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Please enjoy this message delivered by Pastor Mark Hudson.
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LearningTranscript
00:00You know, I think sometimes cowboys get a bad rap.
00:05They do.
00:06I mean, they may dress a bit rough or behave a little bit rough,
00:09and they have maybe a draw, maybe they talk slowly.
00:12Of course, all cowboys are different,
00:13but I just think that they get a bad rap.
00:16Actually, cowboys have a lot of practical wisdom.
00:20We call it cowboy wisdom.
00:23For example, always drink upstream from the herd.
00:27Lord, that's practical.
00:32I think that's pretty wise.
00:34How about if you find yourself in a hole,
00:36the first thing to do is stop digging.
00:39I wish the government would learn that one.
00:43Don't worry about biting off more you can chew.
00:47Your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger than you think.
00:50I think this is practical wisdom.
00:53Never miss a good chance to shut up.
00:56That's a good one.
00:58That's a good one.
01:00Generally, you ain't learning nothing when your mouth's a john.
01:03Also a good one.
01:05If you get to thinking you're a person of some influence,
01:08try ordering someone else's dog around.
01:13Good judgment comes from experience,
01:16and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
01:18This is practical wisdom.
01:21And this is what Solomon wants to talk to us today about.
01:24Practical wisdom.
01:26He's teaching us how to walk and talk and lead with wisdom.
01:29Just practical everyday stuff that you and I have to encounter all the time.
01:34He wants us to walk in wisdom.
01:36He wants us to talk with wisdom.
01:37He wants us to lead with wisdom.
01:39This is what he wants to communicate to us today
01:41out of chapter 10 in Ecclesiastes.
01:43We see this.
01:45He says to us,
01:47walk in wisdom to be blessed,
01:49speak with wisdom to build up,
01:51and lead with wisdom to bless others.
01:54That's what he's trying to communicate.
01:55In these three areas today,
01:56in chapter 10 of Ecclesiastes,
01:58the question I had,
02:01and you probably have the same thing
02:02when we're talking about walking in wisdom
02:04and talking in wisdom
02:05and leading in wisdom,
02:06is then why are the foolish so often prominent in power?
02:13Telling us how much they know,
02:15or at least they think they know,
02:16and leading our nation to disaster.
02:20Why do the foolish seem to be running things
02:23in so many different places?
02:25And you're probably going,
02:26that sounds like my boss.
02:27Be careful.
02:28Verse 20 is something we want to think about right here
02:30when you think about your boss that way,
02:32so be careful.
02:32But you may say,
02:33man, my company is just full of foolish people.
02:36They're just running this company into the ground.
02:40Where are the wise?
02:43Where are the wise people?
02:45Solomon wants to instruct us.
02:47He opens up this chapter with a powerful illustration
02:49of the danger of a little bit of folly.
02:52Actually, it's continuing over from chapter nine
02:54where we stopped two weeks ago.
02:56It's continuing the last verse of chapter nine
02:58and beginning in chapter 10.
02:59They're very similar.
03:00Where verse one forms a transition
03:02between chapter nine and chapter 10.
03:04So look with me in verses one through four of chapter 10.
03:08Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment
03:11give off a stench.
03:12It stinks.
03:14So a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
03:18A wise man heart inclines him to the right,
03:22but a fool's heart to the left.
03:24Even when the fool walks on the road,
03:27he lacks sense.
03:30And he says to everyone that he is a fool.
03:33If the anger of the ruler rises against you,
03:36do not leave your place for calmness will lay great offenses
03:41or great sins to rest.
03:44He's talking about walking in wisdom in our conduct,
03:48in the way that we behave and act in this world.
03:53So when you look at that, you notice in your Bible,
03:55these are, except for verses five and six,
03:56they're offset, they're typed in a way that tells us
03:59this is poetic language, wisdom literature.
04:02So there are a bunch of proverbs and automatically think,
04:05well, these are just a string of proverbs
04:06all kind of thrown together haphazardly and randomly.
04:09No, he's chosen these proverbs based on the theme
04:11that he's talking about in each section.
04:13So they're not random proverbs.
04:14He puts them all together for a purpose.
04:16There's a tight purpose in there.
04:17So it's clear from this proverb that even a small,
04:22insignificant thing can spoil a person's efforts.
04:25You may work really hard with skill and wisdom
04:28and somebody at your work throws a monkey wrench
04:32in the whole thing and it just collapses.
04:35A little folly causes great disaster.
04:38Even when there's a great deal of wisdom present,
04:41things get messed up by a little folly, a little sin.
04:46Derek Kidner said this,
04:47it's easier to make a stink than to create sweetness.
04:51And that little folly in the ointment of the perfumer,
04:53those little flies, which represent the folly,
04:55those make it stink.
04:57It's easier to make it stink than it is to be sweet, he says.
05:00Now look at verse two again.
05:01It says, a wise man heart inclines him to the right,
05:05but a fool's heart to the left.
05:07Immediately I thought this is talking
05:08about the American political system.
05:11It has to be, right?
05:13I saw it on Facebook, it has to be true.
05:15No, no, that's not what it's talking about.
05:18It's not talking about the American political system.
05:19That's all it's always talking about.
05:21He's basically giving us an understanding of the concepts in the Old Testament
05:25is that those on the left, the concept on the left,
05:28the idea is that the left means disaster,
05:31and the right means prosperity and blessings.
05:35So in the Old Covenant, in the Old Testament,
05:37when you look at it, those on the left were considered to be disastrous, ruinous, foolish.
05:43Those on the right, prosperity and blessing.
05:46And a good example Jesus gives when he talks about the parable of the sheep and the goats
05:50at the end of time in chapter 25 of Matthew.
05:52And he will place the sheeps on his right, blessing,
05:57but the goats on his left, place of destruction.
06:00And we know from the parable, the goats go into everlasting destruction
06:03and the sheep go into the eternal kingdom.
06:05So that's the idea.
06:07It's not the American political system, although it fits,
06:09but it's not the American political system, all right?
06:12So we'll just go there, all right?
06:13So when we think of the term fool, we normally think of this.
06:16We think of this court gesture,
06:19who's the purpose of the fool and the court gesture was to make everyone laugh at court.
06:23Court's a serious place.
06:25So the court gesture is there to make everyone laugh.
06:27But that's not how Solomon is using the word fool.
06:30It's much worse than that.
06:31It's not just someone that entertains us.
06:33It's far worse than that.
06:36He says, a fool is a person who lacks the proper fear of God
06:40and is prone to go in the wrong direction in life.
06:43That is the fool.
06:44Now, you're probably going to notice I'm going to use that phrase fool
06:48or foolish often because Solomon does.
06:50He's going to talk about foolish behavior, foolish people, foolish leadership,
06:55foolish walking in this world.
06:56And so I'm going to say that behavior is foolish because Solomon did.
07:01So these people do not fear God, which is the beginning of wisdom, right?
07:05They do not fear God.
07:07And it's evidenced by the way that they walk in their life.
07:09They're always going in the wrong direction.
07:10That's a fool, according to Solomon.
07:12Dan Alladin describes a fool as guilty of hot anger directed at self or others,
07:20self-centeredness, and hatred of discipline and wisdom.
07:23That's the idea.
07:25Paul sums up this idea of foolishness in Romans 1 when he talks about us
07:29worshiping the creatures more than the creator.
07:31When he says this,
07:32In other words, they didn't fear God and their life was directed by going in the wrong direction
07:49all the time.
07:50They were foolish.
07:53The fool makes known that he is a fool by his foolish conduct.
07:57In other words, remember in grade school when you used to push on the back of somebody,
08:01kick me, you know, you come up and slap him on the back.
08:03Hey, how are you having a good day today?
08:04And it says, kick me on the back.
08:05And he's walking down the hallway and you see the kick me on the back of the shirt.
08:09Now, you're looking at me like, I never did that.
08:11You guys, you know you did that.
08:13At least you've seen it done.
08:15The fool, when he walks down the street, you know what he has?
08:17He has a big sign that says, I'm a fool.
08:21He's walking down the street and he says, I'm a fool.
08:23Even when he walks down the street, we see his conduct.
08:26He's a fool.
08:28Mark Twain said, suppose you were an idiot.
08:31And suppose you were a member of Congress.
08:33But I repeat myself.
08:38It's a big sign that says, I'm a fool.
08:41I don't fear God and I'm going in the wrong direction all the time.
08:44I'm foolish.
08:46And it's evidence.
08:47We know, we see it.
08:50The longer a fool talks or acts, the more obvious he is a fool.
08:55Or we could say she, it's not just a male, it's female.
08:57We're all of us.
08:58The more we talk, it's evidence that they're a foolish person.
09:01Because we hear what they're saying.
09:02They don't fear God and they walk in the wrong direction all the time.
09:05Proverbs 17 says, even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise.
09:11So a foolish person who doesn't talk is considered wise.
09:15When he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
09:18How do we know he's a fool?
09:19He opens up his mouth and starts talking again.
09:21Then he says, listen, when you're in front of an angry ruler,
09:28a ruler, now he's not talking about the king.
09:29He's talking about a lesser official under the king.
09:31Maybe your boss or a representative.
09:33Something under the king.
09:34Not the ultimate authority, but underneath the king.
09:37When you're in front of this person and they get angry at you, remain calm.
09:41Just remain calm.
09:43Be patient.
09:45Keep cool.
09:46The hard thing for us to do is to patiently wait for the downfall of the fool.
09:53It will come.
09:55So your boss is angry at you.
09:56You haven't done anything wrong.
09:58But for whatever reason, maybe gossip, someone lied about you at work or whatever,
10:01he's angry at you.
10:02Don't walk away from him, the text says.
10:04Don't leave his presence.
10:06Remain calm and be patient.
10:08You will be vindicated for being correct.
10:10And the fool will become obvious by his speech and his conduct.
10:13If those in leadership suddenly get angry for no reason you cause,
10:18just be patient for wisdom will be vindicated.
10:21It may not ever be rewarded as we learned already,
10:24but it will be vindicated as being wisdom.
10:27So in a touchy situation, use a healing word and a calm response.
10:33Yelling at your boss is not a good idea.
10:35It's not wise.
10:37Don't yell at your boss.
10:38It's not wise.
10:40Proverbs 25 says,
10:41Remember we learned two weeks ago, bone was the seed of the pain.
10:50So a soft tongue will break the pain in someone's heart
10:54by being soft to them, not harsh to them.
10:59So he moves on to a new topic now.
11:02Not walking in conduct, but wisdom in our speech.
11:05But the problem is it's dangerous for a nation or a community to exalt a fool
11:11because everyone, everyone perishes.
11:15Everyone suffers when a fool is in leadership.
11:18So look at verses 5 through 15.
11:21There is an evil that I have seen under the sun,
11:25as it were an error proceeding from the ruler.
11:29In other words, the ruler is at fault in this case.
11:31The ruler is at fault.
11:32An error proceeding from him, the ruler.
11:34The ruler is not being wise, but fool.
11:38A folly is set in many high places,
11:41and the rich sit in a low place.
11:44I have seen slaves on horses and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
11:49He who digs a pit will fall into it,
11:51and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
11:55He who quarries stones is hurt by them,
11:58and he who splits logs is endangered by them.
12:01If the iron is blunt and one does not sharpen the edge,
12:05he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed.
12:10If the serpent bites before it is charmed,
12:12there is no advantage to the charmer.
12:15The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor,
12:18but the lips of a fool consume him.
12:21The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
12:25and the end of his talk is evil madness.
12:28A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be,
12:33and who can tell him what will be after him?
12:37The toil of a fool wearies him,
12:39for he does not know the way to the city.
12:42So not only wisdom in our conduct,
12:45but wisdom in the way that we talk to each other,
12:46the way that we speak to each other.
12:48So wisdom in our speech.
12:50So those that have earned their wealth justly,
12:54we're not talking about bad people that are corrupt,
12:56and that abuse people, and are unjust.
12:58We're not talking about that.
12:59But one who's earned his wealth wisely,
13:01considered to be noble in the Old Testament,
13:03they're put in low places,
13:05and the fool ruler picks people
13:07who aren't qualified for positions to take their places.
13:12Verses 6 and 7 describe powerfully a society that's in turmoil.
13:15See, the positions of power were not assigned by merit.
13:20The ruler just says arbitrarily,
13:22well, I like you, you're a good friend,
13:23I'm going to put you in this position.
13:25Well, I don't really know anything about it.
13:26That's okay.
13:26You don't really know anything about it.
13:28You just got this position.
13:29No, that's the foolishness of a ruler.
13:31It's not by merit.
13:32You haven't earned that.
13:33It's just he places whoever he wants in there,
13:35whomever he wants in there,
13:36and it becomes disastrous.
13:39Not only for a corporation, but for a nation as well.
13:41So verse 8 speaks about the uncertainties of life.
13:45There's always a possibility that an accident could happen.
13:48You could use skill, you could use wisdom,
13:49but still an accident could happen.
13:51It just, events happen in life.
13:53We know that.
13:54Accidents happen even to the skilled.
13:56So even when we exercise wisdom and serve faithfully and justly,
14:00we may see a blow up in our faces.
14:02That may happen.
14:03It just happens.
14:04Not because we did anything wrong,
14:06but simply because unexpected things happen unexpectedly.
14:10So then he talks about this idea of breaking through a wall.
14:14You remember the houses in the Old Testament in the ancient East
14:18were made out of mud and sticks in the wall,
14:22and to break through a wall simply means I'm digging a hole in your wall
14:25so I can break into your house.
14:28Home invasion.
14:28Think home invasion.
14:30To break through a wall is a home invasion.
14:32I'm trying to injure the people in the home by a home invasion.
14:35Well, also in this mud and sticks, snakes sometimes crawl,
14:39which is kind of an eerie thought, isn't it?
14:41Yuck.
14:42But snakes sometimes were in the wall.
14:44So a guy's pushing through the wall to injure you,
14:46and a snake bites him when he does it.
14:48That's the idea right there.
14:51Those people who plan evil on another person
14:53often have their plans backfire on them.
14:57Tries to break through and injure a person,
14:58he gets bit by a snake.
14:59And those who seek to injure others are often injured by their own actions.
15:06They try to harm you, and it comes back on them.
15:09It boomerangs back on them unexpectedly.
15:13Charles Bridges said,
15:14evil shall fall upon the heads of its own authors.
15:18I mean, think about it.
15:19Esther chapter 7.
15:21Haman creates a gallows to hang Mordecai on.
15:23What happens instead?
15:24Instead, Haman is hanged on the gallows that he made for Mordecai.
15:28He tried to injure Mordecai.
15:30It came back on him.
15:32History tells us of a statue that was erected
15:34to celebrate the victory of the Grecian games.
15:37It so aroused the envious hatred of the rivals
15:40that one of them snuck out at night
15:42to topple the statue down, to push it down.
15:45He found it so heavy that he had put quite an effort
15:49into rocking it back and forth to get it going.
15:51And when it finally went, it fell the wrong direction
15:55on top of him and crushed him to death.
15:57That's the idea.
16:00Proverbs 26 says,
16:01whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
16:03and a stone will come up on him who starts it rolling.
16:05In this case, they were evil intentions
16:07of injurious activities to begin with.
16:10These are calls to wisdom.
16:13Do not increase your efforts while chopping wood.
16:16I mean, think about it.
16:16I don't chop a whole lot of wood.
16:18I do have an ax.
16:19But if you're going to chop wood
16:21and you're out there chopping away
16:22and you notice that the ax blade is dull,
16:25it makes good sense to stop what you're doing,
16:28go back, sharpen your ax blade,
16:30and then return chopping wood.
16:32But is that what we do normally?
16:34No, I'll just try harder.
16:36I'll just put more effort into it.
16:37Oh, I must be weak today.
16:39So I'll just put more effort into it.
16:41Well, the wise thing to do is stop,
16:42go sharpen your blade, come back later,
16:44chop wood, because you'll be much more effective.
16:46This is the idea that he's trying to get to us.
16:51More effort is needed when wisdom is not used.
16:55We tend to get lazy.
16:57Why do I want to stop chopping in the midst of my chopping
16:59and go sharpen the ax?
17:01That doesn't make any sense.
17:02I'm in the middle of chopping.
17:03I'm going to continue chopping.
17:05Or you could say it like this.
17:07Why do I need to take time to learn about relationships?
17:10I'll just try harder in my relationship.
17:13Yeah, but you're trying harder and you're doing all the wrong things
17:16in your relationship.
17:17Don't try harder.
17:19Learn wisdom on how to have good relationships.
17:23You're working harder for the wrong things.
17:26So unfavorable results occur when skill and wisdom are not exercised.
17:32He does say something, though, about a snake charmer.
17:34Now, I've never seen a snake charmer.
17:36I've seen him on television, but I've never seen it in action.
17:38I guess it really works with music and looking at, I don't know,
17:41at the stake and doesn't seem to strike the person doing it.
17:44So apparently the charmer can do something like that.
17:47But it doesn't do any good if the charmer has skill,
17:50but he doesn't exercise his skill.
17:53Instead, he takes the top off the basket,
17:55snake pops up and goes, strikes at him and hits him.
17:58It doesn't do any good to exercise your skill after the fact.
18:01The wise should not be silent when wisdom is needed.
18:07Like the snake charmer who remained silent
18:10and was bitten by the poisonous snake.
18:12So when wisdom is needed and skill is needed,
18:15it needs to be exercised at the moment.
18:18Don't wait for after the fact because it could be then too late.
18:23Not even a skilled snake charmer can undo a snake bite once it happens.
18:27Be wise. Don't let it happen.
18:31Apply your skills wisely in this life.
18:34When we act wisely, we avoid wasted effort and personal danger
18:40is the two things he says about skill and wisdom.
18:44Wisdom has great advantages, but it has to be applied at the right time,
18:49the right moment, and for the right reasons.
18:51You can't wait till later after the fact.
18:53It doesn't help.
18:54It needs to be spoken right away.
18:57Then he talks about a wise person earns favor.
19:01When he uses his wisdom, he earns favor from people.
19:04That's one of the understandings.
19:05He learns favor from people.
19:06So it promotes him.
19:08But there's another understanding when you can say this too,
19:10is that not only does he receive favor, but he gives favor.
19:15A wise person gives favor in his speech.
19:18In other words, he's gracious when he talks to you, a wise person is.
19:21So not only does he receive favor, but he brings favor and blessings to you
19:25when he talks to you or she talks to you.
19:28Paul said this in Colossians 4,
19:30let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt,
19:34so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
19:37Gracious talk.
19:39Graciousness.
19:40Ephesians 4, let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,
19:44but only such is good for building up, as fits the occasion,
19:48that it may give grace to those who hear.
19:51So we speak graciously.
19:52We build people up with our words.
19:54We don't tear them down.
19:55That's the wise person.
19:58The tongue can bless or the tongue can curse.
20:02William R. Baker, in Sticks and Stones, wrote this.
20:08Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel one day asked his servant
20:12to go buy some good food for him in the market.
20:15When the servant returned home, he presented the rabbi with a tongue.
20:19The next day, the rabbi told the servant to go to the market
20:22to buy some food again, excuse me, to buy some bad food.
20:26Again, the servant returned with a tongue.
20:28When the rabbi asked the servant why he returned with a tongue,
20:31both times the servant made the astute observation.
20:34Good comes from it and bad comes from it.
20:37When the tongue is good, there is nothing better.
20:40And when it is bad, there is nothing worse.
20:43Tongue of the wise speaks gracious words, not harsh words.
20:46The tongue of the wise builds people up, not tears them down.
20:49That's wisdom and speech.
20:52James 3 says this.
20:54For every kind of beast and bird of reptile and sea creature
20:58can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
21:00but no human being can tame the tongue.
21:03It is a restless evil full of deadly poison.
21:06With it, we bless our Lord and Father,
21:08and with it, we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
21:12From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.
21:14My brothers, these things ought not so to be.
21:16In other words, he's talking to Christians.
21:17We shouldn't talk like this.
21:19We shouldn't bless them on the one side
21:21and turn around and curse them on the other side.
21:22That's not wisdom and speech.
21:26But the fool, from the beginning to the end,
21:29the talk of the fool is disastrous.
21:31They are ignorant of reality.
21:37Pause with me for a second.
21:39From the beginning to the end,
21:40the talk of the fool is foolishness.
21:43They are ignorant of reality.
21:46For all of you Facebook warriors out there,
21:49you know exactly that this is true.
21:52You post a truth,
21:53that is not your opinion about something,
21:55but a truth confirmed in the word of God
21:58of what reality is,
22:00and what do you get back on Facebook?
22:03A bunch of foolishness and foolish talk.
22:07You know why?
22:08They don't have a clue what they're talking about,
22:10and they don't have an answer for you.
22:11And when you ask them,
22:12hey, could you please explain your answer,
22:13you know what they do?
22:14They attack you as a person.
22:19It is more obvious today
22:20than it was even two years ago on Facebook.
22:22They seem so authoritative,
22:24at least in their own minds, the fool is.
22:26But they have no clue at all
22:28what they're talking about.
22:30They demonstrate openly that they are fools.
22:34So you Facebook warriors,
22:36and I really mean it.
22:37You are a warrior to do that.
22:38I don't have time for it.
22:39I'm sorry.
22:39I just, I don't have time to answer
22:40everything that's on there.
22:41So for you that are engaged, great.
22:44Speak the truth with love and graciousness.
22:46We've talked about that.
22:47From God's word,
22:49let the fools rant and rave,
22:50and they are.
22:50They're just fools.
22:52They're fools.
22:53From start to finish,
22:54the fool's speech is foolish.
22:56Proverbs 10 says,
22:57the wise of heart will receive commandments,
23:00but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
23:04See, the fool places too high a value
23:06on his opinions,
23:08which is proclaimed with a torrent of words.
23:11Somehow they think the more words
23:12they spew out at us,
23:13the more we've got to pay attention to them.
23:15Actually, it's the less that we can
23:16actually even say anything
23:17because they won't stop talking.
23:21Proverbs, Psalm 5 says this,
23:22for there is no truth in their mouth.
23:24Their inmost self is destruction.
23:27Their throat is an open grave,
23:29and they flatter with their tongue.
23:31Make them bear their guilt, O God.
23:33Let them fall by their own counsels.
23:34Because of the abundance of their transgressions,
23:37cast them out,
23:38for they have rebelled against you.
23:41So to have a fool on your team
23:43is bad enough.
23:45To make a fool your leader
23:47is disastrous,
23:48according to Solomon.
23:49Proverbs 12 says,
23:53the way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
23:55but a wise man listens to advice.
23:59The fool then make all kinds of predictions
24:01about what's coming.
24:01I'm going to do this,
24:02and I'm going to do that,
24:03and I'm going to do this,
24:03and I'm going to do that,
24:04when we don't have a clue
24:05what tomorrow is going to bring.
24:06That's what Solomon says.
24:07We don't know what tomorrow is going to bring,
24:08but the fool loves to tell us
24:10everything they're going to do.
24:11James warns us about this boastful activity.
24:15Come now, you who say,
24:16today or tomorrow,
24:17we will go into such and such a town
24:18and spend a year there
24:20and trade and make a profit?
24:22Yet you do not know
24:23what tomorrow will bring.
24:24What is your life?
24:26For you are a mist that appears
24:27for a little time
24:28and then vanishes.
24:30Instead, you ought to say,
24:31instead of,
24:32I'm going to do all these things,
24:33instead, if the Lord wills,
24:35we will live and do this or that.
24:37As it is,
24:37you boast in your arrogance.
24:39All such boasting is evil.
24:42So the evil,
24:43the foolish person just goes,
24:43and they go,
24:45we don't have a clue
24:45what tomorrow is going to bring.
24:46You can't say that.
24:48But they do.
24:51And the conduct of the fool
24:52even tires themselves.
24:53Did you see that in the text?
24:54They get tired.
24:55The toil of the fool tires them.
24:57They get tired of being foolish.
24:58It wears them out.
25:00And then on top of that,
25:02don't ask advice from a fool.
25:04They can't even find a city,
25:06a metropolitan city,
25:07that Solomon says.
25:08We're not talking about a little village.
25:10We're talking about a metropolitan city.
25:11They can't even give you directions
25:12to the metropolitan city
25:14because they're so foolish.
25:16Don't take advice from a fool.
25:17They can't even give you directions
25:18to a city.
25:22We need to weigh the words
25:24that we hear from people.
25:26Weigh them against
25:27what's recorded in the Bible.
25:29Here is wisdom.
25:30Not me.
25:31Here in the Bible is wisdom.
25:33This is what we weigh the words against.
25:35What has God said?
25:37We weigh it against
25:38what the Bible says
25:39and then we do what the Bible says
25:40instead of what the fool
25:41is trying to tell us to do.
25:44Now, verses 16 through 20
25:45describe the ruinous effects
25:48of unwise or foolish leadership
25:50on a nation.
25:52Look at verses 16 through 20.
25:55Woe to you, O land,
25:56when your king is a child
25:58and your princes feast in the morning.
26:03Happy are you, O land,
26:04when your king is a son of the nobility
26:06and your princes feast at the proper time
26:09for strength,
26:11not for drunkenness.
26:13Through sloth,
26:13the roof sinks in
26:15and through indolence,
26:16the house leaks.
26:18Bread is made for laughter
26:19and wine gladdens life
26:21and money answers everything.
26:23Even in your thoughts,
26:24do not curse the king,
26:27nor in your bedroom curse the rich.
26:31For a bird of the air
26:33will carry your voice
26:34or some winged creation
26:36tell the matter.
26:39So, wisdom and leadership.
26:42Now, in one form or another,
26:43we're all leaders.
26:44Whether we're in our own household
26:45or our work,
26:46people are following us.
26:47They're looking to us for leadership.
26:48So, in one way or another,
26:49we're all leaders.
26:50So, how can we be wise when we lead?
26:53So, this is a contrast
26:54of the sorry state of a nation
26:56whose leaders are foolish
26:58and the state of a nation
27:00whose leaders are wise.
27:02One is ruinous,
27:03one is blessing.
27:05That's what he's trying
27:05to contrast here.
27:07Unwise leadership
27:08and wise leadership.
27:10Now, you say,
27:11well, just because the king is young,
27:13that shouldn't play a role.
27:14Right, it doesn't.
27:15Because King Josiah
27:16came to the throne
27:17when he was eight years old,
27:18but he had really good
27:19godly counselors
27:20and they led him
27:21in the way of God.
27:22So, it's not youth
27:23that's the problem.
27:24The idea is immaturity.
27:26Not able to bear
27:28the responsibility
27:29of the leadership position
27:30they are in.
27:31They are immature.
27:33And so, they're not being responsible
27:34in their leadership position
27:36and everyone underneath them,
27:38the princes who are feasting
27:39in drunkenness,
27:40everyone underneath them
27:41is acting irresponsibly as well.
27:43That's the idea.
27:45It is a principle
27:46that we have to acknowledge.
27:49When the head is irresponsible,
27:51the body becomes corrupt
27:53and acts irresponsibly.
27:55It happens in a family.
27:58It happens in a city.
28:00It happens in a state.
28:01And it happens in a nation.
28:03If you place leaders
28:05in positions
28:06who are acting irresponsibly,
28:08those underneath them
28:09believe they can act
28:10the same way
28:11and get away with it.
28:12And they do.
28:17The swamp in Washington, D.C.
28:19is a great example.
28:20Far too long,
28:23we have had leaders
28:24who are irresponsible
28:26in their actions
28:28toward governing our nation
28:29in a godly way.
28:31And everyone underneath them,
28:32all the bureaucrats
28:33that they've placed
28:34in positions of power
28:35underneath them
28:35act the exact same way
28:37because they know
28:37they can get away with it.
28:39The head is corrupt.
28:41The body becomes corrupt as well.
28:45Far too long,
28:46corruption has ruled
28:47in Washington, D.C.
28:48so the lesser officials
28:50under the president
28:50act corruptly
28:51and irresponsibly.
28:53It's time to drain the swamp.
28:55It's time to get the corruption
28:56out of Washington, D.C.
28:57and put wisdom
28:58into our politics.
29:01Leadership of a nation
29:02is vitally important.
29:03It affects all of us.
29:05We want wise people
29:07leading us.
29:09It's become so entrenched
29:10in Washington, D.C.
29:11We need a head,
29:12a president
29:12who will act responsibly
29:14to weed out the corruption
29:15of the bureaucrats
29:16which is weakening
29:17our nation.
29:18Wise leadership.
29:20Same thing happens
29:20in a business.
29:21Same thing happens
29:22in a business.
29:23If the owner
29:23of the business
29:24or the manager
29:25of the business
29:25is corrupt
29:26or foolish
29:27and irresponsible
29:29in their mannership,
29:30manager, whatever,
29:32being a manager,
29:33underneath them
29:34all the people
29:35act the same way.
29:36They know
29:37they can get away with it
29:38so they'll act
29:39the same way.
29:41This is caused
29:42by a breakdown
29:43in leadership.
29:44Isaiah talks about
29:45those who thought
29:45they were heroes.
29:48Woe to those
29:48who are heroes
29:49at drinking wine.
29:50In other words,
29:50they're not heroes
29:51in the nation.
29:53They're corrupting
29:53themselves
29:54by the overconsumption
29:56of alcohol,
29:57the drunkenness,
29:58and valiant men
29:59in mixing strong drink
30:00who acquit
30:02the guilty
30:03for a bribe
30:03and deprive
30:04the innocent
30:05of his rights.
30:06That's exactly
30:07what he's talking about.
30:08Those people
30:09who think
30:09they're so wise
30:10but really
30:10they've devoted
30:11themselves to foolishness
30:12and the nation
30:13is perishing
30:14underneath them
30:15because of
30:15the foolish people.
30:18You know,
30:18we have even a word.
30:20I looked it up
30:20in the dictionary.
30:21It may not be
30:21a real word.
30:22Someone may have
30:23coined this word
30:23but I love it
30:24because it describes
30:25well the idea
30:26of unwise,
30:28foolish people
30:29leading our nation.
30:30It's called
30:31a foolocracy.
30:34Government by fools,
30:35a ruling class
30:37of fools.
30:38Can I get an amen?
30:40That's right.
30:40We need wise people
30:42in our leadership
30:43positions
30:43that are ruling
30:44over us.
30:45Not unwise people.
30:49Foolocracy.
30:50I love it.
30:50I looked it up.
30:51It doesn't seem
30:52to be in any dictionaries
30:53but I think it's great.
30:54It's a foolocracy.
30:58The contrast
30:59between verses 16
31:00and 17
31:00lies in the fact
31:01of the character
31:02of the rulers.
31:04One of them
31:05is irresponsible.
31:06The other
31:06is responsible.
31:08And because
31:08one is irresponsible,
31:09everyone underneath
31:10them are not
31:11being responsible
31:11as well
31:12and the nation
31:13suffers.
31:15The other side
31:16is those
31:16with good character
31:17that are acting
31:18responsibly
31:19and holding
31:20those people
31:21underneath them
31:21accountable
31:22to act responsible
31:23and we have
31:23prosperity in a nation.
31:27The foolish leader
31:28is high on power
31:30but has no desire
31:31to exercise
31:32the responsibility
31:33given to them.
31:34They just want
31:34the power.
31:35when the political
31:38ruler
31:39that is the king
31:39in this case
31:40and their administration
31:41see their power
31:42as an opportunity
31:43for selfish
31:44political gain
31:45the nation suffers.
31:47That's exactly
31:48what he's talking
31:48about here.
31:51But when the king
31:52is devoted
31:53to the people
31:54and seeks
31:55their good
31:55the nation
31:56flourishes.
31:58That's the contrast.
31:59We need wise leaders.
32:01We need wise leaders
32:01in our homes.
32:02We need wise leaders
32:03in our cities
32:04in our counties
32:05in our states
32:05and in our nation.
32:08We've had enough
32:09foolish leaders.
32:10We need wise leaders.
32:14Immoral or improper
32:15conduct involves
32:16neglect of duty
32:17like a laziness
32:18and it can lead
32:18to destruction.
32:19And then he makes
32:20this statement
32:20money answers everything
32:22and some go
32:22wow he's talked
32:23about money
32:24kind of negatively
32:25throughout the whole book
32:26and how can money
32:27answer everything?
32:28Well it could be
32:29one side could be
32:30we need money
32:31to buy bread
32:31food
32:32and then we need
32:33money to buy
32:33the wine
32:34for that
32:34flourishes life
32:35is what he says
32:36in the text here
32:36so we need money
32:37to do those things
32:38so that could be
32:39what he's talking
32:39about.
32:40It could also be
32:41he's stating it
32:41ironically
32:42as if those
32:43who think money
32:44answers every problem
32:45so he could be
32:46using it ironically
32:47or he could just
32:48be saying hey
32:48we need money
32:49in this life
32:49so money's not
32:50the problem
32:50love of money
32:51is the problem.
32:53He's leaving it
32:53ambiguous
32:54so we're really
32:54not quite sure
32:55what he's saying
32:55here.
32:57Solomon wants
32:58to give us
32:58wants us to give
33:00due respect
33:00to the king
33:01that's the political
33:02power
33:02and to the rich
33:03that's the economic
33:04powers.
33:05He wants to give us
33:06due respect
33:07not over respect
33:08we keep God first
33:09I got that
33:09but he wants us
33:10to respect those
33:11in authority
33:12and then it says
33:14don't talk about
33:16somebody in your
33:17bedroom
33:17the king in this
33:18case
33:18because it could
33:19get out
33:19or don't talk
33:20about the rich
33:20person in your
33:21bedroom
33:21because that
33:22information could
33:22get out
33:23we have an
33:24English idiom
33:25that says
33:25oh yeah
33:26a little bird
33:27told me
33:27parents
33:29you remember
33:29how it is
33:29when your
33:30teenagers
33:30did something
33:31wrong
33:31and somebody
33:32told you
33:32about it
33:33and you
33:33confronted
33:33your teenagers
33:34about it
33:34and they're
33:34going
33:34how did
33:35you know
33:36you weren't
33:36a little bird
33:37told me
33:37we've used
33:38that before
33:39yeah
33:39so don't
33:41talk about
33:41your boss
33:42at your
33:42home
33:42because that
33:43information
33:44may get
33:44out
33:44don't talk
33:45about
33:46the king
33:47in your
33:47home
33:47because that
33:48information
33:48may get
33:49out
33:49so be
33:51careful
33:51what you
33:52say
33:52in private
33:53others
33:54may hear
33:55about it
33:55even when
33:56you thought
33:56no one
33:57would
33:57not only
33:59those in
34:00political
34:00and economic
34:01power
34:01but everyone
34:02with whom
34:02you interact
34:03be wise
34:05the way
34:05you speak
34:06proverbs
34:0713 says
34:08whoever
34:08guards his
34:09mouth
34:10preserves
34:10his life
34:11he who
34:11opens wide
34:12his lips
34:12comes to
34:13ruin
34:13be wise
34:14be wise
34:16in what
34:16you say
34:16so I
34:18came across
34:18this
34:19allegory
34:20of
34:21prudence
34:21and another
34:22name from
34:22prudence
34:22is wisdom
34:23I hope
34:24that you
34:24can see
34:25it
34:25it's a
34:25bit light
34:26in here
34:26there are
34:27as you
34:28can see
34:28three faces
34:29the old
34:29man looking
34:30towards
34:30the left
34:31the middle
34:32aged man
34:33the mature
34:34man
34:34toward the
34:35center
34:35and the
34:35young
34:36man
34:36off to
34:37the right
34:37and this
34:38was painted
34:39by the
34:40venetian
34:41artist
34:41in the
34:4116th
34:42century
34:42Tietan
34:43so Tietan
34:45paints this
34:46and over
34:47it which
34:47you can't
34:47see
34:48he puts
34:48a latin
34:49phrase
34:49to explain
34:50to us
34:50what he
34:51means by
34:51this
34:52allegory
34:52and it
34:53is an
34:53allegory
34:54of wisdom
34:54or an
34:55allegory
34:55of prudence
34:56and it's
34:58summing up
34:59what Solomon
34:59is trying to
35:00tell us about
35:01exercising wisdom
35:02in our walk
35:02in our speech
35:03and in our
35:04leadership
35:04so we see
35:08the head
35:08of the youth
35:09facing the
35:10future
35:10we see
35:11the mature
35:12man
35:12eyeing
35:13the present
35:13and the
35:14third
35:15a wise
35:15old man
35:16gazing
35:16at the
35:17past
35:17over their
35:19heads
35:19Tietan
35:19wrote in
35:20latin
35:20the phrase
35:20that means
35:21from the
35:22example
35:22of the
35:23past
35:23the man
35:24of the
35:25present
35:25acts
35:25prudently
35:26or wisely
35:27so not
35:28to imperil
35:29the future
35:30that's what
35:31Solomon is
35:32saying
35:32walk wise
35:35talk wise
35:36lead wise
35:38because not
35:39only do
35:40will it
35:40bring us
35:41favor
35:42it brings
35:43favor to
35:44those to
35:44whom we
35:44lead
35:45speak to
35:46or walk
35:46with
35:47so walk
35:48in wisdom
35:49to be
35:49blessed
35:50speak with
35:50wisdom
35:51to build
35:51up
35:52and lead
35:52with wisdom
35:53to bless
35:54others
35:54thank you
35:56Solomon
35:56I needed
35:57that
35:57let's pray
35:58father we
35:58thank you
35:59for this
36:00wisdom
36:01for we
36:02see
36:03in our
36:04world
36:04people
36:05who do
36:06not fear
36:07you
36:07and walk
36:08in the
36:08wrong
36:09direction
36:09whom you
36:10call fools
36:11they are
36:12fools
36:12the fool
36:13says in
36:13his heart
36:14there is
36:14no God
36:14because
36:15the reality
36:16is everyone
36:16knows God
36:17exists
36:18but the
36:18fool denies
36:19that existence
36:19he denies
36:20reality
36:21so father
36:22thank you
36:23we don't
36:23want to be
36:23foolish
36:24people
36:24we want
36:24to be
36:25wise
36:25people
36:25we want
36:26to walk
36:27wisely
36:27we want
36:27to speak
36:28wisely
36:28we want
36:29to lead
36:29wisely
36:30we want
36:30to do
36:30it because
36:30it brings
36:31glory
36:31to you
36:32and good
36:32to all
36:33of those
36:34around us
36:34we want
36:35to be
36:36wise people
36:36forgive us
36:37when we
36:38fail
36:38forgive us
36:39when we're
36:39not wise
36:40in the way
36:40we walk
36:41or the way
36:41that we
36:41talk
36:42or the way
36:42that we
36:43lead
36:43because we
36:44want to
36:44do this
36:44to honor
36:45you
36:45we thank
36:46you in
36:46Jesus name
36:47amen
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