Living Your Life With Jesus' Wisdom

"Dead flies turn a perfumer's oil rancid, so a little foolishness is more potent than wisdom and honor." (Ecc. 10:1). A single dead fly spoils the whole jar. Solomon's warning is that a small, unchecked sin can undo a lifetime of wisdom and reputation, the way a little leaven works through the whole lump of dough (Gal. 5:9).

Solomon had looked back on his own life of rebellion and called everything built "under the sun" without Yahweh futility, vapor, he·ḇel. Paul said the same of his own accomplishments, counting them "rubbish" (Phil. 3:8). So here Solomon writes in proverbs, urging us toward the wisdom of Yahweh. That wisdom has a name. Jesus is wisdom incarnate (Jo. 1:1, 14), and through Him the wisdom of God is available to everyone with faith (1 Cor. 1:24, 30).

Living your life by Jesus' wisdom in a fallen world takes seven things:

• Vigilance, so a little sin never corrupts what Jesus made holy (Ecc. 10:1).
• Diligence, to stay on His narrow path instead of trusting your own heart, which "is more deceitful than all else" (Jer. 17:9; Ecc. 10:2-3).
• Submission to God's appointed authorities, unless they call you to evil (Ecc. 10:4-7).
• Preparation, because "one who digs a pit may fall into it." Count the cost before you build (Ecc. 10:8; Lk. 14:28).
• Restraint, holding back rash words and instead speaking gracious ones (Ecc. 10:12-14).
• Seeking Jesus' guidance, since the fool's labor only wearies him (Ecc. 10:15).
• Living for Him, not for pleasure or your own desires (Ecc. 10:16-20).

The fool "demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool" (Ecc. 10:3), while the one who walks with Jesus can say, "For to me, to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21). The study works through all seven marks verse by verse, with Solomon's proverbs set alongside the wisdom of Jesus. Keep reading below.