September 4, 2009
FUTURE: UNCERTAIN. Pursue the living god.
Ecclesiastes 10
Valerie Davis
Central Truth
Even if we pursue godly wisdom and live as wise people, our earthly future is uncertain. A truly wise man doesn't turn wisdom into an idol, but pursues a vibrant relationship with the living God above all else.
Key Verse | Ecclesiastes 10:14
No one knows what will happen;
who can tell him what will happen in the future?
(Ecclesiastes 10:14b)
Ecclesiastes 10
1
Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2
A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,
but a fool's heart to the left.
3
Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,
and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
4
If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place,
for calmness
1
10:4
Hebrew healing
will lay great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: 6 folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8
He who digs a pit will fall into it,
and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
9
He who quarries stones is hurt by them,
and he who splits logs is endangered by them.
10
If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.
2
10:10
Or wisdom is an advantage for success
11
If the serpent bites before it is charmed,
there is no advantage to the charmer.
12
The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor,
3
10:12
Or are gracious
but the lips of a fool consume him.
13
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
and the end of his talk is evil madness.
14
A fool multiplies words,
though no man knows what is to be,
and who can tell him what will be after him?
15
The toil of a fool wearies him,
for he does not know the way to the city.
16
Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
and your princes feast in the morning!
17
Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,
and your princes feast at the proper time,
for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18
Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through indolence the house leaks.
19
Bread is made for laughter,
and wine gladdens life,
and money answers everything.
20
Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king,
nor in your bedroom curse the rich,
for a bird of the air will carry your voice,
or some winged creature tell the matter.
Dive Deeper | Ecclesiastes 10
As I'm writing this in the fall of 2008, the Dow Jones has plunged below 10,000. The television is full of reports of fearful people and of financial instability around the globe.
Ecclesiastes 10:14 says, "No one knows what will happen; who can tell him what will happen in the future?" Our earthly future is indeed uncertain. I'm often tempted to be self-reliant and think the future would feel more certain, more secure, and less painful if there were just a formula that I could follow every day. In Ecclesiastes 10, though, we are reminded that there is no formula that produces earthly certainty or eliminates pain. Even when wisdom is pursued, ill timing (verse 11), or the tiniest bit of folly (verse 1) can ruin the outcome—evil still exists under the sun (verses 5-7).
James 4:14 says, "You do not know about tomorrow. . . . [Y]ou are a puff of smoke . . . ." Ecclesiastes says we need to face the reality of life and take it one day at a time, trusting our sovereign God. I can be certain that pursuing a relationship of trust and obedience to our loving and sovereign Lord is of supreme value. Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NASB) counsels, "A wise man's heart directs him toward the right . . . ." This means that the heart or good sense of a wise man is inclined toward the place of protection—the ways of the Lord.
In ancient days the warrior carried his shield on his right side to protect his right hand. Psalm 16:8 (NASB) says, "I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Psalm 16 is a favorite of mine, and I notice that verse 8 and the summation of Ecclesiastes (12:13) puts the LORD before anything—even the pursuit of wisdom. I am secure in the face of earthly uncertainty knowing that the One who loves me has promised never to leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). Join me in pursuing intimacy with God rather than any formula!
Discussion Questions
1. In what areas are you tempted to idolize something inappropriately that might otherwise be good (like wisdom)?
2. How is God challenging you to choose His way of wisdom rather than foolishness?
3. In what ways do you need to stop trusting in self-reliance or a formula and instead trust Jesus?