00:00:00: Hello, everyone.

00:00:01: Welcome to the Live Through Jesus podcast with Courtney Gilmore on this episode.

00:00:06: just a little bit of foolishness.

00:00:09: This is Ecclesiastes ten.

00:00:19: Sometimes it only takes just a tiny bit of something to run The whole thing right.

00:00:25: especially A great example of this would be when you're cooking.

00:00:28: if You put Just a little too much Of certain ingredients in your food?

00:00:33: You'll have To throw the Whole Thing away.

00:00:35: It's like it wasn't supposed to overtake the entire dish.

00:00:41: It just needed, you know...it blended if you put a little bit but when you put too much it takes everything over.

00:00:51: and there's things like this in life especially bad thing.

00:00:56: sometimes only take tiny bits of something bad undo all of the good.

00:01:03: And so we've been going through Ecclesiastes and in The Last Chapter, chapter nine Solomon was talking about living a wise and joyful life!

00:01:16: In this chapter he's talking about being foolish...and He says that it only takes a little bit of foolishness to get hurt To make you look stupid..to ruin your reputation to make it where people don't listen to you anymore, to make sure that they have no money and basically just ruin your life.

00:01:41: And so he's guarding us against foolishness, telling us that if we are foolish all of these things can happen to us and giving some instances.

00:01:52: So I'm going just start by reading chapter ten then will go through it as well.

00:02:00: look at supporting verses.

00:02:03: in verse one says dead flies make a perfumers oil stink.

00:02:09: So a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.

00:02:13: so what he's saying here Is?

00:02:15: What I was just saying, is that it only takes a tiny bit of foolishness to overpower all Of our wisdom an honor That we have Just like how it would only take you know dead flies To make the perfumers oil stink.

00:02:31: It doesn't matter How good its smells You know, you add something in it that is dead and its not going to smell good anymore.

00:02:42: And then verse two... Seems to always choose the wrong things.

00:03:05: He always goes in the wrong direction.

00:03:07: he's just inclined In that direction, so it's important To be wise.

00:03:15: Maybe you've seen that before.

00:03:17: where?

00:03:17: It's like You Just Always seem to Choose The Wrong Thing.

00:03:21: That Is Because That Person's Heart is Foolish.

00:03:25: Verse Three Even When The Fool Walks Along The Road His sense is lacking and he demonstrates to everyone that He's a fool.

00:03:34: So you can't hide it.

00:03:36: very well, It's pretty evident to every one just in everyday activities That are person who's foolish if they're foolish.

00:03:46: And so we need guard our hearts and direct them towards God.

00:03:57: because that's basically what this whole chapter is about, Is that we can easily be corrupted by foolishness if We are not careful.

00:04:06: If we're not guarding our hearts and filling it with the wisdom of God-if were not allowing God to guide us.

00:04:14: And so in Proverbs four twenty three It says watch over your heart With all diligence for from it flows The springs of life.

00:04:25: And then in Psalm one-nineteen, thirty three to thirty six it says teach me the way of your statutes Lord and I will comply with them till they end.

00:04:36: Give me understanding so that i may comply with Your law and keep It all my heart.

00:04:43: Make Me walk on The paths Of Your commandments for I delight In it.

00:04:48: Incline My Heart To Your Testimonies Not To Dishonest Game.

00:04:53: So we want to be inclined towards God's ways the wise way so that We will not be inclined To the wrong things just as it was saying before.

00:05:07: Now verse four kind of goes along with some other verses later on in The chapter and so, we're going to skip verse for right now And we're gonna read verses five six and seven.

00:05:20: It says there is an evil That I've seen under the sun like an error which goes forth from the ruler.

00:05:26: Folly is said in many exalted places while rich men sit and humble places, And I've seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on

00:05:36: land.".

00:05:38: So he's saying that when rulers are foolish nothing goes the way it should.

00:05:45: they elevate other foolish undeserving people Presumably in wisdom and ability those that are deserving.

00:05:57: so these people That have an abundance of the things that they need In order to be promoted don't get promoted.

00:06:05: They stay in lowly places, And The foolish king promotes the foolish undeserving People.

00:06:13: and When they do that then everything is chaos.

00:06:18: Everything happens the opposite way that it should and So you see slaves riding horses, and princes walking like a slave.

00:06:30: And so he's just trying to say that when you are inclined to go into the wrong direction then everything goes in the wrong directions.

00:06:40: Everything is chaotic Nothing is in right order and nothing goes as planned.

00:06:46: Then if skip down to verses sixteen and seventeen It says, woe to UOLand whose king is a lad and who's prince's beast in the morning.

00:06:56: And blessed are UOLan.

00:06:57: Whose King Is Of Nobility In Whose Princes Eat At The Appropriate Time For Strength And Not for

00:07:03: Drunkenness.".

00:07:05: So what he's saying here... ...is that it's hard on people To have A Foolish King Because everything is chaotic.

00:07:12: Nothing goes as it should.

00:07:14: Its also hard On People To Have An Inexperienced King Or A King Who Starts partying in the morning.

00:07:22: someone who is just totally irresponsible Is basically what he's saying and he says but the kingdom is blessed if they have a Responsible king.

00:07:31: The one that does the right thing Who is noble?

00:07:34: And the one who eats at the appropriate times Basically, you know Does the things that he should do and make sure that He's responsible so that he can be a good King.

00:07:46: and So we don't want to be foolish We want to be wise, self-controlled.

00:07:53: Isaiah five twenty two twenty one says woe To those who call evil good and Good Evil.

00:07:59: Who substitute darkness for light And Light For Darkness?

00:08:03: Who Substitute Bitter For Sweet & Sweet For Bitter?

00:08:08: Woe To Those Who Are Wise In Their Own Eyes And Clever in their own sight.

00:08:13: So this is just that topsy turvy world of fool That doesn't know right from wrong or good from bad, or light from darkness.

00:08:22: Or bitter from sweet who actually think that the bad things are good and The Good Things Are Bad And the Dark is Light and the Light Is Dark and the Sweet is Bitter and the Bitter is Sweet Right?

00:08:37: James Three, sixteen to eighteen says for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there's disorder in every evil thing.

00:08:46: but the wisdom From Above is first pure then peace-loving, gentle reasonable full of mercy and good fruits impartial and free of hypocrisy.

00:08:59: And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make

00:09:03: peace.".

00:09:06: This just shows us that the fool has chaos!

00:09:10: The wise person impartial and free of hypocrisy.

00:09:21: Then if we go to verses eight through eleven it says, but wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

00:09:50: If a serpent bites before being charmed, then there's no profit for the

00:09:54: charmer.".

00:09:55: And so basically he is saying foolish people get hurt.

00:10:00: if you're not careful when your digging a pit You'll fall into it...if ever done anything like that..you know sometimes ground can get soft close to where you are digging and slide right in.

00:10:14: So we have be careful.

00:10:16: If you have ever tore down anything a wall, a building offense Anything You know that you have to be careful because you can have wild animals hiding in there.

00:10:27: and he says.

00:10:28: You get bit by snake if you're just Carelessly tearing this thing down without paying any attention acting in foolish ways.

00:10:48: And so being foolish can get you hurt.

00:10:52: Also, if your not wise You just have to work a lot harder.

00:10:56: He says If your'e smart enough To sharpen your axe Then you're gonna have to Work A LOT HARDER TO CUT THAT LOG.

00:11:02: THEN IF YOU WERE JUST WISE ENOUGH TO SHARPING THE X. AND IT'S THAT WAY IN ALL KINDS OF SITUATIONS RIGHT?

00:11:11: WE CAN WORK SMARTER OR WE CAN WALK HARD.

00:11:14: The wiser we are, the more successful and...the thing that were trying to do will be.

00:11:21: And then in verse eleven when it says if a serpent bites before being charmed there's no profit for the charmer.

00:11:27: That is basically saying even you have wisdom If your not using it proper time or way Then its also useless too.

00:11:36: You have to be wise about when use of knowledge and skill.

00:11:42: Otherwise, that wisdom is kind of wasted.

00:11:45: And so we need to be careful and cautious and aware in everything that we do work smarter.

00:11:51: So then down in verse fifteen it says the toil of a fool so worries him That he doesn't even know how to go to his city!

00:12:04: This basically saying that Everything Is Overwhelming To A Fool.

00:12:08: It's The simplest tasks He Can't Even Do because it's just too overwhelming for him.

00:12:14: And so if we ever find ourselves in that situation where we feel overwhelmed by the simplest things, then we need to look at God with wisdom and say somehow I am not doing this job in a smart way!

00:12:27: So i'm having to work WAY TOO HARD AND IT IS COMPLETELY WEARING ME OUT AND OVERWHELMING ME.

00:12:31: SO I NEED YOUR HELP GOD.

00:12:33: I NEAD YOU TO SHOW ME HOW TO DO THIS JOB SMARTER.

00:12:37: HOW TO BE WISER IN THE THINGS THAT I'M DOING and look to him, let Him teach you.

00:12:44: Proverbs three twenty-one two twenty-three says my son Let them not vanish before your sight.

00:12:51: Keep sound wisdom in discretion so they will be life to soul and adornment to the neck.

00:12:58: Then walk in their way securely and foot will not stumble.

00:13:02: You'll be safe!

00:13:03: You won't get hurt if keep wisdom with you.

00:13:09: And then Psalm, one nineteen ninety seven to one oh five says how I love your law.

00:13:15: It is my meditation all the day.

00:13:18: Your command me?

00:13:19: You're commandments make me wiser than my enemies for they are ever mine.

00:13:23: i have more insight Than All My Teachers For Your Testimonies Are My Meditation.

00:13:29: I Have.

00:13:30: I Understand More Than The Old.

00:13:33: Because I Have complied With Your Precepts.

00:13:37: I have restrained my feet from every evil way, so that i may keep your word.

00:13:42: I haven't turned aside from Your judgments for You yourself have taught me how sweeter Your words to My taste.

00:13:50: yes sweeter than honey To My mouth.

00:13:52: From Your precepts I get understanding.

00:13:55: therefore I hate Every false Way!

00:13:58: Your Word is a lamp to My Feet and A light to My path.

00:14:03: God's Word will guide us And if we are like the psalmist here and we're taught by God, then we'll be wiser than all of our teachers or old wise people who have been around long enough that they should know things.

00:14:19: Right?

00:14:20: God makes us wise!

00:14:23: He's The One That teaches Us & Guides Our Path.

00:14:28: So If We lack wisdom...we need to go To Him.

00:14:31: Isaiah thirty twenty one says your ears will hear a word behind you saying this is the way.

00:14:38: walk in it whenever you turn to right or left.

00:14:41: so listen God and let him guide.

00:14:44: now lets go to verse four that we missed earlier.

00:14:49: It said if the rulers temper rises up against do not abandon position because composure alleys great offenses.

00:15:00: Fools don't have control over their temper, and that is not a situation we want to be in.

00:15:07: Proverbs sixteen thirty-two says he who has slowed anger is better than the mighty And he who rules his spirit then he who captures a city.

00:15:17: And then proverbs twenty nine eleven says A fool always loses his temper But a wise man holds it back.

00:15:25: Then let's go down two verses twelve and thirteen.

00:15:28: They say Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him.

00:15:35: The beginning of his talking is foolish, folly and end of it is wicked

00:15:39: madness.".

00:15:41: So if Fool doesn't control his temper then he also does not control his words.

00:15:46: A Wise Man's words are beneficial to everyone but Fool ends up hurting himself with things that he says.

00:15:55: Then this verse thirteen says the beginning of his talking is folly and end of it.

00:15:59: Is wicked madness.

00:16:01: So he's basically saying that the fool as soon as he opens his mouth It's evident that he's a fool.

00:16:07: Yeah, That's what?

00:16:08: He was saying when you said You know man can just walk down the street And then tell him to be so bad.

00:16:13: in verse three I don't know if y'all have ever listened to anyone like that, or you've never noticed it in yourself.

00:16:29: But i notice sometimes unfortunately in myself where i get all riled up about something and so after a little while no one wants to listen to me.

00:16:41: You sound like crazy lady!

00:16:43: And... That kind of goes into the foolishness ruins all wisdom even IF I might know what im saying, even if Im onto something.

00:16:54: If i get myself all worked up and just go on until i sound like a crazy person then everybody is going to think that Im a fool And nothing that I say thats wise will matter.

00:17:07: No one's going.

00:17:08: listen to me.

00:17:09: A fool doesn't have control over his tongue any more than he has control of his temper.

00:17:16: We need to get control of the words that we say, and make sure they're beneficial for people who are talking.

00:17:27: So James three two-to-ten says... Look at the ships too.

00:17:47: They are so large and they're driven by strong winds Yet, they are nevertheless directed there.

00:17:53: buy a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines.

00:17:58: So also The tongue is a small part of the body yet it boasts great things.

00:18:03: See how a great forest is set.

00:18:05: aflame my such as small fire.

00:18:07: And the tongue Is a fire?

00:18:09: the very words Of the unrighteous.

00:18:12: the tongue is set among our bodies parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire in our life, is set on fire by hell.

00:18:23: For every species of beasts or birds—of reptiles and creatures of sea—is tamed but no one among mankind can tame it.

00:18:35: It's a restless evil full of deadly poison!

00:18:38: With it we bless our Lord and Father who are made into likeness to

00:18:44: God.".

00:18:45: From the same mouth come blessings and curses my brothers and sisters.

00:18:49: This should not be so.

00:18:51: So we need to be able to control our tongue But unfortunately it says you'll never be totally successful.

00:18:58: but that doesn't mean That we don't need to try because this is showing us The same thing that a little bit of foolishness Taints all of our wisdom, A little bit Of foolishness in the way that We speak can destroy everything Because just like we can control the whole horse by his mouth, then our entire body is controlled by our tongue.

00:19:20: And so we can torch our whole lives with the bad things that we say if were not careful.

00:19:26: and this was showing us to be in control of our tempers or words the lack of self-control, things that we say and the things that do.

00:19:45: Also in Proverbs eighteen seven it says a fool's mouth is his ruin And His lips are the snare Of his soul.

00:19:54: Proverbs ten twenty one The lips of the righteous feed many But the full dies for lack of understanding.

00:20:02: Proverbs thirteen three The One who guards his mouth preserves life but the One Who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

00:20:12: Proverbs fifteen two, the tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable but the mouth of fools spouts folly.

00:20:19: so we need be careful about things that say.

00:20:22: also in down in verse twenty it says furthermore your bed chamber do not curse a king and inner sleeping room don't curse rich man for a bird at heavens will carry sound.

00:20:39: So even in private we have to be careful about what?

00:20:43: We say because it's can easily come back to bite you You know most of the time.

00:20:49: It'll come back around.

00:20:51: You think that your saying something in private, but it ends up coming right back around.

00:20:56: Romans one twenty-one to twenty two says for Even though they knew God They didn't honor him as god or give thanks.

00:21:04: But they became futile and their reasoning and there senseless hearts were darkened their foolish hearts.

00:21:10: They had no sense, and so professing to be wise they became

00:21:15: fools.".

00:21:16: Luke twelve two three says but there's nothing covered up that will not be revealed or hidden.

00:21:23: That can't be made known according To whatever you have said in the dark.

00:21:27: Will we heard in a lie?

00:21:29: And what You've whispered In the inner rooms will Be proclaimed on the house tops.

00:21:34: So nothing is a secret.

00:21:36: Gotta be careful about what you say even when you are in private.

00:21:40: and then I just realized that.

00:21:42: I missed verse fourteen.

00:21:44: Verse fourteen says yet the fool multiplies words.

00:21:48: no man knows What will happen?

00:21:51: And who can tell him, but we'll come after him.

00:21:54: So he's saying that fools never know quite as much as they think They do if a key bond talking keep on showing everybody how little they know.

00:22:03: We need to be careful to say the things that we know and then keep our mouths shut if we don't know it.

00:22:08: Because, the longer we talk... ...the more evident it is that we DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!

00:22:13: Romans one twenty-one in twenty two says Even though they knew God They didn't honor Him as God or give thanks But they became futile In their reasonings And Their senseless hearts were darkened.

00:22:26: So professing to be wise They became fools.

00:22:30: Gotta Be Careful acting like we know things that we don't.

00:22:35: And then the very last couple of verses are Verses eighteen and nineteen, verse eighteen says through indolence The rafter sag and through slackness the house leaks Men prepare a meal for enjoyment and wine makes life merry.

00:22:57: Now, he's not saying that money is the answer to everything.

00:22:59: He's saying this person thinks that.

00:23:01: and so what his saying Is?

00:23:04: You may think That you can just eat drink and be merry And then if Everything falls apart it'll throw some Money at him.

00:23:13: But he said It doesn't work like that.

00:23:16: If your lazy everything will fall apart.

00:23:19: The rafters will sag in a house of leak.

00:23:22: but This is foolish because In the end Being irresponsible, as he said about the king who parties all day long is not gonna benefit anyone in the long run.

00:23:36: So we need to be diligent and proactive because the way that we live ultimately will determine whether our life is built on wisdom or whether it's ruined by foolishness.

00:23:50: Proverbs fourteen one says tears it down with our own hands.

00:23:58: We have to be proactive, otherwise we can destroy our lives.

00:24:04: Proverbs twenty one five the plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

00:24:13: laziness doesn't benefit anyone.

00:24:16: proverbs twenty four thirty three two thirty-four says a little sleep and slumber a little folding up the hand to rest.

00:24:24: then your property will come as a robber your want like an armed man.

00:24:29: Same as a little foolishness, just a little bit of resting and all the sudden you're poor...you got nothing!

00:24:37: I'm gonna end with Matthew seven sixteen to twenty six.

00:24:41: it says You will know them by their fruits.

00:24:45: grapes aren't gathered from thorn bushes and figs are not gathered from thistles.

00:24:52: So every good tree bears Good Fruit, and the bad Tree bears Bad Fruit.

00:24:57: A good Tree can't bear Bad Fruit nor Can a bad Tree bear Good Fruit?

00:25:01: For Every Tree who doesn't Bear Good Fruit is cut down And thrown into The fire.

00:25:07: so then you will know them by their Fruits!

00:25:11: So this Is talking about how it's evident when You're Foolish but if You have a wise heart Then You Will Walk in Wisdom Whether you know what your talking about or don't.

00:25:33: Verse twenty-one, Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man Who built his house on the rock And it will not fall For It has been founded On The Rock.

00:26:14: I am their boss, and do what i say.

00:26:23: Then they're like the foolish man who built his house on a sand.

00:26:27: that person's house is going to fall.

00:26:30: so if we don't want our lives To be tainted And destroyed by foolishness then We need to listen to The words of god?

00:26:39: And Do them.

00:26:41: That Is What Makes Us wise.

00:26:43: That Is what Keeps us safe.

00:26:45: that Is what Helps Us Not have to work So hard Makes everything not overwhelming.

00:26:53: That is what makes it easier.

00:26:56: It's what makes us more successful Doing things in the wise ways of God, so there was a pretty short chapter and next week we're gonna do both Of the last two chapters of Ecclesiastes.

00:27:11: So make sure you subscribe to.

00:27:13: don't miss that episode.

00:27:15: And then if you would like the blog posts that go along with this, You can become a paid subscriber at livethroughjesus.substack.com.

00:27:22: and Then If you want The written lesson...you Can Become A Paid Subscriber There!

00:27:28: And then also follow me on social media At Live Through Jesus and I'll be posting clips from This and Also scriptures From Here and Then.

00:27:36: That's All I have so i'll just See you Back Next Week.

00:27:39: Thanks and Have a Good Day.