A GOOD NAME REFLECTS GOOD CHARACTER:

Ecclesiastes 7:1 says: “A good name is BETTER than precious ointment , and the day of death than the day of birth” (ESV).

WHAT IS KING SOLOMON SAYING IN THIS VERSE?

For starters, the two parts of the verse go together and Solomon is making the simple point that the day of death is better IF one has made a GOOD NAME for himself during life-so that his life has a continued or lasting REPUTATION and INFLUENCE. It's easy to do a singular good thing or have a good reputation for period of time, but difficult to carry that reputation over your entire lifetime into death. It's easy to finish the race, but difficult to finish the race strong. It's dififcult to achieve what Paul sayd to Timothy in 2 TImothy 4:7. "I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH" (2 Timothy 4:7). Anyone can finish the race without keeping the faith and/or with a terrible, tained reputation or name. But, it's worth keeping right with God as best we can to finish strong.

Solomon says that a good name is “BETTER THAN OINTMENT” which is PERFUME. Solomon is using “ointment” or “perfume”, which was very expensive and exclusive only to the very wealthy (in biblical times) as an illstration and a standard for comparing a good REPUTATION. OINTMENT or PERFUME was very desirable, expensive, and out of reach for most people in biblical times.

SO WHAT?

It’s the continued influence that our name carries long past our years of life on this earth and into eternity that I want to focus on today. Before we go there though, I want top point out that verse one is part of the bigger passage found in the verses one to fourteen whereby, Solomon, through a series of proverbial comparisons, offers counsel concerning wisdom and folly. Solomon shows the potency of one by pointing out and comparing their opposites i.e. folly vs. wisdom.

Back to our main point: Our name is really all we have, and a good name can be a special valued asset worth much more than all the riches of the world. If you have a good name, that name connects you with your past family ancestors and history, your present business, family and community dealings. On the contrary (opposite), bad living can derail and ultimately destroy your name/reputation and standing in your family and community. Again, righteous living will accomplish quite the opposite in that people will want to do business with you, marry into your family, and TRUST you and those with a good name. REMEMBER, birds of the same feather flock together-meaning that good people tend to affiliate with others who speak the truth, are trustworthy and who have a good name and reputation.

LASTLY, your actions, words, teachings, character, and service will bless others in this life. It is almost impossible to comprehend the number of people you will effect for the good in the name of Jesus Christ when we make a “good name” for ourselves during the few days we have on this earth. 

When I look at most of today’s politicians and business leaders, I see that they have made a strong name for themselves, but not in the good. They have impacted many millions of lives-but not for the positive, right or good in most cases. And when they breathe their last, like you and I, they too will stand before God to give an account. Their “NAME” or reputation will also instruct those who come after them as to the what not to do. The pain, hurt and loss from politicians such as Nancy Pelosi and many others on both sides of the aisle will leave them with a horrible name, reputation and legacy. 

In closing, please remember the words of God as spoken through Solomon in Ecclesiastes 7:1: “A good name is BETTER than precious ointment , and the day of death than the day of birth” (ESV).

In today’s uncertain world, we tend to have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Today, I am going to show you what king Solomon says in Ecclesiastes about sleeping well and what keeps us up at night.

Ecclesiastes 5:3 says this: “FOR A DREAM COMES WITH MUCH BUSINESS, AND A FOOL’S VOICE WITH MANY WORDS.”

What is Solomon saying exactly about our sleep and dreams. I want to back up one verse to v.2 which says, “BE NOT RASH WITH YOUR MOUTH, NOR LET YOUR HEART BE HASTY TO UTTER A WORD BEFORE GOD, FOR GOD IS IN HEAVEN AND YOU ARE ON EARTH, THEREFORE…” 

Simply put, Solomon is saying that as nighttime dreams often reveal one’s preoccupation with his work, so also excessive words in prayer may show a lack of intelligence. You see, these two verses go together. I am going backwards because I want to better illustrate the central point. Said differently, I want start with the TRUTH and then give the reasons. 

If I may, please allow me to go back two more verses to make today’s point even more complete. Verse one opens the entire chapter staunt to “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for to not know that they are doing evil”. 

The entire chapter sets the tone with Solomon stating firmly to “GUARD YOUR STEPS”, meaning for example to be careful, attentive, listen in the spirit of “OBEDIENCE” to God. Verse Two is a pivotal verse that I believe is a hinge between the first part of this passage and the second. 

Verse two says, “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your WORDS be FEW.”

In other words, (no pun intended) Solomon is saying that we are not to make a rash or ill-considered bargain with the Lord, nor twist a wish into a demanding prayer to God (under the guise of “vision” or “faith”). In other words, we are always to be thoughtful and of few words when in God’s presence. Verses 4-5 go on to take this home in regarding GIVING and KEEPING our WORD as Solomon calls making these VOWS as optional, hence if made they MUST be kept. 

SO WHAT IS THE POINT? 
The point of this passage boils down to the futility of careless worship which includes seeing God something less than the God of the universe and our heavenly Father who is all powerful, all loving, but all JUST as well. And our attitude towards God is reflected best in our worship of Him. Solomon sets forth an exhortation concerning proper worship.

As for how well we sleep, it all boils down to our mind and heart-namely how right we are with God. When our earthly work over-dominates our minds and heart, we get distracted and self-dependent on ourselves and this temporal earth instead of on God Himself as the ultimate Provider and Sustainer. God is not only over the universe, but also our lives and our work. As a result of a mis-aligned faith or obedience, we tend to become sloppy in our worship of God, making our time with him less authentic and heart felt and more mechanical.  

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly is the problem I find rampant today, even with many Christians, which is the failing to keep one's word. I have one friend inparticular who I have known for decades who has said he was going to do something numerous times, but never carried through with his word (oath). Perhaps he spoke "hastily".  I said something I to him at first but stopped saying anything to him about the matter(s) because I want to see the raw truth about this character and what kind of friend he is. I want to see if he continue to VOLUNTARILY give his word or make an “oath”. The failure to carry through with our word (oath) is a character flaw bathed in selfishness, selfish competition, and an unhealthy faith based on emotion and selfish-ambition over obedience. 

When we fail to keep our word, God convocation us. How does He do this? Through His Spirit to ours. The mind and heart convicts us when we do such a thing because God’s Word is written on our heart. Furthermore, God's Law is written on our hearts-hence, we know better. “THEY SHOW THAT THE WORK OF THE LAW IS WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS, WHILE THEIR CONSCIENCE ALSO BEARS WITNESS, AND THEIR CONFLICTING THOUGHTS ACCUSE OR EVEN EXCUSE THEM” (Romans 2:15).

IN CONCLUSION
If we want to sleep well, we need to be right with God. We need a clean conscience and heart that while not perfect, needs to be cleansed daily through reading God’s Word, prayer, confession and supplication. Furthermore, knowing that we are sinners, we must approach our worship of God rightly, and with clean hands. This includes keeping our word or “oath’s” we have made to Him and to and to others-even when it hurts or costs us something. 

This is called “obedience”. Once we begin to better do this, God makes clear that our sleep will be more relaxed, more sweet, less troubled, and more restful-even in today’s uncertain world. Yes, we tend to have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, but there is remedy, and that remedy is the God of the Bible and obedience in love in what He calls us to do, how we are to live, and how we are to properly worship Him-which entails all things we do in life. And with that, I wish you better sleep, better rest, and a better quality of life.

America has been called “The Melting Pot” for all people, cultures and countries around the world. But is multiculturalism good? More importantly, is it biblical? In this series, I am going to show you through the Scriptures that the gathering of many cultures in one place, or “multiculturalism” can be beautiful, but ONLY when under the Federal Headship of Jesus.

Britannica.com in an article by Jennifer T. Eagan, last updated July 19, 2024 defines “multiculturalism” as “the view that cultures, races, and ethnicities, particularly those of minority groups deserve special acknowledgement of their differences within dominant political culture”. 

The one big problem with this definition is the point that new comers to any culture or country somehow “deserve special acknowledgement”. This serves only to destroy the existing culture and refill that space with those of other cultures that do not deserve or have not worked for what they have been given. An example of this is the U.S. governments granting tens of thousands of dollars to migrants (non-U.S. citizens) to buy new homes with the hard earned tax money generated by citizens of that country-against the will or without the consent of it’s citizens. This is more political than it is compassionate.

I was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in the Washington D.C. area. New York City and Washington D.C. are about as multicultural as you get and I had tons of friends from countries around the world which was awesome. Growing up in these cities, the one commonality my multicultural friends and I shared were the (biblical values) of hard work, respect for one another, and the respect of my friends being in my country, as would be expected when I visit theirs. That seems to be lost in today’s world. Multiculturalism is beautiful on one hand though and destabilizing and can be disastrous on the other. 

It all boils down to a “United States” of America or “United State Countries of Europe” or any other continent that determines a countries unity, stability, functionality and so on. When you bring migrants into any country that are poor and cannot pay for themselves, you enslave the citizens of that country against their will to pay for the cost of living of the existing citizens. The result as such results in “TRIBALISM”.

TRIBALISM, according to the Mariam Webster Dictionary is: “Consciousness and loyalty especially exaltation of the tribe about other groups; strong group loyalty”. 

When I was a little boy, in New York City, the neighborhood my family lived in was mostly Italian. My grandmother would take me to the “market” (not supermarket) for fresh food and nobody spoke English, at least not to my grandmother. They all spoke her dialect of Sicilian. My other grandmother only spoke English. But both sides of the family “ASSIMILATED” into American culture, adopting American values, including working hard and not taking hand outs.

Today, we find entire ethnic groups from poor countries and not so poor countries coming to America and Europe with no desire to engage in the American or European work ethic; instead living off government provisions. Furthermore, speaking of American in-particular, many of these ethnic groups live in America, but refuse to assimilate into American culture. And here lies the issue in that it creates cultural, ethnic and religious tribalism. The same is true of Europe.

In this two part series, I want to focus on most all that matters, which is “religious” assimilation". WHY? Because if all ethnicities were to adopt the Christian religion and/or values of the Christian faith, the United States would be more “UNITED” than ever before. But there is one problem which is that every country has a central dominant, traditional religion which governs their values, mores, traditions, values and laws. When Islam’s Sharia Law is seen by its American citizen members of the Islamic faith as above the Constitution, it creates a divide among more serious issues. In the Middle East, there is NO multiculturalism. In India which means “Country or Land of the Indis”, there is very little if any multiculturalism. The same with China, Japan and most of the East among the rest of the world.

As a result, WESTERN-CHRISTIAN dominant cultures are diluted into “nothingness” while non-assimilating cultures and religions take over the Christian landscape-all in the name of “POLITICAL MULTICULTURALISM”. A major part of this equation is government control, but this is not the point of this article.

In PART 2, I am going to do more of a deep dive, looking at specific directives given by the Old Testament as to the dangers of multiculturalism and show you what that means for you and I today. The biblcal view of multiculturalism deals with many aspects of life and reality but not in an overly practical and prescriptive way. All people and cultures are part of our human heritage and equally valued by God for sure. And politicaly, teh Bible has more to say about respecting authority than it does about specific policies, Theologically though, the Bible does NOT support the idea that all cultural religous ideas are equally true or shouldbe treated as such. In the end, yes, we are all equal in God’s eyes. But God is clear that Christians and Jewish people are not to mix their religious beliefs in the name of “MULTICULTURALISM”, however attractive as that may seem. I will pick up with that point in PART2.