The Solomon Project Ecclesiastes 10:5-10

The rationale for this blog can be found on earlier posts. If you are not familiar with the reason for this blog please avail yourself of the opportunity to do so.

How did things go with the authorities this week? The pastor, policeman, local politician, national politicians, the football coaches? How about the doctors, dentists, eye doctors, other health care officials you came in contact with? The author some call him Qohelet, the preacher, begins another line of thinking now. The determinative marker we have come to recognize is in place here--"There is an evil I have seen under the sun . . ." The author will present us with a story to teach the lesson. "There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler:" (Ecc 10:5 NIV) The evil arises from an error. Solomon has spent much time providing us with illustrations and anecdotes that lead us to accept that we live in a less than perfect world--errors can and do happen. Decisions are made every day that are less than perfect. Solomon is saying that out of those can come evil. He starts by talking about the source of the error. It comes from a ruler. Those that are in authority. He continues on: "Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones." (Ecc 10:6 NIV) Because of the errors of those in authority fools are in high positions and the rich are in the low positions. The fool has authority and can't even find his way on the road (10:3). The rich (perhaps here in wisdom from our point of view) are placed in parallel to the fools. In Israelite society the rich should have had these opportunities but did not. They held lowly positions instead. Have you ever been in that situation? Through the error in judgment of one of your superiors you have a fool for a boss? Or you may have observed it in our list above. It happens. Remember the previous verse though: Calmness before an angry ruler lays great errors to rest. Qohelet turns the way things are supposed to be upside down with this example. Life isn't supposed to be this way. Calmness and wisdom can help us get through it.

In the next verse Solomon presents another variation on a theme. "I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves." (Ecc 10:7 NIV) Errors in judgement, says Qohelet, turns the world upside down. The entire social order can be turned on its "ear." Ours is a fairly stable society we don't see a lot of change like this but Solomon saw it. His descendants after him proliferated and endured much more.

"Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake." (Ecc 10:8 NIV) This proverb placed here has caused many to make valiant attempts to tie it to the previous contexts. First what does the proverb say? Basically that there is always a danger that your occupation while a seemingly mundane activity carries the potential for danger. How does this tie into the context. Harm can come through rulers and those in authority but harm can come to one who is simply doing his job. He doesn't need the intrusion of a foolish ruler to incur that harm. Workmen are harmed in various degrees of severity everyday from crane accidents to a cut on the hand requiring only a bandage. These are part of living life "under the sun" These mundane accidents can be much easier to take than a foolish ruler who can wreck much more damage.

The next verse presents more severe mishaps. "Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them." (Ecc 10:9 NIV) The same idea is carried on here from the previous verse, a Hebrew technique of extended comparative parallelism of thought "Accidents happen." The fitfulness of this is that if (and Solomon believes that it is) the divine providence of God is at work at all it does not necessarily provide comfort in the Topsy-turvy world under the sun.

Some have called this next verse the most enigmatic in the entire book of Ecclesiastes. "If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success." (Ecc 10:10 NIV) This is perhaps one of those verses whose grammatical nuances escape us through the course of time. The connection is to the last phrase of the previous verse, that of log splitting. Splitting logs will take more work with an unsharpened ax. The wise workman will sharpen the ax in order to insure that he remains safe as he works. That may be the paradox here. One might think that sharp tools are dangerous, but in the hands of skilled workmen they are more effective. The word wisdom ends this verse in the original text, that I think is the key. One person has translated this verse "If the axe is blunt and the edge is not sharp, then he must increase his efforts. But the advantage of wisdom is success." (Longman 243)

How can this apply to those who suffer from addictive and compulsive behaviors particularly sexual addiction. We may want to battle against what we perceive as fools in charge. Can we use the steps to helps us through difficult circumstances? Can we rely upon our higher power to enable us to make wise choices. Wisdom and skill apply not only to making our way through life with those in authority but applying the skills to living in recovery. We work skillfully at maintaining sobriety and increasing in recovery. The wise workman works smarter not harder. Are you applying great effort to sobriety and recovery? Are there new ways to use the tools you have to gain greater growth with less effort. Are there new tools to obtain that will increase your skills. Our time is up for today. Keep coming back it works if your work it and you're worth it.