Sep. 06, 2023

“LIFE ACCORDING TO THIS WORLD”

“A LITTLE FOLLY IS DANGEROUS”

ECCLESIASTES 10:1-20

How can wisdom prevent the effects of foolish mistakes and choices?

Solomon Warns Us About Foolishness In Four Different Areas:

1.   Little Things- Ecclesiastes 10:1-3

Ecclesiastes 10:1 “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.”

We don’t have to make a huge mistake to be brought down, it can be something small, but senseless and foolish.

The Bible is filled with suggestions that little things can ruin big things:

1 Corinthians 5:6 “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?”

Song of Solomon 2:15 “Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.”

James 3:5 “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!”

*Why is one person foolish and another wise?

Ecclesiastes 10:2 “A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, But a fool’s heart at his left.”

Solomon is referring to the center of one’s life, the “master control,” the issues of the heart.

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

Matthew 25:33 “And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.”

Ecclesiastes 10:3 “Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone that he is a fool.”

2.   Leadership- Ecclesiastes 10:4-7

When God asked Solomon what gift he wanted, the king asked for wisdom:

1 Kings 3:9-12

Ecclesiastes 10:4-5 “If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation pacifies great offenses.

5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler.”

If a leader cannot control himself, how can he control other people.

Proverbs 25:28 “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.”

Proverbs 16:14 “As messengers of death is the king’s wrath, But a wise man will appease it.”

Proverbs 25:15 “By long forbearance a ruler is persuaded, And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.”

Ecclesiastes 10:6-7 “Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place. 7I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants.”

The easy going leader doesn’t want to offend people so they put people in leadership that don’t need to be there.

Proverbs 19:10 “Luxury is not fitting for a fool, Much less for a servant to rule over princes.”

3.   Workers- Ecclesiastes 10:8-11

These are people who attempted to do their work and suffered because they were foolish:

*A man digging a pit-

Ecclesiastes 10:8 “He who digs a pit will fall into it…”

Psalm 57:6 “They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah”

Proverbs 28:10 “Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, He himself will fall into his own pit; But the blameless will inherit good.”

*A man tearing down a wall-

Ecclesiastes 10:8 “…And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.”

*A man in a stone quarry gets hurt by a large stone-

Ecclesiastes 10:9 “He who quarries stones may be hurt by them…”

*A man chopping wood-

Ecclesiastes 10:9 “…And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.”

*A man who cuts wood with a dull ax-

Ecclesiastes 10:10 “If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.”

We need to use wisdom in the workplace.

4.   Words- Ecclesiastes 10:11-20

*Destructive Words- 10:11-12

Ecclesiastes 10:11 “A serpent may bite when it is not charmed;
The babbler is no different.”

*The untamed tongue

Ecclesiastes 10:12 “The words of a wise man’s mouth are

gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up.”

*The unkind tongue, is there anything more destructive than the tongue? 

Proverbs 10:32 “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.”

Proverbs 13:3 “He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.”

James 3:5-6 

Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.”

*Unreasonable Words- Ecclesiastes 10:13

Ecclesiastes 10:13 “The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness.”

*An unwise tongue

 Paul calls these people unruly and vain talkers:

Titus 1:10 “For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision.”

*Uncontrolled Words- Ecclesiastes 10:14

Ecclesiastes 10:14 “A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him?”

*An undisciplined tongue

Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

James 3:1-2 “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”

*Boastful Words- Ecclesiastes 10:14-15

Ecclesiastes 10:14-15 “A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him?
15The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city!”

Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”

*Unfaithful Words- Ecclesiastes 10:16-20

Ecclesiastes 10:16-20 “Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning! 17Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time—For strength and not for drunkenness

18Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks. 19A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything. 20Do not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may tell the matter.”

The message here, never say anything, anything in private that you wouldn’t say in public.

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” 

How do we put this into practice?

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”