Proverbs and Ecclesiastes
As with the Psalms, this is a difficult lesson in some ways because
it is so broad. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes cover a lot of ground. You
can go so many different directions, but you have to do it in about
40 minutes. As a starting point, however, you can begin by looking at
the Bible Dictionary, which has entries for both books. The one for
Proverbs is on p. 754, and the one for Ecclesiastes is on p. 659. The
first three scriptural quotations emphasize wisdom and are similar.
Proverbs 1:7 reads, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (The footnote
at the bottom of the page says “fear of the Lord” can also
be translated as “reverence of the Lord.”) Proverbs 9:9–10
reads, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser:
teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
The passage in 2 Nephi 9:28–29 reads, “O that cunning plan
of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness
of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken
not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know
of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth
them not. And they shall perish. But to be learned is good if they hearken
unto the counsels of God.” All of this is familiar scriptural
territory.
Who hasn’t heard of someone of great intellect whose great intellect
apparently took him or her right out of the LDS church? On the other
hand, who hasn’t noticed the people of great intellect in the
LDS church who have stayed and served in prominent ways? The same is
true of scientists. Some scientists explain carefully how their study
of science caused them to lose their faith, while others explain how
their study of science has reinforced their belief in and reverence
for God. And then there is the case of those who came from tremendously
difficult homes. One child, looking at the destructive nature of the
home, might say, “I haven’t got a chance. This is where
I come from, and this is who I am.” Another child from the same
home might equally say, “I came from a bad home, and so I have
a deep understanding of why it is important to build a completely different
home for myself and my own children. I refuse to let my past ruin my
future.”
The common thread in all these examples is the fact that the facts
don’t determine the outcome; instead, it is a personal reaction
to those facts that determines where a person goes and what decisions
are made.
The next quotation seems related to me, although the emphasis is more
on trusting the Lord. Proverbs 3:5–7 reads, “Trust in the
Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise
in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” Who can
add anything to that?
The next set of scriptural references has to do with our words. Proverbs
16:27–28 reads, “An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in
his lips there is as a burning fire. A froward
man soweth strife, and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”
Proverbs 18:8 reads, “The words of a talebearer are as wounds,
and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” Proverbs
25:18 reads, “A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour
is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.” Matthew 12:36–37
reads, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall
speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by
thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
If you have never been touched by gossip, these verses probably don’t
mean a lot to you. If you have, you understand perfectly why these verses
speak against gossip so strongly. After talking with friends from different
parts of the United States, it seems clear to me that gossip and backbiting
are problems more often than we would like to admit. We need to be a
better and a kinder people when we talk about others.
Proverbs 13:10 reads, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with
the well advised is wisdom.” This is an interesting verse to consider
if for some reason you find that you are in a contentious situation.
It raises a good question: If contention is a direct result of pride,
and if you are in a contentious situation, then where is the pride?
If it is yours, then the problem cannot be resolved peacefully until
you take care of your pride first.
Proverbs 16:18 reads, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an
haughty spirit before a fall.” We all know this proverb, don’t
we? And isn’t it logical that pride causes contention, contention
causes fighting, and fighting causes destruction? Pride is a pervasive
part of our world (as evidenced by all the contention and war that surrounds
us). To fight it globally is overwhelming, but we are certainly capable
of fighting it individually and within our families.
Proverbs 22:6 is a comfort to parents with wayward children: “Train
up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not
depart from it.” Sometimes children do wander in dangerous pathways
and then come back later to their childhood beliefs.
It is also true that most people do tend to stay with the culture and
religious background of their childhood. That’s the reason for
the citation to D&C 68:25–28, which tells us that we are responsible
for teaching our children the basics: repentance, faith, baptism, the
gift of the Holy Ghost, prayer, and “to walk uprightly before
the Lord” (verse 28). Imagine how much pain could be prevented
if everyone had just this basic protection.
Proverbs 15:13 reads, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:
but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 17:22 reads,
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit
drieth the bones.” When you are afraid, perhaps the best thing
you can do is find something to laugh about. Have you ever been down
and had someone come sit next to you who was obviously warm-hearted
and happy? It can be a wonderful, uplifting experience. But we don’t
have to wait for someone to come sit next to us. We can choose to turn
our mind to happier things when we need some relief from our difficulties.
And who doesn’t need relief sometimes?
That is the end of the references in the lesson to Proverbs. Although
the lesson this week is supposed to be about both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes,
however, not even one scriptural reference in the study guide refers
to Ecclesiastes. I think the most famous passages are probably the following:
Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, which begins in verse 1 by saying, “To
every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”
If you haven’t heard these verses, you ought to. They are beautiful
and deserve reading. But they are also verses that have been quoted
a lot, so I would be surprised if you truly had never read them or heard
about them before.
• Ecclesiastes 12:9, which seems to summarize the theme of the
book by saying, “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is
vanity.” When I read Ecclesiastes, it always feels very cynical,
and verses like this one certainly explain why that might be the case.
Poor Solomon! For such a powerful man, he certainly seems to have ended
his life more bitter than not. (I am of course assuming that he was
the writer, which—as the study guide acknowledges—might
or might not be the case.)
• Ecclesiastes 12:13–14, which is at the end of the book:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and
keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it
be good, or whether it be evil.” The footnote for the phrase “Fear
God,” at the bottom of the page, tells us that this could also
be translated as, “Revere God.” I like these verses a lot.
Ecclesiastes has other verses as well, but I think these three passages
give a pretty good feel for what the book is like.
Sunday School Notebook - Aug 2006 - Susan Morgan
