Ecclesiastes 10:1 "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour."

This is comparing stupidity and folly of a person in his words and actions to the stinking savour of dead flies in ointment that you get from the drug store. It doesn't help one that is respected for his or her wisdom and honor, to make stupid decisions. When you do dumb thing, your reputation will suffer.

To understand what a "death fly", or "dead fly" as used here is all about, the death fly was the fly that landed on the face, nose, and else where of the dead person, and carry those germs to the mouth and food of the living persons. The Hebrew saying was; "death flies for dead flys." The same thing can happen to a man's reputation, when he doesn't us the wisdom he has, and acts stupid.

Ecclesiastes 10:2 "A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left."

Right and left have been from the ancient times, the meaning is that you are always quicker with your right hand. A wise man's mind works the same way, he thinks and reacts quickly, he is not slow to action. When he comes to a decision, he acts immediately, with a surety of mind.

Right and left also have been in reference to degrees in relation to God. Right is all the way to complete obedience to God's Word, and left is just the opposite. Esau and Edom both mean "red" and from this we derive the term "Red" for any thing that is against God, such as "red China", and "Communism". What did God say about Esau, and Edom? Malachi 1:2, 3; "I have loved you, saith the Lord Yet ye say, Wherein hast Thou loved us?" Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob," [2] "And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains [nations] and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." [3]

We should remember this when we vote, and do anything that deals with a decision between the right and the left. This is just common sense to a Christian, who says that he or she loves the Lord. God looks on our thoughts and intents, and he understand exactly where our true position is. We are not selecting one party over another, it just doesn't matter as long as the person elected is on the right, which means that he stands for the values that is taught in the Word of God.

Ecclesiastes 10:3 "Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool."

Why? He didn't have any to start with. When a man walks down the street and is uttering the words of a fool, every one that sees him and hears him knows him for the fool that he is. This is why we get the saying, "once a fool opens his mouth, everyone knows him for the fool he is. It is better to keep your mouth shut, and keep them all guessing."

Ecclesiastes 10:4 "If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences."

"Yielding pacifieth great offences", means that it you do something accidentally, or are falsely accused, the ruler, or one in charge turns his anger toward you, don't panic, and don't try to hide from it. This is advising you to take care of any problem that rises immediately, so the spirit of the one in charge doesn't have time to kindle his spirit or anger against you. Even if it takes an apology for the misunderstanding. In doing so, it pacifies great mistakes. Once an misunderstanding starts it can escalate into something major, in a very short time.

Ecclesiastes 10:5 "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:"

There is an evil in the flesh man that walks under the sun, which Solomon has seen other ruler commit this mistake, and not intentionally.

Ecclesiastes 10:6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place."

This is to say that the ruler has promoted some dumbo, or fool to a high position, and ignored the rich, or wise man. The ruler just can't tell a wise man from a fool. It is wrong that this is done, yet if those in control do not know God's Word, and understand about divine intervention, they will never recognize royalty or wisdom of God anyway.

We see this in our current government, and it will grow worse in time, as we move to a one world government. The things and people of God, which understand what is happening in these end times, will never be placed in offices where they can object to the Satanic for that is forming today. Instead, the fools that promote the position of the new world order will take the seats of dignity.

Solomon is saying that when you have the wisdom of God and see this happening, don't be offended by it, because those rulers make errors unintentionally, because they are fools, and just don't know any better.

Ecclesiastes 10:7 "I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth."

In the army, only the officer rides the horse. This is saying that he sees people that should be in the position of servant with the power and rank, and the wise that should have the power, following as the foot soldier, doing what the fools are demanding. It seems sometimes that rulers take people that are unworthy and puts them to a higher rank, over the people that have the wisdom to make the systems work.

There is a big difference between those with God's wisdom, and those that are wise in the worldly ways.

Ecclesiastes 10:8 "He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him."

This gets into the nature of life itself. Anytime you plan something evil against someone else, sooner or later it is going to bite you. What ever traps you set of other, you will fall into that same trap. It may by your pit, or one that he digs for you. What goes around, comes around, and you will get hurt by your own pit, or plan of evil. When you play Satan's games, you will ge t Satan's rewards. This applies even to minor things, especially to minor things.

Ecclesiastes 10:9 "Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby."

This is in every day life, and even a wise person doing something of danger, and taking chances, sooner or later you will get hurt. When you keep chopping with the axe on the wood, sooner or later the wood will fly up and hit you. You can get hurt if you don't use wisdom and common sense in every day life. There are dangers in what ever you do, if you get careless. That is the subject of this vers, Don't be careless in anything that you do.

Ecclesiastes 10:10 "If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct."

If the axe is blunt, and the wood cutter doesn't sharpen the edge, then you are going to have to use much more energy to do the same work. This is saying that if you are wise, you will do what is necessary in order to make the job more profitable. You will take the axe and sharpen it before you start the cutting. Once again it is just plain common sense.

Man's wisdom should be applied to what every job you are working on, if you stop long enough to think on the task to be done, and ind the easiest and safest way, it is always more productive. If something is broke, fix it; if something is dull, sharpen it, if there is an safer way, take it. When you use you brain, it is a lot easier, and you will get a lot more done.

Ecclesiastes 10:11 "Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better."

This is a play on the serpent's tongue. The tongue is sticking out and bobbing up and down very fast, enchanting those watching. However you have to be careful, for that same tongue that enchants you, can turn on you and bite you. That is what is being compared to to the babbler that sits around, and entertains you with his babbling. Those words that you find humorous that bits at the character of others, can turn on you when you least expect it. In a very short time he will run out of things to say, and he will start talking about you.

Ecclesiastes 10:12 "The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself."

All you have to do is listen to people talk, and it doesn't take long to see if one is wise or a fool.

Ecclesiastes 10:13 "The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness."

You will know from the first words that come forth, if this man is a wise person, or a fool. Does what the person have to say make sense, or is it just one confused thought after another. When he is done with what he has to say, can you draw a conclusion, or was the whole conversation just mischievous madness.

Ecclesiastes 10:14 "A fool also is full of words: a man can not tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?"

The babbler has more words then you have time to listen to. He is full of words, and he knows everything about nothing. You name the topic, and he is an authority on the subject, however when you listen to him, all you get is confusion. Use your own wisdom, and plan the course of what you are going to say, before you open your mouth. Do your own thinking for yourself. When you listen to others, ask yourself, "Can I believe what he has just said?" Then check him out and see if it is true. This is how you can find peace of mind, when you come to your own conclusion. Think!

Ecclesiastes 10:15 "The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city."

The parable is this, The foolish person, and their labor in the flesh always takes twice as long, and they have to do things their own ways that are always backwards. Then in the end their job is always messed up. This verse is directed at our improving with every job that we do. If you are unsure of how to do something, go to the city, ask others, read the manual, do something to establish the right way before you even start. We are to seek the right help to do the job right in the first place. If it is your boss that gets weary of your job, it could be the loss of your job.

Ecclesiastes 10:16 "Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!"

This is directed at having a child in the position of authority, for the whole job turns into kids play, and the job just doesn't get done. The "Princes eat in the morning" has to do with the drink that comes with the meals of the princes. They get drunk at the breakfast table, and they go through the day in a drunken stupor. They just can't think right, and what ever they end ever to do, just doesn't get done. Woe to the people or government, or business that has to serve under that type of leadership.

Ecclesiastes 10:17 "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 land, the nation and business is blessed when the leadership is the son of nobles, which means that the leaders are well trained and disciplined. They are educated to do the work that has to be don, and others have faith in his authority. They know that they eat because they know that it is for their strength, and not just the enjoyment for their drunkenness.

This can also be taken in the spiritual sense, looking at the food that you take out of the Word of God, that it is what is necessary for you to sustain you spiritual life, and not just foolishness of traditions. This comes when you hear and study the Word for understanding, for without understanding, it becomes foolishness, and leads to all sorts of false spirits and misunderstanding. Don't play around with your spiritual food, but hear the word, and learn to apply it to your life.

Ecclesiastes 10:18 "By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through."

Let's break this down a bit. The word "droppeth" is a prime root and it means to "drip". It is talking about a building with a leaky roof. In the Word "building", in the Hebrew means "rafters". So we see what this is talking about is when a person is double lazy, and through his idleness he has allowed the roof to leak, and the rafters to decay and the roof to fall in. Do you get the point?

If the roof leaks, how long does it take to rot out the tempers below? not very long. Now apply this to a person, when they become slothful, and lazy, and allow bad habits to creep into their lives, how long will it take for their whole physical structure to collapse, as well as their spiritual character. Also not long. Solomon is telling us to wise up, and see the damage that comes with allowing our idleness and sloppiness to creep into our lives and minds.

The wise person sees the trouble once it comes, and repairs the problem before it has a chance to damage the the whole structure. When he see that idleness is making him lazy and sloppy, he applies discipline to his life, and the wisdom that comes from God's Word.

Ecclesiastes 10:19 "A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things."

This is taking us back to the parable just before this. If you practice neglect, with your feast of laughter and merry times, you will run out of money, friend. Money buys things, even in bartering. When the money runs out, so does all the other things that are necessary to live. Why? Because you were neglectful.

Ecclesiastes 10:20 "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."

What has wings? Of course it is gossip. You never know when someone will overhear you, and what you have said gets back to the one that gives you your livelihood. Your mouth can get you into trouble, and if you have nothing good to say about someone, just don't talk about them.

At the same time, a wise person knows that if a brother has stepped outside the bounds, and as a Christian brother you have to come to him in private, and alert him to the dangers of what he is doing. Your correction of him is saying something good to him. You love him enough to want to help him, when he is in need.