Ecclesiastes 2:12-14 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that comes after the king?… The "wisdom" and the "folly" of the text are perhaps best represented by the words "sagacity" and "stupidity." The distinction is one of the head rather than of the heart; of the understanding rather than of the entire spirit. We are invited, therefore, to consider - I. THE WORTH OF SAGACITY. 1. It stands much lower down than heavenly wisdom; that is the direct product of the Spirit of God, and makes men blessed with a good which cannot be taken away. It places them above the reach of adversity, and makes them invulnerable to the darts of death itself (see ver. 14). 2. It has its own distinct advantages. "The wise man's eyes are in his head;" he sees whither he is going; he does not delude himself with the idea that he can violate all the laws of his nature with impunity. He knows that the wages of sin is death, that if he sows to the flesh he will reap corruption; he understands that, if he would enjoy the esteem of men and the favor of God, he must subdue his spirit, control his passions, regulate his life according to the standards of truth and virtue. This sagacity of the wise will therefore (1) save him from some of the most egregious and fatal blunders; (2) keep him sufficiently near to the path of virtue to be saved from the darker excesses and more crushing sorrows of life; (3) secure for himself and his family some measure of comfort and respect, and place some of the purer pleasures within his reach; (4) keep him within hearing of the truth of God, where he is more likely to find his way into the kingdom of God. II. THE PITIFULNESS OF STUPIDITY. "The fool walketh blindly." 1. He has no eye to see the fair and the beautiful around him, no heart to appreciate the nobility that might be within him or the glories that are above him. 2. He fails to discern the real wretchedness of his present condition - his destitution, his condemnation, his exile. 3. He does not shrink from the evil which impends. He is walking toward the precipice, below which is utter ruin, eternal death. Truly "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and to depart from evil, that is understanding" - C. Parallel Verses KJV: And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. |
    |