Patience and Wisdom (Ecc 7: 8-12)

PATIENCE AND WISDOM (Ecc 7: 8-12):

After differentiating the wise and fools, the author brings out the primary qualities of the wise. At first, the author says that better is the end of a thing than its beginning, because the beginning might be without any influence and experience that could help to go through the progress of many things which might not be smooth but difficult. The end of things is the conclusion and beyond that, there is nothing a person goes through. The smoother the things, it will be saturated or settled quickly, but the difficult times will be wiped out only slowly, which would be better. Also, the author says that patience in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Patience in spirit is one of the greatest qualities that is traced to God and Godly values. Patience helps us to be humble by considering others, whereas pride in spirit lacks patience and want things to fall according to their thoughts without considering others. The author also says not to be quick in the spirit to become angry because it lodges only in the heart of the fools. There is nothing constructive or productive at the quick anger without thoughts, as it is just an expression out of lack of self-control which counts nothing to make something better or correct.

The author also says not to tell that the former days are better than the days of the present because it is not from wisdom that a person says that. Only a person who is not aware or those who want to blame says that something is better previously but a person who is efficient and Godly handles any situation, for he doesn’t live selfishly but for a higher cause and purpose with the trust in God. A wise person discerns different things and he knew that there is nothing better and he acknowledges the past, lives the present, and handles the future.

Thereby the author says that wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. The Wisdom stays with a person at all times and it is absolutely essential for the life on earth, because 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. Money is essential to get things and even food which is a need to physically nourish whereas the wisdom sustains the life and preserves, as it helps to handle all that a person holds not just the physical things but also the mental and emotional things.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.    What is better than the beginning of a thing? Why?

2.    What is better than the proud in spirit? Why?

3.    For what a person should not be quick? Why?

4.    How anger lodges in the heart of fools?

5.    What a person should not say? Why?

6.    Could you say that the former days are better than the days at present? Justify?

7.    How wisdom is? How it is an advantage to those who see the sun?

8.    What does the protection of wisdom be similar to? How?

9.    What is the advantage of wisdom? How?

10.    How we could culminate patience and wisdom in ourselves?