A GOOD NAME

IS BETTER THAN

PRECIOUS OINTMENT

By William T. Barrett

 2001

Discovering HIDDEN TREASURE

Ecclesiastes 7 :

A GOOD name is better than precious ointment ; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

QUESTIONS :

1

2

3

4

5

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Ecclesiastes 7 :

A GOOD name is better than precious ointment ; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

1. Think about the PHYSICAL :

What is the main Physical thought about ?

Think about the SPIRITUAL :

What is the main Spiritual thought about ?

4. RE-WRITE THE VERSE : Substitute the Spiritual Meaning of the Key Word back into the Bible verse and RE-WRITE it to discover what God is saying to us Spiritually !

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Ecclesiastes 7 :

A GOOD name is better than precious ointment ; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

QUESTIONS :

1 What is the Spiritual significance of “name” ?

2 Does the Bible verse really mean that a “good name” is better than “precious ointment”, or is it simply making a comparison so that we will see the value ?

3 How can it be better to “die” than to be “born” ?

4 Is the verse speaking of Physical “death” or Spiritual “death” ?

5. Is the verse speaking of Physical “birth” or Spiritual “birth” ?

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Ecclesiastes 7 :

A GOOD name is better than precious ointment ; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

QUESTIONS :

1 What is the Spiritual significance of “name” ?

A person’s Spiritual “name” represents his character.

Exodus 34 : 5 And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

2 Does the Bible verse really mean that a “good name” is better them “precious ointment”, or is it simply making a comparison so that we will see the value ?

It is making a comparison.

Song of Solomon 1 : 3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

3 How can it be better to “die” than to be “born” ?

It cannot mean Physical “death” but rather Spiritual “death”, or “dying to sin” or becoming “converted”.

4 Is the verse speaking of Physical “death” or Spiritual “death” ?

Spiritual “death”.

5 Is the verse speaking of Physical “birth” or Spiritual “birth” ?

If a contrast is meant, then it is better to Spiritually “die to sin”, than to be Physically “born” into the world. If a comparaison is meant, then the day of Spiritual death (dying to sin or CONVERSION) is like being Spiritually “born” again.

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Ecclesiastes 7 :

A GOOD name (CHARACTER) is better than precious ointment  (PERFUME - RIGHTEOUSNESS, OIL - HOLY SPIRIT) and the day of death (SPIRITUAL DEATH - CONVERSION) than the day of one’s birth. (PHYSICAL BIRTH - SPIRITUAL BIRTH).

4. RE-WRITE THE VERSE : Substitute the Spiritual Meaning of the Key Word back into the Bible verse and RE-WRITE it to discover what God is saying to us Spiritually !

PARAPHRASE

Agoodcharacter(Spiritualname) is better than Physicallysmelling good(PhysicalOINTMENT) ; and the day of ourconversion(SpiritualDEATHto sin), is better than the day we were Physicallyborn.

Agoodcharacter(Spiritualname) is like a person filled with theHoly Spirit(PRECIOUS OINTMENT or OIL) who seeks to doRighteousness(PRECIOUS OINTMENT), and the day they wereconvertedor ”diedto sin” (Spiritualdeath) was the day they experienced the ”new birth” (Spiritualbirth) and began anewRIGHTEOUSlife.

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