Right out of the gate this one stopped me.
“A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed” (Ecc 8:1).
It stopped me for several reasons.
1) We think of a wisdom as an old, wrinkled guy sitting in a chair, straight-faced and giving advice to those around him.
2) Didn’t Solomon just say he tried wisdom and while it was gift, it still left him depressed? (Ch 1-2)
3) I think of a quote a guy I know made, “Joy is a fruit of the mature.”
4) I think of myself who has off and on prayed for wisdom over the years (and God answers!), and yet does my face reflect “brightness” that comes from wisdom?
Solomon really doesn’t expound directly, although he talks about how in the end the wicked will meet their fate and the righteous will be blessed. I can guess that when we are wise it’s because we live well. That, and we understand the blessing upon God’s righteous that may not be immediate, but that God looks upon with favor.
And why does Solomon say it brings brightness. It’s because he also talks about when we learn the value of working, eating, enjoying those we love, that we have received a gift of God. It is a privilege to be able to enjoy things in this life. A gift of God.
“There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say this too is futile. So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun” (v. 14-15).
Also joy is the fruit of the mature. It’s a fruit of the Spirit. Granted, there are terribly difficult things that happen in this life. We are seeing them happen daily these days, heart wrenching stories. Where is joy here? This is where we go back to Ecc 3. There is a time for everything.
And yes, Godly joy and grief can live together. Joy isn’t being happy, skippy all the time. It’s the peace of knowing God.
