“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. 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. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”
Here we have a little picture of what happened to this world—the “little city.” Though men may boast of their greatness and power, yet in the eyes of God how small and weak they are. “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.... All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity.... It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers.” Isa. 40:15, 17, 2215Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. (Isaiah 40:15)
17All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. (Isaiah 40:17)
22It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: (Isaiah 40:22).
The “great king” in our passage is Satan and men do not realize all that he has arraigned against man to make him captive. The “poor wise man” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ who, “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” He came into this world and by His wisdom—the cross —delivered the city. “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness,” we read in 1 Corinthians 1:1818For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18), but this same chapter tells us that “unto them which are called” Christ is “the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” He has accomplished redemption and brought deliverance for man, but this is not counted for much; in fact, it is well-nigh forgotten, except for those in whose hearts grace has wrought by the Spirit of God.
In chapter 10 we have wisdom contrasted with folly or the wise man and the fool. “A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart is at his left.” Even in the world it is said of those that take the path of sound wisdom that they are turned to the right, while those who follow an unproven course are said to be turned to the left. Then he sees another evil, namely, “Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.” Wisdom in one would enable him to see what is wrong in the earth, but he also knows he is powerless to set things right.
In verse 10 is a very forceful proverb: “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.” He is evidently referring to the act of wielding an ax or some similar tool. If it is not sharpened, it takes a great deal of force to make it cut. There is power connected with the truth, but if one is not giving out what is truth, then often a great flow of words and expressions are used in attempting to make up for what is lacking. However, the folly of it is made manifest.
In verse 16 woe is pronounced on a land whose king is a child and whose princes live in self-indulgence; but there will be blessing on a land where the king and his princes conduct themselves according to wisdom. This is in evidence in lands where, to some extent, the truth of the gospel has been followed and where the fear of God has been owned.
ML 12/10/1961