Ecclesiastes 8:1
In the last six chapters of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon uses the words ‘wise’ and ‘wisdom’ around 35 times, which is more than twice as many times as it is found in the first six chapters. His theme is the practicality of God’s wisdom. Wisdom makes a difference in the life of the one who has it. Wisdom shows up in a person’s attitudes and decisions. Wisdom impacts what a person believes, which in turn affects how that person behaves. Solomon expresses this truth when says here in 8:1, “A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.” In other words, the wisdom of God transforms a person’s life.
The wisdom that Solomon is describing here isn’t the kind that you come up with on your own. He’s referring to godly wisdom. The one who is truly wise is changed by the wisdom of God, and even their face reflects it. The one who is in possession of God’s wisdom has a changed countenance. He’s not talking about a ‘happy face’ that is based strictly on emotion or the right set of circumstances. Rather, it is this idea that the wisdom of God makes a difference in the way that people live and look. It is something you have on the inside that is working its way out. The one who lives without God in the world often lives with a proud countenance, and sin has taken its toll. The ‘hardness’ of his face is the result of the hardness of his heart. He needs to be changed inwardly.
Only Jesus can provide this kind of change! Wisdom finds its origin with Him. The one whose face shines with wisdom, the one whose hardness of face is changed, is the one has faith in Christ. Just like the moon reflects the light of the sun, so also does the one who trusts in Jesus reflect His wisdom.
For more, read Numbers 6:24-26; Psalm 34:1-22
