Ecclesiastes 10:10-15 says,...Bible reading week 12, day 1

Today's verses are Ecclesiastes 10:11-15, which read,

v.11 - If the serpent bits before being charmed, there is not profit for the charmer.

The serpent is dangerous.  The serpent seeks to bite.  The serpent needs to be tamed.  It needs to be controlled by the charmer.  If the charmer isn't about charming his snake then the snake bites himself and maybe others and the profit that could be earned will be lost.  You pay to see the charmer charm the serpent and seem to have power over it.  The charmer needs to be on his game to keep from getting bit by the serpent or the serpent biting other paying customers.  Attention to detail is very important.

v.12, 13 - Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is a wicked madness.

If we tie the word picture with the proverb or wisdom that follows then the words of the wise or the words of the fool is the serpent and the wise or the fool is the charmer.  The wise charmer is watching over his words and the result is a serpent that speaks graciously.  The fool charmer is not watching over his words and the result is a consumption with self and actions that ultimately display evil.  Attention to detail is very important when it comes to our words and the word picture is very pertinent because we focus on the serpent's tongue that is seeking where to strike.  

The wise, even though we are sinners and born in sin and prone to sin, diligently charms his or her tongue with the wisdom of God.  The fool, allows that tongue to serve self rather than to serve God and others.  He or she allows the tongue to talk much of self and do things to bite others and ultimately bite themselves.  Again, attention to detail is very important when it comes to the tongue.

v.14, 15 - Yet the fool multiplies words.  No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?  The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.

 Sometimes less is more and that principle sometimes applies to the amount of words that we use especially if we are not following after the wisdom of God.  Foolishly we will ramble on about ourselves and who we are and what we can do and getting into the realm of boasting beyond our ability and what we can know.  We pat ourselves on the back continually and miss the opportunity for someone else to speak into our lives that drives us to "shut up" and get down on our knees before God.  Our self-centered, self-satisfying culture does not help us in the mandate from Jesus to deny yourself in other words to put focus on God and others, take up your cross which is a sign of personal sacrifice after his ultimate sacrifice and follow behind Jesus and not show Him where you are going.  It is radical in our world to seriously do what Jesus did.

The fool can't find the city.  Cities are large and they have lights on all the time.  Cities are noisy.  Cities are filled with other people.  This fool is so full of himself that he can't even see the sea of humanity that God has put before him to serve rather than to be served.  The fool is so busy with self that the harvest is not recognized and therefore not realized to share the joy in.  

Do you see the city?  Do you see your city?  Do you see those God has placed before you to give strict attention to your words so that His words can be heard?  Let us pray.

"Lord, Solomon has brought us back to the tongue again and the need to use self-control that is patterned after Your instruction.  May we see the city You have put before us.  May we use our words to be gracious to You and to others and see profit for the kingdom's sake.  Forgive us for letting our mouths go un charmed and biting ourselves and others with our fullness of self.  Amen."

Pastor Adam