ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (ECCLESIASTES 7)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_en Grammar Bible (English)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Bah Tatabahasa Alkitab (Indonesian)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Esp Biblia de Gramática (Spanish)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Tag Gramatika Bibliya (Filipino)
https://bible.ryl.hk Chinese Bible (Chinese)
Quotes:
Finishing well
End on good terms.
All’s well that ends well.
Baby: Stay strong! The school year is almost over!
Don’t start what you cannot finish.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith
(2 Tim 4:7)
Are you satisfied with what you have? What kind of ending are you expecting – poor, plain or pleasant? How do you prepare for a good or happy ending? What do you have to add or subtract midway to get to the good or happy ending?
Be Mourners and Ministers
1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. 3 Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. 5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools. 6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. 7 Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
Doris’ nephew, her eldest sister’s son Joshua, had a choice and decision to make at Doris’ loss, to go for wedding in USA or fly all the way to Hong Kong for aunt Doris’ memorial service. His parents were already returned to Hong Kong at that time. He shared:
“So the wedding was some college friends from my college fellowship and it was in Alaska. I had already bought my plane tickets and planned some living arrangements with some people. But I felt that it was better to go to the memorial service and spend time with our family. And to support and encourage you and my mom and her sisters. I had to cancel my flight to Alaska. I got some of the money back but lost some of the change fee. I don't remember but i think a few hundred. I was encouraged to see all the support for our family and all the different people that she touched with her life. I also was blessed with seeing how the service was Christ centered and reminded us that we are not yet home. Hmm I helped to support the family and went in the hearse with Auntie Doris.”
Verses 1 and 2 are linked by the identical opening word - “better.” There is no greater good in any chapter of the Bible than chapter seven, which has 14 occurrences, and verse three has “good” in the verb form, making it 15. What is different from this “good/better” (v 1) than the rest of the book and Bible is that it begins a chapter and is the first word of a chapter in the Bible for the first time, a literary device common to Solomon’s writing repeated two other times in Proverbs (Prov 17:1, 19:1).
“Good”
V 1 name bests ointment Character bests Cream
V 2 the house of mourning bests the house of feasting Companionship Celebration
V 3 Sorrow bests laughter Compassion bests Cheerfulness
V 5 rebuke bests song Correction bests Chorus
You might be surprised to know there is more talk of “mourning” in this chapter (vv 2, 4) than the whole book of Job. It affects the heart, heart (vv 2, 3, 4 twice). A good name is better than good ointment (v 1); ointment is for yourself, the name is from others. Ointment is cream, name is character; oil is replaceable, but a name remains. Attending a funeral is for the dead as well as the living; for comfort and caution (v 2) and closure. Not only it does it affect the heart but the face as well (v 3). It is the best gift to the heart – end of verse 2 is the proper verb, which is “give” the heart, which is mentioned four times (vv 2, 3, 4 twice). More than supporting others, it strengthens, deepens and balances the giver.
The day of death is better than day of birth. Death can cause a person pain and problems but can also change a person’s perspective, priorities and purpose on earth.
Verse 7 is an example, an environment, exhibition into how it could end terribly or badly.
Be Mediators and Moderators
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. 9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. 10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. 11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. 12 Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it. 13 Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? 14 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
On Thursday (September 22, 2016), the 18th week Doris passed away, my patience was tested but not sorely like before. One of my irritations comes from holding the door for others without a word of thanks, nor do people in Hong Kong hold the door for you as courtesy. On Thursday morning day off, I left my computer at the local coffee shop to dash home quickly to grab my forgotten mobile phone from my apartment floor two minutes away. After I entered the building I held the door for an aged overweight man hurrying his footsteps, but he did not bother to say a word, never mind a word thanks, but looked straight ahead.
We pressed different door buttons, he at two and I seven. He was really tired and he pressed his weight against the front lift door to support himself. Usually I would be bothered by such people and that his floor was lower than mine, so delaying my time. Worse, after reaching the second floor he pressed for the third floor. It seems he had pressed the wrong button, compounding his frustrations and my delay. Something, however, happened to me after my wife passed away; I noticed I was more patient, sympathetic and caring than before. Instead of feeling offended or upset, I prayed for him instead. It was not a single and isolated incident. I noticed the calm and compassion since.
“End” (v 8) is translated as last (Gen 49:1), latter (Num 24:14), posterity (Ps 109:13), uttermost parts (Ps 139:9), reward (Prov 24:14), hindermost (Jer 50:12) and remnant and residue (Ezek 23:25). But what is the way to the end? Patience (v 8). Patience (v 8) is better translated as long (Ex 34:6) and slow (Neh 9:17). Proud (v 8) comes from the word “high,” so long is better than high. , as in patience, is better than high.
Patience, on the other hand, is contrasted with quickly provoked (v 9). The word “quick” (v 9) is piel and has to do with temperament and is translated as troubled (Gen 45:3), amazed (Ex 15:15), thrust him out (2 Chron 26:20), speedily (Est 2:9), afraid (Job 21:6), vex (Ps 2:5), rash (Eccl 5:2), dismay (Isa 21:3), and affright (Jer 51:32). The infinitive “to be angry” (v 9) is provoke…to anger (Deut 4:25), wroth (2 Chron 16:10), indignation (Neh 4:1), grieved (Ps 112:10) and vex (Ezek 32:9). It is to allow others to press your buttons, pull your legs and jerk you around. After the second verb “to be angry” is a reason verb (ki), reside. “Resides/resteth” (v 9) means remain (Prov 21:16) and set me down (Ezek 37:1). It implies to settle, to stay, to stop, to sojourn, not sidestep, skirt, swerve or skip. It will shape your behavior, harden your act, and reinforce your attitude.
Verse 10 is to look to the future days, not former days; what is upcoming, not outgoing; the present and not the previous.
Be Meditators and Messengers
15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. 16 Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself? 17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time? 18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. 19 Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city. 20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. 21 Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you— 22 for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. 23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise”— but this was beyond me. 24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it? 25 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. 26 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. 27 “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered: “Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—28 while I was still searching but not finding— I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. 29 This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
A student of ancient Greek in an English university surprised his teacher by his rapid grasp of the subject. When asked if someone were helping him, he mentioned his uncle. The professor said he’d like to meet him, and a date was set. The teacher was astounded with the uncle’s knowledge of Greek. “What work do you do?” he asked. “I’m an itinerant preacher. I preach God’s Word.” Dismayed that such a gifted man should waste his time preaching, the professor blurted out, “Man, you’re a fool!” The wise preacher retorted, “In which world, Professor?” (Illustrations of Bible Truths # 578)
Beside patience is required wisdom. There is more the noun “wisdom” (vv 10, 11, 12 twice, 19, 23, 25) in this chapter than any chapter in the book, Wisdom Book s or the Bible. In the Old Testament the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10, Prov 15:33). It is more precious than precious stones (Prov 3:14, 8:11). In the New Testament the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy (James 3:17-18).
V 13 Consider the work of God
V 14 consider
V 15 I seen in the days of my vanity See
V 13 the work of God
V 14 God also hath set the one
V 18 withdraw not thine hand Do
V 21 spoken
Speak
V 21 hear Hear
V 22 thine own heart
V 25 mine heart
V 26 heart
Feel
Wisdom is in the walk and not the talk, in the head and not in the heart, and in what you are facing and fixing than what to finding and fooling.
The verb “find” occurs nine times, more than any chapter in the book or Bible.
In summary, wisdom is an attitude and not an ability, an attribute of God and not an ancestry of man, an application and not an accumulation.
Wisdom is knowing whether to your strengths and weaknesses, know what works and what does not, old-fashioned nowadays, lying way behind causes, lies in the attitude of hurrying and hesitating nothing, hearing and having nothing and having and hiding nothing. The point is wisdom is needed when things are not absolute, when findings are inconclusive.
In the Old Testament the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10, Prov 15:33). It is more precious than precious stones (Prov 3:14, 8:11). In the New Testament the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy (James 3:17-18).
The key is to bound in our reverence , relationship and revelation instead of reason, revolution and restlessness. It is in our deeds, discipline and devotion, not in our devises, demands and desires (vv 25 to know, and to search , v 27 to find out). It is respectful, win-win and.
Conclusion:
Blessed are those who mourn with others minister to others meet with others mature warm to others walk with weep for others win the others
Be Comforters rather than in person
Weep with those who weep
Comfort the afflicted
