I invite you to open a Bible to Ecclesiastes and to read the tenth chapter on your own, taking a moment to reflect on the text in silence.
To be on the way of and to grace, love, and salvation, is a result of wisdom. A fool can imitate wisdom by walking on the road without seeing what it leads to, but he will always reveal himself as foolish through his lack of sense. To walk the road with intent requires the wisdom to know what lies at the end of one’s path, and the intent behind one’s actions is just as important as the actions themselves. The fool seldom walks on the road for long because they see it only as a place to put their next step; they do not move with the conviction of an ideal. Wisdom is the knowledge of something’s purpose, of your purpose, and it is what the road leads to.
Solomon gives a direct imperative statement to the reader to remain calm in the face of anger. Wisdom is farthest from one in anger, and responding to conflict with aggression is never fruitful. Any accusation has the potential to provoke a rise of anger, defensive arrogance, or compensatory overconfidence in the accused. Giving into such an urge is unproductive and ensures that neither party will act wisely. Remaining calm, rejecting the fear and anger, will often diffuse the situation by itself by inviting the accuser to take a moment to reevaluate; accusations made in anger usually do not hold any water once the emotion is passed.
The wise are often relegated to positions below their capability, and those that are foolish, unjust, or wicked attain power through nefarious or false ways. Solomon points out this obvious reality in order to remind us that it is only true under the sun. God sees this injustice and will correct it in due time.
Next, we find a series of occupations that are seemingly menial and dangerous, but this section serves to tell the reader that wisdom is valuable for all regardless of occupation. Ecclesiastes has mentioned the benefits of wisdom for kingdoms and otherwise very broadly, but these specific, physical tasks offer some more grounding for the readers that are not caught up in kingdom politics.
Returning to the fool, he does not know when to keep silent. Because he has nothing of value to share, his excessive talk reveals his lack of discernment between what is wisdom and what is not. Fools speak for great lengths of time and are caught up in their own yarn, ending in extreme statements in an attempt to say something that is perceived as notable. The wise do not speak in excess, but they do not keep entirely silent either. Sharing their true wisdom is profitable for all, including themselves.
The last verse connects to this symptom of foolishness through a common habit: talking to oneself. When one is alone, it is easy to speak freely and without thought. But it is an opportunity for one’s own shortcomings, misunderstandings, and flaws to live unexamined. Alone in one’s bedroom, it is easy to complain about any number of things in chaotic rants to the walls. Solomon warns the reader against this because what one thinks in anger or speaks aloud alone will not be excused merely because nobody heard it. Solitude is not an excuse for malice.
This chapter had more direct statements and advice for the reader than some of the previous did. Instead of including a series of questions for your reflection at the end of this post, I will only ask one today in the hope that you give it serious consideration: How are you a fool?
Logan Abraham 