The `precious' ointment seems to have specific reference to that which was exclusively sacred to the Lord. The

expression occurs in 2 Kings 20:13, repeated in Isaiah 39:2 and in Psalm 133:2. In these instances it refers to the

holy anointing oil which was forbidden to the people. To this, apparently Ecclesiastes 7:1 refers. Better even than

the holiest external symbol of acceptance and of high priesthood, of kingship, or of cleansing - better even than this

is a `good name' - a good shem than a good shemen. The moral outweighs the ceremonial.

The word `name' does not occur more than three times in Ecclesiastes, and it is very evident that 7:1 is in direct

contrast with 6:10, `That which hath been the name thereof is called already, and it is known that it is ADAM'.

The very first `good thing' for any man in this vain life, whose days are numbered, whose character is a shadow,

whose end is the `one event', the very first thing consists in a change of name. The mystery of the gospel as

revealed in Romans 5:12 onwards was not clearly seen by Koheleth, but the Spirit Who inspired the book not only

knew that Adam was the concluding note of the downward progress of chapters 1 to 6, but that the `good name'

which would hereafter be placed over against Adam must be the very beginning of the quest for `that good thing'.

Christ Himself is `The second MAN and the last ADAM'.

Koheleth has guarded his conception of a good name. He cannot mean that which passes current among men,

for he has deliberately set it in contrast with the holiest external symbol known in his day. Those who have been

most entitled to the `good name' have often been covered with calumny and false charges. The apostle Paul, who

most surely of all the followers of Christ had that `good name', could write of himself that he was made `the filth of

the world and the off-scouring of all things'. Not he that commends himself, nor he that is commended by others,

but whom the Lord commendeth, is the possessor of this good name.

Those who have this good name carry with them everywhere a sweet savour of Christ. Their daily work and

conversation is an offering of a sweet smelling savour acceptable and well pleasing unto God (Phil. 4:8). What

though they never `make a name' in this Babel of a world! what though their names be cast out as evil, and blotted

out of the world's conventions! nevertheless, they have started with the first great good thing in this world of shams

and unrealities. Every virtue, every fruit of the Spirit, every following after Christ is a contribution to this good

name which is better than precious ointment.

May we take the consolation of the Scriptures fully to ourselves in these degenerate times, and rejoice in the

blessed fact that we are named with the name of Christ.

CHAPTER 6

Koheleth's Key to the Riddle -

In an earlier study we sought to show that Koheleth was justified in his pessimism by the fact that ONE EVENT

happens to all men, whether they be wise or foolish, good or bad, pious or profane, and that all go to ONE PLACE, in

short, that death and the grave have the last word in the affairs of man `under the sun'. Ecclesiastes is a black

background solemnly true. Ecclesiastes' conclusion that all labour was vanity, is enforced by the converse statement

that the believer's labour is not in vain `in the Lord'.

If the one word death represents `the sore evil' with which the writer saw the whole of man's activities blasted,

we should expect to find by the law of correspondence that life, that is resurrection life, would be `the good' which

could alone solve the riddle and justify the experiences of this life.

After having entered the arena and made his challenge, (1:1-3), the writer conducts us along the line of his first

investigation (1:4 to 2:17), and tells us that as a result he `hated life', and he `hated his labour' (2:18-26). His second

method is to consider the bearing of time, season and the age upon the affairs of men (3:1-21). His conclusion is