Verses 1-6
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Reputation is everything—whether you are a person of godly character or not. For in the end, after your death, then your actions will be judged.
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The day of your death is more important than your birth, since after death you go to your eternal abode, either heaven or hell.
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Mourn now over the inevitability of death, and you will become wiser because you will want to make good use of the time you have left (Psalm 90:12). Also listen when wise people rebuke you for actions that are foolish. This will cause pain, but it will also make you better.
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Sadness can bring repentance and increase your drive to do good (2 Corinthians 7:10), but laughter is foolish if enjoyed in ignorance of wisdom.
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Although Solomon has given much attention thus far to telling us to enjoy life and be merry, he does not mean we should do so recklessly. Before we can have true joy (or have our hearts “made better” [verse 3]) we must mourn over the vanity and brevity of life, and heed correction. This causes us to change our actions to do what truly matters, which in turn brings us more joy.
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Verse 7
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Be careful how you handle money, and do not become covetous of it. Even the wisest people can become fools if they make poor financial decisions or start to desire riches.
Verse 8
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It is pride to boast about starting something. Any man, even a fool, can start something others will perceive as great. But it takes a patient man to finish what is started.
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Therefore, do not think highly of what you start. Think modestly. Finish what you start, and work hard for long periods of time.
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Verse 9
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Being quick to become angry is foolish. Even if your anger is seemingly justified, it is still foolish if it's impulsive or quickly aroused. Learn to be patient not only with your works but also your emotions.
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This exercises self-control and will help you make wiser, logical choices rather than reactionary, emotional choices.
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Verse 10
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Never compare the present to the past, wishing for something from the past. God made today. Be thankful and hopeful for the present!
Verses 11-12
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Money does well as a tool for a person who's wise. Wisdom enhances life and maximizes the goodness one can find in this world's experiences. The point? Gain wisdom and money. Wisdom becomes more useful for this life when applied to financial decisions.
Verses 13-18
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Throughout life, even as a wise, righteous person, you will experience both prosperity and adversity. Trust that God has a purpose in everything you experience.
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But to avoid any unnecessary trouble and prolong your life, avoid legalism as well as sin. Trying to stay righteous to a point of religious extremes (trying to obey commandments that don't come from God) will work against you (Colossians 2:20-23); you will not be any better at repenting from sin if you are legalistic.
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Being "overly righteous" could also look like becoming conceited or self-righteous. Avoid this as well. And as far as being "overly wicked", remember that everyone has some sin (verse 20), at least sin they're not aware of. To avoid being "overly wicked", simply do not choose wrong when you know that it's wrong.
Verses 19-20
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Because all men sin, even rulers—men of great power—will fail because of their sin. Therefore, the wisdom to turn from evil and obey God's Word will strengthen you more than anything. Join yourself with people who are wise in God's Word, and who are obeying it, not people who are merely powerful by the world's standards.
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Also, because all men sin, even great rulers, problems caused by sin are inevitable. Therefore, prioritize wisdom. Wisdom will help you to overcome the inevitable problems that come from dealing with fallible people. You do not have to fear the mistakes of others, nor yourself, if you have wisdom. For with enough wisdom you will be able to overcome all.
Verses 21-22
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Remember that if you focus on the evil thoughts that others might have towards you, you will find them everywhere. This will harm your peace of mind. Plus, you will attract what you focus on; and you will find offense even where it does not exist.
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As such, do not be hypersensitive or easily offended.
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At heart, most people think many evil thoughts. We've all thought things about others that are harmful. So, don't take it personally that people think harmful things. Be forgiving of others and patient with them so that you don't allow yourself to feel offended by others. Love is not provoked (1 Corinthians 13:5). Focus on keeping your own thoughts godly.
Verses 23-26
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It is good to pursue wisdom and understanding, but accept that we will never fully understand everything, and especially what God does and why (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
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However, for this life's experiences, wisdom will teach you about the dangers of falling to sin, especially sexual sin.
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If you are living pleasing to God, you will know how to avoid the people and situations that would cause this form of immorality.
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Verses 26-28
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Why is it that Solomon could not find one good woman out of his one-thousand? He personally had seven-hundred wives and three-hundred concubines, equally one-thousand.
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A man who is a sinner will be trapped by immoral women. Though one man out of a thousand he will find begging him to choose what is right, failing to find a good woman is not a matter of all women lacking virtue, but the failure of a man to be pleasing to God. A godly woman will come to a godly man. But an immoral man will seek and find only immoral women. Because Solomon, in foolishness, sought after many foreign and strange women (1 Kings 11:1-9), he saw later in his life that he never found a truly good woman among them.
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Truly, finding truly godly people is difficult. God made us to be good, but we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Choose to become a godly person, and you will find other godly people to partner with!
Verse 29 (w/ 23-25)
- "Schemes" may refer to sin, as well as profound studies.
- After investigating every deep and unsearchable thing, like Solomon did, we will find out in the end that all madness and folly is rooted in man's obessession with sin. Simply avoid sin.
- In addition, although we were made to simply focus on being righteous, instead we often choose to focus on matters and questions too profound for us...mental "schemes". Since God made us to be upright, focus on being upright rather than unimportant questions.