The Good Old Days - Wisdom and Folly - Ecclesiastes 7

The latest in the series on Ecclesiastes, this time taken from the ESV, it's Ecclesiastes 7... The Good Old Days... Wisdom and Folly...

1 A good name is better than precious ointment,

   and the day of death than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning
    than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
    and the living will lay it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
    for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
    but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
    than to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,
    so is the laughter of the fools;
    this also is vanity.[a]
7 Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,
    and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
    and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
    for anger lodges in the heart[b] of fools.
10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
    For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
    an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
    and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Consider the work of God:
    who can make straight what he has made crooked?

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

15 In my vain[c] life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

23 All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

25 I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

So let's break this down...

This passage starts to sound like the Solomon we all know from Proverbs because he starts giving us a lot of proverbs in this section. We see starting off that having a good name being better than a precious ointment. Why is this significant? Don't forget that in that time ointments were very valuable, in some ways more than today as they could cure ailments, used in religious ceremonies, and funerals. The prices of these depended but most were expensive, like gold in some cases. So when we are told a good name is better than a precious ointment, today we'd say a good name is better than gold or platinum! It is so very important to have a good name! Then he talks about the day of death being better than when we are born. Why? For believers we get to see Jesus face to face and spend eternity with him - so indeed that is so much better than being born! The flip side is that for the non-believer? Not so good... destruction and pain in hell for eternity. 

Vs 2 - 4 talks about how it's better to go to a house of mourning than to a place of feasting, and how everyone's fate is to die some day, and that sorrow is better than laughter, the sad face making a glad heart. the wise have their hearts in the house of mourning and fools in the house of mirth (amusement). Why on earth is it better to be sad and mourning over laughter? The point is the world chases after the pursuit of happiness over everything else, and a lot of Christians do too in the whole prosperity gospel. The focus is wrong. A person whose heart is in that state of mourning and face that is sad is more open to being humble and willing to listen to God and not rash(usually) to make decisions. Their mind is focused and has clarity, is able to put things in perspective rather than someone who is laughing their way through life. May family and I are experiencing this right now with having lost my mom at the beginning of February due to brain cancer. Let me tell you, in that state, you are humbled and calm and willing to listen to others. We are still experiencing that now as we are still fresh from the funeral and dealing with going through mom's things and seeing how dad is doing. We are still in that place of humbleness and calm. Seeking God's will in the midst of it. Clarity is there. This is what Solomon was talking about.

Vs 5 and 6 talks about being rebuked by wise people and how it is so much better than songs of fools and it compares the laughter of fools to the crackling of thorns under a pot. Some pretty harsh words about foolish people right? Have you ever seen thorns crackle under a pot? Think of a heavy pot, then set it on thorns, what happens? They break under the pressure. That is what happens to the fools who ignore wisdom and the rebuke of wisdom. They will break under pressure because they wouldn't listen. 

Vs 7 talks about oppression driving wisdom into madness and how bribery corrupts the heart. No kidding! Nothing more frustrating than someone who is wise and can help guide being shut down by someone who thinks they know better but really they're a fool.  And bribery? Yeah it rots the soul. How can you not be affected when you have to bribe someone or some business to work with you? You always have the hanging over your head, you only got to where you did through bribery - you didn't earn it. It's fake. Yikes... The next issue is in vs 8 saying the ending of something is better than the start, a repeated theme from earlier of death being better than being born. Then it finishes the verse with saying a patient spirit is better than a proud one. Have you ever witnessed a proud person? Look at our media and you'll see stars and politicians who are so full of themselves. Who wants that? That's why someone who is patient is who people want to be around. There is a sense of calm with them that can't be ignored. 

Vs 9 talks about anger, how not to be so quick to be angry because it lodges in the hearts of fools. Lodges, gets stuck, like a car stuck in a ditch that needs a tow truck to get it out this is the picture of anger getting stuck in a fool's heart. Is it okay to be angry? Yes, but don't sin in our anger and don't let it fester, don't let the sun go down on our anger. Let the anger motivate us to do something productive and inspirational, not destructive and horrifying that we regret later. A very key verse here to make sure we take precautions necessary.

Verse 10 - Say not, "Why were the former days better than these?" or "why were the old days better than these?" (NIV) 

Ah yes, "The good old days..." The Bible right here warns us not to be trapped by thinking this, that it's now wise to do so. Really were the good old days better? Or was sin just masked better? I think back to when I was in school, the same issues were there, just hidden more - no one talked about them/ Drugs, alcohol, sexual behaviours, and more. The technology we have now has just exposed it more I think. In the days of selfies and smart phones with cameras and social media - nothing remains hidden anymore. Small events become huge because someone caught it on their cell phone and uploaded it to youtube. So no, not really better days, just disguised to make us think it was better. Fools are exposed more and more whether they fail at a robbery or try to get away with hitting someone - it's all exposed for everyone to see. Fools still try though...

Wisdom on the other hand, according to verse 11 - 12, protects and preserves - foolishness obviously then leaves us exposed and condemns us. See the contrast back and forth throughout this passage? 

Vs 13 and 14 asks us to consider God's work: making straight paths out of what was crooked (Proverbs 3:5,6). Taking joy when things are good, pondering what God is meaning when adversity comes because God made both days.

Vs 15 Solomon talks about what he has seen in his life - righteous who perish, wicked living prolonged lives. It obviously frustrated him because the next thing he says is to not try to be too righteous and wise and destroy ourselves in the pursuit of it, and it also says to not be wicked or a fool and end up dying before our time. He points out to make sure we have a balance in our lives. Seek righteousness and wisdom, yes, but don't let that rule your life or you become a loveless person who is so focused on that you leave compassion and love out and are like a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. He is not encouraging us to be wicked or foolish, but he realizes sometimes we do wicked and foolish things because we're not thinking - so don't let that be how our lives are characterized. In verse 19 he tells us how wisdom gives us strength more than almost a dozen rulers, because they're unwise. And righteous living? It is a high calling because the goal is perfection - and no one is perfect down here. We won't be that way until we reach heaven. For now we do what we can through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Have you ever been in earshot of someone who is putting you down and they didn't realize it? Vs 21 and 22 says don't put stock into it, validating their thoughts by a reaction. Let it roll and let God deal with them. If you need to confront in love with the goal of restoration, not to put someone in their place. because as much as you hurt from what they have said, think of all the times when in our hearts we have thought bad things about others and wished them ill will. Scary huh? By verse 23 Solomon says he has tested everything by wisdom and thought he was going to be wise in all his dealing, but it didn't happen. he tried it all he says, and found this out: He mentions a woman, but essentially anyone who seeks to entrap and catch us for harm is worse than death. Those who please God escape this allegorical woman Solomon talks about, but the sinner falls into her traps. Also in verse 27 he says this is what I've found "says the Preacher" (see pastors in the Old Testament) it is hard to find righteous and wise people. God made us to be upright, but in our hearts we seek out ways to sin and scheme to do it. We don't use wisdom, instead we're fools most of the time. 

That is so true - just look at thee world around us, look at your workplace, look at our homes, look at us, and we'll see that when we take our eyes off God and focus elsewhere, we seek out pleasures for ourselves and scheme and plan and become fools because we leave God, righteous living and wisdom out of the picture. So the point is - stay focused, pursue righteous living and wisdom, seek God first. Everything else second. God bless!

Ecclesiastes 6 - No satisfaction

It's been a while since I decided to do this study and am way behind, time to pick up where I left off...

Ecclesiastes 6(NIV)

6 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind:2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.

3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded.5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?

7 Everyone’s toil is for their mouth,
    yet their appetite is never satisfied.
8 What advantage have the wise over fools?
What do the poor gain
    by knowing how to conduct themselves before others?
9 Better what the eye sees
    than the roving of the appetite.
This too is meaningless,
    a chasing after the wind.

10 Whatever exists has already been named,
    and what humanity is has been known;
no one can contend
    with someone who is stronger.
11 The more the words,
    the less the meaning,
    and how does that profit anyone?

12 For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?

So here we go... Verse 1- 9 really gets point blank about the accumulation of stuff in this world. That no matter who we are, how rich we are, what we have collected, it is all pointless or meaningless as someone else gets it all in the end. The worst tragedy that is pointed out though is that for some people they gain everything this world has to offer and yet don't enjoy any of it - they're actually unable to enjoy it. Solomon here says it's so bad for that to happen that it would be better if that person was a stillborn rather than live and experience that. Yikes! 

What strikes out here is that God provides it all, yet He is also the One who makes sure the person cannot enjoy it. Getting no satisfaction from it no matter how hard they try. Why? One thought is that it is so they don't depend on things to make them happy but rather focus on God and serving Him instead. They squander their resources on themselves instead of how it cam benefit God's kingdom work and so as a result God does not allow them to enjoy it. Even having a huge family didn't help this person out, it was still futile. The point is whether it is riches, fame, a large family, possessions, whatever, if a person tries to fill the God sized whole in their heart with this stuff, in the end it will all come up short and give the person no satisfaction.

It's kind of like that old Rolling Stones song "Satisfaction" that says, "I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no satisfaction, 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try"

Even in this song the lyrics tell of all the things that they tried and failed at having them satisfy them. From cars to advice on the radio to white shirts to cigarettes and more. None of it gave satisfaction. It never will, Nothing will except God. This is the point the author is making here I believe. And then to squander the resources on ourselves instead of seeing how we can use it for His glory is also an evil Solomon writes. Convicting stuff.

Now verse 10 - 12. In 10 it states how everything that exists already has a name. True - it was named in the garden of Eden by Adam. We may think when we as a society discover a new species that we have a new name, but really, it already had one from the time of creation. Nothing new under the sun once again rings in my ears here. In verse 11 it talks about how no one can contend with someone who is stronger. Who doesn't love the underdog right? But really when it gets right down to it, who wins in a fight? The huge hulking mass of an individual or the 90 lb shrimp? When it comes to fighting a huge adversary I think of this image from the old Buggs Bunny cartoon...

 

Funny right? Yet how many times do we try in vain to fight against an adversary that is stronger than us - namely the Devil - without God empowering us? It's a feeble attempt without God. Yet we as humans like to go in our own strength, our own wisdom, and see how we do. Silly. We need God alone to get through this world.

Verse 11 more words less meaning? Ever hear someone try and explain something and because they were so nervous or didn't want to seem dumb they used more words and more words and more words? We've all done it I'm sure at times - sometimes without realizing it. When we do that we come off as either a know-it-all, or we give the impression that we don't really know what we're taking about so we're just talking for the sake of talking. Both stem from pride. So do the other areas Solomon has mentioned so far - riches, wealth and power taking God's place in our lives, our resources squandered on ourselves, the fighting an adversary much bigger than ourselves, and now words on top of words... all of it smells of pride because all of it says "I can do this myself without God. I can be satisfied without Him, I can be strong without Him, and I don't have to use what He's given me to help out His kingdom. Prideful and shameful. This is what Solomon was saying that all of this is evil and shameful in His sight. How does it profit anyone? he asks. The answer is it doesn't. 

He ends with... 12 For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone? Really, apart from God who knows what is good for us? No one. Our parents try, our spouses try, our kids try, our teachers try, our mentors (if we have them) try - but ultimately no one knows the future right? God does. The last line tells about our legacy. We all want to leave our mark on this world somehow, to be remembered once we're gone, but ultimately no one knows how or if we'll be remembered once we're gone. What matters is the here and now - how are we living now? Are we living with Christ as our focus and sharing what we have to help His cause, leaning on Him for strength? Or are we trying to be the lone wolf determined to do it on our own? If that's us, then we need to evaluate and see how it's working out for us. Beg for His forgiveness and seek first the kingdom of God. 

Ecclesiastes 5 - Fulfilling those vows to God, and meaningless riches

So here we are at the 5th chapter in this study on the book of Ecclesiastes, let's look at the chapter...

Ecclesiastes 5 New International Version (NIV)

Fulfill Your Vow to God

5 [a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.
3 A dream comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.

4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.

Riches Are Meaningless

8 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
    whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
    This too is meaningless.

11 As goods increase,
    so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
    except to feast their eyes on them?

12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
    whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
    permits them no sleep.

13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14     or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
    there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
    and as everyone comes, so they depart.
They take nothing from their toil
    that they can carry in their hands.

16 This too is a grievous evil:

As everyone comes, so they depart,
    and what do they gain,
    since they toil for the wind?
17 All their days they eat in darkness,
    with great frustration, affliction and anger.

18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

So two sections, verses 1 - 7 is all about one thing - fulfilling your vows to God. We all make those big promises to God right? "If you bless me with this job I promise I will..." "If you help me get a great grade on that exam, I promise I will..." etc... Well verse 1 says we should go to the house of God, but more ready to listen rather than speak because you never know what silliness we might say. Reminds me of James 1:19, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, Familiar theme right? See God does repeat Himself for effect! Consistent from the Old to New Testaments. Right after that the passage says to make our words few, not uttering/saying things before God as really someone who has too much to say shows they're a fool in God's eyes. Yikes!

God actually goes so far through the writer to say that He'd rather you didn't make a vow to Him at all than make one and not fulfill it! Those who don't fulfill their vows to Him He also calls fools! Ouch! So really, watch what we say, and don't make promises to God unless you intend to keep them and and actually keep them!

Wow, tough stuff. Our next section is no easier. Verses 8 - 20 says we see the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer, injustice in the streets and so on - and that we should not be surprised by it. Why? Well the world is a place tainted by sin right? So in a fallen world why WOULDN'T we expect that? Yes, God will clean the Earth one day and set things right, but now isn't the time - He's still letting people have a chance to come to Him first. As we continue we see, Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. Too true. I don't usually like to quote secular artists, but the passed on "The Notorious B.I.G." had this as a song, "Mo Money Mo Problems." It's true. The rich have more money yes, but also more problems. Imagine getting rich and so you buy the latest house, car, and toys, then discover you have to pay for them! Then the market crashes and you have to go bankrupt to pay for everything! Or because you're rich everyone expects you to help them out because "after all, you can afford it - you're rich!" False friends. people wanting to know your business because you're rich... yeah they can afford more, but the rich have their own problems too. How many stories do we hear of rich people who have OD'd because they couldn't take life anymore? Having riches helps, but it is not the be all and end all. If you think it is, the Bible warns that it's meaningless and your priorities are out of whack.

The writer wrote how he saw the wealth hoarded to the person and not shared even with family, kids and so on so that they still suffer while the rich person spends it all on themselves, and I have heard of myself of rich people spending so much that when they die instead of being able to pay all debts at once, their families have to try and pay off their debts for them because they kept their failings a secret. 16 This too is a grievous evil: God uses this phrases a number of time in different wordings but it still remains the same, As everyone comes, so they depart so we see that no one can bring it with them. Everything stays when we die. Billy Graham once said, "There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men." So no matter whether we're rich or poor it all stays, and how we have let it control our lives or not will be the testimony of where our hearts were. How have we spent our resources God has given us? At times I have spent perhaps recklessly, but usually pretty responsibly. This is a lesson for all of us to not depend on our riches to get us through life, but God alone who (as Psalm 50:10 says), the cattle on a thousand hills.