Who's Counsel

DEVOTION

ECCLESIASTES

WHO’S COUNSEL

Eccl 10:16-20

16 Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time — for strength and not for drunkenness. 18 If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks. 19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything. 20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

NIV

Several thoughts to finish up these little tidbits of knowledge. It seems there is a contrast between two types of leaders. The one appears to be a young experienced ruler who takes is lead from his staff, or counselors, while the king of noble birth ascends to the throne through rightful ways. The youth parties all day, the noble reigns in a right manner. But how does that apply, if any, to our lives? What can we gain or garner as a truth to live by? Perhaps we should not be so eager to take everyone’s advice about life, especially those who would say eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. There is also the advice or counsel of the worldly way to live for self-pleasure, fulfill every desire, being a servant to Satan. The king of noble birth knows how to reign and he could represent those who know how the live rightly, wise and with God. There is a proper time for all aspects of life. As Solomon as already stated a time to sow and a time to reap and so forth, the whole section is about living life with the right perspective, knowing the Lord. We have been commissioned by the Lord to work, in fact to work all the days of our life, for by the sweat of our brow we will toil for our sustenance. We are descendants of Adam and that was his curse as he was cast out of the Garden of Eden, the paradise of God. Until we are back in that paradise, we are subject to that same destiny, to labor all the days of our lives. This retirement thing is the work of the devil. We were never meant to retire, to sit back and just wait to die. When are hands become idle, and we sit back doing nothing, our house leaks, our life leaks, and our mind leaks. When he says money is the answer for everything, does that mean it is the central theme of our life? In the context of idle hands, which is then also a life of feasting, laughter and drinking being merry, enjoying the good life of retirement, however working, earning our way in life, doing what we are designed to do, work, then we keep earning our keep, our way in life. Of course this is all in the view of from the human eye. Yet that is the curse upon Adam and all mankind, to work for our food. One day when we are back in the paradise of God, we will not work, we will enjoy all the fruit from the trees, especially the fruit from the tree of life. There is also this concept about our thoughts about the king. It is not good to have a negative attitude about anyone. It is amazing how so many people publicly confess their discontentment with their jobs, or disapproval about some people. We should be careful with our words. To speak about how stupid our boss is, or how dumb our customers are, or what idiots those politicians are, and on and on, always filling our mouths with negative words about someone just brings us down, and surely we will reap what we sow. Living as a wise person or a foolish one is always what it comes back to. Wisdom is found in the Lord, foolishness is found in man. Who we take counsel from makes all the difference in being a young prince or a king of noble birth.