Ecc 10:3 | KingComments | STEP | The resemblance between and the second part of the last verse of the previous chapter ( ) is clear. says that as “dead flies” spoils a supply of “oil” that has been carefully composed, so a little foolishness causes so much harm, that all “wisdom [and] honor” are powerless in the face of that. The meaning is that it only takes a small thing to render unusable or even destroy a large quantity of valuable goods. It does happen that a human being just gives in to a foolish impulse with the result that much and a long-term good work is undone. We recognize this in daily life in society, in politics, in the sports world and also in the church. During the Olympic Games in Brazil in 2016 a gymnast was sent home because he broke the rules by having a night out. Gone are the years of exercise and chances to win the medal. A competent captain or pilot can lose his entre built-up reputation, including his boat or airplane with passengers, by a careless act. We see that also in the Bible. Esau sells his birthright with all the attached blessings in a moment of craving for a dish ( ). Moses loses his entrance into the land by one single act of temper ( ). Wisdom and foolishness are connected to the heart in . The heart is the source where wisdom and foolishness come from. Wisdom and foolishness are shown in their origin: they are in the inside, in the inner being of man, and they are expressed in his deeds, of which the hand speaks. “The right” has a favorable and “the left” an unfavorable meaning. The right speaks of power, of exaltation and giving honor ( ). The left speaks of what is hidden, ominous and sinister. He who is wise will watch over his heart and will do that with all diligence ( ). His heart seeks honorable things, things that are above a degenerate, sinful way of life. It seeks the things of God, from Whom he receives the strength to do what is honorable. The fool has a life without God. His heart seeks to satisfy his sinful lusts. He tries to achieve his goal with hidden, sinister means, without even thinking about others. In the political speech the term ‘right(-wing)’ is used to indicate ‘the conservative’ and ‘left(-wing)’ to indicate the ‘progressive’. In the Bible those ideas are not related to it. ‘Right’ has to do with what is honored by God. ‘Left’ stands for a life without God, a life for oneself, materialistic and selfish. We see that in the judgment of the Lord Jesus on the sheep and the goats ( ). It can happen that “the fool walks along the road”, meaning that he lives properly by the rules, without misbehaving ( ). But as proper as he may behave himself, still “his sense is lacking”. That appears from what he demonstrates. He leaves no room for being misunderstood that he is a fool, by all that he says and does. We can apply this to someone who lives properly by the rules, but to whom it is just an empty matter to be a Christian. He calls himself ‘a Christian’ because of the profit he gains from it. However, in all his doings his sense is lacking. He has no real insight in the things of God.

‏ Ecclesiastes 10:3

Characteristics of the Fool

The resemblance between Ecc 10:1 and the second part of the last verse of the previous chapter (Ecc 9:18b) is clear. Ecc 10:1 says that as “dead flies” spoils a supply of “oil” that has been carefully composed, so a little foolishness causes so much harm, that all “wisdom [and] honor” are powerless in the face of that. The meaning is that it only takes a small thing to render unusable or even destroy a large quantity of valuable goods. It does happen that a human being just gives in to a foolish impulse with the result that much and a long-term good work is undone.

We recognize this in daily life in society, in politics, in the sports world and also in the church. During the Olympic Games in Brazil in 2016 a gymnast was sent home because he broke the rules by having a night out. Gone are the years of exercise and chances to win the medal. A competent captain or pilot can lose his entre built-up reputation, including his boat or airplane with passengers, by a careless act. We see that also in the Bible. Esau sells his birthright with all the attached blessings in a moment of craving for a dish (Gen 25:31-34). Moses loses his entrance into the land by one single act of temper (Num 20:12).

Wisdom and foolishness are connected to the heart in Ecc 10:2. The heart is the source where wisdom and foolishness come from. Wisdom and foolishness are shown in their origin: they are in the inside, in the inner being of man, and they are expressed in his deeds, of which the hand speaks. “The right” has a favorable and “the left” an unfavorable meaning. The right speaks of power, of exaltation and giving honor (Psa 110:1 ; 5). The left speaks of what is hidden, ominous and sinister.

He who is wise will watch over his heart and will do that with all diligence (Pro 4:23). His heart seeks honorable things, things that are above a degenerate, sinful way of life. It seeks the things of God, from Whom he receives the strength to do what is honorable. The fool has a life without God. His heart seeks to satisfy his sinful lusts. He tries to achieve his goal with hidden, sinister means, without even thinking about others.

In the political speech the term ‘right(-wing)’ is used to indicate ‘the conservative’ and ‘left(-wing)’ to indicate the ‘progressive’. In the Bible those ideas are not related to it. ‘Right’ has to do with what is honored by God. ‘Left’ stands for a life without God, a life for oneself, materialistic and selfish. We see that in the judgment of the Lord Jesus on the sheep and the goats (Mt 25:31-46).

It can happen that “the fool walks along the road”, meaning that he lives properly by the rules, without misbehaving (Ecc 10:3). But as proper as he may behave himself, still “his sense is lacking”. That appears from what he demonstrates. He leaves no room for being misunderstood that he is a fool, by all that he says and does.

We can apply this to someone who lives properly by the rules, but to whom it is just an empty matter to be a Christian. He calls himself ‘a Christian’ because of the profit he gains from it. However, in all his doings his sense is lacking. He has no real insight in the things of God.