OceanSide church of Christ
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Ecclesiastes 10:5 – There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler.
Thought: Before a person becomes a ruler, he would be wise to study rulers of the past. Some of them have been great. Some were mediocre. Others were complete failures. Their reigns depended upon the decisions the rulers made for the most part. Solomon had been around many rulers as a king. He is about to tell us some of the mistakes he has seen rulers make. Yes, to know how to be a leader, study other leaders. Learn from their mistakes.
I Kings 12:12-16
Commentary:
A. Solomon has seen much during his great experiment.
B. He is now about to tell of an evil he has witnessed under the sun. This was an error “which proceedeth from the ruler.”
C. Throughout the history of humanity, there have been hundreds and thousands of individuals who have occupied leadership positions.
1. Some leaders have been great.
2. Some have been mediocre.
3. Some have been complete failures.
D. It is wise for a person who desires to be in a position of leadership to study those who have been leaders in the past.
1. They can teach us how to lead.
2. They can manifest to us the traits of good leaders.
3. They can warn us of the pitfalls of leadership.
4. They can provide us with examples of things to do and not to do as a leader.
E. Solomon is about to warn us of an error that a ruler can make.
Ecclesiastes 10:6 – Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
Thought: It is possible for a leader to put the wrong men into positions of power. These individuals could be greedy. They may not have the skill set needed to accomplish their work. They could be people who are power hungry. They could be individuals with an agenda that is different from their leader. This is one of the errors of leadership that Solomon saw in his great experiment of life. All leaders should pick their advisors with the utmost care.
Esther 3:1
Commentary:
A. Here Solomon labels the individual by his character. He names him “folly.”
1. Strong defines “folly” as “silliness” and “dolt.”
2. The word “dolt” is defined as: “a dull, stupid person, blockhead.”
B. The error Solomon notes is that Mr. Folly is set in great dignity.
1. It is a mistake to put an unqualified person in a position of power.
a. They do not have the wisdom to make difficult decisions.
b. They do not move the enterprise forward, but rather bring harm to it.
c. They do not serve their constituents, but only serve themselves.
d. They make the person above them look incompetent as well.
e. They see themselves as qualified, but all others know the person is in way over
his head.
2. LESSON: Every leadership position should be filled with the utmost care.
3. Why are “dolts” put in positions for which they are not qualified?
a. He is a family member or friend.
b. He is owed something by the person in charge.
c. The one who appoints him knows that he will be loyal to his cause.
C. In the second part of the verse Solomon flips the coin and says: “…the rich sit in low place.”
1. What he means is that the individual who was noble and qualified for the position is overlooked.
2. He functions in a capacity that is beneath him.
3. The rich, in talents, in knowledge, in accomplishments, in prosperity, should never be overlooked for a dolt.
4. Remember, Solomon says in the previous verse that this is an “evil” he has seen under the sun.
a. Strong simply defines the word “evil” as “bad.”
b. BDB, however, gives a long list of terms that define the word: disagreeable,
malignant, unpleasant, (giving pain, unhappiness, misery), displeasing, worse
than, sad, unhappy, hurtful, wicked, misery, injury, calamity, distress,
adversity, wrong.
Ecclesiastes 10:7 – I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
Thought: There are times when roles are reversed in nations. Solomon speaks of one of these reversals in this verse. He has seen servants who should be walking riding horses. He has seen princes who should be riding horses walking. Again, this happens because of poor leadership. Selfishness, a lack of wisdom, a failure to listen to wise counsel, pride, and a host of other things can cause a nation to flip-flop. Rulers must govern wisely so this does not happen. This is another error leaders can make.
Proverbs 30:21-22
Commentary:
A. Solomon gives a broad example of the concept he set forth in the previous verse.
B. If things are operating as they should, servants are the ones who are walking and princes are riding horses.
C. But, there are times when the roles are reversed in a nation.
1. Solomon says he has seen servants upon horses and princes walking as servants.
2. Other examples:
a. The ignorant do the teaching and the smart are having to absorb their ignorance.
b. The criminals are in the judges’ seats, and the innocent are in jails.
c. The man who has never run a business is the one making corporate decisions while the
true leaders have been excluded from the corporate meetings.
d. The unfaithful rule the church while the faithful are sidelined.
e. The “yes men” are exalted while the true “men of wisdom” are put to death.
f. The false prophets are exalted while the prophets of God are marked and avoided.
D. Two Bible examples:
1. Rehoboam gave heed to the young men’s counsel rather than heeding the advice of the aged men (1 Kings 12:1-16, esp. v. 16)
So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David; neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; to your tents, O Israel; now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
2. In 1 Kings 22:1-28, Ahab heeds the words of the false prophets and puts Micaiah in prison for the words which he declared. He proceeded into the battle having been assured of the false prophets that he would be victorious, but was wounded and died (1 Kings 22:34-38, see vs. 37-38).
So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor; according to the word of the Lord which he spake.
Ecclesiastes 10:8 – He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Thought: Here we see two different actions one can take against his neighbor. He can dig a pit hoping his neighbor will fall into it. Or, he can break down “an hedge,” the barrier or fence, that separates the two in an effort to destroy him. In either case, the one who plots mischief should beware. He may fall into his own pit. It may be that it is he who is bitten by a serpent who has nested in the wall. Sometimes evil plotted against another comes back to bite us. (Please pardon the pun).
Esther 7:9-10
Commentary:
A. In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with digging a pit. Too, there is nothing wrong with breaking or tearing down a hedge.
B. When actions are taken, what matters is the intent. Solomon talks about two evil actions a man might try to take against his neighbor.
1. He might dig a pit hoping his neighbor will fall into it.
2. He might tear down a hedge that separates them in order to have easy access to him.
C. Solomon warns individuals who enjoy plotting evil against others.
1. It is possible that the one who digs the pit will fall into it himself.
2. It is possible that while he is removing the hedge, he might be bitten by a serpent.
D. One of the best examples of this is Haman in the book of Esther.
1. Haman had a gallows built in order to hang Mordecai because Mordecai would not bow and reverence him (Est. 5:14).
Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
2. When the king learned of Haman’s plan to destroy the Jews, including Esther, he commanded for Haman to be hanged on his own gallows (Est. 7:9-10).
And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.
E. The wisest thing we can do is leave vengeance in the hands of God. Ultimately, the guilty will pay (Rom. 12:19).
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.