This touching story of the poor wise man, recorded for our instruction in Ecclesiastes 9:14-15, occupies but little space in the divine record, but it is pregnant with meaning regarding the treatment given to the poor, and also as indicating the treatment given to the Lord Jesus by an ungrateful world. The Preacher, who records the incident, was greatly impressed by it, for he introduces it with the words, "This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me." Being richly endowed with wisdom from God, Solomon had the capacity for appreciating wisdom in others.
The abode of this poor wise man was in a little city with few inhabitants, but in spite of its being small this great king desired to possess it, being no doubt governed by the same spirit as king Ahab who, in spite of his great possessions, coveted the vineyard of Naboth. The few men within the city were no match for the mighty power of the great king, and no doubt they were terrified by the great bulwarks he raised against them; but there was one among them who was not terrified, and whose resources were more than a match for the powerful adversary.
Natural curiosity might desire details of how the powerful monarch was defeated, but we are only told that the poor wise man "by his wisdom delivered the city." The absence of power was more than compensated for by the presence of wisdom, and this, in the judgment of Solomon, was indeed great.
While doubtless relieved and thankful at the time for their great deliverance, "no man remembered that same poor man." There might often be the recalling of the great king and his mighty power, his great bulwarks and his great defeat, but the one who had wrought the great deliverance for them was not remembered by the few men in the little city.
There was no gainsaying that they owed their liberty to the wise man who had devised the means to thwart their enemy, but he was not only wise but poor, and his poverty had no attraction for them, and was evidently the reason for their being forgetful of him. Had he been rich he would have been acclaimed by all, and there would have been some memorial of what he had accomplished by his wisdom.
Are we not reminded by this touching story of another "Poor Wise Man"? One who accomplished for men a much greater deliverance than that recorded in Ecclesiastes 9. Of this we read in Hebrews 2. The Son of God became Man, He was made a little lower than the angels, taking part in flesh and blood to "deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
Moreover, in becoming Man He became poor. The Creator of the Universe, to whom all the resources of heaven and earth belonged, was pleased in becoming Man to enter this world as a lowly Babe in the most humble of circumstances; His birthplace a stable, His cot a manger. Passing through this world He had nowhere to lay His head, and before He left they parted His garments among them and cast lots for His vesture. The possessor of all things possessed nothing as Man in this world, and descended to the depths of poverty and shame in all He passed through at the cross. Well has it been written, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor" (2 Cor. 8:9).
As God He is all-wise, yet as a child in this world He "grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him" (Luke 2:40); and in verse 52 of this same chapter it is written, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." It is indeed an inscrutable mystery that the source of all wisdom should, as Man, increase in wisdom; but this only brings out the perfection of His Manhood. We cannot wonder that some said, "Whence hath this man this wisdom?" (Matt. 13:54), as we retrace the steps of this "Poor Wise Man" in His sojourn down here, and listen to the wonderful revelations that fell from His lips.
From the Scriptures considered we learn that the features of the poor wise man were seen in Jesus, who in becoming MAN became POOR, and in Him all divine WISDOM was manifested here in this world. But these were not features that attracted the natural man, for, as the prophet had written, "There is no beauty in Him that we should desire Him." The features that appeal to man in the flesh are altogether contrary to the features of moral beauty displayed in Jesus, and that belong to the divine nature that is given to those who are born of God.
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The Poor Wise Man
This touching story of the poor wise man, recorded for our instruction in Ecclesiastes 9:14-15, occupies but little space in the divine record, but it is pregnant with meaning regarding the treatment given to the poor, and also as indicating the treatment given to the Lord Jesus by an ungrateful world. The Preacher, who records the incident, was greatly impressed by it, for he introduces it with the words, "This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me." Being richly endowed with wisdom from God, Solomon had the capacity for appreciating wisdom in others.
The abode of this poor wise man was in a little city with few inhabitants, but in spite of its being small this great king desired to possess it, being no doubt governed by the same spirit as king Ahab who, in spite of his great possessions, coveted the vineyard of Naboth. The few men within the city were no match for the mighty power of the great king, and no doubt they were terrified by the great bulwarks he raised against them; but there was one among them who was not terrified, and whose resources were more than a match for the powerful adversary.
Natural curiosity might desire details of how the powerful monarch was defeated, but we are only told that the poor wise man "by his wisdom delivered the city." The absence of power was more than compensated for by the presence of wisdom, and this, in the judgment of Solomon, was indeed great.
While doubtless relieved and thankful at the time for their great deliverance, "no man remembered that same poor man." There might often be the recalling of the great king and his mighty power, his great bulwarks and his great defeat, but the one who had wrought the great deliverance for them was not remembered by the few men in the little city.
There was no gainsaying that they owed their liberty to the wise man who had devised the means to thwart their enemy, but he was not only wise but poor, and his poverty had no attraction for them, and was evidently the reason for their being forgetful of him. Had he been rich he would have been acclaimed by all, and there would have been some memorial of what he had accomplished by his wisdom.
Are we not reminded by this touching story of another "Poor Wise Man"? One who accomplished for men a much greater deliverance than that recorded in Ecclesiastes 9. Of this we read in Hebrews 2. The Son of God became Man, He was made a little lower than the angels, taking part in flesh and blood to "deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
Moreover, in becoming Man He became poor. The Creator of the Universe, to whom all the resources of heaven and earth belonged, was pleased in becoming Man to enter this world as a lowly Babe in the most humble of circumstances; His birthplace a stable, His cot a manger. Passing through this world He had nowhere to lay His head, and before He left they parted His garments among them and cast lots for His vesture. The possessor of all things possessed nothing as Man in this world, and descended to the depths of poverty and shame in all He passed through at the cross. Well has it been written, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor" (2 Cor. 8:9).
As God He is all-wise, yet as a child in this world He "grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him" (Luke 2:40); and in verse 52 of this same chapter it is written, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." It is indeed an inscrutable mystery that the source of all wisdom should, as Man, increase in wisdom; but this only brings out the perfection of His Manhood. We cannot wonder that some said, "Whence hath this man this wisdom?" (Matt. 13:54), as we retrace the steps of this "Poor Wise Man" in His sojourn down here, and listen to the wonderful revelations that fell from His lips.
From the Scriptures considered we learn that the features of the poor wise man were seen in Jesus, who in becoming MAN became POOR, and in Him all divine WISDOM was manifested here in this world. But these were not features that attracted the natural man, for, as the prophet had written, "There is no beauty in Him that we should desire Him." The features that appeal to man in the flesh are altogether contrary to the features of moral beauty displayed in Jesus, and that belong to the divine nature that is given to those who are born of God.