Ecclesiastes 7:19-25

Rachel Workman: ¹⁹ One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

²⁰ Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. With this in mind, I feel pointing out other people’s sins to them is unproductive. How can we point a finger at someone for sin when we ourselves are also guilty of sin?

²¹ Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you. ²² For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

²³ I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work. ²⁴ Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. ²⁵ I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

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John Burnett:  Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. ²⁰ Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. ²¹ Also, do not ^[a]take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you.²² For ^[b]you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

²³ I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. ²⁴ What has been is remote and exceedingly ^[c]mysterious. Who can discover it? ²⁵ I ^[d]directed my ^[e]mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.  Verse 20 points out the total depravity of man and our condemned state because we can do no good.  In verse 23, Solomon declares himself righteous (“I will be wise.”) but he was far from it.  When we see ourselves as righteous (wise), pride is our problem and James 4:6 says that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. This is witnessed in today’s church when we hear someone declare their own righteousness by asking Jesus into their heart.  This is usually done with the reward of Heaven in mind and sin and what Jesus did to cleanse us of it, is nowhere in the equation.  The pride and haughtiness to think that Jesus needs your permission to save you is such a low view of King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He will show mercy to whom He shows mercy and he doesn’t need our permission.  

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Tomorrow’s reading for Ecclesiastes 7:26-29

²⁶ I discovered that a seductive woman^[b] is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.
²⁷ “This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. ²⁸ Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! ²⁹ But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

Ecclesiastes 7:10-18

Rachel Workman: Don’t long for “the good old days.”
    This is not wise.

¹¹ Wisdom is even better when you have money.
    Both are a benefit as you go through life.
¹² Wisdom and money can get you almost anything,
    but only wisdom can save your life.

¹³ Accept the way God does things,
    for who can straighten what he has made crooked?
¹⁴ Enjoy prosperity while you can,
    but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.
    Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

I love these verses. Accepting the way God does things is the same as trusting God. If he blesses me great, if he chooses suffering for me I accept that as well. 

¹⁵ I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. ¹⁶ So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? ¹⁷ On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? ¹⁸ Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.^[a]

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Pat Bell:  This reading speaks to me today. It is something i have to work on. Nothing is certain, i live with the fear of the unknown.

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John Burnett:  ¹⁰ Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
¹¹ Wisdom along with an inheritance is good
And an advantage to those who see the sun.
¹² For wisdom is ^[a]protection just as money is ^[b]protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.
¹³ Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?
¹⁴ In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other 
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him

We should be happy with the prosperity that God gives us because He also causes adversity. 

¹⁵ I have seen everything during my ^[k]lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. ¹⁶ Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? ¹⁷ Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? ¹⁸ It is good that you grasp one thing and also not ^[l]let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with ^[m]both of them.  

Verse 16 is the one that I struggle with the most.  Self-righteosness is the sin that Jesus hates the most ie. the Pharisees.  When think to highly of ourselves we think we don’t need Jesus.  Jesus and our righteousness does not save.  Faith alone, by grace alone, in Jesus Christ alone saves.  Nothing else.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Ecclesiastes 7:19-25

¹⁹ One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

²⁰ Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

²¹ Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you. ²² For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

²³ I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work. ²⁴ Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. ²⁵ I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.