For all this I considered in
my heart, even declare all this, that the righteous and the wise
and their works are in the hand of God. No man knoweth either
love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come
alike to all. There is one event to the righteous
and to the wicked, to the good, to the clean, to the unclean,
to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifices not. As is the good, so is the sinner,
and he that sweareth, as he that taketh an oath. This is an evil
among all things that are done under the sun, that there is
one event unto all, yea, also the heart of the sons of men,
is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they
live and after they go to the dead. For to him that is joined
to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than
a dead lion. For the living know that they
shall die, but the dead know not anything, neither have they
any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their
love and their hatred and their envy is now perished, neither
have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done
under the sun. Go thy way, eat thy bread with
joy, drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth
thy works. Let thy garments be always white,
Let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife,
whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which
he hath given thee under the sun all the days of thy vanity. For that is thy portion in this
life, and in thy labor which thou takest under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to
do, do it with thy might, for there is no work, nor device,
nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest. I returned and saw under the
sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the
strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men
of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, but time and
chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his
time, as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as
the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of
men snared in an evil time when it falls suddenly upon them. Now pay attention. This wisdom
have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There
was a little city, and a few men within it, and there came
a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great
bulwarks against it. Now there was found in it a poor,
wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no man
remembered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better
than strength. Nevertheless, the poor man's
wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. The words of wise
men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that rules among
fools. Wisdom is better than weapons
of war, but one sinner destroyeth much good. Solomon here in this book, this
unusual book of the Scripture, he has given us actually two
unique and unusual books. That would be the book of Ecclesiastes
and the book of the Song of Solomon, but he's also given us the book
of the Proverbs. Now, in the writings of Solomon,
particularly Proverbs, there are many contrasts that are given.
between right and wrong, between sin and evil, between good men
and bad men, and wise men and fools. Now, the book called Ecclesiastes,
which some say means a gatherer together of covenant people. It's translated, however, in
the title of the book, as you know, as Preacher. And in chapter
1 and verse 1, the words of the preacher, the son of David, king
in Jerusalem. Down in chapter 1 in verse 12,
I, the preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem, and in all
this word, he uses the word preacher at least seven times in reference
unto himself. Then we ask, what is the preacher's
message? What is the substance of his
sermon? What will we hear from him when
he ascends the pulpit and begins to speak? Now the strong emphasis
in Ecclesiastes is immediately set forth in the first of the
book. His subject is the vanity of
all things. Vanity of vanity, all is vanity. All achievements, all earthly
pursuits, all labor, all riches, all earning, because they count
for nothing for the other world, Solomon calls them as vanity. Now, one recurring theme that
comes before us again in the book is that question, why is
there no greater distinction that God makes in His providence
in the outward circumstances of good men and of evil men. Why is the difference between
them not greater displayed and manifested? The same things He
said happen to both alike. The righteous man and the wise
man is subject to many of the same calamities as the wicked
and the evil man. You have that in chapter 9, verses
1 through 3. Now in verse 1, He refers back
to the end of chapter 8. I'm talking about verse 1 of
chapter 9. And the mystery of the way of
divine providence, that just men suffer and they experience
the same things as the wicked. Chapter 8 and verse 14. And he concluded in chapter 9
and verse 1 that the wise and the righteous in their works
are in the hand of God. He's mindful of them. He preserves
them. He keeps them. He's not unmindful
of these men and their good works, nor is He unrighteous to forget
their works and their labor of love that they have done in His
name, as Hebrews 6 and verse 10 declare. At the same time,
in chapter 9, verse 1, and the last part, No man knows love
or hatred by all that is before him. That is, the outward circumstances
and the outward dispensation, the things that befall one and
the other, are no sure indicator of whether we are the objects
of God's love or the objects of His hatred. Because the righteous
may be poor, they may have a hard life, They may be sick and in
poor, bad health, meet with many troubles, while on the other
hand, the wicked may acquire much of this world's goods. They
might live an easy and a long life. They might be in robust
health, as we might express it, and live to a ripe old age. And there is a lesson to be learned
by observing the work of God and providence regarding these
people. This point in the study came
upon an outline in the commentary of Matthew Henry on chapter 9
here of Ecclesiastes. It will help us to get to our
chosen text, I believe. It will jump us over the things
that are between here and there. Brother Henry made four observances
concerning the situation of the sons of men. And that would include
both the good and the bad. First of all, he said in verses
1 through 3, as to outward circumstances, as to the things that befall
us outwardly, the wicked and the righteous are much alike. The same things come upon one
as upon the other. The same have the troubles as
does the other. Secondly, Matthew Henry said,
if we look at verses 4 through 6 of chapter 9, he said that
death puts an end to all of our earthly pursuits and our activity. Thus, the living have the advantage
over the dead that their circumstances may change. To the living there
is hope, and the wise Solomon uses that proverb that a living
dog, now a dog unclean and contemptible in the sight of the people of
God, but a living dog, vicious and ferocious, as Solomon concludes,
is better than a dead lion. And in verse 7-10, the righteous,
therefore, are encouraged to live out their life using those
things that God has given us for our help and our blessing,
to be happy with our wives and our families and do with our
hands what they find to do. Thirdly, Matthew Henry said in
verse 11 and verse 12, God observes that things are not always as
they seem or as they might be expected. Here's his reasoning. The swift do not always win the
race. The strong do not always win
the battle or prevail. The wise do not always gather
together an abundance of bread. Nor the understanding ones accumulate
wealth. Because chance and time, he says,
happens unto all. Fourthly, in verse 13 through
verse 18, Solomon shows us that wise men are often very useful
to their fellow men and citizens and to their city. But that,
after they have rendered a good service, they are not long remembered. They are not seldom remembered
as they ought to be. Their deeds are not long remembered,
and they are soon forgotten, especially if they are poor and
of a little reputation. So our study here in verses 13
through 15 for our consideration. Solomon recounts an incident,
a true incident we may assume, of which he had knowledge. Something
that he had heard about, and it was a credible hearing unto
him, which made a deep impression upon him And it proved the premise
that he had stated back in chapter 2 and verse 13, that wisdom exceeds
folly as far as light exceeds darkness, which is more useful
to act out of folly or to act out and according unto wisdom,
which is preferred either with God or the righteous, light or
darkness. But now in chapter 9, verse 13,
he refers to an exercise of wisdom that had profound effect upon
other people. He considered it a great thing.
He thought it was wonderful and says it happened under the sun. Now that gives us a pause to
say that this is a favorite expression of Solomon in this book. How
many times do we read him saying, so-and-so happened under the
sun? I was reading one expositor this
week. He said he counted 28 times in
Ecclesiastes that Solomon uses that expression, under the sun,
which must either mean in this world, as opposed to the world
that is to come, or labor and effort that is exerted in the
days of life and the days of labor. He labors by day. For when the night comes, no
man can work. But here is what Solomon saw
under the sun. And it's in v. 13-15. Look at v. 14. A little city,
a small town. It had but few men that were
dwellers or citizens of that city. It was not thickly or heavily
populated. It had few men who could defend
it. Few men who could take up arms
as a militia and defend the city against enemies from without
who might attack. Then also notice in verse 14,
there came a great king, and of course with his valiant warriors
without number, who did besiege and encircle the city. And he
built bulwarks out near the walls of the city, and he encircled
the city roundabout. And the implication is clear.
The picture is very clearly imprinted in the mind's eye of the readers. The great king will prevail. He will overrun, for sure, the
city, pillage their goods, either kill the inhabitants of the city
or enslave them unto himself in some way. In other words,
victory seems absolutely certain on the part of the mighty king. The king's army is entrenched. It is preparing itself for the
assault upon the helpless little city, and they wait and cower
for the inevitable that is bound to come upon them when this king
shall rush upon them and destroy their city and all in it. But then, in verse 15, Solomon
tells of an amazing deliverance of that city. It came not by
mighty armies, but it came by means of a man in that city that
was both poor and also a possessor of wisdom. And Solomon sums it
up. By his wisdom, he delivered the
city. The city was spared. It was not
attacked and ravaged. He saved it from the mighty king. Their life in the city went on. Rather than perish by the sword,
rather than being overrun by the king and his armies, a poor
but a wise man was the providential deliverer of the people of that
city. Now at this point, a couple of
questions come into our minds. Perhaps the first question is,
question one, what means did the poor man use to deliver the
city from the ravages of the mighty king? What did he do? What did he say? What did he
counsel the people? What did he rally them to do
that the city was saved? We cannot help but wonder. It's
got to enter into our mind. We can hardly bridle our curiosity
at the question. We must leave it among the secret
things of God, however, that belong unto Him which are not
revealed. Deuteronomy 29 and 29. But there is another remarkable
and similar incident found in 2 Samuel chapter 20. Whether you would turn there
is up to you. It might quench our thirst to
pry into the unknown as we see that the means here is given
unto us. It concerns also a city that
is besieged by an army which, in verse 15, cast up a bank against
the city and battered the wall. And they were about to dig about
the walls that they might fall and cave in. Now, the reason
for this siege was that the army of Joab, who led this mighty
host, had pursued a man of Belial named Sheba. And Sheba had fled
to a city by the name of Abel. For Sheba had led an uprising
against King David. He had lifted up his hand against
David, is how the Scripture put it. Being in Abel, therefore
in the city of Abel, Therefore the armies of Joab came, encircled
the city round about to do whatsoever was necessary to the capture
of Sheba. Now this time it is a woman of
wisdom that delivers the city. Verse 16, 2 Samuel chapter 20,
a wise woman out of the city. In verse 22, then the woman went
unto all the people in all other wisdom." Here this army is camped
within sight of their city about to besiege and attack them. Now
Joab had said in verse 21, all I want out of the city is Sheba. You give me Sheba and we shall
go away not distraught. You know this woman went out
and whistled him to his face. She said, now look, what are
you doing here? You are coming against the inheritance of the
Lord and mothers in Israel. What do you mean?" And he says,
well, I don't want to hurt anybody else. All I want is Sheba and
I will be content and on my way. And this woman did save the city
by her wisdom. You know what she did? She said,
okay, I'll tell you what we'll do. All you want is Sheba. We'll
go into the city. We'll get Sheba. We'll cut his
head off and throw it to you over the wall. And so they did.
All the people of the city got Sheba, killed him, cut his head
off, threw it over the wall, and Joab went on his way. And
by that wisdom was this city saved by this woman's plan. But let's go back to Ecclesiastes
9 and question 2 now. Why does Solomon tell of this
incident and then not supply us with any of the details? What's
the purpose in telling us about this wise man saving a city if
he's not going to give us any of the details? Well, I submit
that the emphasis is upon the excellence of wisdom, as we will
soon see, and the incident is simply proof of the excellence
of that wisdom. Looking back to verse 11, where
Solomon had said, The race is not to the swift, nor the battle
to the strong, The fastest runner is not guaranteed to win the
race. He might pull a hamstring. He
might fall down. He might have an injury. Nor
does the biggest army always win the battle. As in the incident,
wisdom and not might carried the day in this little city.
Wisdom sometimes prevails over might. A person is more blessed
to be endowed with wisdom than with fame or riches or honor
or possessions or great worldly good. For in certain times, wisdom
can do what these other things cannot do." Now, no doubt you
are familiar with the experience of Solomon in 1 Kings chapter
3, building the temple, making it ready. And God graciously
appeared to Solomon in Gibeon, And he made trial of Solomon's
medal by granting him a favor. Ask what you will, and it shall
be given unto you. Solomon is now king in place
of his father David. very inexperienced at the task
of guiding and judging and going in and out before the people.
So what does Solomon ask for on that occasion? I think you
remember. Does he ask for a long life? Does he ask that I might live
long upon the earth which the Lord, by God... Does he ask for
perfect health? May I be strong and robust in
order that I might do my task. Does he ask more riches? Solomon
was already a rich man. Does Solomon ask that his kingdom
might be extended and that it might swallow up other kingdoms
about him? Does he ask for power that he
might rule and reign? Does he ask for fame that his
name might spread far and wide? Because he asked for a large
family that his progeny might be known in all of the earth. In verse 9 of that chapter, we
notice that he asked for an understanding heart to discern between the
good and the bad. He says, as I go out and in among
the people and to judge them, he prayed that the Lord would
give unto him understanding. This was very pleasing. to the
Lord our God in verse 10 and verse 11, and it was granted. And the thing which he most was
famous for, what is it that Solomon is famous for? It is his wisdom. In 1 Kings 3 and verse 28. 1 Kings 4 and verse 29. God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding
exceeding much and largeness of heart. even as the sand of
the seashore." Some came great distances just to hear the wisdom
of Solomon. 1 Kings 4.34, including the Queen
of Sheba. 2 Chronicles also, 9 and 3. Matthew 12 and 42, our Lord made
mention of that. And no doubt Solomon got things
that he did not ask for because he first asked and was granted
wisdom. But let's go back to Ecclesiastes
9, this time looking ahead in the text concerning wisdom in
verse 16. Wisdom is better than strength. Verse 18, wisdom is better than
weapons of war. Now, would you rather be a strong
person Or would you rather be a wise person? In the eyes of
God, a wise person. Which would serve you better?
To be a great man or to be a wise man? Which would be most beneficial? Nevertheless, we hear Solomon
acknowledge in verse 16 in the last part, the poor man's wisdom
is despised. People don't think well of him
and they don't build a statue for him in the entering in of
the city. It is because he is poor has
this wisdom no credit because he is lowly in society's eyes. Is not wisdom true wisdom? Whether
it come through King Solomon or through one of the lowly citizens
of the kingdom. Again, let us remember how highly
wisdom is prized by Solomon in his Proverbs, where there in
Proverbs he links together such virtues and graces as wisdom,
knowledge, understanding, discretion, equity. Solomon states the purpose
of his Proverbs as he writes along in the way in Proverbs
chapter 1 and verses 1 through 4. If I might turn there and
just quickly read what Solomon thinks about And what he would
have us think about it, 1-4, the first four verses of Proverbs,
the Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel,
to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding,
to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and
equity, to give substance to the simple, to the young man,
knowledge, and discretion. And then Solomon does something
amazing. He personifies wisdom in the
first few chapters of the book of Proverbs. It runs through
about verse 9. It's some of the most interesting
reading that you'll ever see if you see that Solomon has personified
wisdom as if she were a woman and she is giving out her instruction. She is a woman in chapter 1 through
10. We read in chapter 1 and verses
20 through 23, which I should have kept my place. I will go
back, Proverbs chapter 1 and verse 20 through 23. She crieth,
wisdom crieth without. She utters her voice in the street.
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the opening
of the gate. In the city she utters her word saying, How long,
ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and the scorners
delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you
at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my Spirit
upon you, and I will make my words known unto you." How wonderful
does wisdom speak unto man! Wisdom is likened to a virtuous
woman who meets passers-by in the public places, warns and
exhorts them as she comes in their hearing. In the chief place
of the concourse, she's there in the gate as they go and they
come, where citizens go and gather, where business is transacted.
Anywhere in the streets or the byways of the city, she meets
men and she cries out. Again, she stands in her high
place and looks down upon them. In the paths where people are
walking, at the gates, at the doors, Proverbs 8, 2 and 3. She
watches from her window of her house as she sees a young man
ensnared there in a net by a harlot. Proverbs 7, 6 through 27. And the thing not to be overlooked
is that that lady Wisdom takes a special interest in the young. It is to the young that she cries
out to the youth, to the man. chapter 1, verse 4, to the simple
chapter 1 and verse 22. Yet not limited to just the youth,
for in Proverbs 8 and verse 4, unto you, O men, I call, and
my voice is to the sons of men. This is wisdom personified as
a woman. What a picture in Proverbs 9,
where Lady Wisdom is seen as having built her houses and trust
them with great columns that they might stand in strength. Not only that, she has furnished
her table with meat and with wine. She dispenses her maidens
to go out into the city of the streets and bid the simple to
turn in and feast and learn at her table. To the one void of
understanding, the maidens call out in chapter 9, verse 5 and
verse 6, eat of my bread, drink my wine, which I have mingled,
forsake the foolish and live and go in the way of understanding."
Let's read something containing a claim which wisdom makes, which
ought to impress all that hear it. And this time, Proverbs chapter
8. I think a lot of times people,
I know, I've seen the commentators apply this directly and firstly
to Christ. But I want to suggest to you,
see if you think it might apply instead unto wisdom. And then
wisdom, of course, is what Christ is the sum of. But listen, in
chapter 8 of the book of Proverbs, verse 22, the Lord possessed
me in the beginning of His way, before the works of old. I was
set up from everlasting, from the beginning, wherever the earth
was. when there were no depths I was brought forth, when there
were no fountains abounding with water, before the mountains were
settled, before the hills were brought forth, while as yet He
had not made the earth or the fields nor the highest part of
the dust of the world." And I'll stop there, but the rest of the
chapter just goes on discussing this great thing called wisdom. Now, let's hear that value that
Solomon places upon wisdom. Proverbs 2, v. 10-12, when wisdom
enters into the heart and knowledge is pleasant unto the soul, discretion
shall preserve you, understanding shall keep you, to deliver thee
from the way of the evil and from the man that speaks froward
things. Proverbs 3.13, happy is the man
finding wisdom and the man that gets understanding. Proverbs
7, v. 4, Say to wisdom, you are my
sister, and call understanding your kinswoman." Proverbs 8 and
11, wisdom is better than rubies, and all things that may be desired
are not to be compared unto it. So the question is, what is this
wisdom that Scripture so highly commends unto us? Not necessarily
one and the same with what we call education or the education
of the world. For one may be highly educated
and still be a fool and a simpleton. There are plenty of people that
are what our grandparents would call educated fools, and yet
they don't seem to have any wisdom concerning the things of God.
Thus, a dropout may have wisdom from God that a person with six
degrees may be a fool in the same area. So it is this great
work that God has done in giving wisdom. Our study would be incomplete
unless we considered wisdom from the standpoint of spiritual wisdom
as related to salvation and to Christ and to the blessed gospel
of grace. John Gill, and I think rightly
so, called wisdom a spiritual grace. And as it is an internal
grace, or as Gil put it, quote, an inward disposition of mind
respecting divine things, unquote. Such spiritual wisdom is an internal
work of God. It is not gained by our own wit. It is a work of God. It is a
gift of God. It's a work of grace as one like
Timothy makes wise unto salvation. Again, Gil said, true spiritual
wisdom is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. For after all, Christ is made
unto us wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1.30. Probably
the most common word in the New Testament for wisdom is that
word sophia, which wisdom may be defined as insight into the
true nature of a thing. And as we see from Paul, especially
in 1 Corinthians 1, verses 1 and 2, There is both a worldly wisdom
and there is a spiritual wisdom. And Paul declares the wisdom
of the world is absolutely useless to bringing one to a saving knowledge
of God, of Christ, and of salvation. Yea, not only is worldly wisdom
useless in saving a soul, oftentimes it stands as a great hindrance
for men to trust in their own understanding or lean to their
own understanding. He said, Paul, you see your calling. Not many wise are called. Look, he said, among you, that
not many wise, that is, wise in the world, are called. And
as to spiritual wisdom, we shall find these links, wisdom, knowledge,
understanding. Perhaps we should put understanding
at the head of the list. The Puritan Stephen Charnock
wrote, and I quote, knowledge is the root of wisdom, and wisdom
is the flower of knowledge, unquote. No one can be wise without knowledge,
nor exercise wisdom without prudence or understanding. What wisdom
did Paul discover in the gospel way of salvation? That the mighty
God, in His wisdom, infinite wisdom, had both punished sin
and save the sinner by His divine grace. It is sure that we ought
to pray for wisdom. If any man lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, who giveth all men liberally. I believe it was James
who said that unto us. So that the poor wise man save
the city by his wisdom, save the city from mighty armies by
the wisdom that he exercised. We could see, we will see many
times, how wisdom carries the day and how wisdom is better
sometimes than might or pugilism or a violent army. Wisdom is
to be had. Wisdom is a great price. It is
a pearl of great price. All right, thank you for your
listening and kind attention.