Ecclesiastes 7:22 – For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

 

Thought:  This verse relates to the previous verse.  Those who soak up gossip often hear words spoken against them by those close to them.  It is easy to get angry in such cases.  We may want to seek revenge.  What we need to remember is that we, too, have spoken evil words against others.  We should not be so quick to condemn another for what we have also done.  Far too often we are hypocritical in our judgments of others.  They do what we do.  They are wrong.  We are not.  How?

 

Matthew 7:1-5

 

Commentary:

 

A.     This verse plays off the thought made in verse 21. 

1.       We have had our ears open listening to all kinds of things from others.

2.       Then, we find out someone has spoken evil of us.

3.       We are offended.  We are angry.  We want to confront.  We want to cut them off from being our friend.

 

B.      Before this is done, we need to do some self-examination Solomon says.

1.       We, too, have cursed others in the past.

a.  We have said things about family members.

b.  We have said something disparaging about a friend.

c.  We have spoken words of ridicule about a boss.

d.  We have demeaned our neighbors.

2.       Question:  Why do we get a pass for saying evil things of others, but we do not give others a pass when they curse us?  Why is it okay for us to speak evil of others, but they are not allowed to speak evil of us?

3.       The Real Question:  What if the words we have spoken about others came into their hearing?  Would we be proud of the things that we have said? 

4.       Jesus confronts this type of behavior in Matthew 7:1-5.

 

Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged:  and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ecclesiastes 7:23 – All this have I proved by wisdom:  I said, I will be wise:  but it was far from me.

 

Thought:  When Solomon began his experiment, he had a desire.  He wanted to possess wisdom, that is, to “possess it fully and completely; i.e., not merely to be able to record observations and communicate advices, but to adjust the contradictions of life, to expound the mysteries of time and eternity, and generally to solve the most weighty and important questions which perplex men” (e-sword, Keil and Delitzsch).  After much time and money was expended, he had fallen fall short.  He said that wisdom “was far from me.”  Such wisdom only God possesses.

 

I Corinthians 1:19-20

 

Commentary:

 

A.     Solomon has recorded many things thus far that involve wisdom. 

 

B.      When he started on this journey, one of his desires was to be wise.  “I said, I will be wise.”

 

C.     He was to “possess it full and completely; i.e., not merely to be able to record observations and communicate advices, but to adjust the contradictions of life, to expound the mysteries of time and eternity, and generally to solve the most weighty and important questions which perplex men” (e-sword, Keil and Delitzsch).

 

D.     His came to realize, however, that wisdom was “far from me.”

1.       Solomon had great wisdom, more than the ancients of his day, but after possessing all of that wisdom, he knew he was still not wise.

2.       Man can spend a lifetime attempting to be wise only to realize there is so much he still does not know.

3.       NOTE:  Wisdom keeps even the wise man humble.

 

E.      A person is not a wise man if…

1.       He thinks he knows it all.

2.       He starts to become knowledgeable and believes he is wiser than others.

3.       He allows his wisdom to destroy himself.

4.       He allows his wisdom to cause him to lose his soul.

 

F.      God challenges the wise, the scribe, and the disputer of the world in 1 Corinthians 1:20.

 

Where is the wise?  Where is the scribe?  Where is the disputer of this world?  hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

 

G.     God seeks to keep the wise humble.  The reason for this is revealed in 1 Corinthians 1:29.

 

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

 

H.    The only way any man should glory is “in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:30-31).

 

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, the righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:  that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

 

 

 

Ecclesiastes 7:24 – That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

 

Thought:  Man often likes to boast of his intelligence.  There is no doubt that man has gleaned much wisdom and understanding throughout the years.  However, there are so many things that man does not know.  The reality is that his ignorance runs deeper than his intelligence.  He often wonders if he will ever know some things.  The answer is:  “No.”  A wise God created this Universe.  He is wiser and greater than man will ever be.  It is impossible for finite man to discover all His intelligence.

 

Romans 11:33

 

Commentary: 

 

A.     As men study, research, and learn, they also come to understand that there are still many things that are “far off” and “exceeding deep.”

 

B.      Man has learned many things over the years.  The last hundred years have really accelerated man’s understanding in many fields. 

 

C.     But, the reality is that his ignorance runs much deeper than his intelligence.  Listen to that again:  His ignorance runs much deeper than his intelligence.

 

D.     There will be some things man will never learn.  Why?  He will never learn them because an all-wise God created the Universe.  The wisdom He has planted in His creation is far beyond the capacity of man to find out. 

 

E.      Two verses:

1.       Romans 11:33-34

 

O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord?  or who hath been his counsellor.

 

2.       1 Corinthians 1:27-28

 

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and the things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and the things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ecclesiastes 7:25 – I applied my heart to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness.

 

Thought:  Solomon was intent about his experiment with life.  He searched for “the reason of things.”  He desperately wanted “to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness.”  He wanted to know what many have wanted to know.  Why are we here?  What is the purpose of this world?  What is the reason for the good things and the bad things in life?  How can man be truly happy?  Solomon has the answers.  We do not have to learn the hard way.  Just read Ecclesiastes.

 

Ecclesiastes 1:17

 

Commentary:

 

A.     Solomon was intent on this experience.

1.       He applied his heart.

a.  Applied:  “to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or

      around, surround, encircle, change direction” (BDB, e-sword).

b.  He did three things.

     1)  Know

     2)  Search

     3)  Seek out

2.       His desire was two-fold:

a.   His desire was to obtain wisdom.

1)  Knowledge and understanding

2)  This involves the positive things of life.

                   b.  He wanted to know “the reason of things.”

                        1)  The wickedness of folly

                        2)  The wickedness of foolishness

                        3)  The wickedness of madness

                        4)  NOTE:  This involved the negative things of life.

 

B.      Solomon wanted the answers to questions men ask today.  He wanted an understanding of the things that men want to understand today. 

1.       We do not have to go through the same type of experiment Solomon conducted. 

2.       We do not have to learn the hard way.

3.       All we need to do is read the book of Ecclesiastes.