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Daily Devotions

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 
Day 
Day 154

"Do not curse the king"

Text: Ecclesiastes 10:20

THE MATTER OF CURSING

Cursing has probably been a part of the history of mankind. It seems “natural” to some to curse. Solomon gave a word of caution to this inclination.

“Do not curse the king, even in your thought;
Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
And a bird in flight may tell the matter.”
Ecclesiastes 10:20

1. “Do not curse the king, even in your thought”

a) Being a king is no easy matter.

b) He has onerous duties to perform.

c) If he does well, many would consider it his duty to govern faithfully.

d) If the country faces bad times, people will curse him.

2. Cursing

a) It begins with a thought.

b) It develops into words.

c) Cursing may take many forms:

i) Verbal

ii) Inciting people to rebel.

iii) Problems can escalate badly.

3. The king has his own way of finding out who has cursed him

a) He may take revenge.

b) The despotic king answers to no one in the ancient days.

4. Wisdom suggests that one should not curse at all!

5. Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom.

a) The rich man may be an important employer.

b) It is all too common to curse an employer.

c) Many think that if they do not curse the rich man openly, it would be safe.

d) If one curses the rich man in one’s home, out of earshot, it would be “all right”.

6. An unexpected turn of events

a) A bird

i) “Of the air”

ii) “In flight”

iii) Of course, this is not to be taken literally.

b) Meaning intended:

i) A word spoken out of place may be reported to the rich man.

ii) One can lose his job if a curse is reported to the employer.

c) There is no “safety” in cursing anyone.

i) Be it, the king.

ii) Or the rich man.

d) Things can backfire badly!

The wisest thing to do is not to curse anyone at any time!