That’s not to say that there were no righteous women in the Preacher’s day. It’s wise for you to consider your end and act based on what you learn. Reality is, some courses of action are better than others. And the emphasis I think is on having a long life. And the reason he has made both is so that no one really knows what’s coming next – it could be prosperity or adversity. COUNSEL FOR BALANCED LIVING (7:15-29) A. And don’t be hasty – the opposite of patient – to be angry. And yet, the Preacher wants us to value this day above your birth day. ecc 7:0. It is good to remember that. 7:1-12 and 6:12b is linked to 7:13-14 by the phrase "after him" [BDB 29]). Avoid extremism in seeking to righteous and wise, lest you destroy yourself b. So, pay attention to both of these warnings. Vexation is better than laughter, for with a stern countenance the heart will rejoice. Next, the Preacher compares another difficult thing with something pleasant…. Peshitta, Targum, and Talmud attribute the authorship of the book to King Solomon. But we’ve all sought out many evil schemes. 25 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: Now, we’ve heard this kind of statement before. I came across your site and Wow it couldn’t be a simpler, non-complex explanation. I’d want that. The UBS Translator's Handbook on Ecclesiastes (p. 214) asserts that the last two rhetorical questions of Eccl. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better [in sadness of face (sober reflection) there is good for the heart]. And yet, even then, can’t you wish for some other way to enter into glory? Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary Ecclesiastes 7:6. That’s what we saw in the previous verse – that emphasis on prolonging one’s life. It’s fleeting. Solomon, in these verses, recommends wisdom to us as the best antidote against those distempers of mind which we are liable to, by reason of the vanity and vexation of spirit that there are in the things of this world. (Read Ecclesiastes 7:1-6) Reputation for piety and honesty is more desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world. We will all die in the end. The fool doesn’t consider death. Fui edificado com o comentário que você postou. 7:1 A good name [reputation] is better than precious ointment [perfume]; Well, that’s not so bad. Again, the beginning of something is naturally more exciting and hopeful. The day of one’s death is difficult. And, there is an overriding theme: What Is Better. 15 ¶ All [the following two] things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in [despite] his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in [despite] his wickedness. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. We may … But the Preacher sees that the value of the end of that thing is higher. And whichever of those is the case, it’s similar to the effect that a bribe has on a person – it corrupts that person’s heart. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Verse Thoughts. The context here is the house of mourning – or a funeral. And he’ll be unprepared for what’s to come. And it’s when life is filled with these kinds of things that we’re most likely to bitterly contend with God. Ecclesiastes overview / walkthrough. Be patient. Those thorns under a pot will burn and crackle quickly and will be no more. Or at least, they should. Ecclesiastes Chapter 7. You don’t need to wait for it. Death is the end of everyone. So, in Ecclesiastes 7:1-14, the Preacher talks to us about the value of difficult things over pleasant things. for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this [asking this question is not wise]. Chapter 7. Next, the Preacher moves from the value of the difficult task of considering one’s death to hearing rebuke…. He’d rather just enjoy life and forget all about the reality of death. Obey both commands. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. 10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? There was a day when you were born. The man who does right dies young and the man who is evil lives a long time. He is here, more than any where in all this book, putting on the habit of a penitent. And he’s going to be completely unprepared. 24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? But the day when you die will be better. On the other hand, the fool won’t go there. 7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad [into a fool]; and a gift destroyeth [bribe corrupts] the heart. When we walk through an empty house, we may see possibilities for it, but because it is empty, it is not a warm, accepting, and welcoming place. Rejoice when things are pleasant and abundant. The end better than the beginning, Ecc 7:8. But would you agree that it’s hard to gain a good reputation and really easy to lose it? And I’m sure this kind of statement is very offensive to the broader culture in which we live. I had to read it twice to let me truly understand. In those senses it’s a pleasant thing. and the day of death [is better] than the day of one’s birth. We might notice that our life seems to be filled with difficult things – difficult people, difficult situations, problems that are over our head, etc. Please watch: "The ONE Thing Every Christian Should Be Doing But Most Are NOT!" The praises of wisdom. For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is futility. So, Ecclesiastes 7:2 sheds more light on why the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. This is just explaining that what we do with our lives here on this earth is a very serious matter. So, don’t be evil and foolish either. It will do more good to go to a funeral than to a feast. Your responsibilities were probably relatively few in comparison to what you face now. Aliás, também o usei em uma devocional com a equipe da minha igreja. Avoid extremism in … And – above all – fear God. What’s pleasant about that? Obrigado. We might notice that our life seems to be filled with difficult things – difficult people, difficult situations, problems that are over our head, etc. The righteous don't always prosper, nor do the wicked always suffer a. 20 ¶ For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. The vain, meaninglessness of life without God, and the vital importance of having the Lord in our lives, is summed up at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes: we are to fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. The eternal benefits are greater. 2 It is better to go to the house of mourning [a funeral], than to go to the house of feasting: for that [death] is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. That’s where the Preacher comes back with this convicting thought – you, too, have cursed others, haven’t you? Consider this truth and learn. Ecclesiastes; or the Preacher Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET CHAPTER 7 Ecc 7:1-29. Advantages of sorrow and correction, Ecc 7:2-5. And lastly, the Preacher turns his attention to the need for wisdom in dealing with the unjust…. 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