37. Wisdom for Nation Building

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Hymns: 328 How Firm a Foundation, 521 God Is Always Near Me, 430 Just As I Am

 

Study of the Book of Ecclesiastes

(Remember Now Thy Creator)

Wisdom for Nation Building

Ecclesiastes 10:16-20

 16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! 18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. 19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

 

OUTLINE

(1) Need for Wise Leaders (16-19)

  1. Mature versus Novice (v16)
  2. Disciplined versus Drunkenness (v17)
  3. Diligence versus Slothfulness (v18)
  4. Dedication verus Wantonness (v19)

(2) Need for Wise Citizens (v20)

  1. Caution against Speaking Lightly of Faults of Leaders (v20)

 

INTRODUCTION

Righteousness Exalteth a Nation – A nation where justice reigns, where there is righteous administration of the government, where law is upheld and order prevails, receives God’s favour. God exalts such a nation (Prov. 14:34).

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

The Bible showed us the tremendous task of nation building when Moses led two million Israelites out of Egypt through the wilderness for 40 years en-route to the Promised Land. They had a people, God gave them the law – the constitution of Israel and God allotted them the land.

The advice given to Moses by his father-in-law Jethro that he would appoint leaders to help in the administration of the nation with these criteria:

Exodus 18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

 When Israel entered the Promised Land, God appointed Judges and later Israel demanded a king to be like the other nations.

The judges and kings of Israel are to rule according to God’s law.

Deuteronomy 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

Deuteronomy 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Solomon shows us in our text how a nation can prosper with wise leaders and wise citizens.

(1) Need for Leaders (16-19)

  1. Mature versus Novice (v16)
  2. Disciplined versus Drunkenness (v17)
  3. Diligence versus Slothfulness (v18)
  4. Dedication verus Wantonness (v19)

(2) Need for Wise Citizens (v20)

  1. Caution against Speaking Lightly of Faults of Leaders (v20)

By way of blessing and cursing, he pronounces the woes and blessings of a nation by spelling out the character of its leaders and citizens.

(1) Need for Wise Leaders (v16-19)

  1. Mature versus Novice (v16)

16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

 Bridges observed well, “Solomon connects the personal character of the king with the prosperity of the land …. A child in years – as Josiah, and others – may be a national blessing. But when the king was a child in understanding” (as was his own son in the maturity of age) then woe unto thee O land.”

1 Kings 12:6-11 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

 Isaiah the prophet saw the woe when novice or inexperienced leaders bear rule:

Isaiah 3:4-5 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

Swindoll applied well, “In Ecclesiastes 10:16, Solomon wasn’t describing a situation in which actual children are ruling but a scene in which the political leaders are inexperienced, incompetent, and undisciplined like children. And unlike King Solomon, who knew he needed God to make him wise (1 Kings 3:7-9), foolish rulers reject God by their attitudes and actions…A nation with such a ruler is in a sad state of affairs. So is a business with a foolish boss or a family with foolish parents. Through history Israel suffered under such leaders…In contrast, wise leaders are those who have not only been adequately trained for their positions but also possess the character and discernment necessary to faithfully carry out even the most mundane tasks in the hear of the Lord. The people they lead are considered blessed, for they reap the many benefits of wise leadership.”

  1. Disciplined Versus Drunkenness (v17)

17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

 The completeness of blessing is when the king reignth in righteousness and the princes following his example rule in judgment.

Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

 The leader leads a disciplined life who lives in moderation. They did not eat in the morning in unrestrained indulgence but in due season – in moderation, for strength and not for drunkenness – “making provision for the flesh” – to satisfy the wants – not “to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Bridges)

Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

 Wise leaders exercise self-control. “He who has no self control is like a dilapidated city” is a good paraphrase of this proverb (Timothy Tow, Pearls of Great Wisdom – A Study of the Book of Proverbs). Self control is the spiritual quality or virtue that enables a Christian to have the power to keep himself/herself in check against the sin of the flesh and the spirit.

A Christian writer apt says, “In the supremacy of self-control consists one of the perfections of the ideal man. Not to be impulsive – not to be spurred hither and thither by each desire that in turn comes uppermost – but to be self-restrained, self-balanced, governed by the joint decision of the feelings in the council assembled, before whom every action shall have been debated and calmly determined – that it is which education, moral education at least, strive to produce.”

Self-control is only courage under another form. It may be almost regarded as the primary essence of character. Self-control is the root of all virtues. The man who gives up to his impulses and passions yields his moral freedom. The passage in Romans 6:1-2, 6-18 describes the battle of the human heart between the law of the flesh and the law of the Spirit. The Christian by self-control distinguish himself/herself from being a servant to righteousness than a servant to sin.

Drunkenness will degenerate leaders, Proverbs 31:4-5 “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.” In the Old Testament instruction to the Levites, the spiritual leaders of Israel, priests were commanded to abstain from wine or intoxicating drink when they went into the presence of the Lord to minister, Leviticus 10:8-11 “And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses”. This requirement of abstinence was given so the ministering priest would be able to distinguish between the holy and the unholy, between the clean and the unclean, and so he could be a teacher of all the statutes of God.

Today, all born-again Christians have been made priests to God (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6). As such we should always give our best and be at our best in His service. We believe the standard of abstinence demanded of the Old Testament priest should be the standard of every Christian today. We too must distinguish between right and wrong. We must be Spirit-led teachers in a society that greatly needs divine instruction and godly example.

Secular leaders are also to abstain from alcohol, Proverbs 31:4-5 “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.” If the prohibition is absolutely essential for spiritual and secular leaders, it is certainly essential for every believer. We who are kings and priests unto God (Revelation 1:6) must live according to His standards.

  1. Diligence versus Slothfulness (v18)

18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

 The lazy will suffer loss, but the diligent will enjoy the fruits of their labours. The building that is not maintain will be subject to wear and tear.

That house which is neglected by its owner, and not repaired, must needs come to ruin; whereby he intimates that the sloth and carelessness of princes in the management of public affairs, which is a usual attendant upon that luxury of which he hath now discoursed, is most destructive, both to themselves and to their people. (Poole)

Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

Proverbs 22:29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Romans 12:8 …he that ruleth, with diligence…

The word “rule” consist of the verb “to stand” and the preposition “before or over”. It means “to preside over” hence, to rule, to exercise spiritual leadership. These are do so with diligence. The word “diligence” means “with haste” amd “earnestness”.

Solomon’s words in Proverbs 27:23 is a good paraphrase of our text, “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.” 

Bridges said well, “This declareth the great goodness of God towards man, and the diligence that he requireth of him for the preservaion of his gifts. It is a lively picture of the occupations, advantages, and responsibilities of rural life in olden days. It is specially appropriate to a nation, whose chief riches were in its early origin, in pastures and flocks. Their father Jacob admirably exemplified this rule. He knew well the state of his flocks and herds. Even King David, mindful of his ancient employ, deemed a pastoral charge no degradation to his royal dignity. The rule inculcates personal attention… God is glorified by a single eye and purpose in every station; by the labourer, the farmer, the servant is no less than his master. (Col. 3:22-24). We must “serve the Lord in fervency of spirit”.”

  1. Dedication versus Wantonness (v19)

19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

Swindoll said well, “The final trait is that fools neglect their daily obligations because they are too distracted with merrymaking and fun…Because fools party, waste time, and seek fulfilment from things money can buy, they lead careless, undisciplined lives that fail to fulfil their essential responsibilities. Tehse responsibilities may include maintenance of home, car or other belongings. But more often than not, fools neglect the more important but less obvious parts of his or her life; marriage, children, work, health, and spiritual development.”

(2) Wise Citizens (v20)

  1. Caution against Speaking Lightly of Faults of Leaders (v20)

20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

 Bridges said well the duty of wise citizens, “Yet if it be our duty to protest, we must not forget the respect due to their office, apart from their personal character. The Mosaic code forbade to curse the ruler of the people “even by evil speaking;”

Exodus 22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

Acts 23:5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

2 Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

The advice, therefore, here given seems to be that of caution against speaking lightly of the faults of rulers. Think that you should do it with impunity.

In thy thought; in the most secret manner, by giving way to such thoughts or affections; for these will very probably break forth into such words and practices. Curse not the rich; the princes or governors under the king, who are commonly rich; or any other rich men, who can oppress or punish thee by their wealth, as well as kings can do it by their power.

In thy bed-chamber, where thy wife or servant may hear thee, and afterwards through folly or passion discover it to thy ruin.

A bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter; the king will hear of it by unknown and unsuspected hands, as if a bird had chanted to be at the window when thou didst speak the words, and did hear them, and carry the report of it unto the king. It is a proverbial expression, as when we say, Hedges have ears, and, The walls will speak. Hence kings are said to have long ears. (Poole)

CONCLUSION

May God be merciful to raise up godly leaders and citizens. Amen.