Presents
Pamphlet #1740
Ecclesiastes Chapter 10
Are you ready for some more wisdom from the wisest man who ever lived? Just remember, step one is learning and absorbing wisdom, but step two is using and applying it. It is the latter step that gets results and begets rewards and builds an honorable reputation. However, if you know wisdom but apply stupidity, it is not a good thing. Here is what Solomon says about it:
I'll tell you what really stinks to high heaven, even worse than the overpowering stench of a bunch of flies and maggots which have taken over an embalmed corpse. It's the bad taste in your mouth when an honorable man or woman of God does or says something stupid and ruins his or her reputation. Is that graphic enough?Eccles. 10:1
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
However, this verse like so many others, is an example of one that when read in the original language automatically triggers a deeper thought. Let's look at a couple of the words used in this verse and see why. First the word "flies":
flies, zebuwb, zeb-oob', Hebrew 2070; from an unused root (meaning to flit); a fly (especially one of a stinging nature) :- fly.And who is the "Lord of the Flies"?
Ba`al Zebuwb, bah'-al zeb-oob', Hebrew 1176; from Hebrew 1168 (Ba`al) and Hebrew 2070 (zebuwb); Baal of (the) Fly; Baal-Zebub, a special deity of the Ekronites :- Baal-zebub.Do you remember Christ spoke of this one, Beelzebub, in both Matthew 10 & 12 and Luke 11? Let's look at the Strong's definition of the Greek:
Beelzeboul, beh-el-zeb-ool', Greek 954; of Chaldee origin [by parody upon Hebrew 1176 (Ba`al Zebuwb)]; dung-god; Beelzebul, a name of Satan :- Beelzebub.The "dung-god", Satan. And wherever you find his little "flies of death" you will find the stink of dung! And do you know where you will find a bunch of them? In the pulpits of the churches, teaching the traditions of men as if they were the sweet odour of truth! So where you should find wisdom and honour you find an awful stinking smell.
Next, let's check out the word for "stinking".
ba'ash, baw-ash', Hebrew 887; a primitive root; to smell bad; figurative to be offensive moral:- (make to) be abhorred (had in abomination, loathsome, odious), (cause a, make to) stink (-ing savour), × utterly.Offensive moral, abomination! That about says it for the king of the flies of death!
Remember from chapter 1 verse 9 of this Book of Ecclesiastes that we learned "there is no new thing under the sun"? Well, the "left" has always symbolized foolishness and the "right" has always been the side of wisdom. That is why Christ would tell His disciples in John 21:6 to fish out of the "right side" of the boat. If you fish out of the "left side" you'll come up empty, for there is no substance over there.[2] A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
And here's a little way you can test whether or not you are on the "right" side:
Tell your views to a known fool [a person on the left] and he or she will instantly begin to label you "right", though he or she will usually mean it in a derogatory sense. Keep talking and the more truthful and correct you are, the more adjectives you can pick up along the way, like "extreme right wing conservative". Mention God in a positive sense while talking and you can acquire the label "religious right", or be more specific and mention Jesus and pick-up the label "Christian right". Mention Jesus twice or more and pick-up the adjective "radical" to make "radical Christian right". But they will always use the word "right" in labeling you, though they think you are "wrong". In other words, they think "religious wrong" but say "religious right", which only goes to prove that they are really confused and don't know what they are talking about.Again, He who sits at the right hand of God, said fish out of the right side of the boat. Satan's troops, the fools, can always be found on the left.
Have you ever noticed that the fools on the left, because they have no wisdom and can't win a debate or hold a discussion based on substance and facts, ALWAYS resort to name calling and calling everyone else a fool?[3] Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
Here's some wisdom and good advice from Solomon. If your boss gets angry with you don't sing "Take This Job and Shove It!" and storm out of the place. Defer to him or her, i.e. "back off" a little and maintain your composure. Have some patience and wait until winds die down and everyone "cools off".[4] If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
Now here's a big blunder incompetent rulers often make. It is an evil, calamitous situation indeed.[5] There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
They hire fools, i.e. the unqualified, including leftists, and elevate them to high positions while the noble [rich in wisdom] take a back seat.[6] Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
So the ruler brings in all his incompetent supporters, his friends and buddies, and makes his gardener head of the Department of Agriculture, for instance.[7] I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
We have an English expression that conveys this same thought when we see a fool at work. We say "He's digging his own grave."[8] He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Whether you are a stone mason or a woodsman, every profession has its dangers and pitfalls. How do you avoid them? Through common sense and wisdom.[9] Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
Here's an example:
Solomon is telling us to sharpen up! If we chop wood with a dull axe then we will have to work twice as hard to achieve the same results as the person who chops with a razor sharp axe. So too is life concerning wisdom.[10] If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
We say "Work smarter, not harder". It is a paronomasia! So's this: Sharpen up your axe, sharpen up your acts!
And speaking of sharpening up, we need to be sharper [wiser] than that old serpent, the devil.
Before the snake charmer can play his flute, the serpent will jump up out of the basket and bite him. That's what the old serpent will do too. He'll jump up out his bottomless pit and try to bite you![11] Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
So it is with babblers or blabber mouths. They will also jump up out their cubicles or pulpits and try to bite you. Watch your step!
We say the fool will "eat his own words".[12] The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
The "left" begin talking nonsense (not substance) and after listening to their double talk and their talking in circles it drives you nuts, doesn't it?[13] The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Ratchet jaws and blabber mouths think they know-it-all! But only God's Word can tell you what shall be.[14] A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
Fools wear themselves out with worry, because they have no idea where they are going or what tomorrow brings! The directions and forecasts are in His Word![15] The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
And on a higher note: Fools, those who don't follow God's Word, have no idea how to get to the New City of Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven in Revelation 21.
Yes, woe to thee, O land, when you have a leader who has never grown up and your princes revel and party till the wee hours of the morning! This is in contrast to the next verse, i.e. drunkenness.[16] Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
So in this republic we can vote the "left" into office and suffer the "woes" of liberalism and socialism or vote the "right" into office and enjoy freedoms and blessings. In other words we can choose whether to be governed by fools or wise men.[17] Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
"Laziness lets the roof leak, and soon the rafters begin to rot." (Living Bible)Eccles. 10:18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
And if we are apathetic about voting and choosing righteous men to be our leaders, then the liberal left will creep in and take your rotten house!
You can wine and dine 'em, but money talks![19] A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
Be careful what you say because the "walls have ears". And when you are found out and you ask the person "who told you that?", they will tell you "a little birdie told me". That little birdie was probably a friend or associate you confided in, but you are the "bird brain" for whistling your matters to them.[20] Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
Remember the words of James 1:22 "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Apply wisdom!
To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits;
to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, you accomplish both.
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