Eld Ko Swee Chay

Do you know what is “better”? – Part 1 (Ecclesiastes 7:1-4)

Introduction

In the first six chapters of Ecclesiastes, Solomon shared about his thorough and extensive pursuit of wealth and possessions, fame and honour, pleasure and luxury, entertainment and enjoyment, wisdom and knowledge, even experiencing madness and folly to find meaning, happiness, and satisfaction. After a long search, he discovered that there was nothing truly good and lasting in this world, that all was vanity and vexation of the spirit.

Solomon asked “Who knoweth what is good for man in this life?” (Eccl 6:12). In Ecclesiastes 7:1-10, the key word is “better”, which appears eight times. By divine inspiration, Solomon wants us to look at life from the view of death and thus make wise choices that are “better” for our souls. We shall focus on Ecclesiastes 7:1-4.

Good name is better than precious ointment (Eccl 7:1)    

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

“Good name” in the context of the believer is the Name of Christ. When others think of us they ought to think of Christ because we have lived for Christ. “Precious ointment” is representative of perfume or luxury, obviously a symbol of wealth and valued treasure. Solomon extolled the importance of a good name because it finds honour before God and men and follows us to eternity after death. In the previous six chapters, we have seen the vanity of wealth: we may leave it for someone who is foolish (Eccl 2:18, 19 & 21); unless God gives us the power to enjoy it, it is all for naught (Eccl 5:19 and 6:2). Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.”

Using synthetic parallelism, Solomon adds that the day of one's death is better than the day of one’s birth. This implies that he has lived a good name to the end. Many began life with a good name but later fell by the wayside. The day of one's birth is the beginning of life in this sinful world, of many troubles and sorrows (Job 14:1) and uncertainty. He does not know if his life will end well before the LORD. But for the righteous, the day of one's death is the end of toil and labour (Rev 14:13), sorrow and pain (Rev 21:4), and the beginning of eternal life with the Lord in heaven (2 Cor 5:8).

A person who lives a God-fearing, God-pleasing, and God-honouring life such that he acquires a good name right till the end of his life will be more honoured at death than at birth. The Lord Jesus Christ will receive him with the compliment “well done, good and faithful servant”. (Matt 25:23).  

Going to house of mourning is better than going to house of feasting (Eccl 7:2-4)

² 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. ³ Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. ⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

These verses describe two contrasting houses: the house of mourning and the house of feasting. The house of mourning would be the house where family and friends gather to mourn for the dead. The house of feasting or the house of mirth would be the typical birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or New Year parties.

People avoid thinking and talking about death, refuse to face it, and are afraid to attend vigil services and funerals, for these are times of sorrowful mourning. On the other hand, no one would shy away from attending parties or celebrations, for these are happy and enjoyable occasions filled with laughter and joy, eating and drinking and being merry. But contrary to the societal norm, the counsel of Solomon is “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting”. Having said that, Solomon gave us four considerations to explain why:

1. “for that is the end of all men” - Life on earth is not forever. Everyone dies. Judgement waits at death. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Heb 9:27). We tend to think death is something that happens to someone else, but the sobering reality is that sooner or later we will be the “someone else”. So, in the house of mourning, we comfort the bereaved family, we learn good spiritual lessons, we are reminded of the brevity of life and of our mortality, and the eventuality of death and judgment, that lead to spiritual and moral improvement.
2. “and the living will lay it to his heart” - This means those who are alive will consider and ponder, and grapple with the idea that to go to the house of mourning is better than to go to the house of feasting or mirth. In the house of mourning, the sight of the dead, the tears and sorrows of the bereaved family, and the exhortation from God’s Word will naturally make us focus on the real issues of life, think about the realities of life and death and relationships, and ponder if we are living a life that is pleasing to God. We are prompted to soberly reflect on what is truly important in life. We are compelled to make sure of our salvation, readiness for death, and to face our Saviour with confidence.
3. “Sorrow is better than laughter” - Sorrow is better in the sense that it makes the heart better, especially at a vigil service and funeral, encouraging us to make positive changes, whereas laughter provides a temporary reprieve from the burdens of life with no lasting benefit. This sorrow is good for our souls, because it makes us consider the end of all humanity, and the fact that we too will die one day; that any good that we experience on this earth, the feasting, the mirth, the laughter, all of these are temporary, fleeting, and will pass away, and give us empty satisfaction. Sorrow is a means of seriousness, draws us closer to God and makes us trust God. Laughter only makes us relax, forget the sad things, and feel good for a moment, but is of no profit to our souls.
4. “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning” - For the reason that “Sorrow is better than laughter”, the wise person will be found often in the house of mourning, while the fool would rather spend time at a party. The heart of the wise person recognizes the meaning and significance of death, has a deep reflection of his own life, confesses his sins, and finds forgiveness from God while there is still time. This advice of Solomon reminds us of Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” None of these thoughts ever surface in the heart of the fool in the house of mirth, for he is focusing on enjoying himself in drinking and eating, on fun and laughter.

Conclusion

Solomon presented to us some important truths that are “better”: a good name is better than wealth, the day of death is better than the day of birth, to go to the house of mourning is better than to go to the house of feasting, sorrow is better than laughter.

No one escapes death. What really matters is to have in God’s eyes a good name and report confirmed and sealed at the day of death. It is not so much how well one begins but how well he ends. A good name will go into eternity while wealth will be left behind at death. In the house of mourning, the scene of death and sorrow will cause the wise person to have a sober reflection of his own life and death that will lead to spiritual and moral improvement.  Sorrow is better for our souls in making our heart willing to make changes, whereas laughter only provides temporary happiness and relaxation. May the Lord help us to know what the better things for our souls are. AMEN.