Bible Study Solomon's Pessimism

[Beetow]

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● Ecc 6:1-2a . .There is an evil I have observed under the sun, and a grave one it is
for man: that God sometimes grants a man riches, property, and wealth, so that he
does not want for anything his appetite may crave,

Here we go with that "gift of God" thing again; but these are typically a genre of
gifts that Solomon observes "under the sun" rather than in the sphere of true
providence. Just because somebody is rich is no indication their prosperity was
engineered by God. Even career criminals, Wall Street barracudas, predatory
lenders, and corrupt politicians are often rich; no thanks to God. Some feel the
Kennedy clan is blessed-- yes they are very well off, but only due to grandpa Joe's
lack of scruples.

● Ecc 6:2b . . but God does not permit him to enjoy it; instead, a stranger will
enjoy it. That is futility and a grievous ill.

That is the classic "the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name
of the Lord" attitude. Calling any act of God "futility and a grievous ill" would
normally be considered accusing God of sin, except that in this case, Solomon
doesn't really mean it that way. To an intellectual, the concept of God is merely
academic; and an "act of God" is really no more literal than pie in the sky or the
man in the moon.

A common example of this "evil" about which Solomon spoke is someone who
worked hard all their life, saved and invested wisely, and then one day WHAM,
during a routine physical exam, their doctor shocks them with the life-changing
news they have on-set Alzheimer's. Guess where that person's savings and
investments will end up now. Yes, towards medical attention and long term care.
The health care system, and it's medical professionals, will make a big dent in their
life savings.

● Ecc 6:3-6 . . Even if a man should beget a hundred children and live many years
- no matter how many the days of his years may come to, if his gullet is not sated
through his wealth, I say: the stillbirth, though it was not even accorded a burial, is
more fortunate than he. Though it comes into futility and departs into darkness,
and its very name is covered with darkness, though it has never seen or
experienced the sun, it is better off than he-- yes, even if the other lived a
thousand years twice over but never had his fill of enjoyment! For are not both of
them bound for the same place?

One advantage a stillborn child enjoys over and above the living is that although it
never had a chance to live; it doesn't know what it missed either. In its case,
ignorance is truly bliss. The person who had the means and the wherewithal to
enjoy life, but failed to take advantage of it before they died, will suffer
unspeakable mental anguish throughout eternity for missing their chance to enjoy
life before it was too late. In that respect, the miscarried child is much better off
because it has more peace of mind than others even though it never owned
anything; no, not even so much as a name to call its own.

I knew an older man once who owned a very expensive wrist watch that he
reserved for special occasions. Well; that is short sighted if you ask me. He should
wear that nice watch whenever he gets the chance because life is so uncertain.
People should enjoy their nice things while they can rather than wait till they're at
the point of death. Life is not a do-over. You've got live it as you live it: not wait till
a more opportune moment; which, as sometimes happens, quite possibly may
never come. Carpe Diem: seize the day. People who put off living life to its fullest
till later often find out it's too late to do so.

● Ecc 6:7-8 . . All of man’s earning is for the sake of his mouth, yet his gullet is not
sated. What advantage then has the wise man over the fool, what advantage has
the pauper who knows how to get on in life?

Food and water are two things in life that, like sleep, cannot be taken just once
because once is not enough. You have to eat again, you have to drink water again,
and you have to sleep again. That is a law of life for both the stupid and the
intelligent, for both the rich and the poor regardless of age, race, religion, and/or
gender identity. No one is exempt from that law-- all are equal in those respects;
and all the money on earth can't buy people an exemption.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Ecc 6:9 . .What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is
futility and a striving after wind.

Sometimes I think the most content people are the blind because they go shopping
with their heads instead of their eyes. People invariably buy things that are far
more expensive than what they could get by with if they had to.

* Apple Computer pioneer Steve Jobs once said: "People don't know what they
want till you show it to them."

This same weakness of the eyes will compel a boy to marry a beautiful girl who is
totally wrong for him. The Creator made women to be a man's very best friend
first, his lover second, and the mother of his children third. But some men just can't
get past a girl's looks; and as all women know, when it comes to love; men use
their eyes much better than they use their brains. They often pick a wife without
thinking because looks mean almost everything to the average man; and a
woman's personality is only secondary, if it's taken into consideration at all.

* There's currently a surplus of "leftover women" in China; not because of a
shortage of men, but because the girls put off marriage until they completed
college and their careers were blooming. Well; now those successful women are old
maids because quite a number of suitable men in China prefer to start a family with
younger women instead of those pushing 30.

● Ecc 6:10 . .Whatever happens, it was designated long ago and it was known that
it would happen; as for man, he cannot contend with what is stronger than he.

I guess you could call that attitude fatalism.

Some things really are predestined and often we just have to face the facts; e.g.
old age and death are two of life's unpleasant realities. Everyone is stuck with
debilitation and there's no use in fighting it. Menopause is another chipped-in-stone
fact of life that is just as real as the air we breathe all around us. If couples aren't
careful, and let too much time slip by, menopause will steal away their chances for
a baby.

Some people enjoy toying with death and go hiking in the wilderness all alone
and/or jump off high places with bungee cords and wing suits, and/or zip down a
snowy mountain just inches ahead of an avalanche on boogie boards and/or free
climb the vertical face of Yosemite's Half Dome. Some say people like that have a
death wish. No, what they really have is a wish to flirt with death and live to tell
about it. Their attitude is: If you aren't walking on the edge; then you're taking up
room.

Personally, I don't want to die like a fool. People who tempt fate by participating in
extreme sports are just asking to be dead and/or crippled for life before their next
meal-- and then what? Is existence strapped to a wheel chair and a respirator really
anybody's idea of fulfillment?
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Ecc 6:11-12 . . Often, much talk means much futility. How does it benefit a man?
Who can possibly know what is best for a man to do in life-- the few days of his
fleeting life? For who can tell him what the future holds for him under the sun?

* Solomon's comment pertains to a man's time "under the sun" rather than after
his death.

They say for every action there's a reaction; and that's generally true. But who can
really predict the repercussions of their decisions? In other words: when a butterfly
flaps its wings in England, does it put in motion other acts of nature that eventuate
in a typhoon in Samoa?

Life isn't like a chess game where the masters can see twelve moves ahead. No, life
is oftentimes a gamble. A young fellow contemplating the risks and responsibilities
of marriage once lamented to me how chancy it is to get married in these days with
the world in such turmoil and the economy uncertain. But I said to him: Life goes
on.

My friend realized of course that life does go on even under the extreme threats of
nuclear war, terrorism, air and water pollution, drug cartels, road rage, brown-outs
and water shortages, insane oil prices, acid rain, pandemics, activism, crime,
prejudice, drive-by shootings, global warming, unemployment, economic collapse,
and reactor melt-downs. People do manage to somehow cope and keep going.

Well, not long after that, he married his best girl; who proved to be just the right
one for him too. His pretty bride made him forget all about the dangers of lay-offs,
spiraling medical costs, and mortgage debt. My young friend never felt better in his
life. Carpe Diem
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Ecc 7:1a . . A good name is better than fragrant oil,

A companion to that saying might be a proverb also authored by Solomon.

"Like a gold ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman bereft of sense." (Prv
11:22)

Cosmetics, fashions, jewelry, hair, manicures, wonder bras, pantyhose, killer
curves, and/or Spanx and scents can't make up for a bad name. No matter how
dolled up, or shined up, nor how good a person smells; if they are a pig, they will
continue to act like a pig and be known as a pig. Better to be a plain Jane with a
sweet personality than a super model who affects everyone around her with a
witchy demeanor.

● Ecc 7:1b-2 . . and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to a
house of mourning than to a house of feasting; for that is the end of every man,
and a living one should take it to heart.

Nobody under the age of twenty-one is ever going to take that one seriously.
Birthday parties and beer busts are far more fun than funerals; although as I get
older, I tend to dread my birthdays more and more. When I was young, birthdays
were fun, and getting older was exciting. But aging is not so fun anymore. Age is
turning me into an ogre, and I can't stand the sight of myself in a mirror; especially
one of those large full-length bathroom mirrors they invariably install in motel
rooms.

But a funeral can really make one's self aware of our own mortality in a very special
way. My dad passed away in 1972, mother in 2006, my favorite nephew in 2015,
my kid brother in 2016, and my eldest brother in 2018. All those passings disturbed
me because I realized the grim reaper was closing in and picking off my kin one by
one. At 81 and diagnosed with esophageal cancer; it won't be long now till my own
number comes up and leaves my wife of 44+ years a widow.

● Ecc 7:3-4 . .Vexation is better than revelry; for though the face be sad, the heart
may be glad. Wise men are drawn to a house of mourning, and fools to a house of
merrymaking.

Those kinds of "wise men" are well known as party poopers and wet blankets. While
it's true that revelry can't make a person truly happy on the inside, it would still
seem a much better choice than one's mind dwelling upon Death. You know; it's
only natural that Solomon would believe that mourning is better than revelry
because he was a gloom-caster to begin with.

Solomon didn't even know how to have fun. The problem is; he was just too
intelligent for his own good. He really needed to get out and paint the town once
in a while, ride a pony, stroll the beach, roll the dice, joust a windmill, drop a coin
in a wishing well, go boating, dangle a worm, --anything but dwelling upon the
futility of life under the sun. No wonder the poor man was so negative!

In the movie "Titanic", Leonardo DiCaprio convinces Kate Winslet that there is more
to life than being rich, privileged, and pampered. He suggests she learn to ride a
horse like a man and learn to spit like a man. Sure: why not take off the Spanx,
lose the Silkies panty hose and Jimmy Choo heels, and try something silly like
skipping a stone across a pond?

I once heard Billy Graham say: The smallest package in the world is a man all
wrapped up in himself. Well . . amen to that! Billy was so right. And I would add
that the most unimportant man in the world is one who is totally self-absorbed.
Some people really need to get out and do a little mixing and have a good time
once in a while: break the monotony, do something stupid, get out of their rut; live
a little.

But Solomon just couldn't do it. There are some people not only fun-impaired, but
they can't permit themselves to indulge in fun. It's like a mental block-- a hang-up.
They're afflicted with fun-impotence. They feel guilty about having fun, they scorn
fun, and look down upon themselves for letting any into their lives.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Ecc 7:5-6 . . It is better to listen to a wise man's critique than to listen to the
praise of fools. For the levity of the fool is like the crackling of nettles under a
kettle; for that too is transitory.

The "praise of fools" is from a Hebrew word that means a song; singing; viz: a
lullaby. I guess you could liken a fool's praise to the chirping of a bird-- tweet,
tweet, tweet. Birds make sweet sounds; actually very soothing and entertaining at
times, but nonetheless, they only serve to help us escape reality-- they don't tell
the hearer very much truth about himself.

Nettles, like tumbleweeds, make very poor firewood. They burn very brightly, go up
with a woosh almost as soon as they're thrown into a fire; but produce very little
heat and soon go out. Oak and Beech are far better. Those sturdy woods burn
slowly and quietly, make good coals, and produce lots of usable heat for a long
time. The praise of fools is like birds twittering and nettles burning: noisy,
momentarily soothing, a brief caress with no long-lasting usefulness; while a wise
man's critique may not be so cheering, but can result in life-changing
improvements.

● Eccl 7:7 . . Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

Extortion and bribes aren't always illegal. Take America's political system for
example. It gets questionable things done by one hand washing the other, i.e. you
scratch my back and I'll scratch yours; so to speak. In other words: done by
incentives to persuade men in power to agree to things that when left to their own
better judgment they would refuse.

● Ecc 7:8-9 . .The end of a matter is better than the beginning of it. Better a
patient spirit than a haughty spirit. Don't let your spirit be quickly vexed, for
vexation abides in the heart of fools.

For some people, every disagreement is an act of war to be won at any cost. Those
folks sometimes lose sleep at night by rehearsing quarrels and debates over and
over again in their minds for the Nth time.

● Ecc 7:10 . . Don't say: How has it happened that former times were better than
these? For it is not wise of you to ask that question.

The problem with the good old days is that we often conveniently forget the bad
parts and sometimes invent good parts to take their place; viz: the good old days
are often a combination of poor memory and a good imagination.

● Ecc 7:11-12 . .Wisdom is as good as a patrimony, and even better, for those who
behold the sun. For to be in the shelter of wisdom is to be also in the shelter of
money, and the advantage of intelligence is that wisdom preserves the life of him
who possesses it.

* Solomon's comment is for those who "behold the sun" as opposed to those who
behold the face of God.

Wisdom isn't solely an accumulation of information like a journal or an
encyclopedia. It's a combination of knowledge and understanding gained through
experience. That's why so many young people are air-heads. Although they're
better educated; they just haven't lived long enough to really know the score.

Wisdom is a far better inheritance for a young person than money and property
because it will enable a wise youth to get the money and property later. But no
amount of money will enable a dunce to attain wisdom.

"What good is money in the hand of a fool to purchase wisdom, when he has no
mind?" (Prv 17:16)

Good sense is far more important than money. A young co-worker of mine, who
had been out of work for quite a while, took his very first paycheck to a sound shop
and spent the entire thing on a $700 stereo system for his car. The car was an old
clunker and the stereo was actually worth more than the car. Now there was a boy
who seriously needed help revising his priorities.

"There is desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man
squanders it." (Prv 21:20)
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Ecc 7:13-14 . . Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has
made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity
consider: surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can
find out nothing that will come after him.

Solomon's references to God are mostly rhetorical in the book of Ecclesiastes.
When he says "consider the work of God" I suspect he's just referring to the natural
order of things under the sun.

The Scottish poet Robert Burns noticed that life sometimes throws a curve ball at
you in spite of your best precautions. Fate often casts its long shadow when human
beings set about planning their lives.

Burns was out one day plowing in the field and uprooted a mouse's underground
nest who was all set for the oncoming winter. The mouse had picked a fallow field
as the site for its winter retreat thinking it would be safe and snug; unmolested
during the cold. But it didn't (or maybe we should say it couldn't) know the
workings of powers higher than itself-- in this case, human beings and their farm
machinery.

But, mousie, thou art no thy lane
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men [Oft go awry]
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain for promis'd joy.

Take for example Job (Job 1:1-3). He was all set to enjoy retirement when of a
sudden, without the slightest warning, his world fell apart even though he was the
most righteous man of his day and deserved only the best of luck rather than bad.
But completely unknown to him were higher powers-- God and the spirit world --in
a contest of loyalties; with 'ol Job right smack in the middle of their contentions.
Consequently; he lost everything-- his family, save for his (un)loving wife, his
livestock, all his houses; and his health. In very little time, Job went from wealthy
retiree to disabled pauper.

Job surely knew he didn't deserve the bad luck that came his way. But like Robert
Burns said: The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry. Why? Because as
Solomon indicated; you can neither predict nor fathom the ambitions of powers and
circumstances beyond your control. The spirit world is a higher power than Man,
just as Man is a higher power than mice. However, as mice cannot control the ways
of Man, neither can Man control the ways of the spirits. Therefore; both men and
mice are subject to the whims of powers beyond their control so that neither one is
superior to the other in that respect.

It's not uncommon to see property owners forced out and/or displaced because of
Eminent Domain; the power of a state, provincial, or national government to take
private property for public and/or economic use. So then, like the mousie in Burns'
poem; your land is never really your land. Higher powers are at liberty to condemn
your property and take it away from you at will for what they inevitably categorize
as the so-called "greater good".

NOTE: Redevelopment can be just as heartbreaking sometimes as outrageous. For
example when the City of Los Angeles forced out all the residents of Chavez Ravine
and bulldozed their homes so the land could be used for a new Dodger Stadium.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Ecc 7:15-16 . . In my own brief span of life, I have seen both these things:
sometimes a good man perishes in spite of his goodness, and sometimes a wicked
one endures in spite of his wickedness. So don't overdo goodness and don't act the
wise man to excess, or you may be dumfounded.

Some ultra ascetic types are obsessed with self denial-- don't do this, don't do that,
don't go here, don't go there, don't look at this, don't look at that. I once knew an
ascetic type who actually felt guilty simply by walking through the door of a
Blockbuster video store; and was so offended by young people's music that he
made his teen-age son listen to his boom box outside; even in inclement weather.

Dr. Laura (who's normally pretty level-headed) says that any parent that would
take their child to a mall that has a Victoria's Secret store is a bad parent. That's
asceticism (not to mention bigotry). Well; asceticism can guarantee no one long life
nor does it necessarily make one a better person. Asceticism can, in fact, result in a
superiority complex and, maybe even neurosis.

It would seem that the best way to enjoy a long life, as opposed to merely existing,
is by sensible practices in diet and health. But those things, as sensible as good diet
and healthy habits may be, won't guarantee good health and a long life.

I once worked in a family-owned boatyard in San Diego run by a man and his three
brothers, and his two sons. One of the sons was a model citizen and the picture of
health. He was married and had a little girl, didn't run with a bad crowd, didn't
smoke or drink, didn't stay out late, didn't eat fatty foods or sweets, jogged
regularly, attended church every Sunday and played piano for the choir, and he was
young; barely twenty-six years old.

Well, one day he complained of stomach pains and upon examination there was
found in his abdomen a cancerous growth as big as a child's nerf football. He
underwent surgery, lost a testicle, suffered through chemo-therapy, and last I
knew, was doing okay. The cancer was in remission but they had to keep an eye on
him all the time.

In contrast, the vaudeville, TV, and movie star George Burns smoked a cigar every
day of his life and made it to 100. Go figure.

You know, life is short. If us "good" people deny ourselves every little pleasure, one
day we'll regret it, especially if our own life ends too soon and those we consider
wicked manage to live full prosperous lives long after we ourselves are passed
away.

● Ecc 7:17-18 . . . On the other hand, don't be too wicked either-- don't be a fool!
Why should you die before your time? So try to walk a middle course-- but those
who fear God will succeed either way.

The recommendation in that passage is to do everything in moderation. That's the
key. Excess is what ruins people-- too much tobacco, too much coffee, too much
gambling, too much education, too much ignorance, too much quarreling, too much
sugar and fatty foods, too much alcohol, too much work, too much play and even
too much religion.

Too much of anything is bad; even too much recreation. Everyone knows that, but
no one takes it to heart. Some abstain from everything thinking to make
themselves ultra pious. But piety is not found exclusively in self-denial. It was
Solomon's philosophy that "those who fear God will succeed either way".
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Ecc 7:19 . .Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city.

Far too many State and Federal government officials are very good at winning
elections while too often incapable of exercising good judgment in their capacity as
leaders and managers.

They say that two heads are better than one, but in this case ten are inferior to one
when that one head is the only smart head hereabouts.

The wise man is circumspect; which Webster's defines as careful to consider all
circumstances and possible consequences, i.e. the wise man is smart enough, and
prudent enough, to decide upon a course of action that's best for everyone rather
than only for himself and/or special interests; and there are times when the wise
man is so clever with words that he can persuade ten block heads to do the right
thing.[font]

NOTE: The advice given in Ecclesiastes, while suitable for folks "under the sun" may
not be suitable for folks following Christ. Caveat Lector.

● Ecc 7:20 . . For there is not one good man on earth who does what is best and
doesn't err.

Solomon was a keen observer of people in power. He knew they couldn't be
trusted. Too many people look to government to improve their quality of life and to
remedy society's ills. That is a bad habit because human government is made up of
human beings, and human beings cannot be trusted to always do what is right
because they have prejudices and biases, private ambitions, axes to grind, hands to
shake, boots to lick, favors to repay, promises to keep, opportunities to grab, and
friends to curry.

They also have mental, physical, and emotional problems that affect their judgment
and sometimes put them in a contrary mood. Sometimes they drink, which loosens
them up and often disposes them to do things that are not in the public's best
interests.

Only the foolish believe their government to be as pure and honest as the angels of
God. They aren't. They weren't in Solomon's day; and they sure aren't now. The
voters who put their hero in office, believing him to be a Messiah capable of healing
their country's ills and giving people hope, are often very disappointed to discover
he's just another cheap politician with a charismatic persona, and feet of clay rather
than gold.

● Ecc 7:21-22 . . Finally, don't pay attention to everything that is said, so that you
may not hear your slave reviling you; for well you remember the many times that
you yourself have reviled others.

There are some instances in life where ignorance is truly bliss; and this is one of
them. Some people just have to know everything others are saying about them.
That's not a good idea. People are only human, and humans love to gossip and say
negative things about others. If you are prone to talk about others, then it is a sure
bet others are prone to talk about you, because they are just as human as you.
Solomon advised against being overly wise and overly foolish. I would add: don't be
nosey and don't be overly sensitive.

So don't crowd people or monitor their conversations like Big Brother or something.
They need to be free to talk about you; just as you need freedom to talk about
them.

But beware of vicious gossips and rumor mongers. Some of us talk about others for
fun and don't really mean anything by it; but some are out to stir up trouble and
deliberately assassinate reputations. They come up to you and say: "You should
hear what so and so is saying about you". People like that are a menace to society.
_

 

[Beetow]

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● Ecc 7:23-25 . . All this I tested with wisdom. I thought I could fathom it, but it
eludes me. [The secret of] what happens is elusive and deep, deep down; who can
discover it? I put my mind to studying, exploring, and seeking wisdom and the
reason of things, and to studying wickedness, stupidity, madness, and folly.

Well; Solomon is not the first one to grapple with the mystery of life and fail to
make any sense out of it. Many famous philosophers of the past came up empty
handed too. The happiest people seem to be those who don't think very deep. They
just live out their lives like a meerkat or a dragonfly without the slightest concern
about their origin nor the way things are, nor of the future. Maybe they have the
right idea after all.

● Ecc 7:26-27 . . Now, I find woman more bitter than death; she is all traps, her
hands are fetters and her heart is snares. He who is pleasing to God escapes her,
and he who is displeasing is caught by her. See, this is what I found, said Koheleth,
item by item in my search for the reason of things.

Most men under the sun would agree with Solomon that women are a necessary
evil; and mostly evil. "You can't live with 'em, and you can't live without 'em." How
many times I've heard unhappy men sound that lament.

According to Gen 2:18-24, God created Woman so the male would have a
supportive friend; a certain somebody who understands him and relates to him;3
someone he could lean on. Adam discovered that animals can't relate to Man,
unless of course a particular man happens to be an animal himself. One of my all
time favorite bumper stickers goes like this:

MEN ARE NOT PIGS!
Pigs Are Gentle, Sensitive, Intelligent Animals.

● Ecc 7:28a . . As for what I sought further but did not find,

Apparently, the thing that Solomon sought further (in addition to the investigations
he has made up to this point) was a human being free from the foibles of human
nature. Is it actually possible that the world cannot produce even one single human
being who is 100% rational and sensible?

● Ecc 7:28b . . I found only one human being in a thousand, and the one I found
among so many was never a woman.

His comment doesn't mean Solomon did actually find a truly 100% percent sensible
person; only that he found one that was sensible in his own opinion; which is a
subjective evaluation. That kind of determination has no value in reality because it's
a judgment based upon one's own personal (and possibly biased) point of view.
Although it appears in that verse that Solomon is being terribly sexist about the
intelligence of women; he isn't actually suggesting there are no sensible women at
all, but that in his own personal experience, sensible women were even more rare
than sensible men.

In the movie "As Good As It Gets" one of the main characters (a writer played by
Jack Nicholson) was asked by an admirer how he was able to understand women so
well-- knowing what goes on in their hearts and minds and putting it down on
paper. He answered; "I start with a man, and take away reason and
accountability." (chuckle) Nicholson's character, by the way, was a very self
centered, obsessive-compulsive individual who harbored some strong anti-social
opinions about women and gay men.

● Ecc 7:29a . . But, see, this I did find: God made men plain,

Plain can mean simple or uncomplicated; which seems to be exactly what he's
saying. God made Man an uncomplicated being; but he didn't stay that way.

● Ecc 7:29b . . but they have engaged in too much reasoning.

The Hebrew word for "reasoning" basically means: a mental or mechanical
contrivance, i.e. a warlike machine or a mental machination, e.g. sophistry and
rationale.

Some people do tend to complicate everything by over-thinking; thus they engage
themselves in a sort of mental bull session that never gets to the bottom of
anything. They can't just take things as they are, and let things happen. No, they
have to complicate everything.

Then there are those who can't permit themselves to accept anything they don't
understand. So their minds remain forever vacillating in a limbo between two
opinions. They're indecisive, and oftentimes insecure, because for minds like that,
there are no absolutes and no way of knowing what's for real and what's not for
real. So they're forever stalling with yeah-but, maybe, possibly, could be, and
what-if.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 8:1-2a . .Who is like the wise man, and who knows the meaning of the
adage: A man's wisdom lights up his face, so that his deep discontent is
dissembled? -- I do!

There's another way to say some of that.

"Crafty people are good at hiding their true feelings."

Every day I'm asked by somebody: "Hey, how's it going?" or "How are you today?"
Of course I always smile and say: "Great" or "Okay" but inside I might not be
having a good day at all. People don't want to hear about your problems.
Sometimes just for fun I'll answer those kinds of greetings with: "I'm blue,
depressed, overweight, in ill health, despondent, and wish I was never born." Or I'll
say: "I feel pretty good; for a guy my age." (chuckle) Those always get a reaction.

● Ecc 8:2b . . Obey the king's command, I say, because you took an oath before
God.

An oath taken "before God" may not seem realistic to an atheist, but when the
oath is formal-- e.g. court testimony and/or swearing into public office --then it
becomes enough rope to hang yourself with if you go back on it.

● Ecc 8:3-5a . . Leave his presence; do not tarry in a dangerous situation, for he
can do anything he pleases; inasmuch as a king’s command is authoritative, and
none can say to him: What are you doing? One who obeys orders will not suffer
from the dangerous situation.

In Solomon's day, it wasn't wise to provoke a king, nor to interfere with his
business, nor to block his way when he came down your street. Kings were despotic
monarchs: they answered to no one, and could have people executed at whim all
without the bother of due process. This is still true today in a number of nations.
Dictators throughout the world practice a degree of tyranny that you definitely do
not want to oppose if perchance you're a citizen in their country.

● Ecc 8:5b . . A wise man, however, will bear in mind that there is a time of doom.

Those who become just a little too familiar with kings, dictators, and presidents,
sometimes think their association with those high-ranking leaders gives them some
sort of immunity. That's when they get careless, goof up and cross over a line; and
the ruler, who in the past was their friend, then becomes their dread enemy. If for
no other reason than political considerations; they don't want to know you
anymore.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 8:6 . . for there is a time and a judgment for everything.

That's kind of superstitious in a way. It's like saying: What goes around comes
around.

● Ecc 8:7 . .Yet it is a great affliction for man that he is ignorant of what is to
come; for who will make known to him how it will be?

We have to expect to get caught up sometimes in circumstances beyond our
control. Often those circumstances are unforeseen and blindside us-- they catch us
off guard, and unprepared to cope with them.

Sometimes in the performance of duty, or in compliance with the law, (serving
King, country, employer, and/or the greater good) people have to do unpleasant
things in order to avoid unpleasant consequences; e.g. young men in the Marines
may be called upon to go kill non combatants; or construction workers may have to
destroy wildlife habitat for a suburb; or friends may be subpoenaed to testify in
court against their buddies.

Sure they could refuse to kill non combatants, and they could refuse to drive a
bulldozer through wetlands, prairies, and pastures, and they could refuse to testify.
But there is a price to pay for anarchy and insubordination. The young Marine could
be court-martialed for dereliction of duty, the construction guy would most likely be
fired, and the friend who refuses to help the law convict their buddy could be
hauled into court for the crime of misprision.

Those kinds of circumstances are cold, hard facts of life; they are a normal part of
the human experience. They come at us like juggernauts; big-foot trucks that crush
us under their tires; permanently altering our personalities and the way we feel
about ourselves.

● Ecc 8:8 . . No man has authority over the life-breath-- to hold back the life
breath; there is no authority over the day of death. There is no mustering out from
that war; wickedness is powerless to save its owner.

The ultimate life-changing event-- DEATH --is the supreme circumstance, the
undefeated champ, rated as among those beyond our control. No king can stop it
from laying claim to his life; as if it were one of his subjects. No draft dodger can
run away to Canada to avoid Death's induction. Death's time cannot be delayed by
failure to appear in court.

One day; in spite of anyone's strong objections to the contrary, our number will
come up-- at that time no matter who we are, or who we were, we will die; and it
matters little how, or when, or where we depart. The world was getting along just
fine without us before we arrived, and it will do just fine without us after we're
gone. A supervisor once told me "Don't ever think you can't be replaced."
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 8:9 . . All these things I observed; I noted all that went on under the sun,
while men still had authority over men to treat them unjustly.

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin eliminated threats to his power through Purge Trials and
widespread secret executions and persecution of his own fellow Soviet citizens. He
left behind a legacy of repression and fear as well as industrial and military power.
Stalin rid himself of all potential rivals in the party, first by having many of them
condemned as deviationists, and later by ordering them executed.

To ensure his position and to push forward "socialism in one country" he put the
Soviet Union on a crash course of collectivization and industrialization. An estimated
25 million farmers were forced onto state farms.

Collectivization alone killed as many as 14½ million Soviet people, and Russia's
agricultural output was reduced by 25 percent, according to some estimates.

Stalin is only one example of the many oppressive rulers in the course of huma
history, like Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe, Hosni Mubarak, and Kim
Jong Il who use and abuse their citizens; instead of managing countries for the
country's good, these kinds of rulers manage countries for their own personal good.
Their citizens are valued as resources rather than fellow men.

● Ecc 8:10a . . And then I saw scoundrels coming from the Holy Site and being
brought to burial

It is truly amazing how the wicked of the world have the nerve to attend church
and synagogue. And then their families have the chutzpah to apply for honorable,
Church sanctioned funerals when they die! Ergo: If you cannot stand with your religion in life, then do not expect it to stand with you in death.

● Ecc 8:10b . . while such as had acted righteously were forgotten in the city.

Many good people often live out their lives in total obscurity, never basking in any
limelight nor making a name for themselves. Their funerals? You won't see them on
a nationally televised broadcast and probably not in a newspaper's obituary column.

● Ecc 8:10c-13 . . And here is another frustration: the fact that the sentence
imposed for evil deeds is not executed swiftly, which is why men are emboldened to
do evil-- the fact that a sinner may do evil a hundred times and his [punishment]
still be delayed. For although I am aware that it will be well with those who revere
God since they revere Him, and it will not be well with the scoundrel, and he will
not live long, because he does not revere God.

If justice were as swift as electricity, there would be less crime. The thing is:
current flows just as soon as it's given a circuit within which to do so; no delay. A
light switch is a good example: Switch on, Switch off = Lights on, Lights off:
current flows to the fixture and/or stops flowing right then, not later, not tomorrow.

If justice were ready to pounce on evil doers the moment they crossed over a line,
that would be very helpful in a world one mad with evil. For example if cruel
dictators like North Korea's Kim Jong-Un knew they would be punished for their
human rights abuses the very moment they caused one, they'd be highly motivated
to stop mistreating their country's citizens.

● Ecc 8:14 . . here is a frustration that occurs in the world: sometimes an upright
man is requited according to the conduct of the scoundrel; and sometimes the
scoundrel is requited according to the conduct of the upright. I say all that is
frustration.

I recently viewed a movie on cable television about the Chernobyl catastrophe. A
key scientist towards the end of the movie commented that in a just society
honesty is rewarded and dishonesty punished. The reason he said that is because
his society, the Russian society, rewards liars who assist with propaganda that
protects the State's image.

Had the scientist suppressed information related to the reactor accident, he
would've been honored as a hero. But he chose to disclose certain embarrassing
facts related to the reactor's design and its regulatory political machinery;
consequently he and his career were destroyed.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 8:15 . . I therefore praised enjoyment. For the only good a man can have
under the sun is to eat and drink and enjoy himself. That much can accompany
him, in exchange for his wealth, through the days of life that God has granted him
under the sun.

There are some things in life; like injustice, that we just have to accept. To fret
about it is totally a waste of precious life and energy. It is far better to cope, to
adjust, to adapt, and to enjoy life as best as possible with what you have at hand to
work with and within the circumstances wherein you find yourself unable to avoid.

● Ecc 8:16 . . For I have set my mind to learn wisdom and to observe the business
that goes on in the world-- even to the extent of going without sleep day and night

Well; Solomon was one of the filthy rich and could afford to lose some sleep now
and then, but working men dare not deprive themselves of sleep. They need their
rest; and don't need to lay awake nights fretting over things in the world that are
beyond their IQ, and beyond their control.

● Ecc 8:17 . . and I have observed all that God brings to pass. Indeed, man cannot
guess the events that occur under the sun. For man tries strenuously, but fails to
guess them; and even if a sage should think to discover them he would not be able
to guess them.

The View Point Inn, perched along the rim of the Columbia Gorge in Oregon, was
slowly sinking into financial ruin for lack of business. Then, out of the blue, the
production company of the first of the Twilight series of movies selected the inn for
Edward's and Bella's prom scene. Subsequently the inn became a popular tourist
attraction, and co-owner Geoff Thomson said the inn's business improved 30 to 40
percent. You just never know what a day will bring forth.

Chess masters can often see twelve moves ahead. But they cannot see into their
opponent's mind. Just when the master thinks he has the game figured out, his
opponent launches an unsuspected strategy and throws the master's calculations
off and he must begin to calculate a different twelve moves ahead than before.

Solomon may have been just a bit too superstitious in this regard. He seemed to
think that God's hand is in everything. Although that really isn't true, it is a pretty
good way for a philosopher to explain away things that we can neither control,
alter, foresee, understand, nor do anything about. He can just say: "It is Allah's
will." or he can say: "The gods do as they please."
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 9:1 . . For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men,
wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether [it
will be] love or hatred; anything awaits him.

That was certainly true of Joseph. He was a very good boy; favored by God, yet
sold into Egyptian slavery by his own kin. Same with John the baptizer. He too was
a good, and wise, man-- the forerunner of Christ. Yet at the young age of thirty,
still in the prime of his life, he was beheaded at the whim of a silly young girl whose
dancing happened to please a tetrarch. God did nothing to prevent it. Are any of us
any safer?

● Ecc 9:2-3a . . For the same fate is in store for all: for the righteous, and for the
wicked; for the good and pure, and for the impure; for him who sacrifices, and for
him who does not; for him who is pleasing, and for him who is displeasing; and for
him who swears, and for him who shuns oaths. That is the sad thing about all that
goes on under the sun: that the same fate is in store for all.

Oftentimes when people contract fatal diseases, they whine: "Why me?" Answer:
Why not? Yes, why not because we're all just lobsters in one of those fish tanks
they have in sea food restaurants.. The cook gropes about and the lobster he
catches is just a matter of chance. But eventually he gets them all, one by one.

It seemed to Solomon that good people shouldn't have to die. But actually, death is
merciful. What if people lived forever? They would continue to age more and more
till they were totally debilitated and looked like emaciated mummies. They would
have to be carried around like baggage, completely dependent upon the young for
subsistence; and forever enduring an unbearable quality of life similar to Stephen
Hawking and his magic wheelchair.

● Ecc 9:3b . . (Not only that, but men's hearts are full of sadness, and their minds
of madness, while they live; and then-- to the dead!)

The Hebrew word translated "madness" basically means folly rather than insanity.
Webster's defines folly as (1) a lack of good sense or normal prudence and
foresight, (2) criminally or tragically foolish actions or conduct, (3) a foolish act or
idea, and (4) an excessively costly or unprofitable undertaking.

If we take the far view-- if we weigh the value of Man's thoughts and endeavors
against the depth of eternity --then nothing a man under the sun does has any
lasting value and/or purpose. After the man of the world lives out his pointless
existence, he dies and rots away like common road kill.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 9:4 . . For he who is reckoned among the living has something to look
forward to-- even a live dog is better than a dead lion

As long as people are still alive, there's always the thought that one day their ship
might come in. But once they're dead, there are no more ships other than the one
that ferries people across the river Styx.

● Ecc 9:5-6 . . since the living know they will die. But the dead know nothing; they
have no more recompense, for even the memory of them has died. Their loves,
their hates, their jealousies have long since perished; and they have no more share
till the end of time in all that goes on under the sun.

On the face of things, those who have passed on experienced the final phase of life;
the last item on their bucket list: and now have nothing left to do. They're all done.
They were born (we all are) they lived (we all do) they died (we all will). And
everybody not only experiences the final phase, but most everyone also
experiences the common experiences of life-- love, hate, envy, and jealousy. Every
generation goes through the very same things while they're here.

● Ecc 9:7-9 . . Go, eat your bread in gladness, and drink your wine in joy; for your
action was long ago approved by God. Let your clothes always be freshly washed,
and your head never lack ointment. Enjoy happiness with a woman you love all the
fleeting days of life that have been granted to you under the sun-- all your fleeting
days. For that alone is what you can get out of life and out of the means you
acquire under the sun.

The man under the sun generally understands that he needs to squeeze every drop
of juice out of the orange of life before it's too late. That is both sad and frustrating
for many because circumstances will not permit them to enjoy life as much as they
would like. They will never achieve their highest potential, never eat right, never
dress right, never have a family of their own, never be pretty, never be handsome,
never be thin, never be rich, never be intelligent, never be famous, never be
popular, never have good health, and never have a home of their own-- death ends
any and all dreams of ever achieving any of that.

Since a lifetime is so little time to enjoy life, it's tragic that the good life is taken
away from us so easily because there's simply not enough time in life to make up
for lost time.

● Ecc 9:10 . . 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.

The grave must be a terribly discouraging prospect for really bright scientists like
Carl Sagan, because the brevity of life prevents them from continuing their quest
for answers to many of the cosmos' curious mysteries.

* Carl is a useful example of the man under the sun-- the rational, pragmatic man
--whose perception of reality is moderated by what he can see going on around
him in the physical universe rather than what he cannot see going on above him and
below him in the non-physical.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 9:11a . . I again saw under the sun that the race is not [always] to the swift,
and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise, nor wealth to
the discerning, nor favor to men of ability;

Typically races are won by the swift, but if the swift should trip and fall, they will
lose the race in spite of their superior speed. Battles are usually won by the valiant,
not the timid. But again, not always. If the valiant are dunces, then the timid with
brains can outsmart them. Food and money are usually plentiful in the homes of
people who have a head on their shoulders; but again, if the wise should suddenly
lose everything by an economic catastrophe; like the Wall Street collapse of 2008,
then all the financial know-how in the world won't buy them a single loaf of bread
down at the local Safeway.

The word "favor" is from a Hebrew word that means not only graciousness but also
beauty. For some strange reason, nature allows only a relatively small percentage
of beautiful people to have any brains or develop any really useful, productive
skills. Most of the achievers in life, like chemists, astronomers, architects,
mathematicians, writers, movie makers, physicists, engineers, and designers et al;
are ordinary-looking people. The beautiful people are often dead wood (and dead
heads).

Whenever I look behind the scenes of really difficult movies like Inception, Matrix,
Avatar, and Monsters Inc; I'm amazed at the rather unexceptional looks of many of
the makers of our favorite movies. They just don't appear to be all that smart and
creative.

I noticed the same thing in my job as a Federal civilian employee. The headquarters
in my district had a noticeable shortage of attractive men and women because the
government, as a rule, didn't hire people in respect to how well they fill out their
clothes or reflect in a mirror, but in respect to how well their minds work.

● Ecc 9:11b . . for time and chance overtake them all.

There are no guarantees in life. It's a gamble. I know of a clerk in Costco who spent
four years in college majoring in Sociology. There was plenty of demand for people
with that kind of a degree when he entered college; but by the time he finished
school, the demand had dwindled and my graduate friend had to get a job as a fry
cook in a Mongolian grill.

● Ecc 9:12 . . And a man cannot even know his time. As fishes are enmeshed in a
fatal net, and as birds are trapped in a snare, so men are caught at the time of
calamity, when it comes upon them without warning.

A machinist employed by the Corps of Engineers here in Portland Oregon where I
once worked as a welder, volunteered to go and help out with the rescue and clean
up operation in New York after the World Trade Center was hit with airliners
hijacked by Islamic patriots. On return, he remarked how he was puzzled by
parking structures near ground zero full of very expensive autos like BMW,
Corvette, and Lexus that were covered with dirt day after day. He wondered why
the people who owned those beautiful cars never washed them.

Then he realized why. It was because those cars once belonged to commuters who
worked in the Trade Center-- commuters who were caught by total surprise in the
sudden destruction of not only their place of employment, but also of their very
lives. Whatever they had planned for that day, was instantly canceled forever. The
owners never dreamed that the miles they drove to work that day would be their
cars' very last.

Sudden-death incidents like that happen all the time. Back in Feb 2017, actor Bill
Paxton was in the hospital for treatment of an aortic aneurysm when he suddenly
died of a stroke on the operating table. It claimed his life right out of the blue like a
stray bullet from a drive-by.

Back in March 2013, Florida man Jeff Bush vanished down a sink hole that opened
right under his bedroom; no warning. You just never know when your number is up
in a way least expected.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 9:13-16 . .This thing too I observed under the sun about wisdom, and it
affected me profoundly. There was a little city, with few men in it; and to it came a
great king, who surrounded it and built mighty siege works against it. Residing in
the city was a poor wise man who might have saved it with his wisdom, but nobody
thought of that poor man. So I observed: Wisdom is better than valor; but a poor
man's wisdom is scorned, and his words are not heeded.

A pity that the truly wise are not always famous nor widely respected; whereas the
boastful, the narcissistic, the achievers, and the ambitious always seem to find
ample public opportunity to express their opinions, and ways to get them
implemented.

But unless you have access to millions of dollars, you can forget running for either
the US President, the US Senate, or State Governor. The poor stand little chance
running for office no matter how wise and capable they might be because wisdom
and ability alone are not enough. Political office is typically won by the powerful, the
influential, and/or those who have very rich friends and the support of very large
special interests.

● Ecc 9:17 . .The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting
of a ruler among fools.

Unfortunately, the words of the wise are all too often denied a large public audience
because the wise are neither popular, nor charismatic. And besides; the masses
want to be entertained by silver-tongued speakers of grand verbiage, and
promoters of impossible social agendas. Bombastic plans for the future seem to be
the tried and true method of every successful politician. They offer hope you can
believe in; but too often, their hope turns out to be Kool-Aid® a popular beverage
that when mixed with sugar and chilled with ice is tasty and refreshing, but
typically offers little in the way of useful nourishment.

● Ecc 9:18 . .Wisdom is more valuable than weapons of war, but a single error
destroys much of value.

Although wisdom may have more value than a cruise missile, it isn't nearly as
effective as that weapon in its purpose. It should be noted that a cruise missile isn't
launched indiscriminately; but usually launched only after the wisdom of diplomacy
has run its course and left the wisdom of warfare no choice but to do its thing; and
its thing these days can be the destruction of an entire city by just one bomb.

Equipment and munitions, no matter how sophisticated nor how destructive, are
wasted in the hands of those untrained and unskilled in their use. So wisdom and
weapons of war work together for a victory. But obviously wisdom is the more
valuable of the two because it is through wisdom that war materiel is employed to
its best effect.

Former US President John F. Kennedy once commented in a speech: Every man
woman and child is under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest
thread, capable of being cut at any moment by accident, miscalculation, or by
madness.

In other words, geniuses figured out how to harness fission, but its application is
sometimes subject to the arbitrary discretion of fools and Murphy's law.

A really good example of a single error destroying much of value was a 1998 NASA
Mars robotic probe that failed to achieve its intended orbit around Mars due to
ground-based computer software which produced output in non-SI units of pound
(force)-seconds (lbf·s) instead of the SI units of newton-seconds (N·s) specified in
the contract between NASA and Lockheed.

As a result of that one software boo-boo; the spacecraft encountered Mars on a
trajectory that brought it too close to the planet, causing it to pass through the
upper atmosphere and disintegrate. All the expense, and all ingenious designing
and engineering that went into constructing a perfectly good orbiter, and getting it
out to Mars, went for naught but fireworks.

Another good example was the Hubble Space Telescope flub. Nobody physically
tested the Hubble's optics before sending the machine into near-earth orbit because
a computer model convinced the telescope's makers that everything was okay as-is
and needed no testing. As a result, Hubble's initial data produced images little
better than those seen by an elderly person with cataracts. Ouch!
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 10:1 . . Dead insects will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, an
ounce of foolishness can outweigh a pound of wisdom and honor.

Before the wonders of modern chemistry, perfumes were made (and many still are)
from animal and vegetable sources. Those, being all-natural, in a day prior to
modern preservatives, could spoil if the perfumer wasn't careful to keep his product
protected from exposure to temperature, insects, dirt, moisture, and other
contaminants. All the skills and patience and knowledge exercised in the making of
expensive scents could be completely annulled by simply forgetting to put the cap
back on a jar.

Anyway, Ecc 10:1 certainly rings true in this day and age as televangelism's
credibility steadily goes down the tubes because of its ongoing scandals aggravated
by deplorable cover-ups.

As I write this, we have a former US President here in America whose every word
has to be coached lest his thoughtless gaffes bring discredit to not only his political
party, but the whole country; which goes to show that just one foolish man in a
position of influence can cause a lot of damage to an entire system's reputation.

● Ecc 10:2 . . A wise man's mind tends toward the right hand, a fool's toward the
left.

The right hand is the most useful and dexterous of the two hands. (at least for
right-handed people anyway). It swings hammers and it writes letters. It pulls back
the bow string, and it wields the sword and axe. It holds your cup of coffee, and it
stirs cake mix.

So to put your mind towards your right hand is to make your mind the leader in
your efforts; in contrast to the fool who doesn't bother taking time to think
anything through before charging ahead. The fool leaves behind him a wake of
errors; and is always learning things the hard way. His favorite (full time) university
is the School Of Hard Knocks. Pity, but it seems to be the only way he ever learns
anything.

● Ecc 10:3 . . A fool's mind is also wanting when he travels, and he lets everybody
know he is a fool.

For some strange reason, the average male doesn't like to ask for directions when
he travels. Women usually don't mind at all because they want to get where they're
going. The men want to get there too, but they don't want to get there as wimpy
men; they want to find their own way there as macho men. They prefer to think of
themselves as commandos, explorers, patrol leaders and map & compass experts.
So they often end up lost and turned around because their male pride won't permit
themselves to let somebody (especially wives and girlfriends) help find the way.

And then there are people who don't prepare for emergencies when they travel.
They don't bring a car blanket, nor hat, nor paper towels, nor tarp, nor flares, nor
water, nor first aid supplies, nor flashlight, nor food-- their spare tire is flat, and
they haven't a clue how to install their car's tire chains (that is; if they even have a
set) and they try to get by all year long on regular tires rather than go to the
trouble of purchasing and installing seasonal tires.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 10:4 . . If the wrath of a lord flares up against you, don't give up your post;
for when wrath abates, grave offenses are pardoned.

It is amazing how time has a way of healing things, and making people's anger
dissipate. If your boss blows his top at you for something or other and rakes you
over the coals, don't lose heart and quit your job just yet. He'll cool off after a while
and soon be back to his old self again.

Sooner or later, the boss himself will trip up and do something stupid like sexual
harassment or creating a hostile workplace; thus putting himself in the awkward
position of owing you one. Then you'll be even, and can go on as if nothing ever
happened; and he'll be very glad you didn't do something rash like haul him down
to the Equal Employment Opportunity office and make an issue of his professional
conduct.

● Ecc 10:5-6 . . Here is an evil I have seen under the sun as great as an error
committed by a ruler: Folly was placed on lofty heights, while rich men sat in low
estate. I have seen slaves on horseback, and nobles walking on the ground like
slaves.

That is more a contrast between the nature of two types of character than actual
estate. A good biblical example of what Solomon is talking about can be seen at
Acts 23:23-24:27; where Paul the apostle mounted his defense against the
accusations of his Jewish enemies before a Roman governor named Felix.

Felix wasn't born into nobility. No, he was actually an emancipated slave who
worked himself up to rank by craftiness and cruelty. Felix ruled, not with a
nobleman's mentality, but with a slave's. Tacitus, Hist. 5, says this of Felix: Per
omnem saevitiam ac libidinem jus regium servili ingenio exercuit -- "He used royal
power with a servile genius, and in connection with all the varieties of cruelty and
lust."

Felix should have been judged by Paul, not the other way around. As Paul
discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became
nervous and said: That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it
convenient, I will send for you. (Acts 24:25)

Felix's wife, Drusilla, was a piece of work herself. Her father was Herod Agrippa 1,
the cad who ordered the death of James the brother of John (Acts 12:2). Her great
uncle, another Herod, ordered Jesus' cousin John beheaded (Mk 6:27). And last but
not least, her great grandfather was the infamous Herod who ordered the slaughter
of pre-schoolers. (Matt 2:16)

● Ecc 10:8-9 . . He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who
breaks through a wall. He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who
splits logs may be endangered by them.

Anyone who's ever chopped kindling, already knows how normal it is for sticks of
wood to fly up into your face from a blow of the axe.

One of the most dangerous jobs up here in the northwest is logging. There's ten
ways from Sunday to get yourself injured logging. Chain saws rip men, loose
boughs called widow-makers fall on their heads, cables called chokers sometimes
catch the men and crush their hands, tear them in half or pull an arm or leg off
their bodies; falling trees lurch and skid rearwards off the stump to hit the logger if
he forgets to stand off to the side. They are constantly tripping and falling, getting
scratched, bitten by bugs, yelled at, cursed, and threatened by the Bull of the
woods (their foreman).

Should men stop logging because it's dangerous? Should they stop digging trenches
for pipelines because sometimes the trenches cave in? Should they stop tearing
down old buildings for new shopping malls and apartment houses because there
might be a rattler, or a scorpion, or a brown recluse spider in the rubble? No. All
those hazards just quite naturally come with the turf.

Blue collar men are constantly in danger. But a wise worker will pay attention in
safety meetings, and put into practice what's he's taught so he doesn't
inadvertently kill himself in the process of bringing home the bacon. My boss always
said: Cliff; I don't care if you get killed on the job just so long as you do it safely.
(chuckle) That's one of the paradoxes of the blue collar world. Safe working
practices save many lives and limbs; but none are fool proof.
_

 

[Beetow]

.
● Ecc 10:10 . . If the axe has become dull and he has not whetted the edge, he
must exert more strength. Thus the advantage of a skill [depends on the exercise
of] prudence.

We have a saying in the blue collar world: Work smarter, not harder. Many times a
job can be facilitated by just simply taking the time to go and get the right tool
instead of struggling to make do with the wrong one. But men can be stubborn;
and are sometimes careless, lazy and/or in a hurry; with often predictable results.

● Ecc 10:11 . . If the snake bites because no spell was uttered, no advantage is
gained by the trained charmer.

That continues the thought from verse 10: "Thus the advantage of a skill [depends
on the exercise of] prudence."

Trained snake charmers lose control over cobras when they fail to exercise the
snake charming skills they learned in training. Charmers can't just sit there and do
nothing. The snake might strike and end the show before the charmer gets any
money from his audience. That principle obviously applies in just about any area of
life where skills (and prudence) are required to produce results; like driving a car,
SCUBA diving, banking, typing, sewing, cooking, rock climbing, welding . .
whatever. Trainings and skills are only valuable when they're applied and put to
use.

● Ecc 10:12-14a . . A wise man's talk brings him favor, but a fool's lips are his
undoing. His talk begins as silliness and ends as disastrous madness. Yet the fool
talks and talks.

There are some talk shows on television that I simply cannot endure because the
hosts are so rude and disorderly. Those people continually interrupt each other and
hardly let the others complete a sentence before blurting out their own thoughts;
and many times all are talking at once with a din that reminds me of a chicken
house with all the birds clucking and squawking an incoherent cacophony.

For some people, every conversation is a venue for monologue: they do all the
talking. I used to work with a young man who not only talked very fast, but with a
pretty fair amount of animated arm waving and head tossing to go with it. He had a
maddening habit of never finishing one topic at a time. In mid sentence he would
branch off to another; leaving the first incomplete. His conversation was like that
continually and the effect was nerve jangling because your mind was constantly
shifting gears trying to keep up with each new train of his erratic thoughts.

People's words are like pools of water. Some are very deep; yet so clear that you
can see all the way down. Others are shallow, but alas, so murky that we cannot
see even one inch below the surface.

● Ecc 10:14b . . A man cannot know what will happen; who can tell him what the
future holds?

Well . . some people seem to know a little something about everything. No matter
what topic comes up in conversation, they have something to share about it as if
you were the student, and they the master; and they are prolific with rash
predictions about this and about that, e.g. "just you wait and see" and/or "mark my
words."
_