The Goodness of Wisdom (Ecc 2:12-14).

Pray

Read: Ecc 2:12-14.

Meditation

If nothing under the sun can give us lasting joy, where do you go from there? It can feel as if there is nowhere else to go. So do you give up? Do you despair? In this passage Solomon tries something else. He asks the question: If “stuff” is not the answer, what about wisdom itself? Can you find peace and meaning in this life in the pursuit and possession of wisdom? After all, if the answer is not in possessions, perhaps it is in wisdom.

This is where he begins in verse 12: “So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly.” What he is saying here is that he wants to consider the value of wisdom in comparison to wickedness. When he says madness and folly, that is a shorthand reference to moral evil, and we see that clearly as the passage continues.

I turned to consider wisdom. And so the question sits before us as well. Perhaps you feel jaded about life. Perhaps you are struggling to find meaning. Perhaps you have realised that life’s pleasures do not provide ultimate and lasting satisfaction. Solomon’s question then becomes relevant to you. What value is there in wisdom? Can wisdom itself help us make sense of life? Is it worth pursuing? Can it bring any lasting goodness for us?

The first thing Solomon shows us about wisdom is that we must see the goodness of wisdom. As Solomon considered the world around him the answer was quite obvious, in verse 13: “Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness.”

Solomon goes on in the first part of verse 14 to paint a colourful picture of how this works in daily life: “The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.”

When we walk in accordance with God’s wisdom, when we walk in righteousness according to the law of God, we are doing what we were designed to do. When you do what is right, things simply work. Wisdom allows you to see the way life is supposed to go. Or, in Solomon’s language, it is as if you have your eyes in your head. The foolish person, on the other hand, is like someone wandering around in the dark. They run into things, they injure themselves, and they lead others astray as well.

Let me give you a few examples of what this looks like in everyday life.

When a man cheats on his wife, he loses everything. His reputation, friendships, perhaps his relationship with his children, and most likely his marriage. It is hugely damaging. Children’s lives are harmed. The spouse is deeply wounded. And so is the man who did it, for he has done immense damage to himself as well. He does not have his eyes in his head. He is a fool who chases after what is evil.

Another example. When a man lives a life of violence, he will likely be injured or even killed by someone else who is violent. People in drug gangs are always placing themselves in dangerous circumstances.

Another example. When a man lives as a thief, there is a good chance he will be caught. He will have a criminal record, perhaps do jail time, and he may find it hard to get work later on.

Even something as simple as forgiveness makes the point. Christ calls us to forgive each other. Holding grudges leads to bitterness, hatred and conflict. Forgiving one another leads to healing, love and restoration. Wisdom sees this, and folly ignores it. The fool says in his heart that there is no God, and he spends his life wandering in the dark.

So Solomon says, there is no question. If you walk in the ways of wisdom you will find that things in life simply work, because God’s moral laws are woven into the fabric of the universe.

There is definitely more gain in wisdom than in folly, Solomon says. In Proverbs we are often exhorted to pursue wisdom, and as a side note, we should. We should seek to know, to understand, and to obtain God’s wisdom. We should be constantly reading his sord so that we may grow in wisdom.

This wisdom ultimately comes through Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:24 says that Christ is the wisdom of God. As we turn to God by faith in Christ, repenting of our sins and believing in him, we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to receive the wisdom of his word as we ought to. As we follow Christ, as we look to him, we should grow in wisdom. If you have not read the Book of Proverbs in a while, it might be a good time to start.

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