Sermon transcripts of pastor Tom Nagy

Ecclesiastes

OK......so here we are.......we’ve finished the Book of James.......Larry’s leading us through the Book of Romans.  Greg has us going through the Book of Hebrews......Jim’s challenging us to walk the walk of the New Testament.......and Vaughn is continuing his journey through the Book of John.  The men’s Friday morning study is going through the Gospel of Luke and the women’s Wednesday night study is in the Book of First Corinthians.  The Monday night study is going through the Book of First Peter......and I’m sure there are some other studies going that I’ve forgotten......but they all seemed to have one thing in common.......they’re all studying the New Testament.  And I think that’s good......but we don’t want to leave the Old Testament behind......so this morning we’re going to embark on a study from one of what are called the “Wisdom Books”.......and we’re going to go into the Book of Ecclesiastes.

How many of you have seen the movie "City Slickers"?  If you recall.....Billy Crystal plays the part of a man who’s going through mid-life crisis. He’s passed the summit of a lackluster career.......his work is no longer satisfying. He realizes that his vacations have been a vain attempt to retain his youth.........and he notices that there’re hairs beginning to grow out of his ears.

One day he’s asked to address his son's fourth grade class as part of a job learning program. He stumbles about for a while and finally.....watch what he says to the kids.......@ "Value this time in your life, kids. This is the time in your life when you have choices. It goes by so fast. When you are a teenager, you think that you can do anything, and you do. Your twenties are a blur. In your thirties you make a little money, raise a family, and wonder, ‘What happened to my twenties?' In your forties, you grow a pot belly and another chin. The music starts to get too loud and one of your old girlfriends becomes a grandmother. In your fifties, you have a minor surgery - you call it a ‘procedure.' In your sixties, you have a major surgery and the music is still loud but that doesn't matter because you can no longer hear it. In your seventies, you and the wife move to Florida and you start having dinner at 2 in the afternoon, lunch at 10 in the morning, and breakfast the night before. You spend most of your time wandering around malls looking for the ultimate low-fat yogurt and muttering, ‘How come the kids don't call?' In your eighties you have a major stroke and end up babbling to a Jamaican nurse whom your wife can't stand, but who you end up calling, ‘Momma.'"

This is the kind of empty and futile existence that we see displayed in the book of Ecclesiastes. The theme is introduced in the first three verses of the book.......and then explained throughout.  And it’s not just a few people who feel it.......the vast majority of the population of America feels this way!

@Ecclesiastes is one of the favorite books of the Bible for skeptics...... scoffers....... atheists and certain cults that are out there. The reason for that is that there are certain passages in this book which seem to deny that there’s life after death.......that seem to imply that it’s all over when this life ends........that nothing follows what we do here on earth.  It’s kinda like....... “what if the hokey-pokey is really what it’s all about”!!!!  Atheists love to contend that the book of Ecclesiastes seems to confirm that view. That’s why they frequently quote from it. Hedonists love this book too because it apparently endorses that kind of lifestyle. Those who pursue pleasure as the chief aim of life.......and let’s face it........there’s a lot of people in this country today that prescribe to that philosophy........but those people love the book because again and again throughout it we’re exhorted to an "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we must die" philosophy. 

The main question asked in this book is........What’s life all about?  And one thing I really appreciate about Scripture is that it’s not afraid to address the hard issues.....not afraid to ask the tough questions.  And that’s exactly what this particular book does. It asks why should I try to be good? Does it really even matter?  After all........sometimes things go better for me when I don't try to serve God. So why bother? 

The people in our generation are asking these same tough questions........the same questions that seemed to haunt the writer of Ecclesiastes are being asked today.   This book ought to be studied by every Christian in order to know what the answers to the tough questions are.......and ultimately......this book is able to get to those answers......and they’re all found in the living God.

Francis Schaeffer said that if he had an hour to talk to someone about Jesus Christ.......he’d spend the first 45 minutes talking about how there are no answers. He’d teach about the hopelessness of man........and only then would he share Jesus as the answer. And that’s just what the book of Ecclesiastes does.

One thing we need to note right from the beginning is that this book is an examination of secular wisdom and knowledge. The book clearly states at the outset that it is limiting itself to that which is apparent to the natural mind. One of the key phrases of the book is the continual repetition of the words, "under the sun.".......and we’ve got to understand right off that that’s the limitation put upon this book.

Ecclesiastes is a collection of what man is able to discern UNDER THE SUN.......in the visible world. The book doesn’t take into consideration revelation that comes from beyond man's powers of observation and reason. It’s an inspired and accurate book. It guarantees that what it reports is what people actually believe.......and it’s an examination of those beliefs. The book is not merely a collection of ancient philosophy.......because we see right away that what it talks about is very much up-to-date and extremely relevant. Here’s what you’ll hear put forward in soap operas.......in political speeches.......in the radical or conservative movements of our day. It’s what you’ll hear in the halls of our schools......or on the streets of any city. In this book the philosophies by which people attempt to live life are brought into consideration and examined. That’s why Ecclesiastes is so practical and up-to-date.

Let’s go ahead and assign some verses to read before we get started....... @

The focus of this book is to show that nothing in this life will satisfy the needs of man's heart. Only the enjoyment and the service of God will bring lasting happiness. It teaches us that the wisdom of the world doesn’t bring true knowledge. Our wisdom is founded in Christ. The Gospel is the wisdom and the power of God. The ultimate answers to the questions which Ecclesiastes raises are found in the person of Jesus Christ.  Interestingly enough......it’s the exact thing that the New Testament teaches.  

Who’s got 1 Corinthians 1:20............. “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” 

This is the same message that Ecclesiastes brings. 

A couple more introductory items before we get into the text.  In the Hebrew Bible........the book is called "Qoheleth" (Koheleth) which means "preacher"......or “assembler”.......the one who calls an assembly together........or it could even mean "the one who gathers, assembles, or collects things." And that could also be a very fitting title for the author of this book........because he has examined and then collected together the philosophies by which men live. One other meaning could be “the Searcher”........one who looked over all of life and saw what’s behind the actions of people.  Whatever the ultimate meaning of the word “KO-HE-LETH”.....whether it be PREACHER, ASSEMBLER or SEARCHER.......this is the term the author refers to himself as.

As far as who the author is........WHO IS IT?  .......AND WHY DO WE THINK THAT?  Certainly a number of factors seem to point to King Solomon......and a lot of that we’ll see as we get into the passages

a. The author identifies himself as "the son of David, king in Jerusalem" (1:1; see also 1:12).

b. His wisdom.

He describes himself in Ecclesiastes 1:16.  Where do we get the idea that Solomon was wise?  1 Kings 3:12  “......behold, I have done according to your words Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.”

c. His building activities.

He tells of his building houses, planting vineyards, making garden and parks and irrigating an entire forest.  1 Kings 7:1-12   Now Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.”   And that’s just HIS house......he built the temple and other building throughout the book of 1 Kings.

d. His wealth.

He relates to the greatness of his wealth, stating twice that it was more than all who preceded him in Jerusalem (Ecclesiastes 2:7; 2:9). I Kings 10:23  “So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.”

Assuming that Solomon is indeed the author.......the book would have been written around 945 B.C. ......which would have been later in Solomon's life.......after he had, in fact, experienced “everything under the sun”.

Now I’ll tell you straight up that this book is beyond my personal abilities.....I’m not a Hebrew scholar.......I’m not going to try to give you the linguistics of each verse and tell you how it relates poetically to other verses.  We’re going to approach this study in a very practical way......on its face, what does it say......and how does it apply to me?  We’re also going to use a little different format than we did with the Book of James.  Then, I sorta lectured......or taught what the book said to me.  This time around we’re going to approach the Book of Ecclesiastes in a Bible study format.  I’ll ask questions and each one of us is going to have to mine the answers out for ourselves.  We’ll discuss this book rather than lecture on it......with me moderating the discussion and then trying to bring it back to its practical application.  That’s what we’re going to TRY to do.  How successful that will be......in a large part is going to depend on how much participation we have.  So......here goes.........

The first three verses pretty much introduce the theme of the book......who’s got those?  Eccles. 1:1-3...... 1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." 3What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?

So......what’s the very first thing we learn? That the writer is, "the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem."   And I think we’ve confirmed that this is Solomon. 

And the second thing?  EVERYTHING is VANITY.  

Let me ask you......how many of you have dreamed of winning the lottery?  If not the lottery......you’ve thought about what you’d do if you won a million dollars?  Or Bill Gates just decided that you were a great guy and just gave you all of his money......What would you do?  GET ANSWERS FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE.

Do you think it would make you happy?

After the wisest and wealthiest man that ever lived has tried everything......experimented with all of life.....he comes to this most depressing conclusion........EVERYTHING IS VANITY.  And this is pretty much the motto of the entire book.  What does this mean?  

The Hebrew word that is translated VANITY is the word "hevel".......which means literally vapor or breath.  This word hevel is used in several other passages in the Old Testament in frequent connection with things that are very temporary.  A vapor.......A breath..........A wind.........A shadow........A fleeting fantasy.........Something that is passing..........Something with no solid purpose or profit.  Especially something that will not last.  And this is very important for us to see if we’re to get the point of the book.  Everything around us seems so solid........so forever........but it’s not.  The only thing that’s rock solid is God’s eternity......all the rest of it is a fleeting shadow.....everything else is subject to the judgment of an eternal God.......it’s VANITY.  And in searching everything out.......Solomon comes to the conclusion that this life is nothing but emptiness and futility apart from God.

Nothing in itself will satisfy. No thing.......no pleasure.......no relationship........nothing he found had enduring value in life. The real title to this book should be "The Things That Won't Work." Everybody’s trying to make them work.......everybody has seized on one or another of these philosophies.......these views of life, and tries to make it satisfy him. But according to the Preacher.......who has gone through it all........nothing will work.  He’s declaring that there is nothing more empty than life.......apart from God.  So after he’s gotten our attention by telling us who he is and the fact that everything is vanity......in verse 3 he asks the question that will be answered in the course of his dissertation.  “What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?”  What is the profit of it to him? And it’s an interesting Hebrew word that means "that which is left over." After he’s sucked dry all the delight.......joy........pleasure out of something........what’s left over........what endures.........what’s going to satisfy? And really.......it’s the question we’re all asking...... and it’s the question that the rest of this book attempts to answer.  And he really begins to amplify this a little with the rest of the chapter.  In the following verses he gives us a brief introduction to exactly what he means.  

Who’s got Ecclesiastes 1:4-7?   4 “A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.  5Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again.  6Blowing toward the south,  Then turning toward the north  The wind continues swirling along;  And on its circular courses the wind returns.  7All the rivers flow into the sea,  Yet the sea is not full.  To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.”

So......let’s start with verse 4.....what does it tell us?  GET ANSWERS.....

Right.......if life is only viewed from our earthly perspective.......we really don't make much of a difference. You’re born in one hospital and you die in another hospital.....and in between you try to stay out of any hospitals. But eventually you die.......and the earth stays. Humanity is transient.......but nature is permanent. 

And then in verses 5-7 he gives us proof of what he just said......and what’s the first proof he offers?  The sun rises and sets and then races around the world to rise again.  That’s been going on as long as time has been counted.......as far back as we can read in human history. It’s endless........it repeats itself again and again.

Then what’s the second proof in nature?  The winds.  He talks about the fact that the wind......the clouds and the jet streams of earth run in circles. It’s interesting to me that there doesn’t seem to be any indication that science was aware of the circular patterns of the wind.  It’s certainly evident to us in our day because we can see from a satellite picture.......in any news broadcast the great circles of the winds. How they knew this back then I do not know.........but Solomon knew it.

Then.....what’s his third proof? is the circuit of the evaporative cycle.  Water from the ocean is evaporated and carried over the mountains where it condenses in the cool air and rains on the mountains and flows down in rivers into the ocean where it is again evaporated in an unending cycle.

In each of these areas.......there is an unending "sameness." But YOU’re not the same.......because you’re here today and gone tomorrow. And when you’re dead and buried.........the sun will continue to rise and set and the winds will continue to blow and the rains will continue to fall and they won’t even notice that you’re gone.

The writer is suggesting that there is something wrong in this. It is backwards, somehow. Man ought to be permanent and nature ought to be transient.  We feel violated that we learn all these great lessons from life......but just as we’ve begun to learn how to handle life.........IT’S OVER.......and the next generation has to start from scratch again.  And that’s the flow of this book......that’s what he’s going to continue to develop.

Verses 8-11 describe the sense of futility that every person individually feels as he faces life.........8All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it.  The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.   9That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done.  So there is nothing new under the sun.  10Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new"? Already it has existed for ages  Which were before us. 11There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur,  There will be for them no remembrance  Among those who will come later still.

OK...... Now the preacher takes all of the unending cycle of nature and applies it to man's experience.......verse 8.......what’s he saying?   ?????  Taken as a whole....He’s observed that there’s an inherent restlessness in everything. In fact......it’s so widespread nobody can possibly describe all the restlessness of life.  He’s basically saying, “Man, I’m sick of this......I’m never satisfied.......I always want more......I’m restless!” 

What’s the last good movie you saw?  Are you going to go to the movies again?  Why?  Not satisfied?  It’s never enough. It never satisfies.......ultimately you want MORE.  

Gretchen.......is there any place you’d like to see?  Any place you’d like to go to?  SAN FRANCISCO.  You’ve lived 80+ years.......and you still haven’t seen enough!

Think about when you hear a new song......and you tell your friend about it......what’s the first thing they say?  “Wow.......I’d like to hear that song.”

That’s why news programs are always popular. Television, radio and newspapers all cater to this hunger of the ear to hear something.......the eye to see something. Some juicy gossip about a Hollywood star will sell thousands of magazines and newspapers. The Preacher's argument is that the eye and the ear never tire because human desire is never satisfied.........it’s a consequence of the restlessness that’s built into life.

And then verse 9 is a bit confounding isn’t it?  We want to see something new.......we want to hear something new.......but what’s his assessment of our chances of that happening?  WHY?  Because there’s nothing new under the sun.  Life’s just a rehash of what’s been before.........it’s the old played over and over again. That’s his argument. This too is a result of the restlessness that is built into life. 

Do we buy that?  Are there new things?  ANSWERS   

Think of it this way.  Who was Christopher Columbus?  What was so special about what he did......was it dangerous......adventurous?  

Who were Lewis and Clark?  Any difference?

Who was Neil Armstrong?  Any difference?  Same thing.......different place.....different time.

So the question is raised........"Is this all life is about?" Is it merely an empty pursuit of those things that never satisfy? Can’t we find anything that will continually meet the hunger of man's heart.......to give an unending sense of delight, satisfaction and joy?  That’s the search that Solomon has embarked on in this book.  

But before he takes us into the details of this search.......which begins in Chapter 2........he gives us a word as to his qualifications in Verses 12-18. These fall into two divisions......the first being his position in life in verses 12 thru 15.......and second he speaks of the diligence of his search in verses 16 thru 18.  Go ahead and verses 12-15:  12I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.  13And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.  14I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.  15What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. 

Let’s face it.......Solomon's position gave him unusual opportunity. He was a king........the highest authority in the land........no one would challenge what he did. And he was a king in a time of peace. He had no expenditures for his great wealth......he had nothing but time to seek out the answers to his questions.  And his ultimate answer is very honest.......fairly depressing.......but honest none-the-less.  "It’s a pretty unhappy business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with." The very nature of fallen man is that they cannot be satisfied here on this earth.......short of following God.....and again he states his premise here........ “all is vanity”. 

OK.......a little task for you here.  You are King of the world......the whole world.  Every person is subject to you......or you could be Queen of the world.......anyway.....you have say over everything.  What would you do?  What do you see wrong that you would change?  ANSWERS

Do you honestly think you could do that?  CRIMINALS, DISITENTS, SLUGGARDS, ETC.

We all see things wrong with our country......with our world.  Do you see his observation in verse 15?  This guy had all the power in the world and he couldn’t fix things.  There are crooked things that cannot be straightened.......here “under the sun”.  There are so many things that we are lacking that they cannot be counted.  This fallen world is messed up......and if you’re looking for absolute peace and contentment in this world......without God.......Solomon can assure you that it just isn’t out there.

Then he speaks of his diligence......go ahead and read verses 16-18......   16I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge."  17And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.  18Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain. 

He tells us that was a really wise man........humble of course......but really wise..... and “he set his mind”.......he purposed to know what wisdom consisted of.....what madness was.......what folly was.  And it kinda gives us a clue as to when the book was written.  Because it almost had to have been done in the latter years of the reign of Solomon.........after he had had ample opportunity to investigate all the areas of life.  This isn’t an angry young man speaking.........instead, these are the words of a man who’s been through it all and is sharing with us what he found in his search.  And the more wisdom he obtained.....the more knowledge he had......the more he knew how much he didn’t know.  That’s why he concludes the chapter with the observation that he was very frustrated with all he didn’t know.......it was grief and increasing pain to him.

So......does he find the answer.......does he find the key to life that makes everything treasure and joy?  Yes.......he did.  But he’s going to take us through that search in the following chapters......and then allow us in on his conclusion.

Did he find an answer? Did he find that key to life that makes everything yield up its treasure of joy? The answer to that is, Yes, he did, and he tells us the answer in this book. 

ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 2

OK......the last time we met we began our study in the book of Ecclesiastes.....and we made a brief introduction of the book.........who wrote it......where it was headed.......and then went through chapter 1.  And by way of review......we saw that the theme of the book is introduced in the first three verses.......and then that main theme is explained throughout the rest of the book.  Who can summarize what the main theme of the book of Ecclesiastes is?  “EVERYTHING IS VANITY WHICH MAN DOES UNDER THE SUN”.  

Ecclesiastes is a collection of what man is able to discern UNDER THE SUN.......in the visible world. The book doesn’t take into consideration revelation that comes from beyond man's powers of observation and reason. It’s an inspired and accurate book. It guarantees that what it reports is what people actually believe.......and it’s an examination of those beliefs. The book is not merely a collection of ancient philosophy.......because we see right away that what it talks about is very much up-to-date and extremely relevant. Here’s what you’ll hear in the halls of our schools......or on the streets of any city. In this book the philosophies by which people attempt to live life are brought into consideration and examined. That’s why Ecclesiastes is so practical and up-to-date.

Whether we know it or not.......all of us are engaged in a quest for something that will meet the needs of our heart. We’re all looking for the secret to finding enjoyment......happiness......delight......anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstances. What we’re looking for is the secret to contentment. That’s probably the greatest blessing in life.

That’s what King Solomon was looking for........and in the book of Ecclesiastes he describes his search. In Chapter 1 of the book we’re introduced to Solomon and we learned of his qualifications for this search. He was very rich.......he was an astute observer of human life.......and he had plenty of time and money. We learned from him that there is nothing in and of itself that can make us content. No thing......no possession.......no relationship will endure to continually give us contentment and delight.

And really......the nagging question here is........What’s life all about?  And one thing I really appreciate about Scripture is that it’s not afraid to address the hard issues.....not afraid to ask the tough questions.  And that’s exactly what this particular book does. It asks why should I try to be good? Does it really even matter?  After all........sometimes things go better for me when I don't try to serve God. So why bother? 

This isn’t some dusty old book about an ancient king......it’s what people are talking about today......and one of the most valuable benefits of the study of Ecclesiastes is that it gives each of us an opportunity to talk to our neighbors......friends.......co-workers....fellow students......whoever we happen to come across......who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ......it gives us an opportunity to talk to them about what’s on their minds......what they’re seeking in life.  And the cool thing about Scripture is that it gives us the ability to address people’s questions using real people’s lives for an illustration.  What Solomon is writing about here really happened to a real person......we can really relate to it because it’s the same thing that’s happening to most people.

So.......think about this while we’re going through this study.  When people comment to you.......or even seek out your help when they’re frustrated with the world and their position in it.......you can talk to them about the search that the wisest and wealthiest man who ever lived embarked on.......and just what he found.

So......let’s jump into the second chapter and see where it takes us.  But first.....as an introduction to where we’re going.......let me ask a few questions of you.  Now give this some thought......but not a lot of though, ‘cause we’re kinda pressed for time here..... What is your favorite thing to do in the whole world?......what do you enjoy doing so much that you’d love to do it every day?  DISNEYLAND, STATE FAIR, CAMPING, HORSEBACK RIDING, ETC.  (Ask JM about State Fair)

In Chapter 2 we’re introduced to the record of what Solomon found in this search......and the proof of his claims that all is vanity.  In the first three verses Solomon examines what I suspect is the number one way that mankind, through the years has sought to find contentment.......enjoyment and delight in life. The first way.......the one that is most popular today and always has been........is what philosophers call hedonism..........the pursuit of pleasure. All of us instinctively feel that if we can just have fun we’ll find happiness. That’s what Solomon takes up first to see whether or not that’s true.  He starts with what we can well call the experience of fun and games. Verses 1-3:

1I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.  2I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"  3I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

So......there he is........Solomon makes a conscious decision to invest in the pleasures of life. That’s pretty much the slogan of today's lifestyle........"If it feels good, do it!" That’s certainly the message given in our advertisements and in our commercials today. You only go around once.........grab for the gusto........eat, drink and be merry! The technical term for this is HEDONISM.

Solomon tried pleasure. He tried comedians. He tried laughter. And he even livened it up with the best of wines. He ate and he drank and he tried to be merry. He was an ancient man........with a modern lifestyle. But it was all to no avail. Because the problem is that sensual pleasure can be enjoyable for a time.......but it lacks staying power.  After awhile.......the fun fades......the limelight loses its luster and the amusements just aren't as amusing as they used to be. 

Who remembers the motto of the sixties? ? ? ? ?  SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK AND ROLL.......if I recall correctly.  What more could a person ask for?  The young generation of that time immersed itself in pure self-indulgence.  If a little’s good.....then a lots better!  Let’s face it......it didn’t last.  If that life-style had been satisfying......we’d all be wearing tie-dyed t-shirts and saying “Wow man......groovy!” today.  But true of any kind of physical pleasure.......it just doesn’t last. We continue to strive for more and more because the thrill gradually wears off. Eventually......the jazz just ain’t there no more.

Let me ask a couple of questions here......maybe a couple different people can give me their answers.  It’s probably a little close to Christmas to ask this......but before Christmas this year......what present did you want more than anything else for Christmas?  Did you get it?  What was your favorite present this year?  Maybe go with last years presents????  (bosal.....large board fighting game???)  They just don’t last do they.  You thought it was going to be wonderful......and it was for a brief period.....but it went away.  Solomon had everything......he tried everything.....and nothing was satisfying.

Have you ever asked yourself, “What can I do that will make me happy all of my life?” That was Solomon's question.  Solomon.....with all his riches......gave himself completely over to the pursuit of pleasure. He spent weeks and months, even years, in this search. ......and he gives us details of what he experienced. Think about what life in the palace must have been like while Solomon pursued his search for pleasure. Every night they had stand-up comics.......fantastic meals with wine flowing like water. Las Vegas was never like this! And you talk about a consumer’s mentality.......you may be interested to know what just one day's menu consisted of during this time. First Kings records what King Solomon required for one day to feed his entourage in the royal palace:

1 Kings 4:22-23 -  22Solomon's provision for one day was thirty kors [a kor is about ten bushels] of fine flour and sixty kors of meal,  23ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen, a hundred sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.

That was the menu for just one day. It has been estimated that that would feed around fifteen thousand people.  It apparently takes a lot of company to search for pleasure......and with all of this he found nothing.  So he goes about it at a different angle.  If STUFF can’t satisfy......maybe I can find enjoyment and fulfillment in my work.  Who’s got verses 4-6?   Ecclesiastes 2:4-6......4I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself;  5I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;  6I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.   

Here’s another form of pleasure......throwing yourself into your work.....building stuff that you’ll be remembered by.  Solomon gave himself totally over to this. His own house took fourteen years to build......it only took him seven years to build the temple. He built houses for his many wives.......he planted vast forests which he watered from gigantic pools in an effort to find satisfaction for his own heart.

Do we get caught up in that sort of activity in our culture today?  I don’t want to put anybody on the spot here.......but think about just one aspect of this.  What was the size of the house you grew up in?  What’s the size of the house you live in now?  And we see these huge houses being built that could house several families......but only two people live there.  In our culture we’ve caught the “more is better” disease......big time!

How many people do you know today......in fact......how many people here this morning are defined by their work.  We tend to do that in our culture.  Meet someone and one of the first questions that people ask you is what?  What do you do?  My response to that question is, “I breathe.”  Because that’s actually what I do more than any other activity that I’m involved in during the day.  But we’re defined by our work aren’t we.  There’s a serious danger in getting too wrapped up in our work.

Solomon next goes on to a summary of things which today we could only call "the good life." Verses 7-8: Ecclesiastes 2:7-8.......7I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.  8Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men--many concubines.  

OK......I’m goin’ out on a limb here......but I’m guessing that thee is no one here this morning that has ever bought and sold male and female slaves......but only because our culture doesn’t allow it.....otherwise we would.  We do however join country clubs and social organizations where they take our coat for us and have waiters and serve us like kings.

And how about collecting for ourselves silver and gold and treasures?  Wow..... our society is fixated on this particular past time.  And we worry about our investments and our 401K’s.  The richest guy in the world is telling us that it just doesn’t matter.....it amounts to nothing.  There’s no security in these things.

And we think our society is going down the tubes because every commercial on TV tells men they need to have beautiful women around them......and women can lure the best looking men with certain products.  Solomon acquired the most beautiful women in his kingdom......was surrounded by them constantly. This certainly shows how wrong the idea is that the Playboy mentality is peculiar to the twenty first century alone. King Solomon tried all of this.  What did he find? Here are his honest conclusions in verses 9-11: Eccl 2:9-11..........9Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.  10All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.  11Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun. 

This is about as honest a summary of Solomon’s life as can be made.  He says there were some positive things........... First, he gained a degree of notoriety. He became great.........surpassing all who went before him in Jerusalem. Many people think that fame will satisfy the emptiness of the heart. Solomon found fame.......and even after h found fame he adds that he kept his objectivity. "My wisdom remained with me," he says. In other words, "I was able to assess this as I went along. I didn’t lose myself in this wild search for pleasure. I was able to look at myself and evaluate it as I was going. But I tried everything. I didn’t miss anything........and I even enjoyed it for a while," he says. "I found pleasure in all my toil........but that was all the reward I got for my labor ........momentary enjoyment. Each time I repeated it I got a little less enjoyment out of it." 

Even though he had it all.......and knew it all.......and built it all......Solomon concluded that it was ultimately meaningless.

It isn't that you can’t accomplish things........It’s that once you accomplish them........they provide no lasting fulfillment. Alexander the Great conquered the entire known world before he was 30 years old.......and then wept that there were no more worlds to conquer.

"My conclusion," Solomon says, "is that it wasn’t worth it. Like a candle......it all burned away........leaving me jaded and calloused. Nothing could excite me after that."  He concludes that it was all emptiness.......a striving after wind. He was burned out.

Let’s move on to verses 12-17........ 12So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?  13And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.  14The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.  15Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity."  16For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten And how the wise man and the fool alike die!  17So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind. 

In case you hadn't already noticed, Ecclesiastes uses the term "wisdom" and "wise" in a way that is different from the way in which it is used in Proverbs.  Who’s got Proverbs 9:10?  The fear of the Lord is the beginning and foundation of wisdom.  

In Proverbs......wisdom is equated with godliness.......in Ecclesiastes only secular wisdom is in view.  Ecclesiastes isn’t talking about God's wisdom. This is wisdom "under the sun."This is the wisdom of the world.........the wisdom of Newton and Plato and Aristotle and Thoreau.

Solomon had made it his life's ambition to be WISE. He reasoned that it is better to be wise than to be a fool. A wise man looks to see where he is going while a fool is blinded by his foolishness.

So......he asks himself.......Is it better to be wise of foolish? Is it better to be known as a serious intellectual or as a fun-loving party animal? Is it better to go through life with your head in a book.......or with your head in a buzz?

The short term answer is obvious. The person who seeks after wisdom lives in a world where the lights have been turned on.......where "light excels darkness." Only a fool operates in a dark room.  But in the final analysis......they both end up in the same place.......the grave.  

Solomon realized that the same thing happens to the wise man that happens to the fool. It doesn't matter if you have an I.Q. of 60 or 160. In each case, you are born and you live and then you die. The fool doesn't live any longer than the wise man.......and neither one of them escapes death.

And when you die.......you’re quickly forgotten. In verse 16 he says, “For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool.......”.  Is this true?  After my dad died we were going through several boxes of old photos.  My dad was a photographer back in the 30’s and 40’s.......and he took a lot of photos at family functions.  There were pictures of all of his relatives......aunts, uncles, cousins.  I didn’t know any of them.  I asked my sister who some of these people were.......because she was more in tune with family things than I was.  She didn’t know either.  This is one generation removed from these people.....who had dreams and accomplishments and joys and sorrows.......and built stuff and made money and loved and laughed.......and nobody knew them.  Heck......I didn’t even know if they were wise or fools!

Solomon started this passage in verse 12 by making it clear that no one can challenge or contest his judgment in this area because no one could exceed his resources........the people who follow him can’t do any more than he had done in his search for contentment.  People who follow him......at the very best......can only repeat what he himself has done.  

And he concludes this section by showing that his disillusionment turned to bitterness. He "hated life" verse 17 tells us. He found himself hating all of his accomplishments. They mocked him because he realized they wouldn’t last........there was nothing he had done that amounted to anything.

Go to Israel today and visit Jerusalem. Where is Solomon's Temple? Where are the magnificent palaces? Where are the rich stables?  He was right.......It’s all been destroyed. 

Let’s go ahead and look at verses 18-23 and look at how devastating this bitterness became.......

 18Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.  19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun This too is vanity.  20Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.  21When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.  22For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?  23Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.  

And as Solomon writes this he realizes that, no matter what he has collected or built or accomplished........he’ll have to leave it all behind when he dies. But that’s not the worst of it. To make matters worse......you don’t really know if the person to whom you leave all of your inheritance will be deserving of that inheritance.

It doesn't matter that you’ve acted wisely in whatever you’ve built and in whatever you’ve invested your time and effort and finances. There’s no guarantee that the person to whom you leave it will act wise.........or whether he’ll squander it.

And......in fact........ Solomon spent 40 years building a united kingdom of Israel and making it into the premier nation of the world.........and it took his son, Rehoboam, only a few months to tear the nation apart. At Solomon's death.......Rehoboam met with the elders of Israel and acted so badly that 10 of the tribes of Israel seceded from the union.

But that’s not all.........a few years later.......Egypt will invade Rehoboam's weakened kingdom and he will attempt to bribe the Egyptians by stripping off the gold from the Temple that Solomon had built.

As a result of looking at his accomplishments......and where it was all headed.......Solomon says that he came to hate the fruit of his labor......and there’s a real lesson here for us. The fruit of your labor is guaranteed not to endure. The only thing that will last is the fruit of the Spirit.  So the questions each one of us needs to ask ourselves are things like, “From where am I seeking fruit?”  “What am I sowing?”  If you only look at life "under the sun" then the only fruit you will enjoy will be the fruit of your own labor. Solomon has shown what will happen to such fruit. It just gets passed on to someone else who isn’t going to take care of it and will probably use it foolishly.  But even if it’s passed on to a wise man.......it won’t last.  It’s only the fruit of the Spirit that’s going to endure.

In verse 23 Solomon sums up just exactly what the price is for worldly success ....... Pain.......grief......stress.......frustration, and sleepless nights. We spend our resources, and for what? Only to be taken out in the end by death. Our “memorials” of work and wisdom.....somebody else ends up with them.  , once inscribed with our name, end up erased by death and newly inscribed with the name of someone else! Now that’s “meaningless!”

OK.......let’s finish up with verses 24-26........24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.  25For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?  26For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God's sight This too is vanity and striving after wind.

Verses 24-25 are the key to understanding the chapter......because they offer an alternative look at all our work and wisdom. There’s almost one of those “Aha!” moments here for Solomon.  Life with all its pleasures, work, and immanent death only has meaning when we see God in control. God determines our lot in life. His decisions are final. Until we get this......we can never truly enjoy life as we live it.  And what Solomon discovers here is a New Testament concept.........1 Timothy 6:17 tells us...... “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”  

Solomon has a few of these bright moments of perception where he comes to conclusions that each of us should hold to.  This is the first of 7 times in this book that Solomon reaches the right conclusion.  Without God there is nothing.......with God there is satisfaction.  The fact is that God is in control and He alone is the giver of good things.  Everything else that we clutter our lives up with really is meaningless.  Let’s face it......If a man who had everything there was to have in this world still came back with emptiness.......then real fulfillment must lie in a different place.  Most people have their focus so riveted to the here and now.......they completely ignore any other dimension......and this leads to emptiness and frustration every time.

Those who truly desire to please God will have wisdom, knowledge and joy..... those who don’t are going to find themselves striving after those very things......and missing out on everything.  

Enjoyment is a gift of God. There is nothing in possessions.......in material goods........in money.........there is nothing in man himself that can enable him to keep enjoying the things he does. But it is possible to have enjoyment all your life if you take it from the hand of God. It’s given to those who please God. When you place God first in your life and serve Him with all that you do, only then do you find true and lasting satisfaction. 

This book.......in fact, the whole Bible........teaches us that God wants us to have joy. He gave us life that we might have joy. That verse we just read in I Timothy tells us that, "He gives us richly all things to enjoy." It’s God's desire and intent that all the good things of life that are mentioned here should contribute to the enjoyment of man.......but only if you understand that enjoyment doesn’t come from things or from people. It’s an added gift of God, and only those who please God can find it.

All the objections that can be raised against this are going to be examined and tested in the remainder of the book.

We’re about to enter a New Year.....and it’s usually a time that we resolve to change certain things in our lives.......we make resolutions that something is going to be better because of our efforts.  This may be a perfect time for us to examine our lives when it comes to our perspective on material things.......our perspective on how important the work we do is.......how important ceasing to strive after the things of the world has become.......and focus instead on acquiring true satisfaction.....given by God to those who truly seek Him.

ECCLESIASTES

Chapter 3

OK......here we are.....back in the book of Ecclesiastes.....and this morning we’ll be getting into chapter 3 of the book......probably one of the most familiar chapters of not only this book.....but possibly of the whole Bible.  And we’ll discuss this chapter’s popularity in a minute here.....but first.....let’s look at where we’ve come thus far in our study so that we can take this chapter in context of the entire journey.

Chapter one introduced us to the author of the book......King Solomon....the son of David......and we know from Scripture that God gave Solomon wisdom beyond what any man would have.......and he was also the wealthiest man in the world.  And Solomon embarks on a journey to find real happiness......true contentment in life.  And the main question that is asked really amounts to, “What’s life all about?  What is the purpose for living?”

And that’s the quest of the author of this book.  He records for us the results of the greatest experiment ever performed in the history of mankind to test the various approaches to success, enjoyment or contentment in life.......and it’s all recorded in this 3,000 year old book.

We also want to make certain we understand that the findings of this experiment are limited to that which can be seen “under the sun”.......that’s a term that Solomon uses throughout the book and it confines the results of this search of his to those things that can be determined through observation of the visible world.......not on a spiritual plane.  So.....when he concludes that “all is vanity”.......he isn’t talking about the spiritual world......only the physical world.

And one of the most important things to gain from this study of Ecclesiastes is that if we understand the journey that Solomon was on for so many years of his life......seeking lasting pleasure and contentment......that’s the same journey that nearly every human being on earth is currently on.  The same questions that our friends and co-workers and fellow students are asking are the questions that Solomon sought the answers for 3,000 years ago.  And it gives us the opportunity to talk to them about what’s on their minds.....what they’re seeking in life......and to be confident in the answers that this book gives us.....because no one else who has ever lived has had more resources to pursue this quest than what Solomon had.......so if anyone could come up with the right answers....it was him.

And chapter 2 describes the direction of much of his search......he tried partying......spending money.....buying all the toys.....and that didn’t give any kind of lasting peace or contentment.  He tried burying himself in his work......in labor and being productive......and that didn’t have any lasting effect.  Wow....this sounds like exactly the kind of things we do......and our ultimate end will be the same......the joy just will not last......we’ll keep seeking something more.

 And that brings us to the third chapter......and the ultimate findings of Solomon can somewhat be seen in this chapter.  It’s here that he’s going to show us that his writings aren’t some pessimistic ramblings of an old man......but instead he reaches conclusions here that are far from pessimistic.

Those of us who grew up in the sixties......or are really into “oldies” can remember the song “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the popular folk-rock group, The Byrds. The words, adapted by Pete Seeger come directly from chapter three of the Book of Ecclesiastes.  And though the words could be construed as a from of fatalistic resignation......or maybe some sort of over-simplification of life......at the time the song was made popular it seemed somewhat hopeful......and in fact became something of an anti-war ballad when Seeger added the words, "I swear it's not too late..." immediately following "a time for peace."  And not only did the number one hit capture the feeling and spirit of 1965......but the entire passage......written 3,000 years ago.....captures God’s plan for humanity.

So.....let’s look at the first 8 verses and see what Solomon is telling us......

1There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

2A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 

3A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

4A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. 

5A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. 

6A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. 

7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. 

8A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace. 

And for those of you who were singing along as it was being read.....you can see that the passage doesn’t end with “I swear it’s not too late.”  But he starts out by telling us that there is a time and a season for every activity under the sun.  The word “time”referring to an actual point in time.....and a “season”......or a “duration” of that activity.  And it helps to know......to understand that these times and seasons are appointed by God.   These are not dependent upon our desires......but rather appointed by God for all of mankind.  

There’s an appropriate time for everything.......the pleasant as well as the unpleasant.......and that’s the argument of Ecclesiastes 3. This isn’t merely a description of what happens in life.......it’s a description of what God sends us. Many of us are familiar with Bill Bright' s Four Spiritual Laws.......the first of which is, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." When talking to someone about their relationship with God.......that’s a pretty appropriate place to start. That’s the plan that is being described here. All along, Solomon is saying that God desires to bring joy into the human experience. We’ve talked about it earlier.......a lot of people think Ecclesiastes is a book of gloom and pessimism because it deals with the visible things of life.......but that’s not the message of the book. God intends us to have joy and His program to bring it about includes all these opposites.

Now.....for those of you who are into numerology......you probably noticed that Solomon has given us a list of 14 polar opposites......fourteen being a multiple of seven......the number of “completeness”......and it gives us the idea that this list comprises the totality of life’s experiences.  Now I have to admit that some of the “activities” listed here are difficult to understand their full meaning......but I believe it was Solomon’s intent to show that a person’s activities.....both constructive and destructive......and a person’s response to other people.....and things and events.....all happen in their appropriate times.

The first pair of opposites that Solomon gives us is “a time to be born......a time to die.”  Let me have a show of hands........how many people here this morning chose to be born?  Nobody?  And for the most part......a generalization here......how many of you will choose when you die?  Who’s got Hebrews 9:27?  “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”  These are events predetermined by God.....appointed by Him alone......and which we have no control over.  So this is the way we should view this list of opposites.......as a list of what God thinks we ought to have. It begins by pairing birth and death as the boundaries of life, "under the sun."  And it’s probably fitting that he starts with this pair......and it’s almost like looking at a tombstone......born on this date......died on this date......and everything that happened between these two events is what we’re going to talk about now.  We are born.....we die......and there’s an appropriate time for everything that happens to us while we’re alive......and that time is appointed by God.

The next pairing is pretty obvious...... “a time to plant.....a time to uproot”......again....everything in its appointed time.  If you get it wrong it doesn’t work.  Plant corn in the winter when there’s snow on the ground and there won’t be a harvest. God’s already planned the schedule. There is an appropriate time for everything......if you try to control things it won’t work.

There’s also “a time to kill and a time to heal” in the natural flow of living.  This could also deal with the food chain, as the last pair did......but it could have a further application also......dealing with the complexities of war and the Old Testament dealings that God had with foreign nations......but they are both appointed times.

There is “a time to tear down and a time to build up” in everyone’s life.  There is a getting rid of the old and raising up the new......and this can apply to so many aspects of each of our lives.  It could be referring to buildings themselves.....they get old and they need to be torn down and new ones built......but it could just as easily be referring to our bodies.  Youth is a time for building up......muscles grow......abilities increase..... coordination gets better. Then......if you hang on long enough.........there’s a time when everything starts to fall apart........ “a time to break down.” Type gets smaller.......steps get higher.......cars go faster and people speak in lower and lower tones.  What he’s saying is that it’s appropriate.......we shouldn’t fight it.......it’s not evil. In our world here.....under the sun......God has determined things to be this way........and no matter what we may think about it........it’s going to continue that way. 

Then verse 4 tells us two things that are closely related......... “A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.” No one’s going to escape the hurts and sorrows of life........and that’s what he’s saying here. God chose them for us. The proof of that is when God's own Son came. Jesus wasn’t born with a silver spoon in His mouth.......everything wasn’t pleasant and fun.  How does Isaiah describe Him?  As “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” (Isaiah 53:3b).  Let’s face it......in a fallen world there are going to be times of hurt, of sorrow and weeping.

But there’s gonna be a lot of times when it’s right to laugh and be happy......to be carefree and celebrate and enjoy a festive occasion. Jesus did.  Vaughn talked about it a few weeks ago.......when He attended the celebration of the wedding at Cana of Galilee. He went there with His disciples and even provided part of the feast.  In fact......I think He was probably a real fun guy to hang out with.

The first part of verse 5 tells us that there is “A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones.....” ......and this one is in direct conflict with the teachings of my mother who used to always say, “Tommy......don’t throw stones!”.....and she meant it......so I don’t know what this one means!!!!

Actually.....there are a number of ways this could be taken.....and I want us to understand that it probably doesn’t matter which interpretation we cling to on these things......because the overall purpose of what Solomon is saying here is that throughout life.......there’s a time for everything.  So.....if your interpretation of “a time to throw stones” happens to be that the throwing of stones was a method of execution of criminals in this culture.....then fine.....there’s a time for that. If it describes the rejection of a person from society......fine.....not a wrong thing either. If one of them is referring to gathering ammunition and the other with using it......OK.....they’re all pretty valid.....because they’re all things we do between “a time to be born and a time to die”.  On the other hand.......the gathering of stones could be for constructive purposes......to build a house or a wall or even an altar to the Lord.

The second part of the verse deals with “A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing”.  This probably deals with our social structures or our relationships.....and we know that these things are true......they’re necessary in our lives.  There is a time when we need to embrace others.......to show our support for them. But there’s a time when we ought to refuse to embrace them.......when our support would be misunderstood and would be tantamount to complicity with something evil......or even enabling someone to act in an unscriptural manner.  God has set those times in our lives.

Verse 6 tells us some things that we’re all involved in from time to time during our lives......and it is appropriate that we realize that these times come.....nothing wrong with it.......there is “A time to search and a time to give up as lost.....” You can’t spend your entire life searching for what’s been lost.  There comes a time when you have to face the facts that what’s lost is lost and can’t be found.

We’ve all seen it before.......men going through a mid-life crisis where they try to regain their youth by doing youthful things........they dress younger......maybe a new sports car......gold chains around their necks......maybe even a new wife. But it doesn't work. Here’s a clue........if you want to feel young........hang around young people. If you want to feel old.......try to keep up with ‘em.  There’s a time to give up such things as lost. 

Who’s got Philippians 3:13—14?  “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  There’s a lot of secondary applications to this verse.......and this is a perfect one.  There comes a time when we need to purpose in our lives to forget what lies behind.....leave it in the past......and press on toward the goal that is front of us.

Then the verse goes on to tell us there’s “A time to keep and a time to throw away.”  Do you realize that everything you own right now will one day be thrown away.......and you’ve got some good stuff don’t you?  It’s gonna be thrown away.  That doesn’t mean you should throw it all away now........but maybe it DOES mean that you should be careful about what you cling to too tightly.  And he may not be talking about just “stuff” here.......this could also be referring to jobs, friends, habits, grudges, resentments, relationships......any of those things that are not leading you closer to Christ.

The first part of verse seven tells us there is “A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;”.  The idea of "tearing apart" is most often used of rending garments in a time of grief or of crisis......and we’ve talked about that......there’s a time for grief......but there comes a time when the crisis is over and the grief is passed and that which has been torn is sewed back together.

He also tells us in that same verse that there’s “A time to be silent and a time to speak.”  There have certainly been a lot of times in my life that I regretted speaking...... and there have been a few times when I’ve actually regretted my silence in a given situation.  Proverbs is full of verses proclaiming the wisdom of holding our tongue.....and the wisdom of speaking.  Real wisdom comes in knowing when to speak and when not to speak.

Then verse 8 tells us that there’s “A time to love and a time to hate;”  This isn’t a real hard one to understand.....Scripture is full of LOVE......Love your enemies......love those who persecute you.......love God......love one another.....LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!  It’s everywhere.......and that’s what we’re supposed to do......God ordained it.  But it also tells us there’s a time to hate......God does.......He hates sin.....He hates iniquity.......He hates a lying tongue......There’s a lot of things God hates.....and we too should hate such things.  We should hate injustice......we should hate hypocrisy.  Again, these things are appropriate.

And his final pairing comes at the end of verse 8 where he tells us there’s “A time for war and a time for peace.”   Certainly, Scripture does not take a stand that war is wrong......God ordered it many times in the Old Testament......in fact, there are passages that would indicate that there are times when warfare is just and right.  And when we go to consider some of the issues before us today we need to realize that God has appointed times of war.  I believe that when tyranny rides roughshod over the rights of men.......there is a time when a nation properly makes war. But there is a time when war is absolutely the wrong thing.......and no provocation in the world could justify it.  The task of any government is to find God’s appointed times for war.....and for peace.

Again.......all we’re trying to see with this is God's wonderful plan for your life. The problem is that it’s not our plan for our life.......because if we were given that right we would have no unpleasantness at all in life........and that would ruin us. God knows that people who are protected from everything almost invariably end up being selfish, cruel, vicious, shallow, unprincipled people who don’t seek God at all. God sends these things in order that we might be taught. There’s a time for everything.......but we also need to realize.......if God has a time for everything he also has a purpose in everything, as this next passage declares.  Who’s got verses 9 thru 13?  9What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? 10I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. 11He has made everything appropriate in its time He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.  12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime;  13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor--it is the gift of God. 

Solomon asks the same question a third time...... “What’s "left over" to provide a permanent sense of satisfaction after the momentary pleasure is taken from some pleasurable experience?” That seems to be the question that Solomon examines everything with.  But this time he follows it with an answer.......with which the Searcher examines everything. He has already asked it three times in this book......but this time he gives us something of an answer......verse 10 tells us he’s seen what’s happening.....and he brings God into the equation now.  We’ve got all these things to do......all these tasks and it’s God who has appointed these activities.  And all of these things are “appropriate” is what NASB translates the word to in verse 11.  What other translations do we have for that word?  BEAUTIFUL......and that’s probably a pretty accurate translation. 

It’s the same word that used to describe the beauty of Sarah and Rachael in the book of Genesis (Genesis 12:11,14) (Genesis 29:17), Esther (Esther 2:7), and the daughters of Job (Job 42:15). It’s used to describe both men and women.....because Joseph is said to have been beautiful of form and beautiful of face (Genesis 39:6).

There’s a design to life..........and it’s a beautiful design. The problem is that we don’t see the entire story in this life......it’s not available to us “under the sun”. And because we don’t see the entire story......we miss a lot of the beauty.

God‘s made us in such a way that we’re not satisfied with life as it exists "under the sun."......and that’s a good thing.......because it keeps us yearning for something only He can fill.  We were made to always want to know the whole story. He set eternity in our hearts........the problem for us is that we are not capable of laying hold of eternity by ourselves.....that’s why he ends verse 11 with..... “man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”.  We’re never going to have all of the answers in this life........and that too, is by design. God has structured it to be that way.

What does it mean that God has set eternity in our heart?  It means that God has given to us a sense of eternity - a sense of thinking of and imagining life beyond our own short lives.  It also means that man desires this eternal life.......it means that God has put a hunger in man’s heart to know Him.  And we see that in the New Testament as well.  

There is a quality of human life that can never be explained by the rationale of evolution.  Animals aren’t restless and dissatisfied once their physical needs are met. This endless search for an answer beyond what we can feel or sense in our physical and emotional needs is what’s called here "eternity in man's heart." C.S. Lewis once said...... "Our Heavenly Father has provided many delightful inns for us along our journey, but He takes great care to see that we do not mistake any of them for home."   There’s a longing for home......a call deep in the human spirit for more than life can provide.......it’s all part of God's plan. 

And that brings us to verses 13 and 14.....and we see a repeat of the phrase he used in chapter 2 verse 24....... “I know that there is nothing better for them....”.....and again he’s indicating that this is a good as life gets......you rejoice.....you do good......you see the fruits of your labor.......and that you recognize all of it as a gift from God.  And Solomon is starting to get down to the crux of what our lives should look like.  We should take pleasure from what God has given us.  Things in and of themselves give momentary enjoyment......when we recognize it as a gift from God it can give us pleasure.  Our ultimate goal should be Christ......but in reaching that goal we need to enjoy the precious life that God’s given us.  

What a different picture this is of life under the sovereign Lordship of a Living God from what most people think God is like! We are not in the grasp of the Great Cosmic Joy-killer, as many people seem to view God. God delights in human enjoyment.........Enjoy the NOW.......it’s never going to come again.

OK.......let’s read verses 14 and 15........14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.  15That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by. 

This is one of those passages of Scripture that lays out very clearly that God is in charge. God has sovereignly......independently.....without consulting anyone......set up the plan of life in a way that we cannot interfere with it......and He’s done it for a reason......that men should fear Him. 

All through the Bible we read that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10). Until a man recognizes and trusts the superior wisdom of God......he’s not begun to fear God. This fear is not abject terror of God......it’s  respect.....reverence and honor. 

Most of the struggle of life comes from us wanting to play God ourselves....... wanting to be in charge of what happens to us......and that’s true even of Christians. When God refuses to go along with our plan we sulk and pout and get angry with Him. That’s just plain stupid.  Who do we think we are that God would surrender His rights and privileges to us?  

What we do is temporary. Even man's greatest and most enduring monuments will one day crumble into dust. In modern Egypt there’s a team of construction workers whose task it is to maintain and occasionally rebuild and reinforce the Sphinx. It’s lasted for over 4000 years........but it’s decaying. And like all of man's works......it will one day pass. This passage is a rerun of Solomon’s statement that there is nothing new under the sun.  What was is.....what’s going to be was......God’s plan is continuous.  

Now the last part of verse 15 gave me some real heart-burn when I was studying it.....in fact, I even broke down and went to come commentaries for help........it didn’t help.  NASB says, “for God seeks what has passed by.”  What do some of the other versions say?  Yah.....a little different, huh?  The best I can come up with is something along the lines of “God allows the past to return......He seeks it to come back......because there is nothing new.”  Whatever the meaning is.....it doesn’t change the fact that God’s in charge.....and there’s nothing new.

Let’s read verses 16 & 17......16Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.  17I said to myself, "God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man," for a time for every matter and for every deed is there. 

When you look at life as it exists only "under the sun"........there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of justice. Bad people do bad things and get away with it. This even extends to places of judgment and places of righteousness.

Who here thinks that the “criminal justice” system is just?  No one?  Why?  Because it isn’t.  After nearly 34 years pokin’ around the system myself......I didn’t see much justice.  (Zack or Greg)......you’re still in it.  Do you see much justice?

You can find evil within the courts of law. Lawyer jokes abound.......and there’s a good reason for it. Because 98% of attorneys give the rest a bad name!  In this life you’re not going to find much justice.

But it’s not just confined to our courts.....you find evil in places that are supposed to be righteous. The church is constantly being rocked by scandals.......and the media is quick to pick up on it. Those who are in positions of spiritual leadership are constantly being exposed as wicked.  And you might think this is something new.....if you’ve never read Scripture.  Read the 34th chapter of Ezekiel or the Gospels and Christ’s dealings with the Pharisees if you think that it’s just our culture and time that Solomon’s talking about here.

But in the same way that there’s a time and a season for everything under the sun........there’s also a time when God is going to judge all men. The books eventually DO get balanced. Evil IS eventually judged. Righteousness IS eventually rewarded.

OK.......let’s go ahead and read verses 18 thru 21........18I said to myself concerning the sons of men, "God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts."  19For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.  20All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.  21Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? 

Verse 18, when taken in the context of what Solomon has observed about humanity......the injustice and wickedness that surrounds us......Solomon sees that there is a beastly quality in all of us that causes us to respond badly.  There’s a sense in us that somehow makes us like the animals. And he goes on to show us in the next two verses how similar we are.  When we die we decay just like the animals.  This is no indication at all that he thinks we’re just like them......because earlier he observed that God set eternity in man’s heart......not the beasts......man.  So his observation is limited to what he started the chapter off saying.....there’s a time to die.  And in death we both end up physically in the same situation.......that again is the “under the sun” observation that he’s been making from the start.

And verse 21 isn’t a question without an answer.......he’s already answered it in his statement about eternity being set in the hearts of men.  How do we know that there is life after death? We know it through FAITH. We know it because a dead man rose up from the grave to tell us about it. We know about it on the word or a Galilean carpenter who was crucified, dead and buried and who rose again and promised that we would also one day rise.......and it’s an answer that the world really doesn’t want to hear.

Which leads us to the conclusion of chapter 3......go ahead and read verse 22...... “I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?”

 Solomon repeats the conclusion which he came to in verse 12 almost word for word.  There isn’t anything better than for us than to be happy in what we do......but remember where Solomon said enjoyment comes from......only from God.  And probably the best thing to get out of this passage is the great truth that God wants us to learn how to handle life in such a way that we can rejoice in any and every circumstance.  He wants us to depend on Him and to recognize that everything comes from a wise and loving Father. The circumstances we find ourselves in may bring us pain.....but there are going to be lots of them that bring us pleasure too.  You should make the most of this time that you do have........Life is precious..........and it’s short........and eternity is long. Make the most of the NOW.

ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 4

    (ASSIGN VERSES)  OK.......before we get started in the book of Ecclesiastes this morning.....I want to address something that comes up from time to time......and that we probably all need to be reminded of occasionally.....and that’s the unique opportunity that we have here on Sunday mornings regarding our teaching time.  Unlike most churches on Sunday morning.....where you listen to the teachings of a single individual week after week.......we have the distinct opportunity to hear from 5 different men.  Men who I believe all attempt to impart the Word accurately to all of us.....but men who are all coming from very different points of view......different backgrounds......and with a different emphasis.

    My study of Ecclesiastes is very different than you might hear from someone else.  But I believe it’s what the Holy Spirit is laying on me at the time I study.  I’ve checked some of the commentaries on Ecclesiastes.......and I can assure you I take a very different view of a great deal of the book than what the commentaries take.  I don’t believe that’s because I’m smarter than John MacArthur......or Chuck Swindoll or J. Vernon McGee.  I don’t believe I’m more spiritual than they are......I simply believe it’s the direction that the Holy Spirit is leading me in this particular study.

    And the same goes with the rest of the men who share the responsibilities of teaching on Sunday morning.  We’re all coming from a different slant on our studies.  Vaughn is intent on us finding the “biblical Jesus” as he guides us through the Gospel of John.......and in that pursuit he’s quick to remind us how often Jesus railed against the established religious order of the time.  Sometimes listening to him you’d think “church” was a four letter word.  

Larry comes from the standpoint of “God’s grace” as he takes us through the book of Romans.......he tends to see a lot of “types” in Scripture that most of us may just skim right over.  

Jim’s exhortations to us reflect a heart on fire for evangelism and the fact that each of us should be putting Jesus right out there on the street.  

Greg.......well.....Greg likes fried chicken!  No.....Greg is sorta the “justice guy”......he sees things more black and white than most of us......and his study in Hebrews is an encouragement to know this Jesus who is above all things.  

And when you look at it......it may seem that each of us only has one string on our guitar.......and when we sit up front here......that’s the string we play.  But when you look at the whole......5 strings can make some pretty good music.

Sometimes I don’t agree with the direction one of us has taken on a particular passage.  That doesn’t mean they’re wrong and I’m right.  The disagreement sometimes leads to some pretty good discussions with them.......sometimes I just file what they’ve said in the back of my mind and it’s recalled later as another passage comes to light and I see that they weren’t wrong at all.  But every time it drives me to the Scriptures to see if what’s been said is accurate and applicable to my life.

    I believe the approach we’re taking here is healthy and should encourage each one of us to “be Bereans” in our receiving of the Word.   You remember in the book of Acts.....where Paul is doing the teaching to the Bereans......the great Paul himself.  Did they just take him at his word?  No......what does Acts 17:11  say?........“Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”   That’s what each one of us should be doing.......receiving the Word eagerly and examining Scripture to see if what was said is true.  God’s allowing us a very broad view of His Word here on Sunday mornings......and I just want to remind us to make certain we take full advantage of it.  I don’t want anybody just sucking up what I’m saying on Sunday morning and believing it to be true without checking it out for themselves.  It needs to be YOUR truth.......not Tom’s truth.

    So......with that said.......let’s get into the forth chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes.  We’re not going to do any review this morning.......so, if you haven’t been here in our previous studies I think you’ll catch on.  If not......you’ll probably go through the remainder of your life wondering just what happened here this morning.

    So.....let’s start out by reading the first three verses of chapter 4......1Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.  2So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. 3But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun. 

    Alright.......Solomon begins this section dealing with “acts of oppression”......which he will actually re-address in the next chapter.......but here he takes a look at all the acts of oppression in the world.  And in that first verse two things jump off the page at me as I read it.  Take a look there and tell me what you draw from the first verse.......anybody got anything that hits them about the first verse?  (1. The king himself sees the oppression and he can’t......or won’t do anything about it.  2. These oppressed people are ALONE.......twice he says they have no one to comfort them.)

    Here he is......the king of the empire.......the king of all of Israel.....and he looks out at his entire kingdom and he sees the oppressed and he can’t do anything about it!  The king himself is helpless to assist those who are oppressed.  Why?  Well......he really addressed the problem earlier in chapter 3.  Remember.......he talked about the fact that there was no justice in the places where we are supposed to have justice.  And there’s no righteousness in the places where righteousness should prevail.  And the injustice and wickedness that surrounds us gives him pause to compare us with the animals.  In all he’s observed about humanity............Solomon sees that there’s a beastly quality in all of us that causes us to respond badly.  There’s a sense in us that somehow makes us like the animals. 

    So the king sees the oppression and there isn’t anything he can do about it.....because man is not basically good.......man is basically evil and is capable of incredible injustice and oppression no matter what the king does.  The fact is that oppression will always be here because of who we are.......so get used to it!

    The second observation about the first verse is that the oppressed are alone.....they have no one to comfort them.  It’s bad enough to be oppressed.........but it’s much worse to be oppressed when you’re alone.

And if you look at what he’s saying and how he’s saying it.....I get the feeling that he may be talking about two kinds of oppression here.  Those in power are actively oppressing those who are not in power......the downtrodden.....the weak.....the poor.  And Solomon’s saying......“Wow......bummer dudes.....nothin’ I can do about it.”

But he seems to hint to a passive oppression also when he talks about them being alone.....with no one to comfort them.  The poor and powerless are being passively oppressed through indifference. And many years ago......theologian Francis Schaeffer said that this kind of oppression was caused by “personal peace and affluence.” The poor simply are ignored because the rich don’t want to be troubled. No one befriends the poor.......No one comes to their rescue.......No one reaches out to them because we’re all fat dumb and happy and don’t want to be bothered by them. 

All of this oppression and indifference causes Solomon to come to the bitter conclusion that it’s better not to be born than it is to witness the harsh realities of life. And I think it’s interesting that what Solomon is addressing here.......the oppression of the poor and the powerless........is a major theme throughout the Old and New Testaments.

God called the prophet Amos to address problems of oppression and indifference during a time when His people enjoyed economic prosperity. The people to whom Amos ministered had abused their power through violence and racketeering and by living complacent lives of “personal peace and affluence”.......and all of that led to the further misfortunes of others.  

And you get the same thing in the New Testament.  One of the last books we studied was the book of James......and he tells us plainly in James 1:27 that “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  As followers of Jesus we are called to reject the complacency and indifference that creeps into our own lifestyles and financial practices.  We’re supposed to prioritize the needs of the poor over our own personal peace and affluence.  Do we do that?  Or are we tacitly lending our support to oppression through indifference or laziness?

Anyway.......as a result of viewing all of the misery that oppression has brought about.......Solomon comes to a rather dismal conclusion......it’s better not to be alive than to be alive and to be so oppressed.

He’s not the first person to come to this kind of conclusion.  Job felt this way. In the midst of his sufferings it’s recorded in Job 3:3......... "Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night which said, 'A boy is conceived.’”  And again in Job 3:11 he asks, "Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire?"  Oppression obviously beats people down to a point of incredible depression.

Another thing to be reminded of here.......Solomon is addressing what he’s observed “under the sun”.......he’s not taking into account anything spiritual here.  Those people had no one to comfort them. The good news for us is that we have a Comforter. God Himself has sent to us His own Spirit so that we might be comforted in Him........But that’s not all He left us with........He’s also given to us His own body.......the Church.

It reminds me of the story of the little girl who had been sent to bed and who called out to her mother, "Mommy, I'm afraid to be all alone in my bedroom. I want someone to come and to be with me" Her mother replied, "It's okay, honey. The Lord is with you in your bedroom." And the little girl called back, "But I want someone with skin on!" The Church is supposed to be exactly that.......Jesus with "skin on." We’re supposed to be here for one another.......for comfort.  

Who’s got verses 4 thru 6? 4I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor This too is vanity and striving after wind.  5The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh. 6One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. 

Solomon is obviously a rather astute judge of character here.  He’s watched people......including himself and come to the conclusion that people really don’t want things..........they want to be admired for the things they have. What they want is not the new car itself.........but to hear their neighbors say, "Wow.....you’re so lucky to have such a beautiful car!" That’s what people want.........to be the center of attention.  

There was an article in Newsweek magazine a while back that dealt with life in Washington, D.C. It went into the psychology and sociology that drives people in the nation's capital.  The article says.......

“Ambition is the raving and insatiable beast that most often demands to be fed in this town. The setting is less likely to be some posh restaurant or glitzy nightclub than a wholly unremarkable glass office building, or an inner sanctum somewhere in the federal complex. The reward in the transaction is frequently not currency at all, but power and ego massage. For this, the whole agglomeration of psychological payoffs, there are people who will sell out anything, including their self-respect, and the well being of thousands of others simply to be recognized.”

Isn’t that exactly what Solomon’s saying......the real motivating factor behind everything that people do is envy......rivalry......greed......competition.  And all of it leads to covetousness.  In our fallen condition......“under the sun”........greed has dominion over us. It’s the primary motivator in all human affairs.  The drive to be admired is the true objective of life. But, he says, this too "is vanity and a striving after wind."  Why?  Because there’s always someone who’s just a little better.......who has a little bit more.  And even if you succeed and find yourself to be the very best at what you’ve endeavored to accomplish.......what did it get you? Your accomplishment is only temporary. 

So......what’s the alternative to being in the rat-race?  Well......someone might say, “You know.......because there’s always someone better than me.......and because it’s lonely at the top.......I'll just sit back and never try to accomplish anything."  Verse 5 would suggest that that’s the answer of a fool.  But it actually became somewhat the mantra of the 1960s.......didn’t it?  "Turn on, tune in, drop out" was the phrase coined by the counterculture.  The hippies thought that by detaching themselves from the existing conventions of society they would somehow reach that Utopian state that all of us are seeking in some manner or another.  This is the answer of the fool. 

In verse 6 Solomon even suggests that it might be better to lower your expectations a little bit........choose a less ambitious lifestyle.......grab hold of a little bit of peace rather than all the striving.

With this in mind.......go ahead and read verses 7 & 8.......  7Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.  8There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, "And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?" This too is vanity and it is a grievous task. 

“Why am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?”......Solomon continues his theme of a life full of toil without contentment......and he uses this anecdote of a man who works all the time.......hardly any rest.......in fact, “there was no end to all his labor.”  Yet.........so powerful is ambition and the desire to be envied that men actually keep working and toiling even when they have no one to leave their riches to. 

And it’s true.  Some people keep on working even when they have no one to work for........and nothing to do with the money they make. They even deny themselves the pleasures of life in order to keep laying up funds. Think about the billionaire Howard Hughes.........he literally didn’t know what to do with his money.  People started coming out of the woodwork after his death claiming that they were his heirs.  Pretty tragic existence.   

There was an article in the London Times dated June 19, 2008......so a little over half a year ago......and it was titled “JAPAN GRIPPED BY SUICIDE EPIDEMIC”.....and it detailed how Japan is struggling with a “runaway suicide epidemic” among Japanese men in their thirties.  The article attributes most of the cause as “work-related depression”. In order to cut down on stress for Japanese business men there is actually a website that advertises “capsule hotels” where exhausted Japanese businessmen can sleep in rooms the size of coffins rather than pay the expensive cab fare home only to sleep a couple of hours and return to work the next day. 

The truth is that success is NOT its own reward. And if you’re working just to accumulate wealth.........then you’re in for a sad surprise.......Solomon saw it doesn’t work.

Now in contrast to the guy who has no one.......Solomon explores the fact that companionship is better than loneliness.  Go ahead and read verses 9-12......  9Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.  10For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.  11Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?  12And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. 

Think about it.......America is the land of the lonely. We cultivate loneliness in our culture. We take pride in being independent and alone........we even have a Declaration of Independence.  Men especially are raised with this sort of macho attitude. You’re portrayed to be manly if you can stand alone.......be a survivor......take no prisoners........come out on top......and go it alone!  And our society is driving us more and more into seclusion.   We don’t even have to go out of our house......we can do everything from our computer.  We’re in an age where we can virtually shut ourselves off from any human contact whatsoever.

But........Solomon tells us it’s always better to have companionship.  There is any number of applications for what Solomon is illustrating for us here.  We can look at him talking about the church and that’s the reason we meet together......to strengthen one another.....for encouragement........so that we’re not alone and we’re stronger.  And it’s pretty easy to illustrate what he’s saying here.

If you’ve got a fire and the embers at the bottom are really hot and glowing......and you take a chunk of burning ember and separate it from the others.....what happens?  Yah......it goes out.......it can’t generate enough heat to stay alive.  That’s why it is so important for the church to meet together. We come together to create a bonfire of fellowship that we might set one another aflame with a zeal for serving the Lord.  And I might remind you here that we often speak negatively regarding organized religion......because Jesus did when He was here on earth.......but we never do anything other than uphold the concept of the church.  It is the vehicle that Christ left us to show the world who He is.  The church is necessary.  We need fellowship......we need companionship.......physically, emotionally and spiritually.

But I can’t help but be drawn to the idea that Solomon is giving his best shot at illustrating marriage here. What’s God telling us?  Well…..He’s saying that it’s good to have a partner…..two people are better together than they are alone.  And that’s the same thing He said when He made man.  Think about it......What was one of the very first decrees following the creation of man?  He said, “It is not good for man to be alone……I will make a helpmate suitable for him.”  Think about that......there was loneliness in Paradise. This just goes to show that loneliness can take place anywhere.........even in a crowd.  Here…..He tells us the same thing……only He expands it greatly in this passage.

Through this section of Scripture He talks about the advantages of two people together…..they get more work done…..they can help each other up when the other falls……they can keep warm together…..and they can ward off those who come to do them harm.  Two is a good number…..but then the very last phrase of the passage tells us, “A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”  Two’s good……three’s better.  

And this is pretty easy to see……if I take two strands and wind them together….it’s definitely stronger.  But as soon as I let it go……it comes unraveled.  But if you braid three strands together ……they’re much, much stronger…..and they won’t come undone…..won’t work themselves apart.  

And in this illustration.......the three strands are significant…..each representing a member of the relationship.......the man.....the woman........and Jesus Christ.  And the really interesting thing about this illustration is that this is a choice we make.......it’s a decision that’s left to us.  Christ doesn’t force His way into any of our relationships.  He always waits to be asked to the position of ultimate authority in our marriage.  And it’s a decision we make every morning when we wake up.......am I going to allow Jesus to control my relationship today?  

This passage tells us clearly that two Christians that are bound together in Christ are stronger than the individuals themselves.  This Cord of Three Strands concept is very symbolic of a sacred union…….ONE MAN……ONE WOMAN…..AND JESUS CHRIST.  And the cool thing is......it’s never too late to start.  If you’re here this morning and you know that your marriage isn’t all it’s supposed to be.......you can purpose this passage in your lives.  You can sit down together and invite Jesus Christ to take control of the reins and be that third strand in your relationship......that’s not quickly torn apart.

Alright.......let’s finish up with verses 13 through 16....... 13A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction. 14For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.  15I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him.  16There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind. 

The king in Solomon's illustration is an old and foolish man........and there’s a lesson here. It’s that age doesn’t necessarily bring wisdom. The only thing that comes automatically with age is wrinkles. Age can be accompanied with mule-headed stubbornness and an attitude that we know everything.  There’s a reason that the saying, “there’s no fool like an old fool” has been around so long.

And in his illustration he’s quite clear that being young and wise.......no matter what your social or financial status might be......is a lot better than being old and foolish even if you’re the top dog.  And he’s just as clear that being wise and rising to the position of “top dog” doesn’t last very long.  Popularity is fleeting.  Even the young and wise end up going through the same difficulties. You finally end up clawing your way to the top and what happens......someone else comes along and woos away the affections you’ve won........and you wind up like the last king.  

Everyone admires the self-made man; the one who achieved success on his own.  No one admires the fellow who had it all handed to him.........but Solomon reminds us again......as he did in chapter two......the one who has come before and the one who comes after will both be forgotten.  Today's stars are tomorrow's has-beens. This is one of the reasons that Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:11.......that rather than seeking fame and fortune.....we ought “to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life”.  All the rest of it is vanity and striving after wind.

ECCLESIASTES 5

    After a fairly substantial break......we’re back in the book of Ecclesiastes.....and we’re going to be in chapter 5 this morning.......and I don’t really want to review where we’ve been thus far.....except to remind ourselves of a few things........First, who is the author of this book of wisdom?  King Solomon.  Right......and what he’s talked about up to now are his observations of the world.......and he classifies his observations as being of the world and not of a spiritual nature by the use of the term.......UNDER THE SUN.

    And thus far he’s made a lot of observations......but chapter five is something of an interlude.......a parenthetical chapter where he begins to give a series of exhortations.  So far........he’s only showed us the way the world IS. Now he tells us what we’re to DO on the basis of how the world is.  Go ahead and read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7........ 1Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.  2Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God for God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.  3For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.  4When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!  5It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.  6Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?  7For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.

    OK........Solomon takes us to the Temple in Jerusalem...........the house of God. It was a part of Solomon's building program. It served to replace the Tabernacle as the place where God's people came to worship.  But the way he so naturally introduces worship of God here......without any explanation or fanfare.......I think he demonstrates that worship is a natural part of life.......and that we’re to see it as a part of the background to everything else he says.  

And he begins this section with a warning concerning worship.......and it almost seems a little out of the ordinary in our modern culture. We have warnings about sin and temptation and unbelief.........But a warning about how to worship?  We usually don’t get a lot of those.......and we probably should.  Because......if you really look at it......one of our biggest problems is that we don’t take worship seriously enough in our culture. We tend to think that as long as we ARE worshiping the Lord........it doesn’t really matter HOW we worship. But the Scriptures teach otherwise..........and Solomon warns us to guard our steps. In these verses Solomon observes how man worships God..........and while he sees worship as a good thing.......he knows that man often takes a good thing and turns it into something bad.  And I see this as something of a warning against RELIGION.  Clear back in Solomon’s day there is a clear distinction between GENUINE WORSHIP and RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.

    He has repeatedly come to the conclusion already that secular life holds no meaning.......and that there is true meaning for those who seek a relationship with God.  But so often......rather than seeking a Savior......they seek a system.....they turn to religion instead of relationship.   

    And his first warning is to approach God with care and reverence. He should guard his steps........he should draw near to HEAR what God would say to him. He should stick with what God has revealed about Himself to His prophets........He should draw near ready to obey.......who’s got 1 Samuel 15.22?   Samuel said,   “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.” 

God desires true worship from people ready to listen and obey.  How often do we do that?  How often do we come expecting God to say something to us?   He’s telling us to come with open and receptive hearts......because worship includes something we need to listen to and learn.  It may be the words of a hymn.......the reading of the Scriptures.......the content of a prayer. We need to listen with attentive and open hearts.

This is far better than simply approaching God with thoughtless ritual.   And that’s really where he heads with the second part of verse one.......because so many people really do offer the sacrifice of fools.  Think of the religious system back then......it was a sacrificial system.  And I think what Solomon’s getting at here are those people who did not consider themselves to be sinful........and yet they offered up a sin offering. They’re not offering themselves to God and yet they offer a whole burnt offering. They’re not grateful to God........and yet they offer a thanks offering.  I think that these are the “sacrifices of fools” that he’s talking about. They do it simply because it’s the thing to do.......it’s what their RELIGION does.......but it’s not going to impress God. You can’t sacrifice something you don’t possess.  Who’s got Isaiah 1:11-12? 11"What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle;  and I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.  12"When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts?  In contrast with those who guard their steps.......fools  simply ‘trample His courts’.  

And he finishes the first verse up with.......‘They know not that they do evil.’ This may mean that they come carelessly........unaware of their sinfulness. Or it may mean that their very casual approach is in itself seen as evil........I’m not sure which it is......but both are in fact true. If a man comes rightly to God ready to listen........isn’t he going to learn something meaningful?  

Also.......it’s interesting to note here that there’s no suggestion of any of this being “vanity” here.......no “chasing after the wind”.  Solomon’s talking about serious stuff.......the worship of God Himself.  Our worship.....as in the Old Testament is important.......and it still exists........but it’s no longer according to a prescribed place, or priest, or legal procedure. No longer on a mountain or in Jerusalem.......but what did Jesus say about it in John 4:23? “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”  And our lesson here is that even back in the Old Testament.....when God's people had a system of worship that included a specific place and practice........it was always the HEART ATTITUDE that was more important than anything else.  It’s still that way today.

In verse two he continues the warning to the fool....... “Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God for God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.”  And he describes pretty well the activity of a fool regarding worship.......He’s hasty in his words......he’s impulsive in his thought.  There are so many proverbs that talk about a fool and his speech.  The sacrifice of a fool is his empty words.........And rather than listen he talks.........but his words are empty.  Listen to Proverbs 10:19    “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” 

 I think the caution that Solomon lays down here is that a foolish man approaches God without the recognition of who God is.  He’s the Creator of everything.......in control of everything........has knowledge of everything.  We don’t need to explain anything to Him.......but instead recognize that He’s so far above anything that we could ever imagine.......and we are here on Earth......totally dependent upon Him.  

And this person with too many words and impulsive thoughts and a disregard for who God is, is further characterized in verse 3 by saying that through a lot of effort this fool devises dreams or fantasies and shows himself to be the fool that he is through his many words.  And I have to admit that when I read this verse my mind kept conjuring up the television preachers.  Those guys who have a vision that if they don’t raise 10 million dollars by the end of the month......that God’s going to take them.  And I always thought....... “God ain’t gonna take you.......He don’t want you......you’re an idiot and you’re going out of your way to make Him look bad!”  We seem to think televangelists are something new.......apparently they were in existence in Solomon’s day too.......they just weren’t on TV.  It’s interesting........a lot of times those who have the most to say about God.........often know the least. The warning for us is that when we speak about God........it should be thoughtful and measured and in accordance with what has been revealed in His word.........His own revelation of Himself.  What I “think” probably doesn’t have much bearing on who God really is.

And in verses 4 and 5, Solomon continues along the same thought.......dealing with a fool’s approach to God......but this time in the area of vows.  Now Scripture would indicate that God takes vows pretty seriously......as in the book of Numbers where Moses lays out what is known as the Law of Vows.  Who’s got Numbers 30:1-2.......1Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, "This is the word which the LORD has commanded.  2"If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

You’re never commanded in the Scriptures to make a vow........in fact Scripture’s pretty clear that you’re NOT obligated to make a vow ever.  It’s acceptable to refrain from entering into a vow. But once you have made a vow, you are bound by that vow.  Go ahead and read Deuteronomy 23:21-23....... 21"When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you.  22"However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you.  23"You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised.

 Nothing too tricky in verses 4 & 5.......Solomon says that only a fool would make vows to God and not keep them.  Are we ever fools in this area?  Has anyone ever said, “Lord.......if you’ll get me out of this jam......I promise I’ll        .”?  Generally what’s referred to as “foxhole prayers”.  Dumb thing to do.......God’s not impressed.

And verses 6&7 deal with this same fool making vows that he doesn’t keep.....in fact he even makes excuses for not keeping them.  In our culture.......when a couple gets married.......it’s traditional for them to exchange wedding vows. And there’s no doubt that this is a good and acceptable practice. But they should NOT exchange such vows unless they are fully intending on keeping those vows. To go back afterward and claim, "It was a mistake! We shouldn't have gotten married in the first place" is no excuse. The warning of Solomon is directly applicable to our culture. God is not to be mocked or treated lightly with regard to our words before Him……..or our vows.  

Then Solomon closes this section with a final injunction to fear God. What does it mean to fear God?  I thought God was a God of love.  He is……but He’s also a God of justice and righteousness.  All too often, we’ve been satisfied with a watered-down version of what such a fear really ought to be. 

Who’s got Luke 12:4-5?   4"I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.  5"But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! 

We need to understand that fearing God creates a fear of sin. When you stop fearing God…….you’ll probably stop fearing sin. Love is certainly what drives us to the cross……but so does fear.  God is great and awesome. He’s beyond my understanding. And if I ever come of the point of thinking that I have Him all out figured…….I’ve moved away from a proper fear of the Lord.  You’re dealing with the Author of life itself. He holds your existence in the palm of his hand. God isn’t cruel and heartless…….He’s loving…….but He’s also very real.  The warning here is don’t play games with Him. Be honest with God…….He knows anyway.  And Solomon’s telling us these things so that we might find enjoyment in all that we do…….as he’s about to explain.

Verses 8 through 17 comprise the next section that Solomon writes…….and in contrast to the first 7 verses where the thought was our attitude towards God…….these verses deal in general with our attitude towards life……..and in particular he hits on a familiar subject…….our attitude towards wealth.  Now you have to remember that in Solomon’s time……the wealthy were seen as those who were pleasing to God……..I mean, after all……wasn’t that why they were wealthy? But Solomon……the wealthiest man alive…….has come to a point where he realizes that it’s not the wealthy who are pleasing to God………but instead…….it’s those who are content with what they have been allotted that are really pleasing to God.  So he points out that the accumulation of wealth……..often by unjust means……..may seem to add significance to life…….but in the end it’s meaningless and really just adds to the problems of life.  

Tell me……..do we see corruption in government today?  Just in our country……or other countries too?  Corruption in government is nothing new…….and that shouldn’t surprise us………Solomon‘s already told us that there’s nothing new under the sun. As long as there have been governments…….there’s been corruption.  Which I guess begs the question……..Why does government even exist if it is almost inherently corrupt? 

Well…….first off…….government was established by God Himself. Who’s got Romans 13?  First read verse 1b……..For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 

So……with that in mind……and rebellion and resistance to authority is tantamount to opposition against God. Go ahead and read Romans 13:2……Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 

And in this same passage we see clearly that government exists in order to punish the evildoer. Go ahead with Romans 13:4…….For it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil. 

The point is that government was created by God for our GOOD…….and Solomon points this out in verse 9 when he tells us…….. “After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.” 

Solomon then moves on to our attitude toward wealth.  Now…….let’s face it…….there’s a lot of people in the world……in fact, probably most people……that feel that being rich would solve all of their problems.   Beginning in verse 10……he shows us a few natural laws concerning money……and the first is that money doesn’t bring Satisfaction.  All you have to do is to look at the lives of the rich and the famous. They’re some of the most miserable people on earth. Their marriages seem to fall apart. They always wonder if their friends are only after their money. The wealthy of the world are some of the emptiest people on earth.  Money doesn’t satisfy. 

The second natural law that he discovers in verse eleven is that money doesn’t last.  What happens when you have more money? You spend more money. You find yourself with more expenses.  The accumulation of a lot of wealth simply results in larger households…..more family and servants to consume your wealth……so in the end you’re no better off.  In the end this person has so much that all the benefit he really obtains is that he can survey his wealth in order to gain satisfaction from it. There comes a point where he cannot really improve the quality of his life. He has much more than he can spend. So he’s simply building up wealth for no good reason. And, as the next verse reveals......there’s a downturn…….and the third natural law of money…….and that is that money doesn’t bring peace of mind.

And probably the best illustration of verse 12 is the story that’s told of a man who was traveling by train across India. He’d placed his case filled with valuable jewels on the seat beside him. Throughout the long night, he struggled to stay awake making sure that someone didn’t come along and steal his case of jewels.  All night long he’d find himself nodding off and his head would lower and jerk and then he’d force his eyes open. This went on all night long until morning. Finally……his eyes became heavy and he dozed off. When he woke up he found that the case had indeed been stolen. "At last," he said…….."I can finally get some sleep."

Now Solomon isn’t saying there’s anything wrong with money……he’s simply making an observation that it’s the LOVE of money…….the PURSUIT of wealth that leads to tragic consequences.  We see the exact same thing taught by Paul in 1 Timothy 6:10. When we try to find satisfaction in money…….when money is elevated to a god-like status……then it becomes a form of idolatry and it won’t be satisfactory or peaceful.

The next section…….verses 13 through 17……pretty much explain themselves.  Solomon tells us two “grievous evils”…….and a lot of the commentaries come up with him telling two different stories about two different men.  I don’t see it that way.  I see verses 13 through 15 as the tragic story of a man who collects a fortune but then loses it through a bad investment. Maybe the Dow Jones goes south…….maybe he builds a business and the business fails……..and as a result the man who spent his life amassing a fortune can’t even support his own son. He spent his life in gathering money and in the end…….he has nothing to show for it. He dies as naked and as penniless as when he was born.

Verses 16 and 17 I believe just expand this man’s tragedy……it further explains how depressing life becomes for those who see money as a goal.  The point of these verses is that we should quit striving……quit pushing to amass money…….the fact is that no matter how much you win or lose……how much of a fortune is put together……you end up like everyone else……rich or poor.  And it may sound like he’s back to his old depressing self…….but he immediately gives us the cure in the remaining passage…….and it should totally turn our thinking around.

First let me point out something worth mentioning……I probably should have addressed this in the beginning.   In verses 1 and 2…..when Solomon addressed the worship of God…….he wasn’t recommending that we worship God…….it was assumed that the hearer was already worshipping God.  The recommendation was as to how to approach it for it to be meaningful and beneficial.  And that assumption carries through…….all references to the life of the godly should assume there exists a rightful worship of God……..and that’s the application of these last three verses.

And we want to take all three of these verses together……because Solomon comes up with the perfect antidote to any type of depression or bad feelings that might be brought on by our wealth…..or our lack of wealth.  He brings us to a point of simply looking at our lives themselves as a gift of God…….and he tells us that this is “good and fitting” for us to enjoy what God has given us……whether much or little.  We’re not to dwell on the fact that life is short……it’s short for everybody in the whole scheme of things.  But short or long……rich or poor……do we acknowledge God as the one who has given us this “reward” of life?

And the application of the entire chapter can be seen in these last three verses…… and if you look at verse 20 the focus of our focus should be clear.  He says, “For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.”  

 It’s pretty neat where this wise man brings us around to at the end……he’s saying that this man who enjoys these gifts of God is not going to consider the years of his life……..he’s not going to look back on “the good old days”…….he’s going to be occupied with the present and acknowledging everything that God is doing in the here and now.  If we are living as this man is described in verse 18……we’re enjoying life……we’re grateful…….then we’re going to give little thought as to how things used to be……the focus of our thought is the present and the immediate future being lived for the glory of God.

The “Wisdom of Solomon” has been notorious over the centuries because he comes to correct conclusions……as he has here.  If we focused our thoughts on the real blessings of life……we’d eat……drink……and be merry…..and very, very grateful.

ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 6

All you have to do today is turn on the news and very quickly you know that the economic news is pretty bad........in fact......you probably don’t need to listen to the news at all to figure this out.......you only need to go shopping or fill your car up with gas.......or maybe even go to your mailbox and see that your car payment and mortgage payment are late again. 

We’re facing a tremendous recession in the United States. In some places it’s actually being compared to a return to The Great Depression. And you know what the difference between a RECESSION and a DEPRESSION is, don’t you?  A recession is when your neighbor loses his job........while a depression is when you lose your job. Unemployment is at nearly record levels in many parts of our country.  We’re all facing, to one degree or another, some hard times ahead. 

But the truth is that when we look at these things.......we usually view them from a perspective of how the world views events.......as those things “under the sun”.....without a spiritual perspective.  But when we view these events in this way.......the view may be so distorted that we can’t recognize the spiritual good that God desires to happen in our lives.  (ASK VAUGHN TO SHARE EVENTS AROUND SWIMMING POOL A FEW WEEKS AGO.)  It’s easy to miss the fact that these may actually be the best years of our lives. And that’s the path that Solomon takes us down this morning as we look at Ecclesiastes 6.........where he declares that things are not always what they seem to be. We think life is one way and it turns out to be something quite different. The thesis of our passage this morning is that we may be reading everything that’s happening to us entirely wrong.

If you recall.......when we ended chapter 5 last time.......we came to a positive conclusion. And it can probably best we summed up that the pursuit of money is empty......useless.... but.......that it’s really good and fitting to recognize and enjoy the gifts of God in this life. Solomon comes up with the perfect antidote to any type of depression or bad feelings that might be brought on by our wealth…..or our lack of wealth.  He brings us to a point of simply looking at our lives themselves as THE GIFT of God…….and he tells us that this is “good and fitting” for us to enjoy what God has given us……whether much or little.  Whether it be short or long……rich or poor……do we acknowledge God as the one who has given us this “reward” of life?  However…..as we come to chapter 6......we’re again back on something of a negative track......but a sensible observation.

Now......Chapter 6 is only 12 verses long......but it really only covers the first half of Solomon’s argument.......and he’s going to begin with the same concept that he’s talked about previously.......that prosperity may not always be good........and in the first fourteen verses of Chapter 7 he takes up the opposite and accompanying truth........that adversity may not always be bad.  But we’ll cover that portion of his observations the next time we look at the book.  

I was trying to figure out a couple of weeks ago......if I were going to write my observations of life.......how would I do it?  Would I take a cynical, negative view......or would I take the Hollywood ending view.......the good guy wins......everybody rides off into the sunset.......and they all live happily ever after?  But the fact is that life’s not like that. When the sun goes down......the good guy doesn’t always win. And everyone who lives happily ever after......well.....they eventually die.  So......Solomon’s take on things is pretty real.  He sees life pretty clearly.......and it’s not all roses.

It seems that it would really be helpful to us if we could develop a true view of good and evil........how do we know good when it’s good......and conversely......how do we recognize evil for what it is. We’d save ourselves a lot of heartache if we could do just that. Ahhhhh.....but the cool thing about Scripture is that it does do that......and Solomon……in this passage…….gives us the true view of good and evil.

So……in Chapter 6 he sets out four statements about prosperity to show us that material wealth and abundance are not always good……..and we find the first statement in Ecclesiastes 6:1-2……..

1There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men-- 

2a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. 

Twice in the previous chapter we saw the phrase, "There is a grievous evil." ….and we see the concept here again.  He’s not talking particularly about a moral evil…….but rather……..it conveys the idea of a tragic happening.  And the tragedy that the Preacher is talking about is qualified as not being unique…….because he says it’s one that is prevalent among men……meaning it happens all the time. And here in chapter 6 he says it’s the tragedy of a man who has everything that can be enjoyed…….but he doesn’t enjoy it.

And we can see this in a practical sense……in a non-spiritual sense all the time at funerals. People send flowers and the one they’re sent to can’t smell them. People say nice things…….and the one who these things are said about can’t hear them. Life insurance pays benefits and the one who lost his life can’t enjoy those benefits.

But here…….Solomon recognizes this grievous evil from a spiritual perspective…….that to have abundance and possessions…….all that money can buy………and yet lack the power to enjoy them is a very heavy burden to bear. And believe it or not……there’s a lot of people who suffer from this. They drive shiny new cars……..they have the latest electronic equipment in their big luxurious homes…….and they’re actually trying desperately to enjoy them.  But their faces show something very different…….their eyes betray an emptiness inside. 

I think most of us have been in a casino before……either in Las Vegas or one of our homegrown varieties we have around here.  And we’ve probably been able to observe people intent on finding riches……..on getting more enjoyment out of life…….but they looked like death warmed over. They sit there…….unsmiling…….pulling those one-armed bandits, but they have no sense of enjoyment, they project no feeling that there’s anything pleasurable about what they’re doing. Instead, they look as though they’re involved in deadly serious work. A lot of them are people who already have everything but cannot enjoy anything they have.

The key to what we’re observing is found in the words, "God does not give him power to enjoy." Solomon’s trying to pound that lesson home to our hearts over and over again throughout this book. Enjoyment doesn’t reside in increased possessions. Instead, he tells us it’s a gift which God gives us. If He withholds it……no amount of effort is going to extract enjoyment from things. That’s a difficult lesson for some to learn…….but one we really need to come to grips with. We’re constantly bombarded with alluring pictures in catalogs and in commercials that shout the opposite message to us. But this verse is pretty clear…….enjoyment is a gift of God.

So the question that immediately comes to mind is, “Why would God withhold enjoyment from someone? Why would He not give the power to enjoy something if He gives the ability to have it? The answer to that question is given in this book…….and it’s especially clearly in Chapter 2, Verses 25-26, where he tells us……..for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the man who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; (Ecclesiastes 2:25-26a RSV)

"To the man who pleases Him." And I don’t want us to misread what’s being said here. I’m afraid there’s a lot of people who read this and think it means that some level of religious performance…….some standard of morality……like joining a church or coming to church functions is what pleases God. We need to be reminded……and to understand that the Scriptures never say that. Faith is what pleases God……believing Him……..taking Him at His word and acting upon that word…….this is what pleases God………obedience based upon faith. To that man or woman God gives the gift of enjoying whatever he or she has. How little or how much it may be…….it’s a gift poured out and taken from His hand. That’s why gratitude……..to be grateful for whatever you have is the most important element of our lives.

That’s in direct opposition to our culture and society today. Instead……we’re bombarded from every side today with the philosophy that we have a right to things. Television commercials in particular constantly tell us this. They hold up some alluring object that they want you to buy, and accompany it with a propaganda line that says, in one way or another, "You deserve this. You've got it coming to you. If you were being treated rightly this is what you ought to have." That’s the message of our culture……and it’s in direct contrast to the teaching that the Bible sets forth about our relationship to God.  How can we have gratitude if we’re only getting what we deserve? It’s pretty hard to be grateful for that. Gratitude only comes when we feel we don’t deserve something……..but we get it anyway.

All through the Scriptures we’re told that the proper relationship of a believer to God……..and the thing that pleases Him the most…….is to give thanks for everything: 1 Thessalonians 5:18……"In everything give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you……". And that’s the message that Solomon gives us throughout this book of wisdom………to receive everything with a grateful heart……..realizing that we don’t deserve it or have it coming to us…….it’s a gift of God. Even if it’s painful for the moment…….there is a wise God who has chosen it for us……and He has promised that it’s going to yield a great benefit. We really can be grateful for the pain as well as the pleasure……..that is the lesson of this book.

Solomon’s second observation is that long life and a big family…….without the gift of enjoyment to accompany it…….is a grievous and hurtful thing. Go ahead and read Ecclesiastes 6:3-6……3If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he, 4for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity.  5"It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he.  6"Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things--do not all go to one place?"

Solomon sets out a contrast between two hypothetical people. He chooses one who would be considered the most fortunate……and one who would be considered the least fortunate.

He tells us that even a big family…….which usually brings a lot of joy and excitement and pleasure to life…….and even a long life and many children and grandchildren………will not of themselves meet man's deep hunger for contentment. It will still leave him restless, unhappy, maybe even a life filled with quarrels and family strife……ultimately leaving him discontent and unsatisfied. Without the gift of enjoyment nothing will satisfy……..nothing will produce long-lasting joy. 

And in this contrast he lays out……Solomon says that even a stillborn baby is better off…….and he gives reasons for this. First, a stillborn infant has no history to live down: "It comes into vanity and goes into darkness, and in darkness its name is covered." No one knows anything about it…….it has no history, so no one can put it down or in any way attack it. Furthermore, it will not experience trouble……..but the wealthy man will…….and we see that when he says……."It has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather than he." Even long life……two thousand years of life, wouldn’t help. Both the stillborn baby and the wealthy man who lives a long life without enjoyment end in the same place…….neither finds the gift of enjoyment.

Which life is better? Solomon says that the life of the child is better because it bypasses the tragedy of a wasted life. He then asks a rhetorical question. Do not all go to one place? The question expects an obvious affirmative answer……..which leads us to a bit of a problem. We know from other Scriptures that all do NOT go to the same place.

And the obvious answer is that Solomon is again giving us a picture of life as it exists "under the sun." Apart from a heavenly perspective…….all people die in the same way. They all die and go to the same place. The man who has lived a thousand years dies in the same way as the stillborn baby. They’re both just as dead. Long life doesn’t last. No matter how long the life…….it’s destined eventually to end.

The third point that Solomon makes is found in Ecclesiastes 6:7-9……. 7All a man's labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied.  8For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living?  9What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires This too is futility and a striving after wind. 

And the point he’s making is that man is incapable of finding joy by his own effort. Hard work won’t do it: "All a man’s labor is for his mouth." Work isn’t a curse……it’s designed to satisfy man's appetite to find pleasure and contentment…….but hard work and a desperate drive to satisfy oneself along these lines will never work……it will not produce lasting pleasure. 

We used to have a tradition in our family……It may have been short-lived……but it went on for a while.  When one of the kids would have a birthday……Tish would cook them whatever they wanted for their birthday dinner.  Anybody have a tradition like that?  OK…….let me ask you something…….what’s your favorite food in the whole world?  If it was your birthday…..what would you have for dinner if given the choice?  Alright…….so you ate that dinner and it was GOOD!!!!  No……it was GREAT!!!!  So that satisfied you…….didn’t it?  But what happened?  No matter how good……how satisfying that meal was…….by the next day you were hungry again. There’s a rather curious repetition to hunger isn’t there? It doesn’t matter how well you ate yesterday…….tomorrow you’ll be hungry again.

This principle is true of more than mere food. Whatever it is that you pick to attempt to satisfy your soul will eventually be found to be lacking. Or to put it another way - Stuff doesn’t satisfy. Why not? Because physical things can only satisfy physical needs…….and what every man has a deep hunger for is spiritual……it’s a hunger of the soul. And we can see this pretty vividly in the Hebrew text of this verse. The word translated "appetite" is the same word translated "soul" in verses 2 and 3.  That’s not to say that physical needs aren’t important………but their primary importance is to serve spiritual ends.  God made us this way.

For a man to become truly rich……..he first has to come to terms with his inner poverty. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." A man who is poor in spirit……..who has mourned over his lost condition…….who has hungered and thirsted for that which only God can provide……that man has all the riches of heaven……..and finds true satisfaction of the soul.

One of the great American myths is that all men are created equal. It simply isn’t true. Or as one cynic stated…….."Some are just more equal than others." Some people are wise and others are foolish by nature. Some are born into poverty and others are born to riches. But there IS a measure of equality in the fact that such advantages are really to no great advantage in the important things in life.

So…….work won’t do it……he says wisdom and charm won’t either. "What advantage does the wise man have over the fool?........or even a poor man "who knows how to conduct himself before the living" is still left empty, lonely and miserable inside.

And in verse 9 Solomon shows us that there is a dichotomy between what the eyes see versus what the soul desires. We tend to think that they are the same thing……but they’re not.  And I think this has happened to most of us.  Think about something that you really wanted. You thought about having it and you dreamed of the enjoyment it would bring you. And you labored and you struggled and finally you acquired it. What then? It didn’t seem quite so wonderful.  That’s because the thing that you want often looks to be more fulfilling than it actually is. Wanting is better than having. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

The reason all this is so is given in the closing verses of this chapter…….and we’ll look at them individually…….who’s got Ecclesiastes 6:10?  10Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is.

The reason is the unalterable decree of God. Solomon is telling us here that God has decreed that enjoyment cannot be found by effort, by work, and by the pursuit of pleasure. Enjoyment must be taken as a gift from God's hand…….that decree is as unalterable as the law of gravity. You may not agree with God about it……you may not like it, but there it is……..it cannot be changed.  And he goes on to point out three things about this:

First…….God decreed it before man was ever created: "Whatever exists has already been named"……..before it happened. Even man didn’t come to be before he was named in the mind and thought of God……and God created this strange law of life before man ever appeared on earth.

Secondly…….it was decreed in view of what man is.  He says, "It is known what man is."God made us. He knows what we are like……how we function…..what will satisfy and what will not. In view of that……He set up this decree that enjoyment cannot be found from the possession of things. Jesus stated that very plainly in Luke 12:15:  Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."

Then, thirdly Solomon says that it was decreed in spite of man: "for he cannot dispute with Him who stronger than he is." How are you going to change the laws of God? They govern your life whether you like it or not. Though this may appear to be very much against us……..the fact is there’s nothing we can do about it.

He then goes on to say in verse 11 that arguing doesn’t help at all. Ecclesiastes 6:11……..11For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? 

C.S. Lewis said pretty well when he said……."To argue with God is to argue with the very power that makes it possible to argue at all." How do you change that?

Solomon goes on again to speak of the weakness of man. There’re two reasons why this law cannot be changed…….first, because God decreed it……as we’ve seen; and secondly, because man is so limited. Ecclesiastes 6:12………12For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun? 

So Solomon started out with a basic question……. “Who knows the true value in life? Where is the man who understands what is good and what is bad?” And he answers it by saying none of us does. And he ends the passage with two other questions…..the first being….."Who knows what’s good for man?" 

Did you ever wish for something you thought was just right for you…….and then when you got it you wished you didn't have it? When you were in high school did you ever say………'Lord, if I could just go with that beautiful girl I'd be the happiest boy alive.' And then you finally got the nerve to ask her out…….and you got acquainted…….and then you found praying, 'Lord, if I could just get rid of this girl I'd be the happiest guy alive!'" So his question stands…….."Who knows what is good for man?" Surely we don’t.

Then the second question…….Who knows what’s coming in the future: "Who can tell man what will be after him?" Who knows what the results of our present choices are going to be? Given our limited, narrow vision of what life is…….which is true of the smartest and wisest among us……..what business have we got complaining to God about how our life is run?  Under the sun……we don’t have a clue what’s good for us……and we certainly can’t predict the future of what’s going to go on when we’re gone.

If prosperity isn’t always good……..as Solomon has clearly shown…….then it’s equally true that adversity isn’t always bad. Suppose the hard times do come……there’s a lot of good and even great things that can come out of it.  The life lessons we learn in this chapter aren’t merely theory. They make up the journal of the wisest man who ever lived. All of his wisdom combined to show him the emptiness of a life without God......and the enjoyment to be had from recognizing the gift that God has given us.

ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 7:1-14

    This morning we’re going to continue our trek through the book of Ecclesiastes and we’ll be in chapter 7.......and if you remember the last time we took a look at this book......chapter 6 really laid out the first part of an argument that Solomon was making.  In chapter 6 he basically made the case that he’s talked about previously.......that prosperity may not always be good........and in the first fourteen verses of Chapter 7 he takes up the opposite and accompanying truth........that adversity may not always be bad.  And that’s what we’ll take a look at this morning......the first 14 verses.

    What does it mean to you when you hear someone talk about “the deeper things of Scripture?  PREDESTINATION……ETERNAL SECURITY……IS BAPTISM NECESSARY FOR SALVATION?  Usually when we speak of these "deeper things" of Scripture……..we think in terms of doctrinal disputes…….the splitting of theological hairs. But these are child’s play when contrasted to the difficulty of putting godly principles into practice.

Jesus spoke often about the “doing” of God’s Word…..the application of the things He was teaching.  When you look at Scripture from that point of view…..even the simplest of principles become profound when applied to daily living. It’s the APPLICATION of the things Jesus taught that can really be considered the “deeper things” of Scripture.  And that’s where Solomon starts out here in Chapter 7……..with a series of proverbs that list the good things that can happen in affliction. 

How do you develop and keep a good reputation when people are saying bad things about you? How do you take it and not lose your cool when someone is smearing your name?  How do you avoid the pitfall of anger? How do you come to understand what God is doing in your life? What do you do when life just isn’t fair?  These problems of daily living are the true deep issues of Christianity.

Throughout this chapter we’re going to see one word repeated again and again. It’s the word "better." Life’s made up of a series of choices. Some of these choices are bad and some of these choices are good…….or at least better. The point of this passage is for us to choose that which is better.

So let’s look at the first verse…..the first of his proverbs…….who’s got Ecclesiastes 7:1………A good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth. 

The Hebrew word shem is translated as ointment or perfume here…..depending on which translation you have……and when I was trying to see what Solomon was saying……I got to thinking of the perfume commercials I’ve seen in the past.  They always show some woman spraying on a little of their product and suddenly her whole life changes……she’s surrounded by romantic situations and sensuous delights.  Or some guy puts on a certain “man scent” and he suddenly has to beat gorgeous women away from him.  This may actually happen in some parallel universe……but not in the real world.  I could bathe in the stuff and I’m still gonna be the same old ugly guy…..who may just smell a little better.  You can spray on all the stinky stuff you got and you’re still you…..and that’s what is being said.  You can smell good on the outside……but it’s the pleasing aroma of a good reputation that’s better. Your reputation……who you are perceived to be……is what counts.  You can’t mask it with anything.   A good name is truly influential.......a good name endures.  

How many times have you passed a bunch of fancy restaurants just to go to some little hole-in-the-wall place that’s known for its good food?  A good name is attractive. No matter who you are or whether you can even afford fine perfume or not……you can always have a name that is synonymous with integrity, responsibility and godliness.  No matter what affliction or adversity you may be encountering........you can always afford a good name. You can live down bad body odor……..but it’s difficult to live down a bad reputation.

What about the second part of that verse?  “……the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.” How does this relate to the value of a good reputation? It relates because a good reputation doesn’t matter on the day of your birth…….but it DOES matter on the day of your death.  On the day of your birth……anything’s possible.  You’ve got a clean slate.  But on the day of your death……what you’ve done with your life is now set in stone. It can no longer be changed. And that goes for your reputation, too.  

That’s how the second part of the verse relates to reputation……but you could also look at it to mean that if you’ve lived a life that is glorifying to Christ……if you have the promises of Scripture to stand upon……then the day of your death truly is a better day than that of your birth.  On the day you’re born you have a lifetime ahead of you……and that lifetime is going to be filled with difficulties and sorrows and heartbreak.  On the day of your death the only thing you have to face is an eternity of peace and contentment based on the promises of Jesus Christ.

The next 3 verses go together in the thought they’re trying to convey……and they sound about a hundred and eighty degrees different than what we think they should.  Go ahead and read verses 2 through 4………2It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man And the living takes it to heart. 3Sorrow is better than laughter, for when a face is sad a heart may be happy. 4The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure. 

Like I said……a hundred and eighty degrees different than what it seems they should be.  How could these possibly be encouragements?  Well….. Solomon begins to contrast the mind of the wise man and the mind of the fool…..and it’s done in a manner that’s difficult to understand at first unless you view it in the context of what he’s just talked about……death.  How can mourning and sorrow and grief lead to gladness and joy?  

Well……the fact is that it’s often in sadness and mourning that we learn the truly important lessons of life.  When you’re confronted with death you’re no longer dealing with side issues…….the mundane and superfluous issues of life go by the wayside and you concentrate on that which is important.  Death is kinda the ultimate realism.  And Solomon lets us know that it isn’t just a few people that are going to experience this……“because it is the end of every man”.  Let’s face it……while you’re alive there’s a good possibility that people close to you will die……there’s even a better possibility that you’re gonna die.  The person who faces these things without being acquainted with the reality of mourning has a more difficult time in handling such a loss.

The wise man has come to terms with the brevity of life. He doesn’t live as though life on earth will last forever. He recognizes death’s reality and presence……and he’s contrasted to the fool.  The fool’s mind thinks only of pleasure…..thinks he’s going to last forever.  The wise man knows that mourning is a very real part of life and knows he’s not going to be around very long.  Solomon isn’t downplaying joy here……he’s just concentrating on the reality of sorrow…….and the fact that it does lead to wisdom….and eventually to gladness. All he’s saying is that it’s really through times of sorrow and adversity we begin to understand the reality of our lives.

Go ahead and read verses 5 & 6…….5It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man than for one to listen to the song of fools.  6For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool; and this too is futility. 

No one likes to be rebuked……..we all hate being told that we’re wrong. But we’re better off if we ARE told that we’re wrong so that we can fix whatever we were doing and do in better.

Many of us have been in work situations where the boss just wants to surround himself by people who tell him what a good job he’s doing……whether he is or not.  How many of you are familiar with the 1837 children’s fairytale, "The Emperor's New Clothes"?  It’s a story by Hans Christian Andersen about an emperor of a prosperous city who cares more about clothes than military pursuits…..cares more about how he looks than what he’s doing.  He unwittingly hires two swindlers to create a new suit of clothes for him.  They tell him that the cloth the suit will be made of is invisible to anyone who was either stupid or unfit for his position. The Emperor obviously cannot see the non-existent cloth…….but pretends that he can for fear of appearing stupid…….and all of his ministers and aids do the same. The Emperor then goes on a procession through the capital showing off his new "clothes". During the course of the procession, a small child cries out, "But he has nothing on!" The Emperor, however, holds his head high and continues the procession.  

What Solomon is saying is that sometimes the Emperor needs to be told he’s naked.  Anybody that wants to surround themselves with people who just tell them what they want to hear is foolish.  Scripture deals with this in the spiritual realm as well……... 2 Timothy 4:3…….. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 

When somebody tells us something we don’t like…….or don’t want to hear….we should probably take the time to hear them out.  We’re all much better off listening to a wise man…….even when it’s painful.  The fact is that adversity can be very beneficial to us.

Who’s got Ecclesiastes 7:7-10…….7For oppression makes a wise man mad, and a bribe corrupts the heart. 8The end of a matter is better than its beginning; patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. 9Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools. 10Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. 

Depending on which translation you’re working with……verse 7 seems to take on different meanings.  The NIV says, “Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.”  Probably the clearest translation of the verse would be “Corruption makes fools of sensible people, and bribes can ruin you.”  When seen in this light……the meaning is quite clear.  Even the wise can be misled.  There isn’t a one of us who is not vulnerable.  That’s why it’s so important to be walking in the Spirit in every area of our lives.  

In verse 8 Solomon continues with his proverbial thoughts when he tells us that “Something completed is better than something just begun;……that’s pretty clear…… No race is won in the beginning……the prize goes to the one who finishes the race. Do you remember to parable of the sower? There were a lot of different seeds that were sown. A lot of them started out just fine didn’t they?  But only one really grew to maturity…….only one completed the journey to arrive at the harvest.

He goes on in that verse to say that “patience is better than too much pride.”  …..another thought that’s carried throughout the New Testament.  But look at what he says……because the contrast here is an unusual one. When we think of pride……or a haughty spirit……we usually thing of it as being the opposite of humility. But Solomon contrasts pride with what? PATIENCE!  This seems to say something about impatience. There seems to be a direct correlation between impatience and pride.

 In my observation of life......I’ve seen that proud people, by nature are impatient people. They think that they have it all together and they’re impatient with anyone whom they perceive not to measure up to their own private standards. They project the idea, "I’m more important than you…..you’re inferior to me…..and I’m not going to tolerate it." 

In our culture we’ve lost any sense of endurance……of long-suffering….of waiting upon anything.  We want everything NOW. We have instant coffee……fast food……microwaves……immediate gratification, and instant entertainment. Our computers are never fast enough……our modems are too slow and the idea of waiting for anything seems to grate on our nerves.  Solomon says there’s a danger to all of this.  Again I remind you that we’re dealing with application here……these are words that Solomon wants us to apply to our lives.

Verse 9 probably doesn’t need a lot of explanation……The New Testament is filled with very similar warnings……none of us should be “quick to anger”.  For us to learn to be patient in spirit is one of the great lessons that adversity can teach us.

It also shows us that just as there’s a correlation between pride and patience…….there’s a correlation between impatience and a tendency toward anger. Impatient people are prone to anger. And an angry person is a foolish person……and what he’s painting here is a natural progression for these people.  PRIDE leads to IMPATIENCE…….which leads to ANGER……which leads to FOOLISHNESS.

And if this is true……the opposite is also true…….HUMILITY leads to PATIENCE……which leads to PEACE……which leads to WISDOM.  

Then he adds to this thought that we shouldn’t be looking back on “the good ol’ days”…….we shouldn’t be seeking that which is gone……in fact he says it’s foolishness to do so.  I suspect there are a couple of different reasons he says this.  First…..ten years from now you’re going to be looking back on today as the good old days.  I’m surprised Solomon didn’t add…….for this too is chasing after the wind.  There’s nothing wise about looking back.  

Secondly……there’s something unbiblical about it.  Look at Philippians 3:13-14   13Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,  14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  That’s where all of our eyes should be……looking ahead.  Where are we going…….not where have we been. 

Remember when the Israelites were miraculously freed from Egypt?  They’re wandering around in the wilderness and every time they faced hardships…….they’d mumble and complain and say, "Why didn’t we stay back in Egypt? Things were so much better there!"

To find dissatisfaction with today is to find dissatisfaction with the day that God has provided. Look at Psalm 118:24……..This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  I think that’s the same thing Solomon is saying here.

And now Solomon addresses wisdom itself…….go ahead and read verses 11 and 12……11Wisdom along with an inheritance is good and an advantage to those who see the sun. 12For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. 

Wisdom and wealth are placed side by side here for something of a comparison. They’re both good……..it’s good to have wisdom…….and it’s good to have wealth. And it is even better to have BOTH…….because they both offer a certain amount of protection. Wisdom offers protection from being foolish……and wealth offers the kinds of protection that money can buy……I guess mainly protection from poverty.

But there seems to be one significant difference…….one advantage that wisdom has over wealth. Wisdom preserves the life of the one who possesses it. The wise man knows how to lengthen his life by wise living.  Let’s face it…….rich people don’t live longer. In fact……a lot of times they live shorter. Just look at the famous celebrities who have died from drugs and alcohol and foolish living.  All their money bought them was misery and a much quicker end to the blessing of life.  There’s nothing wrong with wealth…..but wisdom’s a lot better.

Solomon ends this discourse with something that we really need to think about…….something we really need to apply to the way that we live our lives.  Go ahead and read verses 13 & 14……13Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent? 14In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider-- God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him.

He starts out with a rhetorical question……. “Who can straighten what God has bent?” The answer’s not given because it’s obvious. No one can undo what God does. He’s sort of the ultimate DOER.  If He bends something to His will……no one’s able to straighten it.  So…..what’s his point? There are times when you just have to play the cards you’ve been dealt…….all the time remembering that it’s God who dealt the cards. What you have has been given by Him…….He’s in control. There’s nothing that ever comes into your life that’s out of His sovereign design. And that should be a message of comfort.  It’s not fatalism. It’s being said so that we can recognize that there are both good things as well as bad things which happen in our lives. 

We should honestly be able to give thanks is ALL things because they ALL come from the hand of God.   Job knew this truth…….read Job 2:10……. But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. 

Solomon’s telling us that there are some things that we cannot change. That’s the bad news. But the good news is that they were brought into my life by God Himself. And I can take comfort in that fact.  And then he ends by telling us to EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.  You don’t know what’s coming…….you’re not in charge.  Trust in God to do the right things in your life…..to bring you what you need.

We never seem to have any problem doing that when things are good…..but what about when things are bad?  When we sing the song BLESSED BE YOUR NAME….. do we mean it……or is it just another song we sing that sounds pretty and has no meaning in our lives?

Look at the words………

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

The great lie that Satan has fed our society comes at us pretty subtly sometimes……but it’s constantly there…….we’re gods…….we’re in charge……we can plan…….we can direct…….we can control. But the lesson of Scripture that we see over and over again is that the lie just isn’t true. God’s in charge. What He sends us is always designed to benefit us in our spiritual lives……Even though it may be painful…….it comes from a loving God…….and we’re to be grateful for it.

ECCLESIASTES 7:15-29

We’ve talked on several occasions that the book of Ecclesiastes is the most exhaustive investigation ever made as to the value and profit of various lifestyles. Solomon has attempted to record a faithful and objective report of what he found in this extensive search that obviously took years of his life to conduct. By the middle of the seventh chapter he can actually say, “I’ve seen it all folks.” In fact……he opens this section with those very words. Chapter 7:15……I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.

This central section of Ecclesiastes deals with how to properly and realistically evaluate life. We’ve already seen in the latter half of chapter 6…..that prosperity isn’t always good……to be wealthy and materially well off is by no means the answer to the restlessness and hunger and vanity that people face. And in the first half of chapter 7 he showed us the opposite truth……..that adversity isn’t always bad. Now in verse 15 we learn still another accompanying truth……life isn’t fair.

Ecclesiastes is a book that gives us a harsh dose of reality. The rose-colored glasses came off a long time ago. Everything isn’t always rosy……the good guys don’t always win…….and the hero doesn’t always ride off into the sunset. In fact……sometimes it’s quite the contrary. Solomon proclaims in this verse the fact that he’s seen instances where bad things happened to good people……and where good things happened to bad people.

But we have something in our culture called “Prosperity Theology” that claims just the opposite……..that only good things happen to good people. When disaster strikes a Christian……..the Prosperity Theologian retorts, "He must not have been good enough," or, "He must not have prayed hard enough." Similar to this view are those who believe that you can claim God’s power for healing and.......if you have enough faith, that healing will always take place.  There is so much garbage out there in the name of religion or God or even Jesus Christ that it’s a wonder anyone ever finds the real Jesus.

 When I was in Mississippi a couple of weeks ago.......I couldn’t sleep so I was channel surfing and stopped on one of the “inspirational channels” and this guy was on.  So I watched it a while and honestly couldn’t believe my eyes and ears.  If you take this guy’s “green prosperity cloth”......and hold it up to the T.V.......you’ll get rich.  The cloth is green by the way.......because that’s the color of money!  He said that several times.  

Now......if you don’t want to go with the green prayer cloth.......another solution that’s sometimes attempted is a multiplication of religious effort. It’s reasoned, "If God blesses good people and I am not being blessed, then I’m going to try harder and pray harder and give more and to be more righteous until I am good enough to merit God’s blessings."

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with trying to be good. But there IS a problem with the motivation that’s taking place in our hearts.  I’m going to be good so God will make me rich.......probably not a good reason.  “I’m going to do what God commands out of love and gratitude.”........lot better reason.  But here......Solomon is simply telling us that life’s not fair......get used to it.  Sometimes the righteous perish and sometimes the wicked prosper.

Verses 16-19 is a difficult passage......and from looking at all of the commentaries out there......possibly one of the most misunderstood in all of Ecclesiastes.  It says,  “16Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? 17Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.  19Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.” 

Alright.......this has got to be the favorite verses of those people who want to live any way they want to.  “See......it says right there in Scripture......‘don’t be excessively wicked’......which means I can be a little wicked and it’s alright!”  Well......that’s probably not what he’s saying here.

These verses have to be seen in the context of the verse before them......you’ve got the righteous and you’ve got the wicked.......and it’s still God’s call who is going to be blessed and who will not.......but excesses in either area can be bad things.  In either case they destroy something of their humanity........and either way it can also harm you physically. The overly righteous......or self- righteous may die of ulcers......or a heart attack.......or as a result of soft, indulgent living.  The wicked or fool may die in a drunken brawl........or a car accident.  

But the real key to what Solomon is saying......the proper attitude toward life is found in Verse 18:

It is good that you should take hold of this [true righteousness] and from that [the wicked world in which we live] withhold not your hand; for he who fears God shall come forth from them all. (Ecclesiastes 7:18 RSV)

Basically what he’s saying here is that we’re not supposed to withdraw from the world in an attempt to escape its evil.  We aren’t supposed to gather our robes of righteousness around ourselves and look down our noses with contempt at those who live morally unrighteous lives. It’s good to take hold of true righteousness.......but it’s also good to not withhold oneself from the world. Be out in it......live in it......be in touch with it. Don’t seek to avoid it.  We have a tendency to hide in our little spiritual cocoon......we go to the Christian coffee shop......we only socialize with people we go to church with......and then we wonder why the church isn’t impacting the world.  We need to be out there among ‘em.......we just don’t have to go along with its unrighteous and evil attitudes and practices.

And he wraps the verse up with a prescription of the godly way to live........“He who fears God comes forth with both of them”........And it seems to indicate that in the end......this man will win both the wise and the foolish.  But what does it mean to “fear God?”  We see it throughout Scripture......in fact......go ahead and read Psalm 111:10......The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.  And again in Proverbs 1:7.......The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.  It seems to be a pretty important thing in the life of a human being......the fear of the Lord.

It means not only to respect God........but to acknowledge His presence in your life.......not just when you die.......but now. To fear God is to know that He sees all that you do........and every circumstance of your life passes through His hands. The knowledge of God's power, wisdom and love, His willingness to accept you......to change you.......to forgive you.........are all part of fearing God. 

“To fear God” is to know how to live in the midst of the world.......and yet not be self-righteous.....or smug or complacent. That kind of wisdom "gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city." It’s better to learn to live in the fear of the Lord.......to live wisely.......than it is to have ten influential friends in high places.  They are of no value when compared with the wisdom of the Lord.   

Solomon now sets forth the truth that we live in a fallen world. There is no righteousness, apart from the gift of God. All have been infected by the virus of evil, he declares in Verses 20-22:   20Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.  21Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. 22For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others. 

In the context of this passage.......Solomon is talking about how good it is to have wisdom.......but a part of wisdom is being aware of the reality of sin. In Reformed Theology it’s known as the Doctrine of Total Depravity. There is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. This same concept is seen a lot in Scripture......but possibly none more encompassing than the testimony given by Paul inRomans 3:10-18........

10.......as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;  11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;  12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;  THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." 13"THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; 14"WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS";  15"THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,  16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, 17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." 18"THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES." 

Paul strings together six Old Testament passages to compose a pretty powerful argument for the universal depravity of all men.......and the picture he draws is that every part of this man is seen to be in rebellion against God. He’s a sinner from head to toe. But notice Paul’s summary. At the root of man’s sin problem is the fact that he has no fear of God........wow......sounds familiar. 

And then as something of a reminder of the fact that no matter how “righteous” we may be......we all sin.......Solomon reminds us of just one way that we do that.  I think it’s interesting the way he introduces this concept of sinning by talking bad about people behind their backs........he turns it around so that we’re the recipient of the bad talking.  And he tells us not to take it too seriously. 

Think about it....... what’s your first reaction when you learn that people are bad-mouthing you? Has it ever happened?  What’s your reaction?  Anger......confrontation?   Do you say, “Who does he think he is?.......I’ll go whip him like a rented mule!!”  

What Solomon says is you don’t need to take it too seriously.......we live in a fallen world and the guy who’s talking bad about you has the same weaknesses that you do.  You’ve don’t the same thing......not just once.....but “many times” you’ve cursed others.  The wisdom is.......let it go........you’re susceptible to the same thing.  And that’s pretty basically why he can confidently say that there is none righteous in the earth.

Go ahead and read verses 23-25.......23I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me.  24What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious Who can discover it? 25I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.

Solomon now turns to his own personal testimony. He hasn’t done this since chapter 2. If you recall........in the first 2 chapters of Ecclesiastes, he related his search for wisdom in all the different areas of life. Now he returns to the telling his readers of that quest. He says he set out to learn wisdom........this was his goal.........and there’s nothing wrong with the goal he set.  In fact......if you recall.......the Lord commended Solomon for his desire to be wise. Go ahead and read I Kings 3:6-12......and this is a prayer by Solomon upon becoming king of Israel........ 6Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.  7"Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.  8"Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted.  9"So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"  10It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.  11God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice,  12behold, I have done according to your words Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.

So......here he is.....the wisest man who will ever live......and yet he talks about his quest for wisdom eluding him.......he says it was far from him.  His own testimony concerning himself was that wisdom remained elusive.......a remote and mysterious entity. Why?  Certainly not for a lack of looking. Neither was it a lack of mental capacity. It all had to do with PERSPECTIVE.  

When Solomon had great wisdom......it was wisdom directly from God.......but that kind of wisdom can’t be found "under the sun." True wisdom requires a divine perspective. And one can only acquire such a perspective through the filling of the Holy Spirit. Such a perspective must come from a source outside yourself........and if you don’t have that......Solomon says that you’re not going to discover it.

It’s interesting that now he seeks out evil and folly and foolishness......a purposed pursuit to know the ugly side of the coin.  And I think there are times that we actually do that very thing ourselves.......we are drawn to things that we know aren’t righteous.....we know aren’t going to be glorifying to God......and yet we do it anyway.  But what’s the first thing that Solomon sees on his quest of evil and foolishness?  Go ahead and read verse 26.......  26And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her. 

When Solomon started looking for evil he found the same thing that we all find when we do it.........bitterness and death.  And it can be found in any number of places.....things and people.......Solomon personifies it as an evil woman.  It’s probably understandable why he chose this as his illustration.......the guy had a lot of women around him.  Who’s got I Kings 11:1-4?........ 1Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,  2from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon held fast to these in love.  3He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.  4For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 

So.......Solomon’s something of an expert on having women around him......not on relationships with women......but only being surrounded by them.  He’ll go on here in a minute to touch on the topic of women again......but this verse seems to say that he’s come to a realization that evil is pretty easy to find......and when it comes to an evil woman.....the bitterness and death that he talks about will engulf a man.  Solomon probably found himself trapped by sexual seduction.  You have a thousand of the most beautiful women in the empire all clamoring for the attention of one man........how much rivalry do you think existed in that environment.......how seductive would a woman have to be to get noticed?  And Solomon found that he fell into these traps continually.  We’ve got to remember here that Solomon is honestly recording his own experience.  And then he tells us that the only way to escape this type of entrapment is to be pleasing to God......walk in the Spirit.......exemplify Jesus Christ.  That’s Solomon’s sure cure.

Let’s go on with verses 27 thru 29........27"Behold, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "adding one thing to another to find an explanation,  28which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.  29"Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices." 

Solomon ends this portion of writing with another observation that he has made simply through living.  Not only did he find himself trapped by sexual seductiveness...... but he says that there was another mystery that had him somewhat puzzled.  And verses 27 and 28 need to be interpreted carefully or we’ll come up with a totally wrong meaning.  He says that he’s looked and looked and cannot find an explanation to an observation that he’s made.  We could easily walk away saying that Solomon was a male chauvinist pig......and that he liked men more than women.  Totally wrong conclusion.  In Chapter 8 of Proverbs he uses a woman to symbolize true, godly wisdom.......and in the 31st chapter of Proverbs he holds up a woman as the supreme example of one who lives a life pleasing to God. Solomon wasn’t a woman hater.......that wasn’t his problem.  So what’s he talking about here.  He’s indeed talking about relationships here......but something much more than that.  It’s interesting......and certainly no coincidence......that the number of women that Solomon “owned” is the number that he uses for the men that he’s searched through to find one who is what he was looking for.......a wise and righteous man.

In a thousand men Solomon found one who was wise and righteous......that’s the context of the passage.  But in a thousand women......he found none.  Why.....because there weren’t any wise women?  I don’t think that’s it.......I think it goes back to relationships again.  Any man that has collected one thousand of the most beautiful women in the kingdom probably isn’t really trying to relate to them on anything but an immediate sexual satisfaction level.  He didn’t take the opportunity to discover who the woman really was.......and from the women’s perspective.......the competition was pretty serious.......so in order to stand out from the others.....the women did all they could to please Solomon.  Not exactly a prescription for knowing one another on anything but a very superficial level.

That wasn’t the case when the king related to men.  He wasn’t stymied by this immediate gratification.  He could understand men.......relate to them......realize what they were all about.  And even at that.......he only found one man in a thousand that was wise.  And I think there’s an application in this.......a lesson to be learned regarding our relationships with the opposite sex.  Sex, outside of marriage, stops the mutual process of discovery. You can’t discover who another person is when you’re involved together wrongly. And I think we’ve all seen it happen with young couples who were obviously growing in the Lord.......who began to know one another......to love one another......to discover things they liked and disliked, and then suddenly the relationship soured.  Invariably it turned out that they gave way to their temptations and strayed from God’s best for them.......canceling out every attempt to discover who the other one was. 

This tells me something about man-woman relationships. It tells me that sex before marriage short-circuits the potential for a healthy relationship. Solomon had relations with hundreds of women. But it seems as though he managed not to have a real relationship with any of them.  And I think that’s why Solomon tells us......“I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.”

Finally, he sums this all up in Verse 29......."Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices." This reference to men is not masculine as it is in the previous verse.......it’s generic.......meaning men and women.  So God’s creation was right......the problem doesn’t lie with God......it lies with man.  God did it right.......sin corrupted it.  That’s why wisdom is so rare........because man has been blinded by sin. Man wasn’t created to be that way........it’s because men have turned from God to seek out "many devices."  And this isn’t just Solomon’s perception.......it’s throughout Scripture that we see this same thing.  Who’s got Isaiah 53:6........ All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way  but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

The search that Solomon is on is for the truth.......and every conclusion he comes to is that life can never be found except where God says it’s found........in a relationship with Him. Really, Solomon is just declaring what he emphasizes throughout the whole book of Ecclesiastes........it’s the man or woman who finds the Living God who discovers the answer to life itself.

Ecclesiastes 8

     I’m absolutely certain that we have not yet……nor probably ever will…..come to a passage in this study of the book of Ecclesiastes that is more relevant to the times we are living in here in the United States of America than the one we’re going to look at this morning.  Chapter 8 of the book of Ecclesiastes deals directly with a current phenomenon that all of us have an opinion on……..the growing resistance to governmental control of individual lives.  It’s a topic that is discussed over the water cooler at work….there are constant e-mails, meetings and protests that many people can relate to.  It’s something that’s at the forefront of nearly every news broadcast.  So…..the subject matter that Solomon deals with is very contemporary.  Not only that…….but he also deals with how we should react when we see things moving out of control in our own lives…….so all-in-all……this should be a section of Scripture that we can relate to.

Now I’m relatively certain that we’ve all heard of Murphy’s Law……haven’t we?  Is there anyone here who does not know Murphy’s Law?  WHAT IS IT?  "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."  And since Murphy…..whoever he was…..came up with this law……it’s been expanded upon to include such things as…….

• Nothing is as easy as it looks;

  1. Everything takes longer than you think;

  2. The other line always moves faster (that still applies if you change lines);

  3. The chance of a piece of bread falling butter side down is directly proportionate to the cost of the carpet;

  4. If you drop a tool while you are repairing your car, it will roll underneath to the exact center;

  5. The repairman will not have seen a model quite like yours before.

Now there’s also a corollary law called Petrov’s Law……which simply put says, “MURPHY WAS AN OPTIMIST”.  The point is that there are times when things get out of control. Our house of cards crumbles…….our carefully laid plans to control our lives falls apart…….and life seems to be careening down a mountainside with no brakes and no steering wheel……..and there’s nothing we can do except to ride it out. So….. Solomon will address this matter also.  Pretty relevant topics for our world today.  So let’s start with verse one and see what he has to say.

Who’s got verse one?  Ecclesiastes 8:1…… 1Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.

Solomon starts this section off in the same manner that we ended chapter 7…..talking about wisdom…….and he begins with a rhetorical question. It’s a question that expects no answer because none is needed. Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? Throughout this section of Ecclesiastes we’ve seen several benefits of a person possessing wisdom…….In verse 7:12 he tells us that Wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors………in 7:19 he tells us that Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rules in a city.  

Here we see a third benefit of wisdom……..A man’s wisdom illumines him…….which literally means……a man’s wisdom makes his face shine. Now when you first look at it……it seems to refer to someone having a sunny disposition…… someone who’s happy. We all know that there are people who can light up a room just by walking into it……I’ve always thought that Tish had that quality……at least she always has with me. But there’s also the opposite of that……there are some people who can light up a room just by leaving…….I’ve always thought I possessed that particular quality. But I don’t think that’s what Solomon is describing here. You see……the concept of having one’s "face shine" is one familiar to every Jew……because it was a part of the Levitical Blessing.  Who’s got Numbers 6:24-26?  The Lord bless you and keep you, The Lord make His face to shineupon you, And be gracious to you, The Lord lift up His countenance on you And give you peace.  

And at least 8 times in the Psalms we see the same concept.  But in every one of these passages……it’s the Lord’s face that is said to be shining upon His people. And as a result of this shining…….they would receive a blessing.

This time……it’s not the Lord’s face that’s said to be shining…….it’s the face of the wise man…….it’s his wisdom that enlightens his face.  But we’ve already been shown that true wisdom comes from God……and God’s wisdom brings with it the blessing of God…..which is exactly what a wise man can do.  Even in the hard times…….Even when everything falls apart…….Even when life deals you a short hand.

But that’s not all that wisdom does. It also has a second effect on the one who possesses it. It causes his stern face to beam.  Wisdom softens a harsh look. It takes the hard conditions of life that leads to a downcast or harsh countenance…….and it softens it because of an understanding that God is still in control……that events are not random….. that we are not now……nor have we ever been in charge.  God is…..and wisdom knows this.

Go ahead and read verses 2 through 8…… 2I say, "Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God.  3"Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases."  4Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, "What are you doing?"  5He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.  6For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man's trouble is heavy upon him.  7If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? 8No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver those who practice it.

Alright…….who was it again who wrote this passage?  SOLOMON……and when he wrote it what position did he occupy?  KING OF ISRAEL.  Seems a little self serving, doesn’t it?  Here’s the King writing about how to get along with…..the King. But remember……this is God’s Word.  And even if you do not live in a country that has a king…….there are some principles here which can apply to anyone who is under authority of any kind.

Americans by nature are not inclined to submit to authority. In fact……we’re a nation who was founded on rebellion to authority. Our forefathers decided that they no longer wished to live under the authority of England……so we rebelled and declared our independence. Believe me…….I have no desire to try to rewrite history……but we should not automatically assume that all decisions leading to the founding of this country were godly decisions……or decisions founded on Biblical principles.

Solomon begins this section with the injunction to "Keep the command of the king."Why is this so important?  Well……he goes on to give us two reasons……first…..Obedience is required because of an Oath of Loyalty.  But it’s real important here to notice that it’s not for the sake of the king. He doesn’t say, “Keep the commands of the king…..because the king will like it.”  We’re to keep the commands of the king for the sake of the One who placed the king on the throne. It’s because of the oath before God.  Oath?  What oath?  Well…..we don’t live under a king……but we can see in Scripture that it was the practice in the times that when a king came to the throne……the people of his kingdom were required to swear an oath of obedience to that king.  As an example……who’s got 2 Kings 11:17…..17Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they would be the LORD'S people, also between the king and the people.

Now in our culture…….we don’t actually enter into these kinds of oaths……and yet, every citizen of the United States has taken……in some form or another……an oath of allegiance to support the government of the United States. If you’re a naturalized citizen you actually took an oath like that when you became a citizen. If you’re a natural-born citizen…….as most of us are…….you reflected that oath whenever you said the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Now…..it may have been a long time since you’ve read it…….but the closing words of the Declaration of Independence are filled with references to the purpose and function of government…….and our responsibility to it…….

“...and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And, for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

It’s pretty obvious that our Founding Fathers recognized what the Scriptures so clearly state…….that government is ordained of God……it has power to function as such, and the citizen is responsible to obey…….not only because of his oath of allegiance, but also because the government has the power to compel us to do so.

We make other commitments to authority as well.  For instance……when we work for an employer…….we’re bound to obey his lawful directives……until such a time as we leave his employment.

We need to remember that any authority under which we find ourselves is a God-ordained authority and should be obeyed. The only exception to this rule is when such an authority commands us to do something that’s against the Word of God.  It’s then and only then that we’re to disobey……..and even then it’s only in that single area.  God hasn’t changed in this matter.  The first 7 verses of the book of Romans deals with this very same subject.  

There’s a second reason to obey the king found in verse 5……Not only are you to obey authority because God said to do it…….we’re also to do so because it makes life a lot easier. A lot of God’s commands are like that. He’s the Creator of life and life goes better when you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  He tells us that He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. (Ecclesiastes 8:5).

Generally speaking……..when you obey the king’s commands……you don’t get into any trouble with the king.  Paul says essentially the same thing in Romans 13:3-4……..For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 

The fact is that the government has the power to compel us to obey.  When you don’t……there are sanctions for it.  This principle has a lot of modern-day applications. When you drive the speed limit…….you don’t have to worry about speed traps. When you pay your taxes……you aren’t particularly worried about an IRS audit. When you do your work faithfully on the job…….it doesn’t concern you that the boss is watching.

Then we come to verses 7 and 8……and if you’re not careful……you might miss what he’s saying here.  He’s just finished telling us how to deal with kings and monarchs…….and we can see how to apply some of these principles to dealing with any authority that we find ourselves under. But now he adds as a reminder not only to us……but to the rulers themselves…… that no matter how high any such authority might extend……..it has certain impassable limits.  There are restrictions…..there are confines to any authority except for God Himself.  

In verse 7 he tells us that no one has authority over the future: If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? And in verse 8 he adds that no one has authority over the natural elements when he says……No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind.  Also that no one has authority over the day of his death……in fact you don’t even have authority over your own draft card when he says…… There is no discharge in the time of war (8:8).  

When our country had a draft into the armed forces……people were merely fined or imprisoned for draft-dodging…….or if they did it cleverly enough……they could be elected president. But in Solomon’s time……..this was a capital offence. Then he concludes this passage with the observation that no one has authority to prevent the eventual judgment of evil.  These are things that are in God’s control alone.

Then he adds that not only is it God that controls these things……but to make matters worse…….the little authority that man DOES have is often used to his own harm.  Ecclesiastes 8:9……..All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt. 

Let’s face it…….governments are capable of all kinds of evil. We may think of Communism or Dictatorships or fanatical Islamic states as those who govern with authority that harms others.  But the fact is that this isn’t talking about one type of government over another type. It’s true of ALL sorts of government. John Galbraith pretty well covered it when he said, "Under capitalism man exploits man; under communism it is exactly the reverse."

But this doesn’t mean that government is itself a wrong thing…….God Himself established government.  So Solomon isn’t advocating anarchy here. He’s simply showing us life as it really is. The reason that governments are capable of evil is because they’re led by fallen and sinful men…….which unfortunately…….is the only kind of men there are.  And when man is given authority over other men……harm usually comes. 

The problem is that not all such evil leaders are recognized for their evil acts. In many cases their evil deeds are forgotten……or possibly even praised.  Ecclesiastes 8:10(NASB)…….So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility. 

The NIV translates this verse in a radically different way…….stating that these evil leaders are not forgotten for their evil……but instead praised for it. Ecclesiastes 8:10, NIV……Then too, I saw the wicked buried - those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless. 

The two different readings are a result of the differences in the manuscripts used for the translation.  The Hebrew word in question is Hithpiel. Now I don’t want to get all scholarly on you here…..but we just need to understand that the NASB takes its translation from the Massoretic Text and the NIV takes it from the Septuagint translation which came from the Latin Vulgate.  

If we’re to take the NAS reading…….then we would understand this to mean that after the wicked are dead and buried…….their evil deeds are forgotten by those who come after.  

The NIV……on the other hand……would indicate that these wicked who are dead and buried are afterwards praised. And we have a pretty good example of this recently with the death of a rather notorious Senator.  History often whitewashes the deeds of famous people and praises those who were in reality despicable in their actions.

What all of this means is that whether these evil holy men are SOON FORGOTTEN or they RECEIVE PRAISE……really doesn’t matter.  The fact is that God knows the whole story. And there is coming a day when the rest of the story will be told.  As Luke 12:2 tells us……Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed.  

Going on to verse 11……. 11Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. 

Wow…….you’d think this book was written in the year 2009…..imagine…..a corrupt and broken judicial system where the bad guy doesn’t get sentenced quickly…..or maybe not at all.  Like Solomon has said many times…….there is nothing new under the sun.  The fact is that this same thing that we experience today in America was being experienced back in Israel some 4,000 years ago.  

We can certainly find abundant examples of delays in justice which permit crime to increase and criminals to be encouraged. When justice is delayed or circumvented in any way……when judges turn loose criminals for technicalities when it’s clear that they’re guilty of outrageous crimes……it not only discourages the citizens……but it also encourages more crime. And it’s a clear picture of the evil that can be present in government.  Even so…….Solomon finds cause for patience in the twofold promise that follows. Go ahead and read Verses 12-14:  12Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.  13But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.  14There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility

    O.K……this is a very similar argument that Solomon used in the last chapter….. it seems like evil gets rewarded and the righteous get creamed…..what’s the deal???  Well……it’s not like he doesn’t clearly admit that this sometimes seems to be the case……but two things seem to encourage the writer here.  

First……..God promises that He will preserve His own despite what happens to their bodies. Remember what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10:28……"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." And always……the promises of God take precedence over the threats of mankind……and Solomon is encouraged by this.  He knows that God is able to take care of His own. In the eternal perspective……what happens to our bodies isn’t nearly as significant as what happens to us. Those who walk in fear before God will be kept by God…….regardless of what happens to their bodies.

The second thing he eludes to here is that God will judge the wrong in His own time. Though the sinner seems to get away with all manner of evil…….God is watching…….an accounting will be made. Though the rewards of life seem to be reversed at times…….wicked men get what the righteous ought to have…….righteous men get what the wicked deserve……..but the promise is that the wicked shall not "prolong his days like a shadow."

That is an interesting phrase that makes me believe that the New American Standard interpretation of the previous verse is correct…..because it seems to refer to the wicked man's influence after his death. "Life prolonged like a shadow" is not real life…..it’s the influence of a man after his death. So the idea that the wicked man will be forgotten seems to be the correct translation.  If you think about the course of history…..there are evil men who were praised and honored during their lives……like  Adolf Hitler and all the Nazis who were associated with him……..but now are despised for the most part around the world. They have not been able to prolong their days like a shadow. 

Generally speaking…….the biblical concept is true…….you reap what you sow.  And in the eternal perspective…..it’s always true.  But in this life it isn’t always the case. There are notable exceptions…….Jesus Christ being the most noteworthy.  He sowed nothing but love……and was crucified for it.

Let’s go ahead and finish the chapter……..Ecclesiastes 8:15-17…… 15So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.  16When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth (even though one should never sleep day or night),  17and I saw every work of God, I concluded that man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun Even though man should seek laboriously, he will not discover; and though the wise man should say, "I know," he cannot discover. 

Solomon’s conclusion is that life is too mysterious for us to figure out all the answers. Even staying awake each night will not help to solve all of life’s mysteries……no matter how much wisdom you may possess.  

Solomon comes to the same point he has on many occasions thus far……when he says he commended pleasure……the eat, drink and be merry concept that he’s advocated before.  He doesn’t want us to come to a wrong conclusion……the illusion that enjoyment comes from pleasant circumstances. If this book is teaching us any one thing it’s telling us that enjoyment doesn’t come from happy, pleasant circumstances, where everything is going the way we like it. According to what he’s told us…….enjoyment is a gift of God which can accompany even difficult and hard circumstances…….that’s why he encourages us to it. True enjoyment……true contentment doesn’t come from having everything the way you like it. It comes no matter what you’re going through……as a gift from the God of creation Who is able to give you peace and contentment in your heart in the midst of the pressures……..and problems and dangers.

The cool thing about Scripture is that it doesn’t try to evade the realities of life……to cover it up or dress it up to make it look different. Scripture faces life just the way it is…….but tells us that God has provided an answer……and that answer is found by those who know Him……and fear Him……and trust Him.  Those are the ones who will find true contentment and satisfaction…..and realize that it is the gift of the God.

ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 9 (+ 10:1)

     Solomon not only wrote the book of Ecclesiastes......but he’s also credited with being the most significant contributor to another book as well......Proverbs.  And something that not too many people know is that a lot of modern day proverbs actually got their start with Solomon.......only he wrote them a little differently than we have in our culture today......and many of these you know quite well.....but you may not be familiar with the original version that Solomon wrote.  For instance......you’re familiar with the proverb........

1. Strike while the.......................bug is close.

2. A penny saved is......................not much money.

3. Two's company, three's.......................the Musketeers.

4. Don't bite the hand that......................looks dirty.

5. It's always darkest before......................Daylight Saving Time.

6. You can't teach an old dog new..................math.

7. You get out of something only what you...............see in the picture on the box.

8. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you..............cry and you have to blow your nose.

    We’re in a section of Ecclesiastes that deals with two very prominent subjects of the entire writing......wisdom........and the fact that in the world’s view.....the view “under the sun”......we all end up in the same place.  But chapter 9 touches on a few new areas of life here “under the sun” that have not been dealt with before.

    One thing I have grown to appreciate about Solomon......as wise as he was.....he was not afraid to ask the tough questions....nor hesitant to admit that he doesn’t have all the answers.  In fact......if anyone freely admits the truth of Isaiah 55:8-9 it’s Solomon..... he understands it completely.  Who’s got that?........Isaiah 55:8-9........8"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.  9"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.  

    God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. We’re not going to always understand the meaning and purpose of all of the events in our life. Certainly Solomon has shown us that there are times when good seems to fail and when evil seems to triumph. He looks at life and sees the toil and the grief and the emptiness and he asks the question, "Why bother?" But in this chapter........he actually comes close to answering that question.  He’s not going to answer all the questions......some will remain.....but he’s going to show clearly that no matter what......as hard as life is sometimes......it’s worth it.

    So let’s take off with verse 1 and see where we go........Ecclesiastes 9:1......  1For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God.  Man does not know whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him. 

    He begins this section with a statement that really says, “God alone is sovereign over absolutely everything.”  He’s taken all of these observations that he’s made and has come to the conclusion that it’s all in the hands of God.  I’ve tried and tried......and the only thing I keep coming up with is that life cannot be explained apart from God.  I can’t explain the origin of life......I can’t explain the meaning of life......I can’t explain the significance of life apart from God being in complete control of it all.    

     We have no clue what the future holds......only God does.  And if I don’t understand God......who is in control of everything......then I don’t have a chance of understanding the meaning of everything that happens in life.  And this isn’t being pessimistic.......it’s being practical.  Our future is in the hands of God. This includes not only how long we live........but even what we do and what we enjoy in this life.

    Go ahead and read verses 2 & 3.......  2It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear.  3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men.  Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead. 

    There’s one universal truth which we’ve seen throughout Ecclesiastes concerning life......and what is it?  EVERYBODY DIES.  Right......All life ends in death. There aren’t any exceptions. It does not matter if a man is........Righteous or wicked.......Clean or unclean........Religious or profane.........Saint or sinner.........Soft-spoken or cusses like a sailor.  The end is the same. Death is the great equalizer. Sooner or later.......everybody DIES. Somehow that just doesn’t seem fair. It doesn’t seem fair that Hitler should die the same death of a Mother Teresa or a Ghandi........that no matter how bad a person is in life........he should die just like everyone else dies.  Is that right?  Is that just?  Is that fair?

    You might be thinking, "Wait a minute! Somebody told me that somewhere in the Bible it says that we’re going to be judged by what we did in this life.....and then we’re going to go to heaven or hell......or something like that.....I think.”  Well......you’re right.....it’s something like that.  But is that what Solomon’s talking about here?  His comparison that he’s making is from the world’s viewpoint......totally apart from God.  When the world looks at it......hey....they both lived......they both died......same fate.  Solomon looks at life only from the perspective of "under the sun." This observation should get us to thinking......And a very logical conclusion that we can come to in this passage is that each of us only has a limited time to make use of this life.........Use it wisely.

    Now there’s a good portion of the rest of this passage that is very self-explanatory......and we can go through it pretty quick.

     Go ahead and read.......Ecclesiastes 9:4-6.......4For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.  5For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.  6Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun.

    Solomon starts out with the fact that if you’re alive......you still have hope.....things are never hopeless as long as you have breath in your body......and then he lets us in on one of his well-known sayings......Better to be a live dog than a dead lion.  Solomon seems to be a master of stating the obvious in this section of Scripture.  Better to be a live dog than a dead lion.  He also had several other sayings that didn’t catch on quite as well as this one.  Like, “2 dead aardvark aren’t worth much.” ........that never went anywhere.....and “Eat well......stay fit......die anyway.”  That was a dud.  And then there was........“If your parents never had children, chances are you won't either.”  Or one of my favorites......“Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day.......Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”

    What he’s trying to show us is that it’s in this life that you have any chance at hope.......hope only last until you die.  All the cards are dealt at that point.  If you know Jesus Christ.....the next life is going to be great.  But the fact is that there is hope in this life.......but when this life is over......then all worldly aspirations and expectations are gone.

    And again in verse 5 he states something that doesn’t need a lot of explanation...... For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything.......and he’s right.  I don’t care how many funerals you go to.......if you walk up in front and ask the guy in the casket something.....he’s.......well, he’s speechless.  He doesn’t know anything.  But the living do......and they should live like they do.  They should plan and hope and dream and enjoy.......even though you know it’s all going to stop when you die.  Live your life purposefully and wisely.

    And then verse 6 brings us back to the reality that he’s talking about those observable things “under the sun”.

    Go ahead and read verses 7 thru 10.......  7Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.  8Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head.  9Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.  10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

    Now Solomon starts getting down to some answers.......or at least some outcomes......some applications for what he’s said.  And he breaks it down into four different groups of things to enjoy........FOOD, CLOTHING, MARRIAGE and WORK.  

    In verse 7 he tells us that we should enjoy the blessings of food and drink......gifts from God that God intended to be enjoyed.  Let me ask you something.......what’s your favorite meal.......what do you like to eat the most.  GET ANSWERS FROM KIDS 

    Did God have anything whatsoever to do with making that meal?  OF COURSE.  Now He could have made it all taste the same.  When you eat a hot dog......it could taste like a potato.  He could have made everything taste like liver........or Brussels’ sprouts..... but He didn’t, did He?  Everything that we eat could taste like cardboard......or have no taste at all.  Eating could have been designed only as a source of refueling......and not produce any pleasant experience at all.  But God didn’t do that did He?  NO.......because He wanted us to enjoy our food......He designed us that way.......He designed food that way.  Eating and drinking are gifts from God. .....and that’s what Solomon is recognizing here.

    Then verse 8 moves on to our clothing......something else that can be a sign of joy.  In the Old Testament......what was a sign of mourning?  WEARING SACK-CLOTH AND ASHES.  So you wore sack-cloth......which was a course, grungy material and you put ashes on your head......and it showed the world you were in mourning......you were sad.  Solomon’s saying...... “Hey.....wear some nice clean clothes and put oil on your head.”  And that’s the ancient equivalent of deodorant or perfume.....so.....do everybody a favor.......use it!

    The point is that it’s better to enjoy life than to go through life with a depressed attitude. It’s good to realize the inevitability of death. But that’s not a call to going through life with a morbid outlook and a downcast demeanor. By realizing the truth of eventual death.......you can more greatly appreciate and celebrate the gift of present life.

    And I love verse 9......maybe my favorite verse in the whole book......ENJOY LIFE WITH THE WOMAN YOU LOVE.  Now understand......this is being written by a man......so the same concept applies to wives.......ENJOY LIFE WITH THE MAN YOU LOVE.  It’s really weird to me......and I’m not sure I’ll ever understand it.  When do we quit enjoying one another as husbands and wives?  How does it happen?  Why would we possibly let it happen?  Tish and I deal with these questions a lot with couples that we counsel.  

     Let me get a little personal with some of you here.......HOW DID YOU MEET?  WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO HER/HIM?  DID YOU USED TO SIT NEXT TO EACH OTHER IN THE CAR?  DID IT FEEL GOOD TO KISS?  WHEN DID YOU QUIT HOLDING HANDS WHEN YOU WALKED AROUND?

    OK.......so if kissing felt good ten years ago......when did it stop feeling good?  If she was fun to be with 20 years ago......when did she quit being fun?  And if you’re the person who’s not fun anymore.......why did you stop being fun?  These are truly serious questions to ask yourselves.......if you’re married.......then one of the gifts which God has given to you is your marriage partner. Life is short and ends all too soon. But one of the things that make it worthwhile is the enjoyment that a husband and a wife can have with and for the other. There may not be much time........but the time we have needs to be spent enjoying the gift we’ve been given.  

    If you find that you and your spouse just aren’t as fun as you used to be......take a look at the secondary application of Revelation 2:5........5'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.

    Now obviously this verse was written directly to the church at Ephesus......but the manner in which they could restore their relationship with the living God is the same manner that can be used for us to restore our marital relationship to the place it used to be.  Remember where you used to be remember how good it felt......remember how you couldn’t wait to be with the person......repent.......which means turn around.....take some action......change things........and DO the deeds you did at first.  

    Your wife wasn’t attracted to you because you looked so good laying on the couch in your shorts with the remote in your hand!  She was attracted to you because you were fun......and you talked to her and paid attention to her.  You want it to feel good again.......DO what you used to do.  BE who you used to be.  Wives......remember how you used to fuss about how you looked before a date......everything had to be just right?  Remember how you wanted every meal to be his favorite......and the back rubs you used to give?  He still likes those things.  You want it to be fun.......You want it to feel good?  Then repent......and do the deeds you did at first.  

    You may be saying......“That’s not very practical.....we’ve had kids.....life’s crowded in on us......we don’t have time.”  None of those are reasons......they’re excuses.  We make time for the important things......enjoying your marriage is an incredibly important thing......and Solomon shows us that it’s one of the real blessings we have in this short life.

    Then in verse 10 he turns to the fact that work......what we do for a living.....what we do with our hands is something that we should put serious effort towards.  Work isn’t viewed here as only a way of making money......but rather it’s the maximizing of your potential. You have an opportunity to do something that you won’t be able to do in a very short while......it is an opportunity to make a difference.

    Work isn’t a curse.......a lot of people equate work with the fall of Adam.  It’s not.  Look at Genesis 2:15.......“Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.”  That’s well before Adam and Eve sinned.  Adam was walking with God in this beautiful garden daily and cultivating the land and being blessed incredibly during this period.  No curse.  The curse against Adam was the curse of fruitless toil and labor.......the curse of excessive work with little to show for it. But work itself is a blessing given by God......and we should do it with enjoyment and a mind-set that we’re going to do our best.  Because......let’s face it.....you won’t be doing any work once you get to Sheol.  And just to clarify......Sheol in the Hebrew simply means the place of the dead......it’s where both the righteous and the unrighteous go.....it isn’t a collective place where all the dead guys are hangin’ around......it’s the grave......not hell as some New Testament translations have said it to be.

     OK.......let’s move on to verses 11-13....... 11I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.  12Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.  13Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me. 

    Solomon challenges our preconceived ideas about the way we tend to view how life is supposed to go. Our tendency is to think that certain actions will guarantee certain results. The race goes to the swift......the battle goes to the warriors.....the bread goes to the wise.....etc.  And sometimes it does. It sometimes is the swift who win and the warriors who conquer and the wise who eat and the discerning who save and those of ability who are promoted.........but not always.

    The truth is that you can’t tell from the "under the sun" perspective whether a man is going to succeed in life or whether he’s going to fail.......whether he’s going to be rich or whether he’s going to be poor.........and the reason you cannot know these things is because of the two elements of TIME and CHANCE.

    In chapter 3......the Preacher told us that there’s a time and a season for every event under the sun. Our problem is that we do not necessarily know when that time or season will take place.  Every day we make choices that we have some control over.  If we make poor choices.....we usually suffer the consequences.  But the fact is that there’s a great deal in life over which we have no control.  Those people without a spiritual perspective call this FATE or COINCIDENCE.  We who have experienced these things and know the Lord call it God’s providence.  But.....from the “under the sun” perspective.....it’s called TIME and CHANCE.  And I believe that Solomon is saying that we can plan all we want to.......we can have expectations of the outcome of things.....but it isn’t necessarily going to go that way.  Solomon has said something very similar in another writing.......who’s got Proverbs 19:21?  “Many plans are in a man's heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.” It’s kinda like Yogi Berra said......“it ain’t over till it’s over.” Today’s success only guarantees today.......it doesn’t guarantee tomorrow.

    Solomon then finishes up this portion of writing with a familiar subject......wisdom.  But I really feel like the chapter break was put in a bad place......and it actually should have included the first verse of the next chapter.......so go ahead and read verses 9:14 thru 10:1......14There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it.  15But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom Yet no one remembered that poor man.  16So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.  17The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.  18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. 10 1Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.

    So......Solomon ends with a story of a small city and a large and mighty king.  Whether this is something that he experienced......whether he might actually be talking about something his father experienced in 2 Samuel chapter 20......I don’t know.  But what we do know is that this small city found itself surrounded and besieged and on the verge of collapse. The small city had only one thing going for it. Living within its walls was a poor man who possessed that rare quality of WISDOM. And that was enough......because the wisdom of the single wise man was enough to deliver the city. The rest of the story is anti-climactic. The people of the small city eventually forgot what it was that had delivered them......and they apparently did not learn to value that wisdom which had proved to be their salvation.

    This is the story told to us by Solomon....... and having told his story, he proceeds to teach us several points of application.  The first being that wisdom is better than strength.  The wise man of Solomon’s story had no strength.......he wasn’t a man of valor.....yet he was able to save the city with his wisdom.  Something the strong and brave could not do.  

    Secondly......he tells us that wisdom does not automatically guarantee esteem or notoriety.....or even recognition.  It says he was forgotten and his words were despised.  There are some realistic limitations of wisdom. Wisdom isn’t always recognized and valued by those who lack it. Sometimes the reverse is true. The wise man’s wisdom is often berated by fools.  The world is blind to the wisdom of God. 

    I don’t know if this is something purposed or not......but I think it’s interesting to note that this wise man is POOR.  It’s the POOR man’s wisdom that is despised. People tend to esteem the wisdom of the rich. That’s because......like it or not......we pretty much are respecters of persons.   We seem to hold the famous.....the wealthy in higher regard than the poor.......therefore their wisdom is probably better.  We just need to understand that popular rejection isn’t a sign of ineffectiveness.........and popularity doesn’t equate to being right.

    We also see in verse 17 that volume is no substitute for being right. There’s a well-known proverb that it is the squeaky wheel that WHAT?  GETS THE GREASE. But being squeaky is no guarantee that you’re right........or that you deserve the grease......or that grease is not desperately needed somewhere else.

    Then we finish up with the last two verses......and I think you can see that they really need to go together to get the full thought of what’s being said.  18Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. 10 1Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.  

    Sin has a tendency to negate the value of wisdom.  You can have all the wisdom in the world and still follow the way of the fool if you’re walking in sin. Wisdom is good........it’s better than weapons of war in its protective ability. But its protective effects are negated by sin.  The idea that one sinner destroys much good is found in the next verse......dead flies make things stink.  Those who are sinners......those who are foolish can undo so much good.  This is true in an individual's.......or in a couples' life as well. Wisdom is better than war.........better than fighting.  But one person insisting on following the world's philosophy can often harm or even destroy the good that wisdom can accomplish.

    This same principle about the dead flies in a perfumer’s oil is taught in the New Testament. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6). Very few people are completely foolish in everything they do. But it only takes a little foolishness to make your life stink. A little fly can ruin a lot of perfume......just as a little foolishness has more impact than a lot of wisdom and honor.

Ecclesiastes 10 (minus 1 verse)  (ASSIGN VERSES)

Alright……the last time we were in the Book of Ecclesiastes we dealt with chapter nine…..plus the first verse of chapter 10……because it seems to go with that section of Scripture.  And we were talking about wisdom and foolishness……and that’s where we’re going to begin this section with…..the same discussion……wisdom and foolishness.  And again, this portion of Solomon’s writing is something of a compilation of proverbs dealing with this subject.  

If we were to try to define wisdom……how would we do it?  What is this thing called wisdom?  BEST GUESS???  Well……Webster defined it as a: accumulated philosophic or scientific learning b: ability to discern inner qualities and relationships c: good sense.  Probably good definitions.  But when we look at Solomon’s approach to life and wisdom……the closest definition might be that wisdom is the "skill of living." Living well takes skill. It involves the development of positive habit patterns…….it involves making the right decisions. And it involves doing the right thing when you find that you’ve made the wrong decision.

I was struck by an e-mail I received this week that contained the writings of a 90 year old woman from Ohio.  She wrote down the 45 most important things she learned through living life.  I guess you’d call them modern wisdom......or modern proverbs.  Most of them have a biblical base that you could go to.....but they certainly qualify as wisdom along the line of defining it as the “skill of living.”  Here’s a few of the gems of wisdom from that list:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. (I believe I know some of you out there that would definitely adhere to that one.)

3. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

4. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

5. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

6. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

7. Forgive everyone everything.

8. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

9. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it.

10. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

11. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

12. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

    Certainly a list of applicable statements for anyone desiring to lead a more peaceful, productive and profitable life.  And as we get into chapter 10 of Solomon’s writings we find that he continues his view of life with more proverbs dealing with wisdom contrasted to foolishness.

We’re going to start out with verse 2……and it’s a verse that could be used very wrongly in our current climate in this country……and one that you can pull out and stab some of your friends with……at least those with a political bent that may be different than your own.  Who’s got Ecclesiastes 10:2?   2A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left.   

Wow…….that may become the Republican Party’s slogan this next election!  I have to admit that there are more than a few commentators who attempt to read something of politics into the "right" and "left" in this verse…….but even though I’d personally like it to be saying that……it doesn’t.  This is a verse that we’ve got to look to the cultural context of Solomon’s day to understand what it says.

Now I have to trust the historians on this……but I’ve read that in ancient cultures……the right hand was the hand of honor while the left hand was the hand of dishonor. Apparently, this was due to the fact that the right hand was used to eat while the left hand was used for matters of…….personal hygiene. And as something of a side-note…….those who were left-handed were looked upon with a certain measure of disdain.  So….this verse is saying nothing more than a wise man is lead by his heart to honor……and a fool is lead by his heart to dishonor.  It should also be noted that Solomon is talking about a man’s HEART here.  We aren’t talking about a stupid decision we make from time to time……but we’re talking about the very core of a person’s being……..his heart.

Ecclesiastes 10:3……Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool.   So…..how do you know a fool when you see one? The fool doesn’t have to do a lot to demonstrate his foolishness. It is easily manifested. You’ve heard the proverb that it is better to keep your mouth shut and let everyone think that you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. But the fool does not even have to open his mouth to remove all doubt. All he has to do is to walk along the road. You can see that he is a fool by the way he LIVES.

Alright…….let’s look at a number of versions of verse 4…..so that we get a good idea of what’s being said…….

Ecclesiastes 10:4……..If the ruler's temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses. (NASB)

If a ruler's anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great errors to rest. (NIV)

If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. (KJV)

If the temper of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place [or show a resisting spirit]; for gentleness and calmness prevent or put a stop to great offenses. (AMPLIFIED)

This is good advice on how to handle a boss who may fly off the handle occasionally.  When somebody in authority over you loses his temper…..what are we supposed to do?  There’s probably times when the best solution might seem to be to run away.  But Solomon advises something very different……and it doesn’t matter which of the translations that you might choose……the answer is the same.  You don’t abandon your position……you don’t leave your post.  You hang right in there……but you yield your rights…..your position…..to that authority.  By gently answering…….by showing deference……by submitting and not retaliating…..then the authority can come to a place where they can see clearly that there was no offense.  The wise man keeps his cool. He calmly stands his ground…….keeps his composure. He doesn’t respond in anger. He maintains his composure. And in doing so……..he gains the authority’s ear or favor.

Ecclesiastes 10:5-7…….There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler -- 6 folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. 7 I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land. 

Here Solomon is still talking about rulers……those in authority over us…..and he makes the observation that it’s not always the smartest or the wisest or the richest or the noblest that are in positions of authority.  We tend to expect that people in authority know more than we do and that the higher the authority………the more wisdom that person has. But this isn’t always the case. Sometimes it’s the foolish who are exalted. Those in the very highest positions sometimes make decisions that are in serious error.  Places of honor are not always reserved for those who are most deserving. He has seen instances when those who are mere slaves have acted the part of princes and he’s seen princes walk as though they were mere slaves. 

An error that people in authority often make is that they appoint their incompetent friends to office that they are ill equipped to be in.  We see it all the time in government.  People who have no ability are exalted and put in high places…….while those with great ability are treated like slaves and have no opportunity.  I think the political term is favoritism……or nepotism. There was a Time Magazine article a while back that showed how political appointments have diminished the authority and prestige of the Supreme Court of California.  Attorneys who couldn’t cut it in the field of law were appointed to the court as a political favor.  It’s kinda like the old joke, “What do you call a lawyer who graduated at the bottom of his class?”  YOUR HONOR!  This is the very thing this verse is talking about.

Ecclesiastes 10:8-9……He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 

There are certain actions taken which can bring disastrous consequences…….and this is by no means an exhaustive list…….but rather a list for the purpose of illustrating that there can be consequences to nearly everything we do.  The list of things here is nothing that would be considered foolish or harmful things to do…….it doesn’t say that any of these activities were done with evil motives.  The guy didn’t dig the pit so that someone would fall into it. He was merely digging a pit…….As was the man who was breaking through a wall……..Or the stone mover……..Or the log splitter.

Here’s the point……..What you DO brings results.......and those results are often not the ones that you planned for.  The wise man is one who has learned this lesson…….and he thinks ahead……he plans so that the consequences of his actions are weighed and thought through as to their final outcome.   Or to put it another way…….life is hazardous enough without bringing stupidity into the equation.  Think ahead.  Modern proverbs would probably include, “look before you leap”……or “the second mouse gets the cheese.”

Solomon now gives us two more illustrations of wisdom…..or the lack of wisdom in verses Ecclesiastes 10:10-11…….If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. 

The first illustration is of an axe. A dull axe means that you have to work harder in cutting wood. Wisdom teaches us to work smarter, not harder.

But wisdom only works if it is utilized. And it only works in any given situation when it’s utilized at the onset of the situation. That’s the lesson of the second illustration.  Here you’ve got a snake.......and he tells us the obvious......it doesn’t help to charm a snake after it’s already bitten someone. We have a similar saying: "It does not do any good to lock the barn door after the horse has been stolen."

He’s not telling us anything magical here......nothing new.  We’d call these common sense proverbs.....but it’s the wisdom of life that Solomon is talking about.  Unfortunately..... there are those who fall into the “fools” category that don’t possess this type of thinking.  

Solomon now goes from the thinking process to the speaking process as he contrasts the wise man and the fool when they open their mouths to speak.......Ecclesiastes 10:12-15……Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; 13 the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness. 14 Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?  15 The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.

Solomon has talked about the speech of a wise man before.......in the last chapter you may recall that he pointed out that......."the words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools" (9:17). Just as a wise man’s words are quiet.......so they’re also gracious. This is seen in contrast to the words of the fool which he tells us “consume him”.  They eat him up.....they waste him.  And it’s pretty easy to see that Solomon found himself surrounded by foolishness.  It reminds me of the song from the seventies by Stealer’s Wheel...... “Clowns to the left of me.......jokers to the right......here I am......stuck in the middle with you.”  

There’s a second possibility regarding this whole passage on foolishness.  When we view his statements in the next chapter......it’s possible that he’s talking about himself here as he faces his latter years.  Remember.......Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived.......he’s made decisions for God’s people that prospered them and his wisdom was recognized by rulers all over the world.  But what happened when he grew old?  He made a mess of his life......and I get the feeling that much of what he’s talking about here is reflective in nature.  It isn’t clear from the passage......but in the context of the next chapter.......it certainly makes sense.

He goes on in verse 13 to tell us that the beginning of a fool speaking is folly......but it ends up to be wicked madness.  Sort of interesting.  But if you look at it.......you can watch any news cast or pick up any newspaper and see what he’s talking about.  Think of the violence that is perpetrated on a daily basis that starts out with an argument and ends up in somebody being killed.  The road-rage incidents.......domestic violence.....workplace shootings.  That’s pretty much the way they all start, isn’t it?........ “the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness.”

Let’s face it........God created everything to produce after its own kind......that’s the way creation works.  So it stands to reason that a foolish man produces foolish talk.  But it’s not that the fool’s words are empty. If they were really empty........they could do little harm. But James tells us that a wicked tongue is full of deadly poison (James 3:8)........so the fool’s words aren’t harmless.  In fact.......Solomon points out something of an inverse corollary between a person’s wordiness and their level of wisdom. It seems the more a person talks......the more he is recognized as a fool.......and fools seem to have a lot to say.  We’re living in a time where there are more printed words than ever before in history........but it doesn’t seem to have made men any wiser.......because much of it is simply foolishness!

And verse 15 is the picture of someone who can take the simplest job and make it harder.   The fool makes a wearisome ordeal of the simplest task. He doesn’t even make it to first base in the game of life. He can’t even make it to town........he’s confused, weary, empty. There’s one verse that kept going through my mind while I was studying this chapter.......it’s found in James 1:5.......“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  And you may be reading through this passage thinking, “Wow........poor dude.  He’s a fool and doesn’t even have enough sense to get into town......glad I’m not him!”  

James doesn’t preface this verse with...... “FOOLS NEED NOT APPLY”.  The problem with the foolish people that Solomon’s talking about here is that they are foolish because they are not seeking God in their lives.  They’re living for themselves and their worldly lusts and have kept God out of it.  He’s not talking about people who don’t have a chance because they’re idiots.  He’s talking about the unspiritual man.

Solomon now turns his thoughts toward the importance of leadership........Ecclesiastes 10:16-17…….Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning.  Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time -- for strength and not for drunkenness. 

Solomon is pretty basically saying, “Wow.......I feel sorry for the people who live in a nation who’s leadership lacks the wisdom and maturity it takes to lead a nation........when leaders give themselves over to selfish pleasures rather than to discipline and self-control.  When all they think of is themselves and not the people whom they lead.”  And he does it with a series of contrasts in these two verses.......two lands, two kings and two sets of princes.  And what he tells them is that one’s a blessing and the other’s a curse.  “Woe to you” and “Blessed are you”.  

The word for "lad" refers to a young man.......but I don’t think the point of the passage is that you have a kid ruling the nation.  It seems to deal with the individual not possessing the maturity......the wisdom.......the noble character it takes to fulfill his duties.  Instead.....the king’s leaders.......his princes have given over to self-indulgence and gluttony.  They appear to be living only for themselves.......and the people are the one’s who are ultimately going to suffer.

And this idea mirrors itself in so many places in our society.  You who have bosses at your jobs.......which is just about all of you.  Do the employees reflect the attitude towards their job that the boss does?  I know I’ve worked in units where the sergeant or lieutenant were lazy......where they took advantage of the system and the company.......and guess what......everybody in the unit was the same way.

On the other hand.......I’ve worked for bosses who were diligent and committed......and that was the attitude of those under him.  So you can see what Solomon is saying here.  A king who is a fool naturally propagates foolish, undisciplined princes.  A leader.......a boss who acts nobly will have people under him that reflect that same quality.  And in the end......what happens?  Everybody’s happy.......everybody’s blessed.  Probably a good lesson for all of us to be able to apply to the workplace.

In fact.......let me ask some of you who are in school......and this could backfire on me here.  Who’s your favorite teacher?  What do you like about them?  Do they come prepared?  Are they diligent about teaching.......or do they just tell you to open your book and read the chapter?  Is their class attentive........or is there chaos and everybody’s rowdy?  Isn’t that the same lesson we’re getting here?

Alright......now let’s keep in mind what we’re talking about when we read the next two verses........we’re in the midst of talking about slothfulness......laziness......lack of character.  So don’t lose sight of that or you’ll come away with the wrong conclusions here.  Ecclesiastes 10:18-19…….Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks.  Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything. 

Keeping this in the context of where we’ve just been......it would appear that Solomon is making an analogy of a nation and a house.  The immediate context appears to be the leaders.....those in charge......but we could continue that throughout the whole nation......to the people themselves.  If the leaders of a nation neglect their responsibilities......then the covering......the protection of the people will be in jeopardy.  The rafters are the part of the construction that holds up the roof........analogous with our covering.......our protection.  When neglected......very quickly it sags.....it falls in.......it leaks.  Woe to those people.

Verse 19 has got to be taken in context or you end up doing everything in your life unbiblically. It’s still speaking of the characteristics of laziness or foolishness. The actions and attitudes portrayed are the actions and the attitudes of the slothful. It is the attitude of eat, drink and be merry. It is the attitude which finds all the answers in personal pleasures........without regard to the consequences that kind of lifestyle leads to.  It is the attitude of a fool.  

Remember......we’re taking this verse in the context of the writing.  There’s other places where Solomon has used the idea of eating and drinking and enjoying those blessings in the context of the spiritual man appreciating what God has given him.  This time though......the reference is to the lazy man and his approach to life.......which has the consequences of ruin.

He closes this section with a warning on complaining about authority.......or even the government. Ecclesiastes 10:20…….Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known. 

In verses 16 and 17 Solomon compared the immature foolish king with the king of nobility.  But the truth is that either one of them is still king.......and ought to be treated like one. After all.......he’s still in authority and has power over you. If you think that it’s hard living under a king who is an immature fool.........then just wait until he finds out that you’ve been bad-mouthing him! Why? Because what you say just might reach his ears.  I’m guessing this is where we get our expression in English: "A little bird told me..." The things we say.........even in private......have a way of becoming known to those we speak against.  

Again.......let’s bring this down from the king......or President.......to our boss.....or teacher........or parents.  It starts becoming pretty applicable then doesn’t it?  And that’s really where our thoughts should be on this verse.  The concept is throughout the New Testament......in Ephesians 4:29.....let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth.......use only words that edify and give grace to those who hear.  You can’t keep that scriptural principle and be talking bad about someone at the same time.  

Jesus deals with what proceeds from our mouths on several occasions.  Colossians 3:8 tells us to put aside things like slander and abusive speech.  And James deals with it head on in James 3:8-10........ 8But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.  9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;10from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 

In the context of what Solomon is saying......we’re to refrain from speaking evil of the king if we want to live wisely.......if we do not want to live like a fool.

Alright.......that wraps up chapter 10......and in looking ahead.....we’ll conclude the book of Ecclesiastes the next time by combining chapters 11 and 12.  They’re both pretty short and in looking at it I think we’ll have enough time in one sitting to do it justice.

Any questions.......comments?

Let’s pray.

ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 11

    Francis Schaeffer wrote a book titled, "How Should We Then Live?".....and that title question should really be one that every Christian asks themselves.......it’s a question that we should really be concerned about..  Because of what Jesus Christ has done for us........how should we live?  And this is really where Solomon is going to take us this week as we look at the 11th chapter of Ecclesiastes.  Last time we were in the book I said we would probably finish it this time around.  I was wrong.  There’s just too much in these next two chapters to rush through them.......so we will finish up next time.  But this week we’re going to address the question of how we should live.  

    Thus far in the book of Ecclesiastes........we’ve taken a cold, hard, sober and realistic look at life as it exists "under the sun." And to say the least.......it really isn’t a very pretty picture. You’re born and you struggle through life........and then you die. The years that we’ve lived can never be reclaimed.......we can’t relive them. That realization alone should motivate us to live our lives with purpose.......with distinction.  Is should cause us to live our lives to where they count for something.  

    Chapter 11.......in particular.......is3 really a tutorial......a thesis......on the principle of sowing and reaping, otherwise known as the Law of the Harvest.  If we wanted to sum it up in the vernacular of our day, Solomon is saying, "What goes around comes around."

    Let’s start with verses 1 and 2......... 1Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.  2Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.  

    There are so many interpretations of this passage.......so many directions that the commentaries have taken......some of which are actually polar opposites of one another......that you’d almost think they aren’t even reading the same verses.  

    I’ve seen everything from a lengthy explanation that this was a seafaring culture and the people who read this understood that you had to make your investments in other lands.......to these people knew little about the sea.....so it’s a risk to do anything with the water......therefore they were taking a chance by casting their possessions on the water..... but if they took the risk the Lord would bless them.  

    There’s also the concept that these people were farmers......and when they read this they knew that Solomon was talking about sowing seeds in a field.  You just needed to wait until the rains flooded the fields and then cast your seeds on the water and it would plant your whole field.  

    I can’t imagine that what Solomon is saying is that hidden.......that you’d have to know that much in order to figure out what’s being talked about.  I believe that on its surface this passage is talking about generosity.......and I believe there is a context to what he’s talking about clear through verse 6.  Otherwise.......these verses are just a bunch of unrelated sentences that run together.  I believe that this entire context is a discussion of benevolence.........and the encouragement here is to be a benevolent person........because you never know when you might be in need of benevolence yourself.

    I read one commentary where the writer.......who I assume was a local pastor..... took the position that this entire passage dealt with giving your money to the local church.......and if you do that God will bless you.  That is so far from what this is saying.  It isn’t any organization that God has called to help those in need.  He’s placed that charge to each one who is part of the Body that He created and desires to lead.  Giving is personal.......generosity is individual......responsibility is to each of us.

    Scripture speaks often about being generous.......in fact......Jesus taught that generosity brings eventual gain.......just as what Solomon is saying here.  Cast your bread on the water and you’ll get a return on it.  Who’s got Matthew 25:34-40?......."Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.  Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  "The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 

    The scene of this passage is the Second Coming. .......and what is the determining factor in this judgment?   It’s what you GAVE. Jesus says, "When you give to ‘the least of these’.......it’s as though you are doing it to Me." 

    We didn’t keep reading that passage......but I’m sure you’re familiar with it.  What’s the reply of those who didn’t give?  We never saw you hungry!  But what they’re basically saying is......."Lord, if we had known it was You, we would have acted differently. We would have visited You; we would have clothed You; we would have baked You a cake." And Jesus answers, "That's the whole point. If you had known it was Me........then your actions would have been selfish in nature.......you would have expected something!"

    Let’s face it.......any one of us......if Jesus were being mugged......we’d help Him wouldn’t we?  If He were hungry, would you feed Him? If He were thirsty, would you give Him something to drink? If He came to your doorstep, would you invite Him in? The problem is......we do it because it’s Him.  His desire for us is to do it to the down-trodden of life.  Do it to everyone He sends in our path.  I think that’s a pretty good exposition of Solomon’s “bread on the water” passage.  It always returns to us.

    But also understand something else about the passage.  The return isn’t immediate.......we have to wait for the return.  Scripture teaches that you reap what you sow. But you don’t reap in the same season as when you sow. 

    I remember when Nikki was a little bitty girl......and she wanted to plant an apricot seed.  We humored her....and she planted it......watered it.....and sure enough, it actually grew.  Some 10 years later we got a bumper crop of apricots.  We’ve still got the tree and about every 5 years it doesn’t freeze in the spring and we get a great crop of apricots.  A pretty vivid picture of what we’re talking about.  

    You don’t put a seed into the ground and then pick the fruit the next day. Reaping takes place in a different season than sowing. The investment of casting your bread on the water may take time to produce significant rewards.

    So......if this is the meaning of verse one......then verse two has to follow these same lines.......and I think we can clearly see that.  I think the modern vernacular would be “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.  We don’t help one guy and forget about it.  The blessings that we’ve been given need to be shared.......and in spreading our generosity around.......many can benefit.  And when you divide your portion in this manner......how much greater is the reward?

    Be generous. Don’t stop with a few close needs around you.......don’t say, "I gave at the office," when somebody asks for help at your door. You do not know what evil may be averted by your gift......that’s the implication of this verse.

    Go ahead and read verses 3 thru 6......... “If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.  4He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.  5Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.  6Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.  

    There is a whole concept in this passage of living diligently.  And Solomon starts by telling us, “Look, there are certain things we can’t control no matter how hard we try.”  When clouds are full of rain.......it’s gonna rain!  When a tree falls.....there it lays.  And I believe we’re in the same context that we started out in.......generosity.  But no matter how generous we are......we’re not going to solve all the problems.  We don’t have control over some things.  

    There is another way to look at the meaning of the full rain clouds and the tree falling.......but it has the same context of generosity and benevolence.  Whatever you put out........by eternal law........will come back to you. Solomon emphasizes the certainty of this principle with these two comparisons, "If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth.......and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, that’s where it’s going to stay.”  So.......as surely as heavy clouds send rain to the earth.......and as surely as you'll find the tree where it fell.........so assuredly you’re going to reap what you’ve sown.  Both concepts work and really are in harmony with one another.

    But then he tells us in verse 4 that we can’t just sit around and wait for things to happen.  If we sit and watch the wind and say, “too windy today......can’t plant”.........then there isn’t going to be a garden.  If we look at the clouds and say, “Wow......looks like it might rain today......guess I can’t go harvest the crop.”  Then there won’t be anything to give.  If we are waiting for every circumstance to be perfect......we’re never going to accomplish anything.  It’s true that the wind MIGHT blow the seeds away.........the rain MIGHT come and make it difficult to harvest. Today's work might be ruined and I might have to do it over again tomorrow. But that’s okay. Today's work might succeed as well as tomorrow's........And if that’s the case then I’ll be able to reap the rewards for both.  

    We can view it like this.......those who are so preoccupied with only what they can see.......their current circumstances........are not going to put forth the effort to sow or to reap. The fact that they can't see how they're going to benefit will discourage them. So they'll do nothing. Because they will not sow.......they cannot reap. Your job is to send out good to others........and let God take care of the rest. 

    We have to be diligent......in fact, we have to step out and purpose things in our lives if we’re going to live the way we’re supposed to.  Nothing comes without effort. That’s true in the natural realm and it’s also true in the spiritual realm.

    And verse 5 says that in the midst of being diligent we need to understand that it is God who’s in control.  We just aren’t smart enough to know God’s plan.......any more than we can see the wind or understand the miracle of a child being formed in a mother’s womb.  These verses point up our lack of understanding of the power of God. We don’t know how He produces life.........and we don’t know how He’s going to use our generosity when we’re dealing with the needy people that He puts in our path.

     Then verse 6 is the summation of what he’s been saying.......sow seeds......be diligent........don’t stop.......keep working.  There are all kinds of ideas that come to mind when I read this single verse.  There’s a common principle in Christianity that says, “You can’t out-give God.”  It’s a principle that I realized early on in my walk with the Lord.  It’s a principle that this church has seen time and time again.  And it’s the same principle that is being talked about here.  Keep on being generous......don’t stop sowing seeds.  There’s an incredible harvest for you if you’re diligent.  Even Robert Louis Stevenson saw the reality of this concept of benevolence when he said, "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."

    There are some easy, practical ways of implementing this concept.  Think about it........when you have something you don't need anymore.......give it away.......don't sell it. If you sell it.......the money you get will be all you’ll ever receive in exchange. But if you give it away..........it will come back to you in a far greater way. Jesus taught this concept in Luke 6:38........38"Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."  Again......that basic principle of sowing and reaping.

    Then Solomon finishes this section with some stark reminders that what we do.......we should do now......because life is short.  Go ahead and read verses 7-10......7The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.  8Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.  9Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.  10So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting. 

    God did make this time on earth to be enjoyed.......but obviously.....everything we encounter during our lives is not enjoyable.  But when things are good......when we look at a day and say, “Wow.....this is good.”......we need to remember them.  We need to rejoice in them........because our life is a gift from God.........and it’s to be treasured. 

    I was reminded New Year’s Day at just how fleeting.......how short our lives are.  We were in Texas and the phone rang about 6 in the morning......which would have been 5 o’clock in Albuquerque.  It was my old partner from the drug task force.  He had just woken up and his wife was lying dead beside him.......she was 48 years old.  Not one of us is promised tomorrow.......so enjoy today.

    Solomon tells us that we live and then we die.......and the days in which you will be dead far outnumber the days which you will live.  Death overtakes us all......So live while you’re alive.  Remember in Ecclesiastes 3 we read that there’s an appointed time for everything and a time for every event under the sun. This includes the seasons of life. We’re called to treasure all of the seasons of life.  Life is meant to be enjoyed, not merely endured.

    This is also a call to enjoy our youth.......it’s fleeting.......it goes away.  There’s something of an optimism to what he tells us.  God gave us the gift of youth, with its strength, its optimism, its cheer, its dreams, its hopes, its opportunities.  This is a call to follow your dreams. What is it that you want to accomplish in life? Do it NOW while you are still young!

    How many people have seen the movie, "Dead Poets Society"?  I thought it was a pretty good movie.  Robin Williams is a teacher of poetry for an old, established all-boys school. On the first day of class.......he takes his students downstairs to a hall filled with old photos of past classes. Some of those photographs are 50 and 75 years old. Most of those in the photos have lived and died.  They are nothing but worm food and daisy fertilizer. The pictures portray them in their youth and vitality.......but that was in the past and now they’re dead. And as they gaze on these long-forgotten portraits of youth......they hear the whisper of the teacher.......and what does he tell them?  Carpe Diem - "Seize the Day!" Life is short. All too soon they too will be nothing more than a faded photograph on a wall. So seize the day........make each day count. Live purposefully. Meaningfully. Do great things while there’s time for greatness. 

    And yet......there’s a warning to what Solomon tells us......and this warning serves as a balance.  “Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.”  In your quest to live your life meaningfully, do not forget that it is God who sets the standard for what is truly meaningful.  That is not a threat. It’s simply a guide.......a reminder to youth that though there are open doors of opportunity in front you that you won’t have later in life.......understand that you have to enter those doors with the realization that you have to make wise choices. You will be held accountable if you yield to the pleasures of sin.  Make choices in light of the fact that your life is short and God is watching.

    And he starts verse 10 out with the word “SO”.......or “THEREFORE”......which means we have to look at what he just said to understand what he’s about to say.  He just said that God is watching.......there will be a judgment for the decisions we make...... SO....... So, remove anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting (NASB).  I want to hear from some other translations on this verse because it paints a rather vivid picture when you see them all together.  

(NIV)  10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.

(KJV)  10Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

(English Standard Version)  10Remove vexation from your heart, and put away painfrom your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

    So......are all of them saying the same thing?  Let’s remember the context.  Life is short........so it’s certainly too short to take it up with anger, hatred, anxiety, sorrow or vexation!  Get rid of those kinds of attitudes and emotions.  And since Solomon is in the context of the youth.......young people.......and unfortunately.....it is usually the young who may have a tendency to act this way.  When we don’t get what we want......when we feel limited in what we’re allowed to do.......when we feel like we should be able to make our own decisions......sometimes we tend to rebel.  We end up going to extremes to make ourselves heard......and it can harm us.  Solomon is telling us to get rid of those kinds of attitudes.  Let’s face it.......it’s not going to go on forever.......life is short.....youth is shorter.  

    The second part of the verse is sorta interesting......depending on which translation you use.  If you stuck with the NASB version it tells us to put away pain from our bodies.  I’m pretty certain that’s not exactly what was meant in the original writing.  Because if we took it literally you could make a case for staying high all the time so that nothing hurts.  Probably a wrong interpretation of the verse.  

    A closer account would tend towards the idea of getting rid of things that harm us......putting EVIL away from us.  Stop bad and harmful practices. Put away things of the flesh that will ultimately harm us.......drugs, premarital sex, smoking, dangerous behavior in the form a thrill-seeking.  It tends to go back to the last section talking about being judged on the decisions we make in our youth.

    And then he closes with a reminder that youth is fleeting.  This passage may be more pertinent to our society today than at any other time in history.  The secular illusion that we are challenged with continually is that we have to stay young.  To get old in our culture is to do something wrong.  Case in point........My sister......who is usually quite proper and correct......bought this book for Tish.  (How Not To Look Old)  I thought it was a really ugly thing to do personally......but she did it.  Some of the quotes of the reviewers are things like “This is a battle cry against the forces of aging.”  Or, how about........“It is critical to every woman’s personal and financial survival.”  

    And then you open up the book and look at the pictures of these “OLD” people who are trying to stay young........Angelina Jolie.......Jennifer Lopez.  These are old people who are trying to stay young?  Give me a break!

    We are fixated as a society on this thing called youth.  But Solomon says......it won’t go on forever......it is fleeting.......it is futility......it is vanity.  He’s telling each one of us to be content in the season we find ourselves.  It’s sad to see someone who is trying to live in the past.  Tish wasn’t offended by the book......in fact, she laughed.  Our contentment.......our worth doesn’t have to be tied up in the things our culture deems important.  Be content whether you’re 85, 65, 25 or a hundred and forty three.  It isn’t youth that’s going to satisfy.........but rather a relationship with the Living God. Life finds its fulfillment.......its meaning and its significance only as we develop that relationship.

    Alright.......next time we’ll definitely wrap up the book.  Solomon will give us a great summation of everything he’s talked about......and the real application of all 12 chapters.  

    Let’s pray.............

Ecclesiastes

Chapter 12

    This morning we finish up our study of the Book of Ecclesiastes a study that hopefully has given you some insight into a writing that is often misinterpreted often treated as either a depressing litany of the futilities of life or simply a series of warnings for people to avoid things in life that might seem good but are really just vanity. And that doesn't mean that these things are inherently "bad"........it just means that they're fleeting, transient. ..... they aren't going to satisfy. The things of this earth will fail to provide a permanent basis for happiness, contentment, fulfillment, or satisfaction in life. 

    Solomon has shown that these things can give temporary pleasure....they're not bad things to enjoy. In fact.....he's encouraged people to find pleasure in the blessings of life.........which we know are from God.......but make sure you understand they cannot ultimately fulfill or satisfy.

    Hopefully we've gotten a clearer picture of the reality of what Solomon has said. Since the perspective of the book has been the observations of Solomon and what he's seen "under the sun" or without a spiritual view-point it's probably actually more a book of philosophy than theology because it looks at the entire human condition analyzes it and then gives its conclusions. 

    Let me ask you to complete this sentence....... "I wish I had a million dollars so I could........"  No matter how happy or satisfied or content we might be......we still wish we had something more.

    Most of humanity spends its life in pursuit of things that they believe will fill the void........the sense of emptiness.......the search for purpose in their lives. Since most people will never have anything approaching the sum of their desires.......it's pretty easy to assume that the key to happiness and contentment must lie in the possession of one of those other things that we don't have.........since obviously, the stuff we already have isn't doing it for us. 

    But remember........Solomon was in a unique position to try it out for us.  And he did, as he says in the book.  He didn't wish he had money.  He gave his heart whatever it desired to see if it would bring him happiness........and it didn't. And he faithfully reports the result of each of his experiments, spanning the range of human endeavors and pleasures. Finally.......after failing to find complete satisfaction in anything he had tried........he reveals the final conclusion of his search.

    And he left off in chapter 11 talking about rejoicing in our youth.......about our childhood being fleeting........and he continues along that same line here.......not only with his encouragement for young people to remember the God of this universe.........but with a rather sobering description of the aging process. Go ahead and read verses 1 thru 4..........'Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"; 2before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; 4and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. And then verses 5 thru 8.........5Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street. 6Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. 8"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "all is vanity!"

    Wow......who wouldn't want to get old after hearing that description?  Solomon starts out with an encouragement to the young to "Remember your Creator.......".  He's already told us that life is fleeting.......it's short......and our time of being young is even shorter.  So while you're young......and able to pursue life with the vigor and enthusiasm that youth possesses.......make certain your pursuits are towards God.....because "evil days" come quickly......and then he goes into an explanation of what those evil days are.......OLD AGE!  And as further proof that there is nothing new under the sun......we think our culture is obsessed with youth.  Look at this......the EVIL DAYS are still being talked about.

    In language that is poetic and filled with analogies......Solomon takes us on a trip of what getting old is like.  So each one of the pictures that he draws here has got to be viewed from that context otherwise we get into seeing these verses as a string of unrelated references to nature and buildings and circumstances that seem meaningless.  So.....with that context in mind ..... what is he saying about growing old? Pretty basically he's telling us that it is not for the weak of heart.

    Looking at these verses one by one ..... he begins by telling us that our mental powers will fade as we grow older. Verse 2 says "before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;". Our mental abilities diminish with the onset of old age. When you're young .life seems to stretch endlessly in front of you .it seems that you'll be young forever. But as you live day by day and one day you make an astounding discovery you're a GRANDFATHER!!!! And for many of you especially the women that would come as quite a shock. You suddenly find you're exhibiting the appearances and experiences of age. You start getting forgetful.......like Tish and I are. But we decided to get some help a few weeks ago. We went to our doctor to get checked out to make sure nothing was wrong. We explained to the doctor about the problems we're having with our memory.

    After he checked us out he told us we were physically fine but we might want to start writing things down and make notes to help us remember things. Later that night we were watching TV........and I got up from my chair and Tish said, "Where are you going?" I said, "To the kitchen." So she asked if I'd get her a bowl of ice cream. I said "Sure."

    Then you know what she had the nerve to say? "Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?" But it doesn't end there!

    I said, "No, I can remember that." Then she says, "Well, I also would like some strawberries on top. You had better write that down cause I know you'll forget that." I said, "I can remember that, you want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries."

    Then she replies, "Well, I also would like whip cream on top. I know you will forget that so you better write it down." I'm getting a little testy by now and I told her, "I don't need to write that down, I can remember that. "

    After about 20 minutes I return from the kitchen and hand her a plate of bacon and eggs.

    Tish stared at the plate for a minute and says, "You forgot my toast."

    It's sad but that's the kind of thing that Solomon is talking about here. But there are a few things that are positive about the memory loss that comes with age. First.......I found that you can actually hide your own Easter eggs! And secondly.......when you start getting really old.........there's no peer pressure........you outlived your peers!

    The reasoning power of the brain........probably the greatest gift that God has given to us.......begins to lose its ability.......the memory fades. That's one of the first marks of old age.  There are actually three things that indicate the onset of old age.......the first is losing the memory.......and I can't remember the other two! That's what this verse describes........the fading of the memory.......like the stars that fade at the approach of dawn.

    And then he goes on to explain these "evil days" of old age with images of a watchman.......mighty men........grinders being idle and windows and doors. And in the context he describes the deterioration of the body starting in verse three.

    The "keepers of the house" are a reference to the ARMS and HANDS of the aged that begin to shake with the onset of old age. One of the signs of old age is a stooped posture. We look at a young man and he's normally tall and straight. We look at an old person and his knees buckle.........but his belt won't.

    Continuing in verse 3 he says "the grinding ones stand idle because they are few".  And it looks to me like this is a poetic........even humorous reference to TEETH. They don't chew as much as they used to because there aren't that many of them left. Remember.........this was before the era of false teeth.

    "Those who look through windows grow dim.".......is reference to our failing eyesight.  The eyes are our windows to the world. One of the harsh realities of growing older is that our eyesight begins to fail.

    Verse 4 talks about sounds becoming lower..........like you're hearing them through a closed door.........they're muffled........another sign of age. There's another possibility. We've already seen that the "grinding ones" are a reference to teeth that have become fewer and fewer.  As you lose your teeth.......the noise of chewing becomes the soft sound of gumming.

    Continuing in verse 4........although our hearing becomes less acute.......Solomon talks about how easily one will be awakened from sleep. It seems the older we get......it becomes increasingly difficult to sleep.......and what sleep we do get is more easily interrupted.

    And he finishes verse 4 with either a reference to our speech becoming softer........less pronounced or he may further be making reference to the onset of deafness as sounds become increasingly muted. It's a pretty grim picture. No one WANTS to get old. Of course......most of us aren't too excited about the alternative, either.

    Verse 5 continues along the same lines of using metaphorical description of advanced age. "Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road." The meaning of this one seems less hidden. Old age brings with it certain fears. There's the fear of being on a ladder.......being on a roof. But as we age it's easier to lose your balance.......to take a spill. We also lose our ability to defend ourselves.......to face the risks of travel........of confrontation.  Tish was reading this and she said she's afraid of "terrors on the road" too......referring to my driving!  She's very unbiblical!

    Keeping in verse 5 he says, "The almond tree blossoms"........and in reading about it, it seems that the almond tree blossoms when there are no leaves on the tree. When it blossoms........it produces a snowy white flower without any accompanying leaves so that the entire tree looks like.......well.......my beard! A reference to the usually white hair of an elderly person.

    Here's a good one........"The grasshopper drags himself along"........looking at the original writing in Hebrew........it's a bit unclear. If we accept the translation of the New American Standard Version........it would mean that there's no longer a spring to your step. Where there was once a spring and a bounce.......now there's barely the energy to shuffle along.

    While this translation is the normal rendering of the Hebrew root word that's used

here.......it's been suggested that this could also be translated to say that the grasshopper "shall be a burden." If this is the case.......the point would be that as you get older........burdens seem heavier. The picture is of one carrying something as small as a grasshopper and finding it to be a heavy load.

    The next phrase........."The caperberry is ineffective"......doesn't pack a real punch in our culture........because we don't seem to have a lot of caperberries. But he's talking about the bud of the flower of a capparis bush.......which was used as an aphrodisiac in ancient times. This is the only time the word is used in the Old Testament..........but it seems to come from a root word which carried the figurative idea of "desire." This is a natural avenue that aging follows........when all of the aphrodisiacs in the world are powerless and when desire fades away.

    It's true that modem technology has made it much easier to deal with many of these burdens of getting old. We have eyeglasses and hearing aids and false teeth and dyed hair and all sorts of other technology to assist in dealing with the evils of aging. While these inventions are wonderful........they don't deal with the source of the problem.........the fact of a body that's wearing out from the inside. They don't deal with the problem of eventual death. And Solomon concludes verse 5 by saying that this aging process only stops when man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.

    Verses 6 thru 8 wrap up his description of aging with a number of allegories that describe death itself........and he starts by restating what he originally said......REMEMBER HIM.......Pay attention to God before death takes place. And I'll go through the word pictures that he draws here quickly.......because it's all saying the same basic thing.

    "The silver cord is broken".......whatever it is that ties our soul and spirit to our body is cut. "The golden bowl is crushed".......our brain ceases to function. "The pitcher by the well is shattered"........our heart stops beating.......and "The wheel at the cistern is crushed".......our circulatory system ceases to function. The point of the passage is that you're called to remember the Lord and to serve Him and to worship Him TODAY.........while you have life.

    It's hard to find the answers to life when you're old. It's true that there are exceptions to this rule and that there are those who find a relationship with Jesus Christ when they're advanced in age........like my parents did.......but such cases are rare. Most people who don't come to the Lord in their youth don't come to Him in their old age. I've read that 95% of all believers come to Christ before they're 50 years old.......and that most of those do it before they're 30. That's why Solomon encourages us to, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth."

    Who's got verses 9 and 10?......9In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught. 10 the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.

    Throughout this book we've followed Solomon in his quest for meaning and purpose to life. We saw him try all sorts of experiences and attitudes. But him keeping account and then relating the details of this quest wasn't for his benefit.......it was for ours. Solomon was not only the possessor of wisdom.......he was also the dispenser of wisdom. It's possible to have wisdom and to keep it to yourself. What made him THE PREACHER is that he preached......he proclaimed words of wisdom to others in a way that made it understandable.

    Verse nine says "He taught the people knowledge". In order for any teaching to take place.......there has got to be substance........something worthwhile.......something that is worthy of being taught. Solomon had that.......he knew stuff. But not only did he possess something worth teaching he was able to communicate it to those who heard. It says he TAUGHT them KNOWLEDGE.

    I may know everything there is to know about a particular subject........but I may just want to keep it to myself.......or I may not have the ability to communicate it to others. That isn't the case here. Solomon knew it and taught it. 

    But not only that........he labored at it. He pondered.......he searched out......he arranged. This implies something more than just knowing something. Solomon didn't just sit there spewing knowledge.......he didn't merely share the first thing that came into his head. He thought about what he was going to say before he spoke. He spent time searching out the things he was going to teach. He set his wisdom in order by arranging "many proverbs."

    But he didn't stop there........It wasn't enough to have knowledge.......It wasn't even enough to have it arranged intelligently. Solomon also purposed to speak in a pleasing manner. He sought to find delightful words. The NlV says that he picked "just the right words." He gave thought and effort to communicating in a way that would capture the attention of his readers.

    Finally.......and most importantly.......Solomon was on a quest to communicate the absolute TRUTH. We live in an age of relativism. Some time ago our society decided that there is no REAL TRUTH........only relative truth. We hear that something might be "true" to one person but not true to another. Scripture certainly doesn't look at life that way. Something's either true or it's not. It didn't matter if Solomon found delightful words if they weren't the truth. A lie all dressed up in fancy words 'is still a lie.

    I think this shows us something pretty important about the book of Ecclesiastes. In spite of its often dark and gloomy view........it's a book that teaches TRUTH. It's written to give us a realistic view of life so that we might live for the Lord.

    Go ahead and read verses 11 and 12....... 11The words of wise men are like goads, andmasters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.

    OK who knows what a "goad" is? A goad is a pointed stick used for driving oxen

and other animals. It poked at the animal to make him move in the desired direction. Nails have a different use. They're hammered to keep something in place. The first is temporary. The second is permanent. So.........if you look at the parallel he's giving us here you can see what's being said. Goads are used to bring movement.......nails are used to hold something in place. So if "goads" are the words of wise men........then "nails" represent those people who learn these wise words and put them into practice in their lives.

    Both goads and nails are sharp and penetrate.......and that's exactly what Hebrews 4:12 tells us about God's Word. "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

    The Word of God accomplishes both of these purposes. To the one who is comfortable with his life........the Word of God acts as a goad to move him out of his "comfort zone." It pushes us to do those things we ought to do. And then it establishes itself in our lives and fixes us to the right path........represented by the nails.

    And then verse 12 gives us a warning.......and remember.........this is a warning, not a prohibition.........that words themselves can be both endless and wearisome. We are living in the information age. What was true in the days of Solomon is even more true today. While we are called to take heed to words of wisdom.......we're NOT called to excessive devotion to books.......to study.......to learning. He describes this kind of devotion as wearisome to the body. The reason it's wearisome is because it's never put into PRACTICE. It remains theoretical. Usually our problem isn't that we do not KNOW enough. Our problem is in APPLYING the stuff we do know. The most simple truths become profound when we actually put them in to practice.

    We see this so often in marriage counseling. We sit with a couple and guide them to certain Scriptures........and as soon as you give them the reference to the verse.......they go, "Oh, I know that one."........and they recite it from memory. We can know all the books in the world. We can have chapters of Scripture memorized.......but if all we do is KNOW it........and we don't APPLY it.........it doesn't do any good at all. Scripture gives us a warning about this in 1 Corinthians 8:1........."Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge, knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies." We all know enough right now to live exemplary lives of who Jesus Christ is.  But if all we have is knowledge......we become arrogant.  Application of knowledge builds others up.......it edifies.  

    Alright.......let's look at Solomon's conclusion. After he's looked at everything after he's experimented with and experienced everything he could in this world........what is his final analysis? 13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

    Wisdom teaches us two things........first it teaches us to fear God. This is the conclusion of the book of Ecclesiastes........and it's also the same conclusion that's found in the other Wisdom Literature.

    Job 28:28........"And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding. "'

    Psalm 111:10........"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever."

    Proverbs 1:7........"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction."

    The fear of the Lord is a good thing. It's not a paralyzing fear.......or a morbid fear........like you're at some scary movie. It's a fear that God is very big.......and that He's sovereign........and that He is able to do as He pleases. It's a fear that recognizes our own sin and drives us to the grace of God. The principle is simple. If you truly fear the Lord........then you'll desire to keep His commandments. If you really fear God.......then you'll also fear sin and its consequences.

    The reason for this double conclusion is because this applies to every person. This phrase literally reads, "because this is the all of man." The implication is that "this is the whole duty of man."

    The reason that we're to fear God is because He is ultimately our Judge. He's not only our Judge.......He is completely Sovereign........and that means that there's nothing that will escape His judgment. Nothing shall remain hidden.......whether good or evil.

    1 Corinthians 4:5......."Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God."

    The good news for the Christian is that this judgment took place upon the cross. It was there that God's perfect and righteous judgment was poured out upon His only Son. The evil deeds we committed and the evil thoughts we harbored were accounted to Him. While our sins will not remain hidden........their penalty has been paid.

    So that's the book of Ecclesiastes. If I were to try and sum up his conclusion in other words it would probably be something along the lines of........."What a waste to live your life and never discover why you're here! What a waste to die without learning the secret of truly living."  Solomon looked at the world from every experience ..... and that's his conclusion.

    I have to admit that I came away from this study with a different view of this writing than I had when we started. I thought that this was probably one of the most depressing things I had ever read. But now I'm thinking........"What's so depressing?"It's only depressing if you really wanted to find fulfillment in physical things........in the 'stuff of this world. Now, I'm somewhat relieved..........in fact almost joyful. Because if happiness could only be found in completely indulging all of our heart's desires on this earth.......how many of us could ever hope to be truly happy? Which of us can do what Solomon was able to, and indulge every one of his whims?

    But what Ecclesiastes tells us in the end..........is that anyone can find fulfillment and satisfaction in life. That's because anyone can choose to serve God. And if we understand and choose to accept and embrace our purpose and our duty on this earth......we'll find the contentment and peace that continues to elude the world.