Ecclesiastes 10:1 says, 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. Solomon seems to be bringing together a collection of proverbs in this chapter, more than preaching, according to Matthew Henry.  In this verse, he speaks about folly ruining ones reputation as dead flies ruin an ointment.  It causes the ointment to stink and be useless.  If we allow folly to ruin our reputation, as followers of Christ, we can only confess, ask forgiveness, and hope to begin to rebuild what we have lost.  What we cannot afford to do is allow ourselves to just wallow in the stench of our folly.  We cannot change the past, and even if the world continues to judge us by our folly, we cannot allow it to determine who we are in God's sight.  Once forgiven, God no longer sees the folly, or sin as we should call it.  Verse two says, A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.  Being left-handed, I will still attempt to discuss what I believe Solomon to have been saying.  Throughout history, the right hand has indicated things that are correct in the eyes of the world, and the left hand has indicated things that are evil or sinister.  I believe Solomon was saying that the heart of a wise man is dedicated to doing the will of God, or that which is right.  Likewise, the heart of the fool, those who do not acknowledge God, is turned to evil or sinister things.  Verse three says, 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.  The wisdom of a fool will ultimately fail him, and the world will know that he is a fool.  Those that deny God and rely on their own wisdom will one day realize how foolish they really were, if not in this world, then in the world to come.

Ecclesiastes 9:16 says, Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.   Solomon continues his discussion of strength versus wisdom, concluding that wisdom is better.  There seems to be an idea today that because we are stronger, whether individually or as a nation, that we should use and rely on that strength to insure that we get what we want.  I believe that Solomon was saying that even if we have the strength, we are to look to wisdom, to God's will, for the answers to the problems in life.  We, as God's people, are not called on to bully others into accepting Christ, but we are to reach them through love and compassion.  We are not called on to beat plow shares into swords, but just the opposite.  Verse seventeen says, The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.  Those who live by wisdom do not have to shout it from the roof tops.  People who are truly looking for wisdom, for the will of God, will hear it no matter how softly it is spoken.  Those who are looking to elevate their own status may shout their words as loud as possible, but those truly seeking God's way will not be swayed by the volume of their words.  There are a lot of angry words shouted by the rulers of the world today, speaking about what they are going to do to their enemies, but we must listen to the voice of God.  Verse eighteen says, Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much gold.  Wisdom is better than weapons according to Solomon, but we look to weapons for solutions.  As God's people, we are to act in wisdom when we are dealing with those around us, whether individually or as a nation.  According to Solomon, we cannot rely on the weapons of war to find peace and security.  We must rely on the knowledge of God.

Ecclesiastes 9:13 says, This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:  Verse fourteen continues with, There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:  Then, verse fifteen concludes the thought stating, Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.  Solomon says that he has seen a great wisdom in what he is about to say.  We must look to wisdom , which in my understanding comes from God, if we have in hope of finding purpose in this world.  Matthew Henry says,   This wisdom, that is, this which he here describes, enables a man to serve his country out of pure affection to its interests, when he himself gains no advantage by it.  When we are looking for service to our country simply in terms of what is in it for me, or for self glory, we are not acting wisely.  We should do what is best without concern for what we get out of it.  Solomon speaks of a little city besieged by a powerful king.  There is no reason given as to why the king wanted this city, but don't have to look far today to see this happening all over the world.  It may just be that a stronger nation feels they have the right to take over a weaker nation.  There is seldom a declaration that this is happening just because the stronger nation can do it and wants to.  We may think that the powerful will always win, but as we look around the world today, we can see this isn't always so.  Verse fifteen speaks of a poor, wise man in the city who by his wisdom delivered the city, but no one remembered him.  The poor are often overlooked and their council ignored.  Somehow there is a belief in the world that if a person is rich they must be wise, and if they are poor they cannot be.  Being rich does not equate to being wise, since wisdom comes not from material possessions, but from God.  We cannot afford to listen to only the rich and powerful in the world, but must listen for the wisdom of God, no matter the material status of the one who shares it.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.  People were not created to be idle, but to care for and have dominion over the earth.  There may even be times in our life when others get upset because they feel that we are working too hard.  We do what our hands find to do instead of looking for ways to avoid doing anything, and others feel this makes them look bad or that more will be expected of them.  As followers of Christ, we have an obligation to do our best by our employers.  In our own lives, we have a responsibility to do what God gives us to do as long as we are able, because as we get older, ability decreases until at death we can do no more.  As long as we do everything for the glory of God, we will always do our best.  Verse eleven says, I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.  I believe Solomon was saying that life doesn't always go according to plan and expectations.  We have seen races where the fastest was winning and suddenly tripped, and someone else won the race.  Sometimes, simple overconfidence in ones own ability can lead to failure.  We cannot put our faith in the things of this world, but must trust the guidance of God.  Ultimate victory is assured if we do, no matter how many failures we experience in this life.  Verse twelve says, For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.  We cannot know the time of our death, but we can be tempted into actions that may lead to death much sooner than would be normal for a person.  Fish tempted by bait or just unfortunate enough to be swimming where a net is cast die sooner than those who don't take the bait or get caught by the net.  Some actions we take can lead to a sudden, unexpected death, while at other times just being in the wrong place can cause our death.  We may feel that we live in an evil time, and for so many people in the world today, that is especially true.  Still, we as God's people, must not live in despair, but in hope through Christ.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 says, Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.  I believe that Solomon is saying to us that as we live our life for God, under His direction, these are things that we should do.  When we have been blessed with food, we are to enjoy eating it.  We are to enjoy what is ours and not attempt to claim what belongs to others.  Solomon tells us to enjoy our wine with a merry heart.  This does not mean to get drunk to get happy.  I also believe we can assume this was alcoholic wine, but we are called on to enjoy both food and drink in moderation.  When we are content to live with what God blesses us with we will be joyful and God will accept our works.  We need to realize that just because we say we are doing something for God doesn't mean that God has to accept what we do.  God will always look beyond the action to the reason for the action.  Verse eight says, Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.  I believe that Solomon is saying to us that we are always to attempt to live a pure life in dedication to God.  We are not being called on to only wear white clothes and have our heads annointed with oil but to live a life that these things represent.  White means purity, and we are to live our lives in purity before God and other people that we encounter.  Yet, until we live in purity before God we cannot hope to live in purity toward others.  There are no magic or holy clothes that can make us pure before God, but only a pure heart.  Annointing ones head was a sign of God's blessing, but for us it is more than a physical act.  We are to let all our thoughts be under God's guidance, and if they aren't, no amount of oil will help us.  Verse nine says, Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.  Solomon had three hundred wives, but that was never God's plan.  God's plan is one man and one woman completing one another for a lifetime.  If both are dedicated to each other under God's guidance, it will be a joyful marriage.  We must always approach marriage with this understanding, even if things have gone wrong in the past.  We must live satisfied with what God blesses us with materially, but we must live joyfully in our marriage.

Ecclesiastes 9:4 says, For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.  In life, there is hope.  No matter how hard life seems to be for a person, as long as life exists, there is always hope that tomorrow will be better.  This should especially be true of God's people.  We should always live life in hope that tomorrow will be better than today.  I don't believe that God told us what was to come as the end of time drew closer to lead us to a life of resignation.  We, as followers of Christ, are to live in hope, victorious over the things of this world.  As long as we have life, we are to live in and proclaim the hope of Christ to the world.  A live dog is indeed more powerful than a dead lion.  Some people may seem to have all the power in this world, but in death, nothing of this world remains.  Death may release us from the stresses of this world, but we are not to seek death, but we are to live life in the hope of God.  Verse five says, For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.  As long as we live, we know that death awaits us, but once we die, we no longer know anything of this world.  Solomon also states that once we die, we have no more reward.  What we do with Christ in life is all that matters in the life to come.  There is no purpose in praying for the souls of the dead, and there is certainly no need to be baptized in the place of those long dead.  It is only what a person does with Christ in this live that matters, so no matter how big a sinner a person may be, as long as there is life, there is hope.  Then in verse six we read, Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.  Solomon said it doesn't matter how we feel about a person here on earth, whether we love or hate them, once we are dead, those feelings perish.  The things of this world truly no longer hold any power over us once we are dead, and as followers of Christ, they shouldn't have power over us even now.

Ecclesiastes 9:1 says, For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.  Solomon declared that those that believe God, the righteous and the wise, and all their works are in the hands of God.  The only wisdom we can claim is the knowledge that God is ultimately in control.  People may attempt to prove that they know just as much as God, but they only deceive themselves.  We cannot know the love of God based on the material world.  We can only know it through faith.  People may attempt to judge Christians by their wealth or even health, but people are only Christians by a spiritual relationship with God, and it is not dependent on materialism.  If we begin to proclaim a gospel based on material possessions, then we are not proclaiming what God's word states.  At least this is my understanding, and I believe is what Solomon was stating also.  Verse two states, All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.  I believe Solomon was saying that it doesn't matter what comes to us in live does not matter, but how we live our lives in relationship to God is what makes the difference.  Those who declare that there is no God may prosper, as may those that believe in God, leading those that do not believe to conclude that it is foolish to follow God.  Verse three says, This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.  Solomon proclaimed that the heart of men was full of evil.  This has not changed.   Without the direction of God, we all live under the evil and madness of the heart.  What can be more of a sign of evil and madness than to devote everything to the acquisition and hoarding of the things of this world when death awaits us, and those material things are forever lost.  We, as followers of Christ, must live in accordance with His leadership.