Ecclesiastes 7:20

b. Wisdom leads one to see his own sin. Ecclesiastes 7:20

TEXT 7:20

20

Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 7:20

207.

What truth is stated here that is also taught in Romans 3:10?

208.

In the light of this verse, why does man need wisdom as a corrective?

209.

Write a definition of righteous.

PARAPHRASE 7:20

There isn-'t a man on earth who doesn-'t need wisdom. Where is the righteous man who always does good and never sins? He cannot be found!

COMMENT 7:20

This second benefit of wisdomto teach us to be humble and to depend upon strength gained apart from human resourcesis based on the conclusion of the former verse. Israel had the treasure of revelation and this alone should have kept her free from the wickedness which typified the heathen communities around her. Such wisdom should also eliminate the evils of self-righteousness which would be the major temptation of those who possessed the true revelation.
Since there is no man so righteous that he always does what is best, it logically follows that he needs all the assistance he can get. Wisdom is the very best source of such assistance.

Solomon had previously asked, Who can say, -I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin-' (Proverbs 20:9)? A section of Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple spoke to this point when he said, When they sin against Thee (for there is no man who does not sin) and Thou art angry with them and dost deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near, if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to Thee in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, -We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly-' (1 Kings 8:46-47). Repentance and confession are fruit of wisdom. In Solomon's prayer he foresees the people of God following this path of healing back to God. It is a wise man who recognizes that he has need of strength to withstand temptation, and also see the pathways to repentance, supplication, and forgiveness should his own strength fail him. No man, on his own, is able to hold on to the best pathways of life. He needs the strength which wisdom affords.

FACT QUESTIONS 7:20

377.

What is the second benefit of wisdom?

378.

What characteristic identified those of the heathen community?

379.

What special temptation is presented to those who have revelation from God?

380.

What fruit of wisdom did Solomon speak of in his dedicatory prayer at the Temple?