Ecclesiastes 10:12-20
"The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him? The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness! Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks. Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter" (Ecclesiastes 10:12-20).
In part #2 of Ecclesiastes 10, we continue to discover more nuggets of truth Solomon uses to distinguish wisdom from foolishness, beginning with our words.
No doubt, many of us can empathize with how easily our tongues dig a hole for ourselves or diminish others' opinions of how self-controlled and mature we are in our thoughts and behavior.
When we choose our words wisely, we win favor with others because we speak graciously. We implement discretion to filter out fleshly motivations that are inconsistent with God's Word because "the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse" (Proverbs 10:32).
We carefully consider both the immediate and long-term impact of not only what we say but how we say it, so that we draw others unto Christ rather than drive them away based on our behavior.
Scripture reminds us, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person" (Colossians 4:6), because our speech sets the tone for how we apply our faith in action. We cannot proclaim our identity as Christians then live as we please without the slightest regard for how we apply Biblical truth.
No, we must determine our tongues are guarded to ensure we are conveying wisdom to others rather than folly. For as James admonishes, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless" (James 1:26).
The antithesis of speaking wisely is allowing our words to remain unfiltered and unapologetic. Solomon points out that both the beginning and end of a fool's speech are insignificant and essentially madness because there is no limit to how long he will continue talking without discretion.
A fool does not recognize that "when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent" (Proverbs 10:19). Therefore, it is imperative we recognize how susceptible we have become to adopting foolish behavior by how we allow our tongues to remain unbridled/unrestrained. It is incredible to consider how much damage we can inflict when our tongues remain untamed.
"So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell" (James 3:5-6).
It is typically those we are closest to (such as our spouses and children) who endure the wrath of our careless words. Therefore, if we desire to know our greatest weaknesses in how we communicate, we must humble ourselves and allow those we love open forum to speak truth into our hearts without getting defensive or making excuses for our foolish behavior.
Solomon also highlights incompetence and a know-it-all attitude as attributes a fool communicates. Great frustration is often felt by those who endure the foolishness of a man who thinks he knows but it utterly clueless. Rather than humble himself and seek wise counsel and expertise, a fool remains prideful, independent and isolated from allowing knowledge and understanding to penetrate his heart. Why?
The Bible proclaims, "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him" (Proverbs 22:15), yet how many of us to this day still speak our minds with childlike ignorance to the consequences of our actions?
It is utter foolishness to speak without a filter or moral compass which are God's provision to guide us toward righteousness and protect us from living in the flesh. Therefore, we must shift our focus and begin praying daily.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:23-24).
Only then will be begin to see the selfish impurities dispersed throughout the fabric of our lives which require the refiner's fire to cleanse and purify us from the inside out.
Self-indulgence is another theme Solomon makes no qualms addressing pointedly. The illusion that consistent and regular consumption of any substance is not addictive in nature is foolish.
Solomon addresses alcohol as the drug of choice a fool consumes without discretion, but we can easily peer into the dark caverns of our own hearts and realize that we are creatures of nature and repetition breeds temptation when the object of our desire is idolatrous. In other words, when something or someone other than God consumes my desires, I will serve that which has the strongest influence in my heart.
God's Word teaches, "What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him" (Habakkuk 2:18-20).
Let us be clear: If we cannot live without someone or something, we have created an idol in our hearts that wages war against the Spirit of the Living God who dwells within us. And if we wonder whether we personally struggle with over-indulgence or idolatrous thinking, we can simply abstain from the object of our desire for a consistent period of time and monitor our behavior accordingly.
Withdrawal is a powerful temperature gauge for providing clear warning that addictive behavior and idolatry are present.
Finally, two truths must be flushed out concerning Solomon's final words. First, the notion that money answers everything is Solomon's way of acknowledging that life here on earth is economical.
In most cases, currency is required to pay for goods and services essential for survival and compensation is reward for man's labor that enables him to provide for the needs of his family. In this sense, money is not inherently evil in any way. Where Scripture does draw a line of distinction pertains to our heart's attitude regarding money.
"No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Luke 16:13).
Why is this so critical to emphasize?
"Because those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs" (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
Second, Solomon reminds us that even though we are wise to guard the words that come out of our mouths, we must recognize that words spoken in secret are just as dangerous as what we boldly proclaim without hesitation in public. We must remember that although the intentions of our hearts may be private and concealed from others, the Lord knows our every thought and motivation.
"O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether" (Psalm 139:1-4).
Knowing this truth, we can better understand why Scripture emphatically warns, "Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand" (Micah 2:1). Therefore, the choice is ours to make.
If we are followers of Christ, we are not slaves to our flesh but born of the Spirit because we can choose to cast off foolish thinking and embrace wisdom. And the power to choose is a gift of free will the Lord offers to us all, no matter our race, age, ethnicity, gender or economic status.
