Solomon, with the great wisdom given him by God, relates this story about true wisdom in Ecclesiastes 9:14-16:
This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Here a wise man had a solution that would save his city from outside attackers. By heeding his advice, the city was saved, but afterwards nobody remembered the wise man. The truth illustrated here is the wise are often forgotten. No doubt this same principle has been repeated many times in different scenarios throughout history.
One account in the Bible that resembles this story is the role Joseph played in saving Egypt from famine. God saved many lives through Joseph because people could come to him for food when they had nowhere else to turn. The interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams warning of seven years of famine and the advice to store up grain to survive the difficult period both came from God through Joseph (Genesis 41). Yet, later in the biblical account are these words: “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). The account continues by relating how the Egyptians mistreated the Hebrews. How could they persecute the descendants of the man who played such a vital role in saving the nation? They forgot Joseph. Often the real heroes are not the ones recorded in the history books. Those who are forgotten may have made great contributions to the world.
Christians can feel frustrated and wish they had more of a voice. Those who possess the true wisdom that comes from above are not ordinarily given a great deal of attention by the mainstream media. When we feel this way, we ought to remember the verse that follows the above story in Ecclesiastes 9, “The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools” (Ecclesiastes 9:17). As Christians, our voice is much more powerful than we may think. There are still those who desire to do what is right and know the truth (John 7:17; 8:32). The example we set before others and the way we treat individuals with whom we come in contact daily may have a greater impact than a nationwide newscast or a trending post (Matthew 5:13-16). We may not be recorded in the history books, but the good we do in serving God may impact several lives for years to come.
Furthermore, God is the one who remembers. Consider the words of Hebrews 6:9-10: “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” God’s wisdom will overcome all human calculation (1 Corinthians 1:25; 3:19). His estimation of us is what ultimately matters. On the final day, He will know whether we have lived to His glory; that is all that really matters. True wisdom is living cognizant of this reality (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).
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