Ecclesiastes 10:0 - Homiletics

The dispraise of folly.

I. FOLLY MARS THE FINEST REPUTATION .

As one sinner destroyeth much good ( Ecclesiastes 9:18 ), and flies of death, or poisonous flies, cause the ointment of the perfumer to send forth a stinking savor, so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

1. It mars their beauty . As the poisonous flies so affect the perfumer's ointment that it begins to ferment and lose its fragrance, a little folly mixed up with a great deal of wisdom and honor impairs these in such a fashion and to such an extent, that they cease to attract the good opinion of beholders, and the person possessed of them is rather known as a fool than esteemed as a wise man.

2. It destroys their value . As the dealer in ointments cannot sell his corrupted pigment, so neither can the man whose wisdom and honor are tainted with folly any longer wield that power for good he might otherwise have done. The influence exerted by his wisdom and honor is directly counteracted and frequently overbalanced by the influence of his folly.

II. FOLLY CONSTITUTES AN UNSAFE GUIDE . "The wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left." This has been thought to mean:

1. The fool's heart is in the wrong place, in contrast to the wise man's, which is always in the right place (Hengstenberg). This sentiment is true. The fool's heart is not directed towards those objects upon which its affections ought to be set, while the wise man's is. This enough to make folly an unsafe conductor.

2. The fool's heart never acts at the right time, while the wise man's does (Ginsburg), because the wise man's heart is always at his right hand, his acting hand, his working hand; while the fool's is always at the left hand, the wrong hand, the hand with which a person usually finds it difficult to act. This a second reason why no man should accept folly as a leader. It can never seize the opportunity, never strike while the iron is hot, never do anything at the proper moment or in an efficient manner.

3. The fool's heart is always unlucky in its auguries, whereas the wise man's heart is always lucky (Plumptre). If this were the correct interpretation—which we think it is not—it would state what would not be surprising, were it true, that the fool's forecasts were usually falsified, and would present another argument for not committing one's self to the directorship of folly.

4. The fool's heart always leads in the wrong direction, as distinguished from the right direction in which the wise man's heart ever goes. This, undoubtedly, is true. The fool is a person wholly destitute of that wisdom which is profitable to direct (verse 10), and without which no man can walk safely ( Proverbs 3:23 ). A final consideration against enrolling beneath the banner of folly.

III. POLLY INVARIABLY BETRAYS ITS OWN STUPIDITY . "Yea also, when the fool walketh by the way, his understanding faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool." As it is certain that no man can conceal his true character for ever, or even for long, so likewise is it certain that a zany, a buffoon, a fool, will discover his sooner than most people. He will proclaim himself to be a fool:

1. By his irrational behavior . His understanding will fail him at critical times and on important subjects. He will reveal his ignorance, want of sense, lack of principle, emptiness of grace.

2. In the most public manner . As he walks by the way. As not being in the least degree ashamed of his folly, perhaps hardly conscious he is making such an exhibition of himself.

3. To the most unlimited extent . He will make himself known, not to his friends in private, but to his neighbors in the street, and not to one or two merely of these, but to every one he meets.

IV. FOLLY FREQUENTLY ASCRIBES ITS OWN CHARACTER TO OTHERS . The fool saith of every one he meets, "He is a fool," i.e. the individual whom he meets is (Vulgate, Luther, Plumptre). Though this translation is doubtful, it supplies a true thought; that as insane people often count all but themselves insane, so fools—intellectual, moral, and religious—not infrequently regard themselves as the only truly wise persons, and look upon the rest of mankind as fools.

V. FOLLY IS OFTEN GUILTY OF GREAT RASHNESS . "If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding allayeth great offences" (verse 4). The folly here alluded to consists in three things.

1. In flaming up into indignation at an unmerited accusation . Charges of such sort were to be expected by one who served an Oriental despot, and are not uncommon in ordinary life in the experience of subordinates who serve choleric masters. "The spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes" are no doubt hard to bear; but it is not a sign of wisdom to fume against them, and fret one's self into anger.

2. In hastily retiring from the post of duty . As a statesman might resign his seals of office on being reprimanded by his sovereign, or a workman lay down his tools on being challenged by his master, or a domestic servant throw up her situation on being found fault with by her mistress.

3. In failing to see the better way of meekness and submission . The advantages of gently and patiently bearing false accusations or unjust ebullitions of temper against one are obvious. Such yielding

VI. FOLLY SOMETIMES ATTAINS TO UNDESERVED HONOR . "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun … folly set in great dignity, and the rich in low place … servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth" (verses 5-7).

1. The commonness of this phenomenon . "The eunuch Bagoas long all-powerful at the Persian court" (Delitzsch), Louis XI . exalting the base-born to places of honor, and Edward II ; James I. of England or Henry III . of France, lavishing dignities on their minions, may be cited as examples. Nothing more frequent in everyday life than to see persons of small capacity and little worth promoted over the heads of their superiors in talent and goodness.

2. The cause of this phenomenon . In one sense the wisdom of God, the chief Ruler of men and things (Hengstenberg), but in another sense, and that the one here intended, the arbitrary power of men "dressed in a little brief authority."

3. The evil of this phenomenon . It discourages merit, and inflates folly with pride; rewards incapacity, and despises real ability; places influence in wrong hands, and weakens the power of good men to benefit their age.

VII. FOLLY SELDOM KNOWS WHEN TO HOLD ITS TONGUE . "The lips of a fool will swallow up himself," etc. (verses 12-14).

1. The wise man's words are few, the fool's endless . The former is "swift to hear, but slow to speak" ( James 1:19 ); the latter hears nothing, learns less, and chatters incessantly. The former is known by his silence ( Proverbs 17:28 ; Proverbs 29:11 ); the latter, by the multitude of his words (verse 3).

2. The wise man's words are gracious, the fool's ruinous . The lips of the wise are a tree of life ( Proverbs 11:30 ; Proverbs 15:4 ), and disperse knowledge amongst their fellows ( Proverbs 15:7 ), whilst they preserve themselves ( Proverbs 14:3 ); but a fool's mouth is his own destruction ( Proverbs 17:7 ), and the complete beggarment of all that listen to him ( Proverbs 14:23 ; Proverbs 17:7 ).

3. The wise man's words improve as they proceed, the fool's deteriorate as they flow . The former carry with them the ripe fruits of thought and experience, growing richer and weightier as they move slowly on; the latter progress from bad to worse, beginning with foolishness and ending with mischievous madness.

VIII. FOLLY IS FREQUENTLY UNABLE TO DO THE SIMPLEST THINGS . "The labor of fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city" (verse 15).

1. The fool's ignorance is dense . So simple a matter as finding his way along a country road to the city is beyond his comprehension. Plumptre cites in illustration the proverbs, "None but a fool is lost on a straight road," and "The 'why' is plain as way to parish church."

2. The fool's presumption is immense . He who cannot do so small a matter as find his way to the city proposes to "enlighten the world and make it happy" through his words or his works. So people who know nothing about a subject often imagine themselves qualified to teach it to others, and persons of no capacity put themselves forward to attempt undertakings of greatest difficulty.

3. The fool's labor is vast . Having neither knowledge nor ability, he labors with "great travail" to expound what he does not understand, and perform what he has neither brains nor hands to execute.

LESSONS .

1. Forsake the foolish and live ( Proverbs 9:6 ).

2. Get wisdom; get understanding ( Proverbs 4:5 ).

Verses 8-11

Gnomic wisdom; or, a string of double-edged proverbs.

I. DIGGING PITS AND FALLING INTO THEM . "He that diggeth a pit shall [or, 'may'] fall into it" (verse 8). An old proverb, borrowed from Solomon ( Proverbs 26:27 ), who in turn may have learnt it from David ( Psalms 7:15 ; Psalms 9:15 ; Psalms 57:6 ), it may point to one or other of two thoughts.

1. The necessity of exercising caution in all works of danger . One who hollows out a trench or pit for the purpose of snaring wild animals—a perfectly legitimate design—may, either by standing too near the edge and causing the treacherous earth to give way, or by stumbling on it in the dark at an unexpected moment, fall in, in which case he will suffer not for having done wrong, but merely for having failed to act with circumspection and prudence ( Proverbs 14:15 ; Proverbs 22:3 ; Proverbs 27:12 ).

2. The possibility of evildoers overreaching themselves . In this case the pit is supposed to be dug for a wicked purpose, as e . g . to ensnare another to his ruin. In this sense the proverb has found expression in almost all literatures. Shakespeare speaks of the engineer being "hoist with his own petard." Haman was hanged upon the gallows he had built for Mordecai ( Esther 7:10 ). "Plots and conspiracies are often as fatal to the conspirators as to the intended victims' (Plumptre).

II. BROKEN HEDGES AND BITING SERPENTS . "Whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him" (verse 8). The hedge, or rather fence, or stone wall, was a customary haunt of serpents; so that one engaged in breaking down such a structure had need to beware of being bitten by the reptiles infesting it. Hence a variety of lessons according as the words are viewed.

1. An admonition to workers . To go cautiously about their employments, if these are dangerous, as a person would who had to pull down or break through an old wall in which serpents were lodged. Many accidents occur, inflicting damage on the workers, for want of a little foresight.

2. A warning to transgressors . That Nemesis may overtake them in the very act of their evil doing. If they break through a neighbor's fence to steal his fruit, or pull down his wall so as to injure his property, they need not be surprised if they are caught in the act. Wickedness has a habit of avenging itself, sometimes with great rapidity and with terrible severity, on those who perpetrate it. This is true of all breaking down of those fences or laws with which God has girt man. Every violation of law—physical, intellectual, moral, social, religious—is visited with its own particular biting serpent of penalty.

3. A caution to reformers . If they will set themselves to pull down the old walls of decayed and worthless institutions, or to break through the fences of time-honored customs, they must prepare themselves for being bitten by the serpents in the crannies—for encountering the opposition, criticism, hate, and often persecution of those who have vested interests in the abuses proposed to be rectified or swept away. Reformers should count the cost before beginning their work of reformation.

III. HEWING OR REMOVING STONES AND HURTING ONE '8 SELF . "Whoso heweth out [or, 'moveth'] stones shall he hurt therewith" (verse 9). Again of double import, teaching:

1. The duty of guarding one's self against the perils that may attend a perfectly legitimate occupation . Viewed in this light, the stone-moving may simply mean the pulling down of a wall, which, if it be carelessly performed, may fall and inflict a hurt upon the worker; and the stone-hewing may refer to the work of quarrying, which may be attended with great risk from the flying about of chips.

2. The inevitable recompense of all wrongdoing . If the stone-moving alludes to the removing of a neighbor's landmark, then the proverb stands as a reminder of the curse pronounced against that ancient sin ( Deuteronomy 19:14 ; Deuteronomy 27:17 ). The use of landmarks, at least as then employed, has ceased; but the distinction between "mine" and "thine "remains; and every invasion of another's rights is a wickedness which in course of providence will receive its just recompense of reward ( Exodus 20:15 ).

IV. CLEAVING LOGS AND CUTTING FINGERS . "He that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby" (verse 9). The three thoughts already mentioned are again repeated.

1. The need of caution . Wood-splitting being a dangerous occupation.

2. The certainty of retribution . The cutting down of trees, especially fruit trees, being regarded as an act of wrongful oppression, and as such forbidden by the Law, even m a siege ( Deuteronomy 20:19 , Deuteronomy 20:20 ), the hurt that might come to one in wood-cutting ( Deuteronomy 19:5 ) may be viewed as suggestive of the penalty of disobedience.

3. The peril of reform . The cutting down of trees is, in this instance, taken as symbolic of the hewing down of decayed institutions.

V. BLUNT TOOLS AND HEAVY BLOWS . "If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct" (verse 10). The lessons are two.

1. Every work has its own appropriate tools . Wood-cutting requires axes, and not merely blunt pieces of iron; pit-digging demands spades; stone-hewing chisels. Each occupation has its own implement. This the dictate of common sense.

2. Every tool should be kept in a fit condition for its work . This the teaching of wisdom. A woodman with a blunt axe must strike oftener and heavier than he would need to do were his axe sharp. So the man who enters on any task without the requisite sharpness of intelligence and sagacity will find his work proportionately hindered.

VI. BITING SERPENTS AND TARDY CHARMERS . "If the serpent bite before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer;" or, "Surely the serpent will bite without, or where there is no, enchantment" (verse 11); which again offers two thoughts.

1. That the serpent of temptation will do its deadly work unless timorously repressed . This may be done by resisting its first approaches, if they cannot be eluded altogether ( James 4:7 ), by crushing down the rising inclination within one to yield, by diligently considering the sinfulness of that to which one is solicited ( Genesis 39:9 ), by calling in the help of God against the adversary ( Ephesians 6:10-18 ).

2. That if once the serpent of temptation has done its deadly work there is no use whatever of resorting to such means of repression . Such means are then too late. To employ them then is much the same thing as to shut the stable door when the steed has been stolen.

Verses 8-11

Good thoughts for bad times; or, words from the wise.

I. THE NECESSITY OF CAUTION . Especially in difficult and dangerous works. He who digs a pit must be on his guard against falling into it; he who pulls down a stone wall must look out for serpents; he who hews stones or removes them must be careful not to hurt himself in the process; he who cleaves or splits timber must see that he is not endangered thereby. "The prudent man looketh well to his going."

II. THE RECOMPENSE OF WRONGDOING .

1. Springing out of the wrong act . As when one, having dug a pit to ensnare another, falls into it himself.

2. Suddenly smiting the transgressor . As when a serpent bites him who pulls down a wall.

3. Swiftly following on the heels of crime . As when one who, hewing stones, injures-himself with the chips, or, removing a neighbor's landmark, is punished for his offence.

4. Certainly overtaking the evildoer, As when one cutting wood strikes himself with the axe.

III. THE PERIL OF REFORM . The propriety of counting the cost before entering on the arduous career of a reformer. Illustrated by the two proverbs about breaking through fences and cutting down trees. Men are not to be deterred from attempting reforms because of difficulties and dangers; only they should not be surprised when these are experienced.

IV. THE SELECTION OF INSTRUMENTS . Many enterprises fail because the proper instruments have not been selected; or, if selected, have not been managed with wisdom. The man who intends to cut down a tree must first have an axe and then keep it sharp.

V. THE CHOICE OF TIMES . Many good undertakings fail because not begun at the right time. Many dangers might be avoided were precautions against them not adopted too late. To every work there is a time. Strike while the iron is hot. Beware of being too late.

Verses 16-20

The picture of a happy land.

I. A NOBLE KING .

1. Of royal blood . "Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles"—like Horace's "Macenas atavis edite regibus," descended from a long line of crowned heads. If countries are to have kings, then decidedly the scion of kingly (more especially if also honorable and good) ancestors is better than the upstart who was yesterday a gentleman of the pavement, but is to-day the occupant of a throne ( Ecclesiastes 4:14 ).

2. Of mature manhood, "Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child." The experiment of boy-kings has seldom proved successful. Witness the case of Joash ( 2 Chronicles 24:1 ), who made a tolerable sovereign only so long as Jehoiada lived. When the king is a minor there is too much scope for ambition on the part of the regent and of the nobles, who would like to be regents or even kings.

3. Of princely intellect . The man who is to rule others should be every inch a king, not in bodily appearance only, but in mental capacity as well. No greater calamity can befall a country than to have its throne filled by a fool or an intellectual baby. In this sense, to be ruled by a "child" is surely the last indignity that can be offered to reasoning and reasonable men.

4. Of large experience . Unlike a child, or a boy, or a youth, whose knowledge of men and things must at the best be limited, the ideal sovereign should be one whose accumulated stores of wisdom, gathered in many ways and from many lands, may be used for promoting the welfare of his people.

II. A TEMPERATE ARISTOCRACY .

1. Dissipation, shameful in all, is specially so in princes . Noblesse oblige . The higher one's rank, the more incumbent on one is virtue. Hence for princes to eat in the morning, or to be addicted to gluttony and other bodily gratifications, to be so intent upon them as not merely to sit up late indulging them, but to rise up early for the purpose of renewing them, is to degrade their dignity, and trail their honor in the mire, besides shaming virtue and outraging decency.

2. Moderation, dutiful in all, is specially promotive of health . Those who live to eat and drink seldom live so long as they might, but by indulgence, setting up disease in their bodies, often shorten their days and die before their time. Those who eat and drink to live, and therefore eat in due season and in due measure, which is what is meant by temperance, take the best means of maintaining themselves in health and strength.

III. A VIRTUOUS PEOPLE .

1. Industrious . "By slothfulness the roof sinketh in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh" (verse 18). What is true of a material edifice is also true of the body politic. As the timbers or rafters of a private dwelling will decay unless watched over and from time to time repaired by its inmate, so the fabric of the state will go to ruin unless it be surveyed by vigilant eyes and upheld by untiring hands.

2. Joyous . Not only is there nothing sinful in feasting and wine-drinking when these are kept in virtuous moderation, but the absence of gladness from the face of any people is a bad omen. Gloom on the countenance and wretchedness in the heart mean that social disorder and perhaps revolution are at hand. Everything that contributes to the happiness and contentment of a people is a distinct contribution to the stability of a state.

3. Moneyed . A people without money or money's worth is a people on the verge of starvation; and no state can stand long whose population consists of paupers. Money there must be, or its equivalent in material goods, and this not concentrated in a few hands, but distributed as widely as possible. The main problem of statesmen should be to secure a population, not only industrious and happy, but well paid, and therefore well fed, well clothed, and well housed.

4. Loyal . A people given to treasonable practices cannot be either prosperous or happy. Hence the Preacher dissuades all good subjects from cursing the king even in their thoughts. The impossibility of escaping detection under the all-pervading espionage of an Oriental despotism rendered it unsafe in the times of the Preacher; but, even in times when the liberty of the subject is respected, it is not always prudent to be hatching conspiracies against the crown, however secret these may be; and certainly it is not conducive to the welfare of a people that such should be common in the land.

5. Law-abiding . As little given to curse the rich as to plot against the king. Not communistic, socialistic, or revolutionary in the bad sense of these expressions; since a people may be all of these in a good sense without losing its character for virtue.