"Go with your strengths." That's good advice on many occasions. Solomon had once been offered by God anything his heart desired, and so Solomon had asked for wisdom. This he received, but as we know (if we will actually stop and think about it for a second) God gives us many blessings and gifts, but it is up to us to use them the right way. Solomon did not use his gift for God, and it got him into some serious trouble; serious enough, in fact, that he declares in Ecclesiastes that life itself is little more than an exercise in vanity. But for all his failings, he is still wise. As if getting his head on straight he begins to go back to his strengths, giving us an entire chapter of proverbs (or proverb-like sayings) to convey his message to the reader. Up to this point Solomon has written a few proverb-esque passages, but now we see a whole chapter dedicated to this effective form of communication.
Since each of the sayings require discussion (at least in my opinion they do, and since Soulscape is my blog . . . well, let's just say we're doing it) I will break the chapter in half, looking at the first ten verses this week, and the next ten verses next week. So grab your Bible and dive in to Ecclesiastes 10, and we'll discuss each verse, verse-by-verse. Versy verse verse. Ahem. Now that's out of the way. We can continue.
VERSE 1 – No matter how sweet the perfume or beautiful the fruit, it can be easily spoiled. You might call this verse an early version of the old "one bad apple" saying. But this particular verse of wisdom goes much deeper. As has been said before (probably by lots of people, but definitely by me), it takes a lifetime to build a life of trust and respect, or to build a testimony, and only one second or one mistake to tear it down forever, irreparably damaging it. Solomon was known for the greatest wisdom in history, yet because he chose to use it for purposes other than God's uses, he knew firsthand that he was tarnished.
VERSE 2 – The left hand in the ancient world stood for evil things, while the right hand stood for righteous things. Solomon was saying that a wise man will realize his great need for a righteous life and attitude, but by the simple lack of concern the fool's life would be filled with evil things. Neglect is a sin, just as much as murder, and therefore this is a warning to all those who simply neglect God and His will, as well as an encouragement to those who wish to live a righteous life.
VERSE 3 – People will scorn the righteous, even calling them fools for their belief. But Solomon here is saying something that was stated centuries later by Abraham Lincoln: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." A fool is apparent, because their daily life shows it; you just can't hide it. How do you want to be known: as a fool, or as one who understands the wisdom of righteousness? How does God consider you?
VERSE 4 – Eventually someone will get angry at you. It comes down to how you handle it. You can get angry in return, but that just stirs more hard feelings. If you stand your ground while being respectful, you not only show wisdom but also earn the respect of the other party. You may even be able to diffuse a difficult situation just by showing humility. Being humble doesn't always mean you roll over and take a beating, but that you refuse to engage the argument while maintaining your own position and dignity. This truly shows great wisdom. Remember, there's a right way and a wrong way to handle every situation, so we need to make sure we always handle the situations of life with wisdom, because each is an opportunity to witness for our great God and Savior.
VERSES 5-7 – These verses need to be taken as a single thought. Solomon acknowledges that life isn't always fair, and that human fairness is in no way what God would want. He says he has seen this error as coming from the ruler, perhaps an acknowledgement of his own arrogance and folly. He was in the highest position in the land, perhaps even the world, and sat upon a throne, but those with true wisdom (the wisdom that respects the Lord and His path) may struggle even to have their daily bread. As a king (and a type of the Messiah to come) Solomon should have been a servant to his people, yet he almost lorded his position, wealth and power over his people. The people, on the other hand, were exhibiting more of God's will than he himself was. You see, Solomon realized what we must realize: true greatness is found in the eyes of God and the hearts of His people. Solomon forgot this, and it was a grievous error which would have consequences long after Solomon died.
VERSE 8 – Again, a modern example of this verse might be, "You made your bed, now sleep in it." Perhaps another more modern saying would be, "Give a person enough rope and they'll hang themselves." So many people dig holes for other people, or they simply live a life digging a hole and they don't even realize it. Pretty soon, though, they find themselves at the bottom of a pit and, just like a grave, they have no way to get out. We need to be cautious as we live our life, making sure we are living in Godly wisdom will ensure that we don't get bitten by surprise due to the consequences of our own actions.
VERSE 9 – There are high-risk and hazardous careers out there: policemen, firemen, anything on the Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs." Going back to a theme which seems to have emerged throughout this entry (which wasn't my original intent), we might say, "If you play with fire, don't be surprised if you get burned." Solomon is saying that if you lack wisdom (or worse, you have wisdom but refuse to exercise it properly) you're going to get hurt. That is the end result of the fool. In their arrogance the fool moves one rock too many, and the whole mountain crumbles down upon them. They take one too many swings, and the splinters fly, hurting them and all those around them. This shouldn't be surprising, and so Solomon warns us.
VERSE 10 – Put yourself in this place. We all have an ax, and we're all working. But the ax is our responsibility; we are the ones who are required to keep the ax sharp. Yet the fool continues to swing the dull ax and expends ten times the energy in chopping than he would by sharpening (i.e. using wisdom) first. I've noticed (and commented to my church before) that when it comes to church projects or supplies, people tend to buy or give the cheapest things they can, or use the cheapest building supplies or shortcuts when construction comes around. Inevitably you wind up spending twice as much getting it fixed than you would paying a bit more to get it right the first time. Even in Solomon's day this was the case. The wise person realizes what wisdom can accomplish, which is success. Whatever a person might be engaged in, it will be much easier and much more effective if it is approached with wisdom first. But just keep in mind that success in God's eyes might be different than the world's interpretation of success. Which is more important?
Next time we will look at the last ten verses of this chapter, but I hope that you have a little better insight into what Solomon (and what God) is trying to tell us. Wisdom is important, and acquiring and living it should be a goal within itself. God wants wisdom, the right wisdom, and people to exercise it. So look at your life and be honest with yourself, then make the necessary adjustments to make your life better and live that life in which the Lord will be well-pleased.
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