LEARNING DAILY

 

Ecclesiastes 10:2, The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.

 

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon has written some additional proverbs. Proverbs are considered to be writings to give the reader good advice for making decisions that God would desire for those who want to walk the narrow way into His kingdom. Some might think the proverb above is a political statement. I will leave that up to the reader.

 

In the Bible, the right hand is considered the place of honor and the left was considered inferior. For example, when Jesus ascended into heaven He sat at the right hand of God. The right is considered the place of honesty and decency while the left is off the mark of righteousness. Solomon is telling the reader that a wise person will have a tendency to move to the right, toward wisdom in the way one acts and lives his life. The Bible is clear that one who lives wisely brings honor; a man or woman of God who lives righteously and does all to walk in wisdom brings honor to God. One who knows he should live wisely but does not is foolish.

 

Matthew Henry’s Commentary states, “Those who make a profession of religion, should keep from all appearances of evil. A wise man has great advantage over the fool, who is always at a loss of what he should do. Sin is the reproach of sinners, wherever they go, and shows their folly.” Barnes Notes on the Bible states, “A wise man’s sense is in its place, ready to help and protect him; but a fool’s sense is missing when it is wanted, and so is useless.” The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary states, “The right hand is more expert than the left. The godly wise is more on his guard than the foolish sinner, though at times he slips. Better a diamond with a flaw, than a pebble without one.”

 

We need to be very careful about what we put in our heart because our lives reflect what is there. Luke 6:46, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” “One of the best ways to tell what is in a person’s heart is to observe what comes out of that person’s mouth, especially during times of stress or difficulty” (David Jeremiah). The fruit of a person’s life reveals who he is; our actions must match what is professed.

 

In the proverb above “the heart” is given to a wise person; this would be one who has given his/her life to Jesus Christ to. When that occurs, the Holy Spirit comes to change the person, to cleanse and purify their heart and to fill him/her with God’s wisdom. That wisdom includes knowing right from wrong and the power to choose the right way to live. Choosing to “incline to the right” is to walk the narrow way in wisdom, doing what God wants us to do.

 

This is in contrast to the left, those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord; they do not fear Him nor love and trust Him. In this proverb the left signifies one who neglects to fill their heart with the things of God and His righteousness. Psalm 14:1 tells us the fool has said in his heart there is no God.

I want to encourage each reader to find, to make the time to be in God’s Word today allowing it to cleanse and purify your heart! May your desire be to walk the narrow way into God’s kingdom each day. We just do not know when God will take us home or when the trumpet will sound for His faithful people to join Him in the clouds. We continue the process of walking the narrow way, where the Holy Spirit is purifying us, making us ready to enter eternal life in God’s kingdom. “We stay ready, so we don’t have to get ready!” (Dr. Ed Newton).