“A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.” That’s the first verse of Ecclesiastes 8.

That verse stood out to me because I have been thinking about Psalm 34:5, “Those who look to him are radiant.” I associate looking at Jesus with a shining face. In Psalms we also read in chapter 104 in verse 15 that God gives oil to make man’s face shine. I would equate that oil with the Holy Spirit. So, how can wisdom make a man’s face shine?

Our God is a God of Wisdom. The Spirit is the Spirit of Wisdom. When we seek after Wisdom, we’re seeking after God and knowing God and having the Spirit in us to give us that wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. And when we are looking to God and receiving his life in us, we will shine.

“…the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way” (from verse 5).

I want to take this as a promise! Please Lord! Make my heart wise to know the right time and way of doing things. We all need this counsel from the Lord for our lives, for every part of our lives!

I want to bring in one more verse, or verses. This is Ecclesiastes chapter 8 verses 11-13. “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.”

What does this say? He says it will be well with the righteous, with those who fear God, and that it will not be well for the wicked, for those who do not fear God. But, he also says that it may seem like a sinner is getting away with a hundred sins and being allowed to continue to live in his sin. He says that the punishment for the crime doesn’t happen immediately. But, he assures at the end, that the wicked will have his life cut off.

We know that life eternal is only for the righteous, those righteous in Christ Jesus.