【做个脱离愚昧的智慧人】
主讲: 区箴唤实习传道 + 陈炎明牧师
22/02/2022
引言：
在之前传道书的内容里面我们看到，智慧人和愚昧人都会有人生类似的遭遇。甚至所罗门还表达，智慧人也好，愚昧人也好，都难逃死亡的结局。读了之前的经文，是不是真的就是说就算有智慧也没有什么益处呢？其实不是，有智慧还是好的，而且我们都要做脱离愚昧的智慧人。
一、选择智慧(V1-3)
智慧还是好的，使人蒙福的，所以人还是要选择智慧，而不是选择愚昧。
二、谦卑柔和(V4)
面对权柄发怒的时刻，无论这是否是因为我们做错了什么事而导致权柄者生气，我们都当选择去用谦卑柔和的生命去面对。不要因为一时被冒犯就起来与权柄者冲突，甚至就是离开本位，最后其实这是得不偿失的。反过来，如果我们能够冷静沉着地去面对，好好地和权柄沟通，让权柄消除怒气，有错误的话就立即承认，而不要因为一时冲动就离开自己的岗位。这才是对的选择。相处时间长了，权柄者必会因我们成熟的生命而奖赏和提升我们。基督徒尤其需要把这份智慧应用在职场中。
三、摆对位置(V5-7)
权柄者把人放错位置，就如经文所提到的例子：愚昧人和仆人在高位，富足人和王子在低位，这些位置都是与他们的身份不相宜的。人有智慧还是很好的，因为能够帮助懂得把人放在对的位置，从而发挥人在对的位置上那对的功用。
四、不要害人(V8-9)
这里我们无法完全了解当时一些的社会背景，但总体意思就是不要去害人。属世的智慧教导我们透过一些手段去侵占别人的东西，但是属神的智慧告诫我们不要去害人，要公平公义地去对待别人。
五、不用蛮力(V10)
磨刀不误砍柴工，但是很常我们人做东西习惯了，自然也就按着原来的方式一直做，甚至刀已经钝了，也不自知，结果就做得很辛苦。所以我们需要智慧，懂得要去常常磨刀，再去处理我们人生中大大小小的事务。
六、管理风险(V11)
行法术的人是应该控制好蛇的，但是如果还没行法术之前就被蛇所咬，那认就中毒了，甚至会给他带来生命的危险。古代所流传下来的这种用法术玩弄蛇的把戏，通常都会用毒蛇，来显明法术的高明。当然这里的经文不是告诉我们基督徒可以去操练用巫术来控制蛇的伎俩，而是告诉我们要管理风险，这是我们人应该去管理的职责，我们不可以把许多人自己当尽的责任说都交托给神，就不去管理。当然另一方面，面对许多人生不可控的因素，我们要学会交托给神，不要自己去担那些担子。
七、口出恩言(V12-14)
我们的话语是带着能力的，所以我们要求神帮助我们说出恩言，说出智慧的话语。很常愚昧人多言，甚至有一些还自以为有智慧，就常常给别人出主意，以为自己对许多事情都了如指掌，但其实他连自己今后的发展会怎样都不知道的，他死后会怎样他更是无从得知。所以我们应该学习智慧人，多听少说，口出恩言。
八、先思后行(V15)
上面我们看到愚昧人一味地盲干，这里讲到愚昧人因为劳碌盲干而困乏，而这也是因为愚昧人不去做准备而盲干所导致的。这里提醒我们要虚心地向别人来请教，不要不懂装懂，导致自己走许多的歪路，才到达本来可以更快速到达的目的地。
九、不要荒宴(V16-17)
对于一个国家也好，一个组织也好，如果里面的领袖像孩童那样无知，导致他下一线的领袖一味地追求享乐和荒宴，甚至他们就是在本来最应该辛勤做工的早晨这样去放纵享乐，那么这个国，这个组织就有祸了。反过来，如果一个国家或者组织的领袖是个有智慧的贵胄之子，他带领着下一线的领袖只是在适当的时间才有所享乐，为的是让团队在辛苦的工作后能够重新得力，那么这个懂得劳逸结合的国家或者组织就是有福的。
十、不要懒惰(V18)
懒惰导致人生会面对许多的破口，因为破口发生了以后并没有及时地修补。
十一、抓对目的(V19)
宴席的摆设是为了让出席的人都一起享受主人家的快乐，喝酒是为了让人快活，用钱也是为了能够去处理许多的事务。抓住许多事情的根本目的是重要的。否则的话，人会因为搞不清楚事情的根本目的而做出错误的反应。就如经文的例子：人容易因为宴席上的一些问题，而失去快乐；人会因为酗酒、醉酒而带来麻烦；人会因为错误管理金钱，而带来许多的愁苦。
十二、不要论断(V20)
不要论断有财有势的人，尤其不要因为嫉妒而去咒诅他们。因为论断咒诅的话，终会传到当事人的耳中。所以我们要先从心出发，除去我们心中一切的嫉妒和不平，然后我们才能够保守我们口中所说的话。
总结：
智慧还是好的，因为智慧能保守我们脱离人生许多不必要的麻烦，从而得着神所要应许给我们的福分。
尤其选择智慧，能够保守我们说对的话，做对的事，使得我们有良好的人际关系，与人和睦；选择智慧，也能够让我们懂得如何做好领袖，带领好团队和整个的组织；还有选择智慧，更是能够让我们更高效地处理我们人生中的大小事，也懂得如何去规避风险，未雨绸缪，并从中明白事情的本质和目的。
Ecclesiastes 10: Be a Wise Person Who is Free from Foolishness
GK611 Morning Devotion
22/2/2022
Speaker: IP Moses Ou + Rev David Tan
Introduction:
In the previous book of Ecclesiastes we saw that both the wise and the foolish will have similar encounters in life. Solomon even expressed that both the wise and the foolish will not escape the end of death. After reading the previous verses, does it really mean that there is no benefit even if one is wise? No, it is good to have wisdom, and we all need to be wise people who are free from foolishness.
1. Choose Wisdom (V1-3)
Wisdom is still good and blessed, so one must still choose wisdom rather than foolishness.
2. Humility and Gentleness (V4)
When we face the moment of anger of the authority, whether it is because we have done something wrong that the authority is angry, we should choose to face it with a life of humility and gentleness. Don’t get up in conflict with the authority just because you are offended, or even leave your position, which in the end is not worth the loss. On the contrary, if we can face it calmly and composedly, communicate with the authority well, let the authority remove the anger, and admit the mistake immediately, rather than leaving our position just because of the impulse. This is the right choice. As we spend time together, the authority will reward and promote us for our mature lives. Christians especially need to apply this wisdom in the workplace.
3. Placing People in the Right Position (V5-7)
Those in authority put people in the wrong position, as in the examples mentioned in the scriptures: fools and servants in high places, and rich people and princes in low places, which are inappropriate to their status. It is still good for people to have wisdom, because it helps to know how to put people in the right position, so that they can perform that right function of being in the right position.
4. Do not Harm People (V8-9)
Here we cannot fully understand some of the social context of the time, but the general meaning is not to do harm to others. Worldly wisdom teaches us to take what others have by some means, but Godly wisdom admonishes us not to harm others, but to treat them fairly and righteously.
5. Without Brute Force (V10)
Sharpening the knife is not a mistake, but very often we are used to doing things, and naturally we keep doing them in the original way, even if the knife has been blunt, but also do not know, the result is very hard to do. So we need wisdom to know how to sharpen the knife often, and then to deal with the small and large matters in our life.
6. Managing Risks (V11)
The person who performs the spell is supposed to control the snake, but if he is bitten by the snake before he performs the spell, then the recognition will be poisoned, and it will even bring him a risk to his life. In the ancient times, the trick of playing with snakes by magic is usually done with poisonous snakes to show the skill of magic. Of course the scripture here is not telling us that Christians can practice sorcery to control snakes, but rather that we are to manage risks, which is our duty as human beings to manage, and we are not to leave many of our own responsibilities that we say we should do to God, and not to manage them. On the other hand, of course, in the face of the many uncontrollable factors of life, we must learn to entrust them to God and not to take on those burdens ourselves.
7. The Mouth Speaks Graciously (V12-14)
Our words come with power, so we ask God to help us speak words of blessings, words of wisdom. Very often foolish people talk a lot, and some even think they are wise, so they often give ideas to others, thinking they know everything about many things, but in fact he does not even know what will happen to him in the future, and he has no way to know what will happen after he dies. So we should learn from wise people, listen more and speak less, and speak with grace.
8. Think before you act (V15)
We saw above that the foolish people work blindly, and here it is said that the foolish people are tired because they toil and work blindly, and this is also caused by the foolish people who do not prepare but work blindly. Here we are reminded to humbly ask others for advice and not to pretend to understand, which leads us to take many wrong paths before we reach the destination that could have been reached more quickly.
9. Do not feast in desolation (V16-17)
If the leader of a nation or an organization is as ignorant as a child and leads the leaders of the next line to pursue pleasure and feasting, even in the morning when they should be working hard, then woe to the nation and the organization. On the contrary, if the leader of a nation or organization is a wise and noble son, who leads the leaders of the next line to enjoy themselves only at the right time, so that the team can regain its strength after hard work, then the nation or organization that knows how to combine work and rest is blessed.
10. Do Not be Lazy (V18)
Laziness leads to life will face a lot of breaks, because after the break occurred and did not repair in time.
11. Catching the Right Purpose (V19)
The feast is set up so that those who attend can all enjoy the joy of the host family together, the drinking is for pleasure, and the money is used to be able to go about many affairs. It is important to grasp the fundamental purpose of many things. Otherwise, people will react wrongly because they are confused about the fundamental purpose of things. As in the example of the scripture: people are prone to lose their happiness because of some problems at the banquet; people will bring trouble because of alcoholism and drunkenness; people will bring many sorrows because of wrong management of money.
12. Do not judge (V20)
Do not judge those who are rich and powerful, and especially do not curse them out of envy. For the words of judgment and curse will eventually reach the ears of the person concerned. Therefore, we must first remove all jealousy and injustice from our hearts, and then we will be able to keep the words that come out of our mouths.
Conclusion:
Wisdom is still good because it can keep us out of many unnecessary troubles in life, so that we can receive the blessings that God has promised us.
In particular, choosing wisdom can keep us from saying the right things and doing the right things, so that we can have good interpersonal relationships and be in harmony with others; choosing wisdom can also help us know how to be good leaders and lead our team and the whole organization; and choosing wisdom can help us handle the big and small things in our life more efficiently, and know how to avoid risks, plan ahead, and understand the nature and purpose of things from it.
