Words as Goads of the Master Shepherd

Today a look at Godly wisdom: the term and idea themselves actually being redundant. The Hebrew word for “wisdom” is chakam, or words derived from it. It means wise in mind, word or act. It is a primary word, but seems to have its deeper origin in another primary root word, chanak, meaning to initiate or discipline; translated as dedicate and train up. Chanak is the origin of the Hebrew word chek, meaning tasting, or to brining it into the mouth. The allusion is to an understanding that can be explained.

In these definitions we are able to discern a process wherein wisdom is something that is with intention initiated and one dedicates self to; therefor it is more than merely taking the words into the ear or what is seen by eyes. Rather it is to discipline self, to fully savor it in our mind, understanding all its minute accents and flavors, and by this understand the full composition.

The book of Ecclesiastes is written by Solomon, known as among the wisest men to have ever walked this earth. Ecclesiastes is his reflecting upon the qualities distinct to human nature and the human experience on the earth. In chapter 1 he begins by telling of his observing all things in the earth and not really comprehending meaning in the patterns he saw. In verse 13 we read that after his doing so he next disciplined himself to finding the deeper meaning. (13 And I gave my heart (reason) to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.)

In subsequent chapters we are told of the facts he has observed, and his analysis always returns him to the same conclusion: vanity of vanities, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

The predominant belief is that Solomon’s statements regarding “vanity” are to tell of not finding meaning or value in any of the endeavors he undertook as experiments. I believe this to be far from the truth he intended to be conveyed.

The Hebrew word translated “vanity” is hebel, meaning emptiness, but in the sense they are transitory and unsatisfying. Hebel is from the root word habal, meaning to be empty in the same ways as hebel, in act, word or expectation; specifically to lead astray. Herein lies the meaning: we see there is an expectation, but instead of reaching what is sought after, the conclusion is a realization it was actually empty distraction and led away from the expected end.

The words translated “vexation of spirit” are, ra’yown, literally meaning desire, and ruwach, literally meaning wind and breath. The deeper meaning of ra’yown is tasted when we see the identical Chaldean word means grasp, as in a mental conception.

Ra’yown is from the root word ra’ah, meaning to tend a flock, as in to bring them to a place of grazing. In this sense it also means to rule or to associate with, as a friend. It also means the spirit, but only the spirit in a rational being.

Ruwach is from an identical root word, meaning to blow, as in air coming from one to another. Here is the additional meaning found in the Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary defintion: Strong’s #7306: ruwach (pronounced roo’-akh) a primitive root; properly, to blow, i.e. breathe; only (literally) to smell or (by implication, perceive (figuratively, to anticipate, enjoy):–accept, smell, X touch, make of quick understanding.

In these words we understand Solomon is actually saying these experiments/experiences were leading him, as they should all ration humans, to a conclusion other than what is expected (hebel). The unexpected ending is to find it is the master shepherd leading us to a place where He feeds us with the bread of life: the Word of God; the only place we find wisdom. It is His Spirit breathing life into us by stirring His fire in us.

This is what he writes in chapter 7:12 when speaking of our seeing the sun, meaning it rising and enlightening. Verse 12 then goes on in the original text to actually say, wisdom and silver (inheritance) are in the shadow (meaning something is standing in the way – of the sun); and knowledge of wisdom gives life to those who will take it into their possession. This last statement harkens back to Hosea 6:6 and the LORD telling us what He desires, rather than sacrifice and burnt offerings, is the knowledge of God.

Ecclesiastes 7 is telling of God as the one making sense of all things. It concludes by saying in verse 29, God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions. The Hebrew word translated “inventions” is chishshabown: machinations of destruction. It is speaking of the fabrications of men who are at war against God’s leading, and is why in the verse prior Solomon speaks of seeking but not finding and then gives the creations of men as the reason.

Ecclesiastes 7 is best understood when it is seen from the perspective of where chapter 1 ends. The beginning verse of chapter 7 are telling of the sorrow found in much wisdom, and understand that man is at war with himself, and unable or unwilling to see the sun from the shadow of the cloud (see Job 37: 15 & 21).

Ecclesiastes 1 [repetitive cycles – the rise and fall of man]
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?
4 One generation passes away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abides for ever.
5 The sun also arises, and the sun goes down, and hastes to his place where he arose.
6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
2 It is 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 lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the 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 as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
7 Surely oppression makes a wise man mad; and a gift destroys the heart.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Say not you, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for you do not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
12 For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it.
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also has set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs his life in his wickedness.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why should you destroy thyself ?
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be you foolish: why should you die before your time?
18 It is good that you should take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not your hand: for he that fears God shall come forth of them all.
19 Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sins not.
21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest you hear your servant curse you:
22 For oftentimes also your own heart knows that you thyself likewise have cursed others.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman [deception], whose heart [reasoning] is snares and nets [confusion], and her hands as bands [pride and arrogance]: whoso pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
27 Behold, this have I found, says the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
28 Which yet my soul seeks, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Lo, this only have I found, that God has made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

The root word ruwach is only used eleven times, and is only once translated, “shall make him of quick understanding.” This appears in Isaiah 11:3 in telling of the Branch, the one who will not judge after the sight of his eye, nor of the hearing of his ears, but with truth and equity he will judge the earth.

Isaiah 11
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea [all the places they have strayed].
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 The envy also of Ephraim [the people of God’s heritage] shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah [the ruling class] shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue [the verbal attacks] of the Egyptian sea [our captures – the pop-culture]; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams [their manipulative information as it flows], and make men go over dryshod.
16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Job 37
1 At this also my heart [reasoning] trembles, and is moved out of his place.
2 Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goes out of his mouth.
3 He directs it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.
4 After it a voice roars he thunders with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders marvelously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.
6 For he says to the snow, Be you on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
7 He seals up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.
8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
9 Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
10 By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.
11 Also by watering he wearies the thick cloud: he scatters his bright cloud:
12 And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commands them upon the face of the world in the earth.
13 He causes it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
14 Hearken unto this, O Job [man]: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
16 Do you know the balancing of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?
17 How your garments are warm, when he quiets the earth by the south wind?
18 Have you with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?
19 Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
20 Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.
21 And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passes, and cleanses them.
22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.
23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
24 Men do therefore fear him: he respects not any that are wise of heart.

Ecclesiastes 12 speaks of the master of assemblies and of his using wise (chakam) words as goads. The word “assemblies” is from the Hebrew word ‘acuppah, from the root word ‘acaph, meaning to gather. Ecclesiastes 12:11 also tells of all this being from one shepherd [goading us together]. This is the gathering spoken of above in Isaiah 11:12 as assembling (‘acaph). For those that don’t know, Ecclesiastes means the Assembled.

Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, says the preacher; all is vanity.
9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.