Words of Wisdom

If you’ve been with us for this series and you’re curious or wondering why we have zoomed in on topics or themes in Ecclesiastes (topical exposition) as opposed to our usual chapter by chapter/verse by verse exposition—it’s because of the way Ecclesiastes tends to circle back to the same themes in a way that seems to avoid structure. If we had followed the structure of Ecclesiastes this series may have felt circular, repetitive or disjointed. Instead we’ve covered all of the verses but in a way that fits a sermon series a bit better.

Wisdom Under The Sun

So, this week, we will look at what the narrator of Ecclesiastes (named Qoheleth in Hebrew) says about wisdom under the sun, and we’ll find that he just gives us good advice left right and centre. So this is my attempt at synthesizing all of Qoheleth’s wise advice, which are mostly connected to the words that we speak (this is why I titled this sermon with a double entendre, Words of Wisdom).

But why is Qoheleth giving us words of wisdom when he has already said that wisdom is vanity because everything under the sun leads to death? There’s a whole sermon on the vanity of wisdom from this past September, titled Wisdom From Above (click here to read/listen to that sermon).

Qoheleth’s answer: Wisdom has some benefits: “Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. 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” (Ecc. 7:12).

In other words, to actually survive in this vain life—you need wisdom, like money. Though temporary, it is beneficial for you. In fact, it’s actually more beneficial than other options under the sun!

“Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness…" (Ecc. 2:13-14a).

And these are the two kinds of people under the sun that Qoheleth identifies throughout the rest of Ecclesiastes. So, let’s peruse through those passages (they are all in your outline). First, he describes the wise man.

Two Kinds of People

1) The Wise Man

“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” (8:1).

First, Qoheleth says that a wise man is so rare under the sun that he stands out from the crowd. That’s the point of his rhetorical questions here. And the wise man’s face looks so different from everyone else around him that he shines—it is obvious to all that he is a wise man.

Not only is the wise man one among a thousand, but he is also stronger than all of them combined.

“Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city” (7:19).

While Qoheleth says that there’s strength in numbers (Ecc. 4:9-12), he also says that wisdom is stronger than numbers. Think of the power that ten rulers or officials in a city would have. But Qoheleth says that a lone wise man is more powerful than ten kings. How is that possible?!

Last week, we heard about the poor wise man in chapter 9 and how he, by his wisdom, saved a city under attack—something that the king himself couldn’t even do with his battalion of soldiers (Ecc. 9:13-15). Here, Qoheleth multiplies the one king by ten to emphasize how much stronger the wise man is than these kings and their armies!

Not only is the wise man stronger than numbers, but the wise man is also successful in whatever he does!

“If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed” (10:10).

The wise man doesn’t rely on sheer strength alone—he finds success by relying on wisdom. As the saying goes, “brains over brawn.” It’s actually unwise to keep splitting logs with an axehead that has a blunt edge (whether the lumberjack is too ignorant or lazy to sharpen it) because you’ll be way less efficient.

Here’s another idiom that we’re familiar with: “Work smarter, not harder.” That doesn’t negate hard work, but prioritizes efficiency in getting the hard work done. Wisdom works well, and the wise man finds success—not just in his work but also with his words: “The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor” (10:12a).

Wherever the wise man goes, he stands out. Regardless of whoever he’s around or however many, he is stronger than them. Whatever he does, whether splitting logs or speaking to people, he is successful in the end. These are markers of a wise man, according to Qoheleth.

But there’s another kind of man under the sun, who is called the fool. And here’s how Qoheleth identifies the fool. Look at the rest of verse 12 to 15.

The Fool

“…but the lips of a fool consume him. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness” (10:12b-15).

While the wise man’s words lead to success, the fool’s words lead to destruction. Yet, the content of his speech suggests that this is self-destruction. He starts with foolish talk (some translations say foolish assumptions), and ends with sinful and crazy conclusions. Does that sound familiar? “Oh my goodness, did you hear about that person who said this? Can you believe they said that??! What a _______.”

And the fool can never stop talking like this, because he can never stop talking (period)!

“A fool multiplies words…” (10:14).

They just keep talking and talking without thinking, and no wonder why they arrive at sinful and crazy conclusions. Proverbs 10:19: “When words are many, transgression is not lacking.” When the fool finishes his thought, he doesn’t stop talking to listen—he merely stops to think about what he’s gonna say next.

And once he’s figured out what he wants to say, he will blurt it out (and even when other people are speaking, he will talk over them until they’re forced to shut up and listen to him).

Do you know anyone like this? These people states all their opinions as facts, and every quick assumption leads to an immediate conclusion, even "though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him” (10:14). In other words, no one can really see the whole picture and no one can tell another what is about to happen. The fool thinks he knows everything there is to know, when in fact he knows nothing!

There’s an old movie that celebrates fools called Johnny English—and the cover title said (about Johnny English): “He knows no fear. He knows no danger. He knows nothing.” It’s funny, isn’t it? It’s hilarious because watching fools is like watching chickens running around with their heads cut off. They have no idea what they’re doing or where they’re going.

“The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city” (10:15).

Even when a fool tries to do something useful and get to work, he uses up more energy than necessary because he has no idea what he’s doing! It’s like someone driving to work in the city who thinks he knows where he’s going—but instead of pulling out Google Maps, he just drives and drives because he thinks he knows the way but ends up taking the long way around! 

This kind of person can be seen everywhere—not just in ancient Israel, but also in northeast Saskatchewan. And generally, they stick out like a sore thumb. Look back to verses 2-3 in chapter 10:

“A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool” (10:2-3).

Like we saw earlier, the wise man stands out for his wisdom and way of life—but so does the fool. And the fool can’t help but stand out because their foolish ways are plain obvious to everyone else. Now, fools would rarely say to others, “Hey, my name is Fool,” but Qoheleth’s point here is that they basically say those very words in their everyday talk.

So when the fool speaks or tries to work, he fails to find success—unlike the wise man. While he stands out like the wise man, he does so for a very different (and undesirable) reason—people generally wouldn’t want to see or hear him, unlike the would the wise man.

These are the two kinds of people that Qoheleth identifies in this life under the sun—the wise man and the fool, who are each known by their words. Yet, it’s clear which person and way of life Qoheleth advises his audience to emulate. You don’t want to be the fool—but you do want to be like the wise man.

Even though he says wisdom is vapour and temporary, Qoheleth still thinks that wisdom is better than foolishness. So, he encourages people to be wise and choose the better way over alternatives that pick the easier way out. This is why he gives advice on what to listen to in verses 5-6.

Wisdom is Better

1) What To Listen To (7:5-6)

“It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity” (7:5-6).

Have you ever given in to the guilty pleasure of enjoying a certain song that has a really good sounding tune to it—even though the words were actually terrible because it celebrates foolishness like sexual immorality, drunkenness or other foolish things—simply because it felt good? (Guilty as charged.)

Or do you remember the last time you laughed so hard at a terrible joke because it was just too funny to resist, even though the joke involved inappropriate humour or made fun of someone else? (I certainly have in the distant past.)

Qoheleth says that a “good laugh” from a bad joke is like the good sound of wood crackling in the fire as it burns—it doesn’t last, and you’ll need more wood to keep the fire going. It might sound really good, but it’s all vapour.

But what’s better than a good tune or a good laugh? Qoheleth’s answer: The rebuke (or correction) of the wise. Do you remember the last time someone wise (like an older Christian) corrected you with a rebuke?

Do you remember how you received their rebuke, or how you responded to them afterwards?

More often than not, rebuke does not feel good or sound good the moment you hear it (Qoheleth doesn’t deny that—in fact, he affirms it). But Qoheleth says that it’s better to be rebuked—which doesn’t sound good or feel good in the moment—because that wisdom will do you good in the long run (even in this vain life), and enduring rebuke until the end still offers a better return than enjoying dumb songs or dumb jokes in the moment.

What does this mean for us today? For some of us, it might mean re-evaluating our music playlists. For others, it might mean re-evaluating our jokes and humour—both the ones we say or laugh to. For all of us, it definitely means evaluating how we hear rebuke.

Are you open to hearing wise and godly rebuke, or are you allergic to it? (“How could that person tell me that? Who does he think he is?”). Do you receive it with humbleness or defensiveness? (“Yeah, but… Don’t you do that too? Doesn’t everyone?”). Do you hear out the rebuke or tune it out?

Do you thank the people who rebuke you, or do you resent or hate them along with their rebuke? Proverbs 12:1 says this: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” Solomon’s rebuke? Don’t be stupid. Qoheleth’s rebuke? Don’t be a fool.

I’m more convinced today that one of the tell-tale marks of a true and genuine Christian is their openness to reproof and correction—i.e. wisdom. Let me share a few examples of some of the best and wisest responses to rebuke I’ve heard from people (many of whom are in this room right now):

You probably weren’t looking forward to telling me that. Thank you for pointing that out to me.

You know what, you’re probably right. I do need to be better at that.

I really needed that, and please point it out to me if I do it again.

These are words of wisdom, and they come from those who hear wise rebuke. This is what Qoheleth says that wise people need to listen to. Yet, Qoheleth also specifies what not to listen to as wise people in verse 21.

2) What Not To Listen To (7:21-22)

“Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you” (7:21-22).

In verse 5, Qoheleth advises to listen to the rebuke of the wise. Here, in verse 21, he advises not to take to heart the curses of a servant. So, Qoheleth puts the reader in the shoes of a master who hears the curses of his subordinates.

Think like you’re a business owner or employer who coincidentally overhears your employees complaining about you or criticizing how you do things behind your back. And Qoheleth says: They’re just your servants—don’t give their comments more credit than they deserve.

Not only are they your servants, but they’re also sinners. In verse 20, Qoheleth says: “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (7:20). Don’t be surprised if sinners talk like sinners. That’s his first reason as to why the wise shouldn’t be so hyper-sensitive.

But what’s his second reason? Don’t take every curse to heart, because “your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others” (7:22).

Don’t be surprised if sinners talk like sinners—especially because you yourself are one and have talked like one.

Here is the golden rule: Don’t get mad at people for what you yourself have done to other people.

You’ve cursed others when you were alone behind closed doors, whether with your mouth or in your heart. You’ve spoken ill of others while telling your spouse or family members or close friends about your frustrations with this people—justifying sin in the name of marriage or family or friendship.

So don’t take offence at every single comment that irks you the wrong way since there’s a good chance you probably deserve it anyway.

Does anyone else find this rebuke from Qoheleth super hard to receive? I do… I don’t think that anyone would necessarily enjoy hearing off-hand comments about them from other people, especially ones that are said in the name of “truth” (“you can’t lie”) or humour (the “no offence” or “just kidding” comments). But man, have we ever done that to other people in the past—so I guess we’re just getting our dues.

Now, notice that Qoheleth is speaking to the one receiving the curse—not to the one giving the curse. So please don’t think that Qoheleth is giving people permission to curse others here. He still correlates cursing with sin (7:20), so don’t come away from this thinking: “See, the Bible says that I can make off-hand comments or jokes about people whenever I want, so they can just chill out, grow thicker skin, and not be so overly sensitive.”

Rather, Qoheleth speaks to the one who is at risk of getting offended by other people’s curses, and merely reminds them that these are consequences of their past sins. What Paul would add to this is Colossians 3:13: “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

One commentator summed this up by suggesting one practical application for us today: “If we would not want others to take great offense at every offhanded remark we have made about them [past tense], then we should not take offense at every [off-handed comment] we hear about ourselves.”

Here is wisdom for us. Don’t take to heart every little comment that offends you and think that’s conclusive of everything that person thinks about you. And if you know one person that regularly does this to you—Jesus would tell you: “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt. 5:44)—because that’s what Jesus did for you.

And of course, there comes a time when you need to talk to your brother or sister in Christ if they habitually sin against you in this way. But Qoheleth tells us not to over-react and over-analyze every comment that offends us as soon as it’s said. It means we’re okay to overlook offences.

This is hard to receive—but this is precisely what Qoheleth says is better for us in the long run. Do listen to wise rebuke, but do not listen to foolish curses. And if wise people are not above cursing, it makes sense that Qoheleth would give some advice on what not to say as wise people.

3) What Not To Say (7:7-10)

“Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart” (7:7).

When health problems arise or reputations are on the line, even the wisest of them all are not above foolishness or corruption. So, Qoheleth strikes a balance and addresses how even the wisest people can fall victim to sin. If there are no righteous people on earth, then even wise people are suspect to foolish words and actions. Even in the last decade, haven’t we seen our fair share of esteemed Christians who have fallen down this path?

This includes financial folly. In down seasons, dishonest financial gain (like bribes in the Ancient Near East, which were explicitly condemned throughout the Old Testament) can be very tempting to the wise yet needy person. Today, that’s like fudging information or numbers to get bigger tax returns. Or think about actual modern-day bribes for monetary gain: “I’ll just look the other way,” or “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”

So instead of being hasty with words or actions (even in hard times), Qoheleth says that playing the long game will prove to be valuable in the end:

“Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools” (7:8-9).

Many of us are familiar with the saying, “It matters more how you finish than how you started.” Though many who espouse that phrase don’t realize that it comes from biblical wisdom, specifically Ecclesiastes!

And according to Qoheleth, proud and angry people are fools because they lack such wisdom when they react to situations right away (in pride and anger) instead of being patient and waiting it out for a bit before responding—whether to a wise rebuke (7:5-6) or difficult circumstances (7:7-9).

I’m no professional by any means, but in my youth I have found that the most helpful words to say in the heat of anger is nothing. And if we must say something, it’s probably better to take it to Jesus in prayer (because he’s right there with you and the person you want to murder). Simply put, Qoheleth says not to be a fool by easily giving in to your pride or anger.

This is why he tells his readers not to say such rash words, even in times of hardship: “Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this’” (7:10). “It was way better back when I didn’t have this hard thing in my life right now.”

One popular song that came out after I graduated high school over a decade ago said these words: “Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days.” The song talked about the hardship of the author’s adult life and his desire to be back in his momma’s arms—it was so relatable for people that it quickly made its way inside the top 10 songs of that year.

Because isn’t that the instinctive human reaction? When we’re not thinking about this as carefully, even we as Christians might find ourselves saying: “Yep, the good ole days were when I didn’t have responsibilities like paying bills—or back when my body/health was at its peak.” But Qoheleth says that this is foolish talk—it is not from wisdom that we say these things.

Why? There is nothing new under the sun. History repeats itself, so fools need to get with the times. Because not all new things are bad, and not all old things are good—there’s never been a golden era. Nothing is new under the sun.

Think of the foolishness that comes with nostalgia:

• Younger people, maybe you’re tempted to be stressed out and bypass present responsibilities like that twenty-one pilots song.
• People with kids saying, “If only we could get our freedom back.” Older people who have older kids saying, “I wish our kids were younger again.”
  
• Think about spiritual nostalgia. “I’m not feeling the spiritual high I got at camp in the summers.” Or, “church doesn’t feel like the way it used to feel, so we have to bring it back to how it was before.”

Qoheleth says, “Foolishness. This kind of nostalgia doesn’t make you any happier. Better is the end than its beginning, so be patient. Don’t speak in your pride or anger or use up your vocabulary to recount the good old days when times are hard. This is what not to say.”

And Qoheleth virtually says the same thing in our next passage when he tells the wise to be careful with what they say, but in regard to a specific circumstance. He gives further advice on what to do and what not to do, starting in chapter 5.

4) What To Do & What Not To Do (5:1-7; 7:15-18)

“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil” (5:1).

Here, Qoheleth is thinking of the temple (the house of God) where the people of Israel would’ve gone to offer sacrifices. And he tells the wise not to offer sacrifices like fools who are unable to discern that they’re sinning against God in their offering—but instead to draw near and listen. The temple was not just a place for offering sacrifices, but also for listening to the reading and explanation of the law/God’s words.

So what’s the sacrifice of fools, and why is listening to God’s words the better thing to do? Qoheleth explains in verses 2-3: “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words” (5:2-3).

Sounds like the sacrifice of fools involves… their hasty and many words! So, Qoheleth tells the wise not to be quick to speak before God since his throne is up high in heaven. One does not simply say whatever or however much he wants to the King, so make sure to limit your words to a minimum. But what are these specific words that fools tend to recklessly offer as sacrifices? Qoheleth specifies in verses 4-5.

“When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay” (5:4-5).

Vows in the OT were voluntary, but full payment was required once vows were made (Deut. 23:22-23; Ps. 76:11). And since vows weren’t required, Qoheleth cautions the wise from making unrealistic vows to God in case they realize later on that it’s hard or impossible to keep them.

Think of Jephthah and his rash vow to offer up whatever came out of his house doors first—which happened to be his one and only daughter (Judg. 11:30-31, 34-39). Qoheleth would say that to do such a thing would be foolish.

So if there’s chance that you can’t keep your word, then Qoheleth says not to say a word at all—God does not find pleasure in those who delay in keeping their word or find ways around their words when the priestly messenger from the temple comes to claim what was promised (to the letter).

“Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear” (5:6-7).

Once the messenger comes, the ones who made the vow cannot change their minds or twist their words by appealing to an unintentional mistake in their wording of the vow—otherwise, God’s wrath will come upon them in a big way (like Ananias and Sapphira when they lied to God in Acts 5).

This is why the wise must fear God—because he will hold them to account for every careless word (Matt. 12:36-37). God cares about every word we say! This is why Jesus tells his disciples to let their yes be yes and their no be no as opposed to making oaths, because anything beyond this is evil (Matt. 5:33-37).

To sum up Qoheleth’s advice in chapter 5: Be careful with the words that you say to God—how quickly and how much. Do not sin with your mouth, lest God come to judge you. Yet, notice that the “do not” section is not Qoheleth’s main advice. Instead, he advises what is better to do in verse 1: guard your steps (or your lives) and listen to God.

For Christians today, we need to guard our steps/lives—not when we go to the house of God, but as the house of God. And how do we best do that? By quietly listening to God’s words! Do we have a regular quiet time that we devote to listening to God’s word? More often than not, a lack of discipline in quietly listening to God (i.e. devotions) results in an unguarded life that’s very vulnerable to sin.

This is also why we spend much of the time in our Sunday gatherings (like right now) sitting down quietly and listening to the thought-over, prayed-over, and laboured-over preaching of the Word from the pulpit—as opposed to reading Scripture in a big circle and casually asking each other what we think about the passage (as some Christians seem to prefer these days).

But we can’t assume that we’re above this, so let me ask the question: Do we quietly listen to the Word as it’s preached or taught in our gatherings so that we might gain wisdom? Or do we just quietly sit through them while God’s words go in one ear and out the other—because our minds are too busy thinking about the next exciting thing that’s happening?

Quietly listening to God speak is a result of fearing God—the exhortation that Qoheleth ends this section with. When the King speaks (through his word and his messenger), Qoheleth encourages the wise to close their mouths and listen out of reverent fear of God. Not just on Sunday mornings, but whenever the Bible is opened and spoken (that includes family devotions, mid-week Bible studies, or even 1 on 1 conversations).

5) What To Avoid

And the fear of God seems to be the same driver for Qoheleth’s last piece of advice in our last passage (chapter 7), which strangely addresses two extremes and what to avoid: “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” (7:15).

Here, Qoheleth says that being righteous doesn't necessarily guarantee a long life, so he seems to suggest that maybe we shouldn't be overly concerned about being righteous. That's the thought behind his very interesting advice in verse 16. “Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?” (Ecc. 7:16).

If Qoheleth identifies the markers of a righteous man based on the righteous deeds that they do, he also says not to overdo “righteousness” lest he destroy himself. For example, Christians who keep themselves busy working hard on good things but never sleep will literally kill themselves.

There’s much more to be said here about well-intentioned Christians who tirelessly labour in juggling life and ministry (which is a good thing)—but the problem is that they tirelessly labour in juggling life and ministry at the expense of sleep or loved ones.

In eternity, we are free to do good works till the day dawns (because it doesn’t). But on this side of eternity, God gave his beloved sleep (Ps. 127:2)—so Qoheleth says that we don't need to wear ourselves out trying to be too scrupulous or too paranoid about doing everything right and good.

I find it interesting that even in our circles here, I’ve heard comments like: “Days off? What’s that?” (I’ve been guilty of that statement myself.) It’s almost as if overworking is worn like a badge of honour. Our hard-working conservative Christian culture might celebrate that—but the Bible doesn’t.

Qoheleth says that taking a break is necessary in this vain life—even for righteous people—so that they don’t burn out and destroy themselves from doing a longer lifetime of good works and righteous deeds.

But also, verse 17 says: “Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?” (Ecc. 7:17). Don't think he's telling people it’s okay to be a little bit wicked. He's going to say in verse 20 that there is not a man on earth who doesn't sin. Wickedness is our default. So by saying "be not overly wicked," he might as well be saying "you're already plenty wicked enough. Don't make it any worse.”

Wickedness and foolishness do generally lead to death, and the more you engage in them the more you tempt death. So don't be a fool and don't flirt with death.

Verse 18 is hard to understand, but it seems to be an encouragement to take his advice seriously. “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” (Ecc. 7:18).

Qoheleth seems to suggest that the one who fears God will take his advice and avoid the extremes he's described already. They won't pursue wickedness and they won't try to be over-righteous. In doing so, they hold on to wisdom for dear life.

Wisdom Above The Sun

So there we have it. Qoheleth’s words of wisdom for life under the sun, and the catalyst being the fear of God. But we know that Qoheleth’s perspective on life is insufficient because he couldn’t see the whole picture.

He didn’t get the vantage point of eternal life and wisdom from above the sun that you and I today get to have—that is, Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24, 30) who came down from heaven above (James 3:15-18).

And this is what we get to look forward to as we celebrate the Lord’s supper today. Even though we live on this side of eternity, we can know that Qoheleth’s words of wisdom to us aren’t actually meaningless because they find their eternal meaning and value in Jesus.

This is Jesus' words of wisdom, not Qoheleth’s. As the song we’ll sing in response to this says: “Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true Word. I ever with thee and Thou with me Lord.”