Read Ecclesiastes 10:8-15
A little foolishness can destroy a lot of hard, wise work. You’ve heard it all week. You’ll hear it again today and tomorrow and on Sonday.
Solomon shows how this is true for our work and for our words. He pictures several different scenarios of workers who fail to plan and end up paying a terrible price. In each scenario something goes terribly wrong. The man who digs a pit falls into it. The one who breaks through a wall is bitten by a snake on the other side. The one who quarries a stone drops it on his foot. The snake charmer is bitten by the snake and the woodchopper with a dull axe works himself ragged with little result.
When we read the Bible we need to understand that the Bible best interprets itself. The Bible never contradicts itself. As such we cannot read vs 8-11 as being a warning against hard work because you might inadvertently be injured. The Bible condemns laziness and espouses hard work. Solomon is saying that a little folly can destroy a lot of hard yakka.
When it comes to our words, each of us knows from experience that a little folly can undo a great amount of hard work.
An old friend of mine was watching the Miss Universe Pageant with his heavily pregnant wife. During the show, his wife remarked, ’I wish I looked like that’. His unthinking and probably unwise reply was, ’So do I’. Years of hard work were instantly undone.
No wonder Solomon says that the words of the wise man are gracious but the fool is consumed by his own words. The old saying, ‘sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me’ is blatantly untrue. Our words can scar people for decades. Our words can cause heartache and pain and hurt far beyond any physical pain. We have in our words the power of life and death. We have the ability to build up or to tear down. We have the ability heal or to hurt simply by using our mouths.
Our words and our works can build up or destroy depending on whether our hearts are inclined towards wisdom or foolishness. If to the former, we have a powerful combination to spread blessing and love and to draw people to the Lord Jesus Christ
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
ª Pray for those who regularly preach in your congregation. Ask God to give them words of life, words of repentance and salvation, words of love. Pray that these men will preach faithfully and boldly each and every single week. Pray that the temptation to water down the Gospel will not come near them.
ª Pray that each and every person in your congregation would be committed to the Word of God and would prepare each week for the Sonday sermon by reading the passage, reading the Daily Reading Notes and discussing the questions in cell or family groups.
Prayer:
1. Have you ever seen a little folly destroy a lot of hard work? Please explain.
2. Can you think of a time when the government did what was popular as opposed to what was right? What happened?
3. How can we help and encourage our teens to do what is right and not to choose what is popular if it is not right?
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