In Ecclesiastes, chapter two, verses twelve through seventeen, Solomon saw a temporary advantage of living wisely upon the earth, for the wise person has less trouble than the fool. All advantages canceled themselves out at death. The earthly wisdom has no real, permanent worth.
Wisdom is common sense, while folly is nonsensical. Solomon expresses in the beginning of verse twelve, “And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? Even that which hath been already done.” Although the wise may have less trouble in some areas of life, they will still encounter problems in other areas.
Solomon encountered this problem as king when he had to judge and make decisions for the community between two mothers in First Kings three, verses sixteen through twenty-eight. Both ladies lived close to each other, and they had a child. However, one died accidentally while the other lived. The lady with the dead child secretly switched her child, giving the deceased child to the real mother, while the other lady kept the live child. Solomon, as King, had to make a difficult decision after hearing the argument back and forth. God gave him wisdom to know who the real mother was for the living child.
For believers, Solomon experienced how the wisdom of God did overcome the powers of darkness, as in verse thirteen, “Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.” However, he did experience folly in his latter years by having so many women.
Today, believers must be like in Matthew ten, verse sixteen, ” be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Not to hurt ourselves or others. It is easy to get caught in the middle of wisdom and folly.