What Can Wisdom Do For You?

Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
2008.01.13
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One of the ways I connect with Solomon is that he employs the same “yeah, but” approach I enjoy. For example, in 9:1-6 he said we’re all going to die. Then in 9:7-10 he said, “yeah, but we can still enjoy eating and dressing up and relationships and hard work.” Yeah there’s unpleasant things under the sun, but there’s also real opportunities for gladness.

Of course he doesn’t stop there, because yeah there are joys in the process (9:7-10) but we can’t do anything ourselves to guarantee that joy (9:11-12). Yeah there is some good news, but don’t forget about the bad news. The only thing Solomon seems to have made up his mind about is that whether he sees something negative or positive, he’s going to point out the opposite. It’s like the person who can’t leave the light switch alone.

And the yo-yo continues in today’s passage as the Preacher spins from the negative to the positive to the negative to the positive to the negative to the positive to the negative again, or in other words, six “yeah, but” rotations in six verses.

These two paragraphs are all about wisdom. Wisdom is a subject Solomon knew something about; he was divinely qualified to write about it. Verses 13-16 tell a story about the power of wisdom and verses 17-18 are two proverbial sayings about the power of wisdom. Both snippets show what wisdom can do for you.

A Great Wisdom Story (vv. 13-16)

Verses 13-16 are an example story told by Solomon to demonstrate the great power of wisdom and the even greater disregard for it.

1. The Preface v.13

As is typical in Ecclesiastes Solomon prefaces the account by reminding his readers where he learned this lesson.

13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me.

It’s a clue for him to say I have also seen this example that what follows is a true story and not a parable or other fictional account. Because he gives so few details about the story it is virtually impossible to identify the historical characters or actual location even though a number of commentators and historians have attempted to do so.

But even though we don’t know all the details we do know that this story describes a reality under the sun and that the story made quite an impression on Solomon. He said, it seemed great to me. Calling it great was another way to say it was significant, worthy of attention, something that stood out. It’s hard to imagine what it would take to impress Solomon, but more than likely it stood out to him because of such an absurd ending.

2. The Adversary and the Conflict v.14

Like any good narrative the author sets the stage and pulls the curtain back to reveal the conflict and the bad guy.

14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it.

What we have here is a huge mismatch. There is double emphasis on the lopsided nature of this battle since it was a little city with few men against a great king with considerable resources to build great siegeworks.

The city isn’t identified but it is described as small, probably in a remote location and therefore limited in manpower and resources, though it must not have been totally insignificant since a king wanted it. Undoubtedly this city had some kind of fortified wall around it as many cities of the time did. I say that because there would be no need for great siegeworks unless there was a need to break through the wall or get troops over the wall.

When a city wouldn’t surrender and couldn’t be taken easily by a frontal assault, the city was surrounded to prevent escape and prohibit new provisions. In fact the Hebrew word in verse 14 translated besieged is a word that refers to surrounding or encompassing with hostile purpose. Often they would build a siege tower as high or higher than the walls that would allow the attackers to spy into the city or fire down upon the defenders with less casualties than when using ladders. And even though this powerful king had soldiers and supplies he didn’t get any further than besieging.

3. The Hero and the Climax v.15

And also like any good story now we meet the good guy. Because of one wise man, this is the little city that could.

15 But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city.

Our hero comes out of nowhere. He had no political position or social standing. Instead, he was poor and to say that he was found suggests that he was a nobody up to this point.

Though he was poor in possessions he was rich in wisdom. Solomon doesn’t tell us how the man got his wisdom or what his plan was or how he got anyone to listen to him. But somehow by his wisdom (he) delivered the city. The entire city escaped destruction and slipped out of the hands of their enemies.

We are totally left guessing how it happened with our mouths gaping. Against all odds the unbelievable happened. Somehow the underdog defended himself when he didn’t have a chance (which corroborates v.11 that the battle doesn’t always go to the strong).

Can you imagine the exhilaration the town experienced? It would have been party time and there’s no doubt the poor man would have ridden the wave of popularity to the top. Yeah, wisdom is powerful, but who cares?

Yet no one remembered that poor man.

Some unidentified amount of time afterward the town people went back to work and got back into their routines and forgot all about the drama and deliverance and the poor man faded into the background. When you’re out of options you’ll give anything for wisdom. A person will pay $50 for an umbrella in a thunderstorm, but sunshine makes you forget about what it feels like to be wet. So the market for wisdom is limited time opportunity.

No one remembered that poor man. It isn’t right that they forgot, but it is reality. Once you’re at the top there’s only one place to go. A hero is soon forgotten.

4. The Epilogue v.16

Yeah, people forget, but wisdom is still better. Solomon said just that in verse 16 as he reflected on the story.

16 But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

Wisdom is better than might. The point is proven: wisdom delivered the city.

Yeah, but people forget. The last half of verse 16 basically repeats the last sentence of verse 15. The poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard. This doesn’t mean they never listened, it means they stopped listening after the city was saved. They looked up to the wise man when they needed help, they looked down on him after they got what they wanted. That’s worse because now they’re ignoring when they know better. This disregard for wisdom even after it delivered the city made a great impression on Solomon.

In light of this story, what can wisdom do for you? It can help you overcome weakness and disadvantage and trouble. However, wisdom can NOT guarantee that people will always listen to you later.

So if you don’t have wisdom, get it. If you have wisdom, use it. But even though wisdom has the power to deliver, it is not certain to keep you at the top of the ladder.

Two Better Wisdom Sayings (vv. 17-18)

Though verses 17-18 continue Solomon’s explanation of what wisdom can do for you, the story of the poor man is over; Solomon made his conclusion in verse 16 and there are no grammatical connections (conjunctions) at the beginning of verse 17. So while it continues his overall argument it is not a comment on the story.

1. Wisdom is louder than volume. v.17

17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

Influence is not about position. You don’t have to be a ruler to be heard. Influence is also not about volume. Shouting above the crowd of fools is no sure influence. Wisdom rarely comes from loud-mouths.

But wisdom does make a lot of noise; wisdom makes a difference. Influence comes when teachable people (not fools) shut their mouths long enough to listen to someone with wisdom. The words of the wise heard in quiet make a impact; they are better and therefore worth hearing. The wise man doesn’t have to yell to be heard.

2. Wisdom is mightily vulnerable. v.18

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Again, the story in verses 13-16 established that wisdom is better than weapons of war. Sometimes you can overcome your opponent by outsmarting him rather than getting bigger and better guns.

Yeah, that’s true, but one sinner destroys much good. This contrast is part of the reason I don’t think these sayings are comments on the story in verses 13-16 since there is no “sinner” character in that story. So then what is the point?

The point is that wisdom is vulnerable. Wisdom is powerful. Yeah, one wise man can deliver an ill-equipped, unprepared city (vv.13-16). Wisdom is more powerful than position and can create an environment of much good (vv.17-18). But all it takes is one idiot to mess up the whole thing: one sinner destroys much good. Wisdom would work really well if it weren’t for sin.

So what can wisdom do for you? It can win you great influence and create much good. However, wisdom can NOT guarantee that someone else won’t mess up everything you worked for.

Conclusion

Wisdom is indeed powerful, but wisdom can’t replace God. As we saw last week (9:11-12), bread and riches and favor don’t always go to the wise. The proper response isn’t to despise wisdom, it is to get wisdom but not depend on it.

The key to life under the sun is to fear God, which is intentionally attached to wisdom, since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Therefore Solomon’s “yeah, but” arguments aren’t intended to whack us around like a pinball, but to cause us to land on the Lord.