Ecclesiastes 10:1-4
The perfume was a mixture of spices; regardless of all the spices, a dead fly could spoil it's affect. The 'little folly' has the same affect in the abundance of wisdom and honor.
The heart of the wise is inclined to the 'right'. The 'right' looks to the right hand of power, authority and strength associated with good. As opposed to the left hand being bad, weak and powerless – this reflected the heart of the fool.
The fool will be evident. It will show in their life, even in their effort to defend their foolishness and call it wisdom. The fool says in his heart there is no God. This is the beginning of foolishness. The fool will fight and mock and despise all who say his left is not good, weak and powerless.
The fool leaves his post proving himself a fool. When the rulers anger rose, for whatever reason, there were two choices. First, remain at your post, doing as the ruler commanded. This may show him his error of judgment or make some atonement for the offense. The other choice is to respond as a fool, proving the ruler's anger to be correct. The fool runs away leaving his post in disobedience to the ruler.
Ecclesiastes 10:5-11
Solomon gives examples of apparent time & chance. We live life to the fullest, even then, sometimes bad things happen.
- (v. 6) Fools are elevated, rich are passed over. Slaves on horseback, while princes walk like slaves.
- (v. 8) Digging a hole, then forgetting and steeping in, or falling into it. Or even just tearing down a wall, a relatively meaningless thing until one is snake bit.
- (v. 9) Cutting stones that in turn hurt you seems so wrong. Splitting logs or chopping wood have their dangers also.
Using wisdom in this every day tasks can remove some of the risks, but not all it. Wisdom can help move us toward being successful, but it won't guarantee it.
Ecclesiastes 10:12-15
Having wisdom everyday in the words we use are favorable. This is contrasted to the fools words. They are pictured as being totally consumed by their own lips. Their words start with folly and move to 'wicked madness' (morally objectionable, rash and extreme). Not only is their speech contemptible in quality it is also abundant in quantity. In this abundant speech there is an apparent claim to 'knowing what is coming'. No one sees into the future, we only make wise choices to prepare for it. Common sense isn't all that common anymore.
As with the speech of the fool, the toil is of poor quality even if it is abundant in quantity. They are wearied in their work and it leads them nowhere.
Ecclesiastes 10:16-17
While the NIV uses the word 'servant' it means a young man. A young king is not matured and up to the task of king. The feasting of the princes in the morning portrays a party atmosphere of drunken revelry. The foolish young man is contrast to the king who came by the throne in time; who surrounded himself with princes who ate for strength, not in revelry.
Ecclesiastes 10:18-20
This proverb seems to be placed to characterize the city under the young man and his drunken princes. Their attitude toward ruling is eat, drink and be merry and money is the answer to all things.
The chapter ends with a reminder not to revile the king, regardless of your opinion of him. Equally, cursing the rich (and assumed powerful) can have the same affect. 'The walls have ears' is the warning. A little bird might give your opinion to the king.
©2018 Doug Ford
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