Ecclesiastes 7:7

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:7-9, “Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.[8] Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.[9] Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” In verse 7 we are told a couple of things that can take us off our game or cause us to lose our perspective. We want to succeed at our Christian endeavors for the name of Christ. What are some of the obstacles in life that can cause us to fail? Two such obstacles are mentioned in verse 7. The obstacles come from other people. Some people will outright oppose us. We have to be careful how we react to such opposition. We do not want to return anger for anger or the ways of the world to the ways of the world. If we do that, then we fail Christ our Savior, and instead of being “wise” Solomon says that we will be “mad.”

Also, our enemies might come against us with something that is much different than “oppression.” They might come with a “gift.” But Solomon says in verse 7, “a gift destroyeth the heart.” The heart refers to our innermost desires and purposes. Many of our politicians and leaders have been corrupted by this principle. They would have done one thing based upon their feeling of duty to the people and to their country, but “a gift destroyeth the heart.” They are given one or more gifts from various self-interested parties, and then they change. Their priorities and their decisions change.

For a Christian the goal is to accomplish the task and to finish the job, and to complete the calling that the Lord Jesus has given to us. That is what Ecclesiastes 7:8 is talking about: “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Many people start well, but they do not finish what they started. What good is that? In verse 8 Solomon tells us an important quality to have to be able to finish the job: patience. “the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Why do we need patience: because things are not going to happen as quickly as we wish. They almost never do. Along the way there will be opposition, there will be pitfalls, there will be heartaches, and there will be terrible disappointments. Many people just quit eventually. One of these difficulties become too much for them. As far as Christians are concerned with the great goal of following Christ for their entire life, one of the most common problems that cause them to give up and stop is a sin of some kind. Some Christians sin, and they are so ashamed and so disappointed at their own failure that they stop trying to follow Christ. God has a solution for that: First John 1:9. It says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:10, “Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.” You have heard the common saying about “the good old days.” Solomon says that such a statement is a false statement, and only an unwise person would say such a thing. Why would wise Solomon say that there is no such thing as: the good old days? In very important ways all days are the same. Every day has its opportunity. Every day has its temptations. Every day has its challenge to do good or to do evil. Every day might be your last day on this earth, so turn to Christ while you have today.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:11-14, “Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.[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.[13] Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?[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.” One of the ways of coming into money is through an inheritance. But whenever anyone gets a lot of money suddenly, it can lead to sorrow if the money is not used wisely. We have seen that happen to sports figures and to lottery winners. Money can have a practical use to it, if it is used wisely. It takes money to build a Children’s Hospital in order to help the sick children of the world. Money can increase your opportunities to do something for Christ, if you use the money rightly. “Money is a defense.” Money can be useful against some of the problems of life, but only if you know how to use money properly. As in all things, you need wisdom. Of course, there are things that money cannot do. Money cannot make the crooked straight. Money cannot heal the soul. Money cannot buy the forgiveness of sins. Money cannot alter the will of God, and so Solomon said in verse 13, “Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?”

Prosperity can come and go more than once in a lifetime. If you have wisdom from God, you can handle any circumstance. If you walk with Christ your Savior, you can deal successfully with whatever state He puts you in. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.[12] I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.[13] I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Solomon said the same basic thing in Ecclesiastes 7:14, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider.”

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:15, “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.” Things do not always turn out the way that we think they should or even the way we think they would because of our presuppositions. Some wicked people are going to die young because the fruit of their ways must be born out. But other wicked people are going to live a long time in spite of their ways. Of course, “a long time” is relative. No matter how long they live, it will be a very short time compared to eternity.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:16-20, “Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?[17] Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?[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.[19] Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.[20] For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Self-righteousness is when you evaluate yourself and come to the conclusion that you are righteous, especially in comparing yourself to others. Such an attitude would be a grave error. Solomon said in verse 20, “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” It is funny how such people think that their sins are not as bad as other people’s sins. Jesus had more opposition from the religious self-righteous Pharisees than anyone else, and Jesus rebuked them more than anyone else. What Jesus said against the Pharisees applies to all self-righteous religious people. Jesus said in Matthew 23:13-33, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.[14] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.[15] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.[16] Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor![17] Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?[18] And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.[19] Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?[20] Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.[21] And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.[22] And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.[23] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.[24] Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.[25] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.[26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.[27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.[28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.[29] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,[30] And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.[31] Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.[32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.[33] Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” If a person is a true Christian who became a Christian through the forgiveness of sins by faith in Christ, and if such a person never forgets where they came from and what they would have been without Christ, then they will not become self-righteous. For believers, our righteousness is in Christ. We have no righteousness of our own. It is wonderful when you think about the fact that God took away our unrighteousness, and then credited to our account the righteousness of Christ. Only a righteous person will be allowed in heaven, and so we know that we have an entrance into heaven reserved for us because of Jesus, and not because of ourselves. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:8-9, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,[9] And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

In Ecclesiastes 7:18 Solomon said, “for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.” Having a reverential fear of God means that you are aware of your own capacity to fail, and you are aware of the fact that God is holy and must judge sin. Just look at what Jesus suffered on Calvary to satisfy the just demands of a holy God. People who do not fear God are arrogant, and self-willed, and in a place of eventual judgment. But those who do fear God in the right way, while walking in fellowship with Christ, are in a very good place spiritually-speaking. Believers in Jesus will survive and prosper: they will “come forth of them all.”

Most people would like to be strong instead of weak. What is an important element to true strength? It says in Ecclesiastes 7:20, “Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.” For a believer, Jesus is both our wisdom and our strength. What a great benefit to being a Christian.

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