In Ecclesiastes 7:5-6, Solomon proceeds to compare another perspective of life. He said that a rebuke of the wise is to be preferred over the song of fools. The verses read, “It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.”
Nobody likes to be rebuked because it’s an unpleasant experience. But if we are to become better people, being rebuked for our wrong by a person who is caring and wise, is needful. It will help us to be aware of a wrong and then take measure to correct it. Thus, it is true that a wise rebuke is more welcoming to the song of fools. We see similar thoughts in Proverbs 27:5-6. Here we are told that “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” Solomon had persuasively shown that we live in a world of emptiness and vanity. Hence to live well in this empty world, one of the best ways to achieve it, is to stand corrected by people who are wiser than us. However, rebuke and correction are not what people want to hear. They would rather hear what Solomon calls “song of fools.” Try listening to a worldly song and we will understand why we should not give ears to them. Themes of secular songs are often built around the ideas of sex, violence, jilted love and broken heart, and some even blatantly promulgate the worship of other gods. We are called to serious living and how foolish it will be to entertain such garbage.
Here in verse 6, we see a brilliant analogy. Solomon likens the “laughter of fools” to “the crackling of thorns under a pot.” The question on our mind is: in what way is foolish laughter like branches which one had torn off a thorn bush and used as fuel for the fire? Here we can see two similarities. Firstly, they both make noise. The fire from the branches of a thorn bush produce crackling sound when they are being burnt, so also are the chuckling and sniggering of fools. Secondly, the branches of a thorn bush used as fuel cannot sustain a fire. They are easily and quickly burned up. Unlike coal or fire woods, they do not burn for long. They will produce more flame than fire. In much the same way, the laughter of foolish people does not give warmth. What they do are often frivolous and flippant and have no clear purpose. They may provide a good laugh but the laughter is short-lived.
For us, who are convinced of what comes after death for one who does not know Christ, we know that it is not a laughing matter. Hence, we can recognize why a rebuke from the wise is preferred to the song of fools. The wise will counsel us to get serious with life. We must embrace Christ fully and choose not to live a frivolous life. The wise thing to do is to be open to godly friends who can provide sound and constructive counsel. Don’t shut your ears off even though what they say may be harsh. When someone cares enough to rebuke, wisdom dictates that we should be receptive.
Good sense and judgment will tell us not to take lightly what this book of Ecclesiastes has pointed out. From it, we can see that living for pleasure and to go all-out inordinately for selfish gain are striving after the wind. We can see that there is a season for everything. This book tells us that partnership with others makes for better yield in life. We are also wisely counseled to let our words be few. Why? Because God is in heaven. He sees and knows everything while we are mere earthlings with our limited views. So, we must be careful in what we say, especially what we say to Him. Of course, we cannot forget that this book also tells us not to rely on money which can never fully satisfy our soul. This book is a call to live for eternity and not for today only.
Where do we go from here? Place God first in life, read His Word daily. Attend church and listen to godly, Christ-centred, Spirit-filled teaching and preaching. Join a cell and fellowship, learn and progress with like-minded believers. Exploit your talents and giftings and give time to serve in one or two ministries to help fellow sojourners in the pilgrimage. Don’t laugh off the small spiritual stuff you receive from God. Take all spiritual matters seriously and live life with a passion and purpose for God!
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