Ecclesiastes 9:11-18 says...Bible reading week 10, day 5

Today's verses are Ecclesiastes 9:11-18, which read,

v.11, 12 - I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.  Moreover, man does not know his time:  like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.

I love lists in the Bible and we have another one this morning.  We have a race, a battle, bread, wealth, and favor.  Sometimes the race is won by the tortoise.  Sometimes the battle is won by the minority, think of Gideon and his 300 with no offensive weapons.  Sometimes the bread is for those who are under the table rather than those sitting at the table.  Sometimes the wealth goes to those who have not earned it.  Sometimes favor comes upon those who don't seem to have much ability.  Sometimes God turns things on its head to get our attention.

Solomon comes back to the fact that all will die, time and chance overtake them all.  We can think that being the winner and the warrior and the well fed and the wealthy and the worthy will make a difference in us when we die but that is not up to us.  Solomon tells us we don't know our time and sometimes it comes suddenly and out of the blue.  We get caught in a net or a snare because of our evil world and we are done from this world before what we think is "our time." 

v.13-16 - Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me.  There was a small city with a few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siege works against it.  But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom.  Yet no one remembered that poor man.  So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength."  But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.

This is great.  Solomon gives us a story.  It is rare in this book and all his writings so we have an treat from him.  Sit down in a circle and listen to what he has learned from an experience he witnessed and puts into story form.  Once upon a time...there was this small city of nobodies.  A great king comes to take over the city of nobodies with his great army.  But in the city is a poor wise man who speaks to the nobodies and somehow overpowers all the forces of that great king.  No one would see this coming.  The law that the one with the biggest gun wins didn't work this time.  Wisdom won the day.

But then comes that sad part of the story.  The wisdom of the poor wise man only elevated him for a short time.  Soon people forgot him and forgot his wisdom.  It was discarded like his body that would be put in a grave.  Solomon learned the lesson that wisdom is better than strength but even this beautiful story ends with the grave for wisdom may be better than strength but it has its human limitations.  You would want to end the story with the poor wise man become the great king and the world following after his wisdom forever.  Solomon doesn't see that being played out in his world.

v.17, 18 - The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.  Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Solomon speaks again of how important wisdom is to our world.  We are to be wise.  We are to listen to wisdom.  Sometimes we have to get really quiet to hear it among all the shoutings of the fools.  Wisdom does have power but so many are not following after it and us sinners abound who don't do good.  The wisdom we need is covered up by our actions which are foolish and we try to solve the problem with our strength of speed, strength, supplies, stash, and skill.  We create more problems when we don't follow after the wisdom of God.  It reminds me of the passage to "be still and know that I am God."   And now we have a good song to sing through our head this Friday.  Let us pray.

"Lord, You are in control.  Help us to listen to You today.  You give us so many resources but we have highjacked them for our use and advantage rather than for the sole purpose of bringing more glory to You.  May we get quiet today in the midst of the noise of our world and hear Your wisdom.  Amen."

Pastor Adam