What does "folly and madness" in Ecclesiastes 7:25 warn us against? Setting the Scene Ecclesiastes 7:25 records Solomon’s quest: “I turned my heart to know and to explore and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness of madness.” His discovery becomes a sober warning that life apart from God spirals into “folly and madness.” Defining “Folly” • Moral stupidity—open rebellion against God’s standards (Proverbs 14:9). • Willful ignorance—choosing darkness when light is available (John 3:19). • Self-exalting wisdom—“the wisdom of this world” that God calls “foolishness” (1 Corinthians 3:19). Defining “Madness” • Spiritual insanity—thinking and living as though God does not exist (Psalm 14:1). • Unrestrained impulse—rash choices that scorn counsel (Proverbs 12:15). • Increasing delusion—sin that blinds the sinner to its own destructiveness (2 Timothy 3:13). What the Warning Guards Us From • Trusting human reasoning that looks right but “its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). • Mocking sin as harmless amusement (Proverbs 10:23). • Hardening the heart until God “gives them over” to futile thinking (Romans 1:21-22). • Wasting the precious gift of life on empty pursuits (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). • Dragging others into the same spiral of deception (Proverbs 13:20). Connections to the Wider Biblical Witness • Folly mirrors Eve’s choice in Genesis 3—reaching for wisdom apart from God. • Madness echoes Nebuchadnezzar’s pride-induced insanity in Daniel 4. • Jesus contrasts the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27), underscoring that foundation determines destiny. Cautionary Signs Today • Redefining good and evil to fit cultural trends. • Dismissing Scripture as outdated while exalting personal opinion. • Chasing pleasure that leaves emptiness in its wake. • Ignoring godly counsel from parents, pastors, or mature believers. • Rationalizing sin with “everyone’s doing it” or “God understands.” Living Wisely Today • Anchor every decision in God’s Word—“Your word is a lamp to my feet” (Psalm 119:105). • Seek Spirit-empowered discernment; human cleverness cannot replace divine wisdom (James 1:5). • Cultivate humble accountability; wise companions steer us away from folly (Proverbs 27:17). • Evaluate entertainment and influences—do they feed wisdom or sow madness? • Remember the gospel: Christ became our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30) and delivers us from the insanity of sin into the sanity of truth. |
    |