THE FATE OF ALL FOOLS (ECCLESIASTES 10)
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Jones is driving past the state mental hospital when his left rear tire suffers a flat. While Mr Jones is changing the tire, another car goes by, running over the hub cap in which Mr Jones was keeping the lug nuts. the nuts are all knocked into a nearby storm drain.
Mr Jones is at a loss for what to do and is about to go call a cab when he hears a shout from behind the hospital fence, where one of the inmates has been watching the whole thing.
"Hey, pal! Why don't you just take one lug nut off each of the other three wheels? That'll hold your tires on until you can get to a garage or something."
Mr Jones is startled by the patient's seeming rationality, but realises the plan will work, and installs the spare tire without incident. Before he leaves, he calls back to the patient. "You know, that was pretty sharp thinking. Why do they have you in there?"
The patient smiles and says, "I'm in here because I'm crazy, not because I'm stupid."
Acutaully a fool is not crazy, so he is responsible for his temperament, tongue and talents; his actions, attitude and abilities; his walk, word and work.
What isa fooll? How is he diifferent from a wise man? Whyis it important for a fool to correct and change one¡¦s foolish ways?
Be Intelligent, not Impatient
1 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. 3 Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are. 4 If a ruler¡¦s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest. 5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: 6 Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. 7 I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. 8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.
Yesterday before this sermon (Jan 15, 2017) a neighbor told me a hilarious story of her three-year old daughter¡¦s first year enrolment test for an elite kindergarten few years ago. Nervously they waited for their turn at the interview. When the daughter¡¦s name was called, she was faced with a barrage of test.
The first one was to say one to ten in English, which was not a problem to her. The alphabets were much tougher to identitfy, almost failing in one alphabet. All was rosey, fine and dandy as they waited for the official reply. They were called in as they heard the offical answer. A teacher told the parents, ¡§Your daughter passed the exam but we still cannot accept her because she was not ¡¥still¡¦ enough.¡¨
These elite schools prefer to choose a quieter student to uphold their brand and promote an image.
The word ¡§fool¡¨ occurs an astonishing nine times in four different Hebrew words in the chapter (cikluwth vv 1, 13; keciyl vv 2, 12, 15; cakal vv 3 twice, 14; cekel v 6). The first three verses contrasted the two words foolishness and wisdom. A little folly is contrasted to bad ointment or stinking savour. The verb ¡§bad smell¡¨ is also translated as stink (Gen 34:30), to be abhorred (Ex 5:21), in abomination (1 Sam 13:4) and loathsome (Prov 13:5) (Think skunk , durian and arm pits). The odor is unbelievable, unbearable and unbecoming. The verb¡¨give/send forth¡¨ is the gentleman, weaker from other translations such as utter (Ps 19:2), belch out (Ps 59:7), abundantly utter (Ps 145:7), pour out (Prov 1:23) and flowing (Prov 18:4). It is forcful, furious and flowing, not faint, failing, or favorable. The point is not to approve, applaud or admire foolishness, but to avoid, avert or abandon it.
Right hand (v 2) is an honored position in the Bible. For example there are 41 occurences of ¡§right hand¡¨ in Psalms to none for ¡§left hand.¡¨ It is associated with power (Matt 26:64), exaltation (Acts 2:33) and glory (Acts 7:55) and majesty (Heb 1:3) in the New Testament.
Verse 3 talks about a fool¡¦s walking and talking. Walking is direction and talking is self-disclosure. There is no way to disguise, deflect or defer his walk and his words. It is in his posture, presentation and personality.
Illustration: The ruler of verse 5 is nothing more than governor (Gen 42:6), mighty men (Eccl 7:19) and ruler (Eccl 10:5). Verse 4¡¦s ¡§leave¡¨ is translated as alone (Ex 32:10), withdraw (Eccl 7:18), pacifieth (Eccl 10:4), withold (Eccl 11:6) and cast down (Isa 28:2). It implies abandoning and avoiding and not attending or arresting the situation. You must face, forbear and fix it.
Calmness (v 4) or yielding (KJV) is translated as remedy (2 Chron 36:16), health (Prov 4:22), sound (Prov 14:30), wholesome (Prov 15:4) and cure (Jer 33:6). The noun ¡§errors¡¨ is faults (Gen 41:9), sin (Lev 19:17), offences (Eccl 10:4), grievously (Lam 1:8) and punishment of his sins (Lam 3:39). ¡§Rest¡¨ means set it down (Deut 26:4), lay down (Josh 4:8), cast down (Isa 28:2). It means to placate, pacify and not provoke, pile and pacel to appease, avoid and allay, abandon post, not argue, antagonize, annoy and anger aggravate,
There are two ¡§great¡¨: great (gadol) offences (v 4) and great (rab) dignity (v 6). High (positions) is translated as above (2 Sam 22:17), height (2 Kings 19:23), loftily (Ps 73:80, haughty (Isa 24:4) and upward (Isa 38:14). Wise men can undo great offences, but the great dignity (plural) of the fool is left undone.
In the second ¡§see¡¨ (vv 5, 7) in verse 7, the four verbs are fall, bite «r(v 8), hurt and endangered (v 9) and whet, put (v 10). A fool is not concerned for the cause, the course, and the consequences. He or she is a fool in his decisions, deeds and disicpline. The outcome is danger, disaster, doom. In conclusion, he or she is a walking, waking and working disaster.
Be Inspiring, not Insensitive
11 If a snake bites before it is charmed, the charmer receives no fee. 12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. 13 At the beginning their words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness¡X 14 and fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming¡X who can tell someone else what will happen after them?
The charmer (v 11) is babbler in Hebrew, or Master of the Tongue.
There is more talk about mouth (vv 12, 13 twice) in this chapter than any chapter in the book. The mouth is for eating food, exalting God and edifying others. The previous verse with God inlcude:
Eccl 5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Eccl 5:6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin;
Eccl 6:7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Eccl 8:2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.
Grace (v 12) means favor. To build up, not tear down; pull and not push, befriend and not unfriend.
The verb ¡§consume¡¨ (v 12) is translated as devour (Gen 41:7), swallow (Ex 7:12), cover (Num 4:20), destroy (Job 2:3) and spend (Prov 21:20). This word is unlike any other ¡§devour¡¨ word because it is in the minorty ¡§piel¡¨ form, which means ¡§surely,¡¨ ¡§certainly¡¨ or definitely¡¨ consume. It is not slowing, sympathy or sensitivity. The tongue is known to be offensive, oppressive, abusive, derisive, aggressive, expressive, persuasive, divisive, corrosive, abrasive,
From verses 13-14: The word ¡§begininng¡¨ means first time (Gen 43:18). ¡§Wicked¡¨ and ¡§madness¡¨ is a combination of Ecclesiastes 9:3, ¡§the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.¡¨ It is from first (¡§beginning¡¨) to final (end) and full (v 14).
Overall, a fool¡¦s diasater and destiny is self-imposed, -indiced and -inflicted. A fool is one who is impatient, impulsive, and irritable.
Be Industrous, not Impassive
15 The toil of fools wearies them; they do not know the way to town. 16 Woe to the land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning. 17 Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time¡X for strength and not for drunkenness. 18 Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks. 19 A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything. 20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
If you are poor, work. If you are rich, continue to work. If you are burdened with seemingly unfair responsibilities, work. If you are happy, keep right on working. Idleness gives room for doubts and fears. If disappointments come, work. If sorrow overwhelms you and loved ones seem not true, work. If health is threatened work. When faith falters and reason fails, just work. When dreams are shattered and hope seems dead, work. Work as if your life were in peril. It really is. No matter what ails you, work. Work faithfully work with faith. Work is the greatest remedy available for both mental and physical afflictions. Korsaren.
Weary (v 15) is labor (Josh 7:3). It implies exhausted, not energized. This refers to laziness (v 18), which leads to deep sleep and suffer hunger (Prov 19:15), and idleness, doing nothing. One ia body, heart and hands.
What does it mean not know to go to the city, not ¡§the way to go¡¨ to the city (NIV)? 2 Sam 23:10
The princes eat in the morning refers to drunkenens in the next verse (v 17).
Strength means mastery (Ex 32:18), might (Deut 3:24), strength (Judg 8:21), power (1 Chron 29:11), judge (Ps 54:1) and force (Jer 23:10).
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Sag means tumble (in ruins); figuratively, to perish. It is translated as brought low (Job 24:24) and decay (Eccl 10:18). Leak means pour out (Job 16:20), melt (Ps 119:28) and drops through (Eccl 10:18) It mean worse deterioration versus disintgretaion, decline versus devastation, degeneration versus debiltaton.
Verse 19 could come out from the mouth of a fool.
¡§Answer¡¨ cannot mean so negative. It is translated as bear (Ex 20:16), speak (Ex 23:2), shout for mastery (Ex 32:18), sing (Ex 32:18) and testify (Num 35:30).
Why work? To use our talent, training and time. Through work we share ¤Àand supply our strength, service, skills, support and sagacity. When you do not work, you¡¦ll become reliant, rusty and restless.
Conclusion:
"Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish." --Albert Einstein
The greatest fool in the Bible is the unbelieving (Ps 14:1 , 53:1)
Eccl 2:14 but the fool walketh in darkness¡D
Eccl 4:5 5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Eccl 7:6 so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
