Ecclesiastes 7: 1-14
Jack Abeelen
Some Wisdom For A Better Life
Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
Lots of practical but intangible wisdom in this chapter
"It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." Ecclesiastes 7:2-4
From the transcribed sermon at Morningstar:
"Jesus comes along in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:4, and He said, “Blessed are those who mourn,” Really? “For they shall be comforted.” Sounds ridiculous on the surface, but it isn’t because to be mourning is to look for answers. And in the context there, Jesus is talking about man mourning over his sinfulness, over his inability to change his heart, to correct his behavior, to make things better……..promises he can’t keep. And in mourning over his sin, the Lord comes with His solution, and I find life. I’m comforted, and I get saved. Sorrow is one of life’s best teachers for it boils things down to the basics, and it pushes you to look at the reality of things. There’s an old Arab saying that “sunshine every day makes a desert.” -Abeelen
"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. Ecclesiates 7:5-6
"Look what Solomon says. “A rebuke from a wise person is better for you than to be praised and sang about by fools who really could care less about you.” In fact, in his own poetic style he said, “You know, the praise of fools is kind of like throwing thorns in a campfire. Being so dry, they burn quickly. They snap, crackle and pop. They’re quite a show, and then they’re gone. And then you need to throw more into the fire to keep it going.” Yet, what happens when someone who cares for you rebukes you? Points out something they see clearly in your life, and you listen. Man, that can change your life forever." -Abeelen
"If you want to live a better life, be willing to hear constructive God-led rebuke from those who will be honest with you rather than just the praises of men who could care less about you. Sometimes we need a hug. But other times, a kick in the backside ain’t so bad." -Abeleen
"So, look, rebuke is better than praise. Praise will make you feel good, but it won’t change you. Rebuke will. It’ll confront you with you. It’s a good thing if it comes from godly people who care about your life. Want to live a better life? Be willing to receive a rebuke." -Abeleen
"Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." Ecclesiastes 7:8
James 1:3-4, “the testing of your faith produces patience. If patience has its perfect work, you’ll lack nothing.” “I didn’t ask for that. I didn’t want that.” Jesus said of the parable of the sower, where the seed of God’s Word fell on a soft and willing heart, He said of them there in Luke 8:15, “They hear the Word of God with a good heart, and they keep it and bear fruit with patience.” The Lord said in Luke 21:19, to the disciples, “By your patience possess your souls.” The long haul is superior. The end is better than the beginning. -Abeleen
"Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this." Eccleasiates 7:10
Time diminishes reality. It chromes over it. One day you’ll look back at these days. These will be the “good old days.” So what are you doing with them? The good old days were good because God was working in them. They can be good now if God is working in them. -Abeleen
And finally, I think this is number seven. Always consider God in everything. Verse 13, “Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked?
"You know your eternal future, but you don’t know what tomorrow holds. You can make plans, but God can overrule them. His eternal plan is far better than your five-year plan. And like a doctor, he’ll write a prescription and go, “Here, you need this.” From feasting to mourning, from laughter to sorrow, from praise to rebuke – enough blessings to keep you happy, enough trials to keep you humble – just where you need to be. He knows when it’s time to bless you to keep you going and when it’s time to make you sweat. Because His interest is in you. Consider God in all that you do." -Abeleen
"That guy, Agur, that wrote Proverbs 30, said to the Lord there in verse 8, “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” “I won’t want to be so poor, Lord, that I’ll think about stealing from someone else, and I don’t want to be so rich that I’ll forget about You.” Keep the tension high on both sides. It’s a good prayer."
Some Wisdom For A Better Life
Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
Lots of practical but intangible wisdom in this chapter
"It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." Ecclesiastes 7:2-4
From the transcribed sermon at Morningstar:
"Jesus comes along in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:4, and He said, “Blessed are those who mourn,” Really? “For they shall be comforted.” Sounds ridiculous on the surface, but it isn’t because to be mourning is to look for answers. And in the context there, Jesus is talking about man mourning over his sinfulness, over his inability to change his heart, to correct his behavior, to make things better……..promises he can’t keep. And in mourning over his sin, the Lord comes with His solution, and I find life. I’m comforted, and I get saved. Sorrow is one of life’s best teachers for it boils things down to the basics, and it pushes you to look at the reality of things. There’s an old Arab saying that “sunshine every day makes a desert.” -Abeelen
"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. Ecclesiates 7:5-6
"Look what Solomon says. “A rebuke from a wise person is better for you than to be praised and sang about by fools who really could care less about you.” In fact, in his own poetic style he said, “You know, the praise of fools is kind of like throwing thorns in a campfire. Being so dry, they burn quickly. They snap, crackle and pop. They’re quite a show, and then they’re gone. And then you need to throw more into the fire to keep it going.” Yet, what happens when someone who cares for you rebukes you? Points out something they see clearly in your life, and you listen. Man, that can change your life forever." -Abeelen
"If you want to live a better life, be willing to hear constructive God-led rebuke from those who will be honest with you rather than just the praises of men who could care less about you. Sometimes we need a hug. But other times, a kick in the backside ain’t so bad." -Abeleen
"So, look, rebuke is better than praise. Praise will make you feel good, but it won’t change you. Rebuke will. It’ll confront you with you. It’s a good thing if it comes from godly people who care about your life. Want to live a better life? Be willing to receive a rebuke." -Abeleen
"Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." Ecclesiastes 7:8
James 1:3-4, “the testing of your faith produces patience. If patience has its perfect work, you’ll lack nothing.” “I didn’t ask for that. I didn’t want that.” Jesus said of the parable of the sower, where the seed of God’s Word fell on a soft and willing heart, He said of them there in Luke 8:15, “They hear the Word of God with a good heart, and they keep it and bear fruit with patience.” The Lord said in Luke 21:19, to the disciples, “By your patience possess your souls.” The long haul is superior. The end is better than the beginning. -Abeleen
"Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this." Eccleasiates 7:10
Time diminishes reality. It chromes over it. One day you’ll look back at these days. These will be the “good old days.” So what are you doing with them? The good old days were good because God was working in them. They can be good now if God is working in them. -Abeleen
And finally, I think this is number seven. Always consider God in everything. Verse 13, “Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked?
"You know your eternal future, but you don’t know what tomorrow holds. You can make plans, but God can overrule them. His eternal plan is far better than your five-year plan. And like a doctor, he’ll write a prescription and go, “Here, you need this.” From feasting to mourning, from laughter to sorrow, from praise to rebuke – enough blessings to keep you happy, enough trials to keep you humble – just where you need to be. He knows when it’s time to bless you to keep you going and when it’s time to make you sweat. Because His interest is in you. Consider God in all that you do." -Abeleen
"That guy, Agur, that wrote Proverbs 30, said to the Lord there in verse 8, “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” “I won’t want to be so poor, Lord, that I’ll think about stealing from someone else, and I don’t want to be so rich that I’ll forget about You.” Keep the tension high on both sides. It’s a good prayer."
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