Ecclesiastes 10:1-11
"Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves. He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. He who quarries stones is hurt by them, and he who splits logs is endangered by them. If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer" (Ecclesiastes 10:1-11).
There are times when the words of Scripture are like a handful of mixed nuts consumed individually or as a whole.
Like the book of Proverbs, Solomon wrote a myriad of sayings and nuggets of truth we can consume at our leisure regardless of the slight variation of taste each verse may have.
Overall, Solomon conveys the same central theme of distinguishing wisdom from foolishness by not only exploiting their differences but identifying the detrimental influence folly has upon wisdom.
Verse 1 sets the tone providing an easy example anyone can relate to, as anything dead will begin to rot and decompose if not disposed of properly. The metaphor of perfume (wisdom) and dead flies (folly) allows us to experience through our senses that folly and wisdom do not mix.
Foolishness exudes an unpleasant stench that cannot be ignored, and thus we are wise to ensure our foolish thinking and behavior do not spoil the sweet aroma and taste of wisdom we long to possess.
"My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off" (Proverbs 24:13-14).
Wisdom and folly impact the direction our hearts gravitate toward as well. Because wisdom and foolishness are polar opposites, they force us to make decisions each day which guide and direct our path.
We are always presented with forks in the road regardless of our spiritual maturity or length of time as followers of Christ, but we have the choice to determine our final destination (right or left).
Yet it is undeniably true as Solomon conveys that those who practice foolishness typically are unashamed in declaring to those around them (whether directly or indirectly) that they are proud of their actions. That is why Scripture reminds us, "Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding" (Proverbs 10:23).
There is also wisdom is remaining calm under pressure and not panicking. Unbridled emotion can be an incredible example of foolishness because it demonstrates lack of self-control in the face of adversity.
Rather than taking a mature approach, the fool reacts rather than responds to the situation he/she is in. Therefore, it is far better to remain calm as Solomon encourages, for great offenses are resolved when emotions are kept in check.
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20).
Sadly, it appears Solomon's vision of folly being exalted is increasingly becoming the norm in our culture today. The evil he refers to reflects a state of chaos and anarchy where wise living is cast aside and foolish behavior is both encouraged and applauded.
It is sobering to acknowledge how quickly the United States has turned away from the Biblical principles our nation was founded upon. For any semblance of Christianity is increasingly being squeezed out of government, schools, businesses, etc., and branded as irrelevant and outdated, or simply accused as being judgmental, intolerant and hate-speech by those who passionately oppose the Bible.
Yet as Christians we are called to abide by a different set of rules.
"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).
Therefore, we cannot react but only respond in love just as our Lord and Savior demonstrated for us when He was persecuted for standing unashamed on Scriptural truth and exalting wisdom over foolish and debased thinking.
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).
We cannot ignore the basic cause and effect principles of foolishness either. Solomon conveys various examples where a fool digs a pit and falls in, breaks through a wall and is bitten by a snake, labors in a stone quarry or with timber and suffers injury as a result.
In each example, the potential for accidents is exponentially increased because wisdom is not being used. For why would a man dig a pit and then immediately fall in it?
Scripture reminds us, "The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense" (Proverbs 10:21), which should remind us that "good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly" (Proverbs 16:22).
Solomon continues to press the issue though, commenting that a dull blade adds insult to injury and forces more effort than is needed to the one who foolishly continues to use it. The parallel to our spiritual lives in this example simply cannot be missed as the act of sharpening a blade is an accurate metaphor for true accountability in the life of a Christ-follower.
The popular verse, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17), teaches there is infinite wisdom in sharpening our character and countenance upon the grindstone of God's Word in community with fellow Christians. For we are fools if we believe our behavior will reflect wisdom, blessing and righteousness if left dull by laziness, indifference, and a lack of common sense.
We need truth and Biblical accountability with our brethren if we're to avoid foolish thinking and behavior.
The advantage we seek by bathing our minds in the water of God's Word is recognition of who we are as Christ-followers. For if we're spiritually blind to our blindness, we will continue to foolishly walk with no direction in mind, oblivious to the dangers along our path.
We simply cannot live without recognizing our weaknesses, fleshly propensities, and even areas of strength that our enemy seeks to exploit at all cost. The risk of losing our spiritual compass is too great a burden to bear.
Therefore, we must turn the tables as Christians; not merely keeping in mind the immense differences between wisdom and folly and understanding that folly can easily spoil wisdom, but using wisdom God has graciously given us to influence foolishness for righteousness.
Scripture teaches, "Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools" (Proverbs 14:33). This truth magnifies the power and impact wisdom has even in the midst of folly. It exposes folly as insignificant and elevates wisdom as a priceless commodity reserved for those who trust in God's sovereignty rather than man's severely limited, fleshly capacities.
More importantly, it provides an opportunity for influencing others to turn from their foolish ways and embrace the truth of the Gospel that frees man from his fleshly thinking and behavior. For in the end, our goal is sanctification and the belief that God will reward us when we cast off foolishness from our hearts and embrace the truth of Scripture as our fountain of wisdom and understanding.
Therefore, let us rest in the security of God's Word which declares, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7).
