He starts (v1) with a more promising statement that “A good name is better than precious ointment”. One can understand that to a point. It is better to have a good reputation than some precious commodity however useful it may be. There is a plethora of ointments around today, we can buy cream for this and that. The fact that the word is ‘ointment’ tends to the opinion that it is for the outward application, rather than inner medicine. I would say that it is more important that we take care of our reputation, what we do and say which gives us a better outward appearance.We have become so clever at making ourselves appear what we are not that we forget about our reputation, our goodness, our reliability and our integrity, even our falibility.
However, he then makes a strange comment which seems to have no connection with the first sentence – “and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.”
He is so depressed that he considers death better than being born and living. It is always good to start something but even better to end well. Here he may even be thinking about eternity. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:23 “I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be and be with Christ, which is far better.” To a believer, death should be something not to fear and in fact, whatever sorrow and unrest we feel will be over. We may have problems here but we are blessed with a life God has given us. Paul had his problems and difficulties, he listed them all in scripture, probably far more than most of us but he said it was better for him to stay here for the blessing of others – 1:24-26 “Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.”
“Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting…. Sorrow is better than laughter.” (v2) What does he mean?
Many people today think that it is better to have more fun and amusement. He is not wise who is interested only in what is amusing and fun. He gives no thought to serious things and so never acts seriously. The wise considers all of life seriously. It can be very uplifting to pay ones respects to the dead and consider their life. Hopefully, it helps us to consider our own lives and our own death. We can learn a lot from helping people through their mourning of a loved one. We often only find out what the dead have done with their life at their funeral, and it is only when they have gone that we truly recognise their worth and appreciate their contribution to life, even our lives. Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus and the people exclaimed, “How He loved him.” (John 11:35) We can learn much from the death of a loved one, something we don’t appreciate while they are still alive. Perhaps that is what Solomon means when he says, “And the living will take it to heart.” “For by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” (v2-4)
Someone said, ‘Please don’t wait until I am dead to show your appreciation, show it to me while I am still alive.’
Moses said in Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
He goes on to say, “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools. For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity (v5,6).” These statements are in the context of suffering and mourning as opposed to amusement and fun. He reminds us that oppression can affect even a wise man’s reasoning (v7) therefore the rebuke from a wise person can be profitable and we should take notice.
Laughter of a fool is passing and like ‘crackling of thorns under a pot’ – momentary and easily extinguished and pointless. A bribe doesn’t do the heart good, in fact it degrades and reduces its quality.
He had commenced this part of his discourse by saying it is better to finish well and he repeats here – “The end of a thing is better than its beginning;” Patience is better than pride, be calm and don’t be hasty to get angry (v8,9). We need persistence and stickability, rather like a marathon runner. We all like to get things done quickly but that is not always the answer. Anger doesn’t solve many problems, if any and as Solomon says, “Anger rests in the bosom of fools.” It might seem to be on the surface and quickly over, but it is more deep seated and affects our whole being.
It is interesting that ‘patience’, so far as I am aware, apart from this mention in Ecclesiastes (and a couple of mentions in the Psalms), is a word exclusively mentioned in the New Testament. God is described in Romans 15:5 as ‘The God of patience’ and we are constantly urged to have patience. There is no doubt, however, that God certainly had patience with the people of the Old Testament particularly the Children of Israel. We usually refer to ‘the patience of Job’ although we only find that phrase in James 5:11.
We come to verses 10-12 where Solomon instructs us NOT to say that the old days were better than these. People often refer to ‘the good old days,’ but were they really? Different maybe but I’m sure we can all recall things that weren’t really so good. Solomon tells us that we are not wise in this. Sam Gordon says, ‘Isn’t it great to realise that our God is not an exhibit from a bygone era; He’s not someone you might find on the antiques roadshow. Our faith is contemporary…our message is relevant…we’re right up to date!’ And Warren Wiersbe says, ‘It means we must live today in the will of God and not be paralysed by yesterday or hypnotised by tomorrow.’ Solomon said in 1:9 ‘What has been is what will be… and there is nothing new under the sun.’
God has not changed, He is still the same – Almighty, Creator, Sustainer, and our Salvation. We used to sing, ‘all may change but Jesus never, glory to His Name.’
Solomon wisely exhorts to “consider the work of God”(v13). What better? Who are we compared to Him? He suggests that no-one can make straight what He has made crooked. One would have expected him to ask who could make crooked what He has made straight but he asks the opposite. Does God make things crooked? I’m not really able to answer that except to say that in reply to Moses He says, “Who made man’s mouth? Who makes him dumb, deaf, seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” God takes responsibility for making people disabled. Please don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that disabled people are crooked, but that God makes everyone whatever they are. I will say, however, that we are all ‘crooked,’ without exception, in that we are sinful and only God can make us ‘straight’. We are born in sin and it is only by the grace of God that we can be made right in His eyes. This is a wonderful thing. We cannot save ourselves, it is only through Him that we are made right.
Some suggest that Solomon is still in despair and depression. However, we should be joyful when things are going well but when adversity comes we must consider that God has everything in His hands and we must trust Him. Paul exhorts us to rejoice in every situation and rely on God, and to pray about everything.
Solomon points out the dangers on the way (v15-18). He says that he has seen everything in the meaningless days – a “just man who perish in his righteousness” “ …. and a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.” The good suffer and the wicked prosper. Again we refer to Job to whom life did not seem to be fair. In the light of this the world would say that it is pointless to seek to be righteous because it doesn’t always pay, so we might as well tread a middle course, not too wise and not too wicked or too foolish, we may as well live a balanced life and hope for the best, everything in moderation. However, that is not how Jesus lived and we should follow his pattern.
Suddenly he sounds more positive when he says in v19-22, “Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers”. This is wisdom when you are already wise! True wisdom from God in one person is enough. He says that there is not a just man on the earth who does not sin. How true! The Bible says, “There is none righteous, no not one …. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23). He understands the sinfulness of man. Many do not even admit that but a truly wise person does. There is no way we can earn our salvation by ‘being good.’ It is only through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, taking our sin upon Himself that we can be saved.
He goes on to say that we should not take too seriously what people say, particularly about us. Things can be said hastily and without thinking. We can be guilty of the same. Things are often said in the heat of the moment, things that they and we would later wish hadn’t been said. There is a saying – ‘sticks no stones may break my bones but calling me names won’t hurt me’. I don’t believe that’s true. ‘Names’ can be hurtful. We must steer clear of it.
Solomon admits that he had proved that even when he wanted to be wise, he failed. God had endowed wisdom upon him but he was wise enough to admit that he often fell short despite giving great thought and searching (v23-25). He is honest enough and wise enough to admit his failure.
He then makes some rather startling statements (v26-29). It would be interesting to know at what stage in his life he makes these statements. We know from the whole picture of his life that he had numerous wives and concubines. Many of them were from other lands and religions. He says that the woman whose heart is snares and nets (traps) were more bitter than death. We know that when he was old that his wives turned his heart after other gods and he was not loyal to The Lord his God (1 Kings 11:4). Was this from those experiences? He knew that he had been caught in their traps. He says that the godly person should escape. Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that we are all tempted, but our faithful God provides a way of escape. We don’t know when he wrote this, but those who consider that Solomon repented in his later life use this as their evidence.
There is no doubt that a man can be seduced by a woman just as much as woman can be by a man, but I suggest that the former is more likely in that she usually has beauty and a man is easily swayed. We men can fall to pieces at the sight of a pretty woman! Many of my friends from years ago were swayed from their Christian ways by a pretty non-Christian girl. Solomon says that the man who pleases God shall escape from her. How important it is that we seek to please God in all that we do.
He states that he could only find one man in a thousand with wisdom but no women. That is startling but one writer suggests that that was among the women in his harem. If only he had chosen a wife referred to in Proverbs 31 and Ecclesiastes 9:9.
His statement that “God made man upright” must refer to man in the Garden of Eden before sin entered into
the world.
