Introduction. In 1995, the gray wolf was reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park after a seventy-year hiatus. Scientists expected an ecological ripple effect, but the size and scope of the cascade took them by surprise.
Wolves are predators that kill certain species of animals. But they indirectly give life to others. When the wolves reentered the ecological equation, it radically changed the behavioral patterns of other wildlife. As the wolves began killing coyotes, the rabbit and mouse populations increased. Thereby attracting more hawks, weasels, foxes, and badgers. In the absence of predators, deer had overpopulated the park and overgrazed parts of Yellowstone. Their new traffic patterns allowed the flora and fauna to regenerate. The berries on the renewed shrubs caused a spike in the bear population.
In six years’ time, the trees in overgrazed parts of the park had quintupled in height. Bare valleys were reforested aspen, willow, and cottonwood trees. And as soon as that happened, songbirds started nesting in the trees. Then beavers started chewing them down. Beavers are ecosystem engineers, building dams that create natural habitats for otters, muskrats, and ducks, as well as fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
The wolves even changed the behavior of rivers — they meandered less because of less soil erosion. The channels narrowed and pools formed as the regenerated forests stabilized the riverbanks.
The Yellowstone ecosystem proves that we need balance in life, but hardly anything is more difficult than being balanced. Solomon, in helping us to live life “under the sun,” provides pieces of wisdom about what’s really necessary for a balanced life. A balanced life means one lived in agreement with godly principles. We’ll divide Ecclesiastes 7:1-22 into three sections and make important observations for you.
A Balanced Life Is the Opposite of Human Ideals (vv. 1-10)
A good name (v. 1a).
Solomon says that a good and well-deserved reputation is better than a mask of perfumed cosmetics.
Money can buy ointments, not a reputation. Preserve your good name until the day of your death and you will achieve the potentiality of your birth.
The day of death rather than a birthday (v. 1b).
At your day of birth, you have accomplished nothing, and yet you are celebrated. You simply started breathing and everyone cheered. Everyone talked about your beauty.
The trick is to live your life in a way that when you pass from this life you deserve accolades and respect of those around you.
The house of mourning rather than house of feasting (v. 2).
Death is something no one will avoid (Hebrews 9:27).
Few will ever enjoy as big a feast as the heart can desire.
Sorrow rather than laughter (vv. 3-4).
Lessons of the heart and of life come from hard times and even sad times.
Laughter is fleeting and mirth comes and goes, but character is built by living through the problems of life.
A rebuke rather than the song of fools (vv. 5-6).
Fools sing the praises of other fools — and no one learns anything of value.
A stinging rebuke for sin can change the course of one’s life for the better.
The end of a thing rather than its beginning (v. 8a).
People tend to love new challenges, but few people have the patience to see them through.
However, the wise man does the latter. He labors, sweats, fights, drags, and pulls until the job is done. The completion of the worthy task is better than the ambitious opening of the box in the beginning that goes nowhere.
The patient in spirit rather than proud in spirit (v. 8b).
Patience is needed to see our resolutions and desires through to the end. How often we embark on something with pride in our ability to carry it through, but abandon it because of a few discouragements.
Patience is an aspect of humility and impatience is a proud irritation at God’s ways with men (Proverbs 16:5). If we patiently endure to get what we want and need, the end will be worth it.
Peace in the heart rather than anger (v. 9).
Too many people are easily frustrated and are agitated about silly things. The balanced life seeks to find peace and pursue it where it’s possible to do so (Romans 14:19).
Peace isn’t necessarily proof that the devil has deluded everyone. It might just be the reward of a well-lived life.
Today is better than “the former days” (v. 10).
Too many times, people live in the past. They dwell there permanently. All they can think about is the good old glory days of yesteryear.
However, each “today” is the only place life is. It is the only day one can be active. I can’t change anything about yesterday — good or bad. All I can do is reflect on the good that exists today, and try to contribute to that.
A Balanced Life Includes More Being Better (vv. 11-14)
We need more wisdom (vv. 11-12; cp. Proverbs 23:23).
Many suppose that sudden wealth, which would relieve them of having to earn their living, would solve all problems.
If money comes like this, one needs wisdom to use it properly. The security wisdom gives can be compared with the security associated with money; in fact, wisdom is a better guarantee of the good life.
We need more introspection (vv. 13-14; cp. Mark 12:30).
You can’t make straight what God makes crooked.
When times are prosperous or adverse, in both consider that God appointed them. Someone who is balanced will learn from both.
Moderation Is the Key to Balance (vv. 15-22)
Have the right balance of opinion of the suffering and celebration of men (v. 15).
Humans are bound to get this one wrong. They look at the suffering in their life and wonder, “Why me?” or “Why not the wicked?”
The truth is that just men perish even though they’re righteous. And wicked men live long in spite of their wickedness.
Job’s three friends were convinced of the opposite. They believed that the righteous always prosper (Job 4:7-9).
This was such a problem that a whole psalm was devoted by David to correcting the misconception (Psalm 73:16-19).
Avoid extremes in life (vv. 16-19).
Don’t be overly righteous.
Surely Solomon didn’t mean we shouldn’t always be righteous or do it in abundance. What he meant in context is the kind of search for perfect righteousness that creates “self-righteousness” (cp. Romans 10:2-3).
Don’t be like the Pharisee (Luke 18:10-14). Hypocrites are “ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).
Don’t be overly wicked, nor foolish.
Again, Solomon isn’t saying that a little wickedness is okay, or that a little foolishness is okay.
There are people in life who pursue pleasure and folly (like Solomon did in his grand experiment which led to this book) to the point that they end up being wicked and foolish.
Pursuing pleasure and foolishness is to be avoided at all costs. There’s nothing good that comes from either of these ambitions.
Being wise “in this age” is bad (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).
True versus foolish wisdom (James 3:13-17).
No one is sinlessly perfect (vv. 20-22).
The balanced life has to be lived with the awareness that there’s no such thing as sinless perfection. Men universally fall short of God’s glory. This kind of wisdom not only opens up the meaning of eternity (3:11), but it also gives men and women self-control and grace that will not resent the ill-advised slander, abuse, and curses of others.
It’s foolish to be overly concerned about and troubled by what others think and say about us in their unguarded, unkind, and foolish moments. We will surely be disturbed if we allow this to get to us.
Conclusion. In concluding the chapter (vv. 23-29), Solomon reflects on the intense depression he felt when seeing men and women at their worst. Although Solomon didn’t find out all the deep mysteries of God, he did discover how far men and women are removed from their original design.
There’s little comfort for men, and less for women. In his pursuit of wisdom and evil, he discovered mankind to be perverse and crooked. Wise, righteous people are scarce because man chooses to be disobedient and sin.
The answer is found in fearing God and keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). His commandments are fulfilled in following Jesus Christ. Our invitation will ask you to come up and commit yourself to Him today.
