Ecclesiastes 7:27-29

Good morning friends,

 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things– which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found.  man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

 Solomon, still dealing with the topic of wisdom gives a pretty dismal picture of what he found. Solomon says in essence this: “It all adds up to this – there are not many that possess wisdom out there.” In this equation it seems as though Solomon is picking on females, but I think his point was more for the hyperbole of how far-reaching the human perdicmite is. Though, created upright, people’s hearts are given to schemes or contrivance.  This “scheming” is something that is basic to those who do not seek wisdom (seek God). Whether it is in the oppression of people through manipulation, the lengths people go in attempt to hide sin, or means man tires to escape the reality that God is there, these are the schemes of a sinful heart. Paul echoes this in Romans when he says “there is no one good – no not one.” Solomon is openly making a point here supporting the doctrine of the fall and depravity. He recognizes that the world is abnormal; he affirms that God created man in righteousness and by implication is stating that something has happened to him.  We ought to at this point be reminded afresh of the human predicament, where we stood and praise God for his cure – grace through Jesus Chrsit. 

Bill 

Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Ecclesiastes 7:26

 Good morning friends,

 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. 

In all the areas of wickedness, folly and foolishness Solomon examines he speaks here on one issue in particular.  This is not a diatribe against women, as Solomon speaks of the beauty of married love, but he is speaking of the woman that sets snares with a hunter’s instinct.  This is the woman who calculates methods to usurp God’s design and claim power over man. This is an area that is very, very relevant to our current situation. Something that we need to see first is that there is implicit statement that man has propensity or predisposition to becoming snared. The epidemic of pornography that plagues our society and even the church is such a snare.  Like fetters on the hands and feet, pornography is a bondage and something that is “more bitter than death.” This submission to bondage of this sort is to step out from under the control of God. Our sex saturated culture works in every way possible to snare at the earliest moment into such bondage.  Solomon is clear that our freedom from bondage is in God. The one that pleases God is the one that is no longer under the bondage of sin. On the other hand the sinner is taken by her and falls under her control. 

Coram Deo

Bill

Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

 

 

Ecclesiastes 7:25

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.

 Concerning the limits of human wisdom and mystery, Solomon turns his attention to trying to understand depth of human character and in particular the abnormal side to man’s character.  He ransacks the vocabulary of such understanding here; know, search, seek, wisdom, wickedness, folly, foolish and madness. In this we see the thoroughness of  his inquiry and the breath of his search.  We see as well Solomon’s focus is on mans wickedness, folly, foolishness and madness – all issues that are abnormal to man’s created character. Man was created in uprightness and holiness, but, as we well know, the entrance of sin brought damage to this. We for the most part are both incognizant of God’s holiness and calloused to the severity of these abnormalities. Those who do not start from God’s holiness learn to excuse both consciously and subconsciously these abnormalities in us and others. Yes, there are the occasions when gross wickedness will vex ones heart, but in actuality, everything that violates God’s holiness ought to.  Luther understood this and it almost drove him and his confessor crazy. Before Grace broke in on Luther, he knew God as the “hound of heaven” hunting him down.  As Christians we must, must, must realize that wickedness, folly, foolishness and madness are violation of God’s holiness and not merely sociological or psychological quarks.

 Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Ecclesiastes 7:23-24

Good morning friends,

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

 Solomon has in essence is saying: “I have picked up each aspect of life and examined it from a God given wisdom and one thing I have come to realize is that there are many mysteries that I cannot wrap my mind around.” There is much in this life that we must stand in humility and say “I do not know.” It is not that we are gullible in believing the non-reasonable, but the admission that we do not possess the capacity or categories to understand it. We might think of the big things such as cosmology, but even the subtleties of this life are truly beyond the explainable. Take the existence and nature of love for instance. What is love and why does it exist? Science may try to explain it merely as a chemical, selfish gene, or a psychology of survival, but that really does not give a satisfactory explanation. Though still left with the mystery of the trinity, the idea of love existing between the persons of the trinity explains more satisfactory the idea and nature of love and why man loves. While the humanistic explanations may become more and more sophisticated we are really no closer to understanding the mysteries that man has faced all along.  Why is there something instead of nothing? Why is there personality? Why is there unity in diversity? When Solomon, often said to be the wisest man that walked the earth, says “I don’t know” we most likely ought to follow suit. 

Bill 

Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

Good morning friends,

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

In an age of Youtube this issue is something that is pushing the envelope. I cannot imagine how people can be so heartless as to display someone’s mistakes or careless moments on Youtube. It seems every idle word, every stupid remark gets recorded by a cell phone and broadcast to our voyeuristic culture that thrives on it. It seems every political candidate has been slammed by foolish things thoughtlessly uttered at the wrong time. As Christians, on one hand we are to guard our tongues from careless words, but on the other we need to have grace about disparaging comments made about us. How often are we are offended by someone’s careless words, but so forgetful of our own wretched tongue?  And while the old axiom “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is untrue, it would do us well to remember Jesus words: I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,…” Let us apply the words of James to our lives “let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; “

 Bill

   Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbor’s wealth or outward estate.

Ecclesiastes 7:20

Good morning friends, 

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

 Solomon brings to a climax his argument here. The wise man realizes the universal truth that we all are sin infested. Solomon’s charge is across the board against the wise (believer) and unwise (unbeliever) alike. While sin is something we expect from the unbeliever, Luther’s axiom “simul Justus et peccator” (at the same time saint and sinner) is what is being spoken of here as well. We see Solomon speaking of both sins of omission (does good) and sins of commission (sins). I know that before I was a believer I was un-able to not sin and now I am able to not sin, but still I find myself, far too often, having to seek forgiveness. I am really glad Charles Wesley was wrong in his Plain Account of Perfection, that by a second blessing we would never sin, because my security would have no basis. To say we have no sin is to be a liar and our ability to deceive ourselves in such things is incredible.  How unfortunate that we stubbornly hang on to the weighing out of our good verses our bad rather than reality that the only way we can ever be righteous is that we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

 Bill 

Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbor’s wealth or outward estate.

Ecclesiastes 7:19

Good morning friends,

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

This phrase is kind of interesting to me; “Wisdom gives strength to the wise man.” I tend to think that the wise man here is one that “fears God” already and in this proper fear Wisdom comes along side to strengthen him.  We might remember James words: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. In the book of Proverbs we see the writer oft times personifying wisdom. This is what I believe Solomon is saying:  wisdom comes along side the believer and offers more insight than 10 counselors. The point seems to be here that the wisdom that comes from the fear of God is more significant  than the collective wisdom of many people.  The Targum applies this verse to Joseph: “the wisdom of Joseph the son of Jacob helped him to make him wiser than all his ten righteous brethren.”  Wisdom is many times seen connected to understanding and knowledge, so it is fair to say that wisdom is not developed in a vacuum, but comes in connection with our seeking knowledge and understanding.  How many times does the Christian cry out for wisdom, but has not spent time seeking knowledge and understanding in God’s word. Wisdom is not some abstract or “secret” power it is the ability to apply knowledge properly. In the same way we are to seek wisdom we are to seek knowledge and understanding. 

Bill 

Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbor’s wealth or outward estate.

 

Ecclesiastes 7:18

Good morning friends,

 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.

 This refers back to preceding warning about the two extremes of either a façade of righteousness or foolhardy wickedness.  We see here that either of these two extremes leads to certain disaster. We might be tempted to see Solomon’s words here as meaning “fear of God” is some kind of middle path or golden mean; however, this is furthest from the truth. It would be better to see “fear of God” as contrasted to certain destruction. Solomon states that those who fear God will “come out from both” or better put, escape them both. Our minds sould of course turn Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge..”  “Fear of the Lord” is something we need a clear grasp of. Much of Evangelism, I am afraid, approaches God in a flippant almost irreverent manner in the “worship service.” I am not speaking of using God’s name in a profane manner, but that our approach must be with awe and reverence. Yes, we are told to come boldly before the throne of grace – but at the same time we must remember we are entering the Holy Place. After spending 3 plus years with Christ, John, after Christ’s resurrection, did not run up and give Jesus a “high five” or a belly buster. In Rev. 1 John says: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Both the concepts of reverent and afraid are incorporated in the word “fear.” The flippant  clichéc about God tossed around in the evangelical church only reveals our ignorance of the one we serve. 

Bill 

Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbor’s wealth or outward estate.

Ecclesiastes 7:16-17

Good morning friends,

  Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

 Solomon recognizes that there are no truly righteous people (see vs. 20) so verse 16 is speaking of the appearance of righteousness. This is not so much the idea of legalism as to appearance. Legalism has the roots in wanting to make yourself righteous in order to gain standing before God. Here we see merely the appearance of righteousness for those around. “Make yourself” has the idea of ‘to play the wise man.’ This has real significance to our image driven culture. Substance and character has given way to image. Daniel Boorstin has noted: “America is living in an “age of contrivance,” which illusions and fabrications have become a dominant force in society.” Solomon’s point is this: this “act” will ultimately destroy the actor when it comes to light. The opposite of the Hebrew parallelism here is not saying to be just a little wicked, it is a given that we already are. The reasoning that the wicked, from a humanistic standpoint, prosper we must not reason that wickedness is a viable option for this may lead to destruction as well. 

Bill 

Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 74. What is required in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.

Ecclesiastes 7:15

Good morning friends, 

In my vain 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.  

Solomon is speaking here of appearance from a secular standpoint. We of course know that no one is truly righteous in-of-themselves and that those who are truly righteous are righteous because of Christ and his righteousness being reckoned to us. Each one of us has had our sensibilities rattled by this very thing: Why do (relatively speaking) good people suffer and especially while doing acts of goodness, while overtly wicked people prosper? Why does the humanitarian suffer or die in selfless service to people? Why do heartless drug lords continue to prosper? While Ezekiel 24 does assure us that God does not overlook such things: “I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD.” The image of God on us, which includes the indelible mark of justice, is violated in such circumstances.  In this our sensibilities are right and we are faced with the reality that we live in an abnormal and fallen world. We, who are redeemed, carry the reality that the truly righteous, though suffering does come, will not perish and the wicked will. We carry the promise of total redemption of God’s creation and the effects of the fall will be done away with.   

Bill

Westminster Shorter Corner

Q. 74. What is required in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.