Ecclesiastes 7: Lessons For Expressing Your Faith in Jesus’ Sovereign Plans in the Face of Suffering and Death
Introduction: Ecclesiastes 6 concluded with Solomon’s warning that mankind cannot prevent or successfully question Yahweh’s sovereign will (Ecc. 6:10-12). In Ecclesiastes 7, Solomon explained how believers should express their faith in Yahweh’s sovereign will in the face of an inevitable short life that will inevitably bring suffering and death. Yahweh is another name for the great “I AM”, later revealed to be Jesus (Jo. 8:58; Ex. 3:14). When faced with suffering and death, you should express your faith in Jesus with: (1) hope, (2) holiness, (3) trust, (4) fearing Him, (5) confessing sin, (6) seeking His wisdom, and (7) by walking in submission to the Spirit.
First, after Yahweh used Solomon’s sorrow to cause him to repent, Solomon declared that there is greater value in godly sorrow than self-centered laughter. With faith, Jesus can restore and comfort those who turn to Him in times of sorrow. He also offers believers hope in Him through transformation and eternal life. Second, Solomon urged believers to show that they feared Yahweh by leading holy lives. This includes: (1) accepting godly disciple, (2) discernment, (3) integrity, (4) patience, (5) humility, (6) forbearance, and (7) forgiveness. You can show your faith and gratitude for the price Jesus paid to redeem you by leading a holy life for His use. Third, Solomon urged believers not to long for their past or put their trust in their wealth. He instead urged believers to put their trust in Yahweh. You can also show your faith in Jesus by trusting in His wisdom over your own wisdom and wealth. Fourth, based upon his own failures, Solomon warned against the sins of self-righteousness and rebellion. When you face hardships, injustice or unfairness, fear Jesus by avoiding the evils of self-righteousness and rebellion. Fifth, also based upon his own moral failures, Solomon urged believers to accept the wisdom of Yahweh that all have sinned and none can be righteous based upon their actions. Because none are righteous without Jesus, Jesus wants all to repent of their sins and accept Him as Lord and Savior. Sixth, even though he was the wisest man alive, Solomon realized that his personal wisdom apart from Yahweh was futile. He would return to his sins. Jesus wants you to live out your faith by continually seeking His wisdom through the Word and prayer. Finally, Solomon warned of the seduction of the woman who led men astray, a foreshadow to the spiritual harlot (Rev. 17). Because all have fallen short and are inclined to sin, Jesus wants you to live out your faith by denying the unholy desires of the flesh and walking in submission to the Holy Spirit.
1. Hope: When You Mourn, Jesus Offers You Comfort, Hope, Transformation and Eternal Life. Ecc. 7:1-4.
With faith, Jesus will make you a new creation and provide you with a joyful, eternal life. Fools live for the temporary joys that come through a worldly life. In contrast, the wise place their hope in their eternal transformation and eternal life in Jesus. “1 A good name is better than good oil, and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. 2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every person, and the living takes it to heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for when a face is sad a heart may be happy. 4 The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.” (Ecc. 7:1-4). “We can understand that a ‘good name is better than precious ointment.’ You can buy precious ointment while you cannot buy a good name. But we don’t immediately understand that the day of death is better than the day of birth. To us it seems that the day of death is filled with sadness while the day of birth is filled with joy … But the Teacher flips this around: the day of death is better than the day of birth. Why? … The house of mourning has become a schoolhouse for learning about the essence of life. The wise live their lives with the reality of their death in mind. Fools, by contrast, seek to avoid thinking about their death … Death is the climax of human suffering. But the Teacher shows that the wise can detect some good even in death.” (Sidney Greidanus on Ecc. 7:1-4).1
With faith, Jesus will make you a new creation and give you a new, holy name in heaven. In reference to a person’s reputation, Solomon began by proclaiming the importance of a “good name.” (Ecc. 7:1). In Proverbs, Solomon makes a similar declaration about the importance of a good name. “A good name is to be more desired than great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold.” (Prov. 22:1). As a prophecy of transformation and God’s ownership, God promised to give His people a new name that will never be eliminated. “To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be eliminated.” (Is. 56:5). Through faith in Jesus, these promises will be fulfilled. He makes believers “new creations” (2 Cor. 5:17). Believers will also receive new holy names. “The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.”’ (Rev. 2:17). “The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.” (Rev. 3:12).
When others encounter suffering, give others love, comfort, and hope. After realizing how a self-centered life is meaningless, Solomon realized that it is more rewarding to help a mourning person than to celebrate with other self-centered people (Ecc. 7:2). “The customs of Jewish mourning must be borne in mind to appreciate the full force of the maxim. The lamentation lasting for seven (Sir 22:10) or even for thirty, days, as in the case of Aaron (Numbers 20:29), and Moses (Deuteronomy 24:8), the loud wailing of the hired mourners (Jeremiah 22:18; Matthew 9:23; Mark 5:38), the visits of consolation (John 11:31), the sad meals of the bread and wine of affliction (Jeremiah 16:7; Hosea 9:4; Job 4:17),—the sight of these things checked the pride of life and called out sympathy, and reminded the visitor of the nearness of his own end, … The words manifestly record a personal experience, and lead us to think of the writer as having learnt to ‘visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction’ (James 1:27), and having found that there was some “profit” at least in this.” (John James Stewart Perowne, Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges).2 You are called upon to love one another (Jo. 13:34-35). This includes encouraging those who mourn. “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thess. 5:11).
Sorrow is better than laughter when it brings you back to Jesus. After learning that his hedonism drove him from Yahweh while his sorrow brought him back, Solomon declared that sorrow is better than laughter if you use that pain to repent and turn back to Yahweh (Ecc. 7:2-4). For a sinner, sorrow serves an important role when it leads to repentance. “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Cor. 7:10).
When you suffer, place your hope in your eternal inheritance in Jesus. When you encounter trials, Jesus wants you to cling to Him and place your hope in your eternal inheritance. “For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Ro. 8:18). “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Pet. 5:10). “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” (2 Thess. 2:16-17).
Jesus’ wisdom leads to the path of transformation and eternal life in heaven.3
Jesus comforts those who mourn who turn to Him in faith. If you turn to Jesus when you mourn, He promises to both bless and comfort you. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
Jesus’ blessings for those who turn to Him include the strength to persevere. In addition to comfort, Jesus will bless those who turn to Him in faith with the strength to persevere. “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (Jam. 1:2-3; Rom 5:3-5).
2. Holiness: Express Your Faith and Gratitude to Jesus For Price He Paid to Redeem You by Leading a Holy Life For His Use. Ecc. 7:5-9.
In response to the price Jesus paid for your sins, show your gratitude through a holy life. To encourage others to avoid his mistakes, Solomon urged believers to show that they feared Yahweh by leading holy lives. This includes: (1) accepting godly disciple, (2) discernment, (3) justice, (4) integrity, (5) patience, (6) humility, and (7) forgiveness. “5 It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise person than for one to listen to the song of fools. 6 For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool; and this too is futility. 7 For oppression makes a wise person look foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart. 8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning; patience of spirit is better than arrogance of spirit. 9 Do not be eager in your spirit to be angry, for anger resides in the heart of fools.” (Ecc. 7:5-9). “God has a design for everything in creation, and the wisdom literature calls living according to that design ‘wisdom.’ God made the world to work a certain way and you should live your life in that way – you should walk in wisdom (i.e. walk in the right way…).” (Daniel Akin and Jonathan Akin on Ecc. 7:5-9).4 “because it is written: ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter. 1:16; Lev. 19:2).
1) Holiness includes accepting Spirit-led discipline. Solomon stated that it is better to listen to a godly rebuke than the “song of fools” (Ecc. 7:5). In Proverbs, Solomon also extolled the value of godly discipline. “One who loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates rebuke is stupid.” (Prov. 12:1). “One whose ear listens to a life-giving rebuke will stay among the wise.” (Prov. 15:31; 19:20). Like Solomon, David committed terrible sins. But unlike Solomon, David accepted the rebuke of God’s prophet Nathan when he committed the sins of murder and adultery (2 Sam. 12:1-13).5
2) Holiness includes seeking discernment. Solomon also warned believers to avoid listening to the “song of fools”. (Ecc. 7:5-6). “Ecclesiastes 7:5 encourages us to be mindful of the sources from which we seek affirmation. Are we drawn to the empty praises of those who do not have our best interests at heart, or do we value the wisdom that may guide us toward a more fulfilling life?” (Bibleverseexplained.com, Ecc. 7:5).6
3) Holiness includes justice. Solomon also warned that a person who misuses their authority to oppress others becomes a fool (Ecc. 7:7a). “The rebuke of the wise is useful even in the case of rulers who are tempted -to excess and injustice. The ‘oppression’ in the text is the exercise of irresponsible power, …” (Pulpit Commentary, Ecc. 7:7).7
4) Holiness includes integrity. Solomon further warned that a “bribe corrupts the heart.” (Ecc. 7:7b). God law prohibits believers from accepting bribes because it corrupts His intended justice for His people. “A wicked person accepts a bribe from an inside pocket to pervert the ways of justice.” (Prov. 17:23; Ex. 23:8; Dt. 16:19). Believers who show integrity can walk securely because they fear God by hating evil. “One who walks in integrity walks securely, but one who perverts his ways will be found out.” (Prov. 10:9).
5) Holiness includes patience. Solomon urged believers to show a “patience of spirit.” (Ecc. 7:8). David also urged patience for God’s timing: “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way, because of the person who carries out wicked schemes.” (Ps. 37:7). “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” (Ps. 40:1). “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.” (Ps. 27:14). “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (Jam. 5:8).
6) Holiness includes humility. Solomon also warned believers to avoid an “arrogance of spirit.” (Ecc. 7:8). Jesus humbled Himself as a servant. He then died an agonizing death on the cross (Phil. 2:8). He calls upon you to respond by serving Him in humility (Prov. 8:13; Ps. 75:5; 94:4). Those who show humility before God will be exalted in heaven: “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matt. 23:12; Lk. 14:11; 18:14). “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,” (1 Pet. 5:6). “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (Ja. 4:10). “Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (Ja. 2:5).
Live the wisdom within Jesus’ Word by controlling your anger and forgiving others.8
7) Holiness includes forgiveness. Solomon further warned that “anger resides in the heart of fools.” (Ecc. 7:9). Jesus also warns that you must forgive those who hurt you in order to receive forgiveness: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matt. 6:14-15; Mk. 11:26; Col. 3:13; Eph. 4:32).
3. Trust: Demonstrate Your Faith by Trusting in Jesus’ Wisdom Over Your Own Wisdom and Worldly Wealth. Ecc. 7:10-14.
True faith includes trusting in Jesus’ wisdom and plans over your own. Despite being the wisest man alive, Solomon realized that it is far better to trust in Yahweh’s plans that his own. “10 Do not say, ‘Why is it that the former days were better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. 11 Wisdom along with an inheritance is good, and an advantage to those who see the sun. 12 For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom keeps its possessors alive. 13 Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent? 14 On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other so that a person will not discover anything that will come after him.” (Ecc. 7:10-14). “Solomon commends God’s wisdom. As Solomon made clear in earlier chapters, without God’s wisdom we as humans are locked up in our own finite understanding. Man can't develop sufficient understanding through reason and experience to know what is right to do. But humans can and should live by the wisdom God has called us to. And trust that God will make things right in His own time. This section is an invitation to faith in God’s benevolence.” (TheBibleSays.com on Ecc. 7:11-14).9
Trust that Jesus has a better plan for you. Solomon warned believers not to long for the days of their past (Ecc. 7:10). Jesus also told His people not to look at their past with nostalgia because He was planning something better. “Do not call to mind the former things, or consider things of the past. Behold, I am going to do something new, now it will spring up; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” (Is. 43:18-19). After coming to know Jesus, Paul also stated that he would look forward to what Jesus is planning instead of looking back to his past. “Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14). Jesus also warned that people are not fit for His Kingdom if they value their worldly lives over their relationships with Him. “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”’ (Lk. 9:62).
Trust in God’s wisdom over money. Even though he was the richest man alive, Solomon realized that God’s wisdom is more valuable than money (Ecc. 7:11-12). As a young king, God tested Solomon to determine his greatest desire. Solomon passed God’s test. Instead of asking for riches or power, Solomon asked for God’s wisdom to rule (2 Chr. 1:7-10; 1 Kgs. 3:4-9). After later turning to a life of covetousness, Solomon lamented that God’s wisdom was greater than any of the wealth that he had accumulated: “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.” (Prov. 16:16). “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her.” (Prov. 3:13-15). “Accept my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with her . . . My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, and my yield better than choicest silver.” (Prov. 8:10-11, 19). “Buy truth, and do not sell it, get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” (Prov 23:23). Job also declared that the value of God’s wisdom is greater than gold or any precious stone (Job 28:15-19). Regarding these verses, Martin Luther advised, “Enjoy the things that present in such a way that you do not base your confidence on them, as though they were going to last forever … but reserve part of our heart for God, so that with it we can bear the day of adversity.”10
Jesus is wisdom incarnate, and His wisdom gives eternal life. Solomon declared that Yahweh’s wisdom is better than money because His “wisdom keeps its possessors alive.” (Ecc. 7:12). The reference to an “advantage to those who see the sun” (Ecc. 7:11) is also a reference to the living.11 The New Testament reveals that true wisdom comes through Jesus. “But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,” (1 Cor. 1:30). “[I]n whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3). Paul also stated that God’s wisdom was beyond his ability to find it on his own (Ro. 11:33-34). But Paul also revealed that God’s hidden wisdom is made known to us through faith in Jesus (Col. 2:2-3). Jesus’ wisdom is a gift that comes from knowing Him as your Lord and Savior and diligent study. “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Eph. 1:17; 3:8, 10). When followed, His wisdom leads to the gift of eternal life (Jo. 3:16; 1 Jo. 5:11-12).
Jesus’ wisdom is better than money because it offers a path to eternal life.12
Trust that Jesus’ uses His omnipotent wisdom for good. Solomon also asked “13 Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent?” (Ecc. 7:13). “No man can correct or alter any of God’s works; and therefore all fretting at the injuries of men, or calamities of the times, are not only sinful, but also vain and fruitless.” (Joseph Benson on Ecc. 7:13).13 Jesus’ sovereign will cannot be thwarted (Is. 14:24; 46:10). Thus, mankind as His pottery gains nothing by questioning His actions (Ro. 9:20-21; Is. 29:16; 45:9). Believers should instead trust that He uses His all-powerful wisdom for good. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Ro. 8:28). This includes being grateful for His provision and trusting in His plans during your trials (Ecc. 7:14).14
Jesus offers His wisdom to all who diligently seek it. Jesus promises that if you diligently read His Word and pray, He will reveal wisdom to you: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Jam. 1:5). “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in secret You will make wisdom known to me.” (Ps. 51:6). “For to a person who is good in His sight, He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, . ..” (Ecc. 2:26). When you pray and submit to God, the Holy Spirit will guide your path and reveal Jesus’ wisdom: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (Jo. 16:13). “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (Jo. 14:16). Thus, you need wisdom, regularly read the Word and pray.
4. Fearing Jesus: When You Face Hardships, Injustice, or Unfairness, Fear Jesus by Avoiding The Two Evils of Self-Righteousness and Rebellion. Ecc. 7:15-18.
When life feels hard, unjust, or unfair, the fear of Jesus keeps you on the narrow path. Despite his privilege, Solomon saw perceived unfairness everywhere. Even with his God-given wisdom, he also concluded that he alternated between self-righteousness and rebellion when he failed to fear Yahweh. “15 I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked person who prolongs his life in his wickedness. 16 Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? 17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be foolish. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you grasp one thing while not letting go of the other; for one who fears God comes out with both of them.” (Ecc. 7:15-18). [Verse 15] “All too often, we see instead what the Preacher saw: righteous people dying before their time while their enemies keep on living …[Verse 16-17] When he tells us not to be ‘overly righteous’, he might be telling us not to be self-righteous. The form of the verb that the Preacher uses in verse 16 may refer to someone who is pretending to be righteous. After all, if God’s standard is perfection – if we are called to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – then how could anyone ever be ‘overly righteous? Our tendency is think that we are more righteous than we really are, and this is a real problem…Thus, there are two dangers for us to avoid: self-righteousness and unrighteousness. Both errors will lead to destruction; they may even lead to an untimely death. But there is a way to avoid both dangers, and that is to live every day in the fear of God [Verse 18]” (Philip Ryken on Ecc. 5:15-18).15
Because no one is righteous without Jesus, His deliverance is based on mercy and grace. Solomon lamented that people who try to be righteous are not always what they seem to be (Ecc. 7:15). Job also complained how the wicked appeared to prosper. “The tents of the destroyers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure, whom God brings into their power.” (Job 12:6). Jermiah raised this same objection (Jer. 12:1-2). “[B]eginning with Verse 15, we learn still another accompanying truth, and that is that the righteous are not always righteous. In fact, this section declares two great truths: first, that in the real world there is a lot of phony righteousness; and secondly, that true wisdom, therefore, is hard to find. In Verse 15, the Searcher says that one cannot tell the righteous by whether they live a long time or not. In other words, as the proverb has it, ‘The good often die young.’ But the wicked can live to a ripe old age.” (Ray Stedman, Ecc. 7:15).16 If we could be righteous on our own then, then Jesus died in vain (Ro. 5:6-8; Gal. 2:21).
Acts of self-righteousness are offensive because they take away from Jesus’ sacrifice. Solomon warned believers not to be self-righteous. Acts of self-sacrifice and piety, like fasting or charity, do not make you righteous before Yahweh. “16 Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?” (Ecc. 7:16). “Self-denial and mortification of the flesh are good; but if we prejudice our health by them, and unfit ourselves for the service of God, we are righteous overmuch. To reprove those that offend is good, but to cast that pearl before swine, who will turn again and rend us, is to be righteous overmuch. ‘Make not thyself over-wise. Be not opinionative, and conceited of thy own abilities.”’ (Matthew Henry on Ecc. 7:16).17 Jesus alone paid the ransom price for your soul with His crucifixion (Mk. 10:45; Matt. 20:28).
Fear Jesus by hating the evils of self-righteousness and rebellion. Solomon’s wisdom and intellect could not keep him from sinning against Yahweh. He learned that he could only do this by fearing Yahweh (Ecc. 7:18). This was therefore his conclusion for the entire book of Ecclesiastes. “The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” (Ecc. 12:13). This was also Solomon’s central message in the book of Proverbs (Prov. 1:7; 2:5; 9:10; 15:33; 22:4). The “fear of the Lord” is defined as hating what God calls evil (Prov. 8:13). This includes being self-righteous, thinking you know better than Jesus, and disobeying Him.
5. Confessing Sin: Because None Are Righteous Without Jesus, Repent of Your Sins and Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior. Ecc. 7:19-22.
Jesus’ wisdom brings knowledge of the need to repent of sin. After extolling value of the fear of the Lord (Ecc. 7:18), Solomon urged believers to embrace the wisdom of Yahweh that all have sinned and are in need of repentance: “19 Wisdom strengthens a wise person more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20 Indeed, there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin. 21 Also, do not take seriously all the words which are spoken, so that you do not hear your servant cursing you, 22 for you know that even you have cursed others many times as well.” (Ecc. 7:19-22). “Ecclesiastes 7:19-22 is about the recognition of human imperfection and the acknowledgment that no one is truly righteous or wise to the point of avoiding sin, and thus, the importance of self-reflection and humility … While wisdom is powerful and can guide us in making good decisions, it also serves as a reminder that none of us are perfect or completely righteous. This acknowledgment of our imperfections can help us practice humility and self-awareness in our daily lives.” (Reverend Michael Johnson on Ecc. 7:19-22).18
Jesus’ wisdom is superior to the wisdom of the world. Because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom (Prov. 1:7; Ps. 111:10; Ecc. 7:18), Solomon urged all to act with urgency to acquire Yahweh’s wisdom. “The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom; and with all your possessions, acquire understanding.” (Prov. 4:7). “Blessed is a person who finds wisdom, and one who obtains understanding.” (Prov. 3:13). “A wise person scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.” (Prov. 21:22). The wisdom that Solomon spoke of comes from Jesus (1 Cor. 1:30; Col. 2:3).
Jesus’ wisdom leads to the revelation that all have sinned and are in need of repentance. In a direct foreshadow to a central message of the New Testament, Solomon declared, “20 Indeed, there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin.” (Ecc. 7:20). He gave a similar message in Proverbs. “Who can say, ‘I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin’?” (Prov. 20:9). He also gave a similar message in his prayer to dedicate the Temple. “When they sin against You (for there is no person who does not sin) and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, distant or near;” (1 Kgs. 8:46. David stated a similar message (Ps. 14:1; 53:1). Paul quoted these men when he stated the universal nature of sin and the need for salvation through Jesus. “as it is written: ‘There is no righteous person, not even one;”’ (Ro. 3:10). “there never had been, one, nor never would be, nor has been, excepting the man Christ Jesus; who indeed, as man, was perfectly just, while here on earth, and went about doing good, and never sinned in all his life; but this cannot be said of any other,” (John Gill on Ecc. 7:20).19 Because all have sinned, Jesus had to take the penalty of the sins of the world to offer mankind a path to salvation. “All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the wrongdoing of us all to fall on Him.” (Is. 53:6). “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:24).
Without Jesus, there is no one who can appear before God and claim to be righteous.20
Forgive others when they hurt you because you have also hurt others. After declaring the universal nature of sin, Solomon warned against listening to other people’s gossip. This evokes misplaced anger because all have at times hurt others, either through gossip or through other conduct (Ecc. 7:21-22). “The train of thought leads on to another rule of conduct. The fact that all men sin is [shown] by the words with which men talk of the faults and weaknesses of their neighbors. To such words, the idle gossip of rumor, the comments on words or acts, no wise man will give heed.” (John James Stewart Perowne, Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges).21 “A person’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Prov. 19:11). “For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.” (Matt. 6:14-15). “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also.” (Col. 3:13).
6. Seeking Jesus’ Wisdom: Live Out Your Faith by Continually Seeking Jesus’ Wisdom Through the Word and Prayer. Ecc. 7:23-25.
Without Jesus, it is foolish to live your life based upon your own intellect and wisdom. Even though God had made Solomon wiser than any other person alive, Solomon realized that his own personal wisdom was foolishness without God. “23 I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, ‘I will be wise,’ but wisdom was far from me. 24 What has been is remote and very mysterious. Who can discover it? 25 I directed my mind to know and to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of foolishness and the foolishness of insanity.” (Ecc. 7:23-25). “This is Solomon’s frustration and his breakthrough. Apart from God, our search for the treasure of wisdom is futile, frustrating, and foolish. Our hearts are bent towards evil. We’re part of the sphere of this world and sin. Only those with Godly wisdom will have the ability to walk through the traps and pits of sin surrounding us. Knowledge all by itself cannot do this. As the old expression says, ‘Knowledge is knowing there’s a snake in the grass. Wisdom is staying out of the grass.’ As we face the challenges of life, don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something. Because there, dear one in Jesus, is the space in which God shows up and demonstrates His wisdom and power.” (Joel Dorman on Ecc. 7:23-29).22
Pride frequently blinds people to the emptiness of worldly pride. Solomon became prideful from his God-given wisdom. He maintained a temporary peace with his neighbors by forming marriage alliances with many pagan kings. Solomon might have received accolades from his advisors. But this ultimately made him a fool when his pagan wives turned his heart away from God (1 Kgs. 11:4). “Do you see a person wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Prov. 26:12). This also put himself on the path of idolatry. “There is a way which seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death.” (Prov. 14:12; 16:25). “One who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but one who walks wisely will flee to safety.” (Prov. 28:26). “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!” (Is. 5:21). Thus, God’s wisdom is foolishness to the world. “Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: ‘He is the One who catches the wise by their craftiness’;” (1 Cor. 3:18-19).
Seek Jesus’ wisdom through His Word and prayer. Solomon learned that he could only find true wisdom from Yahweh. “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6). Jesus freely offers His wisdom to all who seek it in faith. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Jam. 1:5). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8). He is the Word who became flesh (Jo. 1:14). His word becomes a path to those who study it (Ps. 119:105). He will also give you wisdom when you pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you. “Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you.” (Mk. 11:24). “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.” (Jo. 14:26). His wisdom is also available through godly counsel (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 19:20; 20:18).
7. Walk in the Spirit: Live Out Your Faith By Denying The Desires of the Flesh and Walking in Submission to the Holy Spirit. Ecc. 7:26-29.
Deny the unholy desires of the flesh and cling to Jesus by obeying the Holy Spirit. Based upon his own mistakes, Solomon realized that mankind is inclined to give into the unholy seduction of sin. Thus, he urged people to seek to please God by obeying Him. “26 And I discovered as more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her. 27 ‘Behold, I have discovered this,’ says the Preacher, ‘by adding one thing to another to find an explanation, 28 which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these. 29 Behold, I have found only this, that God made people upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” (Ecc. 7:26-29). “I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters: In his unsatisfying search for wisdom, Solomon understood that a woman could be a danger and a trap. It was important to not let that happen; he who pleases God shall escape from her. But the sinner shall be trapped by her: … We know from 1 Kings 11:4: For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God. Surely, Solomon himself was caught in these snares and nets and fetters. Those who think that Ecclesiastes is the statement of Solomon’s repentance and evidence that he turned his heart back to the LORD his God, this section is Solomon’s way of saying, “I understood my error and turned from it.” … Solomon could find a rare man in a thousand with wisdom; but not even one woman. This speaks more about Solomon’s choice of female companionship than it does about the relative wisdom of men and women. … This only I have found: That God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes: Solomon understood that God made man without sin, but man has – since the time of Adam – sought out many schemes of sin and rebellion against God.” (David Guzik on Ecc. 7:26-29) (emphasis in original).23
Obey Jesus’ Word to avoid seduction. Because he repeatedly gave into sin (1 Kgs. 11:1-4), Solomon warned against physical seduction (Prov. 5:3-5; 6:24-26; 7:24-27). He also warned against spiritual seduction (Prov. 9:13-18). These warnings are repeated in the New Testament. “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.” (Rev. 2:20-21; 17:1-6). To avoid physical or spiritual temptation, Jesus’ Word can guide you to stay on His path. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105). “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and rebukes for discipline are the way of life.” (Prov. 6:23).
Walk with the Holy Spirit, and deny the desires of the flesh. Despite making mankind to be holy, people will naturally gravitate to sin because our hearts are evil without Jesus. “29 Behold, I have found only this, that God made people upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” (Ecc. 7:29). “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9). Thus, repenting of your sins when you accept Jesus is a necessary first step. But it is not the last. To remain sanctified, you must deny your fleshly desires and follow Jesus every day. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24; Lk. 9:23; Mk. 8:34). If you deny yourself and let the Spirit guide you, the desires of the flesh will eventually have no appeal. “If you are walking with the Holy Spirit and praying, sinful desires will have no appeal. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Gal. 5:16).
The Spirit will remind you of the Word in the face of physical or spiritual temptation. Solomon stated that the Law and the Word “may keep you from an adulteress, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.” (Prov. 7:5). When you face either physical or spiritual seduction, the Holy Spirit causes you to remember Jesus’ memorized Word and His Law so that you may both recognize evil and resist it. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.” (Jo. 14:26). “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (Jo. 16:13).
Be vigilant to avoid temptation. The Bible warns to be on guard at all times for Satan’s attacks. The greatest damage Satan can do is when he deceives you to turn away from Jesus and to satisfy your flesh. “Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil people. Avoid it, do not pass by it; turn away from it and pass on.” (Prov. 4:14-15). “A prudent person sees evil and hides himself, but the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.” (Prov. 22:3; 27:2). “so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night.” (1 Thess. 5:6-7). “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8). “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Cor. 16:13).
For those who reject Jesus and refuse to repent, the wages of sin are death. Those who refuse to repent of their sins face judgment. “Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death … For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro. 6:21, 23). “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were brought to light by the Law, were at work in the parts of our body to bear fruit for death.” (Ro. 7:5). “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, … envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal. 5:19, 21; 6:8). “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.” (Jam. 1:15).
Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from Ecclesiastes, (Grand Rapids, MI, William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 2010), p. 170, 172.↩︎
Image credit: Ecclesiastes 7:2 | The Wisdom of Living For Eternity | Feather Sound Church↩︎
Daniel L. Akin and Jonathan Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Ecclesiastes, (Brentwood, TN, B&H Publishing Group, 2016), p. 88.↩︎
2 Samuel 12: Lessons on God’s Mercy and Grace from His Rebuke of David for His Sins | Inspired Scripture↩︎
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Ecclesiastes 7:11-14 meaning | TheBibleSays.com (italics in original) (italics added).↩︎
M. Luther, “Notes on Ecclesiastes,” in Luther’s Works, vol. 15, ed. and trans. J. Pelikan (St. Louis, MO, Concordia,1972) p. 120.↩︎
Tremper Longman III, The Book of Ecclesiastes, (Grand Rapids, MI, William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1998) p. 190.↩︎
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Philip Ryken, Why Everything Matters: The Gospel in Ecclesiastes, (Glasgow, SCO, Crossway Bibles 2024) p. 107-108 (italics in original).↩︎
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