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A GOOD NAME IS BETTER THAN ……

A GOOD name is better than precious ointment ; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth. (Ecclesiastes 7:1 )

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 than “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 comparison 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 : 1

A GOOD name (CHARACTER) is better than precious ointment  (PERFUME ) and the day of death (SPIRITUAL DEATH or CONVERSION) than the day of one’s birth. (PHYSICAL BIRTH ).

2. Locate KEY WORDS

in the verse

(usually nouns or real things)

3. Discover their

SPIRITUAL MEANING

(by using the Concordance and Bible Word Pictures)
name
Character (Ex 34 : 5-7)

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Holy Spirit

Righteousness

ointment (precious)

Spiritual


Literally  : Perfume # 8081
day of death

Spiritual death = Conversion

(die to sin)
day of birth
Physical birth
day of Spiritual birth

Spiritual birth = Conversion

(new man - new life)

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

PARAPHRASE

 A good Character (Spiritual name) is better than Physically smelling good (Physical OINTMENT) ; and the day of our Conversion (Spiritual DEATH to sin), is better than the day we were Physically born.

 A good Character (Spiritual name) is like a person filled with the Holy Spirit (PRECIOUS OINTMENT or OIL) who seeks to do Righteousness (PRECIOUS OINTMENT), and the day they were Converted or “died to sin” (Spiritual death) was the day they experienced the “new birth” (Spiritual birth) and began a new RIGHTEOUS life.



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