Rebuke of the Wise

 

Ecclesiastes 7:5-13

 

It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.  For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity. 
Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart.  Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.  Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.  Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”  For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.  Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun.  For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.  Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?

 

Rebuke is defined by Webster as:(express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions).  I know of no one that has not to experience rebuke, but when it is your best friend that is doing so, it is like the pouring of ice water on your head on a very cold day.  As a young person, I received a lot of that, from my parents, and I needed it, from my older brother because I was not trying or was embarrassing him, from teachers, because of my desire to be anywhere but at school, and most of the vice principals who seemed to see me in their office on a weekly basis.  Most of that I could reason with, I needed to be more careful and not get caught, for I did not desire to change.  As I got older, when a person I considered a good friend would point out areas of my life that need to change, at that time it seemed like a betrayal.

 

As a follower of Christ, my best friend at that time was Johnny Anderson, a man my age who loved God and cared for my growth as a new believer, he began to tell me I was off base when it came to the way I treaded my wife.  I knew he was right and that as a fellow brother in Christ, he desired for me to be like Christ, He was the first brother that rebuked me, but not the last, and I’m thankful for everyone.

 

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.  Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.  Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”  I believe many a pastor and leader in the church and outside the church, have a proud spirit, and not a patient spirit, in my life when I believe I’ve overcome that proud spirit and finely arrived with patience, all I have to do is get behind the wheel of my car, and go ten miles and I find that old man that wants all people to obey the laws of driving and not run red lights, not exceed the speed limit more than ten miles an hour, and not sit still when the light turns green for what seems like minutes.  Yes, it does not take much to expose my flesh.

 

“Why were the former days better than these?”  For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.  Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun.  For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.  Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?

 

I get from my Christian friends all this stuff about the good old days, and how they would like to go back to that time.  Lots of great memories, but that is history, learn from it but live in the present, for you will find God has a good plan for you, now not in the future or past, but today.

 

Wisdom is a gift that God has been offering to those who seek Him with a pure heart.  In James 1:5, a follower of Christ has this promise; “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”  Each of us needs this gift, no matter how many degrees one has on your wall.  One of the sadist things is an educated fool.

 

 Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?  I am a witness to this truth; it is absolute, yet many have tried to do so.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice