7 A good name is better than a good ointment,
And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because [a]that is the end of every man,
And the living [b]takes it to [c]heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.
4 The [d]mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,
While the [e]mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man
Than for one to listen to the song of fools.
6 For as the [f]crackling of thorn bushes under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool;
And this too is futility.
7 For oppression makes a wise man mad,
And a bribe [g]corrupts the heart.
This seems a sad and morbid passage at first glance. After all, who looks forward to death, or going to a house of mourning? How could sorrow be better than laughter. Verse 5 we can get behind, as it makes more sense, and v. 7 seems logical, but the rest feels a little weird.
Except that I was just at a funeral, for someone who went to be with God, and our pastor said a strange thing. He’s been with multiple people when they passed, and he said that it was so beautiful, the only way to describe it is like the birth of a child. Huh, so maybe Solomon was onto something after all?
Though funerals are often somber affairs, that doesn’t give us the full picture. Certainly, if you’ve never put your hope in Jesus, death is a frightening thing, and you really ought to take care of that. Otherwise, there is this strange joy in the middle of the sadness. We remember good times with our departed loved one, and tell stories of all the good times we had with them (v. 3).
The bad memories seem to fade away, though they may come back at times, but death seems to put us in a mood to celebrate the good, even in what may have seemed mundane at the time. With all that in mind, the first bit begins to make more sense as well, “A good name is better than a good ointment…” What was ointment for? To anoint the dead for burial–so they didn’t smell so bad.
But Solomon tells us the ointment isn’t half so important as the life you lived, and the reputation you earned. Empty laughter (v. 6), or oppression, or underhanded dealings like bribes (v. 7), that’s no way to leave a legacy. Many things may bring us temporary pleasure, but that’s fleeting and not worth our time, limited as it is.
In v. 4, we see the proper perspective, not that wise should be completely focused on death. Rather, the wise know their end could come at any time, and so they make the most of every moment, and don’t squander their lives on vain pursuits. This is the life God calls us towards, which might seem odd since we are destined for eternity.
Yet He calls us to live like Jesus did, serving people, loving people, and putting our value in the impact we can have in their lives. There’s a lot of fun to be had in this world, but it’s best enjoyed with the ones we love, not the things born out of selfish ambition. Keep your focus on God’s call, and your end will be met with mourning and joy.