(“Fools in High Places”)

Ecclesiastes 10:12-20

(Ecclesiastes 10:16-17)

(A) THE BRIEFEST OF INTRODUCTIONS

(1) If the repetitive use of certain words or concepts is any indication – and it usually is – then the primary theme of Ecclesiastes chapter ten has to do with fools and foolish living. By my count there are at least nine direct references to “fool(s)”, “folly”, or “foolishness” within the first fifteen verses (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:1-6, 12-15) – ten if we count the word “madness” in verse thirteen.

(2) There are also a handful of references to wisdom and wise living – like in verse twelve where we’re told that: “words from the mouth of a WISE man are gracious” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:12a). But these only serve to make the folly of the foolish all the more obvious. Hence, verse twelve goes on to say that even though “the words of a wise man are gracious”, “the lips of a FOOL consume him” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:12b). While back in verse two we’re told that: “A WISE man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the FOOLISH man’s heart directs him toward the left” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:2) – “right and left” having the connotation of good and bad, or of being blessed or cursed.²

(3) Even when words like “fool” and “folly” aren’t used, foolish behavior is often implied – like in verses sixteen and seventeen, where Solomon says (in part): “Woe to you, O land, whose … princes feast in the morning … (not) for strength … (but) for drunkenness” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:16-17) – and also in verse eighteen, where we’re told that: “Through indolence (or “laziness”,¹ which is one of the identifying characteristics of a foolish man – c.f. Proverbs 1:32b) (“Through indolence”) the rafters sag, and … the house leaks” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:18).

(4) It’s important to note that when Scripture talks about people being fools, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are stupid, or dim-witted, or unintelligent – at least not in a secular sense. Some may be – like the man who won’t “sharpen” his “axe” when it gets “dull” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:10) – or whose “toil” is so wearisome to him, “that he doesn’t even know how to go to a city” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:15) – but usually when the Bible talks about people being foolish it has little or nothing to do with their intellect.

In Scripture, the foolish man is typically someone who does not take God seriously – whose thoughts and plans do not take their Creator⁴ into account – who neither “fears God nor particularly cares about keeping His commands”, as Solomon would say (c.f. Ecclesiastes 12:13). Hence, in Luke chapter twelve, “God” called the rich man who was planning to “build” bigger barns to store all his grain and goods a “fool” – not because he was stupid (since he obviously had a good mind for business and agriculture) – but because (as Jesus said) he was “not rich toward God” (c.f. Luke 12:20-21).

In Scripture, any person who is “not rich toward God” is a fool – any person who ignores their relationship with Jesus Christ is a fool – any person who focuses the bulk of their time and energy on accumulating cars and clothes and other earthly riches, rather than storing up treasures in heaven (c.f. Matthew 6:19-20) is a fool in the biblical sense of that word. They may have a PhD in some branch of science, but spiritually they are a fool. They may have lots of money and all the latest gadgets, but if they have sacrificed their relationship with Christ to get those things (c.f. Matthew 16:24-26), then they are a fool.

I would submit this is the kind of fool Solomon has in mind throughout the Book of Ecclesiastes – including here in chapter ten.

(B) THE FOOLISH MAN’S TALK

(1) Tonight we’re going to walk through as many verses in our Scripture lesson as we have time for, starting with verse twelve, which says: “Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:12).

(a) One of the things this verse teaches us is that words have consequences.³ Not only do our words often reveal what’s in our heart (c.f. Matthew 12:34-35), they can also have a positive or negative effect on others, as well as ourselves. That’s why the Book of Proverbs says: “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (c.f. Proverbs 18:21a). Our words have the power to build up or destroy – to encourage or discourage – to make another person’s day, or ruin it. As Scripture says elsewhere: “there is one who speaks … like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (c.f. Proverbs 12:18).

(b) Here in verse twelve Solomon says the “words … of a wise man are gracious” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:12a). Not only do they minister grace to others,⁵ they win the favor of others⁴ – which is more in keeping with the parallel thought in the last half of the verse, about “the lips of a fool consuming him” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:12b). An example of what we’re talking about would be Abigail, whose gracious words not only appeased David’s anger, but also won his heart⁵ (c.f. I Samuel 25:2-42).

Along these same lines, the Book of Colossians exhorts us Christians to: “Let (our) speech always be WITH GRACE, as though seasoned with salt, so that (we) will know how (we) should respond to each person” (c.f. Colossians 4:6) – and while I’ve often heard those words quoted in connection with sharing the gospel, they apply equally to any conversation we may have with people, regardless of whether they’re Christians or not, and/or regardless of what we may be talking about. If we are “wise”, we will always strive to make our “words” as “gracious” as possible (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:12a).

(c) In contrast to the gracious words of the wise, Solomon says: “the lips of a fool consume him” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:12b), or, “swallow him up” as the NKJV puts it. Either way, the idea is one of confusion⁶ and self-destruction.⁵

Though it’s not his intent, the words of a foolish man eventually bring about his own ruin. Hence, when Solomon’s successor, King Rehoboam,⁷ spoke harshly (and foolishly) to his subjects, saying: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions” (c.f. I Kings 12:13-14) – (when he said that) his words resulted in the kingdom his father and grand-father had worked so hard to bring together being divided into two separate nations, with Rehoboam left to rule over the smaller of the two.

Elsewhere Scripture says that: “the mouth of a fool invites ruin” (c.f. Proverbs 10:14b, NIV) – and again: “a fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are (a) snare (to) his soul” (c.f. Proverbs 18:7, NKJV) – and once more: “the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin” (c.f. Proverbs 13:3b).

A biblical example of what we’re talking about would be Nabal (Abigail’s first husband), whose foolish response to David’s request for assistance resulted in his death – not at the hands of David, mind you, but by the hand of the Lord (c.f. I Samuel 25:2-38).

(2) Moving on to verse thirteen and the first part of verse fourteen, Solomon says (of the fool) that: “the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness. Yet the fool multiplies words” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:13-14a).

(a) This may very well be an explanation of how “the lips of a fool consume him” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:12b) – i.e. by moving him (in a series of progressive steps) from “folly” to “wicked madness” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:13) – from “silly talk”⁹ (c.f. Ephesians 5:4) to arrogant boasting (which is what the word “madness” means)⁸ – from frivolous⁹ remarks to offensive insults – from inane comments⁹ to slandering “angelic majesties” (c.f. Jude 1:8) – from “coarse jesting”⁹ (c.f. Ephesians 5:4) to reviling God (c.f. II Peter 2:12).

(b) And yet, despite this mad rush toward ever greater and greater offenses against God and men, the foolish man can’t keep his mouth shut – he keeps on talking long after he should have retreated into silence. He “multiplies words” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:14a), as Solomon says in verse fourteen – i.e. he heaps¹⁰ more and more words on top of those he’s already spoken – he continues adding words to those he should never have articulated in the first place. Hence, one writer said: “foolish words flow out of his mouth like a torrent”⁹ – or, if I may give you a local image, like flood waters rushing down the arroyos and streets of Alamogordo after a heavy rain.

(c) Elsewhere, the Book of Proverbs says: “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable” (c.f. Proverbs 10:19a) – or, as one paraphrased version says: “If you talk a lot, you are sure to sin” (ICB). Hence, the man who foolishly “multiplies (his) words” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:14a) ought not be surprised when he finds himself in constant trouble.

Again, Scripture says that: “even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; (and) when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent” (c.f. Proverbs 17:28). But that seldom (if ever) happens, because another identifying characteristics of the foolish man is his inability to keep quiet – as one of the older writers said, he is a “combustible talker.”⁷

(3) Solomon continues on in verse fourteen, saying: “No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:14b).

(a) One of the ways a foolish man “multiplies words” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:14a) to his own ruin (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:12b) is by talking incessantly about things he really knows nothing about,¹¹ and/or things he cannot be sure of – in this instance, “what will happen” in the future (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:14b).

Even the wisest among us don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow (c.f. Ecclesiastes 6:12c; 8:7) – at least not with any precision (c.f. James 4:13-14). Men do make educated guesses based on things like probability, past experience, or God’s faithfulness to keep the laws of nature functioning – but the foolish man babbles on and on about things for which he has little or no information, or about things no one can know for sure¹¹ – and he does so as if he were omniscient.

(b) Charles Bridges once said that “words are often a substitute for thinking.”¹² The foolish man doesn’t think (although I’m sure he would disagree) – he just talks. He’s free with his opinions – he always knows more about every subject than anyone else – he “multiplies (his) words” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:14a), in part, by going on and on about what he will do, where he will go, or what successes he will have next month, or next year, or whenever.¹³ Any thinking he does (if it can be called that) is done out loud. A wise man tries to sort out his thoughts, and think before he speaks – but not the foolish man. When he slips his mouth into gear, he usually disengages his mind.

(C) THE FOOLISH MAN’S WORK

(1) We come now to verse fifteen, and a slight shift in emphasis from a foolish man’s talk to a foolish man’s work.¹² Specifically, verse fifteen says: “The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:15).

(a) Despite all his talk – despite all his boasts about what he knows, what he has supposedly done in the past, and what he will do in the future – the foolish man never really accomplishes anything worthwhile.¹⁴ If the foolish man ever stops talking long enough to try and do something important, it quickly becomes evident that he can’t deliver – that he’s all talk and no walk. Hence, one writer said: “when it comes to actions, and particularly the consistency and competency required to do productive work, the foolish man is found wanting.”¹⁵

(b) Earlier in chapter ten Solomon said that: “even when a fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:3). Verse fifteen makes a similar point – namely, that the foolish man is so incompetent (especially in comparison to his boasts) that he can’t even find his way “to a city” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:15) – i.e. he can’t even accomplish the simplest task. Moreover, everyone can see how foolish he is as he wanders back and forth “along the road” (as it were) trying to find the path to success (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:3).

In short, then, verse fifteen is another way of saying that the foolish man can’t hide his true identity – if his verbosity wasn’t enough to give him away, his ineptitude is. Indeed, the foolish man isn’t fooling anybody but himself.

(D) WISE AND FOOLISH KINGS

(1) Moving on to verses sixteen and seventeen, the contrast between wisdom and foolishness continues – only now Solomon draws upon the world of kings and public officials to illustrate it. For example, in verse sixteen he says: “Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:16).

(a) Several commentators think the reference to having “a lad” for a “king” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:16a) is not so much a reference to age,¹⁶ as it is a description of a foolish ruler – in this case, one who may be old in terms of years, but immature in his thinking or decision making – unable to discern between the kind of counsel that ought to be followed, and that which ought to be rejected – and who is, therefore, easily influenced by unscrupulous¹⁷ or foolish advisors. If this view is correct, then it refers to a ruler (regardless of how old he may be) who is incompetent¹⁸ or inept when it comes to providing the people of his nation with the kind of leadership they need.

Rehoboam, to whom we referred earlier, was such a ruler – for although he was a man in terms age, being forty-one years old when he became king (c.f. I Kings 14:21) – yet, in terms of the wisdom needed to rule the kingdom Solomon left him, he was a mere “lad” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:16a) whose foolish decisions divided the nation of Israel in two (c.f. I Kings 12:1-17). “Woe to (the) land” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:16a), Solomon says, who has a foolish leader (or leaders) like that!

(b) As for the reference to “princes (who) feast in the morning” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:16b), these are leaders (whether in civil government or the church) who are more interested in satisfying their own appetites¹⁹ or desires, than providing for the welfare of their constituents (c.f. Ezekiel 34:2-4) – who foolishly use the most productive hours of the day for self-service instead of public service¹⁹ – who spend more time at parties and banquets dispensing personal favors, than at the office (as it were) dispensing justice.¹⁴

King Belshazzar would be an example of what we’re talking about here – for the Book of Daniel tells us he was eating and drinking with a thousand of his nobles the same night the armies of Darius the Medes breached the walls of his capital city and put any end to the Babylonian Empire (c.f. Daniel 5:1-31). “Woe to (those nations)” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:16a), Solomon says, whose leaders are so foolish and self-serving!

(c) It’s hard not to go off on several tangents at this point – so I’ll keep it to just one, and keep that one short.

Edward Reynolds, writing about four hundred years ago, said: “a wicked (or foolish) prince is a great argument for Divine displeasure with a whole people … while a good (or wise) prince is an argument for God’s love, and of His intention to bless such a nation.”²⁰

As evidence Reynolds referenced Isaiah 19:4, where God says: “‘I will deliver the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel master, and a mighty king will rule over them,’ declares the Lord God of hosts.” To it we can add Isaiah 3:4, where, in response to Israel’s sin and rebellion, the Lord said: “I will make mere lads their princes, and capricious children will rule over them.”

While not every person in a position of civil authority may be wicked or foolish (Joseph wasn’t, nor was Daniel) one wonders if Reynolds wasn’t on to something – and that in many instances we do get the kind of leaders we deserve – or at the very least, the kind of leaders that reflect the majority values of our culture. After all, when Israel wanted a king like all the nations around them, they got Saul (c.f. I Samuel 8:19-9:2), whose foolishness eventually cost him the throne – but when God chose to bless Israel by giving them a man after His own heart, they got David (c.f. Acts 13:21-22), who even though he sinned, showed great spiritual wisdom by confessing his sins and repenting.

“Woe to (that) land” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:16) who gets the kind of leaders they deserve, instead of the kind of leaders that are evidence of God’s grace and blessing.

(2) Finally, then, we come to verse seventeen where Solomon addresses the other half of the proverbial equation begun in the previous verse, saying: “Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time – for strength and not for drunkenness” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:17).

(a) You can see how this verse completes the thought begun in verse sixteen – i.e. the contrast between “woe” and “blessing” – between foolish leaders who “feast in the morning”, and wise leaders who “eat at the appropriate time” – between leaders who gorge themselves (implied) and get drunk, and those who eat and drink “for strength” so they can carry out their duties to the best of their ability (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:16-17).

(b) Perhaps we can sum up verse seventeen by saying that wise leaders take their work seriously, in part, by exhibiting self-control over their appetites.²¹ Nor are we just talking about things like gluttony and drunkenness. We’re also talking about self-control in areas like the misuse of public funds, lying for personal political gain, and various acts of immorality – as well as other abuses of power. “Blessed” is the “land”, Solomon says, whose leaders are best described by verse seventeen (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:17).

(c) The Book of Proverbs says that: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (c.f. Proverbs 14:34). That’s not only true of nations and the people who make up its citizenry, its also true of a nation’s leaders. Righteous leaders, who exhibit wisdom, exalt a nation – while foolish leaders, who use their power to indulge their passions in the passing pleasures of sin, bring disgrace not only upon themselves, and their nation, but also upon the people they are supposed to be serving.

(d) Elsewhere we Christians are “urged” to offer 1“entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings … (for) all men, 2(but especially) FOR KINGS AND ALL WHO ARE IN (POSITIONS OF) AUTHORITY, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all GODLINESS and dignity” (c.f. I Timothy 2:1-2).

It’s hard to have a “godly” nation without “godly” leaders. Obviously, then, one of the things we should pray for is that God would give us “godly” leaders – i.e. men and women who fit the description found in verse seventeen – while also protecting us from leaders who fit the mold found in verse sixteen. And as for our leaders themselves, let us pray that God would “bless” us with men and women who “eat at the appropriate time” (as it were), “for strength and not for drunkenness” (c.f. Ecclesiastes 10:17b) – who make wise use of every day, so they can better serve the people the Lord has raised them up to serve (c.f. Romans 13:1).

¹BCS: Strong’s Concordance; Word #6103.

²The New Geneva Study Bible: Footnote on Ecclesiastes

10:2; p. 998.

³IBID: Footnote on Ecclesiastes 10:12; p. 999.

⁴Kidner: The Message of Ecclesiastes; p. 92.

⁵Reynolds: A Commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes; p. 213.

⁶BCS: Ibid; Word #1104.

⁷Bridges: Ecclesiastes; Geneva Series; p. 250.

⁸BCS: Ibid; Word #1948 and #1984.

⁹Pritchard: Something New Under the Sun; p. 260.