Ecclesiastes 10:1, commentary and pictures

Just as dead flies make a perfumer's ointment give off a foul odor, so a small act of folly spoils the reputation of one known for wisdom and honor. A little folly ruins influence, undoes preciousness and fragrance, and puts a dead fly in all that is good. Solomon's apostasy was such a folly, weakening confidence in his leadership and setting harmful influences in motion. Although his repentance was sincere, the harm his example had done could not be fully undone, and many continued in evil after he returned to God.

Even a man with many excellent traits of character and entrusted talents that could do much good is spoiled by dishonesty and by a word that cannot be relied on. The spoiling comes by denying everything until the facts are made so plain that denial is impossible, and then making no confession of sin but regarding himself as misused and ill-treated. If truth entered his heart with a view of Jesus Christ in His purity and holiness his talents could be improved and used well, but while the defect remains his good is ruined. Small continuing failings, such as unovercome inclinations to dishonesty, spoil the whole character despite most excellent traits and a reputation for wisdom and honor. If left to himself such a person faces certain ruin, so he must not be left alone but be yoked with stable, firm-principled companions who can be a constant balance to him and constantly educate him in the right direction, with special efforts made to save him.

Many kind and good and unselfish deeds lose their preciousness and fragrance through inconsistency, through talking of others' errors while overlooking one's own, and through freely blaming others instead of closely examining one's own soul. The same spoiling comes through vanity and pride and ambition, and through lack of calmness and gratitude and faith and trust and devotion to God. That folly does mischief to souls, does harm instead of blessing, hinders the outpouring of God's blessing on labor and prayer for souls, and unfits one for guardianship of the lambs of the flock. Those lambs need the mind of Christ, a self-sacrificing missionary spirit, and a firm well-balanced character to guide and counsel them. Self mingled with everything puts a dead fly in all that is good in a person's labor, like excellent ointment whose fragrance is spoiled. The folly is a wrong spirit brought to the work — a changeable mind without self-control, self not hid in God, and seeking to work the Holy Spirit to a defective human mold instead of being molded by the Holy Spirit after the divine image in the meekness and lowliness of Christ — which makes everything taste of self so it is not acceptable to God and prevents the Spirit of God from working to impress the mind as it should be.

Perversity and unrighteousness among workers of excellent ability who are supposed to stand true to principle is a dead fly in the ointment of institutions that should stand clear and bright and holy before the Lord. The dead fly is sin cherished by those who have a knowledge of the truth and opportunity to perfect a Christian character but do not practice the virtues needed in this age of corruption and wickedness, whose spiritual perception is clouded so they have no sense of the sinfulness of sin, and who by unwillingness to walk in the light of His countenance dishonor God. Unrighteousness in a person's work is the dead fly: people may say good things and appear faithful, yet dishonest dealings and corrupted principles stain what is otherwise good, their conduct will not withstand the judgment, and every transaction is recorded and bears on their future destiny. Selfishness and covetousness are the dead fly that undermines otherwise excellent qualities because they reveal that Christ's love is not abiding in the heart, and failure to help and encourage fellow believers exposes hardness of heart and incomplete conversion. The defect is a dead fly that makes religious services nauseating to God, so that He cannot endorse the person's prayers, expressions of love, teaching, or spiritual work.

Handling the Anna Phillips productions unwisely by giving them to the churches and endorsing them as from God without clear and certain evidence is such a dead fly in the ointment, marring the work of God. It opens the way to scores of like developments, a sweeping tidal wave of fanaticism, wild performances, counterfeit messages, excitement, unhealthy developments, perplexity and confusion, and suspicion and doubt spreading like wild-fire. It causes the light and warnings God gives for this time to be made of no effect. Vanities must be weeded out and realities grasped in life to leave no corrupting flaw. The flaw is removed by receiving pure Christlike love as a principle and not a feeling, loving God supremely and neighbor as self, which purifies the treasure of the heart and the character of words and fits a person to be a vessel unto honor in view of the near end and the judgment for every idle word.