Wisdom and Life

"Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odour; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honour."

Ecclesiastes 10:1

Biblical illustrations and teachings are the best because they are always true.  This is one of the more memorable proverbs in the book of Ecclesiastes, and it demonstrates the foulness of folly.  A perfumer mixed rare and usually expensive ingredients to make an attractive, sweet-smelling fragrance.  If left uncovered, flies or other insects were attracted to the scent and become stuck in the balm, salve or perfume.  I imagine people sitting around and saying to one another with wrinkled noses, "What's that smell?  Something has gone off!"  It would be a bummer to discover it is your expensive perfume smelling like death.

This vivid imagery of dead flies in the ointment is an illustration of how a little folly in a respected person can corrupt their behaviour and reputation.  Walking in God's wisdom provides the opportunity to send forth a sweet scent, but foolish words and actions cause offence that taint the whole person.  Liquified bug guts mixed into perfume are inseparable from the ointment and thus ruins it.  Picking out wings and legs of flies does nothing to santise the perfume or restore the original smell.  Only a little folly in one respected for wisdom and honour is enough to disqualify them from remaining in the good standing of others.

The main way to keep flies from contaminating ointment is to keep the lid tightly secured when not in use.  We might imagine folly comes to us from outside forces beyond our control, but the truth is our folly comes from within us as human beings born with a natural tendency to sin.  Our own hearts and minds are the source of folly that reveals itself in our words, deeds, pursuits and attitudes by opposition to God or living as if there is no God.  Even if we were to take great pains to sequester ourselves from every temptation to sin we are aware of, this does not purify our hearts of sinful habits or desires.  A short season of victory over one sin leads to pride in ourselves that often precedes a fall.

Jesus Christ is Wisdom for us by faith in Him, and He does for us what we nor religious pursuits can accomplish:  He takes away our stony heart and gives us a new heart of flesh.  By the power of the Holy Spirit Jesus places in us the capacity to walk wisely, and through us God diffuses the sweet savour of eternal life found only in Jesus Christ to the world.  People can spend a lot of money on expensive fragrances that only last a short while, but faith and obedience to Christ causes our lives to send forth the good fragrance that can mark our lives forever.  Perfume can be used to mask a stench, but the wisdom and honour of our Saviour is always clean, holy and acceptable to God.  Flies die and putrefy, but God's wisdom is the source of purification and eternal life.