A good NAME IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN costly OINTMENT (7:1):
The OINTMENT given to Christ by the woman was FOR a PARTICULAR
TIME, but the NAME given to the woman by Christ was FOR ALL TIME (Mark 14:3-9)
BETTER is the SORROWFUL REBUKE of the wise THAN the JOYFUL
PRAISE of fools (7:2-6):
Paul's REBUKE to the Corinthians PROMPTED them to CORRECTIVE
ACTION (II Corinthians 7:8-11)
Patient TRIBULATION VEXES the mind, but CORRUPTION THROUGH
PRIDE DESTROYS the heart - the END OF THE FORMER is BETTER THAN the END OF THE LATTER (7:7-8):
Moses esteemed suffering AFFLICTION WITH the PEOPLE OF
GOD to be BETTER THAN enjoying the PLEASURES OF SIN IN EGYPT for a season; the REWARD OF THE FORMER - FAR GREATER
THAN - the REWARD OF THE LATTER (Hebrews 11:24-26)
ANGER at PRESENT ADVERSITY - brought on by REMEMBRANCE
of FORMER PROSPERITY - makes one FOOLISH and NOT WISE (7:9-10):
Paul LEARNED how TO ABOUND and TO SUFFER NEED - ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
are FROM GOD Who empowers His children in ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST (Philippians 4:12-13)
Both WISDOM and RICHES are PROFITABLE in this life under
the sun and offer protection against life's afflictions, but WISDOM is PREFERABLE to money in that it CANNOT BE
LOST due to life's unanticipated changes (7:11-12):
The Lord ADDED personal WEALTH to Solomon, because he
ASKED for WISDOM to rule others rather material gain for himself (I Kings 3:5-13)
If God through adversity makes a thing crooked which man
cannot reverse, then it is HEAVENLY WISDOM that ACCEPTS BOTH prosperity with joy and adversity with thanksgiving
- for it is GOD Who PLACES BOTH SETS of circumstances side by side, so that man can have no cause for dispute with
Him (7:13-14):
SOLOMON observed the following facts in HIS OWN VAIN LIFE
- a SELF RIGHTEOUS MAN who perishes in HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS and a WICKED MAN who prolongs his life through HIS
OWN WICKEDNESS (7:15):
SOLOMON'S SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS caused him to grievously
sin by putting the gods of his strange wives above the Lord, which brought about the RUIN OF HIS KINGDOM during
the reign of his son (I Kings 11:1-13)
One should not be SELF RIGHTEOUS and PRESUME TO BE WISER
THAN GOD nor should one be WICKED AND FOOLHARDY (7:16-17):
Upon completion of his greatest work (the building of
the Temple) - the Lord WARNED Solomon AGAINST FORSAKING Him, so as NOT TO LOSE the kingdom (I Kings 3:1-3,14; I Kings 9:1-9)
One should take hold of this SURE FACT - THE PERSON WHO
FEARS GOD WILL BE DELIVERED FROM BOTH EXTREMES, i.e. from SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS and SELF INDULGENCE (7:18):
HEAVENLY wisdom FORGIVES the malicious words of others,
because it QUICKENS the memory of conscience concerning one's own malicious words (7:21-22):
Believers are exhorted to FORBEAR one another "IN
LOVE" (Ephesians 4:2), which is manifested by the FORGIVING of one another - "AS GOD
for Christ's sake HATH FORGIVEN" the believer (Ephesians 4:32)
HEAVENLY wisdom is "FAR OFF" and "EXCEEDING
DEEP" and is "FAR FROM" the wisdom of MAN (7:23-24):
The "DEEP THINGS OF GOD" are revealed by the
"SPIRIT OF GOD" to those upon whom God has set his love (I Corinthians 2:9-10)
The "DEPTH" and "RICHES" of the HEAVENLY
wisdom are "UNSEARCHABLE" and "PAST FINDING OUT" (Romans 11:33)
It was Israel's COVETOUS RELIGIOUS LEADERS (Luke 16:14)
who BOASTED of their SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Matthew 23:29-30)
The Biblical definition of COVETOUSNESS is IDOLATRY (Colossians 3:5)
IDOLATRY is said to be "MORE BITTER THAN DEATH"
and to flee it is to please God (7:26)
and FORSAKING IT allows the believer to have FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD (II Corinthians 6:14-18)
Among Solomon's 1000 WIVES - he could not find one who
was not an idolatress (7:27-28) and they "TURNED AWAY HIS HEART" FROM THE LORD unto other
gods (I Kings 11:2-4)
BEFORE THE FALL God made MAN UPRIGHT, but AFTER THE FALL
- MAN has "SOUGHT OUT MANY INVENTIONS" (7:29),
which are said to be the "WAYS OF DEATH" (Proverbs 14:12):