Verse 1
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See note on the last verse of Ecclesiastes 9
Verses 2-3
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If you are wise, your mind will be strong, resilient, and useful.
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Never underestimate the power of wisdom. Seek it relentlessly! It will make your thinking productive, and therefore your actions productive also.
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But if you are a fool, you will find your mind weak. Foolishness and weakness of the mind will be evident. Thinking foolishly even affects how you carry yourself when you are simply walking!
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Knowing this, remember that how you think affects everything about you!
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Verse 4
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There are times when we make mistakes that cause others to become angry. Don't run from confrontation. With a calm mind, accept your wrong, ask for correction, and change your behavior moving forward. This kind of response can bring peace to situations involving even the worst offenses.
Verses 5-7
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There are times when leaders in the world will put fools in power and promote or exalt those who are unfit for the task. This causes so much evil that Solomon makes special note of it.
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In application, avoid doing the same. If you are a leader in your sphere, whether in church, business, or state, do not hire or appoint individuals who are unqualified. Be very careful to test and examine people over time before you give them positions of influence or power.
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Verse 8
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Transgress the boundaries of God's Word with sin, and you will bring suffering upon yourself. Intend to hurt someone else, and you yourself will be hurt. It is simply a natural law that sin is self-sabotage. Remember that in sinning you are hurting yourself.
Verses 9-10
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The nature of all work is that it has its risks. Simply accept that being diligent and working hard require taking risks that will often result in hardships. Don't shy away. Play it safe by doing the bare minimum, and you may be comfortable, but you will not be pleasing God.
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Also remember to work smarter, not just harder. Wisdom in your decisions will bring greater success than mere labor with no purpose or direction. As an analogy, working without a plan nor wisdom is like chopping wood with a dull axe. You might make some progress, but it will be slow. Sharpen the axe, and you will succeed much faster.
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In managing your time, money, body, relationships—any area of life—learn how to take action that's intentional, calculated, and excellent (Ephesians 5:15-17)!
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Verses 11-14
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You can identify a fool by their words, and you can know if you're acting foolishly by your own words.
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Foolish behavior includes (avoid these behaviors!):
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Babbling on or speaking to a point where you're making it worse for yourself the more you speak.
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Speaking in such a way that your emotions escalate and you end up acting mad, angry, or boisterous.
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Speaking on and on overconfidently about the future, as though you know everything that will be.
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Verse 15
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If you want to take more action and be more productive in your life, it's important to be informed first. If you're foolish, or lacking wisdom, your actions will only discourage you because your lack of wisdom will make your actions unhelpful.
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Know what you're doing, how you're going to do it, and most importantly, why you're going to do it (for what purpose), before you do something. This will help you identify either the wisdom or the foolishness in something before you act.
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Verses 16-18
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It is a considered a curse on a people when parents allow their children to rule and control them (Isaiah 3:4-5,12).
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Parents, do not let your children rule you. Do not let them think, because you slack in disciplining them, that they can get away with doing whatever they want or that they can tell you what to do. You tell them what to do, and expect them to obey right away. If they do not, discipline them with the rod immediately (Proverbs 13:24, 29:15).
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It is also a curse, leading to the decay of life, when men and leaders are lazy and wasting time. On the contrary, men should be upright and noble in character. They should be diligent and strict with their time, and they should eat and drink for strength, not for gluttony.
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This passage speaks of both our schedule and our food. Men, beginning early in the morning, be productive for your family and your finances every day. Do not waste time. When you eat, eat what will strengthen your body, not what will hurt your body, and do not overeat. This is part of manhood!
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Verse 19
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Provide good food, and be joyful when you eat, because eating is meant to bring joy. But more than food, remember that money is a useful tool, and so should not be despised. Money is not the answer for every problem, since some problems require spiritual intervention, but there is no situation on earth where having money is a disadvantage. Money tends to be helpful in most scenarios.
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Having money to purchase and give gifts pacifies anger (Proverbs 21:14) and brings joy to others.
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Having money helps you win friends that you can share Christ with (Luke 16:9, Proverbs 19:4).
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Having money allows you to provide care for the wounded (Luke 10:34-35).
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Having money allows you to provide food for many who are hungry (Mark 6:37).
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Having money will make others want to listen to your wisdom more (Ecclesiastes 9:16).
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These are a few examples, but they prove that money is a helpful tool for the kingdom if you use it right!
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Verse 20
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Secret words and even our thoughts are not always secret. We live in a spiritual world, not just a physical one, and our thoughts can be detected spiritually. At the very least, God knows our every thought, including our secret thoughts, and will judge us for them (Psalm 139:2, Romans 2:16).
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Do not speak or even think evil or harmful things. Be careful to take your thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). In other words, stop intrusive, evil thoughts from continuing as soon as they enter your mind, and replace them with the thoughts of what the word says about the situation you're facing. This is the battle we fight. It's in the mind, and how we fight matters far more than you know.
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