Ecclesiastes 8: What About the Wicked.

Ecclesiastes 8: What About the Wicked.

●     Overview.

○      As Solomon continues to look at the value of wisdom, he encounters the problem of evil in the world, something that no thinking man can avoid.   Unbelief does not create the problem, but faith.   If there is no God, we can blame ourselves for what happens in the world.   But if we believe in God, we must face the question of why there is so much suffering in this world.   Does God know about it and yet care?   Or, does God know and care, but lack the power to do anything about it.

○      When people ponder this question, they end up becoming either agnostic (a person who does claim faith or a disbelief in God) or atheist.   But in doing so, they create a new problem, “Where does all the good come from in this world?”   It is difficult to believe that matter alone produced the beautiful and enjoyable things in this world, even in the midst of evil.

○      Other people see evil as an illusion and we should not worry about it.   Some say God is in the process of evolution and he can’t do much about life’s craziness.   They assure us that God will get stronger and things will improve as the process of evolution goes on.

○      Solomon does not deny the existence of God, the reality of evil, nor does he limit the God’s power.   Solomon solves the problem of evil by affirming these factors and seeing them in their perspective.   The major source of evil in this world is “fallen man” and his many devices that have helped him create the problems of one kind or another.

○      In this chapter, Solomon looks at 3 key areas of life that led to the problems and evils of this world.

●     Verses.

○      Verses 8:1-9      Authority

■      Millions of people have been oppressed in one way or another by bad rulers through the centuries.

●     Nimrod, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, the Caesars, Hitler, Saddam Hussein

●     The Jews often suffered at the hands of foreign oppressors.

●     Even King Solomon placed a heavy yoke upon his people.   (I Kings 4:7-28, I Kings 12:1)

■       The Kings in early days had the power of life and death in their hands.   Some Kings would abuse this power for their own advantage.   In most cases the King was not elected by the people nor did they have to answer to them.   Some leaders have ruled as dictators.   Some leaders were tyrannical despots who permitted nothing to stand in their way to fulfill their desires.

■      In Verse 1, Solomon writes that wisdom is the ability to see life from God’s perspective and then to know the best course of action to take.   Most people would agree that wisdom is a valuable asset, but how can we acquire it?   Proverbs 9:10 teaches that the fear (respect and honor) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.   Wisdom comes from knowing and trusting God; it is not merely the way to find God.   Knowing God will lead to understanding and then to sharing this knowledge with others.

■      Solomon describes an officer who serves in the royal court.   This man was asked to do something for the King in obedience.   We see this officer also had wisdom.   (Ecclesiastes 8:1, Nehemiah 2:1, Proverbs 15:13)

●     If this King demanded this man to do something evil, what should he do?   This man's wisdom told him he had 4 different approaches to his problem.

■      (1) Disobedience (verse 2)

●     Solomon writes, “Keep the King’s commands.”   Why?   The officer must be true to the King, since he made his oath of allegiance to both the King and God.   We must not also forget, that God is the source of all authority in this world.   (Romans 13:1-7)   To disobey the King’s orders would mean breaking his promise to the ruler and God.   This could result in serious consequences.

●     The King’s word carried more power than his officer’s word.   The King’s word would prevail, even if he had to eliminate his opposition.   There were no laws written to find the King wrong, nobody could question the King’s decision since “the King can do no wrong.”

●     The officer should avoid punishment by obeying the King.   His disobedience could lead to death.   (Esther 4:15-16, Daniel 4:4-7, Daniel 4:19, Romans 13:3-4)

●     Since no one knows the future, we are uncertain to how the King will react to our decisions.

■      (2) Desertion (verse 3a)

●     In this verse, we can visualize the officer giving up as he leaves the King’s presence in disgust.   This could also upset the King and bring punishment to the officer for offending the King.

○      How many people are willing to suffer a loss in order to maintain integrity?

■      (3) Defiance (verse 3b)

●     Solomon writes, “Do not stand up for a bad cause.”   This can be interpreted to say, “Don’t get involved in a plan to overthrow the King.”

○      The officer could rush from the King’s presence and find others to oppose the King’s plan.   They could plot together against the King, something King Solomon did not approve of.

●     Is there a place for civil disobedience in the life of a law-abiding Christian?   Does a Christian have the right to resist authority when they feel the law is not just?

○      Thomas Jefferson: “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”   Is this statement right?

○      When it comes to the matter of conscience and the law, believers can turn to what the word of God says (Acts 5:29).   Christian prisoners and martyrs through history testify to the courage of their conscience and the importance for standing up for what is right.   This does not mean that resist the law for any minor incident that may disturb us.   We do have the obligation to obey our conscience instead.   How we express our disagreement with the authorities requires wisdom and grace.

■      (4) Discernment (verse 5b-6)

●     The wise servant understands that time and judgment must be considered in everything we do.   Since it takes discernment to know the right procedure for the right time.   The impulsive person who reacts quickly is probably making the problem worse.   Wisdom helps us to understand people and the situation to figure out what the right thing to do and at the right time.

○      Joseph did not impulsively reveal himself to his brothers because he wanted to be sure their hearts were right to Jacob and their God.   Once he heard them confess their sin, Joseph knew the time was right to identify himself.   (Genesis 43 through Genesis 45)

○      Nehemiah was burdened to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.   He was also not sure the King would release him for this task.   He prayed waited, and watched; knowing God would one day open the way for him.   When the opportune time came, Nehemiah was ready to approach the King and had his request granted.   (Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah 2:1-6)

○      Daniel was a prisoner of war being held hostage in Babylon, a pagan city.   Daniel refused to eat the unclean food that was given to him.   Daniel realized he did not want to make a scene, so he showed gentleness and wisdom by suggesting to the guard to allow him and his 3 friends to experiment with a different diet.   Not only did Daniel and his friends get promoted by the King, they remained ceremonially clean.   (Daniel 1:8-14, Daniel 1:18-20)

○      The Apostles showed spiritual discernment when they were arrested and persecuted.   They showed respect to those in authority even though the religious leaders were prejudiced and acted illegally.   The Apostles were willing to suffer for the truth.

○      Verses 8:10-14      Inequity

■      In spite of good laws and fine people who seek to enforce them, there is a prevalent injustice in this world, probably more than we care to admit.

●     A Spanish proverb says: “Laws are like spider webs, they catch the fly and let the hawks go free.”

●     F. Lee Bailey wrote: “In America, and acquittal doesn’t mean you are innocent; it means you beat the rap.”

●     Robert Frost defined a jury as: “12 chosen people to decide who has the better lawyer.”

■      Verse 10 probably refers to how we quickly forget the evil done by some people after they have died.   Returning from the cemetery, we praise them in the very city where they did their evil deeds.

●     In this verse, Solomon describes a funeral of a deceased man who frequently visited the Temple.  This man received praise from the people.   This same man had not lived a godly life outside of the temple.   He was given a magnificent funeral and an eloquent eulogy, while the truly godly people were ignored and forgotten.

●     Solomon reflects upon this man and comes to the conclusion that the man continued to sin because he thought he got away with it.   God’s is long suffering towards sinners and he always does not judge sin immediately.   God’s mercy must not be used as an excuse for man’s rebellion.   (2 Peter 3:1-12)

■      In verse 11, if God doesn’t punish us immediately, we must not assume that he doesn’t care or that sin has no consequences even though it is easy to sin when we don’t feel the consequences right away.   When a young child does something wrong and the wrong is discovered, it will be much easier for the child to repeat the act.   But God does know every wrong we commit, and one day we will have to answer for all that we have done.   (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

■       Solomon concludes that the wicked will be eventually judged and the righteous will be rewarded.   (Ecclesiastes 8:12-13)   It is better to fear the Lord and live a godly life.   The evil man may live longer than the godly man; he may appear to get away with sin after sin.   But the day of judgement will come, a day which the wicked man cannot escape.   Wisdom is what points the way to the Lord.   (Proverbs 9:10)

■      No matter how long or full the wicked man’s life may seem to be, it is only prolonged like a shadow and has no substance.   It is a fact that the shadow gets longer as the sun is setting.   Solomon is possibly suggesting that the long life of a wicked man is but a prelude to eternal darkness.   (Jude 13)

■      How can the wise person respond to the inequities and injustices of this world?   We can encourage and support the passing of good laws.   We can vote for people who are capable of enforcing these laws.   There is no guarantee that this will solve the problem completely, but we have a promise that until Jesus Christ sets up his righteous kingdom at his coming, there will be injustices in this world.   It is one of the “vanities” of life and we are to accept it without becoming pessimistic or cynical.

○      Verses 8:15-17      Mystery

■      In verse 15, Solomon recalls the remedy for life’s unsolved mysteries.   He recommends joy and contentment as encouragement for us along life’s journey.   We must accept each day with its daily measure of work, food, and pleasure.   Let us learn to enjoy what God has given us to refresh and strengthen us to continue his work.

■      In verses 16 and 17, Solomon teaches, even if a wise person had access to all the world’s wisdom, the wisest man would know very little.   No one can fully comprehend God and all that he has done, and there are always more questions than answers.   But the unknown should not cast a shadow over our joy, faith, or work because we know that someone greater is in control and that we can put our faith and trust in him.   Don’t let what you don’t know about the future destroy the joy God wants to give you today.

■      Disappointment is destined for those who seem to know everything or those who have to know it all.   Solomon spent many sleepless nights and difficult days as he pondered the mysteries of life.   He comes to the conclusion that “man cannot find out the work that is under the sun.”   (Ecclesiastes 8:17, 3:11, 7:14, 7:24, 7:27-28)   We may be able to solve a puzzle here and there, but person can comprehend the totality of things or explain all that God is doing.

■      God does not expect us to know the unknowable, but he does expect us to learn all that we can and obey what he teaches us.   In fact, the more we obey, the more he teaches us.   (John 7:17)

■      A confession of ignorance is the first step to true knowledge.   (I Corinthians 8:2)   The person who wants to learn God’s truth must possess honesty and humility.  

■      French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in his famous “Pensees”: “If there were no obscurity, man would not feel his corruption; if there was no light, man could not hope for a cure.   Thus it is not only right but useful for us that God should be partly concealed and partly revealed, since it is equally dangerous for man to know God without knowing his own wretchedness as to know his wretchedness without knowing God”

■      This is the 4th time that Solomon tells us to enjoy life and delight in the fruits of its labor.   (Ecclesiastes 8:15, 2:24, 3:12-15, 5:18-20)   This does not refer to us to be foolish in our “Eat, drink, and be merry” way of thinking, something practiced by unbelievers.   Rather, it is a positive faith outlook of God’s children who accept life as a special gift from God and knowing that he gives “all things richly to enjoy”.   (I Timothy 6:17)   Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, we give thanks for what we do have and enjoy it.

●     Conclusion.

○      This chapter ends Solomon’s re-examination of the “vanities of wisdom”.   Solomon concludes that wisdom is important to the person who wants to get the most out of life, instead of rejecting wisdom.   While wisdom can’t explain every mystery or problem, it can help us with discernment in our decisions.   (Ecclesiastes 8:6)

○      Some may ask, “Why didn’t God stop World War II?”   The true answer to that question is “Because God did not start it.”

○      We all have misery in our lives, do we add to them?

○      One day all the wickedness of the world will be judges, even the wicked Kings shall not escape it.   Nobody can prevent the day of their death just as we are unable to control the wind.   On this same thought, no one is exempt from obeying God’s laws.   (Galatians 67, Numbers 32:23)

We have the options of disobeying, running away, defying orders, and even fighting back.   Before we act, we need to exercise wisdom and to seek discern the right time and procedure.   In this current culture, it is not easy being a consistent Christian.   We can ask for the wisdom of God and 

Ecclesiastes 7: How to be Better Off

●     Overview.

○      The famous poet Thomas Gray wrote in his poem, “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”, “Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.”   In this poem he pictures students on the playing field and in the classroom.   They were enjoying life since they were innocent of what lay ahead.   He makes the conclusion in his poem that it is better to be ignorant than happy because there will be plenty of time later in life to experience its sorrows that knowledge might bring.

○      Solomon draws a similar conclusion that wisdom did not make life worth living.   (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18)

○      In Chapters 7 and 8, Solomon takes a second look at this problem and he changes his views.   He now discusses how important wisdom is in life.   The word wisdom will be found 14 times in Chapters 7 and 8.   In this chapter, Solomon answers the question he posed in Ecclesiastes 6:12.   He concludes that even though wisdom cannot answer all of life’s mysteries, it can make 3 positive contributions in our lives.

●     Verses.

○      The word “better” is used at least 11 times in this chapter, which makes it a keyword.  The key phrase is “the better things in life come to those who follow God’s wisdom”.

○      Verses 7:1-10      First Contribution - Wisdom can make life better.

■      In the first 4 verses, Solomon seems to contradict his earlier advice about, eating, drinking, and to enjoy what God has given us.   We are to enjoy what we have while we can, but realize that adversity can also strike.   Adversity reminds us that life is short, life teaches us to live wisely, and life refines our character.   Christianity and Judaism see value in suffering, the Greeks and Romans despised it, and the Eastern religions seek to live above it.   Christians and Jews see it as a refining fire.   Most would agree that we learn more about God from difficult times than from happy times.

●     The first statement Solomon makes is that the day of death is better than the day of birth.   The Hebrew word for “name” is “shem” and the Hebrew word for “ointment is “shemen”.   It is possible Solomon was using a play on words in the first verse.

●      In these verses, Solomon is not making a contrast between life and death, but contrasting the significance of these 2 days or events in a person’s life.   You cannot die unless you are born.   When you are born, you are given a name and upon your death your name will appear in an obituary column.   The life a person lives between these 2 events determines if the name leaves behind a lovely fragrance or a foul stench.

○      If a person dies with a good name, his reputation has been sealed and his family feels well.   An old saying goes, “Every man has 3 names, the names he is given at birth by his parents, the name others call him while living, and the name he acquires for himself.”   (Proverbs 10:7, Proverbs 22:1)

○      Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume and its aroma filled the house.   Jesus said her name would be honored throughout the world.   On the opposite side, Judas sold Jesus into the hands of the enemy and his name has been generally despised.   (Mark 14:1-11)   When Judas was born, he was given the name Judah, which means “Praise”.   Judas had turned that name into something shameful upon his death.

■      In verses 2 and 4, we see that many people avoid thinking about death, they refuse to face it, and they are reluctant to attend funerals.   Solomon is not asking to think morbidly, but he knows it is helpful to think clearly about death.   It reminds us that there is still time for change, times to examine the direction of our lives, and time to confess our sins and find forgiveness from God.   Because everyone will eventually die, it makes sense to plan ahead to experience God’s mercy rather than his judgment.

●     If given a choice, most people would prefer to go to a birthday party instead of a funeral.   Here, Solomon is saying the opposite.   He concludes sorrow can do more for the heart than can laughter.   You will notice the word “heart” is used 4 times in these verses.   Solomon was not a man with a gloomy lifestyle as are shown in his writings in the Book of Proverbs and the love towards his bride as written in the Songs of Solomon.   (Proverbs 15:13-15, Proverbs 17:2)

●     Laughter can be the medicine that heals a broken heart, but sorrow can be nourishing and strengthening to the heart (the inner person).   It takes both sorrow and laughter to live a balanced life, but few people realize this.

○      There is a place for healthy humor in our life, but we should beware of frivolous laughter.   For example, when people joke about death, they are likely to be afraid of death and not prepared to meet it, in essence they are running away from it.

●     Solomon advises people to look death in the face and to learn from it.   Solomon’s intent was not for us to be pre-occupied with death because that would not be normal.  Solomon is saying we should live life as seriously as we should rather than the danger of avoiding confrontations with the reality of death.   (Psalm 90:12)

■      In verses 5 and 6, Solomon states that rebuke is better than praise.   Solomon compares the praise of fools to that of burning thorns in a campfire.   You can hear the noise, but you get no lasting benefit from it.

●     Here Solomon uses another play on words.   The Hebrew word for “Song” is “Shir”, “Pot” is “Sir”, and “Thorns” is ‘Sirim”.

●     If we allow it, a rebuke from a wise person will accomplish more for us compared to the flattery of fools.   (Psalm 141:5, Proverbs 10:17, 12:1, 15:5, 17:10, 25;12, 27:5, 27:17, 29:1, 29:15)

■      In verse 7 we hear that money talks and it can confuse those who would otherwise judge fairly.   We hear about bribes given to judges, police officers, and to witnesses.   Bribes are given to hurt those who tell the truth and help those who oppose the truth.   The person who is involved in extortion or takes a bribe is made a fool, no matter how wise he thought he was beforehand.   It is said everyone has a price, but those who are truly wise cannot be bought at any price.

●     Solomon is stating that we should beware of the “easy routes” as they often become expensive detours in our life that become painful and difficult.

●     Bribery appears to be a fast and easy way to get things done.   It can turn a wise man into a fool by encouraging the corruption that may already exist in the human heart.   It is better to wait patiently for God and to work out God’s will instead of getting angry and demanding our own way.   (Proverbs 14:17, Proverbs 16:32, James 1:19)

●     When Solomon writes, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning” refers to when we live in accordance with God’s wisdom.   The beginning of sin leads to a terrible end and death.   (James 1:13-15)   If God is the beginning of what we do, He will see to it that we successfully reach the end.   (Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 12:2)   The Christian believer can claim Romans 8:28, because God is at work in the world, accomplishing His purpose.

●     Good beginnings usually mean good endings.   The Prodigal Son started with happiness and wealth, but ended with poverty and suffering.   (Luke 15:11-24)   Joseph started as a slave but he ended up sovereign.   God saves the best until the last while Satan starts with his best and he leads the sinner into suffering.

■      In verse 8, Solomon teaches, to finish what we start takes hard work, wise guidance, self-discipline, and patience.   Anyone with vision can start a big project.   But vision without wisdom often results in unfinished projects and goals.

■      In verse 10, Solomon is writing to tell us that today is better than yesterday.   We can easily long for the “good old days” when life becomes difficult or we become impatient.   It has been said that the “good old days” are a mixture of a bad memory and a good imagination.   When the foundation was laid for the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem, the old men wept for the “good old days” and the young men sang because the work had begun.   (Ezra 3:12-13)

■      The Roman poet Horace wrote: “Carpe diem”, or “Seize the day”.  Yesterday contains the past and cannot be changed, tomorrow may not come, so make the most of today.

○      Verses 7:11-18      Second Contribution - Wisdom helps us see life.

■      Verses 11 and 12 - Wealth and Wisdom.

●     Wisdom is better than a generous inheritance.   Money may lose its value or it can be stolen, but true wisdom keeps its value and it cannot be lost unless we become fools and abandon wisdom deliberately.   The person who has wealth but lacks wisdom will only waste his fortune.   The person who has wealth and wisdom will know how to get and use wealth.   We should be ashamed of ourselves if we ignore or disobey the rich treasure of wisdom that we have inherited from our past.   Wisdom is like a shelter to those who obey it; wisdom gives greater protection than money.

■      Verse 13 Providence and Wisdom.

●     This verse can be translated to “Learn to cooperate with the inevitable”.   Don’t fight the facts of nature.   This is an invitation to living a life yielding to the will of God.   God is able to make something straight out of something crooked.   God could ask us to work with Him to get the job done.   If God wants something to stay crooked, we should not argue with him.   We may not fully understand the works of God, but we do know that God will make things beautiful in its own time.   (Ecclesiastes 3:11)   This includes the things that are twisted and ugly.

●     From the AA Serenity Prayer written in 1934 by Reinhold Niebuhr:

○      “O God give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed, courage to change what should be changed, and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”

■      Verse 14 - Adversity and Prosperity.

●     Wisdom gives us insight so we are not discouraged when times are difficult or ignorant when things are going well.  It takes a good amount of spirituality to accept prosperity as well as adversity.  Too often prosperity can be more damaging than adversity.  (Philippians 10-13)   Job reminds his wife of this fact when he was asked to curse God.   (Job 2:9-10, Job 1:21)

●     In verse 14 we see how God allows both good times and bad times to come to everyone.   He blends them both in our lives in such a way that we can’t predict the future or count on human wisdom and power.   We usually give ourselves the credit for the good times.   Then in bad times we tend to blame God without thanking him for the good that comes out of it.   When life appears certain and controlled, don’t let self-satisfaction or complacency make you too comfortable, or God may allow bad times to drive you back to him.

○      God helps to keep balance in our lives by giving us enough blessings to keep us happy and enough burdens to keep us humble.  This helps to keep us steady as we yield to God.   Even God can turn our burdens into blessings.

○      God manages our life to keep us from thinking we know it all and that we can manage on our own.  Just when we seem to think we have an explanation for things, God changes things and we have to throw aside our “formula”.   This is where Job’s friends went wrong, the map didn’t fit as they tried to use an old road map to guide Job on a new journey.   We must always walk by faith no matter how many books we read or how much we have experienced in our Christian life.

■      Verses 15 - 18.    Righteousness and Sin.

●     One of the biggest injustices we see that requires a mature perspective is “Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked seem to enjoy long lives?”   This seems contrary to the justice and the Word of God.   (Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 4:40, Deuteronomy 4:25-26, Psalm 55:23)

●     Two facts should be pointed out.

○      The first is that God did promise to bless the nation Israel in their new land if they obeyed his law, but he didn’t give this promise to the believers of today under the new covenant.

■      Francis Bacon (1561-1626) wrote: “Prosperity is the blessing under the Old Testament, adversity is the blessing of the New.”

■      Jesus said at the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” as his opening words.   (Matthew 5:3, Luke 6:20)

○      The second fact is the wicked appear to prosper if you look at them from a worldly perspective.   They may gain the whole world, but they lose their soul.   They sacrifice the eternal for the temporal.   (Psalm 13, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Matthew 6:2-5, 16)

●     Solomon was not teaching moderation in our everyday life.   He says to not to be too righteous and to be too great a sinner.   Instead Solomon is telling us to be not to righteous and don’t claim to be too wise.   He is warning us about pride that overtakes us when we feel we know it all.   He is condemning the self-righteousness of the hypocrite and the false wisdom of the proud.   He warns these 2 sins can lead to death and destruction.

●     Solomon advises us to walk in the fear of the Lord by taking hold of true righteousness and to not withdraw from wisdom.   (Proverbs 9:10, 1 Corinthians 1:30)

○      Verses 7:19-29      Third Contribution - Wisdom helps us face life stronger    

■      In verses 16 through 18, we can ask the question, how can a person be too righteous or too wise.   This is a warning against religious conceit - legalism or false righteousness.   Solomon was saying that some people become overly righteous or wise in their own eyes because they are deluded by their own religious acts.   They are so rigid or narrow minded in their views that they lose the sensitivity to the true reason for being good - to honor God.   Balance is important between righteousness and wisdom.   God created us to be whole people who seek righteousness and goodness.   Thus, we should avoid both extremes of legalism and immorality.

■      These verses look at areas in our life that we must overcome,

●     Sin - Verse 20   (I Kings 8:46)

○      We are all guilty of the sins of omission (“doeth good”) and the sins of commission (“sinneth not”).   If we walk in the fear of God and follow his wisdom, God can help us detect and defeat the “Wicked One” when Satan comes to tempt us.   Wisdom will guide us and guard us in our daily walk.

●     What people say about us - Verses 21 and 22

○      The wise person ignores the gossip of the day because he has more important matters to attend to.   (Psalm 38, Matthew 7:1-3)

●     The inability to grasp the meaning of all that God is doing in this world - Verses 22-25

○      We see a confession from Solomon.   Although he was the wisest man in the world, he admits how difficult it had been to act and think wisely.   He emphasized that no matter how much we know, there is always mysteries we will never understand.  

○      Solomon did not understand how God manages things and what purposes God has in mind.   Solomon searched all things but he found no final answers to all his questions.   The wise man can realize the things he doesn’t know, and this is what makes him wise.

●     The Sinfulness of Humanity in General - Verses 26 through 29

○      Solomon begins these verses by looking at a single woman.   Solomon himself had been trapped by many foreign woman who lead him away from the Lord and into worshipping false gods.   The very way to escape the evil woman is to fear God and to seek to please him.   (Proverbs 2:16-19, 5:3-6, 6:24-26, 7:5-27, I Kings 11:3-8)

○      In verses 27 and 28, we get the feeling that Solomon does not think a woman was capable of being upright.  If we look into the Book of Proverbs, Solomon personified wisdom as a responsible woman.   The point of Solomon’s statement is not that women are unwise, but that hardly anyone, man or woman, is upright before God.   In his search, Solomon found goodness and wisdom were almost scarce among men as well as women, even though men were given a religious education program in his culture and women were not.   In this effect, this verse was saying: “I have found only one in a thousand people who is wise in God’s eyes.   No, I have found even fewer than 1.”

■      Solomon speaks very highly of woman, not only in the Book of Proverbs, but in the Songs of Solomon.   (Proverbs 12:14, 14:1, 18:22, 19:14, 31:10)

■      Solomon also pictures Wisdom as a beautiful woman.   (Proverbs 1:20, 8:1, 9:1)

■      The thing to keep in mind during Solomon’s days, woman had no freedom or the status they have today.  

■      God did also chose woman to rule over the land of Israel.   (Isaiah 3:12)

●     In verse 29, Solomon mentions God created human beings to live uprightly and do what is right.   Instead, they have left God’s path to follow their own downward road.   Solomon concludes that the entire human race was bound by sin.

●     Conclusion.

○      Do we try to avoid sorrow and suffering at all costs?   Do we see our struggles as great opportunities to learn from God?

○      When life seems uncertain and uncontrollable, don’t despair - God is in control and He will bring good results out of tough times.

○      One of the marks of maturity is the ability to look at life in perspective and to not get out of balance.   When we have God’s wisdom, we will be able to deal with and accept the changing experiences of life.

○      There are many snares and temptations in this world, but the person with Godly wisdom will have the power to overcome them.    Wisdom can make our lives better, clearer, and stronger.   We may never fully understand all that God is doing, but we will have enough wisdom to live for the good of others and the glory of God.