One of the problems we all face is the desire to be recognized for our efforts. Solomon makes two points about praise in this chapter. In verse 2, he wrote, “Don’t praise yourself; let others do it!” When I was young, we would tell others, “Don’t blow your own horn.” I haven’t heard that expression in a long time. Then in verse 21, he wrote, “a man is tested by his reaction to men’s praise.”
David, Solomon’s father, wrote in Psalm 12:1-4, “Lord! Help! Godly men are fast disappearing. Where in all the world can dependable men be found? Everyone deceives and flatters and lies. There is no sincerity left. But the Lord will not deal gently with people who act like that; He will destroy the proud liars who say, ‘We will lie to our heart’s content. Our lips are our own; who can stop us’.”
Solomon also addressed friends. “Wounds from a friend are better than kisses from an enemy! Friendly suggestions are as pleasant as perfume. Never abandon a friend – either yours or your father’s. A friendly discussion is as stimulating as the sparks that fly when iron strikes iron. A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.” (Verses 6, 9, 10, 17, and 19).
In this chapter, Solomon wrote about business ventures. In verse 1, we read, “Don’t brag about your plans for tomorrow – wait and see what happens.” In verse 12, he tells us why we shouldn’t brag, “A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them.” Then in verses 23-24, he sums up his thinking, “Riches can disappear fast. . .so watch your business interests closely.” He then relates his comments to farming, but everything here applies to any business venture.