Ecclesiastes 7:1 - Meaning and Application

Solomon here states some great truths that sound strange to people who do not think deeply. The first is that the honor of virtue is worth far more than all the wealth and pleasure in this world (Ecclesiastes 7:1). A good name is better than good oil, or, as it can be read, “better than good ointment.” That means it is better than the riches of the earth, the pleasures of the senses, and even the highest honors people can give, since kings were anointed with oil.

A good name is better than all riches (Proverbs 21:1). That is, it is better to have a reputation for wisdom and goodness among wise and good people. Such a memory gives deeper joy, opens more doors for usefulness, and lasts longer than the most costly perfume. Christ rewarded Mary’s ointment with a good name in the gospel, and he always pays back with more than we give him (Matthew 26:13).

Solomon also says that, all things considered, leaving this world is kinder to us than entering it. The day of death is better than the day of birth. Others may rejoice when a child is born, and they may grieve when someone dies, but for us the day of death ends our cares, labor, and sorrow. It brings the believer into rest, joy, and lasting satisfaction, while birth brought us into a world full of sin, trouble, emptiness, and grief.

We were born uncertain of what would come, but a godly person does not die uncertain. Birth also placed our souls under the burden of the body, while death frees them from that burden. So, if we have lived in such a way as to gain a good name, our death is a welcome release, and in that sense better than our birth.

Solomon then says that it does us more good to go to a funeral than to a feast (Ecclesiastes 7:2). It is better to go to the house of mourning, where we weep with those who weep, than to the house of feasting, such as a wedding or a celebration. We may lawfully attend both when the occasion calls for it. Our Savior both rejoiced at a wedding in Cana and wept at his friend’s grave in Bethany. We may honor God and do good in a feast as well.

Still, because we are so prone to vanity, pride, carelessness, and pleasing the flesh, the house of mourning is usually better for us. We should not go there to admire the funeral display, but to share the sorrow and learn from it. We can learn from the dead, who are going to their long home, and from the mourners, who walk the streets in grief.

The house of mourning teaches us that this is the end of all people. It is the end of life in this world, a final stop in our present state. The dead return no more to their house. It is the end of all people because all have sinned, and so death comes to all. We must be left by our friends as the mourners are, and we must leave them as the dead do. What happens to others will happen to us. The cup is moving around, and it will soon be our turn to drink.

The living should lay this to heart. It would be good if they did. Those who are spiritually alive will take it seriously, and all who remain should do so as well. If they do not, the fault is theirs, since nothing is more natural than to remember our own death when we see others die. Some may be stirred by that truth, and think about their final end, who would not even think carefully about a good sermon.

For further proof, Solomon says it is the mark of a wise person that his heart is in the house of mourning. He spends time with serious thoughts, and that both shows and grows his wisdom. The house of mourning is the wise person’s school, where many good lessons are learned. There he is in his proper element, because there he is serious. When he is in the house of mourning, his heart is there, and he takes in the lessons of death that lie before him. Even when he is in the house of feasting, his heart is still in the house of mourning, because he feels for those who are grieving.

A fool, by contrast, has his heart in the house of mirth. He is set on being cheerful and lively. His whole pleasure is in sport, joking, songs, stories, and noisy company, whether by day or night. If he is ever in the house of mourning, he feels restrained, while his heart is still in the house of mirth. That is his folly, and it only makes him more foolish.

Solomon also teaches that seriousness is better for us than constant laughter and merriment (Ecclesiastes 7:3). A common saying says that a little mirth is worth a great deal of sorrow, but the preacher teaches the opposite. Sorrow is better than laughter because it fits our present condition. We are daily sinning and suffering ourselves, and we daily see the sins and sufferings of others. Since we live in a valley of tears, we should fit our spirit to that setting.

It is also better for us because sadness in the face often makes the heart better. What helps the soul is best for us, even if it does not please the senses. Sadness often leads to seriousness. Trouble that weakens health, property, or family may improve the mind. It can humble us, make us meek, loosen our grip on the world, lead us to repentance for sin, and make us more careful in duty. Suffering can sharpen understanding, and misery has often kept a person from ruin.

By contrast, a cheerful and careless face often makes the heart worse. It can make a person more vain, worldly, sensual, and secure. It can make him love the world more and care less about God and spiritual things (Job 21:12, Job 21:14). In time, he may become as unconcerned about Joseph’s sufferings as those who were condemned for their ease and luxury (Amos 6:5, Amos 6:6), or as carefree as the king and Haman at their feast (Esther 3:15).

Finally, it is far better for us to have our sins corrected by the rebuke of the wise than to have them encouraged by the song of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:5).

Many people are glad to hear wise advice, and even happier to receive praise and comfort from wise people. But they do not want to hear rebuke, meaning they do not want anyone to point out their faults, even when it is done wisely. In that, they are not helping themselves, because correction that teaches is “the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23). It may not be as pleasant as the song of fools, but it is far better for the soul.

To hear the rebuke of the wise, not just with patience but with gladness, is both a sign of wisdom and a way to grow in it. But to be drawn to the song of fools is a sign of a vain mind, and it only makes that emptiness worse. It is a foolish thing to care so much for such a short-lived pleasure as a fool’s laughter. That laughter can be compared to thorns burning under a pot, which make a big noise and flare up brightly for a moment, but soon burn out, leave ashes, and do little to heat the pot in any lasting way.

A fool’s laughter is loud and flashy, but it is not true joy. It is vanity, because it misleads people and leads to ruin, for the end of that joy is sorrow. Our Lord Jesus has already told us what this means: “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh,” and “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep” (Luke 6:21, Luke 6:25).