“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. A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.” Words taken from Ecclesiastes 10:1 and 2. These are words written by Solomon, who is also the author of Proverbs and Song of Solomon.
In really simple terms the Bible tells us that God created the world and sets the foundation for why we are here. Also, it tells us that we need a Savior, that it is Jesus, that we need a relationship with him, and that God is universal, omnipotent, and reigns eternally. It’s when we turn to Ecclesiastes that there is a deeper dive into what is secular and sacred. (Note that secular is a temporal term while sacred is a spiritual one.)
Keeping that in mind will give a better insight into what is wise and what is foolish. In the two verses above Solomon again contrasts the wise with the fool. Verse One: a dead fly in perfume can ruin it just like a foolish decision can put wisdom at risk. The first one that springs to mind is Samson. God gifted him with incredible strength. Yet, he traded it for an interlude with Delilah. Foolish? Yes. It didn’t help the cause of wisdom either.
Samson traded something spiritual (the glory of God) for something worldly (Delilah). Samson suffered. In the end, he called on the Lord and prayed for strength one final time. It’s in Judges 16. Prayer is a powerful weapon and should not be ignored. Pastor Josh pointed out that prayers to God can help us when no one else can.
What about Mary who brought costly perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet? She was criticized for anointing his feet and should have sold the perfume and given the money to the poor. Jesus stopped them, said that Mary had kept it for his burying (John 12). Worldly or spiritual? Foolish or wise? Mary did a spiritual thing. She used the perfume for Jesus, to honor him.
It says a wise man’s heart is at his right hand, a fool’s heart is at his left hand. A wise man is inclined towards wisdom for good but a fool has no inclination toward wisdom and will keep himself from it. What is the conclusion? Fear God, keep his commandments, for God will bring everything into judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14)
In really simple terms the Bible tells us that God created the world and sets the foundation for why we are here. Also, it tells us that we need a Savior, that it is Jesus, that we need a relationship with him, and that God is universal, omnipotent, and reigns eternally. It’s when we turn to Ecclesiastes that there is a deeper dive into what is secular and sacred. (Note that secular is a temporal term while sacred is a spiritual one.)
Keeping that in mind will give a better insight into what is wise and what is foolish. In the two verses above Solomon again contrasts the wise with the fool. Verse One: a dead fly in perfume can ruin it just like a foolish decision can put wisdom at risk. The first one that springs to mind is Samson. God gifted him with incredible strength. Yet, he traded it for an interlude with Delilah. Foolish? Yes. It didn’t help the cause of wisdom either.
Samson traded something spiritual (the glory of God) for something worldly (Delilah). Samson suffered. In the end, he called on the Lord and prayed for strength one final time. It’s in Judges 16. Prayer is a powerful weapon and should not be ignored. Pastor Josh pointed out that prayers to God can help us when no one else can.
What about Mary who brought costly perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet? She was criticized for anointing his feet and should have sold the perfume and given the money to the poor. Jesus stopped them, said that Mary had kept it for his burying (John 12). Worldly or spiritual? Foolish or wise? Mary did a spiritual thing. She used the perfume for Jesus, to honor him.
It says a wise man’s heart is at his right hand, a fool’s heart is at his left hand. A wise man is inclined towards wisdom for good but a fool has no inclination toward wisdom and will keep himself from it. What is the conclusion? Fear God, keep his commandments, for God will bring everything into judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14)
