Finding Perspective – Part 1
Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 (1-6)
August 22, 2021
This morning we return to our study of Ecclesiastes.
When we were last here I told you that starting in chapter 7
The preacher enters A NEW SEGMENT in the book.
The first 6 chapters represented: THE FUTILE PURSUIT
9 times we saw the phrase “striving after wind”
We looked at the futility of things like
• Obtaining wisdom
• Finding pleasure
• Accomplishment
• Acquiring Treasure
All of those things are the things the world tells us are the pathways to fulfillment but the preacher reminded us that in reality they are a fool’s pursuit.
Seeking those things is like trying to catch the wind.
It is like trying to hold a mist.
It is like trying to enjoy a mirage.
It is a lie from the advertiser and there is no fulfillment found there.
But starting in chapter 7 the preachers shifts gears and now he begins to talk to us about: THE NOBLE PURSUIT
The book itself takes on a bit of a different feel.
• Now we get imperatives.
• Now we get commands.
• Now we get directives for living.
After fully exposing the false advertising of the enemy
The preacher now wants to show you a better way.
It begins with a segment on PERSPECTIVE.
8 times in our passage this morning you notice the same word: “better”
It is a chapter full of comparisons.
He is in effect now showing the young man a better way.
• It is to say instead of seeking that, seek this.
• Take it from one who has lived for a while and I’ll show you what is better.
So this morning we begin to seek a change in perspective.
Now the SIMPLE EXPLANATION would be that
THE PREACHER WANTS THE YOUNG MAN TO HAVE WISDOM.
You will actually see that down in verses 11-12
“Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an advantage to those who see the sun. For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.”
Clearly he is pointing us to the importance of wisdom.
But there must be a distinction made here
For he has already gone to great lengths in this book to warn us
That there is a wisdom which does not satisfy.
We read very early in the book:
Ecclesiastes 1:16-18 “I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.”
And we remember his lament that knowledge did not allow him
To straighten what was crooked or fill what was lacking.
So early in the book he lamented his wisdom
But now here in chapter 7 he is clearly endorsing it.
But the distinction must be made again
Regarding the difference between the world’s wisdom (philosophy)
And God’s wisdom.
James helps us greatly here.
James 3:13-17 “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”
James there clearly defines for us that there is a difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God.
• There is a wisdom which is filled with selfish ambition and arrogance and jealousy. That is worldly wisdom and it comes from the devil.
• And then there is a wisdom which produces righteousness and peace and mercy and it is from God.
THE POINT IS: There is a Difference.
Paul spoke of the distinction.
1 Corinthians 2:6-8 “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;”
Again, there is a difference between worldly wisdom and God’s wisdom.
And that distinction is also seen in Ecclesiastes.
The first 6 chapters lamented worldly wisdom.
• It was that human knowledge or philosophy that was thought to bring fulfillment and satisfaction.
• It was a wisdom driven by ambition and it did not satisfy.
Now the preacher turns to God’s wisdom.
• Now the preacher turns to the wisdom which produces righteousness.
And right out of the gate in chapter 7
He is going to show you the pathway to obtaining it.
And his ADVICE IS SO ANTI-WORLD
That it almost sounds absurd the first time you read it.
I mean, look at some of those comparisons again.
(1) “the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.”
Really?
(2) “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting,”
That doesn’t sound right?
(3) “Sorrow is better than laughter”
What?
All of that seems like really bad advice or bad logic.
And yet, what you have here is
The preacher seeking to give you some perspective.
• He is NOT TRYING to mimic the world.
• He is NOT TRYING to give you the advice of the world.
• He IS TRYING to impart to you the wisdom of God.
And you don’t obtain the wisdom of God
The same way you obtain the wisdom of the world.
God’s wisdom is found down a different path.
And that is the path that he sets out for you this morning.
So,
• Do you want to be wise?
• Do you want Godly wisdom?
• Do you want the wisdom that produces righteousness and peace?
Then let’s find a little perspective this morning.
What we’re going to see first from the preacher this morning are
3 PERSPECTIVES.
• He’s going to show you 3 mindsets that might be upside down in your brain.
• He’s going to try and shift your thinking in 3 areas.
• And then he’s going to tell you why it is important that you listen to him and embrace these new perspectives.
So let’s start with those 3 new mindsets that we need.
#1 MOURNING IS BETTER THAN PLEASURE
Ecclesiastes 7:1-4
Well that statement alone probably makes your antenna go up a little.
I mean, we see social media.
We even see the religious posts.
• They are filled with prayers that God would give us “blessing, safety, good days, prosperity, health, and happiness.”
No one wakes up in the morning and says, “You know what would be better than pleasure today? If tragedy would strike and I was thrown into mourning.”
No one says that.
No one longs for that.
It is against human nature to want that.
And yet, it sure sounds like that is what the preacher is asking for.
If you zoom out and look at these 4 verses
It sounds like he is talking about attending a funeral.
It’s almost like he is saying,
“It’s better to go to a funeral than it is to go to a wedding.”
Or “It’s better to go to a funeral than a birthday party.”
Now, we are not masochist,
• We don’t wake up in the morning and long to mourn or hope that there’s a funeral to attend.
And that’s NOT the preacher’s ambition either.
• We learned a lot about him early in the book and we found out that just like each of us, he is also a man who likes pleasure.
What the preacher is doing however is
Talking about what is actually more beneficial to your life.
AND HERE IS THE FACT.
You will glean more of the right kind of wisdom from a funeral than you will from a celebration.
• You can learn more from periods of mourning than you can from periods of rejoicing.
And when we say it like that, especially the older members of the congregation, know the preacher is on to something.
God accomplishes far more in our life through periods of sorrow
Than it seems that He does through periods of prosperity.
And that is the preacher’s point here.
• Do you want some godly perspective?
• Do you want to obtain the wisdom that leads to righteousness?
Then the path of mourning
Is going to be more beneficial to you than the path of pleasure.
Look at verse 1, “A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.”
In some ways those statements don’t appear to have anything in common,
But they are actually linked together.
He is COMPARING TWO MONUMENTAL DAYS in a person’s life
He is comparing the day a person is born with the day a person dies.
• At birth people rejoice.
• At death people mourn.
And so the temptation is to see a birthday as better than a day of death,
And there is a certain sense in which that is true.
BUT THE POINT of the preacher is that
We know much more about a person at the day of their death
Than we do at the day of their birth.
THINK ABOUT IT.
When a child is born, what do you know about that child?
• You know their parents
• You know their height and weight
• You know their gender
• You know their basic health
• But that’s really about all.
But fast-forward 80+ years to the day of that child’s death and what do you know about that person?
• You know a whole lot more.
• You know about their character, their work-ethic, their loyalty, their integrity, etc.
THE INITIAL POINT
Is that at the day of your birth your name had NO VALUE,
But at the day of your death it does.
To which the preacher says, “A good name is better than a good ointment.”
There is value in reputation.
There is value in character.
“And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.”
What does he mean?
IT’S NOT HOW YOU START, IT’S HOW YOU FINISH.
• That’s true isn’t it?
• That’s wisdom isn’t it?
And that is the sort of thing a man CONTEMPLATES AT A FUNERAL.
You can go to a hospital when a baby is born and you can laugh and rejoice and smile at the future, and certainly we rejoice in those good moments.
But when you go to a funeral you are reminded that
“Starting well is one thing, but finishing well is another.”
You are reminded of the importance of character.
And you are especially reminded of the importance of character at death
Because it is then that a person has stepped into the presence of God.
You’ll contemplate the importance of character at a funeral,
But you might not contemplate that at a birthday party.
And contemplating the importance of character
Is something that will help you obtain wisdom.
So, as far as wisdom is concerned,
Going to a funeral has more benefit than going to a birthday party.
“the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.”
And the preacher continues.
(2) “It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.”
First he compared a funeral to a birthday party…
Now he’s comparing A FUNERAL TO A FEAST.
Feasts are great!
• Who doesn’t love a buffet?
• Who doesn’t love a potluck?
• There is something reassuring and calming about gathering with friends in a banquet hall with plenty of food.
That was an especially great moment in the ancient east
When food was not always readily available.
Everyone loves a good feast.
And yet the preacher reminds that
There is more wisdom to be gained at a funeral than a feast.
WHY?
“Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.”
Why is a funeral better for you than a feast?
Because you may not ever attend another feast,
But you are headed for at least one more funeral.
THE YOUTH have been talking about it now for the past 3 weeks as they shared their REGEN testimonies.
They’ve quoted:
Psalms 90:10-12 “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”
It is apparent at REGEN that they were confronted with death.
Why would you do that?
Why would you take a group of teenagers
And force them to contemplate death?
BECAUSE SUCH CONTEMPLATION LEADS TO WISDOM.
Your life is a vapor and you will die.
Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”
Death is necessary.
1 Corinthians 15:50 “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”
EVERY MAN DIES.
And the sooner you learn that the better.
• It forces the admonition not to waste your life.
• It forces the admonition to prepare for death and what comes after.
And the preacher says
“You probably never contemplate your own mortality when you go to a feast. But you will contemplate it when you go to a funeral.”
And so while it may be more fun to go to a birthday party or a feast There is much more wisdom to be gleaned from the funeral.
And the preacher ISN’T FINISHED.
(3) “Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.”
There is another one of those PECULIAR STATEMENTS.
• We like things that make us laugh.
• We like things that bring us joy.
• We don’t particularly like to focus on things that grieve us or bring us sadness.
What in the world is the preacher talking about that “sorrow is better than laughter”?
Well, the key is found in the explaining statement.
“For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.”
The preacher speaks of A PECULIAR PHENOMENON that occurs.
You can see a person who is openly grieving; a person who is sad; a person who is even openly weeping.
And yet the preacher says
“That person may actually have a happy heart even though they grieve.”
So what are they faking their grief? No, their grief is real.
Then what is he talking about?
It’s a verse you’ve actually heard often at funerals.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.”
What do you call it when the face is sad but the heart is happy?
YOU CALL IT HOPE.
It is what a believer has even in the face of sorrow.
When a Christian attends the funeral of their loved one
• They grieve and cry true tears of true sorrow because one they loved has died,
• And yet in a mysterious way, their heart still rejoices because of the eternal hope that is inside them.
• They know their loved one is in glory with Christ.
• They actually rejoice at the same time they grieve.
• And even if you were to ask them if at that moment they’d bring their loved one back, the vast majority would stay “No” because they know where their loved one is.
It is a peculiar reality but it is learned and seen at a funeral.
At a birthday party the face may be happy but the heart may be sad.
At a feast the face may be happy but the heart may be sad.
Because the world’s happiness is fleeting.
The world’s happiness is skin deep.
But when you see one at a funeral of a loved one
Who can truly rejoice even in the middle of their grief
Then you are learning something there of wisdom.
You are learning the value of HOPE THAT TRANSCENDS THE GRAVE.
And that is an important lesson.
And that is why the preacher says.
(4) “The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.”
Do you understand his perspective here now?
Do you understand why he says that mourning is better than pleasure?
• Oh sure, pleasure is fun…
• Oh sure, birthday parties are fun…
• Oh sure, feasts are fun…
• And no, funerals aren’t especially fun.
But there are valuable perspectives that can be gained
By gazing at and pondering and learning from the realities of death
For one you’ll learn the truth of the IMPORTANCE OF CHARACTER.
You may skate through this life now as a scoundrel,
But when you stand before God character is going to matter.
Funerals will teach you that.
For another you’ll learn the truth of YOUR OWN MORTALITY.
You aren’t going to live forever. Someday you will die and stand before God and you ought to ponder that.
Funerals will help you ponder that.
And for another you’ll learn the reality of TRUE AND GENUINE HOPE.
A person of genuine hope and happiness is a person who has found the secret of overcoming death and judgment.
And you’ll see that at a funeral too.
So you are gleaning now a wise perspective from the preacher.
Do you want wisdom?
NOT worldly wisdom that manifests itself in ambition and jealousy.
But do you want the wisdom of God that produces righteousness and joy and peace?
Then you need to spend a little more time in houses of mourning
And a little less time in houses of pleasure
Because you are far more apt to gain God’s wisdom at a funeral
Than you are at a feast.
Does that make sense?
Times of sorrow and times of mourning are a gift from God to help you learn wisdom. Those are important moments in life, embrace them and learn from them.
That’s the first perspective.
Mourning is better than Pleasure
#2 A REBUKE IS BETTER THAN A TRIBUTE
Ecclesiastes 7:5-6
Again, this flies right in the face of human logic.
• No one hopes to wake up in the morning, go to work, and get rebuked.
• No one wants to come home from work, face their wife, and get rebuked.
We would much rather be praised wouldn’t we?
We like it much more when people tell us we’ve done well.
And you know THE WORLD has adopted this mentality.
Think about all the new psychological ideas
That float around regarding HOW TO RAISE CHILDREN.
I know the one I hear the most is “Positive Reinforcement”
We’ve even come to the point in modern thought that
Things like “Time Out” are seen as bad.
Forget the whole “Go cut your own switch and then bring it back for me to whip you with it.” That’s a long way gone.
But now it’s come that any type of rebuke at all should be avoided.
• “Experts” say you don’t want to scar a child.
• “Experts” say you don’t want to break down a child.
• So the only way of correcting behavior at all is now seen as positive reinforcement.
And that’s true if you want to raise A DISRESPECTFUL HEATHEN.
But if you want to raise commendable human beings
Then you know that a rebuke (typically followed by pain)
Is going to be necessary.
Proverbs 22:15 “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.”
Your child (or your grandchild) is raised with a chronic case of foolishness
The Bible says there is one way to EXTRACT IT from them.
You remove foolishness WITH A ROD.
Discipline is called for.
• Not positive reinforcement…
• Not logic…
• Not a healthy discussion…
• “the rod of discipline”
When your 2 year old falls off in a pit of foolishness and rebellion and self-centered defiance.
They don’t need you to sit down with them and discuss
• The ramifications of why they shouldn’t throw their cheerios in the floor,
• Or why they shouldn’t argue with their mother.
And I’ll tell you what they also don’t need.
• They don’t need at that moment a sermon on the mercy and grace of God.
No one in here loves the gospel more than me,
But a rebellious child does not need you to sit down and explain to them
How in their rebellion God loves them anyway.
What they need is a whipping! A big one, a bad one, one that will scar not only the rear, but the feelings and the memory as well.
Even in the gospel you never teach grace first.
You have to learn judgment before you can ever appreciate mercy.
Now that’s just a little free parenting advice.
Proverbs 23:13-14 “Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.”
But anyone in here who is raising descent and respectful kids knows that.
You know that it can’t all be positive reinforcement.
• As much as you love your kids…
• As much as you want them to love you…
You know they learn far more from a rebuke than they do from a tribute,
AND SO DO YOU.
It might be nice to have people sing your praises…
It is certainly enjoyable when people pat you on the back…
But far better for your life and especially for your eternity
Is when you face a rebuke.
“It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools.”
Why?
(6) “For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool;”
It’s loud, but it’s short lived.
“And this too is futility.”
It won’t accomplish anything.
You may not like it in life when men rebuke you,
But that will do you far more good in the scope of eternity
Than when men praise you.
Some day you are going to die
• And you are going to stand before God.
• And the God you will stand before is HOLY-HOLY-HOLY.
• And when that God goes to opening the books that record every deed of your life, HE’S NOT going to resort to POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT.
• He will JUDGE SINNERS by throwing them into the lake of fire for all eternity.
You may have loved all those people who praised you in this life,
But it is quite probable that they weren’t doing you much good.
Charles Spurgeon said, “The most shameful way to curse a man is by pretending to bless him.”
AND THAT IS TRUE IN YOUR LIFE.
Don’t gravitate to people who just tell you what you want to hear.
Gravitate toward people who tell you what you need to hear.
Those are the people who are preparing you
WITH THE KIND OF WISDOM THAT LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Those are the ones who are preparing you to stand before a Holy God.
Proverbs 27:5-6 “Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”
Proverbs 13:1 “A wise son accepts his father’s discipline, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.”
Proverbs 28:23 “He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue.”
Now those are the first two perspectives,
And we’re going to have to stop there this morning.
We’ll pick up on the rest of this text next time, but let’s reiterate the point.
You cannot live this life in wisdom without contemplating eternity.
• You must grasp the reality that this life is a vapor.
• You must grasp the reality that death is certain.
• You must grasp the reality that judgment is real.
• You must grasp the reality that judgment is righteous and just.
You must learn to appreciate the things in life that prepare you for that.
I love a party and a feast and songs of praise as much as the next guy,
But those things don’t produce the kind of wisdom that we need.
Learn to appreciate the value of mourning and sorrow and rebuke.
There is much to be learned in those times in your life.
• God is actually using those things to prepare you for eternity.
• God is actually using those things to prepare you to stand before Him.
He is using those things to impart to you the wisdom that leads to life.
WE’RE GOING TO CLOSE THIS MORNING
With one of my favorite verses from Jeremiah.
If you want an interesting study,
Sometime read through Jeremiah and just circle the questions.
Some of the best questions in the Bible are asked in the book of Jeremiah.
Here is perhaps my favorite, and one that helps us here.
Jeremiah 5:30-31 “An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?”
• Sure it is good and fun when people just say and believe whatever they want.
• Yes it is enjoyable to just gather around you people who tell you what you want to hear.
• Who doesn’t like parties and feasts and tributes?
But that end question is of such importance.
“But what will you do at the end of it?”
There’s your perspective.
Death is coming.
Judgment is coming.
Are you prepared?
I can tell you this morning that contemplating those things
Will put you on a path to obtaining wisdom.
And true wisdom in this case is to embrace Jesus Christ.
• He alone can save.
• He alone has the righteousness that you need.
• He alone has the atonement that you need.
• He alone can equip you to face death and judgment.
And if you don’t believe me that you need Jesus…
• Then go to a funeral and ask yourself if character is important when you die.
• Then go to a funeral and ask yourself if you know the date of your funeral.
• Then go to a funeral and ask if there is a way to have hope while facing death.
That will give you the wisdom that leads to Jesus.
And if you can’t get to a funeral to learn how bad you need Jesus…
• Then find one honest person who will tell you the truth about your life and choices and attitude.
• Then find one honest person who won’t just praise you but who will be honest about your sinfulness.
That will give you the wisdom that leads to Jesus.
And that is the wisdom we all need.
We’ll come back and finish this text next time…
