Day #24: A Little Foolishness/ A Little Wisdom

The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good. One dead fly makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench, so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom. (Ec 9:17-10:1)

Quiet wisdom is indeed better than the shouting of the fool, and wisdom is better than weapons of war.  Although wisdom is so superior, it is also very fragile.  In the story of the poor wise man, it was easily ignored (Ec 9:13-16).  And one dead fly in the ointment can ruin the fragrant aroma.  One small piece of folly can outweigh much wisdom.  That is an interesting observation.  You would think that if wisdom were better than mighty weapons of war, then it would not be so easily neutralized.  I wonder what he means by this.

It certainly is true that a good reputation can be easily tarnished.  Someone can be considered wise and one foolish word can ruin that reputation.  Also, wise opinions can be easily destroyed by a foolish comment. Sarcasm has this effect.  Sometimes people make light of something that should be considered profound.  It's very common to see people chuckle at the sarcasm and lose the value of what was said. Groups of people can easily be led astray.  Group thinking is often lacking wisdom. Consider when the spies were sent to the promised land (Num 13:26-14:10). The ones who gave the bad report were able to neutralize the faith-filled report of Joshua and Caleb.

Wisdom must be believed to have its beneficial effect. Jesus repeatedly said, "If anyone has ears to hear…"

If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen! ”And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Mk 4:23-24)

When we receive wisdom then we are given more.  If we ignore wisdom, we will lose even what we had.

Solomon continues to expound on wisdom and folly, much like he did in the book of Proverbs.  He wrote Ecclesiastes much later and had more to say on these important subjects.  By doing some simple cross-referencing we can see which topics he revisits. Let's compare Ecclesiastes and Proverbs:

 A wise person’s good sense protects him, but a fool’s lack of sense leaves him vulnerable. Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense, and shows everyone what a fool he is (compare Prov 13:16; 18:2). If the anger of the ruler flares up against you, do not resign from your position, for a calm response can undo great offenses (compare Prov 25:15). (Ec 10:2-4)

The words of a wise person win him favor, but the words of a fool are self-destructive (compare Prov 10:14; 10:32; 18:7). At the beginning his words are foolish and at the end his talk is wicked madness, yet a fool keeps on babbling (compare Prov 15:2). No one knows what will happen; who can tell him what will happen in the future? (Ec 10:12-14)

A Little Foolishness

 

  • A fool displays his folly for all to see.
    • Every shrewd person acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly. (Prov 13:16)
    • A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in disclosing what is on his mind. (Prov 18:2)
  • A calm response can do much to convince those in authority.
    • Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a soft tongue can break a bone. (Prov 25:15)
    • A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. (Prov 15:1) 
  • The words of the wise serve him well; the words of the fool destroy him.
    • The lips of the righteous know what is pleasing, but the speech of the wicked is perverse. (Prov 10:32)
    • Those who are wise store up knowledge, but foolish speech leads to imminent destruction. (Prov 10:14)
    • The mouth of a fool is his ruin, and his lips are a snare for his life. (Prov 18:7)
    • The tongue of the wise will handle knowledge correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly. (Prov 15:2) 

Solomon, a man full of God-given wisdom, was aware of the fools around him, and saw the damage they caused.  Damage to themselves and to others. He hopes the young men in his kingdom will not fall into these traps. He is warning them to avoid foolishness and pursue wisdom.  We should be asking ourselves the same thing, "Am I a fool, or wise?"  If we answer honestly, we might say, "A little of both- a little wisdom, a little foolishness." But watch out for that little bit of foolishness. It can do great harm. 

A Little Wisdom

One who digs a pit may fall into it, and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. One who quarries stones may be injured by them; one who splits logs may be endangered by them. If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success. If the snake should bite before it is charmed, the snake charmer is in trouble. (Ec 10:8-11)

When we think of wisdom, we often think of philosophical or moral wisdom.  Obviously, Solomon, in his day, had a much broader definition.  That might explain why 1 Kings 4:33-34 mentions he had wisdom about trees, animals, birds, insects, and fish.

He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing animals, birds, insects, and fish. People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.

If we include knowledge of the way things work in our concept of wisdom, then it explains a lot about Solomon.  When God gave him wisdom, he had with it an unusual ability to think things through.  He was able to learn about a wide variety of things.  In his view, the more we understand about the way things work, the greater the success, and the less danger.

There are many uncertainties in life- snakes, flying stones, and split logs.  But knowledge and good preparation (like sharpening the ax) can help get the work done.  Poor preparation and ignorance bring trouble, like the snake charmer in this passage.  The phrase, "You are so earthly minded, you are no earthly good" would make no sense to Solomon. In his estimation, the truly wise person applies that wisdom to a variety of everyday situations.  The dreamer, with his head in the clouds, is of little use. Practical wisdom has great value.  We sometimes call this "common sense".

Questions to consider:

1.       The tongue can do great harm.  Have you ever said something you wish you could take back?  What was it?

2.       Have you worked on projects that demand good preparation?  What were they?

3.       What happens when you are not prepared?


Read on to Day #25

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