Ecclesiastes 11:1 says, Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.  I believe Solomon is speaking of charity to the poor in this verse and verse two.  We are not to hoard the bounty of life for ourselves, but are to share liberally with those around us who are less fortunate than we are.  We, as followers of Christ, are called on to help the poor, the widows, and the orphans.  Much of this requirement has been turned over to the government, but that does not relieve us of the obligation.  If the government is taking charge of this requirement, we need to hold them accountable for doing so.  Verse two continues this idea stating, Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.  We often feel that we have helped enough, but Solomon is telling us to not count how many we have helped, but to always be ready to help another.  I know we may at times have people take advantage of us or the government, but we cannot use this as an excuse for not helping someone we see that is in need.  We must do all in under the leadership of God and put the results in His hands.  When we help someone, make sure that God is given the credit for our actions.  We can never know when our fortune may change, so we need to give while we are blessed with enough to share.  Verse three says, If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.  We need to remember that Solomon was speaking of helping others still.  A cloud, when it is full of rain, empties itself of water.  The cloud does not consider the worthiness of the ground to receive the water, nor does it hold anything back.  We are to give the same way.  If we see a need, we are called on to meet it if it is within our ability.  Our reward comes from God, and we can trust that he will meet our needs.  We, like a tree falling where it stands, can only serve where we are.

Ecclesiastes 10:16 says,  Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!  I don't believe that Solomon was referring to age in years, but in maturity of action concerning the way they rule.  If all the people in power are more concerned with meeting their own needs than they are in helping those they govern, then they are acting like a child.  A mature leader cannot act on simply what they want, but must look to what is best for those that they govern.  When leaders are more concerned for themselves than the nation as a whole, even those who may not agree with them, then the nation does live in woe.  Verse seventeen continues this thought stating, Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!  I don't believe this means that we are to have a line of nobility to rule over us, but that we are blessed when we have leaders that are taught nobility of spirit.  We need leaders that look beyond what they may want to what will be best for the nation.  When we have leaders who are not controlled by their own appetites, but by living in moderation in their actions, we are blessed.  Verse eighteen says, By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.  When a person, or a nation, begins to live in a lazy manner, not taking care of their houses or even the structure of the government itself, it will soon collapse.  We are not called to ignore the world, but to care for it.  Verse nineteen says, A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.  I don't believe Solomon is saying that money is the answer to all problems, but that it is better for meeting the needs of life than feasting or wine.  Those things may be enjoyable, but money can be used to meet the needs of life.  We are charged with using it wisely.  Verse twenty says, Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.  We are not called to curse those in power or the rich, but to pray for them continually that they will follow God in all their actions.

Ecclesiastes 10:12 says, The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.  I have heard people say that if you have nothing good to say about a person, then say nothing at all.  We seem to live in a society that takes the opposite view.  Many people delight in television shows that do nothing but speak badly about people.  Solomon tells us that a wise man's words are gracious.  We need to look for something good to say about people, or just say nothing at all.  Many times, the actions people take are done just to create talk.  When we begin to respond foolishly to those actions, and I believe condemning the person instead of the act is one way to do that, then we do ourselves as much harm as we do them.  Verse thirteen says, The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.  We must remember that in this verse Solomon is still referring to the words of the fool.  His words begin in foolishness and end with madness.  Some people speak foolishly, and when others don't believe them, they act maliciously.  We can see that with many groups today.  They spout hatred for other people and then, when words have no effect, they begin to try to harm those who don't listen to them.  This applies to individuals as well as to groups.  The more they are ignored, the more malicious they tend to become.  Then, verse fourteen says,  A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?  I believe Solomon is saying, among other things, that the fool is full of words about the future, which no one can know.  When we hear someone forecasting our future, remember the source.  God tells us we cannot know the future, other than in a broad overview, and we do not need to look to someone who claims to know what our future holds.  Verse fifteen says, The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.  The labor of the foolish making them weary is simple to understand.  They work simply for the things of this world without acknowledging God's plan for their lives, and they are never satisfied.  Matthew Henry says that not going to the city refers to an inability to follow even the most obvious path to meeting their needs.  When we will not turn to God for direction, even if His path for us is obvious, we will miss it.

Ecclesiastes 10:8 says, He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.  I believe that Solomon is warning against trying to set a trap for others or breaking down long established boundaries.  When we attempt to trap others to do them harm, it is often going to backfire on us.  For one thing, if we are following the leadership of God, we are not going to be attempting to harm others, and if we are, ultimately this will cause us harm in the eyes of God.  Likewise, if we are attempting to take something that belongs to others, the same ultimate fate awaits us.  There are wars today where one country is trying to take what belongs to another, sometimes simply because they are more powerful and feel that they have a right to do this because of their might.  This is folly, or foolish thinking according to the wisdom of God.  Verse nine says, Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.  I believe this must be a warning to work with care and wisdom.  If we just randomly or carelessly remove stones from a wall, or tear down established laws just because of a dislike for them, then we set ourselves up to be harmed.  If we are cutting wood, it is better to use a sharp axe.  I believe we can apply this to anything we are doing.  We are better off using well maintained tools.  One of the tools we have to combat the evil in the world is the Bible, and if our knowledge of it becomes blunt, we are less able to shape our lives in obedience to God's will. We must live our lives wisely in all we do.  Verse ten expands the thought, stating,  If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.  We can work wisely or forcefully by our own strength.  We may feel that we can power through on our own strength, but we are better off to be directed by wisdom, the leadership of God.  Verse eleven says,  Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.  I believe Solomon is warning us against idle talk or gossip, which he compares to a serpent.  We may not even understand how many people our blabbering, speaking without real knowledge, may harm.

Ecclesiastes 10:4 says, If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.  Matthew Henry says that this refers to the fact that even though the people in Solomon's day were rich, they were tempted to revolt against the government over taxes.  It wasn't that they couldn't afford to pay them, they simply looked for ways not too because they felt that they should be able to keep more for themselves.  In any case, we can see that we are advised to not rebel against a ruler simply because we do not like what he is doing.  I don't believe this means that we simply accept everything that a ruler does without speaking out if we think that he or she is wrong, but that, especially in a democracy, we do it without rebellion.  Verses five and six say, There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.  Again, according to Matthew Henry, this error that comes from the ruler is to put their own interests ahead of the good of those that they rule over.  We don't have to look too far in the world today to see those who rule living in luxury while those that they rule over are living in squalor.  He also says this refers to the rich being ignored for service to the government while the poor rule over them.  I do not believe we see much of this today, nor do I believe that the rich, without the wisdom of God, always have the best interest of the poor in mind.  Verse seven continues with,  I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.  Solomon is continuing with his look at the folly of life, and he states that the servant riding while the prince walks is folly. I admit that for me, these verses are harder to apply to today's world and our role in it as followers of Christ.  I believe that are showing the folly of any one, rich or poor, attempting to govern without the wisdom of God.  When this happens, no one profits, but that does not mean we are to rise up and seize power ourselves.  We are to look to God for the wisdom to make things better.

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.