哪种经历对我们更有益？
传道书七章1至10节
1名誉强如美好的膏油；人死的日子，胜过人生的日子。
2往遭丧的家去，强如往宴乐的家去，因为死是众人的结局，活人也必将这事放在心上。
3忧愁强如喜笑，因为面带愁容，终必使心喜乐。
4智慧人的心，在遭丧之家；愚昧人的心，在快乐之家。
5听智慧人的责备，强如听愚昧人的歌唱。
6愚昧人的笑声，好像锅下烧荆棘的爆声，这也是虚空。
7勒索使智慧人变为愚妄，贿赂能败坏人的慧心。
8事情的终局，强如事情的起头；存心忍耐的，胜过居心骄傲的。
9你不要心里急躁恼怒，因为恼怒存在愚昧人的怀中。
10不要说：“先前的日子强过如今的日子，是甚么缘故呢？”你这样问，不是出于智慧。
信息分享
然而，值得我们思考的是，究竟是在甚么样的处境和甚么时候，我们能学到最深刻的功课呢？是在欢乐的时刻，或是在困难、忧伤的时刻？后者再次提醒我们人生苦短，我们必须善用人生。一位佚名的诗人曾经说过：「人生只有一次；且是稍纵即逝。惟有我们为主所做的，才能长存不息。」
作者在第5节提醒我们，睿智朋友的责备，确能使我们受益匪浅。我们听的时候未必开心，但回头反顾，却发现在我们人生的紧要关头，诤言可贵。有时候，我们可能看见朋友正踏上一条错误的道路，可是，却为免破坏友谊而不愿意出言相劝。宁可直言而不被接纳，总胜过闭口不言却后来抱憾。
第7节告诉我们，钱财可以屈枉公正。不幸的是，今天的世界，贿赂已经广泛蔓延；尤其是在一些发展中国家，经常听见有贿赂法官、警察或政府人员的情况。即使要面对攻击反对，基督徒也绝不可涉及这类错误行为。
当我们日渐成长，回望过去，是否会有「先前的日子强过如今的日子」（10节）的感喟？这真的属实吗？无论如何，我们都是活在今天，必须面对今天的境况。不管今天如何，我们都要紧记，神时刻与我们同在。你认同吗？
WHICH IS BETTER?
Ecclesiastes 7: 1-10
1 A good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one’s birth;
2 Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool.
This also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason,
And a bribe debases the heart.
8 The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say,
“Why were the former days better than these?”
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.
Message
Stop and think however. Where and when do we really learn the most? In times of joy or in times of hardship and sorrow? The latter can remind us that life is short and what we do with our lives is extremely important. The unknown poet said it well, “Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
In verse 5 the writer reminds us that a rebuke from a wise friend can really be a help to us. We may not like it at the time but looking back we can see how helpful that strong word may have been at a critical time in our lives. Sometimes we ourselves can see that the road one of our friends is taking is entirely the wrong road for that person but we are reluctant to say anything in case it would spoil our friendship. Better to speak out and be misunderstood than to say nothing and regret it later.
In verse 7 we are reminded that money talks. Unfortunately one of the characteristics of our world today is that of wide spread bribery. We hear about bribes being given to judges, police, and others, especially in many of the third world countries. A true Christian will have nothing to do with this kind of wrong doing, even though it may work against them.
Isn’t it easy as we grow older to look back and think the “old days were the good old days” (v.10)? Were they really? But we are living today and must face today’s situation. Let us remember no matter the day, God is with us and always will be. Will you say “Amen”?