When Common Sense Is No Longer Common (Ecclesiastes 10:1–12:8)

A tiny choice can tip a life. We open Ecclesiastes to watch Solomon craft an unforgettable image—dead flies turning costly perfume into a stench—and we sit with what that means for integrity, leadership, and the stories we’re writing with our daily decisions. The thread runs through every scene: small sins lead to large consequences, trust is slow to build and fast to break, and wisdom is the courage to act early while the damage is still small.

From there, we pivot to joy and gratitude—not as clichés, but as strategies for a steady heart. Solomon urges us to rejoice in our youth and to practice thanksgiving as a counterweight to envy and despair. We talk about training your eyes to see God’s gifts in ordinary moments, building a habit of honesty, and choosing the kind of pleasure that doesn’t sabotage tomorrow. Desire isn’t the villain; disordered desire is. That’s why we hold freedom and fences together: walk in the ways of your heart, and remember that every choice lives under God’s good accountability.

We close by remembering our Creator while strength is fresh and choices still shape the future. Memory in Scripture means commitment—actions that align with who made you and what you’re for. You are crafted, not random; accountable, not autonomous; finite, not disposable. Whether you’re guarding a reputation under pressure or starting again after a misstep, the path is the same: tell the truth, keep short accounts, rejoice daily, and choose the long road over shortcuts that stink up the room. If this conversation helps you swat a few “flies” and clear the air, share it with a friend, subscribe for more wisdom from Ecclesiastes, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Chapters

• 0:00 Common Sense Isn’t Common
• 1:52 Dead Flies And Ruined Reputations
• 4:32 Little Sins That Lead To Falls
• 8:02 Joy, Gratitude, And Wise Freedom
• 10:57 Youth, Judgment, And Boundaries

Transcript

Common Sense Isn’t Common

SPEAKER_00 0:26

I've heard it said that common sense is no longer common. You just can't find much of it around today. And I believe that. But I also believe that common sense has never been common to mankind. In fact, today on our wisdom journey in the book of Ecclesiastes, we're going to find out why. We're now here in chapter 10, and Solomon is going to use the terms foolish, folly, fool nine different times. All three terms, by the way, describe someone who was lacking common sense, who was living life apart from God. Now Solomon opens this chapter with an illustration. It might strike us a bit odd today, but he writes here in verse 1, Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench. So a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor, or an honorable reputation. Now you might think that back in these ancient days, well, nobody wore perfume, so what's he talking about? Well, we've discovered today that in the ancient world the making of perfume was a highly skilled science. We now know that during the days of Daniel the prophet's generation in Babylon, the wise men, the magi, were the ones in charge of protecting the best formulas for perfume. Royalty during the days of Queen Esther had merchants scouring the known world looking for the latest fragrance, the latest cologne, the best perfume. Well, of course, the most expensive bottle of perfume could instantly become worthless if an insect, a fly, got into the formula and fouled up the whole bottle. So Solomon is making a connection we don't necessarily like to make, but common sense tells us it's true. Just as a little dead fly can ruin expensive perfume, a little foolishness can cast a shadow over a good reputation. Let me put it this way: small sins can foul up a godly reputation. Just a little lie, just a little padding of the expense account deceitfully, just a little exaggeration on your resume or on social media, just a little folly, a little foolishness that can add up to some big problems for somebody's reputation. We see it happening among leaders in the world today, and unfortunately we see it happening in the church. All of a sudden, some sin is brought to light, and what was once the aroma of integrity and dignity, it all starts to stink. It stinks with hypocrisy and deception. I have visited people in prison, and by the way, we get letters here at Wisdom International every week from inmates who tell their story, and it all began with just one little step of folly and and one little decision of foolishness. I think back to eighteen fifty nine when Charles Spurgeon, the famous London pastor, preached a sermon he entitled Little Sins. In that sermon he said this wise people have always been afraid of little sins. A world of iniquity is hidden in a single act or thought or imagination of sin, and hence they have avoided it. Little sins lead to big ones. That's true, isn't it? Let me warn you, beloved, now's the time to do that kind of heart check to make sure you're as far away from just a little folly as possible. That little fly buzzing around your mind, around your heart can ruin your life unless you get the fleece water out and you deal with it. Now let me remind you that in his later years Solomon repents of his foolishness, his sinful decisions, and we know that from his private journal here, the Book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon is writing this primarily to warn his own son, Rehoboam. Solomon is concerned for his son. He's soon going to be crowned the king of Israel. So the warning continues here in chapter 11. Solomon writes this in verse 9. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Again, Solomon's not, you know, trying to ruin his son's parade. He's encouraging him, and he's encouraging all of us to have a joyful spirit in life. In fact, learning to rejoice wherever God has you today is one of the best ways to battle those little flies of discontent and despair. You might be thinking at this point, well, well, how do I do that? Well, can you thank the Lord for something right now? Make that kind of thanksgiving a daily practice. Start with something small. Then just sort of work your way up. Ask the Lord to give your eyes the ability to see his gifts, little ones, little ones, and and then big ones. And decide right now, beloved, that you're gonna make the most of today. Well, Solomon goes on to write here in verse 9 walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. You could translate that. Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. And I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that, well, that's gonna be dangerous. You're right. But Solomon adds this qualifier here in the text, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. In other words, Solomon is saying, look, you have the freedom to live your life. Just remember your freedom has a fence around it. There are boundaries of right and wrong. They were created by God. Something might be fun, but it also might be folly. It might be foolishness. Your liberty, beloved, comes with accountability. So make sure your happiness doesn't violate holiness. Solomon writes now here in verse 10. Vexation, by the way, means anger and rebellion. And put away pain from your body. Pain in this verse represents sin. For youth and the dawn of life are vanity. In other words, sin and rebellion eventually lead to an empty life. Well now with that, chapter twelve opens and Solomon writes from his own personal testimony. He says here in verse one, remember also your creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them. Solomon is saying here something that some older believer might have said to you, before the evil days come, that's a reference to troubles and regrets of old age. You know, before those days come, make sure you're following your creator God so you minimize those regrets. You're going to get old. And in fact, you're going to start forgetting things, but you'd never want to forget this, that in those earlier years you remembered your creator God. That reminds me of a story somebody sent me some time ago you might enjoy about some college friends who decided they would have a reunion every 15 years just to be able to remember their friendship, to stay in touch. So fifteen years later, when they turned 35, they decided to meet at the glowing embers restaurant because it was conveniently located. Fifteen years later, they discussed where to meet and eat a meal together, and they decided to go to the glowing embers restaurant. Well, because they liked the menu. Fifteen years later, at 65 years of age, they again met and discussed where to go eat, and they all agreed, let's go eat at the glowing embers restaurant. Well, because it was quiet and relaxing. And then again, after another fifteen years, well, now they're at the age of eighty, they talked about where to meet, and they decided to go to the glowing embers restaurant because they'd never eaten there before. Well, we do tend to forget a lot of things when we get older. Solomon is telling young people here that while they're still young, they need to carve into their memory some powerful truths. Remember that God created you, your creator God. You were planned, you were crafted by God with your unique abilities and even your disabilities. Remember that no matter who you are, you're accountable to God both now and then at the end of your life. And remember, you only have one life. So don't spend it in folly and foolishness. Don't spend your life chasing flies. They're going to spoil the aroma of a godly reputation. Remember your creator in the days of your youth. The word Solomon uses here for remember in verse 1 means more than simply recalling something or bringing something to mind. It carries the idea of making a commitment, making a decision that leads to action. So here's the point no matter how old you are, dedicate your life today to walking with God. And by the way, that's the most common sense decision you will ever make. Well, with that, we're out of time. Join me next time as we close out this private journal of Solomon and learn from his final words of wisdom. Until then, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.