Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 10:10 "If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success."
A dull axe requires great strength; be wise and sharpen the blade.
Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 10:19 "A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything."
"Under the sun," and away from God, money is the logical answer. However, God is the spiritual answer that we need more than money.
Read Ecclesiastes Chapter 10
Verses 1-3. Those especially who make a profession of religion, should keep from all appearances of evil. A wise man has great advantage over a fool, who is always at a loss when he has anything to do. Sin is the reproach of sinners, wherever they go, and shows their folly.
Verses 4-10. Solomon appears to caution men not to seek restitution in a hasty manner, nor to yield to pride and revenge. Do not, in a passion, quit your post of duty; wait awhile, and you will find that yielding pacifies great offences. Men are not preferred according to their merit. And those are often most forward to offer help, who are least aware of the difficulties, or the consequences. The same remark is applied to the church, or the body of Christ, that all the members should have the same care one for another.
Verses 5-9. By describing these circumstances that aren't fair or don't make sense, Solomon is saying that wisdom alone can't bring justice. Solomon continues to build his conclusion that everything we have (from wisdom to riches) is nothing without God. And what little we have, when God is using it, becomes all we could ever want.
Verse 5-6. This is one of the things that has happened in our day and age; a dignity has been given to sin. There was a time when sin was down on the side street. It was considered dirty and filthy, and it savored of that which was low and foul. But today sin has moved up on the boulevard. Sin is committed with great dignity, and it has been given a prominent place. It is given a prominent place on TV shows.
I noticed the other day that they interviewed a stripper on a television show, that is, a girl who takes off her clothes in a nightclub. I knew people who would sneak off at night and go to such shows. It was dirty; it was filthy. Today they call it an art form! Today sin is handled in such a dignified way. "Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place."
Have you heard interviews with the ordinary citizen or with the ordinary Christian? These are the people who are making the finest contribution to their community and to their society. Are they the ones who are interviewed? No, they occupy a low place. You never hear of them. The attention is focused on the ones who are the sinners and the oddballs.
However, don't completely discount somebody for being an oddball. Pray for them. Know that Jesus can change their life just like He has changed ours. Dennis Rodman comes to mind when I think of oddballs. This guy has tattoos and body piercings. He has colored and shaven hair. He is definately an oddball. But think. If he were to surrender his life to Jesus, he could be a powerful testimony. Romans 12 tells us not to be conformed to this world. If we are different to draw attention to ourselves, we are wrong. But, if we are different to draw the attention to Jesus Christ, then it is good. Don't condemn the oddballs. God loves them and we should, too.
Verse 10. Trying to do anything without the necessary skills or tools is like chopping with a dull axe. If your tool is dull, you sharpen it to do a better job. Similarly, if you lack skills, you should sharpen them through training and practice. In each situation, sharpening the axe means recognizing where a problem exists, acquiring or honing the skills (or tools) to do the job better, and then going out and doing it. Find the areas of your life where your "axe" is dull, and sharpen your skills so you can be more effective for God's work.
Don't go out untrained. Take the time for sharpening.
Verses 11-15. There is a practice in the East, of charming serpents by music. The babbler's tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison; and contradiction only makes it the more violent. We must find the way to keep him gentle. But by rash, unprincipled, or slanderous talk, he brings open or secret vengeance upon himself. Would we duly consider our own ignorance as to future events, it would cut off many idle words which we foolishly multiply. Fools toil a great deal to no purpose. They do not understand the plainest things, such as the entrance into a great city. But it is the excellency of the way to the heavenly city, that it is a high-way, in which the simplest wayfaring men will not err, Isaiah 25:8. But sinful folly makes men miss that only way to happiness.
Verses 16-19. When the Hebrews had immature and irresponsible leaders, their nation fell. The books of 1 and 2 Kings describe the decline of the kingdoms when the leaders were concerned only about themselves. Verse 18 pinpoints the basic problem of these selfish leaders--laziness.
Verse 19. Government leaders, businesses, families, even churches get trapped into thinking money is the answer to every problem. We throw money at our problems, but just as the thrill of liquor is only temporary, the soothing effect of the last purchase soon wears off and we have to buy more. Scripture recognizes that money is necessary for survival, but it warns against the love of money. Money is dangerous because it deceives us into thinking that wealth is the easiest way to get everything we want. The love of money is sinful because we trust it, rather than God, to solve our problems. Those who pursue its empty promises one day discover that they have nothing, because they are spiritually bankrupt.
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
Hebrews 13:5 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
If your treasures are on earth, each day you are moving away from them. If your treasures are in Heaven, each day you are moving toward them.
Verses 16-20. The happiness of a land depends on the character of its rulers. The people cannot be happy when their princes are childish, and lovers of pleasure. Slothfulness is of ill consequence both to private and public affairs. Money, of itself, will neither feed nor clothe, though it answers the occasions of this present life. But the soul, as it is not redeemed, so it is not maintained with corruptible things, as silver and gold. God sees what men do, and hears what they say in secret; and, when He pleases, brings it to light by strange and unsuspected ways. If there be hazard in secret thoughts and whispers against earthly rulers, what must be the peril from every deed, word, or thought of rebellion against the King of kings, and Lord of lords! He sees in secret. His ear is ever open. Your curses cannot affect Him; but His curse, coming down upon you, will sink you to the lowest hell.