Ecclesiastes 7:1-15
The Preacher has explored the world. What did he see everywhere? Vanity, suffering, disorder and folly. One question always faces the wise man: how should he behave in the midst of this state of things which he can do nothing to change? In the form of sentences which bring to mind the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes now gives us wise and prudent advice.
We should not avoid the house of mourning (vv. 2-4). It will remind us of our frailty and will also make us think seriously. It may make us more sensitive to the troubles of others and perhaps give us words of sympathy to direct the thoughts of the bereaved to the Lord. Other advice follows — do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry. Anger often comes from a rash thought and is a companion of fools (v. 9).
Do not say, "What is the cause that the former days were better than these?" (v. 10; Judges 6:13). Do not believe that it is any more difficult to follow the Lord today than it was in our parents’ or grand-parents’ days. The resources which they found in His Word and in communion with Him are at our disposal to guide us through a world which morally has not changed.