Observations calling for discernment (Ecclesiastes 10:18-20)
Thomas Miersma offers an exegetical meditation on Ecclesiastes 10:18-20, examining the biblical warnings against slothfulness and idleness as they apply to Christian labor and stewardship. The article emphasizes both the plain sense of maintaining one's earthly possessions and the spiritual dimension of working diligently under God's sovereign providence in a fallen world. Through close attention to the text's treatment of folly and wisdom, Miersma calls readers to discernment in their daily conduct and responsibilities.
Previous article in this series: July 2019, p. 428. Ecclesiastes 10:18-20 Chapter 10 concludes with three further observations or warnings that we are called to ponder. They belong to the reality of life in a fallen world under the sun. They draw on the way of the fool in his walk and talk (Eccl. 10:12-15), that folly illustrated in the rulers among men (Eccl. 10:5, 6, 16, 17), and the inclination to folly rooted in the flesh (Eccl. 10:1, 2). These observations serve to summarize elements of...
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