1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,420 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,460 --> 00:00:17,100 Speaker 1: to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge 4 00:00:17,660 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 7 and we'll be 5 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:28,069 Speaker 1: reading from the New English Translation. A good reputation is 6 00:00:28,150 --> 00:00:32,350 Speaker 1: better than precious perfumes. Likewise, the day of one's death 7 00:00:32,550 --> 00:00:35,989 Speaker 1: is better than the day of one's birth. It is 8 00:00:36,070 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: better to go to a funeral than a feast, for 9 00:00:40,130 --> 00:00:43,820 Speaker 1: death is the destiny of every person, and the living 10 00:00:43,900 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, 11 00:00:48,700 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: because sober reflection is good for the heart. The heart 12 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,060 Speaker 1: of the wise is in the house of mourning, but 13 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking. 14 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,260 Speaker 1: It is better for a person to receive a rebuke 15 00:01:03,340 --> 00:01:06,170 Speaker 1: from those who are wise than to listen to the 16 00:01:06,270 --> 00:01:10,830 Speaker 1: song of fools. For like the crackling of quick burning 17 00:01:10,970 --> 00:01:15,010 Speaker 1: thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of 18 00:01:15,069 --> 00:01:21,850 Speaker 1: the fool. This kind of folly also is useless. Surely 19 00:01:21,870 --> 00:01:26,230 Speaker 1: oppression can turn a wise person into a fool. Likewise, 20 00:01:26,250 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: a bribe corrupts the heart. The end of a matter 21 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,960 Speaker 1: is better than its beginning. Likewise, patience is better than pride. 22 00:01:36,260 --> 00:01:40,190 Speaker 1: Do not let yourself be quickly provoked, for anger resides 23 00:01:40,270 --> 00:01:43,869 Speaker 1: in the lap of fools. Do not say, Why were 24 00:01:43,910 --> 00:01:46,569 Speaker 1: the old days better than these days? For it is 25 00:01:46,650 --> 00:01:52,310 Speaker 1: not wise to ask that. Wisdom, like an inheritance, is 26 00:01:52,370 --> 00:01:55,710 Speaker 1: a good thing. It benefits those who see the light 27 00:01:55,750 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: of day. For wisdom provides protection. just as money provides protection. 28 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,900 Speaker 1: But the advantage of knowledge is this, wisdom preserves the 29 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,980 Speaker 1: life of its owner. Consider the work of God, for 30 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,690 Speaker 1: who can make straight what he has bent? In times 31 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:19,270 Speaker 1: of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this, 32 00:02:20,290 --> 00:02:23,810 Speaker 1: God has made one as well as the other, so 33 00:02:23,830 --> 00:02:28,940 Speaker 1: that no one can discover what the future holds. During 34 00:02:28,980 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: the days of my fleeting life, I have seen both 35 00:02:32,060 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: of these things. Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in 36 00:02:37,100 --> 00:02:41,180 Speaker 1: spite of his righteousness. And sometimes a wicked person lives 37 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: long in spite of his evil deeds. So do not 38 00:02:44,740 --> 00:02:50,519 Speaker 1: be excessively righteous or excessively wise. Otherwise, you might be disappointed. 39 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:56,380 Speaker 1: Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Otherwise, 40 00:02:56,630 --> 00:03:00,390 Speaker 1: you might die before your time. It is best to 41 00:03:00,470 --> 00:03:03,930 Speaker 1: take hold of one warning without letting go of the 42 00:03:04,070 --> 00:03:07,810 Speaker 1: other warning, for the one who fears God will follow 43 00:03:07,970 --> 00:03:13,530 Speaker 1: both warnings. Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than 44 00:03:13,650 --> 00:03:17,070 Speaker 1: ten rulers in a city, for there is not one 45 00:03:17,169 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good 46 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: and never sins. Also, do not pay attention to everything 47 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:30,300 Speaker 1: that people say. Otherwise, you might even hear your servant 48 00:03:30,380 --> 00:03:33,790 Speaker 1: cursing you. For you know in your own heart that 49 00:03:33,850 --> 00:03:39,170 Speaker 1: you also have cursed others many times. I have examined 50 00:03:39,450 --> 00:03:43,430 Speaker 1: all this by wisdom. I said, I am determined to 51 00:03:43,490 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: comprehend this, but it was beyond my grasp. Whatever has 52 00:03:47,820 --> 00:03:52,100 Speaker 1: happened is beyond human understanding. It is far deeper than 53 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:58,230 Speaker 1: anyone can fathom. I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend 54 00:03:58,270 --> 00:04:01,210 Speaker 1: the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and 55 00:04:01,230 --> 00:04:05,250 Speaker 1: to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly. 56 00:04:06,330 --> 00:04:10,770 Speaker 1: I discovered this. More bitter than death is the kind 57 00:04:10,810 --> 00:04:14,450 Speaker 1: of woman who is like a hunter's snare. Her heart 58 00:04:14,590 --> 00:04:17,390 Speaker 1: is like a hunter's net, and her hands are like 59 00:04:17,490 --> 00:04:22,210 Speaker 1: prison chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but 60 00:04:22,250 --> 00:04:27,070 Speaker 1: the sinner is captured by her. The teacher says, I 61 00:04:27,150 --> 00:04:30,270 Speaker 1: discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, 62 00:04:30,529 --> 00:04:34,979 Speaker 1: item by item. What I have continually sought I have 63 00:04:35,060 --> 00:04:39,659 Speaker 1: not found. I have found only one upright man among 64 00:04:39,700 --> 00:04:42,980 Speaker 1: a thousand, but I have not found one upright woman 65 00:04:43,140 --> 00:04:47,799 Speaker 1: among all of them. This alone have I discovered. God 66 00:04:47,900 --> 00:04:52,820 Speaker 1: made humankind upright, but they have sought many evil schemes. 67 00:04:54,790 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and 68 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege of obtaining the gift 69 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: of wisdom through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, so 70 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,810 Speaker 1: that as we look at a portion of Scripture like this, 71 00:05:09,850 --> 00:05:13,010 Speaker 1: you give us wisdom into its content, understanding in how 72 00:05:13,050 --> 00:05:16,030 Speaker 1: to apply it, and you give us the strength and 73 00:05:16,130 --> 00:05:21,500 Speaker 1: desire to listen to you as you communicate your truth. Lord, 74 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,870 Speaker 1: we recognize that by nature we are sinful people, and 75 00:05:24,930 --> 00:05:29,469 Speaker 1: just as this chapter tells us, You made us upright, 76 00:05:29,870 --> 00:05:33,270 Speaker 1: but we have sought many evil schemes. Humanity as a 77 00:05:33,350 --> 00:05:37,610 Speaker 1: whole has rebelled against You. But we know that Your Son, 78 00:05:37,670 --> 00:05:40,099 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, came to this earth and took our sin 79 00:05:40,180 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: upon Himself so that through faith in Him, we can 80 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,099 Speaker 1: live forever. We can be forgiven of our sin. We 81 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:50,109 Speaker 1: can walk with You for all eternity. Lord, we're grateful 82 00:05:50,150 --> 00:05:52,500 Speaker 1: for these things and we're grateful for your love for us. 83 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,260 Speaker 1: We pray, Lord, that we would rejoice in your presence 84 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: with us today. And we thank you for this all 85 00:05:57,740 --> 00:06:00,029 Speaker 1: in Jesus' name. Amen.