7:1 A good reputation is better than precious perfume; likewise, the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. 

 

If a man dies with a good reputation, then the day of death is better than one’s birth. If a man loves the Messianic King, than his death will bring him into an eternal existence with his Creator. Death sends one to heaven, while birth sends one into the satanic world system. Therefore, death for the believer is better than birth into the satanic world system.

 

7:2 It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.

 

When one attends a funeral, he thinks about eternity. When one attends a party, he thinks about sin. Therefore, it is better to attend a funeral than a party. 

 

7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart.

 

God created sorrow so that man can have a prosper perspective of the satanic world system in which he lives. One cannot understand sin without experiencing sorrow. It is very interesting to note that “Jesus wept,” but there is no recording of him laughing when he was present in the satanic world system. This same principle applies to Paul.

 

7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.

 

It is wise to mourn, for mourning prepares one for a better eternity. Fools are the ones who “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” The liberal and carefree lifestyle is not cool, and it is not wise. It is evil and foolish.

 

7:5 It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools.

 

Wise people listen to rebuke from other wise people. Wise people are those who have mastered Bible doctrine. Those who have not mastered Bible doctrine are singing the song of fools. Their advice sounds good, but it leads to sin.

 

7:6 For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This kind of folly also is useless.

 

Dry thorns set a quick and snappy fire, but it quickly burns out. The fool is the one who has not mastered Bible doctrine. He thinks that he is enjoying life, but his laughter is only short-lived. Eventually, his sin will bring him down to despair. He will spend his eternity in the Lake of Fire where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 

7:7 Surely oppression can turn a wise person into a fool; likewise, a bribe corrupts the heart.

 

Prosperity and materialism are dangerous to man. It may even corrupt the heart of a wise man who has mastered Bible doctrine. The lure of materialism may cause the wise man to accept a bribe and pervert justice. A corrupt judge places himself underneath the judgment of the Divine Judge.

 

7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning; likewise, patience is better than pride.

 

While suffering, it is best to be patient. God is in control of suffering. He has a reason for it. If one does not possess enough Bible doctrine, then man will not react well to his suffering. His lack of Bible doctrine will cause pride. Instead of enduring the divine lesson, he will attempt to find a shortcut to divine discipline by committing a sin.

 

7:9 Do not let yourself be quickly provoked, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

 

Those with weak Bible doctrine will have short fuses. They will be quickly provoked. Satan will use their quick temper against them, so that he can bring them down.

 

7:10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these days?” for it is not wise to ask that.

 

Those who do not possess strong Bible doctrine will complain about the olden days being better than the modern days. Jehovah has raised them up to become a servant in tougher times, but this divine placement is not recognized.

 

7:11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing; it benefits those who see the light of day.

 

Wisdom comes from mastering Bible doctrine. It helps one to see through the satanic world system.

 

7:12 For wisdom provides protection, just as money provides protection. But the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

 

Wisdom comes from mastering Bible doctrine. Mastery of Bible doctrine is the only defense that one has from an evil enemy who wishes to devour them. Money buys protection insurance for one’s health and property, but it is not as good as the wisdom of Bible doctrine. The wisdom of Bible doctrine preserves the soul of its owner. It keeps one from eternal death. It keeps one from committing “the sin unto death.”

 

7:13 Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent? 

 

Sometimes God will give people a crooked life or bad circumstance for an eternal purpose which brings glory to God.

 

7:14 In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.

 

If one is living in prosperity, then it is only because of the grace of God. He should be thankful. If one is living in adversity, then he needs to consider that this is part of God’s purpose in his life. No one knows the future, except for God, who planned it. The one who has strong Bible doctrine will recognize God’s purpose through suffering, even if God does not reveal His plan to him.

 

7:15 During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds. 

 

Sin is so terrible, that death eventually brings down the wicked and the righteous. Satan would love to exterminate all of the believers out of the satanic world system. but he does not control the keys to death.

 

Many false teachers teach a prosperity gospel. This false premise is that if a man is good and gives a lot of money for God’s kingdom, then God will prosper him and he will live a long life. Solomon warned against this type of false teaching. 

 

7:16 So do not be excessively righteous or excessively wise; otherwise you might be disappointed.

 

Solomon warned his readers that they should not depend on their righteousness or wisdom to guarantee God’s blessing. If they do so, then they will be disappointed. The Pharisees were guilty of self-righteousness. They created a man-made oral law and taught their man-made law to be equal to God’s own written law.

 

7:17 Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool; otherwise you might die before your time.

 

Fools are those who do not master bible doctrine. They will interrupt God’s divine program with their foolishness. Therefore, God will have to remove them from this earth so that His divine plan can continue.

 

God has appointed an optimum life span for each person. However, it can be shortened if the individual commits “the sin unto death.”

 

7:18 It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the other warning; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings.

 

The one who fears God is the one who masters Bible doctrine. Those who master Bible doctrine know the Word of God. They know the mind of Christ. They understand the divine warnings which are contained inside of the Scriptures.

 

7:19 Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than ten rulers in a city.

 

Wisdom comes from the mastery of Bible doctrine. If ten rulers of a city do not master Bible doctrine, then they will make foolish decisions which will endanger their citizens. Satan knows their weaknesses. If a wise man wants protection, then he must not count on the foolishness of unbiblical political leaders. He must master Bible doctrine. Every time that the electorate votes for a man who has not mastered Bible doctrine, then the electorate has placed another fool in office who will pass laws to aid the satanic world system.

 

7:20 For there is not one truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good and never sins.

 

The Apostle Paul echoed this same sentiment. Everyone has sinned and has fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus was the only sinless person in history.

 

7:21 Also, do not pay attention to everything that people say; otherwise, you might even hear your servant cursing you.

 

If a man masters Bible doctrine, then his enemy will curse him. It is important to have the right kind of enemies. A person who has no enemies is compromising the Word of God. He is lukewarm. God will vomit him out of his mouth.

 

7:22 For you know in your own heart that you also have cursed others many times.

 

Even those who master Bible doctrine will still have enough sin in their life that they will end up cursing others. The mature believer leaves revenge to God.

 

7:23 I have examined all this by wisdom; I said, “I am determined to comprehend this”—but it was beyond my grasp.

 

Though Solomon was the wisest human in all of history, his wisdom was insufficient to comprehend all the mysteries of life. Materialism and power effected him as well.

 

7:24 Whatever has happened is beyond human understanding; it is far deeper than anyone can fathom.

 

The wisdom of God is so far beyond that of human understanding, that no one can even imagine the distance of depth between God and man. Man’s best chance is to master and apply Bible doctrine at the deepest level. He needs to try not to sin. He needs to expect to sometimes fail. He needs to confess his sins, study more, and apply what is learned.

 

7:25 I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.

 

Solomon was the wisest of all men, but his humanity had limitations. He attempted to understand, examine, and comprehend all things, but his humanity limited him. Solomon attempted to understand the stupidness of falling into wickedness, but he could not figure it out. He did figure out that evil was a foolish thing which produced insanity.

 

Basically, those without Bible doctrine are insane, because they cannot see divine truth. They have been blinded by an enemy that they cannot see. They believe the lie. They claim that there is no God, although they know that there is a God. They claim that nothing exploded into everything, which is scientifically impossible. They claim that dead dirt became alive, which is ridiculous. 

 

7:26 I discovered this: More bitter than death is the kind of woman who is like a hunter’s snare; her heart is like a hunter’s net and her hands are like prison chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is captured by her.

 

Solomon personifies foolishness as an adulteress woman. An adulteress woman traps a man like an animal. Her heart (or personality) is the net. Her hands are chains. If a man has strong Bible doctrine, then he can escape the clutches of the adulteress. Those who do not have strong Bible doctrine will be caught by the net of the adulteress every time.

 

7:27 The Teacher says: I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item.

 

Solomon is the teacher. His readers are the students. After being given wisdom by God and after a long life of being seduced by power and materialism, Solomon had discovered many spiritual insights that he wished to pass to his students.

 

7:28 What I have continually sought, I have not found; I have found only one upright man among a thousand, but I have not found one upright woman among all of them.

 

Solomon has only found about one righteous men per 1,000, but he has never found one righteous woman. It is interesting to note that there are very few strong male Bible teachers throughout all of history who have taught the entire counsel of the Word of God at a very deep level. Over 95% of the Bible commentaries are filled with heresy. To the best of this author’s knowledge, there are no women who have done it. Most of the women teachers are either cult leaders or charismatics who are teaching doctrinal errors to their congregation. Any woman teacher who teaches men cannot have strong Bible doctrine, because she is violating the Apostle Paul’s teaching that women are not to teach men in the church. Instead, women are commanded to remain silent.

 

7:29 This alone have I discovered: God made humankind upright, but they have sought many evil schemes.

 

God originally made Adam and Eve in His own image, but their sin nature caused them to gravitate away from God and towards sin. An unregenerate person loves sin and hates God. Therefore, man will gravitate towards evil, unless the Holy Spirit regenerates him and gives him a new heart.