Solomon’s Final Conclusion
Ecclesiastes 9:1 - 12:14
“Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king. Better to have wisdom than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.” - Ecclesiastes 9:17-18 New Living Translation
In many cases a man lacking the respect of the people will yell to be heard above the idle chatter. His loud voice is used in an effort to compel his listeners to not only listen to him but agree with what he is saying. Solomon seems disgusted with the fact that the wise man was ignored and underappreciated. Perhaps, once again, the wise man he speaks of is himself.
In this example the public citizenry are the losers, because they end up being forced to succumb to the whim of the loud, foolish king rather than the quiet wise man. Perhaps it is true that the louder you get the more desperate you are to sway the crowd to your way of thinking. I believe that is being done today to some extent.
We should take from these verses that violence cannot overwhelm wisdom OR love. Loving wisdom or wisdom offered in love can overwhelm any evil force that comes against us. No matter what happens now or in the future, there is nothing that can crush our spirit and steal our soul. Solomon may have seen the unfairness of the poor wise man being disregarded, but it didn’t stop him from applauding the wise man for following through in spite of his being overlooked. Remember, a loudmouth fool never wins. He just looks like an idiot to those around him. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resources: The Expositor’s Bible Commentary; The Biblical Theology Study Bible & The Believer’s Bible Commentary.
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