Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Jun 1956

Solomon uses the Hebrew word Towb, translated "good" and "better" in our English versions, more than any Old Testament writer. Moses comes next, and in his writings it is for the most part rendered "good." Ecclesiastes 7 contains a number of contrasts drawn by Solomon. First he says,

"A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth" (verse 1).

It is easy to understand the first statement here, but for those who cling to this life the second is not so readily appreciated. We can understand the fragrance of Mary's name, she who brought the precious ointment and anointed the Lord's body for the burying. The sweet smell of the ointment pervaded the house, but her name and the fragrance of her act have gone out to the whole world; to wherever the gospel is preached her act is her memorial.

Those who have learned some little of the meaning of the Lord's test of discipleship in Luke 14.26, "If any man cometh unto Me, and hateth not

his own life also, he cannot be My disciple," appreciate the uselessness of life in this world, unless it is lived in the doing of the will of God. The Lord again said, "He that loveth his life loseth it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" (John 12 25) "Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward" said Eliphaz to Job (Job 5 7) words no doubt born in consequence of seeing the distresses of his friend Trouble is the portion of all the children of men and often the saint has an excess of it as he is badgered by the Devil in a hostile world and like Paul must often cast a longing eye towards heaven and wish to be with Christ which is very far better The day of one 5 death will be an infinitely better experience than the day of birth into a world such as this is for the Christian But of course the day of death is not a relief for the sinner; for the Devil who deceived him has no estate in the life to come which he may share with him. All the Devil has to offer is a pittance of worldly pleasure here.

Again Solomon says,

#"It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart" (verse 2).

It is good for us to remember that we are mortal and that the day of our exit from this scene will surely come. Paul lived in the enjoyment of the Lord's coming, in the thought, as he wrote to the Corinthians, that "we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (1 Corinthians 15.51). In this he was like ourselves; we too look forward to that glorious change at the Lord's coming. Paul, however, learned that he had to go before the Lord came, and that blessed man, to whom we are indebted for so much, wrote one day to Timothy to say good-bye. He said, "I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come" (2 Timothy 4.6), and there passed from this scene one of the greatest souls that ever lived; and the world was a darker place. Said that same Paul, "Weep with them that weep" (Romans 12. 15). Some are uneasy where tears are flowing they prefer the feasting and the fun. Let those of sober mind hear and heed the wise words of Solomon, and lay the end of other men to heart, for their portion today may be ours tomorrow. Let us not live as though death for us is far off beyond the sea, but rather think of it as our near neighbour which may visit our dwelling at any time. Where is the home that the king of terrors has not visited or the bedchamber where his footmarks are not left behind? It is well to remember the shortness of our stay here and be all packed and ready for our journey.

Solomon continues in the same theme when he says,

"Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is mode glad.

"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth" (verses 8, 4).

Many are paid large salaries to keep the crowds laughing. Clowns and comedians are well-paid men. But who was ever paid to bring sorrow to the heart and tears to the eyes? The sorrowing are the lonely people. The house of mirth is the house of fools. Soon their laughter will give place to wailing and their mirth to woe. The house of mourning is one of the nearest places to heaven for the saint, it is the departure platform for saints to heaven.

"It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools " (Ecclesiastes 7.5).

The car of man was made so that he might hearken to the reproof of life and the rebuke of the wise. For

"The ear that hearkeneth to the reproof of life

Shall abide among the wise" (Proverbs 15.31).

He is indeed a man with no understanding who does not learn from the reproofs of life's experiences. A man who has suffered the effects of wrong-doing, but who goes on to repeat his folly, is treasuring up for himself wrath in the day of wrath, and even in this life may reap much sorrow from his folly. Not only should we listen to and learn from the facts of life, but our ears should be ever open to the rebukes of the wise. The rebukes of the wise are rarely given in loud and strident tones. It is the soft word that breaks the bone. The "still small voice" in Horeb meant as much to Elijah as the crashing thunderclap and the lightning flash to Moses years before The Speaker was the same in both cases, and quietly He said to Elijah, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" What a rebuke was in the question! He began excusing and justifying his course of conduct, but it has been well said, "He that excuses himself accuses himself."

Solomon says in Proverbs 9.8,

"Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee:

Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee."

The scorner is too proud to be corrected. Who is a scorner? He is a scoffer. Gesenius says "to mock any one, probably by imitating his voice in sport." Strong says "to make mouths at." He is a man of mouth, but not a man of mind, a frivolous, impudent person, a person who is best left alone. To argue with him would be like wrestling with a sweep, you are the worse for the experience. But in rebuking a wise man you have a mind capable of receiving instruction and capable of adjusting itself to truth and uprightness. Scorners, alas, are far more numerous than the wise.

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit" (Ecclesiastes 7.8).

How much better it was for Moses and for Israel when they stood on the banks of Jordan and viewed the goodly land, their inheritance, on the other side, than when they stood on the Red Sea shore and saw across that sea the wild, howling wilderness through which they were to pass! How much better it is for us too as we approach the inheritance of the saints in light, and with joy contemplate the end! Would we go back to live life's experiences over again? No, not for one day, far less all the years of our pilgrimage. Better by far is the end than the beginning. Good as may have been many of life's experiences, these were never without their thorns. There are many other aspects from which Solomon's statement regarding the end being better than the beginning can be viewed. Is it not the case that the end of a good and useful work is better than the beginning? The worker may then sit back and view his finished work, either literally or mentally, with some measure of satisfaction. Was it not so even with the Lord Himself when He said to His Father, "I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do"? (John 17.4). Who of God's redeemed has not rejoiced in the words of triumph which He spoke ere He died on the cross, "It is finished"?

As is the first statement of the verse we are considering, so is the second, the meaning is self evident. Have we not often sung words which have in measure disciplined our spirits?

"0 Patient, Spotless One,

Our hearts in meekness train,

To bear Thy yoke and learn of Thee, That we may rest obtain."

The patience of Christ should ever be a corrective to the hastiness of our carnal, proud spirits. Some are more proud and hasty than others, and in consequence need more grace to correct the evil of their natural tendency. How many disasters in Christian lives may be traceable to a proud spirit! Wrong is done, but the doer of the wrong is too proud to confess it, and he looks round for someone to blame when the fault lies squarely on his shoulders. May we learn a little from Solomon's wisdom.

J. Miller | Jun 1956
Jottings