Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Ec 9:1 and following. Indeed, “Everything happens equally to all…” declares v. 2. In everyone’s life, God allows a succession of events – which we call, as the case may be, happy or unhappy – in order to see if one of them will make the heart of his creature turn to Him. Moreover, the Lord never promised that trials would be spared to the believer after his conversion. But the various circumstances of life, whether they affect our health, our work or our family, are an opportunity to show how the Christian faith changes the way we go through them. After failing an exam, for example, where the young unconverted will speak of bad luck or injustice, the child of God will recognize the sure and wise hand of his Heavenly Father. “The race is not to the agile, nor the battle to the strong” (v. 11; Rom 9:14-16). It is the man of God who wins them. 2 Tim. 4:7 2tm 4:5-8 presents us with a poor old prisoner who had finished the race and fought the good fight. The parable of the poor and wise man (vs. 13-15) looks at Jesus. He delivered us from our mighty Enemy (Heb 2:14-18). Let’s not now be ungrateful or forgetful like the inhabitants of the small town, and listen to His words (vs. 15:16; 1 Cor 11:23-29).
So far, Qoheleth has been busy tracing the arguments in the first section of the book. Now he returns to the second and third sections: he deals with the man who immerses himself in public affairs, who puts his wisdom into practice and seeks to achieve a skill, if not a fortune. He dwells on this stage of his argument, probably because the Jews, then as always, even in exile and under the most cruel oppression, were a remarkably energetic, practical, money-generating race, with a singular ability to deal with political problems or manage the market; and, as he slowly pursues it, he drops many allusions to the social and political conditions of the time. He takes two traits to heart: first, this wisdom, even the most practical and sagacious, has not earned its just recognition and reward, a very natural complaint in such a wise man; and, secondly, that his people were under tyrants as rude, indulgent towards themselves, indolent and unpolitical as the Persians of his time, also a natural complaint in a man of such a wise and patriotic spirit.
It begins with an anecdote that proves the low esteem in which the most precious and remunerative sagacity was held. He tells us about a poor man – and it has sometimes been thought that this poor man was perhaps the author himself; for the military leaders of the Jews, although among the most expert strategists of that time, were often very learned and studious men, who lived in a small town, with only a few inhabitants. A great king advanced against the city, besieged it, erected the high military causeway, at the height of the walls, from where it was fashionable at the time to deliver the assault. Therefore, the preacher concludes, wisdom, although it is a great gift, and better, as in this case, than “an army for a besieged city” (Ec 7:19) is not in itself sufficient to ensure success.
The wisdom of a poor man, as many inventors have found, is despised even by those who profit from it. Although his counsel, on the day of the extremity, is infinitely more valuable than the great agitation of the fools, or of a leader among them, nevertheless the ruler, because he is mad, may be offended to find one of the poorest men in the place, wiser than him; he can easily cast his “merit in the eye of contempt”,” and thus rob him of both the honor and the reward of his accomplishment (Ec 9:16) – an ancient view not without modern examples. For the fool is a great power in the world, especially the fool who is wise in his own vanity. Insignificant in itself, it can nevertheless do a lot of harm and “destroy a lot of good”.
He paints us a picture of himself painted with acute graphic contempt which, if the eyes of the fool were in his head, (Ec 2:14) and “what he likes to call his mind” could for a moment move away from his left hand to his right (Ec 10:2), could make him almost as despicable to himself as to others. As we read Ec 10:3, the unfortunate stands before us. We see him leaving his house; he goes to stroll down the street, always wandering out of the way, attracted by the slightest trifle, staring at familiar objects with eyes that have no recognition in them, knowing neither himself nor others; and, with a pointed finger, he laughs at every sober citizen he meets: “Here is an idiot!” Yet a fool just as foolish and wicked as this one, just as indecent even in his outward behavior, can be elevated to a high place and has already sat on an imperial throne. The Preacher had seen many of them suddenly brought to power, while the nobles were degraded and the high officials of the state reduced to abject servitude. Now, if the poor sage is to attend the durbar, or sit on the couch, of a foolish capricious despot, how should he put up with himself? The preacher advises gentleness and submission.
He must sit imperturbably even though the ruler should judge him, lest out of resentment provoke a more serious indignation (Ec 10:4: compare Ec 8:3). To strengthen his submission, the Preacher alludes to warnings and consolations that, because free and open speech was very dangerous under Persian despotism, he wraps in obscure maxims capable of a double meaning – no, as commentators have shown, capable of much more meaning than two – the true meaning of which “a foolish sovereign” was in no way likely to penetrate, even if they fell into his hands. If he only wanted to hold his tongue, he could pass the gathering; seduced by his gravity and silence, men could give him credit for his sagacity and match his foolish deeds with profound motives; but he will speak, and his words betray him and “swallow him up.” Of course, we do not have such fools, “full of words”, to stand up in their place and stir the tongue to their own evil – they are peculiar to antiquity or the East.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
The same fate awaits all men:
- Wise men, general references
Gen 41:8 In the morning Pharaoh had a restless mind, and he called all the magicians and sages of Egypt. He told them of his dreams. But no one could explain them to Pharaoh. Esth 1:13 Then the king turned to the sages who had the knowledge of the times. For this was how the king’s affairs were handled, before all those who knew the laws and the law. Dn 2:13 The sentence was published, the sages were put to death, and Daniel and his companions were sought to make them perish. Mt 2:1 Jesus being born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, here are the Magi of the East who arrived in Jerusalem,
- Wicked heart, evil characteristic of the heart of man
-Stubbornness Ec 8:11 Because a sentence against evil deeds is not carried out promptly, the hearts of the sons of man are filled in them with the desire to do evil.
-Foolishness Ec 9:3 This is an evil among all that is done under the sun, it is that there is for all the same fate; so, the hearts of the sons of man are full of wickedness, and madness is in their hearts during their lives; after which, they go to the dead. For who is excepted?
-Depravity Jr 17:9 The heart is tortuous above all else, and it is wicked: Who can know it?
-Extortion and excess Mt 23:25 Woe to you, hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! because you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, and inside they are full of rapine and intemperance.
-Source of all evil Mk 7:21 For it is from within, it is from the hearts of men, that evil thoughts, adultery, immodesty, murder come out,
-Source of unbelief and lust Hb 3:12 Beware, brother, that someone of you has an evil and unbelieving heart, to the point of turning away from the living God. 2 Pet 2:14 Their eyes are full of adultery and insatiable with sin; they initiate souls badly strengthened; they have hearts exercised in greed; they are children of curse.
- Memories of the faithful
Ps 112:6 For he never falters; The memory of the righteous always lasts. Pr 10:7 The memory of the righteous is in blessing, but the names of the wicked fall into decay. Mt 26:13 I tell you in truth, wherever this good news is preached, throughout the world, this woman will also be remembered for what she did. 2 Tim 1:5 keeping the memory of the sincere faith that is in you, that first dwelt in your ancestor Loïs and in your mother Eunice, and which, I am convinced, also dwells in you.
- The Great Value of Wisdom
Pr 3:13-14 Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, And the man who possesses intelligence! 14 For the gain it provides is preferable to that of money, and the profit that one derives from it is better than gold; Pr 8:11 For wisdom is better than pearls, It is more valuable than all priced objects. Ec 2:13 And I have seen that wisdom has an advantage over foolishness, just as light has an advantage over darkness; Ec 7:19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten leaders who are in a city.
From all the above, we note thatin order to support their untimely and prodigious rejoicing, men imposed crushing taxes on the people, which inspired revolutionary discontent on some and the apathy of despair on others. The exiled sage foresaw that the end of such an unjust and luxurious despotism could not be far away; that when the storm rose and the wind blew, the old house, unrepaired in its decadence, would fall on the heads of those who sat in its halls, reveling in wicked gaiety (Ec 10:16). Meanwhile, the sagacious servant of the state, perhaps also of foreign origin, unable to stop the progress of the rot, or not caring about when it would be consumed, would make his “market of time”; he would behave with suspicion: and, because the whole country was infested with spies raised by despotism, he would not give them any grip on him, or even tell the simple truth of his crazy and debauched leaders in the privacy of his own bed room, or mumble his thoughts on the roof, lest a “bird of the sky carry the report” (Ec 10:20 ). But if this were the condition of time, if rising in public life involved so much petty craftsmanship and submission, so many imminent mortal risks from spies and fools dressed in a little brief authority, how could a man hope to find the leader Well in it? Wisdom has not always gained in promotion; virtue was the enemy of success. The anger of an incompetent idiot, or the murmur of an envious rival, or the whim of a ruthless despot, could at any time undo the work of the years, and expose the straightest and wisest of men to the worst extremities of misfortune. There was no tranquility, no freedom, no security, no dignity in such a life. As long as this was not resigned and a more noble and higher goal had been found, there was no chance of attaining that great satisfying good which elevates man above all accidents and fixes him in a happy safety from which no stroke of circumstance can dislodge him. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow ” Various Proverbs (Ec 10).
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.