MAKING SENSE OF SOLOMON’S LIFE LESSONS
ECCLESIASTES 7:1-14
If you had a choice, which of the scenarios would you prefer—Birth or death, a party or a funeral, rebuke or praise, laughter or sadness?
I think all of us at first glance would prefer the former of these scenarios and the reason why is because we have all grown up thinking that for us to enjoy life our world has to be free of hardship.
When I was growing up, I truly believed that not one good thing could come from suffering and adversity; therefore I tried to avoid it at all cost.
We are continuing our sermon series through Ecclesiastes and in this passage of Scripture, Solomon is going to showcase his wisdom. If you thought he was wise before this chapter get ready because he is going to show how we are in the minor leagues when comparing our wisdom to his.
Now if you remember from last week, he ends chapter 6 with a question. He asks, “What is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life?” In other words, “Because life is so brief, how are we to spend the short time that we have?”
Well in chapter 7, Solomon takes time to answer this question. In these 14 verses, Solomon gives us 8 proverbs—8 life lessons.
Now I want to warn you, these life lessons are heavy—they are tough pills to swallow. Solomon is not preaching to the choir here—he is not giving popular talking points with these proverbs. These points go counter to the way think.
You are going to hear some of these and think to yourself, “Wait a minute…that just doesn’t sound right—that goes against what I have always thought.” If this is your thinking, let me remind you that we are reading from someone with far greater wisdom than our own. So let’s approach this text with open hearts and closed mouths and try and learn from Solomon’s wisdom.
Here’s the first point…
GOOD CHARACTER IS BETTER THAN GOOD COLOGNE
Solomon writes,
7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.
Listen to the first part of v. 1 again. Solomon says a good name is better than precious ointment. Now I know that sounds a little funny, but here is what Solomon is essentially saying. “A good name” refers to a good reputation and “precious ointment” refers to a good fragrance or cologne.
Solomon’s point is this, “A good smelling cologne, no matter how nice or expensive—it fades over time. It will stay with you for a while and you may get some complements on it, but over time it fades. A good name however, a good reputation—that sticks. In other words, “A name that lasts is better than a fragrance that fades." Solomon’s point is that the pleasing aroma of a good reputation is to be preferred.
If you smell bad on the outside that’s forgivable as long as it’s not a continual problem. A bad reputation, however, is much more difficult to live down and much less forgivable. That’s Solomon’s point. A good reputation is the most important thing about you.
We live in a world where the opposite is true. Where image is everything and character matters little. Solomon says the opposite. He says your character, your name, your reputation—it means everything. What people say about you is so important.
He goes on to say, “The day of death (is better) than the day of birth.”
Though many of us prefer birth over death, Solomon says death is better because at birth reputation doesn’t matter. There is not much to say about a new borns character because he/she hasn’t done anything yet. At the day of your birth skys the limit—anything is possible. But on the day of your death what you have done with your life is fixed—set in stone—can no longer be changed.
What kind of legacy are you leaving? A Godly legacy? The kind of legacy that your kids and grandkids will remember? Are you a man or woman of integrity? Are you a person who is respectable? Is your character godly? For those of you who claim to be a follower of Christ, how are you living up to that name? Do people when they find that you are a Christian say, “That explains everything.” Or do they say, “That’s shocking, because you act just like me.”
MAKE A COMMITMENT TO LIVE A FULL LIFE LIKE CHRIST AND LEAVE A LASTING GOD HONORING LEGACY.
FUNERALS ARE BETTER THAN PARTIES
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.
Though many of us prefer parties over funerals, Solomon says the exact opposite. This is one of those verses that is meant to stop us in our tracks and cause us to think. What does Solomon mean here when he says that it’s better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting?
You ever notice at a party how lighthearted people are? Ever listened to the conversation? It’s just surface isn’t it? People prefer parties to escape from life’s realities.
At a funeral, however, you don’t have that option. Funerals have a tendency to knock us upside the head with the fact that death is a reality. Solomon’s point here is that funerals are good for us. He says, “It is the end of all mankind.” In other words, we are all eventually going to have our own funeral. I have some bad news for you today. I checked the Cherokee County death rate and it’s 100%. Death is the destiny of every man and woman and funerals bring us to terms with that and force us to ask the question, “Am I ready when my time comes?”
This is the kind of question that is often asked in the house of mourning and is pushed aside in the house of feasting.
SORROW IS BETTER THAN LAUGHTER
Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Once again Solomon’s words are counter to ours. If we were honest, many of us would say that we prefer laughing over sadness. And let’s be honest, it seems as if Solomon would be on the same page with us here because he stresses the importance of laughter and joy more than few times in this book.
But as we discussed in an earlier sermon, though laughter can be a good medicine, many use it as a narcotic to escape the difficulties of life. At times people turn to laughter to help dull and numb the painfulness of life.
Though Solomon as much as any writer in the Scriptures calls for us to enjoy our life, he also knows that when things are wonderful we have a tendency to be unfaithful, unfruitful and downright unspiritual. But when we are sorrowful, when life gets tough, when the rug of comfort is pulled out from under us--those are the times we look to and trust in God.
If you want to be a great man or woman of character, though you shouldn’t seek it out, when sorrow comes don’t run from it. Instead, prayfully face it knowing that God uses sorrow and hardship to mold us and make us more like Him.
REBUKE IS BETTER THAN PRAISE
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.
Solomon says that the praise and laughter of a fool is of no benefit. Now know that he is not talking here about genuine heart felt encouragement and praise. He’s talking about being around someone who always tells you what you want to hear—that mirror on the wall who always tells you that you are the fairest of all. Solomon says, “That’s empty.”
Instead, rebuke is to be preferred over praise. Learning how to receive rebuke builds character. If you want to be a man or woman of character--if you want to be more of what God wants you to be, you should prefer heartfelt rebuke over empty praise.
THE LONG HAUL IS BETTER THAN A SHORT CUT
Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.
Once again this is contrary to the way many think, especially in our world. Things have become so fast pace in our lives and world that we, as a result, have become extremely impatient in every area of our life. And this impatience causes us to act in careless and unwise ways, which can make life extremely difficult.
When things don’t go according to our plans, many of us have a tendency to “jump ship” or to just get off the path that God has laid before us to find an easier route. That’s why God tells us time and time again in His word to “Be patient, weather the storms of life and stay the course.”
Maybe your walk with Christ has become extremely challenging. Let me encourage you this day to be patient, stay on the path that God has laid before you and trust that He is going to complete in you what He began in you.
THE PRESENT IS BETTER THAN THE PAST
Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
I love to reminisce don’t you? I love thinking about the good old days. There is nothing wrong with reminiscing as long as it does not bring this sense of negativity into the present. Solomon says for those who make the point that the past is better than the present—that yesterday is better than today—he says it is not from wisdom that they say these things.
Remember that the seasons of life are appointed by God and to be dissatisfied with today is to be dissatisfied with the direction that God is leading in life and to be dissatisfied with the day He has provided. Remember the Psalmist who said, “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Don’t let you longing for yesteryears prevent you from living for God today and enjoying your appointed season of life.
We always think that things were better way back when. Guess what? That’s not the case. We just suffer from short term memory. We at times can be like the children of Israel in the wilderness longing for Egyptian bondage.
The truth is, if you belong to God and are living for Him, things are great for you right now and the best is yet to come. Do you know why? Because this is the day the Lord has made—this is your appointed season to love God and live for Him so rejoice and be glad in it.
WISDOM IS BETTER THAN WEALTH
Like I said a few sermons ago, we think money is the answer to everything especially when it comes to security. Look at what Solomon says in vv. 11-12.
Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. 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.
Though Solomon says that money can provide some level of security it falls short of what wisdom can provide. Though money can provide shelter from the cold and the heat, a safe neighborhood and a security system, it is limited in the security it can bring and can run out. Like we have said already, a few bad investments and that protection can be gone.
Wisdom, however, is always a shelter. Wisdom gives us long life, helps us live our life well on planet earth and will preserve our life and take us into eternity with a rich reward. Wisdom—god honoring wisdom, keeps us from the things that will truly destroy us—the sin in our lives and in our world; money can’t do that. Wisdom can see us through the tragedies of life and bring us out stronger people; money can’t do that.
Solomon knew the benefits of money because he had a lot of it. He also knew the benefits of wisdom because he had a lot of it as well and knew that wisdom was far better. He says in Proverbs 8:10-11,
Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
So always prioritize wisdom over prosperity for wisdom is better.
SEEING YOUR NEED IS BETTER THAN BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT
We like to think of ourselves as being self-sufficient. Nothing could be further from the truth. Solomon says,
Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? 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.
If anyone ever questioned God’s sovereignty, they haven’t studied this passage very carefully. Solomon shows in this verse of Scripture that God is in charge and that we are extremely limited. We can’t do anything about the past and don’t know anything about the future—we are limited. We cannot prevent anything that God is doing nor can we predict anything that He is going to do.
Why does God arrange life in this way? Why does he make crooked. Why does he appoint adversity along with prosperity? The answer is simple, so that we trust in Him. If everything in our life was perfect, we wouldn’t see any need for God and as a result would miss out on all the joys that come from knowing Him and living for Him.
