Bible Commentaries
Ecclesiastes 10

Verses 1-20

Chapter 10:

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking odor: so does a little folly to him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor ( Ecclesiastes 10:1 ).

There are certain men that just should not be doing foolish things. We are reading quite a bit lately about the Bohemian Club and we are told of all the important people in the United States, men who are part of this Bohemian Club. Men who should know better, but evidently don't. And, of course, we are told that our President and Vice President and former President Richard Nixon, David Rockefeller, that elitist of the United States, members of this Bohemian Club, and they have a little retreat north of San Francisco where they go once a year for a retreat. Where they entertain themselves by putting on foolish costumes and dancing around, and going through different types of rites and so forth in this Bohemian Club. But even as dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary carried a stink, so does a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor. In other words, men who are in reputation for wisdom and honor, it's just folly and their life is out of place.

A wise man's heart is at his right hand ( Ecclesiastes 10:2 );

I only bring that up because you're going to be reading more and more about the Bohemian Club. The liberal press has decided to expose its activities because they are sort of ridiculous and, of course, they are out to get some of our leaders and to sort of demolish them as idols in our eyes. And so you're going to be reading more and more about the Bohemian Club. And so when you read about it or hear about it, you'll say, "I heard about that someplace. Where did I hear about that? Oh, yeah." But it's something that they are zeroing in on even as they've zeroed in on Nancy Reagan's fancy clothes and all. They're zeroing in on the Bohemian Club as one of the things. But you see, the problem is by belonging to it they have given them... and going along with the folly of this springtime retreat up there, they celebrate the coming of spring by putting on their little flowered tutus and dancing around and all. They're exposing themselves to this. You're really a man who is of reputation and everything else. It's just out of place. It's just like flies in the ointment of the apothecary. It's just a stinking thing. And so it's tragic that wise men can do such foolish things. Trying to somehow... it's amazing to me what dumb things wise men can do and leaders can do and all.

When we were little kids, we would make up our clubs with our secret oaths and our initiations and our passwords, and you know, the whole thing. We were... had our own little mafias and secret organizations and you know, "Blood, man," and just, we were brothers and this whole thing. Well, that's great when you're a little boy and living in a world of unreal fantasies. But when you grow up and you still get into these secret clubs and you have your secret passwords and your secret handshakes and your special little robes and clothes and hats and, you just haven't grown up and that's your problem.

Paul said, "When I was a child, I thought as a child, I spoke as a child, and acted as a child. But when I was old, I put away the childish things" ( 1 Corinthians 13:11 ). When you get old, it's time to put those things away. But some people just don't grow up. And thus, they are exposing themselves to ridicule and to the press which will expose them. "A wise man's heart is at his right hand."

but a fool's heart at his left ( Ecclesiastes 10:2 ).

Now I don't know that there's any scientific. I don't know what he's saying. Help! I think I'm getting a heartbeat.

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 ( Ecclesiastes 10:3 ).

I mean, you're, when you're a fool you just, it's obvious. You express it.

If the spirit of the ruler rises up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding will pacify great offenses ( Ecclesiastes 10:4 ).

Oh, how much better it is to yield a point than to hang on. And if we would only learn just to yield a point. It can pacify great offenses. It can stop big arguments. It can actually save your life at times. There's some really nuts out there in the world. And a lot of people have been killed by insisting on their right of ways. "It's my right of way." And you can insist on your right of way but get wiped out. So, "Yielding can pacify great offenses." Give in to the point. What difference does it make? Whether there were five or six fish in that basket. You know, you can get in the biggest arguments over some stupid thing like that. Get angry. Get where you don't speak for a day or two because, "There's five." "No, there's six." "No, five." Maybe there were five. Yield it. Why argue? It's dumb to just argue over things like that. Yielding can pacify great offenses. Good advice.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceeds from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the eaRuth ( Ecclesiastes 10:5-7 ).

There seems to be oftentimes inconsistency.

He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaks a hedge, a serpent shall bite him ( Ecclesiastes 10:8 ).

They used a hedge about to keep the serpents out. You break the hedge; the serpent will bite you. You dig a pit; you'll fall into it. These are just sort of proverbs.

Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. If the iron be blunt, and he do not sharpen the edge, then must he put in more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct ( Ecclesiastes 10:9-10 ).

So figure it out, man. If you're trying to chop wood with a dull iron, dull hatchet or dull ax, it's going to take more strength. Sharpen it, takes less strength. Makes sense.

Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better ( Ecclesiastes 10:11 ).

He'll bite, too.

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? ( Ecclesiastes 10:12-14 )

We don't know the future. People talk so confidently of the future and all. You don't know what's going to be out there, you don't know what the future holds.

The labor of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knows not how to go to the city. Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! ( Ecclesiastes 10:15-16 )

That means they were drunk all night so they eat in the morning.

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! By much slothfulness the building decayeth ( Ecclesiastes 10:17-18 );

Now you that are managers of buildings and so forth, you might choose that to put above the time clocks for the maintenance men.

and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answers all things ( Ecclesiastes 10:18-19 ).

Now my wife believes that this is a scriptural truth. But I was trying to tell you, this is Solomon and he's talking about worldly wisdom. And it's amazing how that the world thinks that money is a cure-all. Money will answer everything.

Curse not the king, no not even in your thoughts; and curse not the rich in your bedroom: for a little bird of the air will carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter ( Ecclesiastes 10:20 ).

It's amazing how you say something about someone to a person in confidence thinking that that won't go any further, but it's amazing how many times it will get right back to the person. And then you have the phone call and say, "Did you say... ?" And, "What did you mean when you said... " Oh, so better not to tell little birds. That's where they got the phrase, "A little bird told me." Came from this. "