Ecclesiastes 7

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Ecclesiastes 7:1-29 (KJV) 1 A good name [is] better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

A good reputation is better than expensive medicine.  

Because we do not know God, death is better than birth.

 2 [It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that [is] the end of all men; and the living will lay [it] to his heart. 

Bad times make us think.  Happy times we tend to think for the moment.

We must face this saying like it or not, and if you are living you will have the evidence and know this is true.

3 Sorrow [is] better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

To a man who does not know God, it is better than laughter:  at least you think more about the realization of life while you are facing someone's death.

Why do we learn through pain better? Pain makes us remember that we should do something differently.

 4 The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth.

An ungodly person's heart is shown in his face when he is sad, but you cannot tell what goes in a person who is living in folly.

5 [It is] better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. 

Better to have been told the truth than to listen to songs that tell you lies.

Better to be sharply disciplined than to be entertained.

6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so [is] the laughter of the fool: this also [is] vanity. 

Imagine thorns being on fire, so is the sound of a fool having fun.

Thorns under a pot makes a loud quick blaze and dies out soon; so is the sound of what is funny from or to a fool.

7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. 

Abuse makes a wise man angry: to give me a present while I am mad, is an insult.  Just let me do my job.

8 Better [is] the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: [and] the patient in spirit [is] better than the proud in spirit. 

It is better to finish the job than to start the job: it is better to have a spirit or behavior of waiting than responding stubbornly.

patience shows that you respond appropriately and proud people say what they want to say and do not care.

9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 

Practice being calm in all situations.  You can identify a fool by his anger.

10 Say not thou, What is [the cause] that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

Don't live in the past.  You do not know enough about what you are talking about.

 

11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance: and [by it there is] profit to them that see the sun. 

Wisdom is good when you know how to handle what has been given.  

It profits you to know how to live with an understanding of how to use the inheritance.

12 For wisdom [is] a defence, [and] money [is] a defence: but the excellency of knowledge [is, that] wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 

Wisdom is a protector and money is good to have too:  if you find a person who has wisdom, it is because they apply knowledge in an excellent way.

13 Consider the work of God: for who can make [that] straight, which he hath made crooked? 

You cannot change what God has made.  God's judgment cannot be altered.

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 

Be glad when things are good, when hard times strike, think: God created both good times and hard times.  God is the creator of both evil and good.  Don't look beyond what He has created.

15 All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just [man] that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his wickedness. 

Just people die at times sooner than wicked do.

16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 

Don't try to know everything;  don't try to figure everything out: don't kill yourself.

17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 

Don't be a manager of sin, neither live foolishly:  why kill yourself?

18 [It is] good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. 

Listen to the words or advice I just delivered said Solomon.

19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] which are in the city. 

One godly man out weighs 10 strong men found in the city.

20 For [there is] not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. 

Everyone need God's Word.  No one is right without God's Word.

21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: 

Stop listening to gossip.  If you continue to listen, someone who knows you will spread rumors about you.

22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. 

You know you better than anyone else.  Mind your own business.

23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me. 

Solomon says God is BIG, but I want to seek Him out!!!!

24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 

Keep the search to know God and don't quit.  God is worth seeking.

25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness [and] madness: 

Solomon searches among those who think they know God and found wickedness, folly, foolishness and madness among them.  If we are God's people why do our results show that we are disconnected.  The last verse reveals Solomon's results.

26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart [is] snares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

 

God saves good women for godly men.

27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, [counting] one by one, to find out the account: 

Solomon takes his time to search for a man or woman who heeds to the Word of God.

28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. 

I took 1000 men and could not find one who lived holy.  Among the men of 1000, Solomon could not find one woman (perhaps there were more than a 1000 women present) that was in the midst of the men who also lived holy.

29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Solomon said he found this one thing in his search, man can live right if he wanted to.  Man finds all kinds of ways or invent many things to steer him away from the Word of God.