Serious About Sin

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Opening Prayer

Lord, in a world that is broken and unpredictable, thank You that You are always true, always just, always good.

Read ECCLESIASTES 9:13-10:9

^[13] I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: ^[14] There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. ^[15] Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. ^[16] So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. ^[17] The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. ^[18] Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. ^[1] As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. ^[2] The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. ^[3] Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are. ^[4] If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest. ^[5] There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: ^[6] Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. ^[7] I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. ^[8] Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. ^[9] Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

What piece of wisdom stands out to you?

Something as small and seemingly insignificant as a fly may ruin an expensive perfume. As a present-day proverb warns, “One bad apple spoils the whole barrel.” Therefore, when storing apples, a farmer takes pains to ensure that no one fruit touches the other, lest one rotten apple destroy a whole harvest.Folly, or foolishness, is a bit like that. As we saw in Monday’s reading, the Bible understands folly as being a lack of reverence for God and moral deficiency (see Jeremiah 4:22), rather than simply lack of intelligence or common sense. Folly is not to be regarded as some harmless indiscretion, easily or casually overlooked; rather, it is cause for grave concern, for it “outweighs wisdom” (10:1) and may damage or even destroy what is good and wholesome. Paul upholds this same principle: “Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?” (1 Cor. 5:6). Similarly, sin is a subtle pollutant. It is always a serious matter, never to be trifled with or flirted with, since even a “small” sin affronts the absolute holiness of our utterly holy God.