Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what can the man do who succeeds the king?—only what he has already done. Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:12–13
Of all the things that one may acquire in this world, David taught his son that there is nothing to be compared in value to wisdom. “Wisdom,” said the king, “is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7). Solomon said that wisdom “is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her” (8:11). But how is this precious commodity to be obtained? Contrary to the thinking of some, wisdom does not come simply by learning or by experience or the mere passage of time; instead, it begins with the fear of the Lord and the humility that is required to heed His instructions (1:7; 9:10; 15:33). Solomon gives us some of this instruction in a brief description of the character of a wise man.
A wise man takes into account the fact that he is flesh. He knows that all have sinned (Ecclesiastes 7:20) and need God to save them. As a result, he will surround himself with those who will rebuke him if he errs (v 5). He will learn to control his passions, knowing that “anger rests in the bosom of fools” (v 9). He also learns how to control his own intellect (v 16), unlike those who are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). If knowledge only serves to puff us up with pride, there is no use in acquiring it; its acquisition should be for the purpose of edifying. The wise man also reminds himself of his own mortality by frequenting the house of mourning (Ecclesiastes 7:2). When we visit such places, we see that the old never cheat death and that even the young are sometimes taken unexpectedly. We see then how short and fragile life is.
A wise man shows concern for his influence. He cares more about his name than he does about his possessions (Ecclesiastes 7:1; Proverbs 22:1). As a result, he shuns the company of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:6, 26) and craves the society of the wise instead (Ecclesiastes 7:5; Proverbs 13:20). Nevertheless, although he sincerely covets a good reputation, he doesn’t overly concern himself with the criticisms of others. The king warns, “do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you” (Ecclesiastes 7:21). If we aim for 100% approval, we are certain to fail, but even though we cannot please “all the people all the time,” we can please God all the time. This should be our goal.
A wise man doesn’t concern himself with things beyond his control. No matter how influential we may be, no one can straighten out what God has made crooked (Ecclesiastes 7:13). The sooner we learn this the better off we will be. The wise man does not lament that today is worse than yester-day (v 10). Instead, he learns from the past and prepares for the future, but he always lives in the present (v 14). As a result, the wise man typically lives a longer, happier life (vv 12, 17). He sleeps soundly through many storms, for his house in built on the solid rock (Matthew 7:24–25). Is yours?
We should understand that even the pursuit of wisdom can be “grasping for the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:17) if our central purpose is not to “fear God and keep his commandments” (12:13). The wise man considers the facts that (1) he has sinned and (2) he will die, and armed with this knowledge, he seeks some means between the times of the former inevitable action and the latter to be reconciled to his Creator––a means which is only found in obedience to the will of God.