Proverbs 27:17
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Ecclesiastes 7:23-29 - Solomon's Struggle for Wisdom: Uncovering God's Gift Through Effort
Having trouble reading this email? View it in your browser.
The Berean
Share this on FacebookPinterestView as PDF
Ecclesiastes 7:23-29
(23) All this I have proved by wisdom.
I said, “I will be wise”;
But it was far from me.
(24) As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep,
Who can find it out?
(25) I applied my heart to know,
To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things,
To know the wickedness of folly,
Even of foolishness and madness.
(26) And I find more bitter than death
The woman whose heart is snares and nets,
Whose hands are fetters.
He who pleases God shall escape from her,
But the sinner shall be trapped by her.
(27) Here is what I have found,” says the Preacher,
“Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,
(28) Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find:
One man among a thousand I have found,
But a woman among all these I have not found.
(29) Truly, this only I have found:
That God made man upright,
But they have sought out many schemes.”
New King James Version Change email Bible version
God is allowing us some insight into Solomon's heart and life. He gifted Solomon with a proclivity for understanding and wisdom, but this passage reveals that achieving them did not come easy.
The true God gifts us to enable us to fill our place in the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:1-11), but this does not mean He gives the gifts in full-blown perfection so we can fulfill that role without effort (Matthew 25:14-30). His gifts must be developed, fine-tuned, and polished until they are truly fit to be used—even then they are still less-than-perfect in actual practice.
Solomon is confessing a truth that we, too, discover as we continue our conversion. Finding wisdom is difficult and not as satisfying as we might think. These verses are a confession by the author that, despite all the great intellectual gifts given him, in the end what he did not know far exceeded what he actually knew.
This section is a reminder of Solomon's purpose, as stated in Ecclesiastes 1:12-13: “I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this grievous task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.” He was indeed gifted, but God in no way drilled a hole in the top of his head, stuck a funnel in the hole, and poured wisdom in, requiring no effort on Solomon's part. He had to participate in the search to reach his goal. It became a lifelong pursuit.
This pursuit took earnest effort. His goal was set; his was no superficial overview. With earnest, exhaustive thoroughness, he applied himself to discover what lay behind the conduct he observed. He wanted to know the reason of things, as verse 25 shows. Why did he search so thoroughly? “Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers of the city” (verse 19). He was looking for spiritual strength through understanding. The fruit of that search would be wisdom to equip him to make better choices.
Wisdom, spiritual sagacity, can be an extremely valuable resource. Sagacity indicates “discernment,” that one is “keen,” “perceptive,” and “sound in judgment,” insuring that one's choices produce good fruit. Through verse 19, the Bible is showing us that wisdom can govern thought, the will, and one's actions to produce good results. This is not to say that he found them all, but that is what he was determinedly seeking.
The deep insights he found revealed the order and harmony supporting the things he witnessed from the outside. However, we should understand that seeking wisdom exacts a price. It is interesting how the Bible compares the costs of achievement: by the value of what a person might buy on the market. It declares that one pays more for wisdom than for goods that people expect will fetch a high price on the open market. Wisdom's costs are largely in terms of time, attention, and discipline to achieve (see Proverbs 3:13-15; 8:11; 16:16).
Solomon looked at problems from all sides, and even analyzed the opposite of the way he first saw things. He uses terms like “wickedness,” “folly,” and “madness,” showing that he was looking deeply at human behavior. He examined these things so closely that he believed that at least emotionally, he experienced a small measure of the characteristics—even the bad ones—he was searching into.
What did Solomon learn from this? Ecclesiastes 7:23-24 reveals it was humbling: “All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, 'I will be wise.' But it was far from me. As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out?” It was far more difficult than he imagined when he began. If we measure our gifting against his, what kind of wise plan could we produce that would impress God to remove the burden of a trial? As we can see, searching for wisdom is a necessity but difficult. The answers are rarely right on the surface.
— John W. Ritenbaugh
To learn more, see:
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Thirteen): Confessions
Topics:
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living Confessions
God's Gifting of Solomon with Understanding
God's Gifting of Solomon with Wisdom
Sagacity
Seeking Wisdom
Spiritual Strength
Commentary copyright © 1992-2026 Church of the Great God
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Spotify
Subscription Information
This daily newsletter was sent to you at pahovis@aol.com because you subscribed at www.bibletools.org on Jan 30, 2011.
Email Preferences | Unsubscribe
Church of the Great God
P.O. Box 471846
Charlotte, NC 28247
803-802-7075
About The Berean | Archives | Random Berean | Subscriptions
Wednesday Reflection:
Wednesday Reflection:
Now That’s a Bargain!
Most people who know me know that I’m a connoisseur of fine thrift! 😂 In other words, I’ve mastered the art of finding quality thrift store items at bargain prices.
About 90% of my wardrobe comes from Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or other thrift stores in the area.
Now, I don’t shop at thrift stores because I’m cheap. Well, maybe I’m just a LITTLE cheap! 😂 But seriously, I enjoy finding something of value at a great price. Some of the things I’ve purchased, I’ve even resold online for a profit.
Think about it! Taking something used, overlooked, and given away, and turning it into something valuable. Now, that’s a great deal!
That reminds me of what Jesus did for me!
He found a no-good sinner like me, tore up from the floor up, and purchased me with His precious blood on the cross. He took my old, broken-down life and made me a new creation in Him!
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:20
“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 says:
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Do you know what price Jesus paid? He gave His life for mine!
He paid a price I could never pay so I could receive something I could never earn: eternal life!
Yes I’ve found some good bargains at Goodwill, but NOTHING compares to the bargain Jesus made for me!
His life for my life! His blood for my salvation! His sacrifice for my freedom!
Now, THAT’S a bargain worth shouting about!
Let me ask you this: What has Jesus brought you out of or changed in your life that reminds you just how GOOD God has been to you?
Share your testimony—someone may need your encouragement today!
Have a blessed Wednesday!
Pastor Patrick Ruffin
This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch Wednesday Night Prayers - Lectio 365 by 24-7 Prayer:
This Teaching Clip made me think of you. Watch Wednesday Night Prayers - Lectio 365 by 24-7 Prayer:
God of All Creation
God of All Creation
All of world history is characterized by periods of time when dominant nations ruled large portions of the earth. Intermixed with the various kingdoms and dynasties are notable wars and battles that have scarred the earth.
Amidst the rise and fall of various earthly powers, it can be easy to forget that the Lord stands in power above everything else. Even though God’s kingdom is not as visible right now, He still guides and shapes the course of history.
It is a comforting reminder that all of the earth is the Lord’s. Nothing that happens on earth surprises Him.
God is the Creator and Ruler of the earth, thus everything ultimately belongs to Him. He sets the boundaries for every nation, and He determines where the oceans begin.
This doesn’t mean that God forces everyone and everything to do good all of the time. People are still capable of evil, and the world is still filled with pain and suffering.
But, this means that God ultimately rules over everything in creation. Even in the midst of evil, pain, and suffering, God is working behind the scenes to bring about goodness in everything. While we may not experience this fully in our lifetime, in the end God will eventually make everything right.
Take some time to consider God’s powerful place in all of creation as the Lord over everything that exists. Thank Him for His guiding hand in your own life. You can trust that God has control over the creation that He created, even in the midst of dark and trying times.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)