The Advantage of Adversity

Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
2007.05.13
GBC AM Worship

Almost everything tempts us to live by sight and not by faith. It is easier, and maybe we would even say more obvious to live in light of what we can see rather than what we can’t see. The visible always seems to present much greater promise for us than the invisible.

But I say almost everything tempts us to live by faith and not by sight because sometimes the visible isn’t very pretty. Sometimes what we see right in front of us, what we’re going through, is ugly and hard and challenging and tiresome. At those times we desperately hope that there is something more than meets the eye.

The first half of chapter 7 is about demanding and difficult times, and how adversity can be a great advantage for us. It is Solomon’s answer to what was a rhetorical question in 6:12: “For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life?” The link between 6:12 and our passage is unmistakable since the word “good” (or “better”) is used fifteen times in chapter 7, and eight times in verses 1-14 alone.

I think Solomon aims to teach us that what is good for a man is God. God is man’s greatest good. And men ought to fear God and live by faith in God. But how does that relate to adversity? What is good for a man is certainly not adversity as an end, but if that adversity clears the path for us to fear God and live by faith in God then adversity is a way to the good and a great advantage to us.

Therefore, though it may appear like all we have in these opening verses of chapter 7 is a haphazard collection or a random assortment of sayings, the thread of adversity ties it all together. As an answer to “what is good for a man?” Solomon is teaching us the value of difficulties. Through eight occurrences of “good/better,” seven “better-than” proverbs, six uses of “wise/wisdom,” other word repetitions and then verses 13-14 as an umbrella conclusion over the whole thing, Solomon intends to weave a proper appreciation for the advantage of adversity into our thinking. Just as prosperity is not necessarily a blessing (his point throughout the greater part of chapters 5 and 6), so adversity is not necessarily a curse.

Of course, knowing and appreciating the potential benefit of adversity doesn’t change the fact that life is hard, and then you die. There is no formula that turns adversity into recess. And we English speakers have a large, extended family of vocabulary to describe adversity. Words like difficulty, hardship, distress, suffering, affliction, misery, tribulation, woe, pain, trauma, tragedy, calamity, setback, trials, hard times. Adversity is not easygoing, but she does have much to teach us.

And even though Solomon the preacher has taught us about enjoying the process, he does not ignore the fact that pain is often part of the process. The point of this passage is not to alleviate adversity as much as it is to explain that the pain does have a point. It is intended to teach us to fear God and live by faith.

The Hard Lessons of Adversity (vv.1-12)

In the school of adversity, Solomon is going to teach us lessons from four different subjects found in verses 1-12: death, rebuke, corruption, and chronic struggle.

First, Lessons Learned from Death (vv.1-4)

Verses 1-4 include three “better-than” lessons and a summary of things we ought to learn from death.

1. Death Confirms Man’s Character v.1

1 A good name is better than precious ointment,
and the day of death than the day of birth.

The first half of verse one was probably a familiar proverb in Solomon’s day. It’s very similar to one in the book of Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.” The only difference is in the object of comparison. Here in Ecclesiastes a man’s reputation, his good name, is compared to perfume or precious ointment (the NAS translates it “good ointment,” but this is not lotion for lubricating stiff joints). Perhaps the reason for making this comparison is the play on words, tov sem semen tov, “good name ointment good.”

Precious ointment, fine oil, and perfume was a luxury item and highly valued in Hebrew culture, but it was often no more than a cover up. [I'm thinking of teenage boys who think that enough cologne can cover for their lack of taking a shower.] Both a good name and precious ointment are valuable, but a good name is better because no amount of smell good juice can make up for the stink of a rotten reputation.

That is not complicated, but how does the first part of verse one connect with the second part? Some commentators have suggested that there is no connection and Solomon is just taking another pessimistic potshot and venting his world-weariness. But I think without doubt both parts of the verse are connected. In fact, I would suggest understanding the verse, “Just as a man’s character is better than cologne, in the same way his death is better than his birth.” The first part prepares us for the second part.

In the second part a man’s funeral is better than the day of his birth. Why? It’s because there’s nothing except potential at birth. So much promise, so little guarantee. No matter how much hoopla surrounds a man’s birth, ultimately his character isn’t confirmed until his death. And just like no fragrance can overpower a rancid reputation, there is no birth so magnificent that can overturn a miserable life.

You can talk all you want about a man’s character, but there is no guarantee until death. The questions about a man’s inner makeup are validated at his funeral, not his birth. If a man dies with a good reputation, his reputation is established. Of course, even if a man dies with a bad reputation, it too is confirmed negatively, and at least he won’t make it worse.

Either way, when it comes to a man’s name the day of death is better than the day of birth because it confirms his character. The first lesson of death teaches us to think about what others will think about us at our death, and it will perhaps motivate us to pursue and keep a good name till the end.

2. Death Cannot Be Avoided v.2

2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

Verse 2 does not contradict passages like 2:24 and 5:18 where Solomon says “to eat and drink and find enjoyment” in the process. Not only does verse two not contradict the superlative prospect of joy in toil, this verse aims to intensify our genuine enjoyment of the process. The fact is, Solomon never suggested that joy comes from frivolous, lighthearted, empty-headed living. True joy in the process comes when we fear God, and verse 2 directs us to one of the best places to get a good grasp on fearing God.

There is much to be learned at the house of morning, the graveside, the memorial service, or even the crematorium. It is hard work not to think about death at a funeral. But no one thinks (deeply) at a party. The house of feasting refers to a party, a banquet, typically an occasion for drinking and fun. Those who spend their time in this house don’t take life seriously; they’re trying to evade taking anything seriously.

But for all their diversions it doesn’t change the fact. This is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. We are dust of the earth, and to dust we will return (Genesis 3:19). And it is in the house of mourning where we’re taught to “number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Wisdom does not flourish in flippancy and true joy does not grow out of the soil of silliness. The adversity of death reminds us to live in light of death, because it is inescapable.

Wisdom does not flourish in flippancy and true joy does not grow out of the soil of silliness.

The passing of a loved one cuts us to the heart, but often it is the surgeon’s scalpel that removes the cancer of false promise that keeps us under the sun.

The second lesson teaches us that this world is passing away and that death can’t be avoided in order to focus our attention beyond the sun and encourage us to maximize the time we have.

3. Death Clarifies What Matters v.3

3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

Sorrow is a heavy word. It is connected with sadness and anger. It describes an intensity of grief, bitter frustration, vexation. The sorrow here is connected with the house of mourning (vv.2, 4) and not with self-made pity parties. And Solomon says sorrow is better than laughter. Just as sorrow is connected with the house of mourning so laughter must be connected with the house of feasting (v.2) and the house of mirth (v.4). Laughing itself is not necessarily worthless since Proverbs 17:22 does say that “a joyful heart is good medicine,” but the point here in verse 3 is that sorrow is better than mindless silliness.

Why? Sorrow produces the opposite of mindless silliness, it the heart is made glad as it produces true gladness by deepening our appreciation of joy and refining our assessment of what true gladness is in the first place. Those who understand death are those who truly appreciate life. Most silliness is just a skin-deep diversion.

The point is, sorrow is like a penetrating auger that drills down to our hearts and drains it of foolish laughter. It isn’t “Don’t be sad, be glad” like the two are incompatible. Instead, “Be sad, because that can make you truly glad.” The third lesson is that sorrow over death is a great advantage to us if it directs us back to enjoy what really matters.

4. So Then, The Wise Dwell on Death v.4

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

The heart is the inner man, his thoughts, his attention, his affection, and his memory. By saying the “heart” of the wise man is in the house of morning Solomon does not mean that the man is literally attending one funeral after another, but rather that he is always reflecting on mortality and the moment by moment approach of his own loss of life. In this way the wise man dwells on death, not in a morbid way, but for the purpose of reminding himself to persevere for the sake of his character and to pursue the things that matter most.

By contrast, fools blithely go about life like there is no end in sight and often oblivious to what really matters. Fools are always hanging around the house of mirth, the house of the party. These houses of mirth are all over the place, some of them in our own houses full of sitcoms and stupid amusement.

For all the make-believe death we watch on TV, let alone the non-fiction news reports, we don’t really dwell on death. The violence we watch tends to desensitize us rather than shock and disturb us and we get no advantage from it. If we would be wise, we must learn the lessons that death has to teach us.

Second, Lessons Learned from Rebuke (vv.5-6)

Verses 5 and 6 contrast wise reproof and silly songs. Most people prefer entertainment and have a natural aversion to rebuke. In that sense reproof and rebuke are seen here as another kind of adversity. But trying to ignore the lessons of rebuke is no real advantage.

1. Rebuke Makes Wise v.5

5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” It isn’t necessarily an issue of your bedtime that determines whether you are wise, it is if you listen to rebuke. The word song is used more than seventy times in the OT to refer to…songs. The song of fools functions as a distraction, an escape, an amusement.

But no matter how difficult it might be to hear that you blew it or that you’re headed the wrong direction, isolating yourself is not to your advantage. I promise you it was of greater value for King David to be confronted by the profit Nathan than to be entertained by performers. By facing his sin and repenting the joy of his salvation was returned to him.

If given a choice between hearing a wise man enumerate your faults and hearing the Spice Girls trying to sing something, the choice is an easy one. Doug Wilson

2. Frivolity Is Vanity v.6

6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.

Verse 6 provides the reason for Solomon’s assertion in verse 5. There is a terrific play on words here in the first phrase, “Like the sound of sirim (thorns) under the sir (pot).” One translator put it this way to keep the play on words in English, “Like nettles crackling under kettles.” Dry, brittle thorns were a rapidly burning, easily extinguishable fuel in Israel as they are today. But even though the crackling of thorns under a pot creates an immediate flame with impressive sparks, there is way more noise than heat.

And the same is true of the laughter of the fools. There is plenty of commotion and noise but no lasting value. In fact Solomon concludes, this also is vanity.

We may feel that we’re being roasted by rebuke, but if it we learn the lesson that it is a great advantage.

Third, Lessons Learned from Corruption (v.7)

From the previous two lessons we might be tempted to think that wisdom is the solution to all our problems. Maybe if we could just get everyone a better education, then we could put an end to adversity. But that isn’t the case. Wise people die and a lot of well educated people live in utter misery. The reason is that though wisdom is valued by God, it cannot replace God. And though wisdom may help us avoid some self-caused trouble, in and of itself wisdom cannot insulate a man from adversity. In fact,

1. Wise men can be Driven to corruption v.7a

7 Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,

The first word in verse 7 is better translated Surely instead of “for” (NAS), as verse 7 is not providing an explanation of verse 6 at all. Not only does verse 6 end with the typical conclusion, “this also is vanity,” but verse 7 moves on to a completely new arena of adversity.

The first half of verse 7 deals with oppression, or extortion and blackmail. Oppression is when someone puts pressure on you through force and threats, demanding money and exerting control. And based on the second part of the verse, it isn’t just that the wise person is watching this pressure from a distance, it;s his own arm being twisted.

And wisdom by itself does not safeguard a man. Here the wise man is driven into madness. His judgment is ruined and adversity causes him to act like a madman.

2. Wise men can be Drawn to corruption v.7b

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

But adversity comes not only by external force, it also comes in the form of internal desire. The second part of verse 7 describes a bribe, offers of advance that tempt a man. Even a wise person can be made a fool when he’s enticed by money or position, and in this case it corrupts the heart, the final payoff is that his heart is ravaged.

We’d like to think that wisdom will guarantee integrity. It doesn’t. (Wisdom isn’t stainless steel. Left on its own it cannot stand against the heat and pressure. It isn’t foolproof.) In extortion the man is taken from, in bribery he takes. In one he is driven to madness, in the other he is drawn to it. In both cases he loses.

The lessons of corruption point out that as valuable as wisdom is, we can’t depend on it. It is no certain guarantee. So while we ought to pursue wisdom, we ought to depend on God.

Fourth, Lessons Learned from Chronic Struggles (vv.8-12)

The lessons here come from ongoing, long-term adversity. And again we have three lessons and a summary.

1. Impatience Doesn’t Accelerate Chronic Struggles v.8

8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

In verse 8 the end is better than the beginning and the patient better than the proud. patient has the idea of long, stretched out, and proud has the idea of stretched high. The patient in spirit is a figurative way to is opposite of the “short of spirit” (Proverbs 14:20), or the person who lacks self-control.

The contrast is between the patient who gets to the end and the proud who boast at the beginning. Those who are proud in spirit, depending on themselves are irritated that it takes so long. On the other hand, those who aren’t proud are humbly dependent and can wait on God. It takes patience and self-control to get to the end of a project, in particular to get through chronic adversity.

The proud boast in the beginning, presume that they can control the future, and are impatient when it doesn’t go their way. By contrast, the patient humbly depend on God and wait to see it through to the end.

There is something about pride that always prefers to talk big at the front end. Like in 1 Kings 20 where we read about Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, who came to attack Israel. He taunted King Ahab in verse 10, claiming that the Syrian army would level the hill Samaria to dust. And Ahab responds, “Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself like he who takes it off.”

The point is that end end is better than the beginning, and if you’re proud you probably aren’t going to enjoy the process. But impatience doesn’t make tough times go faster. Impatience never expedites a solution.

2. Anger Doesn’t Eliminate Chronic Struggles v.9

9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

Anger doesn’t make tough times go away. Angry is a word permeated with exasperation and resentment. In Ecclesiastes the Preacher uses it to express his exasperation at the difficulties (1:18; 2:23), the griefs (7:3), and even the oppressions of life. To some extent the anger here arises from arrogance and impatience over ongoing difficulties.

Verse 8 made its point through comparison, verse 9 through command. Do not be quick in your spirit to become angry. The reason why one should avoid being quick to anger is found in the second part of the verse, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools. bosom indicates that the man who doesn’t check his anger will be dominated and characterized by it, since “bosom” refers to the innermost, deap-seated part of something. Anger is characteristic of fools, and it doesn’t make adversity go away. No matter how mad you get that things aren’t going the way you wanted them to it won’t relieve your misery. Actually, it will make you more miserable and show you to be a fool.

3. Nostalgia Doesn’t Resuscitate Good Times v.10

10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

Here is a second command, Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”, as well as another way to show yourself a fool. Reminiscing doesn’t bring back the good times. Sometimes we long for the “good old days.” But Solomon prohibits us from asking such a sentimental question and explains that kind of sappy question is only asked by fools, it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

First of all, every time has things that are bad and every time has opportunities. There is nothing new under the sun, which also means that it isn’t worse today than it was yesterday. As decades pass, and even as days pass in your life, you should just be glad it isn’t worse than it is rather than think it’s worse than it used to be. Second, the good old days are gone because God says. And, He’s moved us on to where He wants us. Someone who can’t get out of the past proves that it wasn’t God they liked having, they liked having good days. Third, it is self-defeating to dwell on how bad it is currently compared to the past. Ironically, that only makes the present worse.

Looking back for the sake of praising God’s past work is great. Looking back for the sake of escaping God’s lessons for you today is wrong. Of course, it’s much easier to look back, that’s because it requires zero faith.

4. So Then, Wisdom Helps in Tough Times vv.11-12

As the previous verses highlighted the need for wisdom, so verses 11 and 12 summarize the benefit of wisdom.

11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. 12 For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

Wisdom has benefits, so does an inheritance. Having both is an advantage, at least to those who see the sun. But as useful as they are, they can’t keep you from dying and they can’t help you to avoid every adversity. Verse 12 provides a little more explanation, that wisdom offers great, though not guaranteed, shelter. An inheritance furnishes a measure of protection but wisdom is even better. There are certain advantages that money brings when adversity arrives, but the advantage of wisdom is greater. But as we’ve seen in earlier verses, wisdom on its own is no sure thing.

The Right Response to Adversity (vv.13-14)

The last two verses depart from the proverbial form of verses 1-12. They are a conclusion that covers the entire section like an umbrella. There are two imperatives, actually it is one imperative but its found in both verse 13 and verse 14. It is the command to consider. Perhaps we might take Solomon to mean something like, “chew on this,” “know this,” “take note,” “bear in mind.”

And what we are to chew on is, there is a particular posture that enables us to truly learn these lessons of adversity. The right response to adversity is not to try and change what God does, but to trust Him no matter what He does.

1. Consider: You Cannot Change the Direction of God’s Providence v.13

13 Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?

The fact is, God’s work can’t be changed. This recalls 1:15 “What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.” The crooked is the bent, the twisted, the “not how it’s supposed to be.” But what 1:15 left vague, here the crooked is clearly put crooked not by fate or chance, but by God Himself. God is in control of the times all the time.

His work is impervious. For all our impatience, anger, and nostalgia, for all our money, for all our wisdom, we cannot steer God’s sovereign work and we can’t make straight what He has made crooked.

2. Consider: You Cannot Fathom The Depths of God’s Providence v.14

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

We simply cannot comprehensively know the movements of God’s providence. God controls the cycle of good days and bad days. The easy days and the hard days, the days of profit and the days of loss alternate at His command alone. Therefore we ought to live both kinds of days with regard to Him. When we are in the day of prosperity we should be joyful. We should be thankful and spend our thoughts in praise for what we’ve been given. But too often prosperity leads to spiritual apathy if not arrogance. And so the day of adversity is a great advantage to us as well, if our attention is drawn to God and we live by faith.

The fact is, we ought to be living by faith in both days. God has made the one as well as the other. He orchestrates the seasons. Job rebuked his wife for following the theology of foolish women, trying to take the good days without the bad (Job 2:10).

Then Solomon gives the reason behind this as well, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. You cannot predict what is going to happen tomorrow; you have no idea what the morrow will bring. It His intention to keep us dependent. We are to trust God not our ability to outguess Him. You can’t anyway because His will is impenetrable.

Conclusion

There are more adversities that we can learn from than death, rebuke, corruption, and chronic struggles, but these will do to teach the lesson that we can’t do it without God. The advantage of adversity is that it punctures our ego and derails our self-dependence. The right response to adversity is to sprint to Him. The point of this whole passage is not just to accept life as it comes. The thrust of the section is to trust God as He directs our lives.

For many this discussion on adversity reveals how much this life is frustrating. For us, it ought to remind us how life must be lived by faith. Faith is the linchpin that holds the advantages of adversity together. There are no words of encouragement for the rebel or unbeliever. God has guaranteed to frustrate his plans. Everything under the sun, especially the adversity and vanity of life mocks us. And yet this is an advantage, if it causes us to look beyond the sun.

The ultimate end is that God does everything He does to magnify His name. And much of what He does keeps us off balance so that we would never glorify ourselves, but that we would fear God and live by FAITH.

So can anything good come from adversity? Yes! If we live by faith. In every lesson of adversity we learn the importance of fearing God and relying on Him. If we turn to Him in adversity, this is to our greatest advantage.

When we live only by what we can see under the sun, we see that life is hard and then you die. But adversity should cause us to fear God and live by faith.