“There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you-- for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
All this I tested by wisdom, and I said, "I am determined to be wise"-- but this was beyond me. Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound-- who can discover it?
So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.
"Look," says the Teacher, "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things- while I was still searching but not finding-- I found one man among a thousand, but not one woman among them all.
This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes." Eccl 7:20-29
Ways of Wisdom- Be Warned – Ecclesiastes 7:20-29
“There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.
Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you-- for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
All this I tested by wisdom and I said, "I am determined to be wise"-- but this was beyond me. Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound-- who can discover it?
So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.
"Look," says the Teacher, "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things- while I was still searching but not finding-- I found one man among a thousand, but not one woman among them all.
This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes." Eccl 7:20-29
Today we look at some of the warnings of Solomon. What to avoid also are the ways of wisdom. We are all sinners and there is no one that is righteous. Until we come to that understanding there is no salvation, but knowing allows us the power to face it, admit it, and confess it. We are wise when we stop comparing ourselves with anyone else than Jesus Christ. When we compare ourselves with others, we can justify our behaviors and actions, but when compared with Jesus, we are unholy and full of selfishness, sin, and disobedience, which requires confession.
Many have the mistaken worldview that mankind is basically good. The Scriptures teach a different view of mankind. We live in a sin-filled world. Solomon warns us today against our tongues and our lusts.
People are tearing others down through gossip and malice and slander. There is great damage that our words can do. Christians, particularly, need to watch what we say. Be warned, do not repeat gossip.
One young man said to his mother, “Mom, you’re already telling more of the story than you heard." One particular problem in churches is prayer concerns. There is private information that we are not privileged to share without permission, and then there is public information that also should pass the test, if it is encouraging or uplifting, Otherwise, who needs to know?
Solomon also wanted to warn folks against lusts. Look at the extreme damage pornography plays in our lives and on the internet, television, and movies. He warned of sexual urges and also the temptations that are widely available today. Even children’s magazines have pictures of ladies whose breasts are half showing. Many young people see nothing wrong with wearing some of the clothing that is highly sexual in nature in school and sometimes in church. Many do not recognize how it affects the young men around them. Many boys and men feed on pornography so readily available that their lusts and desires become obsessions.
If God is the Lord of your body, dress to please Him, not lewdly to attract those who are easily sexually tempted. Be warned that sex before marriage goes against God’s laws. It is damaging in many ways to our psyche when we are living in sin. Solomon paid the consequences and his sexual desires became his spiritual downfall. Be warned of sexual immorality and be warned of lusts.
Determine in your heart that you will not let the world mold you into its thinking even as Solomon was molded by his lusts and hence left the Lord. Most of Solomon's wives were foreign wives not devoted to God. Lest we forget the context, he observed, that all people are sinners and that is true men and women alike.
There are many wise proverbs of Solomon. He learned wisdom the hard way, through sinful mistakes. He warned others to stay away from sin. We can learn through the inspired Word of Scripture. God has a path of righteousness and protection for us, but like Adam and Eve in the Garden, that which captures our attention is our downfall when we take our eyes off of Christ.
Application: Be wise in the Lord. Be in His Word. Let it permeate your life and your witness.
Prayer: Lord, help me to learn the ways of wisdom through my mistakes and those of others. When I hear of the damage of sin in people’s lives, I want to be more careful to walk in the light of Your instructions. I trust Your Holy Spirit to work that in me and I thank you.
