SERIES: Ecclesiastes
TEXT: Ecclesiastes 10:1-20
MESSAGE: “Suffering Fools”

Q: “Am I the fool?”

The Bible describes “fools” as…

• • • Dishonest — Jer 17:11
    • Vent their anger — Pr 29:11, Ecc 7:9
    • Disobedient — 1Sa 13:13
    • Despise instruction and discipline — Pr 1:22
    • Speak unwisely — Pr 18:6-7,  Ecc 10:12; Eph 5:4
    • Are slanderous — Pr 10:18, 2Pe 2:15
    • Are mockers — Pr 14:9, Pr 1:22; 14:6; 23:9; 24:9
    • Love quarreling and dissension — Pr 20:3
    • Empty words — Pr 15:2 
    • Rely on themselves — “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

TEXT: Ecclesiastes 10:1-20

“I Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 43 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.” — 1 Kings 11:42-43

In today’s text, we will look at three signs of a fool. Here are the three signs — (1. Fools overlook character 2. Fools promote poorly 3. Fools talk big)

1. Fools overlook character (v. 1-4)

“Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left. 3 Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest.”

2. Fools promote poorly (v. 5-11)

“There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: 6 folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves. 8 He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones is hurt by them, and he who splits logs is endangered by them. 10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. 11 If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer.”

“Some of us are immediately offended by this poetry…Our offense likely comes, however, from hearing these words in light of our own cultural uses of them rather than as Solomon understood them…The Preacher’s point is that an erring leader overlooks this kind of faithful character and places impatient, wandering, slothful, get-rich-quick schemers tragically in charge. Similarly, “slave” in this analogy is contrasted not with workers or freed persons but with “princes.” Again, the Preacher follows the sage tradition. “It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes” (Prov. 19:10).”— Zach Eswine

3. Fools talk arrogantly (v. 12-15)

“The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. 14 A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him? 15 The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.”

Miscalibration is “the paradox that people make mistakes and misjudgments, not because of incompetence or lack of information, but precisely because they have information. The reason is that with all this information comes overconfidence. As we get more information our level of confidence grows, but our level of accuracy does not always follow suit thus increasing the gap between what we know and what we think we know.” — Malcolm Gladwell

TAKEAWAYS:

• Be sober minded in your prayers

• Be diligent in your day to day

• Be prudent with your words

“I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege works against it. 15 But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.” — Ecclesiastes 9:13-16

“A good leader is hard to find and is often found in unexpected places, like a stable or a carpenter’s shop or on a cross like a thief. Sometimes true wisdom looks nothing like those who possess power and position, but instead like a poor carpenter who loved his enemies and for which his enemies killed him. Sometimes the triumph celebrated reveals the folly honored. Sometimes the true king goes unnoticed by the foolish. Jesus came as the poor wise man that delivered the city. He is the prince who walks as a servant while lesser men ride in honor under the sun.” — Zach Eswine