Ecclesiastes 7-8
Chapter 7: Wisdom Goeth Life
In short… enjoy
what you have while you can, but realize that adversity and hard times can
strike at any moment. Because of this, life is short. Death is inevitable. We
shouldn't ignore it because it makes sense to plan ahead to experience God's
mercy rather than his justice. People who are too righteous and too wise are
blind to their own faults. There will always be things that we don't understand.
Thinking that you have attained enough wisdom is a sure sign that you haven't.
“Sorrow
is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is
made better.” (Ecclesiastes 7:3)
Sorrow can also bring some of the
best knowledge, because by experience we learn.
“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.” (Ecclesiastes 7:12)
You can have defence with money,
but only with knowledge and wisdom can you have lasting defence from your
enemies.
“For
there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” (Ecclesiastes
7:20)
We all sin. Simple as that, don’t
think you are better than others. It is like the phrase; ‘everyone sins
differently’ So don’t go judging people.
“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.” (Ecclesiastes 7:25)
We need to ACTIVELY search to know
the truth, don’t think you know everything. Always be open to learn. A wise man
of 70 years old can still learn from a toddler, if that man wants to learn.
Chapter 8: None Have Power over Death
True wisdom comes
from knowing and trusting God, not merely the way to find him. Knowing God will
lead to understanding and then to sharing that knowledge with others. Even in a
man could have all of the world's wisdom, he would still know very little. No
one can fully comprehend God.
“There is no man that hath power
over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of
death; and there is no discharge in that war…” (Ecclesiastes 8:8)
If you ever think you are
invincible or special, realize that we are nothing to God. We have no power
over death; if it is our time… we will die.
“When I applied mine heart to
know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also
there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) Then I beheld
the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the
sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea
further; thou a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.”
(Ecclesiastes 8:16-17)
God
is always working, day and night! Those who seek to know God’s work, will never
be able to fully understand His work, and those who claim to know His work are
fools.
