8 He who digs a pit will fall into it,
and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
9 He who quarries stones is hurt by them,
and he who splits logs is endangered by them.
10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.
11 If the serpent bites before it is charmed,
there is no advantage to the charmer.
— Ecclesiastes 10:8-11, ESV

The writing of Ecclesiastes is so similar to much of the book of Proverbs that is seems safe to assume a common scribe in King Solomon.  Solomon was a success by every worldly measure.  He was rich, powerful, handsome, brilliant, and famous, at home and abroad.  But was he a success by spiritual metrics, where it really counts, with God?  The answer is yes, and no, and yes.  

Solomon was given the key to success, godly wisdom, as soon as he inherited the keys to the kingdom from his father, David.  He traversed wisely, at first.  Then he began to drive too fast and drift too far from God.  Ecclesiastes detects a u-turn back to the Lord in his latter years, when wisdom, godly wisdom, is what he had regained and what he revealed to others.  

In this text taken from the tenth chapter, we see wisdom where it is wanted most.  We are urged to trust God and take godly wisdom into our home, our workplace, our church, and the world.  Proverbial warnings abound to those who will not.  Will you heed these warnings by trusting and obeying the wisdom of God?

Wisdom in the Home (vs. 8)

The proverbial warning pertains to home security and improvement.  Pits or motes were common ways in ancient days to protect people in your home, kind of an early alarm system.  Most homes were made of mud and thatch, and snakes liked to burrow into the dried-in walls.  

The practical meaning is don’t be an idiot.  If you employ a pit for security, make sure you know where it is, so you don’t fall in yourself.  And, if you want to tear down a wall to make more room, knock on it a few times and make sure no snake has imbedded itself inside.  

This advice is very simple.  Also, it is very spiritual.  Remember, Ecclesiastes is a Spirit-inspired book for those who would be Spirit-led people.  “Wisdom” is what we are after, and “wisdom” in Ecclesiastes is a set of principles and a principle person.  The principles are in the inspired word of God, the Bible, and the person is the Messiah, the incarnate God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The spiritual application beckons.  A home is made truly secure by the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  A Bible is available to everyone.  Like the proverbial pit, do you know where yours is?  Like building material, the gospel is there for everyone who will call upon the name of the Lord.  It tears out the walls of a hard heart and remodels it with real repentance and faith.  

“Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.”
— Psalm 127:1

It is foolish to have a Bible and forget about it.  It is foolish to build a life without the foundation of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  Trust in God and His wisdom, and do not rest in prayer or perseverance until everyone else in your household has trusted Him, too.  Build your life, your family, your home, on the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Wisdom in the Workplace (vs. 9)

The proverbial warning pertains to hazardous occupations.  Quarrying was invented by the Egyptians and lumber-jacking is as old as the forest, and the Israelites would have been considered both to be hard hat jobs.  Their purpose, in Solomon’s day, would have been to provide materials suitable for the king.

The practical meaning is don’t be an idiot.  The subjunctive mood is clearer in the NASB and NIV, meaning workers may be hurt, if they do not exercise some common wisdom with their work.  Watch out for falling rocks and trees!  

So, what is so spiritual about our work?  Everything!  Your vocation is a calling from God, whether it be pastor or painter, horticulturalist or homemaker.  It is a means to fulfilling your basic needs.  It is the main stage upon which you are a witness for Christ.  If you are careless with it, you will lose your source of income.  Worst of all, if you are careless with your Christianity at work, you will lose your witness for Christ.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
— Zechariah 8:23

It is foolish not to be careful in the workplace and it is foolish for a Christian not to be careful to be a good witness at work.  I had a real job for seven years before I became a Pastor.  I always kept a small Bible on my desk.  I didn’t read it, for I was careful to use company time only for the company’s work.  It just let people know where I stood, and it became a magnet to draw people to stand in my office and tell me their problems.  My answer was, and is, always, “Jesus.”  

Wisdom in the Church (vs. 10)

The proverbial warning picks up on part of the previous verse, for those who split logs usually use an axe make of iron.  Obviously, those with a dull axe and a dull mind are going to get less work in spite of more exertion.  Those wise enough to sharpen the axe well before using will make a lot of hay while the sun shines.  

The practical meaning is don’t be an idiot.  Preparation is the key to performance.  Sharpen the axe before you use it.  Study before the test.  Sharpen your mind, before you use it, too.

The spiritual answer to this question is as obvious as the place and people you are sitting amongst right now.  The best way to obtain godly wisdom to prepare for being a witness in the week ahead it to take your place in the house of God on the first day of the week.  There you will be sharpened by the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ,

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
— Hebrews 10:24-25

It is foolish to attempt to truly grow in Christ without devotion to Christ’s church.  Sure, you can read your Bible in your own living room and go outside into your own back yard to pray and sing praises.  But you are a spark without a flame if you forsake the gathering of the saints on Sundays, where skilled leaders and like-minded followers combine to sharpen the congregation with Scripture and the other regulative principles that build out faith and empower us to share our faith when we go out into the world.  

Wisdom in the World (vs. 11)

The proverbial warning deals with a snake and keeping it at bay.  Snakes and their charmers were common in the middle east.  But without the proper wisdom to charm, the snake bites and does much harm. 

The practical meaning is don’t be an idiot.  Don’t mess with snakes unless you know what you are doing.  And if you do know how to charm the snake, and the snake threatens someone, get there before it’s too late.  

The spiritual overtones are obvious.  There is a great serpent at large.  The leaders in Iran say it’s us, the US, but the Bible identifies him as the serpent, the accuser, the deceiver, the fallen angel we call Satan.  

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
—  1 Peter 5:8

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
— James 4:7-8

It is foolish to engage in spiritual warfare without the Spirit of God.  It is foolish to share the gospel if you do not believe it, or, worse, are not living it.  The snake knows, and he will bite.  Unbelievers, hypocrites, and nominal Christians are no defense from the attacks of the serpent.  

Jesus stood up to Satan with the word of God (ref. Matthew 4).  So can you, if you are a fully devoted follower of the Lord.  With the word of God and the gospel, you can fight the enemy and deliver people from this present world into the kingdom of God.

The key to spiritual success is wisdom, godly wisdom.  It is found in the word of God, the Bible.  It is given to all who truly believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It opens up a godly home, leads you into godly work, plants you in a godly church, and enables you to be a godly witness in the world.  

Listen to Solomon.  Don’t be an idiot.  Trust and obey.  Take the key to spiritual success and turn it for the Lord, every day, and you will turn people to the Lord, in your home, work, church, and world.