Daily Devotions
Ecclesiastes
"His wisdom delivered the city"
Text: Ecclesiastes 9:15
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WISDOM
The scenario Solomon observed seemed to be a foregone conclusion. The great king would conquer the small city. The citizens there would capitulate and the king would record this as another victory. But there was a different twist to this story.
“Now there was found in it a poor wise man,
and he by his wisdom delivered the city.
Yet no one remembered that same poor man.”
Ecclesiastes 9:15
1. “Now there was found in it a poor wise man”
a) A city that is besieged.
i) The ruler would have called his councillors for advice.
ii) He would have called for his military advisors.
iii) But no one had a solution to offer.
b) “A poor wise man”
i) One does not expect a wise man to be poor.
ii) Nor does one expect a poor man to be wise.
iii) But in this instance, the “poor wise men” came up with a solution.
2. “And he by his wisdom delivered the city”
a) He managed to deliver the city from the great king.
i) He did what the ruler’s Council could not do.
ii) He did what the military experts failed to achieve.
b) He did this by “his wisdom”.
i) He may be called a genius.
ii) He deserved to be called “a wise man”.
iii) He should be amply rewarded for saving the city.
iv) The least to be done for him would be to celebrate his contribution and success.
v) He proved that wisdom plays a significant role in life.
vi) He managed to avert defeat and disaster from being conquered.
3. “Yet no one remembered that same poor man”
a) The sad reality was that the poor wise man was not honoured in any way.
b) His contribution:
i) It was not acknowledged.
ii) It was not credited to him.
iii) The city did not celebrate his wisdom.
c) The poor man
i) His wisdom was taken for granted.
ii) He remained “a poor man”.
iii) He was not even remembered in any significant way.
This is another time when one could opine, “Vanity of vanities; All is vanity!”