● 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.
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