The Quest for Wise Living (Ecclesiastes 7:1-8:9)

Pre-Introduction

Introduction

[Story from camp counselor days]

Take campers on an overnight. Get all our gear packed up and hike to our campsite and set up camp.

What if my boss hands me a compass and a map and then tells me, “By the way, the compass doesn’t point north.”

A tool is only as useful as our understanding of its purpose.

If you ask me, “Is a compass that points north useful?”

If you ask me, “Is wise living useful?”

Post-Introduction

This section can be confusing because he is expressing paradoxes and ironic reversals

People who are black and white prefer simple verses

But sometimes, Scripture does a really good job capturing some of the paradoxes that we live with

Nuances and caveats. Even some situational awareness, where something makes sense over here, and then something else makes sense over there.

This shouldn’t push us away from the Bible. It should actually make us more convinced than ever that God didn’t reveal Himself in a detached, disconnected way, but he actually entered into our world to communicate something about Himself and something about us

In this section, the Teacher is going to lean into a paradox:

Big Idea: Wise living can help you, but it can’t satisfy you.

Wise living is good, but it’s not the answer.

In order to help us understand that, the Teacher is going to show us Four Characteristics of Wise Living

Four Characteristics of Wise Living

Transition: The First characteristic of wise living is that Wise Living is Backward

1. Wise Living is Backward (7:1-14)

Context -

The Teacher starts by listing out what it looks like.

He gives us these comparison statements, saying one thing is better than another thing

There are things that we might not immediately expect to be wise but he’s going to commend for us.

(It’s like the compass that will work really well at what it does, but it doesn’t always point north like we might expect)

Listen to his advice on what wise living looks like

Ecclesiastes 7:1–14 (ESV)

1 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?

14 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.

Summary: Wise Living is Backward

Explanation -

He lays out all these examples of how wise living actually works, and he insists that its going to be backward to what most people are going to want to do.

Without getting into all the details, here’s some of his pointers:

#1 - Your character is more important than your possessions (cf. 7:1)

#2 - Going to a funeral will help you more than going to a party (cf. 7:2-4)

#3 - Listening to a wise word of correction is better than listening to songs of praises from fools (cf. 7:5-6)

#4 - Finishing well is better than starting strong with a big splash (cf. 7:8)

#5 - Patience is better than pride (cf. 7:8)

#6 - Being quick to anger isn’t wise (cf. 7:9)

#7 - Being quick to nostalgia isn’t wise (cf. 7:10)

#8 - Wisdom is better than an inheritance (cf. 7:11-12)

#9 - Wisdom means trusting in God’s sovereignty in seasons of difficulty (cf. 7:13-14)

This section is like a recap of what we get in Proverbs.

Illustration - (#3 - Shark Tank illustration)

We could spend lots of time on each of these, but I’ll just pick one

I like that third one — Listening to a wise word of correction is better than listening to songs of praises from fools.

This past week was Shark Week, and since we’re not really into sharks, we watched a bit of Shark Tank

Sometimes people come in and have an underdeveloped product or some very serious alarm bells in their business, and sometimes its like no matter what anyone says, some people have this idea that their invention or their business is the best one on the market, and they can’t receive any feedback or critique or sharpening or anything like that.

Wise living is backward. In a lot of cases, until that entrepreneur faces a bit of push back and has to work through challenges, they can’t succeed. And in some cases, its actually going on Shark Tank that forces some of these business owners to do the hard work.

At this stage, the Teacher is starting off by affirming that wise living is valuable and that it is going to follow an unexpected path.

Application - How do we apply this? Well, look through that list. Which of those jumps out at you?

Application #1 - Which would you prefer, a friend who sings your praises night and day, or a friend who can speak a wise, timely word of correction?

If you’re like me, you probably appreciate the songs of praise, but

The Teacher says wisdom comes from the wise rebuke, not the endless songs of praise.

Who are the people in your life who you’ve given permission to speak hard truth into your life?

Application #2 - How about that first one. How often do you actively reflect on death? The Teacher says that thinking about death is one of the ways you can be a wise person.

Are you serious-minded about serious things? Or are you too busy entertaining yourself to be able to actively contemplate the reality that you, like everyone else, really are going to die.

Application #3 - How about number 7? Being quick to nostalgia isn’t wise. Are you so stuck reminiscing about the good old days that you can’t recognize the new opportunities ahead of you?

Application #4 - How about number 9? In seasons of difficulty, do you find yourself easily trusting in God’s sovereignty? Or is that hard for you?

Transition: The First characteristic of wise living is that Wise Living is Backward. The second is that Wise Living is Bewildering.

2. Wise Living is Bewildering (7:15-24)

Context -

The Teacher starts by showing us that Wise Living is Backward. But then, he follows that up with a problem. It seems like even though wise living is helpful, it isn’t an airtight guarantee that things will be great. Sometimes its disappointing or confusing.

Not only is Wise Living Backward, its also Bewildering.

Explanation -

It might be good for you, but then again, it might not be.

How is Wise Living Bewildering?

#1 - Wise Living Won’t Guarantee Success (vv.15-19)

Ecclesiastes 7:15–19 (ESV)

15 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.

16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

18 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.

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

This is a restatement of the problem of evil.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

How is it that someone can be really wise and make really great choices in life and apply personal discipline and work hard and study and get into the best programs and get really good jobs and love their families and make in impact in the community and then die of a heart attack with little to no warning?

While at the same time, some people who are really terrible, awful, wicked people end up climbing the ladder and being put into prominent positions and somehow seem to get rich and live a really long time and prosper?

Don’t think that wise living will be your golden ticket to a successful life. It might, but it might not.

#2 - Wise Living Won’t Make You Perfect (vv. 20-22)

Ecclesiastes 7:20–22 (ESV)

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

21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.

22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

Something is definitely wrong with the world

The Teacher has enough sense to recognize that

[Define: Sin Problem]

If you think Wise Living is somehow the solution to your sin problem, then the Teacher says you’ll definitely be disappointed. Even the wisest of sages still have to live with their own sin.

No amount of self-help books or personal productivity tips or therapy or diet and exercise routines can change the fundamental problem of the human heart, that we are born in sin.

#3 - Wise Living Won’t Answer All Your Questions (vv.23-24)

Ecclesiastes 7:23–24 (ESV)

23 All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.

24 That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

No matter how intensely or focused the Teacher is in his search for a satisfying life, and no matter how wise he tries to live, his conclusion is that there are sill unanswered questions. There’s still something missing.

Summary: Wise living might be good, but its Bewildering because it won’t guarantee success, it won’t make you perfect, and it won’t answer all your questions.

Transition: Wise Living is Backward. The second is that Wise Living is Bewildering. The third is that Wise Living is Better than the Alternative.

3. Wise Living is Better than The Alternative (7:25-29)

Context -

After the Teacher realizes that the answer to his quest won’t come from wise living, he begins to wonder if his answer will come from unwise living; specifically, through chasing after relationships.

Ecclesiastes 7:25–29 (ESV)

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.

26 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.

27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things—

28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found.

29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

Explanation

For all his wisdom, Solomon proved to be a fool by seeking out relationships with ungodly women.

1 Kings 11:3–4 (ESV)

3 He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.

4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Solomon sought out relationships with these women who worshipped false gods. They didn’t love the God of Israel. And eventually, Solomon’s heart was turned to their gods as a result.

I think this section is a passage written by Solomon later in his life as He’s reflecting on his decisions and choices.

Remember, He’s seeking out the answers to what makes for a meaningful and satisfying life. He’s testing out wise living to see if that passes the test. And here, as he’s reflecting on his own choices over the years, He reaches this conclusion, again, that wise living might not be the answer, but foolish living isn’t the answer either!

He went looking for some kind of answer, some kind of satisfaction in all these ungodly relationships, and it didn’t get him any closer to solving his riddle. If anything, it only reaffirmed his conclusion that everyone’s a sinner and everything’s broken.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 (ESV)

29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

In the beginning, humanity was created by God and for God, and the tragic reality of the Fall is that now, men and women don’t seek out the glory of God and the good of others. Now they’re schemers, living by themselves, for themselves.

Sidenote: [Gospel Call!] Solomon raises the problems here, especially when he addresses the fact that everyone is a sinner, but he doesn’t give us the details of the solution. But we know from the rest of the Bible that the solution to this sin problem isn’t wise living. It isn’t religion. It isn’t about cleaning yourself up and getting serious about caring for others. It’s about grace.

Jesus: Life, death, resurrection, return, repent and believe

Application -

#1 - If you’re dating, there’s a pretty easy application here.

In both cases, men and women, are you enticed by the ungodly?

Transition: Wise Living is Backward. Its Bewildering. Its Better than the Alternative. And finally, Its Beneficial in a Broken World

4. Wise Living is Beneficial in a Broken World (8:1-9)

Context -

As the Teacher is working through the pros and cons of wise living, he arrives at the conclusion that no, wise living isn’t an airtight way to guarantee success and it’s not the whole story of how to have a satisfying life. But, foolish living is even worse, and so even though there’s more to the story, Wise Living is Beneficial in a Broken World.

Ecclesiastes 8:1–9 (ESV)

1 Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

2 I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him.

3 Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases.

4 For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?”

5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.

6 For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him.

7 For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be?

8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.

9 All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.

Explanation

The Teacher revisits the benefits of wise living.

For one, wise living will generally help you in life; it’ll make your face shine.

That includes following the rules. Obeying the king. Paying your taxes. Etc. Etc.

It also includes being aware of the right time and the right way to go about different things.

It also includes being aware that there’s going to come a day when we’re all going to die. And so rather than living foolishly, we would do well to live wisely, even if that isn’t going to ultimately solve our problem.

Illustration

Application

Summary: Four Characteristics of Wise Living

1. Wise Living is Backward (7:1-14)

2. Wise Living is Bewildering (7:15-24)

3. Wise Living is Better than The Alternative (7:25-29)

4. Wise Living is Beneficial in a Broken World (8:1-9)

Big Idea: Wise living can help you, but it can’t satisfy you.

Wise living is good, but it’s not the answer.

Conclusion