Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 7:1-14. Of all the chapters in Ecclesiastes that we have read so far, chapter 7 resembles the book of Proverbs the most in terms of its contents and how they are presented. Here Qohelet gives many short, pithy statements, similar to Proverbs, although in some ways harder to interpret.
Ecclesiastes 7:1 (NIV)
1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
On verse 1: A person’s reputation (“a good name”) is more important (“better”) than what perfume that person wears, for that person’s reputation will stick with that person longer than any perfume will. A person’s day of death is better than their day of birth in that what people say about you when you die is even more important than what they say about you when you are born.
Ecclesiastes 7:2 (NIV)
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
On verses 2-4: To Qohelet, why is sorrow better than laughter? How is a sad face “good for the heart”? Why is the heart of the wise in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of pleasure? For Qohelet, the reason seems to be because death and mourning have this way of causing us to reflect, deepen our perspective and become wiser. In contrast, constant laughter and pleasure can keep a person living at a superficial level.
Ecclesiastes 7:5-6 (NIV)
5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.
On verses 5-6: To Qohelet, the song and laughter of fools does nothing to make a person wiser; they’re just the meaningless sound of people who are bound to perish (like the crackling of thorns under the pot). So to Qohelet, it is preferable to listen to a wise man’s rebuke, for though possibly unpleasant, a wise man’s rebuke can actually make you wiser.
Ecclesiastes 7:7-9 (NIV)
7 Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
On verses 7-9: Here’s my summary of verses 7-9 together. Don’t be greedy (v7), impatient (v8) or quickly provoked (v9). That way you can see a matter to its end instead of blowing up prematurely.
Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NIV)
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.
On verse 10: Don’t live in the past. When we live in the past, we fail to see today’s blessings and limit God from doing new things with us in the future.
Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 (NIV)
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.
12 Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.
On verses 11-12: At various points in Ecclesiastes, Qohelet seems to question the value of wisdom. For example, in Ecclesiastes 6:8-9, Qohelet wonders what advantage a wise person has over a fool, especially when that wise person is financially poor (v8)? In Ecclesiastes 2:14-15, Qohelet wonders what is gained by being wise when the wise and the fool both die. Yet here Qohelet espouses the benefit of wisdom, seeing it as “a good thing” that benefits those who live (v11). Qohelet sees wisdom as a more valuable shelter than money because while money cannot save (“preserve”) a life, true wisdom can. So how do we reconcile Qohelet’s sometimes contradictory views on wisdom? Perhaps this way: Qohelet sees both the value of wisdom as well as its limitations.
Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 (NIV)
13 Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
14 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
On verses 13-14: Earlier in Ecclesiastes 1:15 Qohelet says, “What is twisted cannot be straightened”. Here in verse 13 Qohelet says something similar: “Who can straighten what he has made crooked?” In other words, God is sovereign and we cannot change, add or take away from what God has decided to do. Since God allows both good times and bad times (v14a), and since we don’t know what tomorrow will bring (“a man cannot discover anything about his future” -v14b), Qohelet challenges us to make the most of both. In good times, be happy; in bad times, be humble and reflective.
Sovereign God, because wisdom definitely has its benefits, I pray for Your wisdom to fill me and every decision I make. Because I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, I rest in Your sovereignty. I trust that You are good whether times are good or times are hard. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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