Time for black highs. Yeah, a little preview of days to come, we hope. Although next week's going to be weird. I was looking at the highs, and it just was... I think it's going to be up to 72 one day, and it's going to drop to 53, then it's going to be 60.

It's just really bouncing all over the place. But we know that... Because there's rain and other weather coming in, but at least we have some weather. And that's... I was just... We were just watching a planet Earth show last night. I was talking about how the land needs all this water, and it picks up from the ocean and dumps it unevenly, of course, over the land. But without that water coming in, it would just be nothing. It would be no life, and it's a great blessing. So I also want to mention something about Nietzsche, because I appreciate the mention about Nietzsche. Nietzsche was certainly...

He was a madman, indeed. But he was more than that. He was a demonic conduit, is what Nietzsche was. In fact, he wrote... His opus, I guess, was also Sprock Zarathustra. Also speaks Zarathustra. Zarathustra, of course, is... That's a name from Zoroastrianism.

Zoroaster is Zarathustra. But Nietzsche claimed he was basically speaking for the spirit. And actually, you might know from your 2001 The Space Odyssey, the music there. That's also Sprock Zarathustra. I guess that's kind of the inspiration there. But yeah, he claimed to be speaking for the spirit. And he wrote of the will to power, the will to power, which, you know, Lenin took that, Hitler took that. And basically, the idea was, just by force of sheer will, you can transform the world. You can make everything happen. And of course, you can do that if you have demonic assistance.

But it, you know, it won't only go so far. God's going to not let that continue because God is ultimately in control. As we've been reading about going through Ecclesiastes, ultimately, everything is in the hands of God. We're very thankful about that. I do want to continue in Ecclesiastes. I thought, you know, we're coming close to Passover. I think we've just got like three weeks or so now to Passover very soon. But at the same time, you know, I thought of giving something on that. But I wanted to continue with this just because otherwise it will never end.

So I want to, whenever I get a chance, I will next week. I think I've got a sermon at. So I probably definitely will speak on some of the new Passover. But there is a tie in here in what I'm going to mention today. To the Days of Unleavened Bread, a very strong one. So I will mention that as we go, as we get into this.

I just want to, as a reminder, mention where we are in the book. We're in the last major section of the book that began in chapter eight and verse 16. Or yes, chapter eight, verse 16. And the middle section of that is where we are. It's a pretty long subsection, middle subsection, which stretches from Ecclesiastes 9-10 all the way to 11-6.

That's a pretty hefty chunk. And I had titled that before I gave it to you as, Give it your all with wisdom and diligence. And that is a correct way to label that section. However, in going back through it, I've decided to break this into three smaller segments. And so the first segment would be 9-10 up until 10-3.

That's where we are in the middle of that right now, 9-10 through 10-3. And then we'll later get to the rest of chapter 10, 10-4 through 20. And then the first six verses of chapter 11-11, 1-6 will be the third part of this long subsection here. I'll try to get as far as I can today. I do want to mention just again where we exactly are in this section that we're in. Again, looking at Ecclesiastes chapter 9, we read verses 11 and 12 where Solomon says, you know, right after verse 10 is where he said, Whatever your hand finds, do it with your might because in the grave, you're not going to be able to do that.

But then in verses chapter 9, verses 11 through 12, he's talking about how life is very unpredictable. And in fact, this section, this first section, 9-10 through 10-3, I have titled, Despite Life's Unpredictability, Keep Striving in Wisdom. Despite Life's Unpredictability, Keep Striving in Wisdom. So again, those first two verses there, verses 11 and 12, you know, it says that plans won't necessarily work out. Things don't always go as they seem. You know, the race isn't always to the swiftest.

It just doesn't always work out that way. So we need to be flexible, and we should try to have contingency plans as prudent precaution. We talked about how Proverbs 27, 1 said, Don't boast about tomorrow, for you don't know what a day may bring. And James echoed that, saying not to boast about personal plans, but say, We'll do this or that if God wills. It's not up to us. It's ultimately up to God. That was in James 4. And above all, we need to maintain a right relationship with God so that we remain in His care when the unexpected hits us.

There's going to be a lot of unexpected things. And the best way to mitigate against unexpected things is to just be close to God. Because then whatever happens, it's all going to work out for the best. In fact, I didn't quote this, but of course, Romans 8, 28, All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the cult, according to His purpose.

So we definitely want to remember that huge duty that we have, and it will help us get through these unexpected things. The last thing I noted to you, and I'll read it again, is that the proper mindset and approach here is a part of wisdom. Despite the limitations of wisdom, we've seen not being able to figure everything out. We saw that in Chapter 8, verses 16 through 17. Not even always gaining needed food to eat.

We saw that in 9-11, you know, the wise don't always have enough income. And still meeting with this life's calamities, and even death, we saw that in 9 verses 1 through 3, and verses 10 through 12 that we just had read before. Despite all that, despite the limitations of wisdom, wisdom is not useless. That's what I wanted to focus on here. Wisdom is not useless. In fact, it's part of wisdom to understand this. Just to know that is part of wisdom. That wisdom is helpful, even though it can't solve everything as Solomon lays out here next. I want us to look at verses 13 through 18 here in Chapter 9. And I thought I was there, but somehow I flipped the page. Let me get back to where I was. Okay. Ecclesiastes chapter 9 will read verses 13 through 18. He says, This wisdom I've also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it, besieged it, built great snares around it. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man. Then I said wisdom is better than strength, nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. Words of the wise spoken quietly should be heard. Rather than the shadow of a ruler of fools, wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. Okay, we'll get to the latter part of this in a moment, but I want to focus first of all on the first part here.

He gives the case, whether actual or thought up, of a small city besieged by the forces of a great king, but delivered by a poor wise man, though he's forgotten. The Tyndale commentary says that verse 15 might be translated to mean that a poor wise man's wisdom possibly could have saved the city, but that no one thought of him. Some versions have it that way. Good news, translation, New English Bible, and the American Standard Bible. They say that a poor wise man could have saved it, but he was forgotten. He wasn't remembered, so they never called on him. However, as the preaching the word commentary footnotes, this translation requires some reading between the lines. So it's best to take the wording at face value that the poor man did deliver the city and was then forgotten. That's the way we read it here. Here was a case where the battle did not go to the strong. Think about that. The powerful king with his forces, the battle didn't go to him. Though this may be because a battle was averted. So the battle didn't even happen. There was no battle. Something possibly like this actually occurred during the reign of David. And I'll just reference this for time's sake. In 2 Samuel 20, I'll just refer to 2 Samuel 20, verses 13 through 22. We're told that Sheba, who led a rebellion against David. So again, this is immediately before Solomon. That would be David's father. Sheba led a rebellion against him, and then he fled to to Abel of Beth-Makkah. And David's general Joab besieged the city. A wise woman came forward and worked out with Joab that if the people of Abel gave up Sheba, they would be left in peace. And so they then threw out Sheba's head, and Joab withdrew. We don't know that the woman's name was forgotten at the time, but as it's not given in the account, that could be. The siege of Abel was not the exact occasion described in Ecclesiastes 9, 13, through 16, because we're talking about a wise man, though it could have provided a model for it. In other words, here is a circumstance. This kind of thing happens. In any case, we see the poor wise man who saved the city in the present story forgotten. Expositor says, it was all part of the vanity and frustration of a self-centered world. Moreover, it was undoubtedly humiliating for the people to admit that they'd been saved by nobody. There's a poor wise man, so okay, he helped him out, that was it. The New American commentary points out that wisdom is sought out only in desperate times. Otherwise, only those who have wealth or power are in a position to demand public attention.

So that's why they had the, you know, the poor wise man had listened to him in this case.

Expositors continues, what are we to conclude from this illustration? Certainly not, that in view of the changes and chances of life, we're better off not to use our gifts. It was right for the poor man to come forward and use his wisdom to thwart or turn away the king. It would have been right for him to do so even if he'd known that his fellow citizens would not ask for his advice in the future.

It was the right thing to do. Walter Kaiser agrees. He says, although the poor man failed to profit personally from his labors, his wisdom was not profitless for others or for this world.

So it was helpful that he did that. Solomon says this example, you know, this was of great value, by the way, and Solomon says this example shows in verse 16. He says, wisdom is better than strength. Here, wisdom was better than strength. It was better to be wise because the people weren't strong enough to defeat the enemy, but the wisdom was strong enough to turn them away. I thought, you know, perhaps a proverb that that would be that's paralleled a couple of verses later where he says, we read, wisdom is better than weapons of war. I was in verse 18, wisdom is better than weapons of war. Another proverb. Recall also Solomon earlier presenting wisdom as a defense and as giving more strength than 10 military leaders in a city. We saw that back in chapter 7, verses 12 and 19. Wisdom is a defense. It was stronger than 10 mighty men.

This magnifies the directive that we're given in 910 to do whatever we do with our might.

Clearly, what we do should also be with wisdom, which is better than might. Think about that. It says, everything you do, do it with your might. But if wisdom is better than might, then we need to do it also with wisdom. In fact, that's why it goes on to say, whatever your hand finds you do with all your might, where there's no wisdom or knowledge or understanding, you need to exercise wisdom as well. We are too short or respect to follow, as with the poor man here. Now, look at where verse 16 has, nevertheless, the word could just be and because it's just a vah. It's just an and. Young's literal translation says and. But some versions have the but or and. It could be a number of conjunctions. We heard that last week, I think. This kind of stands in for a number of conjunctions. You just have to read the sentence to understand what it can be. But the statement, if it's though or even though, would mean that wisdom is better even when it's despised and not listened to.

Ultimately, this is what expositor says, end quote, failing to benefit further from the poor man's wisdom. Still, we see here another limitation of wisdom despite its value that it may go unheard or unheeded. Wisdom has value, but it has, but it's limited. And the words of the wise are often given as quiet, thoughtful assessment because we're reading coming down in these other verses here. But we see them ignored and shouted over in verse 17. Even by a ruler, it says, who is thereby obstinate and foolish. The sinner in verse 18, if we look down there, when a sinner destroys much good, could be such a leader disregarding the wisdom of the wise as beneath him in his courteous, even squashing it so that it cannot be wielded as needed for the good it would do. Because it says it's bad, wisdom's better than weapons of war, but a sinner destroys much good.

Wisdom offered can deliver a city and continue to give further help. But if ignored or drowned out by foolishness, the result will be ruined. However, it's possible that the sinner in verse 18, if going with what follows in the next verse, we'll get to in a moment in 10.1, is a reference to a wise man hurting his own credibility by sin, as Solomon himself had done. Solomon himself hurt his credibility by sin. But as such, that wasn't the example just given.

It wasn't an example of a wise man corrupting himself. The example was a wise man was shouted down. This would have meant, seemed to constitute a new thought. That is, if this is talking about a wise man corrupting himself, one sinner doing much good, that would be a new thought going with what follows. But the connection there with what came before would be the superiority of wisdom over physical might, yet with wisdom still having weakness. So let's remember that.

It's better, but it's not the answer to everything.

Previously, it went unheeded by others, and here it sometimes goes unheeded by even those who give it. That's another thing. People are wise. They give good advice, but they don't always heed their own advice. We should note that there is no narrative break between the end of chapter 9 and the beginning of chapter 10, but the apparently proverbial statements that we read at the end of chapter 9 in verses 16 through 18, beginning with, then I said, are evidently in response to the example of the poor man in the besieged city in verses 13 through 15, because he saw this and he said this in response. While the Proverbs of chapter 10 are being used for more general observations, with 10.1, we'll read next, as a transitional verse, and we'll get more about that in a moment. In fact, except for a single, this is very interesting, except for a single personal observation in chapter 10, that's chapter 10 verses 5 through 7, except for that, Ecclesiastes 9, 16, through to the conclusion of the book, starting in 12.8, and there's another note there at the end, but the whole rest of the book is essentially a series of Proverbs and proverbial poems set in order. It's not really a straight narrative. This is just a whole bunch of Proverbs that round out the rest of this book, but they all have a great deal of meaning, because they outline in progressive form how we must proceed through this life. It's just an ingenious arrangement there. So moving on to chapter 10, Solomon offers us a number of Proverbs and wise observation after laying the groundwork for receiving them in what he's been saying.

Expositors notes, the teacher has returned to the subject of wisdom being superior to folly, even when it fails to gain the recognition it deserves. We just read that. So this is an appropriate place for another series of wise sayings, like we saw back in chapter 7 verses 1 through 12, relating to guidance for life. So now we're going to gain some information on wisdom guiding life, because remember our whole overall subject of doing all you do with wisdom and with might. So I want to read chapter 10 and verse 1 starting here. It says, Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment and cause it to give off a foul odor. So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor. Now, recall that the first proverb in the earlier series of proverbs in chapter 7, and I'll have you hold your place here and look back over at the beginning of chapter 7, there was a series of proverbs there, and the first one in 7-1, you can look at it, said a good name is better than precious ointment. So that was the beginning of a series of proverbs there. But now, at the beginning of chapter 10, we read about a fly in the ointment, or rather dead flies, plural, or even flies of death. Notes commentator John Gill could be translated flies of death in the ointment as causing a bad smell and hurting the person, otherwise reputed to have wisdom and honor. Clearly, these two proverbs 7-1 and 10-1 are related. In the previous case, an established good reputation was as a good smell, so that interacting with others was a positive experience for them. Now, the reputation is as perfume tainted by dead flies. It has become disgusting in appearance and effect. It was highly valued, costly, and now has become worthless, as refuse. And note that it takes only a little folly to bring this about. Just as flies are small but loathsome, in modern parlance, a fly in the ointment, which is taken from this verse, refers to a small defect or irritant that spoils the value, enjoyment, or success of something.

In the proverb, it destroys a wise person's credibility, as the end of the previous verse about a sinner destroying much good might relate to. I don't know if it refers to the sinner destroying what a wise man offered or a wise man destroying his own wisdom by sin.

Walter Kaiser contends that, quote, Solomon does not refer to that trace of folly in a wise man or the lapses of the otherwise good man. He instead refers to the tendency for folly to predominate over honorable wisdom, as we saw in chapter 9 verses 16 through 17, with wisdom shouted down and ignored. That is, he takes this to be an issue of a government's or ruler's reputation, where foolishness is allowed to prevail over wisdom.

Yet, the wording of 10.1 concerns one known for wisdom, allowing foolishness to prevail only a little. That does not seem to fit with the large-scale suppression of wisdom by the ruler of fools.

So I'm not in total agreement with that. But it could indeed refer to an otherwise wise king or government giving in to folly just enough to make the rule seem abhorrent to people. It's possible as well. In any case, wisdom's value being diminished through sin in 918 provides a transition to the consequences of a little folly here in 10.1. We should note the putrefying effect of the flies here. Not only is it revolting to the senses, but rot and contamination are indeed spread throughout the ointment. We may compare this with the effects of sin with spiritual rot and corruption. We just heard about this earlier. Being spread throughout whatever is infected. As Paul said in comparing sin to leavening, and here I mentioned the reference to the days of unleavened bread, pointing out why we are to remove leaven from our lives as a symbolic measure during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And this is from 1 Corinthians 5 and 6. We'll see this a lot soon. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

So it is with sin and foolishness represented by the flies of death.

Consider that one of the names of Satan is Beelzebub.

Matthew 12, 24, meaning Lord or Master of Flies. Consider that in light of this. Indeed, he is the master of sin and foolishness, attracting people to spiritual filth, decay, and death, and leading them to spread all this on to others. So he's the one who's really behind that.

And if we give in to that, we are participating with him.

Allowing foolishness and sin to prevail in any situation will bring spreading corruption and ruin lives and reputation. Rulers must avoid this, as individuals clearly must as well. We must all strive for righteousness and wisdom, giving no place to wickedness and folly.

When we fail in this, we must strive to set things right. Sometimes, though, our reputation may be damaged beyond recovery. Still, we should work to earn back trust as much as is possible.

Yet before even landing in this situation, we must always remember that it's best not to bring harm to our reputation in the first place, and recognize that we're better able to serve God in being an example of wisdom and righteousness to others if we ourselves remain above reproach. That's why the Bible tells us to not be to be above reproach so we don't bring shame on God's way of life. Again, we see in all this a limitation of wisdom despite its value.

It can be negated by a little foolishness or sin. We are thus encouraged to develop and live by wisdom, but with the realization that our efforts in this will take us only so far. Maintaining a right relationship with God is paramount, which is itself the height of wisdom if we do that. But we're limited because we don't maintain that. Let's look here now at verses 2 and 3 of chapter 10. It says, "...a wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart is at his left. Even when a fool walks along the way, he lacks wisdom, and he shows everyone that he's a fool." We need wisdom to help navigate the problems of this life.

You know, again, let's look at verse 2. "...a wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart is at his left." Where the heart is refers to what it is concerned with, whether things on the right or the left. Some versions have the heart inclining to either of these sides, like in the NIV and the ESV. And of course, whichever way our heart leans is the way that we will go. So what is meant by right and left? So when we're looking here, we're talking about right and left. Some see here a proclivity of the wise to value and choose right over wrong, and the fool to be drawn to wrong over right. And that's what it says, like in the God's word translation. However, the contrast between right and left is not necessarily that between good and evil. The NIV cultural background's Bible explains it this way. It says, "...while there is no doubt that the right side was considered the place of honor and the most protective position, there is no indication that there was something negative or inherently weak or evil connected to the left side, either in the ancient Near East or Israel. It was secondary in honor and an unexpected direction from which to attack." I'll just interject there. You know, remember the people wanted to be seated on Christ's right and left. That just means they want to be right next to him. But so left wasn't necessarily evil in that case. It was secondary in honor and an unexpected direction from which to attack. "...the fool chose the path of vulnerability and lower status." That's a note on verse 2 there from the cultural background's Bible. Kaiser points out that the heart, that is the mind or inner nature of the wise man, is ever ready to protect him from numerous dangers on his right hand. As an 18th century commentator Ginsburg noted, "...to be on one's right was to defend or be ready to assist one as in these different psalms." Like it says in Psalm 16.8, and I'll just quote this. Psalm 16.8 says, "...I have set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." So it's a defensive position in that sense. Psalm 121 verse 5 says, "...the Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your shade at your right hand." Same idea there. And also, it says here this is, I guess, the same commentary. This is a Tyndale commentary. It says, "...the right hand was associated with a strength which saves, supports, and protects." And it also cites one of the psalms we just saw. And it also cites Isaiah 41 verse 13, where God's holding one's right hand equates to helping. I'll read that to you as well. This is in Psalm, or sorry, Isaiah 41 13. "...For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, fear not, I will help you." So it's a position of defense. It's a position of helping these ideas. The right hand was the place of blessing and honor. Remember the Ephraim and Manasseh, where Jacob put his hands on them and he crossed his hands. The right hand gave the greater blessing. And it was also of authority, with Jesus beside the Father in Colossians 3.1. He's at the right hand of the Father. The left denoted what was less favored, and sometimes even this favored, because we have the sheep and the goats were on the right and left. Left wasn't a good place to be in that case. That's in Matthew 25, by the way. Now what this all shows is that the heart of the wise is focused on and leans toward what is more important and better, while the foolish person's heart is set on that which is less worthwhile. It doesn't mean it's not worthwhile at all. It just means it's not as worthwhile as what's on the other side.

It's choosing the lesser of two things. In the first part of Ecclesiastes 10.3, that we read here, even when a fool walks along the way, he likes wisdom.

Walks along the way, you know, that's usually taken to mean as he walks down the street.

But walking is also a common metaphor for the way that one lives, and way can mean one's way of life.

And so you can read it that way. In the latter part of the verse, the fool, by a literal reading, says to everyone that he is a fool, which could mean that the fool tells everyone else that they are fools. That's what some people think. But it probably means that he communicates to or shows everyone, like we just read in the NKJV, that he himself is a fool. He's telling everybody that he's a fool, but it doesn't mean he's literally saying, hey, I'm a fool. He shows himself. He communicates that, that he's a fool. Compare this with the latter part of Proverbs 13.16, where a fool, and I would like you to turn over to Proverbs, if you will, hold your place here and turn over to Proverbs 13.16 real quick. Proverbs 13.16 says, Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool lays open his folly.

So a fool flaunts or exposes his folly, is the idea here. And if you look back at one chapter in Proverbs, Proverbs 12.23, Proverbs 12.23 says, A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness. And of course, that's because he's just spewing a lot of stuff. But also, he's just showing by whatever he says and does that he's a fool.

The contemporary English version paraphrases Ecclesiastes 10.3 this way, Fools show their stupidity by the way they live. It's easy to see that they have no sense.

Now, stupidity is used here to denote not lack of intelligence, but lack of wisdom in evaluating matters and then making poor life choices. So again, we see that wisdom will help us to better navigate this life despite its inability to deal with all of this life's problems. Wisdom is not useless, but wisdom is limited. Moving on here to verses 4 through 20, this next part of this subsection, I've titled this Matters of Authority Proceed with Caution.

Matters of Authority Proceed with Caution. These are either two separate thoughts or they're one thought. It's not entirely clear. We'll get through this. Here we read the second part of the second subsection of the last major section of the book. It starts with Ecclesiastes 10.4, giving counsel on choosing the right course for those in a particular difficult situation of dealing with a ruler or wanting authority becoming upset with them. Let's go ahead and read these verses, starting in verse 4 of Ecclesiastes 10. If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post. For conciliation pacifies great offenses. We actually looked ahead to this verse earlier. We'll get back to that. There is an evil I've seen under the sun as an error proceeding from the ruler. Folly is set in great dignity while the rich sit in a lowly place.

I've seen servants on horses while princes walk on the ground like servants.

I'm going to stop right there and go through these verses.

Now, in Ecclesiastes 8 verses 2 through 9, and we'll go back to that in a minute, we saw a section there that concerned not running afoul of government. Remember, part of the whole of this is, life is bad enough, don't make it worse by running afoul of government, for instance, because that's going to hurt you more. Ecclesiastes 10.4 now concerns what to do when there is some point of offense. We should also note that there's a warning at the end of the chapter about exercising great caution not to offend authorities. That's down in verse 20, just as a hint of it. You can look down there at Ecclesiastes 10.20. It's going to say, don't curse the king even in your thoughts. So I'm going to tell you that you've got to be careful in dealing with these authorities. It seems that these verses form the brackets of an inclusio, especially given that there are other verses about problems with human government between them. While there are some verses in this segment of the subsection that do not seem exclusive to that topic, they could still apply to it. We'll see that. So these verses together constitute our current reading, verses 4 through 20. Now regarding the upset ruler here in verse 4, who is perhaps flying off the handle, it's important to maintain composure and, if in the ruler's service, not desert one's post, and to be careful in responding, recognizing that conciliation pacifies great offenses, it says.

I'd like you to go back over to Proverbs. Hold your place here and turn back over to Proverbs 16 and verse 14. Proverbs 16 and verse 14, it gives us a parallel.

Proverbs 16, 14 says, As messengers of death is the king's wrath, but a wise man will appease it. So, got to be cautious and careful how we do with that. And then look at 1 chapter 4, Proverbs 15, 1.

Just going into the end of that Proverbs 15, 1 tells us that a soft answer turns away wrath.

So I'd like you to come back here to Ecclesiastes, where we just were, and in fact, look back at Ecclesiastes chapter 8 verse 3 for a second. Ecclesiastes 8, 3, you might remember, said, do not be hasty. It's talking about the king's command in the previous verse, verse 2, 8, 2. 8, 3 says, Do not be hasty to go from his presence, not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever please him. But the key there is, don't just run from the king's presence. Those who are distraught are incensed that the way they're being treated should not just storm off. The book earlier warned against being quick to get angry as foolish. We saw that in 7.9. If you look back at 7.9, it said, do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Now, dear Kidner writes in his book, The Message of Ecclesiastes, about chapter 10, verse 4. This is what he says on 10.4. What we are invited to notice is that rather absurd human phenomenon, the huff. If one can recognize its symptoms, one will be saved some self-inflicted damage. For while it may feel magnificent to resign your post, ostensibly on principle but actually in a fit of pride, it is in fact less impressive, more immature than it feels. To be submissive to an autocratic master is not only the believer's duty, as the New Testament has taught us, 1 Peter 2.18 and following, but may also be his wisdom, since the anger that can be mollified by deference, as we see here, has itself the symptoms of a huff. And one person in that state is better than two.

So, hold your place here, William, and flip over to 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. And we'll look at verses 18 through 19.

1 Peter 2.

Verse 18 and 19 tells us, servants, and by the way, that doesn't, it's not only time of slaves, it's really any kind of a, in a serving position, be submissive to your masters with all fear. Not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.

And, you know, Christ sent an example in this, as we're told.

Of course, maybe the person, and you can flip back over to Ecclesiastes, maybe the person that the ruler comes down on is in the wrong to start with, at least in some way. Note again here that Ecclesiastes 10.4 mentions pacifying great offenses.

Though perhaps this means pacifying even great offenses, so that the council applies whether one is at fault or not. And I would say that's true. If you take a conciliatory tone, maybe you're not really at fault, but it's going to go easier. If you are at fault, it's going to go easier.

Expositor says, quote, we should rather take an objective look at ourselves, and maybe we will find that we should apologize. Unwise people, however, lose their temper and suffer accordingly, end quote. Even if we are in the right and suffering injustice, remember that Jesus said, blessed are the peacemakers. That's one of the beatitudes in Matthew 5.9. Blessed are the peacemakers. And he urged being compliant in cases of maltreatment by authorities.

To turn the other cheek. That was in Matthew 5.39. Paul said, and this is in Romans 12.18, if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. So whatever you can do for peace is what you need to do. This is not to say that there would not come a point to necessarily flee the situation. You know, it's just says, the fact that it's saying, well, don't leave means I can never leave. That's not the point. Ecclesiastes 8.3 said, not to be hasty to go. It did not say to never go. One must be prudent and cautious. Consider Solomon's father David with Saul.

David stayed until it was no longer safe. And then he got out of there.

The words of Ecclesiastes 10.4 are good counsel, not just for the courtiers of the king, but for all of us in dealing with various relationships with civil authority, with a boss at work, with parents, with one spouse. This does not mean that we should tolerate serious abuse.

But if someone gets angry with us, even unjustly, it's best not to cut loose. It's better to stay calm, remain committed to the relationship, unless it becomes an unbearable situation, though, of course, that could happen rather quickly, depending on the circumstances.

Again, wisdom is valuable in helping us to avoid some problems in this life and to keep from making some problems worse. And that's important. Solomon next interjects within his series of Proverbs a relevant observation about a failing that he's witnessed in human government. So let's look at it again here in chapter 10, verses 5 through 7. There is an evil I have seen under the sun. Now, so this is not a proverb he's saying here. This is an observation. As an error proceeding from the ruler, folly is set in great dignity, while the rich sit in a lowly place. I have seen servants on horses while princes walk on the ground like servants. Clearly, those at the top are not always right.

Because he's saying an evil I've seen, you know, proceeding from the ruler.

And people are often not where they should be in regard to their appropriate station, whether in government or life generally. We see here rulers exalting foolish people, while the nobles or the rich and princes, referring to those more suited by upbringing and training and experience for responsibility, are passed by. Only dignitaries rode on horses, and yet here we see servants or slaves in this role, with princes walking on the ground as menials.

This is a picture of society turned upside down, not in the sense of societal justice, with rulers and aristocrats getting just desserts for abuses of power, but in a bad way of unqualified people being promoted while qualified people are rejected or ignored.

Recognizing the propriety of princes serving in high positions is not an argument for nepotism. Well, it should be all the the king's brothers and sons and everybody, all those guys should be the ones in the positions. Exalting people mainly because their family or friends, as that can result in the very problem lamented of those in leadership positions being out of their depth, or even bad people. You know, you don't want to put people in positions just because of their station in that sense. Rather, as the New American commentary notes about verses 6-7, fools or slaves and rich or princes here describe not actual social status, but moral character. The fools and slaves are those unworthy of advancement, and the rich and princes are people of noble character, and who, we should add, are capable of what is required. Consider Luke 1221 about being rich toward God, and that the word noble can also mean virtuous character, or the virtuous woman in that sense. Solomon's father David was a great king, though he did not come from royalty. Yet he did end up with much military and court experience before assuming the throne, and he was a man who followed God. It's worth pointing out that certain Egyptian texts present the exaltation of unworthy characters as a sign that society is falling apart. The NIV cultural background study bible again relates, as Ecclesiastes complains of slaves on horseback, so the complaints of Kakkah Parisomba, I don't know exactly how to pronounce that word, but it's an Egyptian name, declares, he who used to give commands is now one to whom commands are given.

The admonitions of Ipewer similarly complains, indeed princes are hungry and parish, servants are served. These Egyptian texts are not in all respects the same as Ecclesiastes. They tend to focus on the general lawlessness in society during times of political instability in Egypt, whereas Ecclesiastes is concerned more universally with the absurdities of human life. Still, both reflect a common way of describing a world gone wrong, with the nobles at the bottom and the servants on top. Now, let's see where I'm here.

So I want to read now verses 8 through 15 of chapter 10.

It says, he who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. So, clearly back to Proverbs here, by the way. He who corrie stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits wood may be endangered by it. If the axe is dull and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength, but wisdom brings success. A serpent may bite when it's not charmed, the babbler is no different. The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool shall swallow him up. The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, and the end of his talk is raving madness. A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be. Who can tell him what will be after him? The labor of fools wearies them, for they do not even know how to go to the city. What in the world is all of this?

You know, how exactly the proverbs of verses 8 through 15 are meant to fit in context is not completely clear. We can see that verses 16 through 17, if I don't think we'll probably get to them, we might, but these verses 16 through 17 return to the folly of verses 5 through 7 of having the wrong people in positions of responsibility. So that's getting back to that theme. Obviously, this section is tied together. So verses 8 through 15 in between may have been placed here to further highlight why this inaptness is a problem. That wisdom with the strategies and cautions it provides is required in various endeavors leaders need to engage in, and thus having unwise people in managerial roles is dangerous and inefficient. Or perhaps these intervening verses concern how we as individuals react to the inequity of inappropriate leadership, pointing out that we ourselves need to be very careful, not doing things that would add to our difficulties or bring us harm, fitting with the inclusio theme beginning in verse 4, ending in verse 20 about dealing cautiously with rulers. Either way, there needs to be an awareness of risks, and beyond the enclosing verses about leadership problems, verses 8 through 15 here also appear to illustrate the main subject of the current subsection of the book, living boldly with wisdom and diligence. Even though life is risky, we shouldn't let that stop us from living, but we should be wary and take precautions. Now, some commentators take the digging of a pit here in verse 8, breaking through a wall as doing something against other people, laying a trap or breaking into a home or establishment, and having this backfire.

Say, you know, if you read it, you dig a pit, you fall into it, you break through the wall, and you get bit by a snake. That is the sense in what David wrote in Psalm 7.

Actually, why don't you hold your place here and look over at Psalm 7.

We're reading a lot in Psalms lately, and this, of course, is from Solomon's father, so he well knew this. Psalm 7, we're told in verses 14 through 16, 16, Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity. Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made.

His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down on his crown.

So, you know, there's other ones that show this. I'll just reference for you 9.15 shows the same thing. Psalm 9.15, Psalm 35.7 shows basically the same imagery. We see an even closer parallel to Ecclesiastes 10.8 in Proverbs 26. I'd like you to flip over to Proverbs 26.

Proverbs 26 and verse 27.

And remember that Ecclesiastes 10.8 is talking about this pit here, and it's also talking about something else. I want to remind you of what said in Ecclesiastes 10. Remember it said, you dig a pit, and it also mentions breaking through a wall and getting bit by a snake. But then it says, he who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits wood may be endangered by it. So that's another thing that was mentioned there. Now let's look at Proverbs 26.27. It says, whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him. This is likewise often taken refer to acting against others.

However, other commentators understand Ecclesiastes 10.8, and you can go back over there.

Others understand it in the context of verse 9, which points out the danger of different kinds of labor generally. You know, it's talking about again in verse 9, he who quarries stones may be hurt by them, he who splits wood may be endangered by it. You think, is that really something against somebody, or is that just general work? The word typically translated quarrying in verse 9 could indeed mean quarrying, although it might mean merely uprooting or removing as a farmer clearing stones from his field. And injuries could result from that as well as from quarrying work. So it's possible that just talks about a guy getting the stones out of his field, which would be just some individual. It's possible that the rolling of a stone that we saw over in Proverbs 26-27 and having it roll back on at you is also associated with quarrying or removing stones, though the reference there seems to be an act against others that you're trying to roll the stone onto somebody that comes back. Still, other commentators see both ideas in Ecclesiastes 10.8-9 that acts against others can backfire in verse 8, and regular work can be dangerous in verse 9.

The new American commentary says this, quote, verse 8 draws on the familiar axiom that those who plot evil against others often have their plans backfire on them. But verse 9 throws in a dash of hard realism. Even those who are engaged in legitimate activity, such as quarrying or wood cutting, can be hurt in the process. The significance is that those who try to serve fairly and justly may see their efforts blow up in their faces. This might seem a bit disjointed, but remember that the verses here are a series of poetic proverbs that could stand alone, and they're placed together here without any narrative explanation. So we just kind of have to get the gist of these and what's being trying to communicate it through them as we go along.

And we should also note, again, that verses 8 through 9 could apply to those in leadership positions, with verse 8 possibly pointing to warfare measures against enemies. So look at it again. Verse 8, he who digs a pit or breaking through a wall could have to do with fighting a war against enemies. And verse 9, in that sense, referring to major building projects that, you know, a king might order to be done, the quarrying and wood-splitting for big building projects. In that case, the idea would seem to be that prudent leaders are needed. And the fact that capable and careful people are not in places of leadership, as we saw in the preceding verses, will spell disaster, as described here. On the other hand, these verses we're now reading could apply to anyone trying to act against others, perhaps reacting to the problem of the leadership situation, or conducting normal, everyday labor. In which case, the point would be that whatever is done, whatever is done, involves risks. So we all have to use wisdom and be cautious, as is true in any case. In verse 10, we see the need for wisdom in working smarter, not just harder. Look at it again. Verse 10, if the axe is dull and one does not sharpen the edge, we must use more strength, but wisdom brings success. Working smarter, not harder, is necessary for leaders in directing the work of others, and for all of us individually in whatever it is we need to accomplish. Included in this is taking proper precautions against the dangers of the previous verses. If an iron implement is supposed to be sharp but is blunt, it's going to take a lot more work to use it.

The implement here is not necessarily an axe, as in the NKJV. It says axe here. The Hebrew word just means iron, as in the earlier King James version. It just says iron. It's often thought to refer to an axe because the previous verse mentions splitting wood, but as already pointed out, these are a series of possibly standalone proverbs that have been placed together. The iron implement in verse 10 may not involve chopping wood and could just as well be a sword, a chisel, a saw, a scythe, or something else. The easy-to-read version says the problem is trying to cut with a dull knife. The voice translation is less specific. If a tool is dull and no one sharpens its edge, the work will be harder. Failure to use wisdom here in using blunted tools results in wasted effort and exertion toward exhausting one's own strength. Part of the problem here is not realizing what is needed or valuable for the task at hand. In this case, a sharpened implement.

The problem also seems to involve failing to check to see if what is to be used is in the condition it needs to be in. Not enough due assessment of the situation and the means for tackling it. So again, we've got a problem with failing to see what is needed, failing to check on and assess what you have for doing the task. And yet another part of the problem seems to involve being too hasty in acting, failing to take the needed time to prepare for the task. In this case, sharpening the tool. You've got to sharpen the tool, but you didn't wait to do that.

To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail.

As the verse concludes, properly exercising wisdom is profitable for succeeding in an endeavor. And that includes helping to manage risks. Verse 11 is going to get a little complicated because of what it translated a few different ways. So since that will take a little bit more time to go through, I will pause where I am right now. I think we're close to the time.

By the way, I have finished basically with Ecclesiastes. I'm just right now reading back through all of it and making sure it's in good order. One thing I found, just as a fair warning to everyone, is that the latter part is way longer than the first part. It just required a lot more going through. Because as I mentioned to you, this is just this long series of Proverbs, and you don't have a straight narrative. You're having to examine why are these various verses being placed here where they are? What is the overall message in that context? And it becomes a little bit more difficult in reading it, but it is quite profound. And it's very important that we understand this book. I have gained a lot from studying this book, and I hope that you have as well. Next time. Well, next time will be Passover, but after that.