Isaiah 26

Isaiah 26:1

Consider the Work of God

He who is wise under the sun, will “consider the work of God” (Ecclesiastes 7:13). He will notice that it is impossible to change anything that He has determined. In former days (Ecclesiastes 7:10) He acted according to the same principles as He does today. The Preacher specifically points out that nobody can straighten what God “has bent”. Everything is submitted to God’s will, even the things that He has bent.

This section deals with the fact that He in His sovereignty has connected consequences to sin, which He does not undo. It is important to receive everything out of God’s hand the way it is given to us, for we cannot change anything about it (Ecclesiastes 1:15). Thus He “thwarts the way of the wicked” (Psalms 146:9). A wicked person is not able to go the right way. A way of sin is always a crooked way. That is how God ordained it and we shall see that when we accurately consider God’s work.

He who considers the work of God, will understand that God gives both the good and evil (Ecclesiastes 7:14; Job 2:10; Isaiah 45:7). In a “day of prosperity” we can enjoy the good of that day. But when we are confronted with a “day of adversity”, we do well by considering this day to be given to us by God as well.

In the verses previous to this we have seen that we should not be upset when things do not go the way we may have desired. We can find rest in the thought that everything comes out of the same Fatherly hand of God and that He has a purpose for it. Both prosperity and adversity has its usefulness. Keeping that in mind will prevent us from grumbling and criticizing God.

The continuous change of days of prosperity and of adversity keeps us in dependence on Him. We do not know what kind of days are to come in the future. God has determined it like that, “so that man will not discover anything [that will be] after him”, for man is just man and not God. We do not know the future events and therefore have no power over them.

It is good that we do not know what will happen tomorrow. The awareness and acceptance of that relates to our trust in God. If we trust Him, we shall trust in the word of the Lord Jesus, Who says that we should “not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

It is not useful at all to worry about what can happen tomorrow. We have enough trouble in the day we experience now. We need not to worry now already about what could possibly happen to us tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, the trouble might have already disappeared. And if the trouble is still there, then God will be there too.

Isaiah 26:2

Consider the Work of God

He who is wise under the sun, will “consider the work of God” (Ecclesiastes 7:13). He will notice that it is impossible to change anything that He has determined. In former days (Ecclesiastes 7:10) He acted according to the same principles as He does today. The Preacher specifically points out that nobody can straighten what God “has bent”. Everything is submitted to God’s will, even the things that He has bent.

This section deals with the fact that He in His sovereignty has connected consequences to sin, which He does not undo. It is important to receive everything out of God’s hand the way it is given to us, for we cannot change anything about it (Ecclesiastes 1:15). Thus He “thwarts the way of the wicked” (Psalms 146:9). A wicked person is not able to go the right way. A way of sin is always a crooked way. That is how God ordained it and we shall see that when we accurately consider God’s work.

He who considers the work of God, will understand that God gives both the good and evil (Ecclesiastes 7:14; Job 2:10; Isaiah 45:7). In a “day of prosperity” we can enjoy the good of that day. But when we are confronted with a “day of adversity”, we do well by considering this day to be given to us by God as well.

In the verses previous to this we have seen that we should not be upset when things do not go the way we may have desired. We can find rest in the thought that everything comes out of the same Fatherly hand of God and that He has a purpose for it. Both prosperity and adversity has its usefulness. Keeping that in mind will prevent us from grumbling and criticizing God.

The continuous change of days of prosperity and of adversity keeps us in dependence on Him. We do not know what kind of days are to come in the future. God has determined it like that, “so that man will not discover anything [that will be] after him”, for man is just man and not God. We do not know the future events and therefore have no power over them.

It is good that we do not know what will happen tomorrow. The awareness and acceptance of that relates to our trust in God. If we trust Him, we shall trust in the word of the Lord Jesus, Who says that we should “not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

It is not useful at all to worry about what can happen tomorrow. We have enough trouble in the day we experience now. We need not to worry now already about what could possibly happen to us tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, the trouble might have already disappeared. And if the trouble is still there, then God will be there too.

Isaiah 26:3

Righteous and Wicked

With Ecclesiastes 7:15 a new section begins about righteousness and wickedness, which both are observed by the Preacher about which he shares his testimony with us. What he has seen, brings him to the statement “during my lifetime of futility” (Ecclesiastes 7:15). It makes him aware once again how fragile his existence is.

He speaks about “a righteous man” to whom something happens that one would not expect at all. One would expect that he lives long, but the opposite happens: he perishes “in his righteousness”. He also speaks about a wicked man to whom something happens that one would not expect at all. One would expect that he perishes in his wickedness, but the opposite happens: he prolongs his life “in his wickedness”. This is the thing that you call ‘bent’ (Ecclesiastes 7:13).

What the Preacher says is representative of a series of similar cases. It is about perishing in spite of righteousness and staying alive in spite of wickedness. The standard is that righteousness corresponds to the promise of a long life and that wickedness leads to a short life. However, there are exceptions. This has to do with the way that God reigns. In His government it is possible that on the earth, the evil wins and the good is punished. But in the end the good will win and the evil will be punished. These are exercises for having patience of spirit (Ecclesiastes 7:8).

The righteous man may wrestle with this ‘bentness (crookedness)’ (Job 21:7; Psalms 73:3-12; Habakkuk 1:4; 13). It is also something that can make one get upset when wicked people often manage to protect themselves against the sword of righteousness by fraud and violence. Sometimes they even get protection from their own government when there is no extradition agreement with the country where the crimes have been committed. Many war criminals stayed out of jail in this way and have therefore reached an advanced age.

Naboth was a righteous man who was killed, while a wicked woman like Jezebel stayed alive. We see the same wit Abel and Cain. And what about the many who in the course of church history were murdered because of their faithfulness to God and His Word. Above all, we see it with the Lord Jesus, the Righteous One above all. He was murdered in the midst of His days, while He had done nothing but righteousness.

The believer wants to learn to take life out of God’s hand just as it is. He tries not to solve the mystery of life himself. He finds rest in considering the work of God. In that way he learns that the disasters that happen to him, will shape him for the future kingdom, while the wicked man’s prosperity makes him ripe for the coming judgment.

The observation of Ecc 7:15 leads us to the conclusion of Ecc 7:16 which comes as an advice. With that we have to keep in mind that God is not thought of. It is the conclusion of the down-to-earth thinking of man in this world who wants to live from his own conviction. From that point of view, it is smart not to pretend to be too righteous and not to become a moralist, because then people will only hate you and it is your own fault if you lose all pleasure in life.

Also with the delusion to be wise, you have to be careful. That is what it is about, which appears from the word “overly”. Do not claim to have all wisdom. The people that you are dealing with on a daily basis will not accept that. You will be out in no time. The people around you will see right through your imagined wisdom and will be finished with you completely. It is devastating to your functioning and you will be banned, you will put on a dead end.

In Ecclesiastes 7:16 it is about how a person sees himself, how he is in his own eyes and how he presents himself. The Pharisees are a model of this kind of people. They presented themselves like that. They were very righteous in their own eyes and they also wanted to look like that to other people. Because they pretended to be so righteous, destruction came upon them, which the Lord spoke about them (Matthew 23:28; Matthew 5:20).

Although Ecclesiastes 7:16 is not an advice for the righteous one – he desires to be just and wise, but only as God wants him to be – it includes a general warning for him that he has to be careful not to fall into extremes. We can be so convinced that we are right and let ourselves be carried away by our sense of righteousness that we overestimate ourselves in our judgment and thereby ruin ourselves. That could imply that we will be all alone, outside of the community. It can also imply that due to our conceptions, we call destruction upon ourselves, which others bring upon us because they are tormented by our arrogance (cf. Revelation 17:15-18).

In this verse it is about taking a place that is inappropriate. It is arrogance, a pretension (cf. Numbers 16:18; 2 Samuel 13:5). It is playing the righteous one, it is about somebody boasting to be someone he is not (Matthew 23:7). We can pretend to be holier than we are, for example by fasting and chastising ourselves or go on a pilgrimage. If our outward behavior is to convince others of our piety and if that is our focus, we destroy ourselves. It is an excessive effort to prove we are right in judging things.

Modesty is appropriate for us in our attitude. We should not think more highly than what is written (Romans 12:3; 16; 1 Corinthians 4:6). We should not take this warning as a relativization of what is righteous and wise. It is a warning for our practice in connection to an attitude which radiates that we are the standard of what is righteous and wise. We can and ought to be convinced of what is right, but must act on it with caution.

It does not mean that we should become slack in our practice and compromise at the expense of truth and justice. We do not need to chase every evil and have an opinion about everything. We should not present ourselves as critics to disapprove of everything that is said and done and not interfere in other people’s affairs as if we know everything and can do everything. If we do that we make a caricature of righteousness and wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 7:17 is the opposite of Ecc 7:16. Ecclesiastes 7:16 is warning for self-exaltation, Ecclesiastes 7:17 warns us not to lower ourselves to the level of the world. The Preacher does not say that a little bit of wickedness or foolishness is not a problem, but he points to the capitulation to evil. It is the acceptance of some wickedness and foolishness, as long as it is within the borders that are acceptable for most people. If both parties agree, it should be accepted.

That what is wicked and foolish, becomes more and more the standard in society. One should not exaggerate too much and not behave too wickedly and too foolishly. That is how you get the most out of it. This attitude of life is reflected in the mixing of a little bit of good with a little bit of evil and in making compromises. This is how one is able to keep it up for a long time and stay good friends with everyone. This is eating from both sides of the buffet, living two lifestyles.

If one chooses the side of wickedness and foolishness, then there is a great chance that he will die before his time, meaning that he will not die of old age, but at an age you would not expect. If we allow God to be involved, we know that the time to die is determined by Him (Job 14:5). We cannot prolong our lives (Matthew 6:27).

At the same time God knows how to give the foolish actions of man a place in His purpose. He can bring ruin over us soon and shorten our lifespan if we live wickedly and foolishly (Psalms 55:23). That can happen for example, by living a lifestyle that affects our health, such as drugs, and sex outside marriage, or by committing a murder resulting in the death penalty.

The advice of Ecc 7:18 corresponds to the advices of the two previous verses. It is a kind of summary advice to do what is “good”. It is good to grasp “one thing”, that is to stick to the warning not to fall into extremes. It is also good not to let go of “the other”, that is what the last line of Ecc 7:18 says: fear God.

To fear God means living in reverence and awe of Him. Whoever follows this ‘good’ advice, “comes forth with both of them”. This means that we are only saved from falling into extremes if we fear God. As a result, we are also kept from the related consequences mentioned in the two previous verses: ruining ourselves and dying before our time.

The wise walks on the middle road between the two extremes: not in his own righteousness and not in wickedness. He knows how to walk between legalism and indifference. This can only be accomplished if God is feared. The fear of God keeps us from the extremes of own righteousness on the one hand and wickedness on the other hand (Proverbs 3:7). The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of God results in humility and mistrusting our own wisdom. He who fears God fears sin and shuns foolishness.

Isaiah 26:4

Righteous and Wicked

With Ecclesiastes 7:15 a new section begins about righteousness and wickedness, which both are observed by the Preacher about which he shares his testimony with us. What he has seen, brings him to the statement “during my lifetime of futility” (Ecclesiastes 7:15). It makes him aware once again how fragile his existence is.

He speaks about “a righteous man” to whom something happens that one would not expect at all. One would expect that he lives long, but the opposite happens: he perishes “in his righteousness”. He also speaks about a wicked man to whom something happens that one would not expect at all. One would expect that he perishes in his wickedness, but the opposite happens: he prolongs his life “in his wickedness”. This is the thing that you call ‘bent’ (Ecclesiastes 7:13).

What the Preacher says is representative of a series of similar cases. It is about perishing in spite of righteousness and staying alive in spite of wickedness. The standard is that righteousness corresponds to the promise of a long life and that wickedness leads to a short life. However, there are exceptions. This has to do with the way that God reigns. In His government it is possible that on the earth, the evil wins and the good is punished. But in the end the good will win and the evil will be punished. These are exercises for having patience of spirit (Ecclesiastes 7:8).

The righteous man may wrestle with this ‘bentness (crookedness)’ (Job 21:7; Psalms 73:3-12; Habakkuk 1:4; 13). It is also something that can make one get upset when wicked people often manage to protect themselves against the sword of righteousness by fraud and violence. Sometimes they even get protection from their own government when there is no extradition agreement with the country where the crimes have been committed. Many war criminals stayed out of jail in this way and have therefore reached an advanced age.

Naboth was a righteous man who was killed, while a wicked woman like Jezebel stayed alive. We see the same wit Abel and Cain. And what about the many who in the course of church history were murdered because of their faithfulness to God and His Word. Above all, we see it with the Lord Jesus, the Righteous One above all. He was murdered in the midst of His days, while He had done nothing but righteousness.

The believer wants to learn to take life out of God’s hand just as it is. He tries not to solve the mystery of life himself. He finds rest in considering the work of God. In that way he learns that the disasters that happen to him, will shape him for the future kingdom, while the wicked man’s prosperity makes him ripe for the coming judgment.

The observation of Ecc 7:15 leads us to the conclusion of Ecc 7:16 which comes as an advice. With that we have to keep in mind that God is not thought of. It is the conclusion of the down-to-earth thinking of man in this world who wants to live from his own conviction. From that point of view, it is smart not to pretend to be too righteous and not to become a moralist, because then people will only hate you and it is your own fault if you lose all pleasure in life.

Also with the delusion to be wise, you have to be careful. That is what it is about, which appears from the word “overly”. Do not claim to have all wisdom. The people that you are dealing with on a daily basis will not accept that. You will be out in no time. The people around you will see right through your imagined wisdom and will be finished with you completely. It is devastating to your functioning and you will be banned, you will put on a dead end.

In Ecclesiastes 7:16 it is about how a person sees himself, how he is in his own eyes and how he presents himself. The Pharisees are a model of this kind of people. They presented themselves like that. They were very righteous in their own eyes and they also wanted to look like that to other people. Because they pretended to be so righteous, destruction came upon them, which the Lord spoke about them (Matthew 23:28; Matthew 5:20).

Although Ecclesiastes 7:16 is not an advice for the righteous one – he desires to be just and wise, but only as God wants him to be – it includes a general warning for him that he has to be careful not to fall into extremes. We can be so convinced that we are right and let ourselves be carried away by our sense of righteousness that we overestimate ourselves in our judgment and thereby ruin ourselves. That could imply that we will be all alone, outside of the community. It can also imply that due to our conceptions, we call destruction upon ourselves, which others bring upon us because they are tormented by our arrogance (cf. Revelation 17:15-18).

In this verse it is about taking a place that is inappropriate. It is arrogance, a pretension (cf. Numbers 16:18; 2 Samuel 13:5). It is playing the righteous one, it is about somebody boasting to be someone he is not (Matthew 23:7). We can pretend to be holier than we are, for example by fasting and chastising ourselves or go on a pilgrimage. If our outward behavior is to convince others of our piety and if that is our focus, we destroy ourselves. It is an excessive effort to prove we are right in judging things.

Modesty is appropriate for us in our attitude. We should not think more highly than what is written (Romans 12:3; 16; 1 Corinthians 4:6). We should not take this warning as a relativization of what is righteous and wise. It is a warning for our practice in connection to an attitude which radiates that we are the standard of what is righteous and wise. We can and ought to be convinced of what is right, but must act on it with caution.

It does not mean that we should become slack in our practice and compromise at the expense of truth and justice. We do not need to chase every evil and have an opinion about everything. We should not present ourselves as critics to disapprove of everything that is said and done and not interfere in other people’s affairs as if we know everything and can do everything. If we do that we make a caricature of righteousness and wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 7:17 is the opposite of Ecc 7:16. Ecclesiastes 7:16 is warning for self-exaltation, Ecclesiastes 7:17 warns us not to lower ourselves to the level of the world. The Preacher does not say that a little bit of wickedness or foolishness is not a problem, but he points to the capitulation to evil. It is the acceptance of some wickedness and foolishness, as long as it is within the borders that are acceptable for most people. If both parties agree, it should be accepted.

That what is wicked and foolish, becomes more and more the standard in society. One should not exaggerate too much and not behave too wickedly and too foolishly. That is how you get the most out of it. This attitude of life is reflected in the mixing of a little bit of good with a little bit of evil and in making compromises. This is how one is able to keep it up for a long time and stay good friends with everyone. This is eating from both sides of the buffet, living two lifestyles.

If one chooses the side of wickedness and foolishness, then there is a great chance that he will die before his time, meaning that he will not die of old age, but at an age you would not expect. If we allow God to be involved, we know that the time to die is determined by Him (Job 14:5). We cannot prolong our lives (Matthew 6:27).

At the same time God knows how to give the foolish actions of man a place in His purpose. He can bring ruin over us soon and shorten our lifespan if we live wickedly and foolishly (Psalms 55:23). That can happen for example, by living a lifestyle that affects our health, such as drugs, and sex outside marriage, or by committing a murder resulting in the death penalty.

The advice of Ecc 7:18 corresponds to the advices of the two previous verses. It is a kind of summary advice to do what is “good”. It is good to grasp “one thing”, that is to stick to the warning not to fall into extremes. It is also good not to let go of “the other”, that is what the last line of Ecc 7:18 says: fear God.

To fear God means living in reverence and awe of Him. Whoever follows this ‘good’ advice, “comes forth with both of them”. This means that we are only saved from falling into extremes if we fear God. As a result, we are also kept from the related consequences mentioned in the two previous verses: ruining ourselves and dying before our time.

The wise walks on the middle road between the two extremes: not in his own righteousness and not in wickedness. He knows how to walk between legalism and indifference. This can only be accomplished if God is feared. The fear of God keeps us from the extremes of own righteousness on the one hand and wickedness on the other hand (Proverbs 3:7). The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of God results in humility and mistrusting our own wisdom. He who fears God fears sin and shuns foolishness.

Isaiah 26:5

Righteous and Wicked

With Ecclesiastes 7:15 a new section begins about righteousness and wickedness, which both are observed by the Preacher about which he shares his testimony with us. What he has seen, brings him to the statement “during my lifetime of futility” (Ecclesiastes 7:15). It makes him aware once again how fragile his existence is.

He speaks about “a righteous man” to whom something happens that one would not expect at all. One would expect that he lives long, but the opposite happens: he perishes “in his righteousness”. He also speaks about a wicked man to whom something happens that one would not expect at all. One would expect that he perishes in his wickedness, but the opposite happens: he prolongs his life “in his wickedness”. This is the thing that you call ‘bent’ (Ecclesiastes 7:13).

What the Preacher says is representative of a series of similar cases. It is about perishing in spite of righteousness and staying alive in spite of wickedness. The standard is that righteousness corresponds to the promise of a long life and that wickedness leads to a short life. However, there are exceptions. This has to do with the way that God reigns. In His government it is possible that on the earth, the evil wins and the good is punished. But in the end the good will win and the evil will be punished. These are exercises for having patience of spirit (Ecclesiastes 7:8).

The righteous man may wrestle with this ‘bentness (crookedness)’ (Job 21:7; Psalms 73:3-12; Habakkuk 1:4; 13). It is also something that can make one get upset when wicked people often manage to protect themselves against the sword of righteousness by fraud and violence. Sometimes they even get protection from their own government when there is no extradition agreement with the country where the crimes have been committed. Many war criminals stayed out of jail in this way and have therefore reached an advanced age.

Naboth was a righteous man who was killed, while a wicked woman like Jezebel stayed alive. We see the same wit Abel and Cain. And what about the many who in the course of church history were murdered because of their faithfulness to God and His Word. Above all, we see it with the Lord Jesus, the Righteous One above all. He was murdered in the midst of His days, while He had done nothing but righteousness.

The believer wants to learn to take life out of God’s hand just as it is. He tries not to solve the mystery of life himself. He finds rest in considering the work of God. In that way he learns that the disasters that happen to him, will shape him for the future kingdom, while the wicked man’s prosperity makes him ripe for the coming judgment.

The observation of Ecc 7:15 leads us to the conclusion of Ecc 7:16 which comes as an advice. With that we have to keep in mind that God is not thought of. It is the conclusion of the down-to-earth thinking of man in this world who wants to live from his own conviction. From that point of view, it is smart not to pretend to be too righteous and not to become a moralist, because then people will only hate you and it is your own fault if you lose all pleasure in life.

Also with the delusion to be wise, you have to be careful. That is what it is about, which appears from the word “overly”. Do not claim to have all wisdom. The people that you are dealing with on a daily basis will not accept that. You will be out in no time. The people around you will see right through your imagined wisdom and will be finished with you completely. It is devastating to your functioning and you will be banned, you will put on a dead end.

In Ecclesiastes 7:16 it is about how a person sees himself, how he is in his own eyes and how he presents himself. The Pharisees are a model of this kind of people. They presented themselves like that. They were very righteous in their own eyes and they also wanted to look like that to other people. Because they pretended to be so righteous, destruction came upon them, which the Lord spoke about them (Matthew 23:28; Matthew 5:20).

Although Ecclesiastes 7:16 is not an advice for the righteous one – he desires to be just and wise, but only as God wants him to be – it includes a general warning for him that he has to be careful not to fall into extremes. We can be so convinced that we are right and let ourselves be carried away by our sense of righteousness that we overestimate ourselves in our judgment and thereby ruin ourselves. That could imply that we will be all alone, outside of the community. It can also imply that due to our conceptions, we call destruction upon ourselves, which others bring upon us because they are tormented by our arrogance (cf. Revelation 17:15-18).

In this verse it is about taking a place that is inappropriate. It is arrogance, a pretension (cf. Numbers 16:18; 2 Samuel 13:5). It is playing the righteous one, it is about somebody boasting to be someone he is not (Matthew 23:7). We can pretend to be holier than we are, for example by fasting and chastising ourselves or go on a pilgrimage. If our outward behavior is to convince others of our piety and if that is our focus, we destroy ourselves. It is an excessive effort to prove we are right in judging things.

Modesty is appropriate for us in our attitude. We should not think more highly than what is written (Romans 12:3; 16; 1 Corinthians 4:6). We should not take this warning as a relativization of what is righteous and wise. It is a warning for our practice in connection to an attitude which radiates that we are the standard of what is righteous and wise. We can and ought to be convinced of what is right, but must act on it with caution.

It does not mean that we should become slack in our practice and compromise at the expense of truth and justice. We do not need to chase every evil and have an opinion about everything. We should not present ourselves as critics to disapprove of everything that is said and done and not interfere in other people’s affairs as if we know everything and can do everything. If we do that we make a caricature of righteousness and wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 7:17 is the opposite of Ecc 7:16. Ecclesiastes 7:16 is warning for self-exaltation, Ecclesiastes 7:17 warns us not to lower ourselves to the level of the world. The Preacher does not say that a little bit of wickedness or foolishness is not a problem, but he points to the capitulation to evil. It is the acceptance of some wickedness and foolishness, as long as it is within the borders that are acceptable for most people. If both parties agree, it should be accepted.

That what is wicked and foolish, becomes more and more the standard in society. One should not exaggerate too much and not behave too wickedly and too foolishly. That is how you get the most out of it. This attitude of life is reflected in the mixing of a little bit of good with a little bit of evil and in making compromises. This is how one is able to keep it up for a long time and stay good friends with everyone. This is eating from both sides of the buffet, living two lifestyles.

If one chooses the side of wickedness and foolishness, then there is a great chance that he will die before his time, meaning that he will not die of old age, but at an age you would not expect. If we allow God to be involved, we know that the time to die is determined by Him (Job 14:5). We cannot prolong our lives (Matthew 6:27).

At the same time God knows how to give the foolish actions of man a place in His purpose. He can bring ruin over us soon and shorten our lifespan if we live wickedly and foolishly (Psalms 55:23). That can happen for example, by living a lifestyle that affects our health, such as drugs, and sex outside marriage, or by committing a murder resulting in the death penalty.

The advice of Ecc 7:18 corresponds to the advices of the two previous verses. It is a kind of summary advice to do what is “good”. It is good to grasp “one thing”, that is to stick to the warning not to fall into extremes. It is also good not to let go of “the other”, that is what the last line of Ecc 7:18 says: fear God.

To fear God means living in reverence and awe of Him. Whoever follows this ‘good’ advice, “comes forth with both of them”. This means that we are only saved from falling into extremes if we fear God. As a result, we are also kept from the related consequences mentioned in the two previous verses: ruining ourselves and dying before our time.

The wise walks on the middle road between the two extremes: not in his own righteousness and not in wickedness. He knows how to walk between legalism and indifference. This can only be accomplished if God is feared. The fear of God keeps us from the extremes of own righteousness on the one hand and wickedness on the other hand (Proverbs 3:7). The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of God results in humility and mistrusting our own wisdom. He who fears God fears sin and shuns foolishness.

Isaiah 26:6

Righteous and Wicked

With Ecclesiastes 7:15 a new section begins about righteousness and wickedness, which both are observed by the Preacher about which he shares his testimony with us. What he has seen, brings him to the statement “during my lifetime of futility” (Ecclesiastes 7:15). It makes him aware once again how fragile his existence is.

He speaks about “a righteous man” to whom something happens that one would not expect at all. One would expect that he lives long, but the opposite happens: he perishes “in his righteousness”. He also speaks about a wicked man to whom something happens that one would not expect at all. One would expect that he perishes in his wickedness, but the opposite happens: he prolongs his life “in his wickedness”. This is the thing that you call ‘bent’ (Ecclesiastes 7:13).

What the Preacher says is representative of a series of similar cases. It is about perishing in spite of righteousness and staying alive in spite of wickedness. The standard is that righteousness corresponds to the promise of a long life and that wickedness leads to a short life. However, there are exceptions. This has to do with the way that God reigns. In His government it is possible that on the earth, the evil wins and the good is punished. But in the end the good will win and the evil will be punished. These are exercises for having patience of spirit (Ecclesiastes 7:8).

The righteous man may wrestle with this ‘bentness (crookedness)’ (Job 21:7; Psalms 73:3-12; Habakkuk 1:4; 13). It is also something that can make one get upset when wicked people often manage to protect themselves against the sword of righteousness by fraud and violence. Sometimes they even get protection from their own government when there is no extradition agreement with the country where the crimes have been committed. Many war criminals stayed out of jail in this way and have therefore reached an advanced age.

Naboth was a righteous man who was killed, while a wicked woman like Jezebel stayed alive. We see the same wit Abel and Cain. And what about the many who in the course of church history were murdered because of their faithfulness to God and His Word. Above all, we see it with the Lord Jesus, the Righteous One above all. He was murdered in the midst of His days, while He had done nothing but righteousness.

The believer wants to learn to take life out of God’s hand just as it is. He tries not to solve the mystery of life himself. He finds rest in considering the work of God. In that way he learns that the disasters that happen to him, will shape him for the future kingdom, while the wicked man’s prosperity makes him ripe for the coming judgment.

The observation of Ecc 7:15 leads us to the conclusion of Ecc 7:16 which comes as an advice. With that we have to keep in mind that God is not thought of. It is the conclusion of the down-to-earth thinking of man in this world who wants to live from his own conviction. From that point of view, it is smart not to pretend to be too righteous and not to become a moralist, because then people will only hate you and it is your own fault if you lose all pleasure in life.

Also with the delusion to be wise, you have to be careful. That is what it is about, which appears from the word “overly”. Do not claim to have all wisdom. The people that you are dealing with on a daily basis will not accept that. You will be out in no time. The people around you will see right through your imagined wisdom and will be finished with you completely. It is devastating to your functioning and you will be banned, you will put on a dead end.

In Ecclesiastes 7:16 it is about how a person sees himself, how he is in his own eyes and how he presents himself. The Pharisees are a model of this kind of people. They presented themselves like that. They were very righteous in their own eyes and they also wanted to look like that to other people. Because they pretended to be so righteous, destruction came upon them, which the Lord spoke about them (Matthew 23:28; Matthew 5:20).

Although Ecclesiastes 7:16 is not an advice for the righteous one – he desires to be just and wise, but only as God wants him to be – it includes a general warning for him that he has to be careful not to fall into extremes. We can be so convinced that we are right and let ourselves be carried away by our sense of righteousness that we overestimate ourselves in our judgment and thereby ruin ourselves. That could imply that we will be all alone, outside of the community. It can also imply that due to our conceptions, we call destruction upon ourselves, which others bring upon us because they are tormented by our arrogance (cf. Revelation 17:15-18).

In this verse it is about taking a place that is inappropriate. It is arrogance, a pretension (cf. Numbers 16:18; 2 Samuel 13:5). It is playing the righteous one, it is about somebody boasting to be someone he is not (Matthew 23:7). We can pretend to be holier than we are, for example by fasting and chastising ourselves or go on a pilgrimage. If our outward behavior is to convince others of our piety and if that is our focus, we destroy ourselves. It is an excessive effort to prove we are right in judging things.

Modesty is appropriate for us in our attitude. We should not think more highly than what is written (Romans 12:3; 16; 1 Corinthians 4:6). We should not take this warning as a relativization of what is righteous and wise. It is a warning for our practice in connection to an attitude which radiates that we are the standard of what is righteous and wise. We can and ought to be convinced of what is right, but must act on it with caution.

It does not mean that we should become slack in our practice and compromise at the expense of truth and justice. We do not need to chase every evil and have an opinion about everything. We should not present ourselves as critics to disapprove of everything that is said and done and not interfere in other people’s affairs as if we know everything and can do everything. If we do that we make a caricature of righteousness and wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 7:17 is the opposite of Ecc 7:16. Ecclesiastes 7:16 is warning for self-exaltation, Ecclesiastes 7:17 warns us not to lower ourselves to the level of the world. The Preacher does not say that a little bit of wickedness or foolishness is not a problem, but he points to the capitulation to evil. It is the acceptance of some wickedness and foolishness, as long as it is within the borders that are acceptable for most people. If both parties agree, it should be accepted.

That what is wicked and foolish, becomes more and more the standard in society. One should not exaggerate too much and not behave too wickedly and too foolishly. That is how you get the most out of it. This attitude of life is reflected in the mixing of a little bit of good with a little bit of evil and in making compromises. This is how one is able to keep it up for a long time and stay good friends with everyone. This is eating from both sides of the buffet, living two lifestyles.

If one chooses the side of wickedness and foolishness, then there is a great chance that he will die before his time, meaning that he will not die of old age, but at an age you would not expect. If we allow God to be involved, we know that the time to die is determined by Him (Job 14:5). We cannot prolong our lives (Matthew 6:27).

At the same time God knows how to give the foolish actions of man a place in His purpose. He can bring ruin over us soon and shorten our lifespan if we live wickedly and foolishly (Psalms 55:23). That can happen for example, by living a lifestyle that affects our health, such as drugs, and sex outside marriage, or by committing a murder resulting in the death penalty.

The advice of Ecc 7:18 corresponds to the advices of the two previous verses. It is a kind of summary advice to do what is “good”. It is good to grasp “one thing”, that is to stick to the warning not to fall into extremes. It is also good not to let go of “the other”, that is what the last line of Ecc 7:18 says: fear God.

To fear God means living in reverence and awe of Him. Whoever follows this ‘good’ advice, “comes forth with both of them”. This means that we are only saved from falling into extremes if we fear God. As a result, we are also kept from the related consequences mentioned in the two previous verses: ruining ourselves and dying before our time.

The wise walks on the middle road between the two extremes: not in his own righteousness and not in wickedness. He knows how to walk between legalism and indifference. This can only be accomplished if God is feared. The fear of God keeps us from the extremes of own righteousness on the one hand and wickedness on the other hand (Proverbs 3:7). The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of God results in humility and mistrusting our own wisdom. He who fears God fears sin and shuns foolishness.

Isaiah 26:7

Wisdom Strengthens and Leads to Self-Knowledge

After his warning for wanting to be ‘excessively righteous’ (Ecclesiastes 7:16), the Preacher points out the value of true wisdom in Ecclesiastes 7:19. Wisdom strengthens to live in the city despite all the problems and dangers to which living in a city can be exposed. Wisdom strengthens more than the collective power of ten rulers. These men may have the power, but when there is no wisdom they lead the city to destruction, for they are sinful men and only seek their own advantage.

The value of wisdom lies in the consciousness that God directs everything. The wise man is not led by the circumstances. Of course he has to deal with the circumstances, but he knows that they are in God’s hand. Rulers trust in their own wisdom and power, in order to protect the city against evil – which can come from both the inside and the outside – with their own interest as a motivation. Therefore they will not be successful and they will lose the fight. A man with wisdom has more advantage for the defense of a city than ten rulers without wisdom (Proverbs 21:22; Proverbs 24:5).

For the believer, Christ is both the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). He who lives with Him, learns how to be “content in whatever circumstances” he is, as Paul has learned it (Philippians 4:11-12). As a result of that he can say: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

In Ecclesiastes 7:20 he says the same as what Solomon said in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:46; Proverbs 20:9). Now that he is a bitter experience richer, he comes to the same conclusion. He emphasizes here, in connection to the previous verse, the sinful state of the rulers, but at the same time he makes it a general matter by speaking about “there is not a righteous man on earth”.

No one is so righteous in the practice of his life that he does only good without having any sin attached to what he does. The only exception is the Lord Jesus. He has done good without sinning. Peter, Paul and John testify in their letters of the absolute absence of sin in Him: “who committed no sin”, “who knew no sin”, “in Him there is no sin” (1 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5).

By this remark the Preacher reminds us of not to overstate our achievements and not to be disparaging about those of others. We need to consider that we do not live perfectly righteous and are not completely selfless. It is impossible for a man to do anything without taking some credit for himself. Only when the believer is led by the Spirit he is able to do good without sinning.

The sinfulness of man, which is stated in the previous verse, is manifested primarily in what he says (Ecclesiastes 7:21; James 3:2). The Preacher points out that we should not take seriously “all the words which are spoken” by man in general. He means to say, that we should not want to know everything what people say about us (Psalms 38:13-14; 1 Samuel 24:10). When people speak good of us, we become arrogant; when one speaks evil of us, we become angry and possibly vengeful.

We should not believe everything we hear, either. If we hear it, it is wise not to always take what someone else says seriously. Those who always take everything that people say seriously, are asking for disappointment and disillusionment. We see clear examples of this in politics. In election time, people want to distinguish themselves from others and say that it is unthinkable to govern with a certain political party. When it really comes to governing, a twist is given to those words and it turns out that it is still possible to govern with a party that people did not like at first.

By not being too curious about what one thinks of us, we can protect ourselves from people’s remarks about us that are not flattering. The boss does not have to place microphones all over the place to know how his staff thinks about him. He has to be aware that he is not without sin and that there will be something wrong with him. The sickly urge of ‘wanting to know everything’, even the things you do not need to know, is in fact pride and lack of self-knowledge. Let’s make sure we have the approval of God and our conscience, then we do not have to worry about what people say about us.

If others curse us, rightly or wrongly, wisdom will remind us of our own mistakes and flaws (Ecclesiastes 7:22). What would happen to us if we were given the punishment we had deserved for every wrongful word about someone else? We have to realize that we ourselves have hurt others because of what we said. I have committed the same sins or similar sins that I condemn in others (Romans 2:1; Titus 3:2-3; Matthew 7:1-3; James 3:1-2).

If something comes to our mind in this context that we have cursed someone, that is to say we wished him evil, and have not yet confessed it, we must confess it. That does not have to be to the person about whom we have spoken evil to someone else, but we have to do it before the Lord and the other person to whom we said that evil.

When people talk about us, we do not have to get angry or sad about it. It is better that we humble ourselves about it and become small, because we have often done it ourselves, in our hearts, in our minds or with our tongues. As noted above, we will, if all is well, have judged it and removed it (1 Peter 2:1; Colossians 3:8).

Isaiah 26:8

Wisdom Strengthens and Leads to Self-Knowledge

After his warning for wanting to be ‘excessively righteous’ (Ecclesiastes 7:16), the Preacher points out the value of true wisdom in Ecclesiastes 7:19. Wisdom strengthens to live in the city despite all the problems and dangers to which living in a city can be exposed. Wisdom strengthens more than the collective power of ten rulers. These men may have the power, but when there is no wisdom they lead the city to destruction, for they are sinful men and only seek their own advantage.

The value of wisdom lies in the consciousness that God directs everything. The wise man is not led by the circumstances. Of course he has to deal with the circumstances, but he knows that they are in God’s hand. Rulers trust in their own wisdom and power, in order to protect the city against evil – which can come from both the inside and the outside – with their own interest as a motivation. Therefore they will not be successful and they will lose the fight. A man with wisdom has more advantage for the defense of a city than ten rulers without wisdom (Proverbs 21:22; Proverbs 24:5).

For the believer, Christ is both the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). He who lives with Him, learns how to be “content in whatever circumstances” he is, as Paul has learned it (Philippians 4:11-12). As a result of that he can say: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

In Ecclesiastes 7:20 he says the same as what Solomon said in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:46; Proverbs 20:9). Now that he is a bitter experience richer, he comes to the same conclusion. He emphasizes here, in connection to the previous verse, the sinful state of the rulers, but at the same time he makes it a general matter by speaking about “there is not a righteous man on earth”.

No one is so righteous in the practice of his life that he does only good without having any sin attached to what he does. The only exception is the Lord Jesus. He has done good without sinning. Peter, Paul and John testify in their letters of the absolute absence of sin in Him: “who committed no sin”, “who knew no sin”, “in Him there is no sin” (1 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5).

By this remark the Preacher reminds us of not to overstate our achievements and not to be disparaging about those of others. We need to consider that we do not live perfectly righteous and are not completely selfless. It is impossible for a man to do anything without taking some credit for himself. Only when the believer is led by the Spirit he is able to do good without sinning.

The sinfulness of man, which is stated in the previous verse, is manifested primarily in what he says (Ecclesiastes 7:21; James 3:2). The Preacher points out that we should not take seriously “all the words which are spoken” by man in general. He means to say, that we should not want to know everything what people say about us (Psalms 38:13-14; 1 Samuel 24:10). When people speak good of us, we become arrogant; when one speaks evil of us, we become angry and possibly vengeful.

We should not believe everything we hear, either. If we hear it, it is wise not to always take what someone else says seriously. Those who always take everything that people say seriously, are asking for disappointment and disillusionment. We see clear examples of this in politics. In election time, people want to distinguish themselves from others and say that it is unthinkable to govern with a certain political party. When it really comes to governing, a twist is given to those words and it turns out that it is still possible to govern with a party that people did not like at first.

By not being too curious about what one thinks of us, we can protect ourselves from people’s remarks about us that are not flattering. The boss does not have to place microphones all over the place to know how his staff thinks about him. He has to be aware that he is not without sin and that there will be something wrong with him. The sickly urge of ‘wanting to know everything’, even the things you do not need to know, is in fact pride and lack of self-knowledge. Let’s make sure we have the approval of God and our conscience, then we do not have to worry about what people say about us.

If others curse us, rightly or wrongly, wisdom will remind us of our own mistakes and flaws (Ecclesiastes 7:22). What would happen to us if we were given the punishment we had deserved for every wrongful word about someone else? We have to realize that we ourselves have hurt others because of what we said. I have committed the same sins or similar sins that I condemn in others (Romans 2:1; Titus 3:2-3; Matthew 7:1-3; James 3:1-2).

If something comes to our mind in this context that we have cursed someone, that is to say we wished him evil, and have not yet confessed it, we must confess it. That does not have to be to the person about whom we have spoken evil to someone else, but we have to do it before the Lord and the other person to whom we said that evil.

When people talk about us, we do not have to get angry or sad about it. It is better that we humble ourselves about it and become small, because we have often done it ourselves, in our hearts, in our minds or with our tongues. As noted above, we will, if all is well, have judged it and removed it (1 Peter 2:1; Colossians 3:8).

Isaiah 26:9

Wisdom Strengthens and Leads to Self-Knowledge

After his warning for wanting to be ‘excessively righteous’ (Ecclesiastes 7:16), the Preacher points out the value of true wisdom in Ecclesiastes 7:19. Wisdom strengthens to live in the city despite all the problems and dangers to which living in a city can be exposed. Wisdom strengthens more than the collective power of ten rulers. These men may have the power, but when there is no wisdom they lead the city to destruction, for they are sinful men and only seek their own advantage.

The value of wisdom lies in the consciousness that God directs everything. The wise man is not led by the circumstances. Of course he has to deal with the circumstances, but he knows that they are in God’s hand. Rulers trust in their own wisdom and power, in order to protect the city against evil – which can come from both the inside and the outside – with their own interest as a motivation. Therefore they will not be successful and they will lose the fight. A man with wisdom has more advantage for the defense of a city than ten rulers without wisdom (Proverbs 21:22; Proverbs 24:5).

For the believer, Christ is both the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). He who lives with Him, learns how to be “content in whatever circumstances” he is, as Paul has learned it (Philippians 4:11-12). As a result of that he can say: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

In Ecclesiastes 7:20 he says the same as what Solomon said in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:46; Proverbs 20:9). Now that he is a bitter experience richer, he comes to the same conclusion. He emphasizes here, in connection to the previous verse, the sinful state of the rulers, but at the same time he makes it a general matter by speaking about “there is not a righteous man on earth”.

No one is so righteous in the practice of his life that he does only good without having any sin attached to what he does. The only exception is the Lord Jesus. He has done good without sinning. Peter, Paul and John testify in their letters of the absolute absence of sin in Him: “who committed no sin”, “who knew no sin”, “in Him there is no sin” (1 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5).

By this remark the Preacher reminds us of not to overstate our achievements and not to be disparaging about those of others. We need to consider that we do not live perfectly righteous and are not completely selfless. It is impossible for a man to do anything without taking some credit for himself. Only when the believer is led by the Spirit he is able to do good without sinning.

The sinfulness of man, which is stated in the previous verse, is manifested primarily in what he says (Ecclesiastes 7:21; James 3:2). The Preacher points out that we should not take seriously “all the words which are spoken” by man in general. He means to say, that we should not want to know everything what people say about us (Psalms 38:13-14; 1 Samuel 24:10). When people speak good of us, we become arrogant; when one speaks evil of us, we become angry and possibly vengeful.

We should not believe everything we hear, either. If we hear it, it is wise not to always take what someone else says seriously. Those who always take everything that people say seriously, are asking for disappointment and disillusionment. We see clear examples of this in politics. In election time, people want to distinguish themselves from others and say that it is unthinkable to govern with a certain political party. When it really comes to governing, a twist is given to those words and it turns out that it is still possible to govern with a party that people did not like at first.

By not being too curious about what one thinks of us, we can protect ourselves from people’s remarks about us that are not flattering. The boss does not have to place microphones all over the place to know how his staff thinks about him. He has to be aware that he is not without sin and that there will be something wrong with him. The sickly urge of ‘wanting to know everything’, even the things you do not need to know, is in fact pride and lack of self-knowledge. Let’s make sure we have the approval of God and our conscience, then we do not have to worry about what people say about us.

If others curse us, rightly or wrongly, wisdom will remind us of our own mistakes and flaws (Ecclesiastes 7:22). What would happen to us if we were given the punishment we had deserved for every wrongful word about someone else? We have to realize that we ourselves have hurt others because of what we said. I have committed the same sins or similar sins that I condemn in others (Romans 2:1; Titus 3:2-3; Matthew 7:1-3; James 3:1-2).

If something comes to our mind in this context that we have cursed someone, that is to say we wished him evil, and have not yet confessed it, we must confess it. That does not have to be to the person about whom we have spoken evil to someone else, but we have to do it before the Lord and the other person to whom we said that evil.

When people talk about us, we do not have to get angry or sad about it. It is better that we humble ourselves about it and become small, because we have often done it ourselves, in our hearts, in our minds or with our tongues. As noted above, we will, if all is well, have judged it and removed it (1 Peter 2:1; Colossians 3:8).

Isaiah 26:10

Wisdom Strengthens and Leads to Self-Knowledge

After his warning for wanting to be ‘excessively righteous’ (Ecclesiastes 7:16), the Preacher points out the value of true wisdom in Ecclesiastes 7:19. Wisdom strengthens to live in the city despite all the problems and dangers to which living in a city can be exposed. Wisdom strengthens more than the collective power of ten rulers. These men may have the power, but when there is no wisdom they lead the city to destruction, for they are sinful men and only seek their own advantage.

The value of wisdom lies in the consciousness that God directs everything. The wise man is not led by the circumstances. Of course he has to deal with the circumstances, but he knows that they are in God’s hand. Rulers trust in their own wisdom and power, in order to protect the city against evil – which can come from both the inside and the outside – with their own interest as a motivation. Therefore they will not be successful and they will lose the fight. A man with wisdom has more advantage for the defense of a city than ten rulers without wisdom (Proverbs 21:22; Proverbs 24:5).

For the believer, Christ is both the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). He who lives with Him, learns how to be “content in whatever circumstances” he is, as Paul has learned it (Philippians 4:11-12). As a result of that he can say: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

In Ecclesiastes 7:20 he says the same as what Solomon said in his prayer at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:46; Proverbs 20:9). Now that he is a bitter experience richer, he comes to the same conclusion. He emphasizes here, in connection to the previous verse, the sinful state of the rulers, but at the same time he makes it a general matter by speaking about “there is not a righteous man on earth”.

No one is so righteous in the practice of his life that he does only good without having any sin attached to what he does. The only exception is the Lord Jesus. He has done good without sinning. Peter, Paul and John testify in their letters of the absolute absence of sin in Him: “who committed no sin”, “who knew no sin”, “in Him there is no sin” (1 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5).

By this remark the Preacher reminds us of not to overstate our achievements and not to be disparaging about those of others. We need to consider that we do not live perfectly righteous and are not completely selfless. It is impossible for a man to do anything without taking some credit for himself. Only when the believer is led by the Spirit he is able to do good without sinning.

The sinfulness of man, which is stated in the previous verse, is manifested primarily in what he says (Ecclesiastes 7:21; James 3:2). The Preacher points out that we should not take seriously “all the words which are spoken” by man in general. He means to say, that we should not want to know everything what people say about us (Psalms 38:13-14; 1 Samuel 24:10). When people speak good of us, we become arrogant; when one speaks evil of us, we become angry and possibly vengeful.

We should not believe everything we hear, either. If we hear it, it is wise not to always take what someone else says seriously. Those who always take everything that people say seriously, are asking for disappointment and disillusionment. We see clear examples of this in politics. In election time, people want to distinguish themselves from others and say that it is unthinkable to govern with a certain political party. When it really comes to governing, a twist is given to those words and it turns out that it is still possible to govern with a party that people did not like at first.

By not being too curious about what one thinks of us, we can protect ourselves from people’s remarks about us that are not flattering. The boss does not have to place microphones all over the place to know how his staff thinks about him. He has to be aware that he is not without sin and that there will be something wrong with him. The sickly urge of ‘wanting to know everything’, even the things you do not need to know, is in fact pride and lack of self-knowledge. Let’s make sure we have the approval of God and our conscience, then we do not have to worry about what people say about us.

If others curse us, rightly or wrongly, wisdom will remind us of our own mistakes and flaws (Ecclesiastes 7:22). What would happen to us if we were given the punishment we had deserved for every wrongful word about someone else? We have to realize that we ourselves have hurt others because of what we said. I have committed the same sins or similar sins that I condemn in others (Romans 2:1; Titus 3:2-3; Matthew 7:1-3; James 3:1-2).

If something comes to our mind in this context that we have cursed someone, that is to say we wished him evil, and have not yet confessed it, we must confess it. That does not have to be to the person about whom we have spoken evil to someone else, but we have to do it before the Lord and the other person to whom we said that evil.

When people talk about us, we do not have to get angry or sad about it. It is better that we humble ourselves about it and become small, because we have often done it ourselves, in our hearts, in our minds or with our tongues. As noted above, we will, if all is well, have judged it and removed it (1 Peter 2:1; Colossians 3:8).

Isaiah 26:11

True Wisdom Remains at Distance

The Preacher admits that his wisdom has failed him to become wise. He honestly acknowledges it: the search for true wisdom has yielded nothing. With all his wisdom – he is the wisest man on earth – he “tested all this” (Ecclesiastes 7:23; Ecclesiastes 1:13). “All this” is all that he has shared with us in the previous section (Ecclesiastes 2:1-7:22). His research was aimed at gaining insight into the true meaning and determining the permanent value of all mankind’s labor on earth.

He has only been able to discover in his wisdom that the world is full of vanity and that this knowledge does not give his heart peace and joy. He has not come any further. True wisdom, he realizes, has remained far beyond his reach. Many people do not look for wisdom because they are not wise. That is why they never become wise. Solomon is wise and has searched for it, profound and broad, but he has not found it either. Wisdom lies far beyond the knowledge of man.

“What has been” (Ecclesiastes 7:24), is not only what exists, but also the way something has been formed by God. Who was present at the creation? Who can comprehend what God has caused to exist and who can understand how He sustains all things that He has created? Man cannot gain insight in this by human research, for the wisdom that lies in all things that God has created, is “exceedingly mysterious”, or in other words unfathomably deep. Every honest philosopher and scientist will admit that no one can “discover it”.

The Preacher could not reach wisdom. He comes to the conclusion that he knows nothing and that the more he knows what there is to know, the more aware he is of how little he knows. He is confronted with the mysteries of God. They are unfathomable (Job 11:7-8; Job 28:12-22).

God tells us what “has been remote”, in a distant past, when He created heaven and earth. He tells us that in His Word. There we can “find it” (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3) and not with the scientists who want to make us believe that they have found the solution in the evolution theory. For us it is true that the Word is near (Deuteronomy 30:14) and that the Spirit explains it to us (1 Corinthians 2:13). Yet, at the same time a lot of things remain inconceivable to us, for who can fully verify God (Romans 11:33)?

The Preacher has not only desired to become wise (Ecclesiastes 7:23), but he has not denied himself any effort for it either (Ecclesiastes 7:25). He has tried everything and searched everywhere. He was already wiser than any man. However, that did not make him lazy, but all the more zealous to learn true wisdom. Not only did he want to know the essence of the things on the surface, but he also wanted to find out what lies beyond the perceptivity, the motives. His dedication is described in different ways, which indicates how much he has been busy with it.

The only conclusion to which all his intensive research has brought him is that everything is permeated with “evil” and “foolishness” with the ultimate result of “madness”. As a result, man is kept away from God’s plan and produces nothing of real and lasting value.

Our ‘research work’ ought to be focused on Christ. Our life should be about looking at Him from all sides and investigating Him in all His actions and ways. Then we also see man’s wickedness and folly, for Christ sheds His light on every man, wherefore we are then also preserved. We come to an entirely different conclusion and that is that in Christ “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden” (Colossians 2:3).

Isaiah 26:12

True Wisdom Remains at Distance

The Preacher admits that his wisdom has failed him to become wise. He honestly acknowledges it: the search for true wisdom has yielded nothing. With all his wisdom – he is the wisest man on earth – he “tested all this” (Ecclesiastes 7:23; Ecclesiastes 1:13). “All this” is all that he has shared with us in the previous section (Ecclesiastes 2:1-7:22). His research was aimed at gaining insight into the true meaning and determining the permanent value of all mankind’s labor on earth.

He has only been able to discover in his wisdom that the world is full of vanity and that this knowledge does not give his heart peace and joy. He has not come any further. True wisdom, he realizes, has remained far beyond his reach. Many people do not look for wisdom because they are not wise. That is why they never become wise. Solomon is wise and has searched for it, profound and broad, but he has not found it either. Wisdom lies far beyond the knowledge of man.

“What has been” (Ecclesiastes 7:24), is not only what exists, but also the way something has been formed by God. Who was present at the creation? Who can comprehend what God has caused to exist and who can understand how He sustains all things that He has created? Man cannot gain insight in this by human research, for the wisdom that lies in all things that God has created, is “exceedingly mysterious”, or in other words unfathomably deep. Every honest philosopher and scientist will admit that no one can “discover it”.

The Preacher could not reach wisdom. He comes to the conclusion that he knows nothing and that the more he knows what there is to know, the more aware he is of how little he knows. He is confronted with the mysteries of God. They are unfathomable (Job 11:7-8; Job 28:12-22).

God tells us what “has been remote”, in a distant past, when He created heaven and earth. He tells us that in His Word. There we can “find it” (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3) and not with the scientists who want to make us believe that they have found the solution in the evolution theory. For us it is true that the Word is near (Deuteronomy 30:14) and that the Spirit explains it to us (1 Corinthians 2:13). Yet, at the same time a lot of things remain inconceivable to us, for who can fully verify God (Romans 11:33)?

The Preacher has not only desired to become wise (Ecclesiastes 7:23), but he has not denied himself any effort for it either (Ecclesiastes 7:25). He has tried everything and searched everywhere. He was already wiser than any man. However, that did not make him lazy, but all the more zealous to learn true wisdom. Not only did he want to know the essence of the things on the surface, but he also wanted to find out what lies beyond the perceptivity, the motives. His dedication is described in different ways, which indicates how much he has been busy with it.

The only conclusion to which all his intensive research has brought him is that everything is permeated with “evil” and “foolishness” with the ultimate result of “madness”. As a result, man is kept away from God’s plan and produces nothing of real and lasting value.

Our ‘research work’ ought to be focused on Christ. Our life should be about looking at Him from all sides and investigating Him in all His actions and ways. Then we also see man’s wickedness and folly, for Christ sheds His light on every man, wherefore we are then also preserved. We come to an entirely different conclusion and that is that in Christ “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden” (Colossians 2:3).

Isaiah 26:13

True Wisdom Remains at Distance

The Preacher admits that his wisdom has failed him to become wise. He honestly acknowledges it: the search for true wisdom has yielded nothing. With all his wisdom – he is the wisest man on earth – he “tested all this” (Ecclesiastes 7:23; Ecclesiastes 1:13). “All this” is all that he has shared with us in the previous section (Ecclesiastes 2:1-7:22). His research was aimed at gaining insight into the true meaning and determining the permanent value of all mankind’s labor on earth.

He has only been able to discover in his wisdom that the world is full of vanity and that this knowledge does not give his heart peace and joy. He has not come any further. True wisdom, he realizes, has remained far beyond his reach. Many people do not look for wisdom because they are not wise. That is why they never become wise. Solomon is wise and has searched for it, profound and broad, but he has not found it either. Wisdom lies far beyond the knowledge of man.

“What has been” (Ecclesiastes 7:24), is not only what exists, but also the way something has been formed by God. Who was present at the creation? Who can comprehend what God has caused to exist and who can understand how He sustains all things that He has created? Man cannot gain insight in this by human research, for the wisdom that lies in all things that God has created, is “exceedingly mysterious”, or in other words unfathomably deep. Every honest philosopher and scientist will admit that no one can “discover it”.

The Preacher could not reach wisdom. He comes to the conclusion that he knows nothing and that the more he knows what there is to know, the more aware he is of how little he knows. He is confronted with the mysteries of God. They are unfathomable (Job 11:7-8; Job 28:12-22).

God tells us what “has been remote”, in a distant past, when He created heaven and earth. He tells us that in His Word. There we can “find it” (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3) and not with the scientists who want to make us believe that they have found the solution in the evolution theory. For us it is true that the Word is near (Deuteronomy 30:14) and that the Spirit explains it to us (1 Corinthians 2:13). Yet, at the same time a lot of things remain inconceivable to us, for who can fully verify God (Romans 11:33)?

The Preacher has not only desired to become wise (Ecclesiastes 7:23), but he has not denied himself any effort for it either (Ecclesiastes 7:25). He has tried everything and searched everywhere. He was already wiser than any man. However, that did not make him lazy, but all the more zealous to learn true wisdom. Not only did he want to know the essence of the things on the surface, but he also wanted to find out what lies beyond the perceptivity, the motives. His dedication is described in different ways, which indicates how much he has been busy with it.

The only conclusion to which all his intensive research has brought him is that everything is permeated with “evil” and “foolishness” with the ultimate result of “madness”. As a result, man is kept away from God’s plan and produces nothing of real and lasting value.

Our ‘research work’ ought to be focused on Christ. Our life should be about looking at Him from all sides and investigating Him in all His actions and ways. Then we also see man’s wickedness and folly, for Christ sheds His light on every man, wherefore we are then also preserved. We come to an entirely different conclusion and that is that in Christ “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden” (Colossians 2:3).

Isaiah 26:14

Found and Not Found

The Preacher has discovered that wickedness is foolish and that foolishness is madness (Ecclesiastes 7:25). He not only observed this, but also experienced it himself by making wrong relationships with his many wives. He speaks about it with a deep awareness of its bitterness. Death as the wages of sin is bitter (1 Samuel 15:32), but the sin of fornication is even “more bitter than death” (Ecclesiastes 7:26; Proverbs 5:9; 11).

The Preacher does not speak of all women – women in general – but about “the woman whose heart is snares” and who seeks to tempt to unfaithfulness (cf. Ecclesiastes 9:9; Proverbs 18:22). From his own example, it appears that not only women can mislead men, but that also men can be captured by their lusts through the woman setting snares and nets for him. He is chained by his lusts (Proverbs 5:22-23) and captured by her, because he is no longer pleasing in the sight of God; in other words no longer walking with Him.

Solomon uses many words to describe the wicked nature of such a woman. He compares the heart of the woman with “snares and nets”; “her hands are chains”, which indicates that she handcuffs those whom she grasps with her hands, out of which there is no way of escape.

The temptation of illicit sexual intercourse is the greatest temptation ever for numerous men, great in extent and great in depth. Whoever is captured by it, is the most deplorable man. “Flee immorality. Every [other] sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18).

“Who is pleasing to God”, is the man seen by God in Christ and who walks with Him. Such a man pleases God as Enoch did (Hebrews 11:5), and escapes the temptations of such a woman. That is the only way to escape from her. The danger to fall prey to this woman is so enormous that a person is only kept from her by God’s grace and mercy. Whoever goes outside God’s mercy will inevitably fall into her hands.

This clearly shows that no man should cherish the foolish thought that it will not happen to him. The judgment about the futility of man is again confirmed here. He who is kept, must confess that God is the One Who kept him. At the same time, God only keeps those who with an intention of the heart keep the evil at a distance. Joseph was such a man (Genesis 39:2-3). He walked in fellowship with God and refused to sin against Him (Genesis 39:9).

The beginning of Ecc 7:27 corresponds to the previous verse, but is also applicable to everything that the Preacher has searched. Through all his research work for wisdom, whereby he combined things – adding “one thing to another” –, Solomon arrived at the corruptness of human nature, both of man and woman. He made that discovery, “I have discovered this”. He says this as the “Preacher”, with which he underlines the truth of what he says.

He has done everything “to find an explanation”, to come to a final conclusion containing the secret of a meaningful life. In Ecclesiastes 7:28 he says that he has not found that conclusion yet. It is not about what he has found, but what he has not found and what he is still seeking.

Yet, there is something he found among men: “one man among a thousand”. In the light of the corrupted nature of man, which he stated in Ecclesiastes 7:26, the interpretation should be that a righteous man is a rarity (cf. Psalms 12:1). In the light of the New Testament we see that the one Man Who is different, Who is the exception among a thousand, is no one else than Christ (Job 33:23).

The presence of women among a thousand is altogether miserable: he could not find a single one. Solomon could not find a single woman among his thousand wives, who could satisfy his heart.

After this judgment that the Preacher expressed about mankind in Ecclesiastes 7:28, where he did not find what he was looking for, he adds something he did find (Ecclesiastes 7:29). By the word ‘behold’, the attention is drawn to what he has found and invites everyone to take part in it. Solomon arrives at the cause of the original corruption: sin comes forth from the fall of man and not from God, for God has “made men upright”.

The blame of the general corruption does not lie with God, but with man. God has “made men upright”, but man went the wrong way. ‘Upright’ is not sinful or neutral, but describes the condition of the heart that is faithful and obedient. Man is created after God’s image and likeness, but fell into sin (Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 5:12).

Man does not want to know about that and has been searching out many devices for excuses for his sin since Adam and Eve. Seeking has the meaning of fabricating. Admitting is not to be found, but looking for excuses, blaming others, which has already started right after the fall (Genesis 3:12-13). The problems are acknowledged sometimes, but the solution is sought in the improvement of behavior by courses and trainings and such. In that way the problem will never be solved and God’s solution for this problem is ignored, which is: the gift of His Son.

Isaiah 26:15

Found and Not Found

The Preacher has discovered that wickedness is foolish and that foolishness is madness (Ecclesiastes 7:25). He not only observed this, but also experienced it himself by making wrong relationships with his many wives. He speaks about it with a deep awareness of its bitterness. Death as the wages of sin is bitter (1 Samuel 15:32), but the sin of fornication is even “more bitter than death” (Ecclesiastes 7:26; Proverbs 5:9; 11).

The Preacher does not speak of all women – women in general – but about “the woman whose heart is snares” and who seeks to tempt to unfaithfulness (cf. Ecclesiastes 9:9; Proverbs 18:22). From his own example, it appears that not only women can mislead men, but that also men can be captured by their lusts through the woman setting snares and nets for him. He is chained by his lusts (Proverbs 5:22-23) and captured by her, because he is no longer pleasing in the sight of God; in other words no longer walking with Him.

Solomon uses many words to describe the wicked nature of such a woman. He compares the heart of the woman with “snares and nets”; “her hands are chains”, which indicates that she handcuffs those whom she grasps with her hands, out of which there is no way of escape.

The temptation of illicit sexual intercourse is the greatest temptation ever for numerous men, great in extent and great in depth. Whoever is captured by it, is the most deplorable man. “Flee immorality. Every [other] sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18).

“Who is pleasing to God”, is the man seen by God in Christ and who walks with Him. Such a man pleases God as Enoch did (Hebrews 11:5), and escapes the temptations of such a woman. That is the only way to escape from her. The danger to fall prey to this woman is so enormous that a person is only kept from her by God’s grace and mercy. Whoever goes outside God’s mercy will inevitably fall into her hands.

This clearly shows that no man should cherish the foolish thought that it will not happen to him. The judgment about the futility of man is again confirmed here. He who is kept, must confess that God is the One Who kept him. At the same time, God only keeps those who with an intention of the heart keep the evil at a distance. Joseph was such a man (Genesis 39:2-3). He walked in fellowship with God and refused to sin against Him (Genesis 39:9).

The beginning of Ecc 7:27 corresponds to the previous verse, but is also applicable to everything that the Preacher has searched. Through all his research work for wisdom, whereby he combined things – adding “one thing to another” –, Solomon arrived at the corruptness of human nature, both of man and woman. He made that discovery, “I have discovered this”. He says this as the “Preacher”, with which he underlines the truth of what he says.

He has done everything “to find an explanation”, to come to a final conclusion containing the secret of a meaningful life. In Ecclesiastes 7:28 he says that he has not found that conclusion yet. It is not about what he has found, but what he has not found and what he is still seeking.

Yet, there is something he found among men: “one man among a thousand”. In the light of the corrupted nature of man, which he stated in Ecclesiastes 7:26, the interpretation should be that a righteous man is a rarity (cf. Psalms 12:1). In the light of the New Testament we see that the one Man Who is different, Who is the exception among a thousand, is no one else than Christ (Job 33:23).

The presence of women among a thousand is altogether miserable: he could not find a single one. Solomon could not find a single woman among his thousand wives, who could satisfy his heart.

After this judgment that the Preacher expressed about mankind in Ecclesiastes 7:28, where he did not find what he was looking for, he adds something he did find (Ecclesiastes 7:29). By the word ‘behold’, the attention is drawn to what he has found and invites everyone to take part in it. Solomon arrives at the cause of the original corruption: sin comes forth from the fall of man and not from God, for God has “made men upright”.

The blame of the general corruption does not lie with God, but with man. God has “made men upright”, but man went the wrong way. ‘Upright’ is not sinful or neutral, but describes the condition of the heart that is faithful and obedient. Man is created after God’s image and likeness, but fell into sin (Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 5:12).

Man does not want to know about that and has been searching out many devices for excuses for his sin since Adam and Eve. Seeking has the meaning of fabricating. Admitting is not to be found, but looking for excuses, blaming others, which has already started right after the fall (Genesis 3:12-13). The problems are acknowledged sometimes, but the solution is sought in the improvement of behavior by courses and trainings and such. In that way the problem will never be solved and God’s solution for this problem is ignored, which is: the gift of His Son.

Isaiah 26:16

Found and Not Found

The Preacher has discovered that wickedness is foolish and that foolishness is madness (Ecclesiastes 7:25). He not only observed this, but also experienced it himself by making wrong relationships with his many wives. He speaks about it with a deep awareness of its bitterness. Death as the wages of sin is bitter (1 Samuel 15:32), but the sin of fornication is even “more bitter than death” (Ecclesiastes 7:26; Proverbs 5:9; 11).

The Preacher does not speak of all women – women in general – but about “the woman whose heart is snares” and who seeks to tempt to unfaithfulness (cf. Ecclesiastes 9:9; Proverbs 18:22). From his own example, it appears that not only women can mislead men, but that also men can be captured by their lusts through the woman setting snares and nets for him. He is chained by his lusts (Proverbs 5:22-23) and captured by her, because he is no longer pleasing in the sight of God; in other words no longer walking with Him.

Solomon uses many words to describe the wicked nature of such a woman. He compares the heart of the woman with “snares and nets”; “her hands are chains”, which indicates that she handcuffs those whom she grasps with her hands, out of which there is no way of escape.

The temptation of illicit sexual intercourse is the greatest temptation ever for numerous men, great in extent and great in depth. Whoever is captured by it, is the most deplorable man. “Flee immorality. Every [other] sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18).

“Who is pleasing to God”, is the man seen by God in Christ and who walks with Him. Such a man pleases God as Enoch did (Hebrews 11:5), and escapes the temptations of such a woman. That is the only way to escape from her. The danger to fall prey to this woman is so enormous that a person is only kept from her by God’s grace and mercy. Whoever goes outside God’s mercy will inevitably fall into her hands.

This clearly shows that no man should cherish the foolish thought that it will not happen to him. The judgment about the futility of man is again confirmed here. He who is kept, must confess that God is the One Who kept him. At the same time, God only keeps those who with an intention of the heart keep the evil at a distance. Joseph was such a man (Genesis 39:2-3). He walked in fellowship with God and refused to sin against Him (Genesis 39:9).

The beginning of Ecc 7:27 corresponds to the previous verse, but is also applicable to everything that the Preacher has searched. Through all his research work for wisdom, whereby he combined things – adding “one thing to another” –, Solomon arrived at the corruptness of human nature, both of man and woman. He made that discovery, “I have discovered this”. He says this as the “Preacher”, with which he underlines the truth of what he says.

He has done everything “to find an explanation”, to come to a final conclusion containing the secret of a meaningful life. In Ecclesiastes 7:28 he says that he has not found that conclusion yet. It is not about what he has found, but what he has not found and what he is still seeking.

Yet, there is something he found among men: “one man among a thousand”. In the light of the corrupted nature of man, which he stated in Ecclesiastes 7:26, the interpretation should be that a righteous man is a rarity (cf. Psalms 12:1). In the light of the New Testament we see that the one Man Who is different, Who is the exception among a thousand, is no one else than Christ (Job 33:23).

The presence of women among a thousand is altogether miserable: he could not find a single one. Solomon could not find a single woman among his thousand wives, who could satisfy his heart.

After this judgment that the Preacher expressed about mankind in Ecclesiastes 7:28, where he did not find what he was looking for, he adds something he did find (Ecclesiastes 7:29). By the word ‘behold’, the attention is drawn to what he has found and invites everyone to take part in it. Solomon arrives at the cause of the original corruption: sin comes forth from the fall of man and not from God, for God has “made men upright”.

The blame of the general corruption does not lie with God, but with man. God has “made men upright”, but man went the wrong way. ‘Upright’ is not sinful or neutral, but describes the condition of the heart that is faithful and obedient. Man is created after God’s image and likeness, but fell into sin (Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 5:12).

Man does not want to know about that and has been searching out many devices for excuses for his sin since Adam and Eve. Seeking has the meaning of fabricating. Admitting is not to be found, but looking for excuses, blaming others, which has already started right after the fall (Genesis 3:12-13). The problems are acknowledged sometimes, but the solution is sought in the improvement of behavior by courses and trainings and such. In that way the problem will never be solved and God’s solution for this problem is ignored, which is: the gift of His Son.

Isaiah 26:17

Found and Not Found

The Preacher has discovered that wickedness is foolish and that foolishness is madness (Ecclesiastes 7:25). He not only observed this, but also experienced it himself by making wrong relationships with his many wives. He speaks about it with a deep awareness of its bitterness. Death as the wages of sin is bitter (1 Samuel 15:32), but the sin of fornication is even “more bitter than death” (Ecclesiastes 7:26; Proverbs 5:9; 11).

The Preacher does not speak of all women – women in general – but about “the woman whose heart is snares” and who seeks to tempt to unfaithfulness (cf. Ecclesiastes 9:9; Proverbs 18:22). From his own example, it appears that not only women can mislead men, but that also men can be captured by their lusts through the woman setting snares and nets for him. He is chained by his lusts (Proverbs 5:22-23) and captured by her, because he is no longer pleasing in the sight of God; in other words no longer walking with Him.

Solomon uses many words to describe the wicked nature of such a woman. He compares the heart of the woman with “snares and nets”; “her hands are chains”, which indicates that she handcuffs those whom she grasps with her hands, out of which there is no way of escape.

The temptation of illicit sexual intercourse is the greatest temptation ever for numerous men, great in extent and great in depth. Whoever is captured by it, is the most deplorable man. “Flee immorality. Every [other] sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18).

“Who is pleasing to God”, is the man seen by God in Christ and who walks with Him. Such a man pleases God as Enoch did (Hebrews 11:5), and escapes the temptations of such a woman. That is the only way to escape from her. The danger to fall prey to this woman is so enormous that a person is only kept from her by God’s grace and mercy. Whoever goes outside God’s mercy will inevitably fall into her hands.

This clearly shows that no man should cherish the foolish thought that it will not happen to him. The judgment about the futility of man is again confirmed here. He who is kept, must confess that God is the One Who kept him. At the same time, God only keeps those who with an intention of the heart keep the evil at a distance. Joseph was such a man (Genesis 39:2-3). He walked in fellowship with God and refused to sin against Him (Genesis 39:9).

The beginning of Ecc 7:27 corresponds to the previous verse, but is also applicable to everything that the Preacher has searched. Through all his research work for wisdom, whereby he combined things – adding “one thing to another” –, Solomon arrived at the corruptness of human nature, both of man and woman. He made that discovery, “I have discovered this”. He says this as the “Preacher”, with which he underlines the truth of what he says.

He has done everything “to find an explanation”, to come to a final conclusion containing the secret of a meaningful life. In Ecclesiastes 7:28 he says that he has not found that conclusion yet. It is not about what he has found, but what he has not found and what he is still seeking.

Yet, there is something he found among men: “one man among a thousand”. In the light of the corrupted nature of man, which he stated in Ecclesiastes 7:26, the interpretation should be that a righteous man is a rarity (cf. Psalms 12:1). In the light of the New Testament we see that the one Man Who is different, Who is the exception among a thousand, is no one else than Christ (Job 33:23).

The presence of women among a thousand is altogether miserable: he could not find a single one. Solomon could not find a single woman among his thousand wives, who could satisfy his heart.

After this judgment that the Preacher expressed about mankind in Ecclesiastes 7:28, where he did not find what he was looking for, he adds something he did find (Ecclesiastes 7:29). By the word ‘behold’, the attention is drawn to what he has found and invites everyone to take part in it. Solomon arrives at the cause of the original corruption: sin comes forth from the fall of man and not from God, for God has “made men upright”.

The blame of the general corruption does not lie with God, but with man. God has “made men upright”, but man went the wrong way. ‘Upright’ is not sinful or neutral, but describes the condition of the heart that is faithful and obedient. Man is created after God’s image and likeness, but fell into sin (Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 5:12).

Man does not want to know about that and has been searching out many devices for excuses for his sin since Adam and Eve. Seeking has the meaning of fabricating. Admitting is not to be found, but looking for excuses, blaming others, which has already started right after the fall (Genesis 3:12-13). The problems are acknowledged sometimes, but the solution is sought in the improvement of behavior by courses and trainings and such. In that way the problem will never be solved and God’s solution for this problem is ignored, which is: the gift of His Son.

Isaiah 26:19

Introduction

In this chapter we are confronted again and again with our incapability to arrange and control our own existence. The wise man will see that and will be modest and distance himself from arrogant opinions.

Who Is Wise?

“The wise man” about whom the Preacher is talking here, of whom he wonders who is such, is one who has insight into the meaning of man’s toil on earth. Such a wise man “knows the interpretation of a matter”. However, such man is not to be found. Even the Preacher, who is the wisest man on earth, is not that wise, for he could not find any explanation, despite a deep and broad research.

Yet, there is a form of wisdom that can be present and that is the acceptance of the fact that the interpretation of a matter lies outside the understanding of man. This is not resignation, but the recognition of one’s own limitations and powerlessness. As a result, man is released from a burden and he is “illumined”, the sadness disappears. It causes “his stern face” because he has no control over life, to beam. His facial features become soft because he sees that God controls everything and that he can trust that He will fulfill His plan, both with the world and with him personally.

The wise adjusts himself to what comes over him, because he realizes that he cannot and does not have to explain everything. The wise is modest and does not boast that he knows or will be able to find an explanation for everything that can happen in a person’s life. This is why he has a happy face and also light so that he can behave himself in an appropriate manner in those circumstances.

The wise knows what to do because he judges the circumstances according to God’s Word (Hosea 14:9; Psalms 107:43; James 3:13). Only fellowship with God gives wisdom and understanding which makes a person to know “the interpretation of a matter”. Joseph and Daniel could interpret matters, like the dreams of Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar, the rulers to whom they were submitted. They were wise because of their fellowship with God.

Isaiah 26:20

Respect For the Authority Given by God

Wisdom is first and foremost seen in the submission to the government that God has established (Ecclesiastes 8:2; Romans 13:1-7). The Preacher points to that with emphasis when he speaks out: “I say.” Taking into account the authority established by God is wisdom. We should not influence governments. Even when a government is unrighteous and randomly makes laws, it is wise to submit to it and not to revolt against it. An example of that attitude is seen in Daniel and his friends (Daniel 1:1-20).

The Preacher assumes that the king has absolute authority (Proverbs 24:21-22). Therefore, resistance against the king is folly, for by his authority he is stronger than we are. In addition, it is disobedience to God, for God has given him that power. Only in a case where the king or the government demands something from us that goes against God’s Word, “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Therefore the friends of Daniel did not bow to the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, despite his command that everyone had to fall down and worship it. They could not obey that command, whatever the consequences (Daniel 3:14-18).

Our obedience to the king as the highest authority in a kingdom lies in the basis of “the oath before God” (cf. 2 Samuel 5:1-3; 2 Kings 11:17; 1 Chronicles 29:24). That oath may refer to ourselves. We do not take an oath in the usual sense of the word; however, if we claim to submit to God’s Word, it includes the obligation of submitting ourselves to the king. We therefore do not resist against the king and we will even less rebel against him, but submit to him (1 Peter 2:13-16).

It is wrong to withdraw ourselves from the obligations that we have toward the king and to turn against him on a whim of anger (Ecclesiastes 8:3). If we leave the king in a hurry, we indicate that we do not accept him any longer. We may think that we have reasons for that, for example that he does not meet our wishes and expectations.

It is “an evil matter” to behave in such a way and hold on to it, for the king is an authority given by God. God has given the sword of power to him and he exercises that power as it pleases him. This may be in a good way, but also in a bad way. Therefore, the way he rules should not determine our attitude, but the position he has received from God should.

This is also important for other areas of our life. You may become so disappointed in your spouse that you decide to move away from him thinking that you will be happier with a new spouse. You can be disappointed in the leaders in the church because of a small thing. Some people leave the church because of that, assuming they will not experience this kind of frustration in another church. This principle also goes for the job we may have. The ‘grass is greener syndrome’ – the idea that the grass with the neighbors is always greener – is very deceptive. With our attempts to escape our problems we can cause a lot of sorrow and pain to ourselves and also to others.

There is no way to escape the king, for ‘he has many eyes, many ears and many long arms’. The power of the king is unlimited. We see that with a good king as Solomon (1 Kings 2:29-46) and with a bad king as Herod (Matthew 14:9-10). It is about the power as such, not about the way it is exercised.

The Lord Jesus never called us to overthrow the evil power. He also submitted Himself to the ruling power of the Romans, no matter how corrupt that power was. He says to the wicked Pilate: “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). The Lord recognizes Pilate’s position. Later, Pilate will have to account for the way he dealt with the power that was given to him. That was not an issue at the time.

The reason why it is wise to do what the king says, is because “the word of the king is authoritative” (Ecclesiastes 8:4). There is power in his word. His word has authority and it must be obeyed. We are obliged to comply what he imposes on us (cf. 1 Samuel 8:10-18). He has received power to rule, we have not.

The king is above his people. We cannot call him to account. His power is a reflection of the ruling power of God, Whom we cannot call to account either (Job 9:12; Isaiah 45:9; Romans 9:20).

If we obey the command that the king has enacted, we will not have to fear any trouble from him (Ecclesiastes 8:5). This is the direct reward from God for a good behavior (Romans 13:3-4). No matter how bad some governments are, without a government there will be anarchy. It is better to have a bad government than no government.

He who knows the will of the king and takes that into consideration, shows that he has a wise heart. A wise man does at the right time and at the right moment or in the right way what the king expects him to do. The highest wisdom for people is to submit to the commandment that the highest authority has enacted. An additional result is that life becomes much easier. In general people will not get into trouble with the king when they do what he said. If you keep up the speed, you do not run the risk of being fined.

Considering the commandment applies in the highest degree for the commandments of God. All the commandments of God are commandments for life. Whoever obeys them will experience the good and not the evil. Commandments are to make us safe and happy on the path of obedience. It is the path of self-preservation and of harmony within our environment. The great commandment for us is the commandment that we love one another. “Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). Love will never lead anyone to violate any commandment of the law, but on the contrary will fulfill every commandment of the law.

The heart of the wise considers the time in which he lives and the opportunity he has to live. He can see through the decisions of the government in the light of the circumstances and knows how to behave. The wise knows the time of God and sees the opportunity or procedure to act. Examples of such wise men are Jonathan toward David (1 Samuel 19:4-6), Nathan toward David (2 Samuel 12:1-14) and Esther toward Ahasuerus (Esther 7:2-4).

When a man violates the commandments, the result is that “a man’s trouble is heavy upon him” (Ecclesiastes 8:6). This happens according to the law of sowing and reaping that is related to each act (Galatians 6:7). When the proper time and opportunity are ripe, the harvest comes, in whatever form.

“Every delight” or “every purpose”, also the decision of a government, takes place at a certain point in time which also offers the opportunity for that delight. Because the world lies in sin, everything that happens, also the delightful things, do not benefit man, but causes trouble that is heavy upon him. At the beginning it may look as if it is getting better, because man has more to spend. But the delight of prosperity becomes his death. “Trouble” may also consist of frustration, stress, chaos and disorientation. Those are things that make life very unpleasant instead of delightful.

Everything that man possesses and invents without God, leads him to destruction. Some inventions may lengthen the duration of his life, but not its quality. However, with the duration often sorrow increases. In order to make ‘a way of escape’ from that, people invented ‘voluntary euthanasia’, so that a human being is able (to allow) to put an end to his life. However, who thinks about coming in such trouble from which he will never ever be able to be freed thereafter and that the trouble will be heavy upon him?

The trouble of Ecc 8:6 is mainly caused by the fact that man has no control over the future, for “no one knows what will happen” (Ecclesiastes 8:7). Man without God does not know anything about the future. No one can tell him, certainly not the fortune tellers. Only God knows the future and knows what will happen (Isaiah 46:10-11). He also makes that future known and tells us when certain things happen. In view of the future He warns man.

For the man who does not trust in God, the insecurity of the future becomes an oppressive burden that leads him to madness (Luke 21:25-26). He wants to know how politics will develop and how the world economy will run, so that he can make the right decisions and make a profit. This goes for speculations, but also for an education and purchases.

Four things are mentioned here that place a limit to any authority (Ecclesiastes 8:8). Those are things that prove that man is not able to control circumstances:

1. “No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind.” The word for ‘wind’ is also ‘spirit’ or ‘breath’. Over all these things man has no authority. The breath or spirit of man is in God’s hand (Daniel 5:23), which means that God has power over life and death. God gives spirit or breath and He also restrains it or takes it back. Another thought is that a man has no power over another man’s spirit, just as he has no power over his own. We see that for example with Nebuchadnezzar who wants his wise men to tell him which dream he has had (Daniel 2:1-12). That is of course an impossible and foolish question. It also appears that he too, with all his power, is not able to influence their spirit in such a way that they can tell him his dream.

2. Man also has “no authority over the day of death”. Only God has that authority (Deuteronomy 32:39). Our times are in His hand (Psalms 31:15; Psalms 39:4-5; Job 14:5). If man puts an end to his life by himself and even determines the day and the means for it, it seems as if he is mocking this word of God. However, he does not realize that he is induced to commit this deed by the murderer of men from the beginning, satan, the great adversary of God. The life of a human is determined by God or under the permission of God by satan and not by himself.

3. “There is no discharge in the time of war”, which is the war against death. The word “discharge” alludes to the obligation of military service of all Israelite men over the age of twenty years (Numbers 1:3). Certain categories of those were discharged (Deuteronomy 20:5-8). From the war that the Preacher means, the war against death, not one is exempt. For no one there is “discharge of this war”, nobody escapes from this war against death, a war he will always lose. Everyone is a sinner and has to deal with the consequences of his sin: the inevitable death (Romans 6:23).

4. Also “evil will not deliver those who practice it” from death. Whatever tricks the evil man invents to escape from it, it is meaningless. In obituaries you may read that someone has ‘lost the unequal fight’. It is about for example the fight against an incurable disease that a person died from. The famous soccer player Johan Cruyff said at a certain moment that he, in his fight against the cancer in his body, was leading with 2-0 in a match which was not over yet. He added: ‘But I know for sure that I will be the winner of this fight.’ What an arrogant narrow-mindedness. He has lost the fight and did not escape death. His death was announced with the words that he died ‘after a fierce fight against cancer’.

Isaiah 26:21

Respect For the Authority Given by God

Wisdom is first and foremost seen in the submission to the government that God has established (Ecclesiastes 8:2; Romans 13:1-7). The Preacher points to that with emphasis when he speaks out: “I say.” Taking into account the authority established by God is wisdom. We should not influence governments. Even when a government is unrighteous and randomly makes laws, it is wise to submit to it and not to revolt against it. An example of that attitude is seen in Daniel and his friends (Daniel 1:1-20).

The Preacher assumes that the king has absolute authority (Proverbs 24:21-22). Therefore, resistance against the king is folly, for by his authority he is stronger than we are. In addition, it is disobedience to God, for God has given him that power. Only in a case where the king or the government demands something from us that goes against God’s Word, “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Therefore the friends of Daniel did not bow to the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, despite his command that everyone had to fall down and worship it. They could not obey that command, whatever the consequences (Daniel 3:14-18).

Our obedience to the king as the highest authority in a kingdom lies in the basis of “the oath before God” (cf. 2 Samuel 5:1-3; 2 Kings 11:17; 1 Chronicles 29:24). That oath may refer to ourselves. We do not take an oath in the usual sense of the word; however, if we claim to submit to God’s Word, it includes the obligation of submitting ourselves to the king. We therefore do not resist against the king and we will even less rebel against him, but submit to him (1 Peter 2:13-16).

It is wrong to withdraw ourselves from the obligations that we have toward the king and to turn against him on a whim of anger (Ecclesiastes 8:3). If we leave the king in a hurry, we indicate that we do not accept him any longer. We may think that we have reasons for that, for example that he does not meet our wishes and expectations.

It is “an evil matter” to behave in such a way and hold on to it, for the king is an authority given by God. God has given the sword of power to him and he exercises that power as it pleases him. This may be in a good way, but also in a bad way. Therefore, the way he rules should not determine our attitude, but the position he has received from God should.

This is also important for other areas of our life. You may become so disappointed in your spouse that you decide to move away from him thinking that you will be happier with a new spouse. You can be disappointed in the leaders in the church because of a small thing. Some people leave the church because of that, assuming they will not experience this kind of frustration in another church. This principle also goes for the job we may have. The ‘grass is greener syndrome’ – the idea that the grass with the neighbors is always greener – is very deceptive. With our attempts to escape our problems we can cause a lot of sorrow and pain to ourselves and also to others.

There is no way to escape the king, for ‘he has many eyes, many ears and many long arms’. The power of the king is unlimited. We see that with a good king as Solomon (1 Kings 2:29-46) and with a bad king as Herod (Matthew 14:9-10). It is about the power as such, not about the way it is exercised.

The Lord Jesus never called us to overthrow the evil power. He also submitted Himself to the ruling power of the Romans, no matter how corrupt that power was. He says to the wicked Pilate: “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). The Lord recognizes Pilate’s position. Later, Pilate will have to account for the way he dealt with the power that was given to him. That was not an issue at the time.

The reason why it is wise to do what the king says, is because “the word of the king is authoritative” (Ecclesiastes 8:4). There is power in his word. His word has authority and it must be obeyed. We are obliged to comply what he imposes on us (cf. 1 Samuel 8:10-18). He has received power to rule, we have not.

The king is above his people. We cannot call him to account. His power is a reflection of the ruling power of God, Whom we cannot call to account either (Job 9:12; Isaiah 45:9; Romans 9:20).

If we obey the command that the king has enacted, we will not have to fear any trouble from him (Ecclesiastes 8:5). This is the direct reward from God for a good behavior (Romans 13:3-4). No matter how bad some governments are, without a government there will be anarchy. It is better to have a bad government than no government.

He who knows the will of the king and takes that into consideration, shows that he has a wise heart. A wise man does at the right time and at the right moment or in the right way what the king expects him to do. The highest wisdom for people is to submit to the commandment that the highest authority has enacted. An additional result is that life becomes much easier. In general people will not get into trouble with the king when they do what he said. If you keep up the speed, you do not run the risk of being fined.

Considering the commandment applies in the highest degree for the commandments of God. All the commandments of God are commandments for life. Whoever obeys them will experience the good and not the evil. Commandments are to make us safe and happy on the path of obedience. It is the path of self-preservation and of harmony within our environment. The great commandment for us is the commandment that we love one another. “Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). Love will never lead anyone to violate any commandment of the law, but on the contrary will fulfill every commandment of the law.

The heart of the wise considers the time in which he lives and the opportunity he has to live. He can see through the decisions of the government in the light of the circumstances and knows how to behave. The wise knows the time of God and sees the opportunity or procedure to act. Examples of such wise men are Jonathan toward David (1 Samuel 19:4-6), Nathan toward David (2 Samuel 12:1-14) and Esther toward Ahasuerus (Esther 7:2-4).

When a man violates the commandments, the result is that “a man’s trouble is heavy upon him” (Ecclesiastes 8:6). This happens according to the law of sowing and reaping that is related to each act (Galatians 6:7). When the proper time and opportunity are ripe, the harvest comes, in whatever form.

“Every delight” or “every purpose”, also the decision of a government, takes place at a certain point in time which also offers the opportunity for that delight. Because the world lies in sin, everything that happens, also the delightful things, do not benefit man, but causes trouble that is heavy upon him. At the beginning it may look as if it is getting better, because man has more to spend. But the delight of prosperity becomes his death. “Trouble” may also consist of frustration, stress, chaos and disorientation. Those are things that make life very unpleasant instead of delightful.

Everything that man possesses and invents without God, leads him to destruction. Some inventions may lengthen the duration of his life, but not its quality. However, with the duration often sorrow increases. In order to make ‘a way of escape’ from that, people invented ‘voluntary euthanasia’, so that a human being is able (to allow) to put an end to his life. However, who thinks about coming in such trouble from which he will never ever be able to be freed thereafter and that the trouble will be heavy upon him?

The trouble of Ecc 8:6 is mainly caused by the fact that man has no control over the future, for “no one knows what will happen” (Ecclesiastes 8:7). Man without God does not know anything about the future. No one can tell him, certainly not the fortune tellers. Only God knows the future and knows what will happen (Isaiah 46:10-11). He also makes that future known and tells us when certain things happen. In view of the future He warns man.

For the man who does not trust in God, the insecurity of the future becomes an oppressive burden that leads him to madness (Luke 21:25-26). He wants to know how politics will develop and how the world economy will run, so that he can make the right decisions and make a profit. This goes for speculations, but also for an education and purchases.

Four things are mentioned here that place a limit to any authority (Ecclesiastes 8:8). Those are things that prove that man is not able to control circumstances:

1. “No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind.” The word for ‘wind’ is also ‘spirit’ or ‘breath’. Over all these things man has no authority. The breath or spirit of man is in God’s hand (Daniel 5:23), which means that God has power over life and death. God gives spirit or breath and He also restrains it or takes it back. Another thought is that a man has no power over another man’s spirit, just as he has no power over his own. We see that for example with Nebuchadnezzar who wants his wise men to tell him which dream he has had (Daniel 2:1-12). That is of course an impossible and foolish question. It also appears that he too, with all his power, is not able to influence their spirit in such a way that they can tell him his dream.

2. Man also has “no authority over the day of death”. Only God has that authority (Deuteronomy 32:39). Our times are in His hand (Psalms 31:15; Psalms 39:4-5; Job 14:5). If man puts an end to his life by himself and even determines the day and the means for it, it seems as if he is mocking this word of God. However, he does not realize that he is induced to commit this deed by the murderer of men from the beginning, satan, the great adversary of God. The life of a human is determined by God or under the permission of God by satan and not by himself.

3. “There is no discharge in the time of war”, which is the war against death. The word “discharge” alludes to the obligation of military service of all Israelite men over the age of twenty years (Numbers 1:3). Certain categories of those were discharged (Deuteronomy 20:5-8). From the war that the Preacher means, the war against death, not one is exempt. For no one there is “discharge of this war”, nobody escapes from this war against death, a war he will always lose. Everyone is a sinner and has to deal with the consequences of his sin: the inevitable death (Romans 6:23).

4. Also “evil will not deliver those who practice it” from death. Whatever tricks the evil man invents to escape from it, it is meaningless. In obituaries you may read that someone has ‘lost the unequal fight’. It is about for example the fight against an incurable disease that a person died from. The famous soccer player Johan Cruyff said at a certain moment that he, in his fight against the cancer in his body, was leading with 2-0 in a match which was not over yet. He added: ‘But I know for sure that I will be the winner of this fight.’ What an arrogant narrow-mindedness. He has lost the fight and did not escape death. His death was announced with the words that he died ‘after a fierce fight against cancer’.