Wisdom That Bites tagged: , ,

Wisdom That Bites

Posted by in Bible & Theology

Who is like the wise?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
and the hardness of his face is changed. – Ecclesiastes 8: 1 ESV

Philosophers and sages, wise men and dumb men have all faced a dilemma.  Each have proposed that what they know is superior in wisdom and stature to all others. Even those who claim a “tolerant” position, or a “progressive” “future-looking” philosophy promote a certain superiorityi. It is the nature of humanity to believe that answers found within them is of a superior form. Modern rationalists and their cousins the existentialists go so far as to say that wisdom can only come from within because the existence of anything else is unknowable.  This is where Solomon comes in. Admittedly the one who asked God for wisdom and got it in spades would know all about it. After living with himself for a while, he uttered the words above. It comes down to this:  Who is as wise as God?;  and man’s wisdom merely leads to pride and corruption.

The problem of course lies in that human nature is abrasive against any authority in life. Post-modernists (I hate to tell you) are not a new phenomena – they have been with us throughout all time. We talk back to parents, we chaff at teachers, we skirt the authority of the boss, we limit the authority of the church as senior pastor – on and on and on. Solomon notes this in verses 8:2-5 concerning the will of the King, and summarizes with us these salient words: “Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing.”

For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt. – Ecclesiastes 8:6-9 ESV

This passage shares with us the futility of men who seek ultimate control and power, who often start with good motives, yet go dismally in ruin. The dearth of humanity is the seeking of political power and control – as Lord Acton reminds us “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  Those who seek control will find out that it will not be to help others, but to ruin them. William Wordsworth’s lament, “what man has made of man” is answered by Solomon’s retort, “…man had power over man to his hurt.”  J.R.R. Tolkien’s character Gandolf declines the Ring of Power from Frodo with this morsel, “…I would use this ring in order to do good, but through me it would wield a power to terrible to imagine.” I would believe by Solomon’s words that a demo awaits those who desire absolute power.

Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God. – Ecclesiastes 8:10-13 ESV

We have seen a lot of high profile deaths as of late. Some of those deaths were of people of whom we would have to admit did not lead exemplary lives – and in fact were “evil.” Yet their death shadow still stualks us daily as professional news outlets would prefer to discuss them ad nauseuam rather than the here and now news of the day. We often consider the thought of those folks who seem to get away with egregious sins, while we suffer through our own. How can this be? Solomon reminds us that God is not mocked. Evil doers will get their reward. Yet greater than this, those who fear God will “do well.” Solomon reminds us of this important truth that the greatest of all worship themes is “fearing God.”  Somehow “Shout to the Lord” does not compute much this particular worship theme.

Solomon concludes his thoughts here in this chapter with a few positive notes. Way before the hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” Solomon gives the reader this salient morsel:

And I commend joy, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun. – Ecclesiastes 8:15 ESV

The next time I hear somebody badmouth a barbecue as being nonspiritual, I have a verse for them!

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.- Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 ESV

Men have no wisdom worth a hoot. They search high and low but cannot find it. And then a epiphany that only is revealed by God’s Spirit: rest in God’s wisdom, He knows.  And that bites the proud. Yet God gives grace to whom?  The humble.