9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.
11 The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like [f]well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the [g]writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.
13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
“The Preacher” was a wise man, but he could have just used that wisdom for himself. Or if he was feeling generous, he could share it with family and friends. But he didn’t stop there, he sought out proverbs, and delightful words, and still strove to write the truth correctly. It’s a tricky thing to do, but he did it to teach the people, so that all might benefit from the God’s wisdom–because it wasn’t really his own.
We see this further clarified in v. 11, that wise words are “given by one Shepherd.” And it is this “yardstick” by which we ought to measure all that we hear. For there is no shortage of advice out there, by many who would call themselves experts.
So whatever we hear, whether it sounds delightful, or difficult, there is a measure. It is what Solomon strove for, as I’m sure he found some proverbs that just didn’t pass the test. Instead, he wanted to only write down what was true. What is that test?
We find it in vv. 13-14, the conclusion, the end of the matter, is to fear God and keep His commandments. For God will indeed bring every act to judgment, whether we deem them secret or hidden. So the test is this, does it line up with God’s commands, does it line up with who God is, and how He has revealed himself to us in His Word?
Would Jesus himself say it, would he tell you to do that? Whatever it is, ponder it, and ask God to help you find the truth, His truth. Don’t settle for anything less! There are a lot of cheap substitutes, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and worse. Stick to what God has said, fear and honor Him, and keep His commands, and you’ll be walking a narrow path, but true and sure.