Trivia:
Yesterday I presented the question of What did the letters on the first license plate represent? The first license plate was identified with the owners initial in 1901 of course in New York state. However, within three years there were so many plates with the same initial, that the NY secretary needed to assign each owner a unique number to be diplayed on the back of each vehicle.
They were to create their own plates with the number assigned to them that were at least 3 inches high with the assigned number. These were to remain the same for the time the owner remained in ownership of the car. Of course once they realized that they could regulate gain more tax revenue by renewing the vehicle under the guise of helping to pay for road repairs, this began the accepted process.
My Dad was an avid collector of plates, at one time he had the only full collection of Missouri plates produced. He even had several of the plates that were produced with only initials. These he displayed on the wall above his work bench. Sorry for getting so wordy on this Trivia question.
Challenge:
Ecclesiastes 10:15 "Fools are so exhausted by their little work that they can't even find their way home."
In order to understand the primary meaning of this verse we need to recognize the various words and meanings used for fool. There are actually three differing Hebrew words for fool: khesil, ewil, and nabal. (nabal only occurs three time in the book of Proverbs.)
Ewil describes someone who hates wisdom and knowledge and attempts to defeat them. (Prov. 1:7; 1:22)
Khesil describes those who produce folly, try to further foolish thinking. (Prov. 12:23; 13:16)
Nabal is speaking of the one who will always be assured of a destructive fate. (Prov. 10:14, 21)
Collectively all of these inferences are directed towards those who demonstrate a destructive attitude, and refuse instruction and discipline. (Prov. 15:5; 16:22; 17:10) Needless to say, they all recklessly get themselves into trouble.
This use of the word fool here in this verse is the word Khesil, the person who doesn't just walk in foolish ways, but the person who is always producing folly to his hearts content. Then always seeking to guide others in their arena of influence to follow after their foolishness. So we see just why this foolish one is weary, and exhausted by the small amount of accomplishments that he has achieved. Its kind of like as the saying describes it, "Its like hearding cats."
As a boy I learned the skill of hearding cows, just keep a foot or so ahead of the lead cow and by touching him with your hand, or stick he will stay on the course. Tiffany has a dog named Dorrie that is a breed of the Australian hearder, they use their sharp nose to just move the herd in the right direction by pushing the legs of their herd member. Then if they refuse to follow her guidance they slightly nip them, then if they still refuse her leadership she will bite a little harder.
Lindsay has another form of herder, a collie breed, London and she leads her herd by first staring at the one who is refusing their leadership, then if they still refuse, they run up next to them and slightly push their side to guide them and if they still refuse her direction will then push harder against then, then growl, then if all else fails will slightly nip, then if danger is near will bite, then upon making a beneficial change will return to tapping or bump them to tend them in the right way.
You should see Dorrie and London when they are working the other dogs in their herd, or grandkids who refuse their leadership. Ha, ha! What fun to watch their conserted efforts and the grandkids have no idea that this is happening.
The fool being spoken of here is so rebellious of good leadership that they wear themselves out, and end up lost, unable to find their way home to a place of comfort and rest. They instead find the selves alone, distracted, and even potentially harmed. Satan strives to destroy these foolish misguided ones to destruction. He uses the worldly system that's surrounds the innocent misguided one away from safety and constructive, successful living.
We see this today all around us, just think about this: A succesful company that has acheived being recognized as the King of beer hires a misguided man who tries to appear to be a woman, to sell their product to these burly men. Well we know this didn't end up well, did it? This company can hardly even by deeply discounting their product can regain even a shadow of their level of success. They hardly can sell enough of their product today to survive.
This verse is defining the principle that this King of Beer has experienced first hand. The one who fights to follow foolish ways will suffer great lose.
SO GO WITH GOD my friend, for Satan will attempt to lead you in a way that is totally foolish, but at the same time will strive to cause it to appear to be the best way to success, fame, and popularity. But his (satan's) way will lead you to harm, being as it were lost from the many blessings and benefits that our Heavenly Father has in store for you.