26/2/22. Study 17. Ecclesiastes 7:1-13

 A good name is better than precious ointment,
    and the day of death than the day of birth.
² 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.
³ Sorrow is better than laughter,
    for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
    but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
⁵ It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
    than to hear the song of fools.
⁶ For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,
    so is the laughter of the fools;
    this also is vanity
⁷ Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,
    and a bribe corrupts the heart.
⁸ Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,
    and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
⁹ Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,
    for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
¹⁰ Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”
    For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.
¹¹ Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
    an advantage to those who see the sun.
¹² 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.
¹³ Consider the work of God:
    who can make straight what he has made crooked?

 

 This section takes the form of pithy sayings, very Proverbs-like.

1. Qoheleth here makes several comparisions ("better" v.1, 2, 3, 5, 8). For him, in what way are some things 'better' than others? Why he want us to learn what is 'better'?

They are better because these things rather than the others help us in the path of wisdom. Wisdom is seen as a matter of inner quality rather than outward show. Qoheleth is talking about the 'good life' - the life lived wisely. So:

1. A good name is better than precious ointment (v.1a) 'Precious ointment' speaks of wealth (cf Mt 26:7). So character is better than riches.
2.  The day of death is better than the day of birth (v.1b)
3. Mourning is better than feasting (v.2) or mirth (v.2)
4. Sorrow is better than laughter (v.3)
5. A wise rebuke is better than to hear the song of fools (v.5)
6. The end of a thing is better than the beginning (v.8a)
7. A patient spirit is better than a proud spirit (v.8b)

Just like with the Beatitudes, there is something counter-cultural with these contrasts, especially with the version in Luke 6:20-26.

 

2. According to him, why is mourning better than feasting, and sorrow better than laughter? 

• "For this is the end of all mankind and the living will lay it to heart" (v.2b). We are more likely to think deeply about life in the face of the truth that all will die. Thinking of our own death to comeome to all of us helps us to be wise. cf. Ps 90:10-12 "The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty... they are soon gone, and we fly away. ¹² So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

• "For by sadness of face the heart is made glad"(v.3b). Qoheleth calls us to live not for superficial feelings and appearances. There should be an inner joy that is encouraged by suffering (cf. Js 1:2. Mt 5:11). Sorrow can distance us from worldly pleasures and bring us close to God in a way that happy experiences cannot. On the other hand, worldly pleasures can distract us from the things of God.

3. From this passage, in what ways is the 'day of death' better than the 'day of birth’

 Whose birthday and death day is Qoheleth talking about? Ours, or others'? The fact that we can 'go to the house' means that it is not only our own birth and death he is speaking of, but by our observing the births and deaths of others.

1.  How is death better than life? Because it is an end to the suffering of life, and it means for the believer that we can be with Christ (Phil 1:2-3). A funeral is more conducive to wisdom and maturity than a delivery room.
   
2. The end of a thing is better than the beginning (v.8a). This means that it is more important to finish than to start. It is more important to fulfill than to promise. Birth carries uncertainty of the length and worth of the life to come. But death brings certainty of eternal destiny.

 

3. What warnings does he give us in vv. 5-10 that would hinder our purusit of wisdom?

1. We should be ready to be corrected by wise people instead of enjoying the praise ('song') of fools.
2. We should be careful in the merry company of and be wary of the humour of people who are not wise to God. Mirth of this sort is superficial and meaningless (v.6). It distracts us from spiritual realities. Does this mean that we should not enjoy non-Christian humour? Our answer is that we should not trust it or crave for it. 
3. We should be careful of the danger of becoming financially insolvent, or of being tempted to pervert justice by accepting a bribe. 'Money can make wise people go crazy'!
4. Qoheleth does not say "the patient in spirit is better than the impatient in spirit", because (vv 8-9) show that pride, impatience and anger are linked. Patience to see a task through is better than being angry and impatient from underlying pride. 
5. We should also not look back at the 'good old days' when faced with the challenges of the present. This is unwise. We must not remember only the positive things then and forget what is negative. We must trust that God is in charge of the future.
   

4. How is wisdom like money (v.11.12)?

Wisdom, like money, has benefits to the posessor. It helps us live life well (v.11) and gives us an advantage in life. It protects us (v.12), even more so than money.

I found this passage very rich in lessons for Christian discipleship. It points us away from external and worldly appearances and towards internal and godly realities. It is counter-cultural in surprising ways and very practical in warning us about the dangers of discipleship.