It has been called the Sphinx of Christian literature, the white elephant of the Canon of Scripture. It is an enigma for Bible students, a book that by its very nature is a mystery.

THE TITLE OF THE BOOK

1. Hebrew Title: Qoheleth.

The title is taken from the very first sentence of the book - "the words of the PREACHER." The Qahal is the assembly, the congregation. The Qohelet is the one who addresses that assembly.

The fact that the title has a feminine ending is not particularly significant. Most ancient titles and designations of office had a feminine ending.

2. Greek Title: Ekkhsiasths.

Our English title for this book is taken from the Greek Septuagint, the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. It means, "Assembly-speaker, preacher." It is related to the Greek word ekklhsia ("church").

 

MESSAGE OF THE BOOK

This book is a sermon. It includes bad news and good news. The "bad news" has given the book a bad name. The reason for this is that the Preacher does not given simple pat answers to complex problems.

The main question asked in this book is this: What is life all about? The Bible is not afraid to raise the hard issues. It asks why should I try to be good? Does it 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 questions. This book ought to be studied by all of our young people. There is only one answer to the questions that are being asked by people today. The answer is found in the living God.

Francis Schaeffer said that if he had an hour to talk to someone about Christ, he would talk for the first 45 minutes about how there are no answers. He would teach about the hopelessness of man. Only then would he share Jesus as the answer. And that is what Ecclesiastes does.

AUTHORSHIP

1. A number of factors seem to point to Solomon as the Author.

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 as having "magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me" (1:16).

c. His building activities.

He tells of his building houses, planting vineyards, making garden and parks and irrigating an entire forest.

d. His wealth.

He relates the greatness of his wealth, stating twice that it was more than all who preceded him in Jerusalem (2:7; 2:9).

Tradition.

Both Jewish and Christian tradition is uniform is attributing this book to Solomon. It was not until after the Reformation that anyone suggested that the book may have been written by someone else.

2. It has been noted by scholars that there are several problems with Solomon being the author of this book.

• The name of Solomon is not once mentioned while both Proverbs and the Song of Solomon DO mention him by name.
• The author calls himself "king in Jerusalem," a phrase which is never used of any Hebrew king.
• When the writer describes himself as having "magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me" (1:16), it seems that he is implying more than merely himself and King David. Remember that it was David who first took Jerusalem and made it an Israelite capital city. There had been no previous Israelite kings in Jerusalem prior to David.

On the other hand, there were many kings over Jerusalem prior to David, some of who are even mentioned in the pages of the Scripture.

• Non-royal language of the writer.

There are several places where the writer makes observations which would be unlikely in coming from a king such as Solomon.

For example, in Ecclesiastes 10:17 he says, "Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time - for strength and not for drunkenness."

Another example is Ecclesiastes 10:20 which says, "In your bedchamber do not curse a king..."

However, we would not expect the author to write from the point of view of his kingship since this is a philosophical treatise rather than the edict of a head of state.

There is an entire body of Jewish literature known as the Pseudepigrapha ("false writings") which are intended, not to deceive, but as a legitimate literary device in which the author takes on the persona of a famous character from the past. Plato does something similar in his dialogues and the device is well-used by modern writers.

 

DATE OF WRITING

Assuming that Solomon is indeed the author, the book would have been written around 945 B.C. It seems to have been written later in Solomon's life.

Solomon had been one of the greatest of the Hebrew kings. His reign was one of peace and prosperity. It has been said that what David won through war, Solomon preserved through peace. And yet, there was a dark side to Solomon's reign. With all of his reputed wisdom, he found himself turning away from the Lord. It began very gradually. He entered into marital alliances with the surrounding countries. He took to be his wives the daughters of the surrounding pagan nations. And as those wives came to Israel, they brought with them their pagan gods.

Ecclesiastes is a journal of a man's search for meaning in life. Much of that search takes place apart from God. And the conclusion will be that life apart from God is empty.

THEMES

1. The futility of life "under the sun" (1:2, 14).

Life without God is meaningless. When we take God out of the equation, the world makes absolutely no sense. You are born in one hospital and you die in another hospital and what happens in the "between time" doesn't change either of those facts.

And to make matters worse, the world is a bad place. Life is often unjust. Good people suffer and bad people prosper.

2. The importance of serving God throughout life (11:9 - 12:1, 13-14).

The author shows that the meaning of life is not to be found in experiencing the things of this world. True meaning is found only in serving the Creator.

 

KEY WORDS AND PHRASES

THE PLACE OF ECCLESIASTES IN THE CANON

1. Its Place in the English Bible.

Ecclesiastes is centrally located in our English Bible.

The five Poetical Books of which Ecclesiastes is a part each deal with one of the major problems of mankind.

• Job is man on his face before God.
• Psalms is man on his knees before God.
• Proverbs is man sitting and being instructed by God.
• Ecclesiastes is man yet to stand before God.
• Song of Solomon is man's experience of falling in love.

2. Its Place in the Hebrew Bible.

The arrangement of books within the Hebrew Bible is markedly different from that which is found in our English Bibles (our English Bible follows the order found in the Septuagint).

Ecclesiastes was a part of five books known as the Megilloth - the "Rolls." These five books were read at special feast days throughout the year.

Note: The English equivalent dates are only close approximations.

Ecclesiastes was read by the Jews each year at the Feast of Tabernacles - that time when the Jews would gather to Jerusalem and build booths in which they would reside for that week.

A booth is a temporary shelter. And they would read this book which would remind them that life is temporary and that only those things you do for the Lord will make a lasting difference.

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.

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? (1 Corinthians 1:20).

This is the same message which Ecclesiastes brings. It teaches us that the wisdom of the world does not 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.

THE EMPTINESS OF LIFE

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

In the movie "City Slickers" Billy Crystal plays the part of a man who is going through his mid-life crisis. He has passed the summit of a lackluster career and his work is no longer satisfying. He realizes that his vacations of late have been a vain attempt to retain his youth and he notices that there are hairs beginning to grow out of his ears.

One day he has been asked to address his son's fourth grade class as part of a job learning program. He stumbles about and then says to them, "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.'"

It is this kind of empty and futile existence that we see displayed in the book of Ecclesiastes. This theme is introduced in the first two verses of the book.

INTRODUCTION - THE THEME OF EMPTINESS

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 1:1-2).

The book begins by introducing both the author as well as the theme of the book. He wishes to set forth at the very beginning who he is and the subject of his writing.

1. Introduction of the Preacher.

The writer of the book opens by introducing himself. He does this in three ways.

a. He calls himself the "Preacher."

The Hebrew word is Qoheleth. It describes one who addresses the assembly, the congregation.

b. He is the son of David.

David was the king. The Preacher is the son of the King.

c. He is king in Jerusalem.

David had a number of sons. But only one of them became king in Jerusalem. That was Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba.

It is interesting that all three of the titles used here by the author can be applied to Jesus Christ. He is the Preacher, the proclaimer of good news. He is the Son of David. And He is the king who came to His own in Jerusalem and who reigns forever in the New Jerusalem.

Though there are similarities between Solomon and Jesus, there are also some very important differences.

Do you remember the story of Solomon? At the outset of his reign as king, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and offered to him anything he would ask. Solomon could have asked for greatness or glory or riches or political security or long life. Instead, he asked for WISDOM. And the Lord rewarded him both with wisdom as well as with all of those other things.

This was a man who had it ALL. He had power and glory and wisdom and a long life in which to enjoy all of it. And in the end, his conclusion will be that it is all empty - that it is vanity.

2. Vanity.

The word "vanity" is the Hebrew word that literally refers to a small breath of wind, a breeze. This is seen in Isaiah 57:13 where we read:

But the wind will carry all of them up,

And a breath will take them away.

When used figuratively, refers to that which is "worthless, vain or empty." This was also the name of Adam's son, Abel.

When you wanted to emphasize a point in Hebrew, you repeated it. Jesus did this ("Truly, truly"). By repeating this word ("vanity of vanities"), the writer expresses the superlative. He does the same thing in the Song of Solomon ("Song of songs"). The idea here is that there is an emptiness which is above all other emptinesses. The Preacher wants to emphasize and underline and boldface this point.

ALL IS EMPTY!!!!!

Don't take it from me. Take it from Solomon. Take it from the wisest man who ever lived. Take it from the man who tried everything there was to try, who did everything there was to do. Take it from the King of the Upper Class. It is all empty.

If you are looking at life only "under the sun," it will be empty. The optimist says that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But Solomon suggests that light is probably only the headlamp of an oncoming train.

EMPTINESS IN THE FACE OF NATURE

What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:3).

Having given the answer, the Preacher now asks the question. What advantage does a man have in anything he does in this life? What's the use? Why are we here? Why do we work and labor and strive?

You've heard about the man who climbed the ladder of success, only to find that it was leaning against the wrong wall. Is there a right wall? Why do we climb?

The scope of the question is seen in verse 3. It is under the sun. That is the perspective from which this question is asked. It looks at life down here as opposed to life "up there." It looks at life from man's perspective rather than from God's perspective. It looks at life "under the sun" instead of at life "over the sun."

Is this a Christian perspective? No! It is a humanistic perspective. When you look at this life only, it doesn't make a lot of sense. It is empty. This is confirmed in the New Testament.

If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:19).

If life is only viewed from our earthly perspective, then there isn't much for which to live because you really don't make much of a difference. You are 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 when you compare your life with the world around you, it is your life that comes up short. This is illustrated in four areas:

The Preacher points to each of the basic elements - Earth, fire, wind and water - to show how the world frustrates man.

1. Illustrated in the Perpetualness of the Earth.

A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. (Ecclesiastes 1:4).

We always tend to feel that we are the "now" generation. But today's novelty is the material of tomorrow's garbage heap. Old age doesn't make you any wiser. It only teaches you the transience of life. The older you get, the more you see people die and the passing of your generation. And there is a dreary sameness to each generation which you can only see in its passing. It teaches us the transience of life.

2. Illustrated in the Rising and Setting of the Sun.

Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; and hastening to its place it rises there again. (Ecclesiastes 1:5).

As each generation comes and goes, so also each day comes and goes with a regular and monotonous passing. Chuck Swindol said, "The problem with daily living is that it is so DAILY."

3. Illustrated in the Wind.

Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north, the wind continues swirling along; and on its circular courses the wind returns. (Ecclesiastes 1:6).

All winds move in circuits, either clockwise or counter clockwise. There are regular weather patterns which are repeated again and again. They remind us of the continuing "sameness" of life.

4. Illustrated in the Cycle of Water.

All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again. (Ecclesiastes 1:7).

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 are not the same because you are here today and gone tomorrow. And when you are 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 will not even notice the fact that you are gone.

THE EMPTINESS OF MAN'S EXPERIENCE

Now the preacher takes all of the unending cycle and applies it to man's experience. There is something wrong. It seems to us as though it is nature that ought to be transient while man is the one who ought to be permanent.

1. The Lack of Satisfaction.

All things are wearisome; man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing. (Ecclesiastes 1:8).

Notice the three activities of man mentioned here.

• Telling
• Seeing
• Hearing

The point is that you always want more. Have you seen a good movie? Read a good book? Watched a magnificent sunset? Enjoyed a restful vacation? Delight in a special experience? It is never enough. It never satisfies, for ultimately you want MORE.

2. The Lack of Novelty.

That 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.

Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new"? Already it has existed for ages which were before us. (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10).

We live in an age of novelty. We have seen things in our day of which our ancestors did not even dream.

• Space flight
• Computers in every household
• Instant media

And yet, with regard to human nature, there is a mundane similarity to the people of the past. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Parents know this. They watch their kids and they remember when they used to do the same things their kids used to do. And they find themselves saying the same things that their parents used to say to them.

3. The Lack of Remembrance.

There 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. (Ecclesiastes 1:11).

Even when you DO accomplish something significant, it is eventually forgotten. My father was an officer in the United States Air Force. He flew in three different wars and he received a handful of medals. I have some of those medals, but in some cases I don't even know what they signified. A few generations from now they will likely find their way to a dumpster.

I have a couple of degrees from college and seminary. But after I am dead and gone, they were be mere wastepaper.

There isn't much that we do that is noticed while we are alive and there is even less that will be remembered after we are gone. Your entire life will one day be condensed onto a single line of a neglected tombstone.

What do you know about your great-great grandfather? What were his accomplishments? His dreams? His aspirations? Do you even know his name? (I don't).

Life is transient. Everything you have and everything you are will one day be forgotten. And that is the message of Ecclesiastes. It portrays life "under the sun." It is a rather depressing picture. It is depressing because life without God is always depressing.

The good news is that God has not left us "under the sun." For Christians, life is not "under the sun" but rather WITH THE SON. And that makes all the difference in the world. There is a little rhyme taught to me as a child which goes:

"Only one life, will soon be past,

Only what's done for the Lord will last."

There is a principle here. It is the principle of permanence. The only permanent things are our service to the Lord. They may be forgotten in this life, but they are written where it counts.

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT

Ecclesiastes 1:12 - 2:26

Most people in America have a basic dissatisfaction about their lives. This dissatisfaction manifests itself in many ways. People are dissatisfied with how they LOOK. There are those who think that they are too heavy. Or others who think that they are too skinny. And so they work out and apply cosmetics and nip and tuck and attempt to change their outward appearance. They join spas and they go to beauty salons and they adorn themselves in the most up-to-date styles, all in an attempt to look better.

People are also dissatisfied with what they KNOW. We have entered the communications age. We are bombarded with information in books and newspapers and magazines and television and E-mail and Internet.

People are also dissatisfied with what they HAVE. Merely look at how many lottery tickets are purchased each day, each purchaser hoping that he or she will strike it rich so that they can have more money to obtain more stuff.

People are also dissatisfied with their RELATIONSHIPS or the lack of them. There are single people want to be married and married people want to be single.

And people are dissatisfied by what they DO. Most people are not particularly happy in the jobs and careers in which they find themselves. It isn't merely a matter of how much money they are paid. Most people find themselves working at jobs which they feel don't really matter.

There was once a man like that. A man who sought to find satisfaction in himself, in his possessions, in his relationships and in his accomplishments. His name was Solomon.

We already know what became of his search for satisfaction. Solomon presented his thesis statement in verse 2 - that all is vanity- all is emptiness. Now he proceeds to prove his statement through his own experiences.

THE FRUSTRATION OF WISDOM

12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And 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.

14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I 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."

17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.

18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain. (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18).

When Solomon was a lot younger, he had an encounter with God. God appeared to him one night in a dream and told him, "You ask me whatever you want and I will give it to you." What a deal! To be given anything, no matter how big! For what would you ask? What is you heart's desire?

Solomon asked for wisdom. He asked for "an understanding heart" to be able to lead the people of God and to be able to discern between good and evil (1 Kings 3:9).

The Lord commended his choice. The Lord said to him, "You could have chosen wealth or a long life or conquest over your enemies, but you didn't. And because you asked for wisdom, I am not only going to make you the wisest man of all, but I am going to give to you all of those other things as a bonus."

Solomon took that wisdom which was given to him by God and he worked it. He set out upon an intellectual journey to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven (1:13). He looked and he studied and he thought and he pondered. What did he find? He found that rationalism ultimately has no answers that satisfy. It is all empty. If intellectualism brought fulfillment, then our colleges and universities would be "Camelots" of peace. But it isn't so. Knowledge doesn't make you happier. It has just the opposite effect. It brings grief (Verse 18). Increasing knowledge results in increasing pain (1:18).

THE FRUSTRATION OF PLEASURE

1 I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility.

2 I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?"

3 I 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. (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3).

The next thing that Solomon did was to invest in the pleasures of life. That is the slogan of today's lifestyle - "If it feels good, do it!" That is the message given in our advertisements and in our commercials. You only go around once, so 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. There are several lessons that we can learn from Solomon's experiences:

1. Sensual pleasures make promises that lack staying power.

They can be enjoyable for a time. But after awhile, the fun fades, the limelight loses its luster and the amusements just aren't as amusing as they used to be. This is true of...

• Drugs
• Sex
• Alcohol

It is true of any kind of physical pleasure. The pursuer of pleasure continues to strive for more and more because the thrill gradually wears off. Eventually it is an empty thrill.

I can remember the first time I ever went to Disney World. What a thrill! The rides were exciting. The food was good. The entertainment was entertaining. But no longer. I will be satisfied never again to visit the Magic Kingdom. It has lost its magic for me. The thrill just isn't there anymore. And physical pleasures and entertainments are always like that.

2. Sensual pleasures offer to open your eyes, but in reality they blind us.

How do they blind us? By making us feel as if the quest for pleasure is the most important thing in life. Empty pleasures blind us to those things in life which bring real happiness because they divert our attention from them.

James said that they "wage war in your members" (James 4:1). The lie of the serpent in the Garden was, "Do this and you will know more, see more, feel more." But the truth is that a lifestyle of self-gratification only leads us away from the important things of life - from family, friends and God.

3. Sensual pleasures disillusion us, making us cover-up artists.

When the good feelings begin to fade away, our tendency is to begin to pretend that we are having fun, even when we aren't.

Sometimes this disillusionment takes another form. Once the party is over any you are faced with the emptiness of your quest, then your reaction is one of ceasing to search. Instead of deciding that you have been searching for your answers in the wrong direction, you decide that there are really no answers to be found.

Colleges and universities are full of people who have come to this conclusion. They are without hope. They are empty. And they are no longer searching for answers because they have concluded that there are no answers.

 

THE FRUSTRATION OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. The Accomplishments of Possessions.

4 I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; 5 I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6 I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.

7 I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. (Ecclesiastes 2:4-7).

Solomon was the epitome of the Yuppie. He had it all. What he didn't have, he didn't want. After all, he was a KING. And he made sure that he had more than any other king who had reigned in that part of the world.

Solomon made Israel a first-rate nation with building projects that were the wonder of the ancient world. A thousand years later, people were still talking about the glory of Solomon's Temple. His reign was the golden age of Israel.

2. The Accomplishments of Wealth.

8 Also, 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.

9 Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. (Ecclesiastes 2:8-9).

Solomon had MONEY. He took the old saying that money can't buy happiness and he tested it by collecting the treasures of the nations.

It was always party time in Jerusalem. There was song and there was sex and there was the enjoyment of every worldly pleasure. And it all of this, Solomon kept his wits about him, using his intellect to enjoy life to the fullest.

3. The Accomplishments of Present Enjoyments.

All 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. (Ecclesiastes 2:10).

There was not anything that Solomon wanted that he did not take to himself. And when he had gotten it all and studied it all and built it all, then he set out to enjoy it. He wasn't like the man who slaved to be rich only to die before he could enjoy the benefits of his labors. Solomon became rich while he was still young. He was like the bumper sticker on the Cadillac that says, "I'm spending my children's inheritance."

4. The Emptiness of Accomplishments.

Thus 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. (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

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 cannot accomplish things. It is 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.

 

THE FRUSTRATION OF DEATH

12 So 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?

13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

15 Then 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."

16 For 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!

17 So 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. (Ecclesiastes 2:12-17).

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.

Ecclesiastes is not talking about God's wisdom. This is wisdom "under the sun." This is the wisdom of the world. This is the wisdom of Albert Einstein and of Isaac Newton and of Plato and Aristotle and Carl Sagan and David Thoreau and Spinoza.

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.

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. Both the fool and the wise man eventually die and end up in 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. Neither escapes death.

And when you die, you are quickly forgotten. Before my own father died, I came across some old family pictures. There was one with the name inscribed on the back - Joel Armour Stevenson. I believe it to be my father's grandfather. But when I asked him about it, he couldn't remember. In the space of two generations, a man and his wife who had borne four children had been forgotten so that their own grandchildren couldn't even remember their names.

Solomon's disillusionment turned to bitterness. He "hated life" (2:17). He found himself hating all of his accomplishments. They mocked him because he realized that they would not last.

Go to Israel today and visit Jerusalem. Where is Solomon's Temple? Where are the magnificent palaces? Where are the rich stables? It has all been destroyed. Only some of the weathered foundation stones remain for the rummaging of grey-haired archaeologists.

THE FRUSTRATION OF LIFE

18 Thus 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.

19 And 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.

20 Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

21 When 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.

22 For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?

23 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 2:17-23).

Solomon realizes that, no matter what he has collected or built or accomplished, he will have to leave it all behind when he dies. You will never see a hearse with a U-Haul. But that is not the worst of it. To make matters worse, you do not 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 have acted wisely in whatever you have built and in whatever you have invested your time and effort and finances. There is no guarantee that the person to whom you leave it will act wise or whether he will squander it.

Indeed, Solomon will spend 40 years in building a united kingdom of Israel and making it into the premier nation of the world of that day. It will take his son, Rehoboam, only a few months to tear apart the nation. At Solomon's death, Rehoboam will meet with the elders of Israel and he will act so badly that 10 of the tribes of Israel will secede from the union.

But that is 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, Solomon says that he came to hate the fruit of his labor for which he had labored. There is a lesson here. It is that the fruit of your labor will not endure. The only thing that will last is the fruit of the Spirit.

From where are you seeking fruit? What are you sowing? What kind of seed are you planting? 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 will be passed to another and you don't even have a guarantee as to whether he will make a full use of it or merely throw it away. It is only the fruit of the Spirit that will endure.

CONCLUSION

24 There 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.

25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

26 For 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. (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26).

Solomon's conclusion is a gloomy one for those who would find significance for life "under the sun." His conclusion it that this is as good as it gets. He concludes that "there is nothing better" - literally, "not good for a man except to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good."

• Man has only limited enjoyment from the things that he does. That has been the conclusion of each of Solomon's experiences. These things do give pleasure, but only for a time.
• If a man who had everything there was to have in this plane of existence investigated everything that there was to investigate and still came back with emptiness, then fulfillment must lie on a different plane.

If there is nothing but nothing under the sun, then our only hope must lie above the sun. Most people have their focus so riveted to the here and now that they completely ignore any other dimension. Such a path leads to emptiness and eventual frustration.

• Satisfaction is a gift from God. It is only when the Lord enters the picture that a man can find fulfillment in any of his labors. 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.

THE SEASONS OF LIFE

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

One of the popular hit songs of the 1960's was produced by "The Byrds" and entitled, "Turn, Turn, Turn." The words for this song were taken from this chapter of Ecclesiastes. In some way, the words of the Preacher hit a responsive chord in the youth of that era. His message is no less relevant for us today.

TIMES AND SEASONS

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

2 A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

3 A time to kill and a time to heal;

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4 A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost;

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;

A time to be silent and a time to speak.

8 A time to love and a time to hate;

A time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

The Preacher opens in verse 1 to an introduction of the principle that there is a proper time for everything. He is speaking of those things which take place "under heaven." As was true in the last chapter, so now also the Preacher is giving us a picture of life as it exists "under the sun."

It has been said that there are four seasons to a man's life:

• There is the time when he believes in Santa Claus.
• There is the time when he no longer believes in Santa Claus.
• There is the time when he is Santa Claus.
• There is the time when he looks like Santa Claus.

This chapter also presents the seasons in a man's life. It does so by way of a series of contrasts. There are fourteen contrasts presented. These contrasts cover nearly every event of life. They seem to be presented in chiastic form.

1. A time to give birth and a time to die (3:2).

The Preacher begins by looking at the two extremes of life. These are the bookends of your earthly existence. There is a time when you are born and there is a time when you die and everything else takes place between these two times.

Nearly every other time mentioned in this chapter involves a choice on your behalf. You can decide when to plant or when to uproot or when to kill or when to heal or when to weep or when to laugh or when to mourn or when to dance. But there are two things you don't decide. You don't decide when to be born. And you normally don't decide when you will die.

2. A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted (3:2).

The Preacher is speaking to people who live within an agricultural economy. If he were speaking today, him might say that there is a time when you punch in to go to work and there is a time when you punch out to go home.

3. A time to kill and a time to heal (3:3).

It is noteworthy that the word used here for kill is NOT the same word as is used in the ten commandments for murder.

4. A time to tear down and a time to build up (3:3).

Buildings have their life expectancy in the same way that people do. There are times when it is appropriate to build and there are times when the most constructive thing to do is to tear a building down.

5. A time to weep and a time to laugh (3:4).

There is a proper time for the manifestation of emotions. There are times when we Christians ought to weep and there are times when we ought to laugh the laughter of the redeemed.

C.S. Lewis described pain as God's megaphone. He whispers to us when we laugh, but He shouts to us when we weep.

6. A time to mourn and a time to dance (3:4).

This forms a parallel couplet with the previous line. Those who weep are the same as those who mourn. And those who laugh are the same as those who dance.

7. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones (3:5).

The throwing of stones was a part of the method of execution of criminals. It describes a rejection of that person, not only from society, but even from life. On the other hand, the gathering of stones would be for constructive purposes - to build a house or a wall or even an altar to the Lord.

8. A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing (3:5).

This also seems to be in chiastic parallel with the preceding line. It is again relational in nature. There is a time to mend relational fences and there is a time to avoid making up.

Embracing was a form of greeting in the ancient world. There is a time for hellos and there is a time for good-byes.

9. A time to search and a time to give up as lost (3:6).

You cannot spend your entire life searching for that which has been lost.

There comes a time when you have to face the facts that what is lost is now lost and can no longer be found.

Men often go through a mid-life crisis in which they attempt to regain their youth by doing youthful things - a young way of dressing, a new sports car, a new wife. But it doesn't work. There is a time to give up such things as lost.

If you want to feel young, hang around young people. If you want to feel old, try to keep up with them.

10. A time to keep and a time to throw away (3:6).

Everything that you now own will one day be thrown away. That does not mean you should throw it all away now. But perhaps it DOES mean that you should take care to what you cling too tightly.

This also applies to relationships. Parents, there comes a time when you have to begin to let go of your children. Begin to allow them to make their own decision and even to make some of their own mistakes.

11. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together (3:7).

This seems to be in chiastic parallel with the previous phrase. The idea of "tearing apart" is often used of rending garments in a time of grief or of crisis. There comes a time when the crisis is over and the grief is passed and that which has been torn is sewed back together.

12. A time to be silent and a time to speak (3:7).

There have been times when I have regretted speaking. And there have been times when I have regretted my silence. Wisdom comes in knowing when to speak and when not to speak.

13. A time to love and a time to hate (3:8).

We read that God both loves and that He hates. The hatred of God is directed against sin. And there are times when we ought to hate, too. We ought to hate injustice and hypocrisy whenever we see it.

14. A time for war and a time for peace (3:8).

This and other passages in the Scriptures indicate that there are times when warfare is just and right - specifically when it involves defense from outside aggression.

 

APPROPRIATENESS OF TIMES

9 What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

10 I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

11 He 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. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-11).

Having stated all of the various activities of life, the Preacher now comes to a summarizing question. Of what profit are all of these activities? This is a rhetorical question. It expects an obvious negative answer. The Preacher has spent the last two chapters demonstrating that these various activities have no ultimate profit.

What good is it to be born if you eventually die? What good is it to plant if that which you plant is eventually uprooted? What good is it to throw stones if they must eventually be regathered? What good is it to go to war if you will eventually make peace?

One of the household chores that I have always found to be frustrating is that of mowing the lawn. No matter how well you mow it, the grass grows and it must be mowed again a week or so later.

The Preacher says that he has observed this phenomenon. And notice that he brings God into the equation. I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves (3:10). It is God who has appointed our activities. We ought to view those activities as being done in the service of the Lord.

He has made each one to be appropriate in its time (3:11). The word translated "appropriate" is - "beautiful." It is used to describe the beauty of Sarah (Genesis 12:11,14), Rachael (Genesis 29:17), Esther (Esther 2:7), and the daughters of Job (Job 42:15). It is used to describe both men and women - Joseph is said to have been beautiful of form and beautiful of face (Genesis 39:6).

There is a design to life. And it is a beautiful design. The problem is that you do not see the entire story in this life. And because you do not see the entire story, you miss the beauty.

God has made us in such a way that we are not satisfied with life as it exists "under the sun." God had made us so that we always want to know the whole story. He has also set eternity in their heart. That is the good news. The bad news is that, even though we have eternity in our hearts, we are not able in ourselves to lay hold of eternity - yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

You will never have all of the answers in this life. And that 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 man has a desire to understand God's entire program. This is why man has pursued science and philosophy as well as theology. We have been gifted with a desire to understand all of creation.
• It also means that man has a hunger for God Himself.

"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." (C.S. Lewis).

There is a longing for home - a call deep in the human spirit for more than life can provide. This itch which we cannot scratch is part of God's plan.

 

MAN'S RESPONSE TO TIME

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; 13 moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor -- it is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13).

Here we see a repetition of the same Hebrew phrase which was used in Ecclesiastes 2:24 - "there is nothing better" - literally, "not good for a man except to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good." He is indicating that this is as good as it gets in this life.

That you rejoice

That you do good while you live

That you see the fruit of your labor

And that you recognize all of this as a gift from God.

In the last few years, I have been learning to enjoy the journey of life. It hasn't been an easy lesson. I am task-oriented by nature. I tend to be one of those people who is always reaching for a goal. And that is okay as long as the goal is Christ. But in the process of that reaching, I am learning to enjoy the precious life that God has given. Enjoy the NOW. It will never come again.

GOD'S SOVEREIGN POSITION OVER TIME

14 I 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.

15 That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by. (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15).

What we do is temporary. Even man's greatest and most enduring monuments will one day crumble into dust. In modern Egypt there is a team of construction workers whose task it is to maintain and occasionally rebuild and reinforce the Sphinx. It has lasted for over 4000 years. But it is decaying. And like all of man's works, it will one day pass.

1. God is Eternal.

And His work brings about eternal results. His plans are long range in nature. He is building for eternity.

When God wants to grow a squash, He does so in 6 months. When He grows an oak tree, He takes 20 years. When He raises up a man, He takes a lifetime.

2. God's Plan will not be Compromised.

God knows the end from the beginning. History is His story. The past and the future are equally open to Him.

 

GOD'S TIMELY JUDGMENT

16 Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

17 I 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. (Ecclesiastes 3:16-17).

When you look at life as it exists only "under the sun" there does not 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.

You can find evil within the courts of law. Lawyer jokes abound - and there is good reason for it. In this life you will find perversions of justice.

You will also find evil in places that are supposed to be righteous. The church has been rocked by scandals. And this has happened in every age. Those who are in positions of spiritual leadership are seen to have feet of clay.

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

MAN'S TIME ENDS IN DEATH

18 I said to myself concerning the sons of men, "God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts."

19 For 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.

20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.

21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? (Ecclesiastes 3:18-21).

The Preacher opened this chapter by stating that there is a time for being born and a time to die. He comes now to speak of death. This is one sense in which we are not much different than the animals.

Notice the specific points of comparison between man and beast. They all relate to how we die:

1. We Both Die.

I can remember when, as a child, I witnessed the death of a beloved pet. It was a long-haired dachshund named Fritz. He had been hit by a car and I watched the life drain out of him. I have seen a lot of people die since in my career in the fire department. And in this, we are not dissimilar from the animals.

2. We have the Same Breath.

The word for "breath" is Ruach. It can be translated either "breath" or "wind" or "spirit." We have life in the same way that animals have life. We are born and we grow and then we die and we stop breathing, all the same as the animals.

3. All go to the Same Place.

This is not speaking of heaven or hell. It is speaking of the body. It dies and it goes into the ground. It doesn't matter if the process used is burial or cremation. One is merely faster than the other. In either case, the body eventually decays. And you cannot tell just by looking at the process of death that a man's spirit is any different from an animal's spirit. Indeed, we would know nothing of life after death from mere observation.

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.

 

APPLICATION - MAKE THE MOST OF THIS TIME

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? (Ecclesiastes 3:22).

The Preacher repeats the conclusion to which he came in verse 12. He repeats that conclusion now almost word for word. It is that you should make the most of this time that you do have. Life is precious. And it is short. And eternity is long. Make the most of the NOW.

Vince Foster, deputy counsel to President Clinton, spoke to the 1993 graduating class of Arkansas University School of Law only six weeks before his death. His words now echo back to us from somewhere in eternity. A portion of what Mr. Foster said to several hundred young lawyers on that historic day:

"You have amply demonstrated that you are achievers willing to work hard, long hours and set aside your personal lives. But it reminds me of that observation that no one was ever heard to say on a death bed, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office.' Balance wisely your professional life and your family life.

If you are fortunate to have children, your parents will warn you that your children will grow up and be gone before you know it. I can testify that it is true.

"God only allows us so many opportunities with our children to read a story, go fishing, play catch and say our prayers together. Try not to miss a one of them. The office can wait. It will still be there after your children are gone."

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER

Ecclesiastes 4:1-16

We live in the Information Age. It is the day of instant news, instant entertainment, and instant communication.

When my brother first moved to Germany to serve as a missionary pastor, we would write letters back and forth which would take weeks and sometimes months to make the crossing. Now we write E-mail back and forth in a single day. And yet, with this growing technology and its corresponding ability to communicate, people are finding themselves more alone than ever.

THE LONELINESS OF OPPRESSION

1 Then 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.

2 So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living.

3 But 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. (Ecclesiastes 4:1-3).

The Preacher begins this section dealing with acts of oppression. He will speak more of oppression in the next chapter. But here is it a vehicle to speak of those who are ALONE in the face of oppression. It is bad enough to be oppressed. But it is much worse to be oppressed when you are alone.

As a result of the misery of oppression, the Preacher comes to the conclusion that it is better not to be alive than to be alive and to be so oppressed.

Job felt this way. In the midst of his sufferings, he said, "Let the day perish on which I was to be born" (Job 3:3). He asks, "Why did I not die at birth?" (Job 3:11).

Verse 1 says twice that they had no one to comfort them. The good news is that we have a Comforter. God Himself has sent to us His own Spirit so that we might be comforted in Him. He has promised to wipe away our tears. But that is not all. He has also given to us His own body - the Church.

I love 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 Jesus with "skin on." We are here for one another.

THE RIVALRY OF COMPETITION

4 I 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.

5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.

6 One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:4-6).

The Preacher notices the spirit of rivalry and of competition that exists within man. Man is by nature competitive. He desires to be the best as what he does. And this spirit of competition can lead to covetousness.

The Preacher says that this is empty. It is empty because there is always someone who is just a little better. And even if you succeed and find yourself out to be the very best at what you have endeavored to accomplish, what did it get you? Your accomplishment is only temporary. And you find that it is lonely at the top.

What is the answer? One possible answer is to drop out. This is the answer of the fool. He says, "Because there is always someone better and because it is lonely at the top, I'll merely sit back and never try to accomplish anything." He "folds his hands and consumes his own flesh." This is given by way of a proverb. It is a matched set. These two proverbs take the two extremes of competition and set themselves over against one another.

THE EMPTINESS OF SUCCESS

7 Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.

8 There 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. (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8).

How do you define success? If it is defined only in terms of YOU, then you are going to be a failure. The Preacher takes the example of a man. This is a man alone. He has no dependents. No family. No brother or son or anyone to whom he can leave a family inheritance. Our hypothetical man works his entire life and amasses a fortune. But there is no one to whom he can leave it. For what has he labored? For the sake of work? For the sake of success? The truth is that success is NOT its own reward. And if you are working just to accumulate wealth, then you are in for a sad surprise.

THE STRENGTH OF TOGETHERNESS

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 are portrayed to be a man if you can stand alone as a survivor and a winner and on top. But one of the very first decrees of God following the creation of man was that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). Think about that! Loneliness in Paradise. Indeed, loneliness can take place anywhere - even in a crowd.

The Preacher lists four reasons why it is better not to be alone.

1. Togetherness Increases the Reward.

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.(Ecclesiastes 4:9).

Two people working together can get more done than one alone. And two can live nearly as cheaply as one.

I'm told that during the Depression, there was a popular song that said, "Potatoes are cheaper, tomatoes are cheaper, now's the time to fall in love." Even the IRS recognizes the advantage of this by giving some tax breaks in that regard. But this principle is not limited to marriage. It relates to ANY type of partnership.

2. Togetherness Provides help in time of Trouble.

For 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. (Ecclesiastes 4:10).

In the fire service, we do everything in TEAMS. The number one rule of fire fighting is that you never freelance - you never go into anything alone. This way, if you get into difficulty, there is a partner to help you.

3. Togetherness Warms Body and Soul.

Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? (Ecclesiastes 4:11).

Take two coals, heat them up and then separate them and what happens? Their heat will be extinguished. They cannot generate sufficient heat when they are alone.

I've noticed that my wife and I do a lot more cuddling when it's cold. Why? Because of shared bodily warmth. That is true both physically, emotionally and spiritually.

That is 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.

4. Togetherness holds up under Attack.

And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

If two is better than one, then what is better than two? THREE! That is the definition of the Church - Jesus said, "Where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst" (Matthew 18:20).

 

THE TRANSIENCE OF POPULARITY

13 A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction.

14 For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.

15 I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him.

16 There 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. (Ecclesiastes 4:13-16).

Now Solomon moves from the general to the specific. He gets personal. He uses HIMSELF as an example. After all, HE is the king. And here are the life lessons which he learned as king. They apply both to kings as well as to leaders in any endeavor.

1. Wisdom is very important to a leader.

It is better to be on the bottom and to be wise than to be on top and to be foolish. Why? Because if you are wise, then you will be able to make your own way to the top and then you will know what to do when you get there.

The king in Solomon's illustration is an old and foolish man. There is a lesson here. It is that age does not necessarily bring wisdom. The only thing that comes automatically with age is wrinkles. Age can be accompanied with a mule-headed stubbornness and there is no fool like an old fool.

2. 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. This is the contrast which Solomon presents.

But when we come to verse 16, we see that even the popularity of the wise boy who rose to become king is fleeting - the ones who will come later will not be happy with him. This brings us to our third point.

3. All Popularity is fleeting.

Today's stars are tomorrow's has-beens. This wise young man who rises through the ranks to become the king does not retain his popularity. Those who saw him climb to the top may admire him, but those who come later and who only see his success without seeing the effort it took for him to get there mistakenly conclude that it must have been handed to him in the same way of the first king.

Popularity is fleeting. It doesn't last. But a real and true friend DOES last. He is one who will take your part when everyone else is trying to take you apart. It was my older brother who introduced me to folk music. One of my favorite songs was a tune sung by Simon & Garfunklel in the early 1970's. It speaks of friendship:

When you're down and out,
When you're on the street.
When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you.
I'll take your part - when darkness comes
And pain is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down.

Jesus did that. He is the bridge to bring us across the chasm of our guilt and our sin. He is the bridge to bring us home. And He says, "No longer do I merely call you servants and disciples, but now I also call you friend."

WISDOM IN THE HOUSE OF GOD

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

This chapter presents something of an interlude. Up to this point, the Preacher has been merely giving his observations. But now, he give a series of exhortations. So far, he has only showed us the way the world IS. Now he tells us what we are to DO on the basis of how the world is.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WORSHIPING RIGHTLY

Solomon takes us to the house of God. This is the Temple in Jerusalem. 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.

Guard 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. (Ecclesiastes 5:1).

The Preacher begins this section with a warning concerning worship. This seems out of the ordinary to our modern culture. We have warnings about sin and temptation and unbelief. But a warning about how to worship?

Our problem is that we do not take worship seriously enough. We tend to think that as long as we ARE worshiping the Lord, it does not really matter HOW we worship. But the Scriptures teach otherwise. And the Preacher warns us to guard our steps - literally, "to guard our foot (watch your step)."

How are we to watch our step when we come into the presence of God? The Preacher gives us the answer. He says that we are to LISTEN. Notice that there were one of two possible activities taking place within the house of God.

You will always do one of these two when you come to worship the Lord. Either you will worship Him in your own way, or you will listen to Him and worship Him in the way He has commanded.

Jesus told the Samaritan woman that the Lord seeks people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. It is not the outward form that is so crucial to worship, but the inward reality.

THE DANGER OF SPEAKING QUICKLY

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. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. (Ecclesiastes 5:2-3).

We ought to worship God thoughtfully, taking care what we say to Him in our prayers. How would you act if you were to be granted an interview with the president of the United States? Would you plan your words ahead of time? We should be no less careful when we come to meet the God of the universe.

For God is in heaven and you are on the earth. These words serve as a reminder that there is a great difference between us and God. He is OTHER than us. This "otherness" is what we call His "holiness."

Do you remember the time Jesus was with His disciples in a boat on the middle of the Sea of Galilee? It had been a long day and Jesus had gone to sleep in the back of the boat. The wind whipped up on the lake and a sudden storm struck with gale-force winds. The fishing boat was close to sinking. The disciples tried everything, but to no avail. One of them said, "Let's wake up Jesus!" So they woke up Jesus and He rebuked them for their lack of faith and then He turned to the wind and the waves and said, "QUIET!!!" And the wind and the waves became quiet. And the disciples became afraid. But instead of being afraid of the storm, they were now afraid of this One who was with them in the boat who had the power to command the wind and the waves - this One who was OTHER than any mortal man. Why were they afraid? Because they had come in contact with the holiness of God.

We would pray better if we were more aware of God's holiness. And so, the Preacher reminds us that we are praying to the God of the galaxies - the God who is in heaven.

For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. The Preacher points out a common phenomenon. When you are busy and your mind is filled with concerns, those concerns are often expressed in busy dreams. I've seen this in my wife who will be planning events for her classroom to the point that she is talking about it in her sleep. Using this phenomenon, the Preacher draws an analogy.

The point is that you ought to be careful how you speak. When in doubt, remain silent.

THE RISK OF VOWING CARELESSLY

When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Do 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? 7 For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God. (Ecclesiastes 5:4-7).

A vow is a promise made to God. Vows in the Bible were always made to God. There were several reasons why a person might make a vow to the Lord.

1. As part of a bargaining process with the Lord.

Jacob vowed that he would make the Lord his God and that he would tithe a tenth of all of his possessions if the Lord would provide for him on his sojourn (Genesis 28:20).

2. As part of a consecration unto the Lord.

The Nazarite vow was made as a consecration of a person to the Lord for a period of time (Numbers 6:2) During this period, the one making the vow would be separated unto the Lord. Indeed, the word "Nazarite" comes from the Hebrew , "to separate."

Words are important. They bind us and they direct out paths. When Isaac blessed Jacob, that blessing stood firm, even though it had been obtained deceitfully. The treaty of the Israelites to the Gibeonites was observed, even though it had been obtained under false pretenses. God always keeps His word. And He expects us to do the same.

It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay (5:5).

You are never commanded in the Scriptures to make a vow. Indeed, the Scriptures specifically state that you are NOT obligated to make a vow in the first place.

When you make a vow to the Lord you 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.

However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you.

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. (Deuteronomy 23:21-23).

It is acceptable to refrain from entering into a vow. But once you have made a vow, you are bound by that vow. This brings us to a question. How are we to understand the words of Jesus regarding vows?

"Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.'

"But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes' or ‘No, no'; and anything beyond these is of evil." (Matthew 5:33-37).

Is Jesus changing the Law? Deuteronomy says that it permissible NOT to make a vow. But Jesus seems to be says that it not permissible TO make a vow. Is this the case?

Jesus is specifically speaking to the practice of swearing by some object. When people made an oath, they would bind it on some person or object. The idea behind this practice was that, if the oath proved to be false, then you were calling for the destruction of that on which you had sworn.

If you swore on the life of your children, you were wishing for the death of your children if that oath was not fulfilled. Likewise, if you swore by God, then you were wishing for the destruction of God if that oath were broken. Thus, an oath was a curse which you placed on the thing by which you swore if the conditions of the oath were not fulfilled.

This is what the book of Hebrews is saying when it tells us that God made His promise to Abraham. "Since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself" (Hebrews 6:13).

The problem was that the Jews had come to use this as a legal form of lying. They would say, "I don't have to keep my promise to you because I only swore by the throne of God and not by God Himself."

Jesus says that it is better not to make an oath at all. In this, He is saying the same thing as Ecclesiastes. It is better not to vow a vow - it is better not to swear an oath than to vow or to swear and not to fulfill it.

The problem with Christians today is that we have a credibility gap. The world has seen Christians who lie, cheat and steal. It is no wonder that they do not believe us.

The solution is not for us to strengthen our vows. The solution is to present a life before the world that is true. And when you DO make a vow, make absolutely certain that you keep it.

When a couple get married, it is traditional for them to exchange wedding vows. I believe this to be 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 words of the Preacher are directly applicable to such an instance: Do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake (5:6).

The Preacher closes with a final injunction to fear God (5:7). This is the reason we have problems in our vows. It is the reason that there are so many Christian divorces. It is that there is so little fear of God.

What does it mean to fear God? It means more than a mere healthy respect. All too often, we have been satisfied with a watered-down version of what such a fear really ought to be.

Jesus said that we should not be afraid of those who were only able to kill the body, but that we SHOULD fear Him who has the power to cast both body and soul into hell (Luke 12:4-5).

Fearing God creates a fear of sin. When you stop fearing God, you will stop fearing sin. But when you DO fear the Lord, it will drive you to the Cross where you can find release and forgiveness. That doesn't mean that we see God as "safe." God is great and awesome. He is beyond my understanding. And if I ever come of the point of thinking that I have "figured Him out," I have moved away from a proper fear of the Lord.

RICHES & WEALTH

Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

This section of Ecclesiastes contains words of wisdom. We began in Ecclesiastes 5:1 with words of wisdom in relating to the Lord. Now the Preacher moves to how we relate to the King and with money.

What is wisdom? Wisdom is more than knowledge. It is possible for a person to have a lot of knowledge but little wisdom. You’ve known people like that - people with a string of degrees behind their name but lacking in old fashioned common sense. Wisdom involves a practical application of knowledge. It involves a skill in living.

THE POLITICS OF INJUSTICE

If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land. (Ecclesiastes 5:8-9).

Corruption in government is nothing new. That should not surprise us - Solomon has already told us that there is nothing new under the sun. As long as there have been governments, there has been corruption.

This brings us to a question. Why does government exist? I want to suggest several reasons.

• Government has been established by God. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. (Romans 13:1b).
• Rebellion and resistance to authority is tantamount to opposition against God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. (Romans 13:2).
• Government exists in order to punish the evildoer. For it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil. (Romans 13:4; see also 1 Peter 2:14).

The point is that government exists for our GOOD. The Preacher points this out in verse 9 when he tells us that a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

LAWS OF FINANCIAL SATISFACTION

Many people feel that being rich would solve all of their problems. Or like one man said, "I know that money doesn’t buy happiness, but at least I could be miserable in style."

1. Law #1: Money does not bring Satisfaction.

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Having money brings no satisfaction. All you have to do is to look at the lives of the rich and the famous. They are the most miserable people on earth. Their marriages seem to fall apart. They always wonder if their friends are only after their money. They find in themselves a great emptiness.

Money does not satisfy. To live a life with money as its goal is to lead an empty life which can only end in unsatisfied restlessness. Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in God." It is only God who can satisfy.

2. Law #2: Money does not Last.

When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on? (Ecclesiastes 5:11).

I have observed a natural law at work - it is that my wife seems to have an innate, God-given ability always to spend at least 10% more than I make. It doesn’t matter if I have quadrupled my income over the years, our spending seems always to match.

What happens when you have more money? You spend more money. You find yourself with more expenses.

3. Law #3: Money does not bring Peace of Mind.

The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. (Ecclesiastes 5:12).

Whatever you own owns you. The more you have, the more you have to worry about.

The story is told of a man who was traveling by train across India. He had placed his case filled with valuable jewels on the seat beside him. Throughout the long night, he struggled to stay awake lest someone come while he was asleep and steal his jewels. He would find himself nodding off and his head would lower and jerk and then he would force his eyes open. This continued until morning. At long last, his eyes became heavy and he dozed off. He awoke with a start to find that the case had indeed been stolen. "At last," he said with a yawn, "I can finally get some sleep."

The Preacher contrasts two men.

Sleeping is one of life’s little pleasures. It is more of a pleasure to one who has spent a day of hard work.

Is the Preacher saying that there is anything wrong with money? I don’t believe so. It is the LOVE of money and the PURSUIT of wealth that leads to tragic consequences (1 Timothy 6:10). When an attempt is made to find satisfaction for the soul, then money is elevated to a god-like status and the pursuit of money becomes another form of idolatry. You cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24).

THE WAY OF WEALTH

The Preacher now takes us to two tragic stories. They are stories of "grievous evil."

1. The First Grievous Evil: A Man who Loses it All.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.

When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.

As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:13-15).

The first case is one in which a man collects a fortune but then loses it through a bad investment. Perhaps the stock market collapses. Or perhaps he builds a business and the business fails. As a result, the man who spent his life amassing a fortune cannot 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.

2. The Second Grievous Evil.

This also is a grievous evil -- exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind? 17 Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger. (Ecclesiastes 5:16-17).

The second evil which the Preacher describes resembles the first. But there is a difference. There is no mention made of what kind of success this man had before losing it all.

This is the point. It doesn’t matter if you are a success or a failure in business. Everyone ends the same way.

Here is the point. The tragedy is the same for EVERYONE. You can never take your money with you when you die. You always go the way you came - penniless.

 

LIFE LESSONS FOR FINANCIAL SUCCESS

1. Enjoy It While You Can.

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. (Ecclesiastes 5:18).

If your eyes are only on tomorrow’s financial promises, then you will never learn how to enjoy today.

How would you live differently if you learned that you only had six months left to live? What would you do? With whom would you spend time? To whom would you say, "I’m sorry"? Do it!!!! You only have a few years. That is the message of the Preacher. Enjoy the now! Live deliberately!

2. What You Have is Given by God - Be Thankful.

Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 5:19).

If God has gifted you with riches (and if you live in the United States then you DO have a certain level of riches compared with the rest of the world), you have an obligation to thank Him for those riches and to enjoy His gift with an attitude of thanksgiving.

But even if you are penniless, God has gifted you with the wealth of LIFE. Whether it be eyes to see or ears to hear or a mind to contemplate or any combination of these, give thanks to the Lord, for these are gifts from Him.

3. Don’t Waste Your Time Worrying about the Brevity of this Life.

For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart. (Ecclesiastes 5:20).

There is a temptation when reading the teachings of this book concerning the brevity of life that we stop and spend our life bemoaning its brevity. That is the wrong response. A proper response in to accept this precious gift of life and to do that to which God has called us.

What has God called you to do? To be a fire fighter? Then enjoy being a fire fighter for the glory of God. To be a housewife? Be a housewife with gladness in your heart as you make your home the house of God. To be a businessman? Recognize that all business is God’s business and that He has gifted you with a place in which to do His work. Enjoy your business and be thankful to the Lord for that business.

THE UNFULFILLED LIFE

Ecclesiastes 6:1-12

At the end of chapter 5, we came to a positive conclusion. Although the pursuit of money is empty, it is good and fitting to enjoy the gifts of God in this life. However as we come to chapter 6, we are again introduced to that which is negative.

If I had been writing this, I would have closed this section on a happy note. I like happy endings.

• The hero rides off into the sunset.

• The good guy wins.

• Everyone lives happily ever after.

But life is not like that. When the sunset takes place, night follows. The good guy doesn’t always win. And everyone who lives happily ever after eventually dies.

RICHES DO NOT REWARD

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men -- 2 a 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. (Ecclesiastes 6:1-2).

Twice in the previous chapter we saw the phrase, "There is a grievous evil." We noted that this is not moral evil. Rather, it conveys the idea of a tragic happening.

The tragedy displayed by the Preacher is not unique. It is one that is prevalent among men ( - "it is great") - it happens all the time. It is the tragedy of a man who has that which can be enjoyed, but who, for one reason or another, does not get a chance to enjoy it.

This happens all the time at funerals. People send flowers and the one for whom they are sent can’t smell them. People say nice things and the one about whom they say these nice things cannot hear them. Life insurance pays benefits and the one who lost his life cannot enjoy those benefits.

And to make matters worse, it isn’t even your descendants who enjoy the things that belonged to you. These things are now owned by "foreigners."

LONG LIFE DOESN’T LAST

If 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, 4 for 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?" (Ecclesiastes 6:3-6).

The Preacher forms 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.

Which life is better? The Preacher 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. And this brings us to a problem. We know from other Scriptures that all do NOT go to the same place.

The answer is that Solomon is 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 are both just as dead. Long life doesn’t last. No matter how long the life, it is destined eventually to end.

SATISFACTION DOESN’T SATISFY

All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. (Ecclesiastes 6:7).

Have you ever developed a hunger for a particularly appetizing dish? And then you ate it. And by the next day, no matter how good was the meal, you were hungry again. There is a curious repetition of hunger. It doesn’t matter how well you ate yesterday, tomorrow you will 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 that for which you hunger on the inside is a hunger of the soul. This is seen vividly in the Hebrew text of this verse. The word translated "appetite" is the same word translated "soul" in verses 2 and 3

That is not to say that physical needs are not important. But their primary importance is to serve spiritual ends.

For a man to become truly rich, he must first come to terms with his inner poverty. Jesus said this. He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they have all the riches of heaven." It is only when you have become poor in spirit, when you have mourned over your lost condition, and when you have hungered and thirsted for that which only God can provide that you can find satisfaction of the soul.

ADVANTAGES ARE TO NO ADVANTAGE

For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? (Ecclesiastes 6:8).

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 a 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.

Having brains does not guarantee that you will do a better job in raising your family or finding satisfaction in your career. We have already seen that having money or not having money does not bring ultimate satisfaction.

WANTING IS BETTER THAN HAVING

What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 6:9).

There is a dychotomy between what the eyes see versus what the soul desires. We tend to think that they are the same thing, but they are not.

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 did not seem quite so wonderful.

That is 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.

People who have entered into illicit relationships usually learn this truth the hard way. That person who looked so delightful later lacked the initial luster. The forbidden fruit that was at first so enticing later soured into a vomitus stench.

KNOWLEDGE HAS ALREADY BEEN KNOWN

Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. 11 For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? (Ecclesiastes 6:10-11).

The most that man can do by his intellect in the realm of knowledge is to find out what has happened. But in doing so, he finds that there is One who knows the end from the beginning. The Lord knows what is and what was and what will be. The Lord in His sovereignty has planned each and every event in life. This means that it is impossible to gain new knowledge. Any knowledge that you gain has already been previously known.

Verse 11 says that there are many WORDS which increase futility. When you speak of a "word" in Hebrew, you can be referring to a part of speech, or else you can be speaking of the thing that word represents. Thus it is possible to understand the Preacher as saying that there are many THINGS which increase futility

The more you know, the more you find out you don’t know. And so, trying to find satisfaction in the gaining of knowledge is a lesson in futility. Here is the point. The more you know and the more you say and the more you do, the more that you find that it has already been known and said and done and that there is only emptiness in the knowing and the saying and the doing. Thus, the quest for new knowledge or for new teachings or for new experience is an empty quest that can never be attained.

LIFE LIVED IS LOST

For 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? (Ecclesiastes 6:12).

To spend your life on a search for the meaning of life is itself a study in futility. Even if you could learn what is this illusive secret of the meaning of life, by the time you found it, your life would be over - spent "like a shadow."

Notice the two questions: The first question asks about THIS life. The second question asks about the FUTURE life.

Where can you go to find real meaning in life? Who would have such answers to those that challenge the soul? It is only in the Lord who made man. He alone has the answers both of this life and the life to come.

Have you noticed something about the descriptions throughout this chapter? They all describe Solomon. He is the man who...

• Was given riches and wealth and honor but left it all in the end to a foreigner (6:1-2).
• Fathered a hundred children and lived many years but lacks a satisfied soul (6:3-6).
• Partook of all that he desired but was not satisfied (6:7).
• Knew it all, only to learn that it wasn’t worth knowing (6:10-11).
• Lived the ultimate life, only to realize that it was over (6:12).

The life lessons that we learn in this chapter are not mere 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.

THE BETTER AND THE BEST

Ecclesiastes 7:1-14

When we speak of the "deeper things" of Scripture, we normally think in terms of doctrinal disputes and the splitting of theological hairs. But these are child’s play when contrasted to the difficulty of putting godly principles into practice.

The most simple principles become profound when applied to daily living. 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 says bad things about you - especially when they are true? How do you avoid the pitfall of anger? How do you come to understand what God is doing in your life? These issues of daily living are the true deep issues of Christianity.

Throughout this chapter, we are going to see one word repeated again and again. It is the word "better." Life is 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 that you might choose that which is better.

THE VALUE OF A GOOD REPUTATION

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. (Ecclesiastes 7:1).

These two lines form a couplet. Although it may not appear to be the case at first glance, they form a single thought. The second line of the couplet takes the concept given in the first line and expands upon it.

A good name is better than a good ointment.

This refers to the quality of a good reputation. A good reputation is better than a good aroma. You can smell good on the outside, but it is the pleasing aroma of a good reputation that is better. You can live down a bad body odor, but it is difficult to live down a bad reputation. A reputation is one of those qualities which we usually don’t value until it is lost.

But you aren’t born with a good reputation. It doesn’t come automatically. It comes over time. And once ruined, it is extremely difficult to repair. This brings us to the second clause of this couplet.

And 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.

At the day of your birth, anything is possible. But on the day of your death, what you have done with your life is now set in stone. It can no longer be changed. And that goes for your reputation, too.

THE VALUE OF MOURNING AND SORROW

It 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.

Sorrow is better than laughter,

For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.

The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,

While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure. (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4).

This goes against the thinking of today. Most people would rather go to a house of feasting than a house of mourning. We live in the age of escapism. We have amusement parks where we go to escape from the way life really is.

Even the word "amusement" is indicative. It is a compound word. To "muse" means to "think. The "a" prefix negates the quality of the word. "Amuse" means to do that which will stop you from thinking.

The preacher says that it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of laughter. Why is this true? It is because we will all eventually end up in the house of mourning. "That is the way of every man." Death is the destiny of every man. Either you will die or else one who is close to you will die. It is inevitable. And the one who has never been 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. Neither does he hide his head in a hole in the ground. He recognizes its presence. And in this he is contrasted to the fool.

This is not to downplay joy. The Bible gives us some very real reasons to rejoice. But laughter and pleasure can be superficial as they mask an empty interior.

I walked a mile with Pleasure,

She chatted all the way,

But left me none the wiser,

For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,

And ne'er a word said she,

But, oh, the things I learned from her,

When sorrow walked with me!

It is often in sadness and mourning that we learn the truly important lessons of this life.

THE VALUE OF AN HONEST REBUKE

It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man

Than for one to listen to the song of fools.

For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot,

So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is futility.

For oppression makes a wise man mad,

And a bribe corrupts the heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:5-7).

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

The "madness" mentioned in verse 7 is not anger. It is the pu’el imperfect of a root word that normally refers to "praise." But there are occasions when it takes on the opposite meaning. When you praise someone, you lift him up and declare how glorious he is. The opposite of lifting one up is to bring him down and declare him to be a fool. That is the meaning here. It refers to foolishness (see also Job 12:17; Psalm 5:5; 73:3; 75:4; 102:8; Isaiah 44:25 for the same root word ). Here is the point.

THE VALUE OF PATIENCE

The end of a matter is better than its beginning;

Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.

Do not be eager in your heart to be angry,

For anger resides in the bosom of fools.

Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were better than these?"

For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. (Ecclesiastes 7:8-10).

Our Western society has lost its taste for the long haul. We want everything NOW. We crave instant coffee, fast food, immediate gratification, and instant entertainment. Our computers and our modems are faster and we chaff at the idea of waiting for anything.

1. The end of a matter is better than its beginning (7:8).

No one ever won a race because of their great beginning. The prize goes to the one who finishes the race. Do you remember to parable of the sower? There were several different seeds which were sown. Growth began in several different areas. But only one completed the journey to arrive at the harvest.

2. Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit (7:8).

The contrast here is an unusual one. When we think of a haughty spirit, we think of pride. The opposite of pride is humility. But the Preacher says that the opposite of pride is PATIENCE.

This tells me something about impatience. There is a correlation between impatience and pride.

Proud people are by nature impatient people. They think that they have it all together and they are impatient with anyone whom they perceive not to measure up to their own private standards. They project the idea, "I am more important than you are and so I am going to be impatient with you."

Have you ever noticed that the proud person does not endure? What happens? He receives what he perceives to be an affront to his dignity and his pride kicks in and turns him away.

3. Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools (7:9).

There is also a correlation between impatience and a tendency toward anger. Impatient people are prone to anger. And an angry person is a foolish person. This brings us to the following progression:

The opposite is also true. Humility leads ultimately to wisdom.

4. Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this (7:10).

Nostalgia can be fun, but not when the past brings dissatisfaction with the present.

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words...When I was young we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly impatient of restraint."

The preceding quote is attributed to Hesiod, an 8th century BC Greek poet. It reflects the problem with nostalgia. Nostalgia too often sees the past through rose-colored glasses.

Do you remember the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness? Every time they faced hardships, they would mumble and complain and say, "Why didn’t we stay back in Egypt? Things were so much better there!"

We are to enjoy the NOW. Remember that today is tomorrow’s "good old days." To find dissatisfaction with today is to find dissatisfaction with the day that God had provided. The Psalmist said, "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

 

THE VALUE OF WISDOM

Wisdom along with an inheritance is good

And an advantage to those who see the sun.

For wisdom is protection just as money is protection,

But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. (Ecclesiastes 7:11-12).

Wisdom is compared with wealth. They are both good. It is good to have wisdom. And it is good to have wealth. And it is even better to have BOTH.

Both wisdom as well as wealth offer a certain amount of protection. Wisdom offers protection from acts of foolishness. Wealth offers the kinds of protection that money can buy - protection from poverty.

However, there is 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.

Rich people don’t live longer. Oftentimes they live shorter. Just look at the famous celebrities who have died from drugs and alcohol and foolish living.

THE VALUE OF ACCEPTING WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN

Consider the work of God,

For who is able to straighten what He has bent?

In 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. (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14).

The Preacher asks a rhetorical question: Who is able to straighten that which God has bent? The answer is not given because it is obvious. No one can undo what God does. He is the ultimate Doer. If He bends a thing to His will, there is no one who is able to straighten it.

What is the point? There are times when you just have to play the cards which you have been dealt. Remember that it is God who is the dealer. What you have has been given by Him.

God is in control. There is nothing that ever comes into your life which is out of His sovereign design. And that is a message of comfort. All things that come your way first passed through a nail-scarred hand.

This is not fatalism. It is not given so that you might say, "I have no control over my life so I am going to sit back and watch it happen." We make real decisions that have real impact upon the way we live.

This is not said to make us fatalistic. This is said in order that we might recognize that there are both good things as well as bad things which happen in this life. We can give thanks is ALL things because they ALL come from the hand of God. This is also said to give us FORTITUDE. You’ve probably heard the prayer that asks...

Lord, grant me the courage to change what I can change, to accept those things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.

The Preacher is 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.

WISDOM IN A WAYWARD WORLD

Ecclesiastes 7:15-29

It is no accident that Ecclesiastes has been classified as "Wisdom Literature." It is perhaps the most philosophical of all of the books of the Bible. And yet, the book contains more than mere philosophical debate. It contains some very practical and down-to-earth wisdom.

THE BALANCE OF WISDOM

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.

Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? 17 Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

It 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. (Ecclesiastes 7:15-18).

Ecclesiastes is a book that gives us a harsh dose of reality. The rose-colored glasses came off a long time ago. Everything is not sweetness and light, the good guys do not always win, and the hero does not ride off into the sunset. Quite to the contrary. The Preacher proclaims the fact that he has seen instances where bad things happened to good people and where good things happened to bad people.

Prosperity theology says 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, such healing will always take place.

I remember once when some friends of ours had a daughter who came down with Leukemia. They named it and they claimed it and she did not immediately get better. What was interesting was how many of their charismatic friends deserted them. They couldn’t handle the fact that some Christians get sick and remain sick through no fault of their own.

One solution that is sometimes attempted is a multiplication of religious effort. It is 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 is nothing wrong with trying to be good. But there IS a problem with spiritual imbalance. The Preacher warns against imbalance in both of its extremes.

What does he mean? That you should not be too good? That it’s okay to be a "little bad?" No. He does not say, "Be a little good and be a little bad." He doesn’t actually say to be wicked at all. What he DOES say is do not be excessive. Don’t try to be excessively righteous or excessively wise.

What does this mean? Its meaning can only be seen in the light of the CONTEXT. The Preacher has just described in verse 15 how he has seen a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and... a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.

One might be tempted to object, "That’s not fair!" And by making such a conclusion, one would be attempting to pass judgment upon the righteousness and fairness of God.

You hear people do it all the time. People say, "I can’t believe in a God who would allow war and suffering and injustice to take place in the world. If I were God, then I would do it differently." To make such a statement is to attempt to be overly righteous and overly wise. It is to put your own righteousness and your own wisdom over that of God’s. It is the way of ruin.

But neither should you go to the other extreme of saying, "God’s righteousness and God’s wisdom are so far removed from me that they do not relate to me and I’m just going to live in sin. After all, if I have broken one of the commandments, it is the same as though I had broken all of them so I might as well have fun doing it." This is also the act of a fool. Moreover, it is a path in which you may well die before your time.

Where is the balance between these two extremes? The answer is found in verse 18. It is in the fear of the Lord. How can you maintain a balance between trying to be overly righteous versus walking the way of sin? By fearing God. We don’t talk that much these days of fearing God. But we ought to. After all, that is where real wisdom begins.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10a).

We are to fear Him because He is a lot bigger than us and because He has ultimate power and control, not only over our lives here on planet earth, but over all eternity.

THE STRENGTH OF WISDOM

Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. (Ecclesiastes 7:19-20).

What Solomon has said in the previous verses is not meant to negate the value of wisdom. Wisdom works! He likens it to the value of 10 rulers in a city. A king might ally himself to 10 other kings and bring them all together to collect their might into one city. And as good as that is, wisdom is better.

But a part of wisdom is being aware of the reality of sin. In Reformed Theology, we refer to this as the Doctrine of Total Depravity. There is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. This same testimony is given by Paul in the New Testament.

...as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; 11 there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; 12 all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one."

"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 rheir feet are swift to shed blood, 16 destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 and the path of peace they have not known."

"There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:10-18).

Paul strings together six Old Testament passages to compose a powerful argument for the universal depravity of all men. Most of these are taken from the Psalms.

Every part of this man is seen to be in rebellion against God. He is 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. There is a progression at work here.

On the other hand, a proper fear of the Lord brings with it a corresponding realization of the consequences of our sin and our need of a Savior. This is the strength of wisdom. It points you to the Savior. It points you to Christ.

THE TOLERATION OF WISDOM

Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. 22 For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others. (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22).

We have already mentioned in an earlier chapter the importance of watching what you SAY. Now we are warned against watching what we HEAR. The situation is one in which you hear your servant muttering under his breath. There is only one problem. His mutterings are directed against you.

What is your first reaction when you learn that people are speaking ill of you? Especially when it is being done behind your back. Anger? Does it make your blood boil? Do you want to confront and put a stop to it? The Preacher has some words of wisdom.

Don’t take it so seriously. Let it go. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words aren’t all that bad. Just think about what they could say of you if they really knew the truth.

Before you go flying off the handle, remember the times that YOU have spoken ill of someone else. And it hasn’t been one isolated instant. For you also have realized that you likewise have MANY TIMES cursed others.

THE DISCOVERY OF WISDOM

The Preacher now turns to his own personal testimony. He has not done this since chapter 2. 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 of that quest.

1. The Resolve of the Preacher’s Quest.

I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but it was far from me. 24 What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it? (Ecclesiastes 7:23-24).

As he shared in chapter 2, the Preacher set out to learn wisdom. This was his goal. And there was nothing wrong with the goal. Indeed, the Lord commended Solomon for his desire to be wise. But the resolution of his quest was far from him.

It is said of Solomon that he was the wisest man who ever lived. But 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.

True wisdom cannot 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.

2. The Direction of the Preacher’s Quest.

I 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. (Ecclesiastes 7:25).

The Preacher attempted to seek through rationalization and through observation the qualities of wisdom and knowledge as well as their opposites.

He will point out in verse 27 that the instances of wisdom were far and few between. But before he speaks about that, he deals with a pitfall en route.

3. The Snare of a Woman.

And 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. (Ecclesiastes 7:26).

This seems completely out of place in this passage. We have been speaking of the high value of wisdom and of its search for such wisdom among men, and suddenly the Preacher interjects this verse about the snare of a wild woman.

Why is this here? It is here because Solomon is speaking of his own experiences. Solomon began his search for wisdom, but it was short-circuited by his unwise choices regarding women.

This was a man who was well-acquainted with women. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. He knew a lot about women. And he was led astray by his relationships.

Into which category does Solomon place himself? He doesn’t say. But we know the rest of the story. And we know that he is one whose wisdom was captured by women. His is the voice of experience.

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.

4. The Search for a Righteous Man.

"Behold, I have discovered this," says the Preacher, "adding one thing to another to find an explanation, 28 which 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.

"Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices." (Ecclesiastes 7:27-29).

The Preacher concludes his search results with the observation that wisdom is rare. He concludes that wisdom is rare among men and even more of a rarity among women.

If this sounds a bit sexist, it is because it is. That was a sexist age. It was an age in which women were not taught to read or write. It was an age in which women were considered to be the property of a man.

And yet, I do not believe that this is meant to be a devaluing of women, but rather an indictment upon all mankind. This is seen in verse 29. God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices. This reference to men is not masculine, it is generic.

Why is wisdom so rare? It is because man has been blinded by sin. Why is man a sinner? Not because he was created to be that way. It is because men have turned from God to seek out "many devices."

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. (Isaiah 53:6).

Man is not as he was created to be. He is abnormal. The root of this abnormality is sin. It was for this reason that God sent His only Son to be a sacrifice in our place - to die for our sins. And this is the way back to wisdom. It is through the cross.

DEALING WITH THE OUT OF CONTROL

Ecclesiastes 8:1-17

You have probably heard of Murphy’s Law - "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Here are some corollaries to Murphy’s Law:

• Nothing is as easy as it looks;
• Everything takes longer than you think;
• The other line always moves faster (that still applies if you change lines);
• The chance of a piece of bread falling jam and butter side down is directly proportionate to the cost of the carpet;
• If you drop a tool while you are repairing your car, it will roll underneath to the exact center;
• The repairman will not have seen a model quite like yours before.

There is also Petrov’s Law - it says that Murphy was an optimist. The point is that there are times when things get out of control. The house of cards crumbles. Our carefully laid plans to control our destiny fall apart and life seems to be careening down a mountainside with no brakes and no steering mechanism. The circumstances of life come crashing down all around us and there is nothing to be done except to ride it out. At a time such as this, there are some principles from the Preacher.

A BLESSED DISPOSITION

Who 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. (Ecclesiastes 8:1).

The Preacher begins with a rhetorical question. It is a question that expects no answer because none is needed. Who is like the wise man? The answer is given in the second phrase. It is a further description of the "wise man."

Throughout this section of Ecclesiastes we have been presented with several of the benefits of wisdom.

Wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors (7:12).

Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rules in a city (7:19).

Here we see a third benefit of wisdom. A man’s wisdom illumines him - literally, a man’s wisdom makes his face shine. At first glance, this seems to refer to the quality of a sunny disposition. There are people who can light up a room just by walking into it. The corollary is that there are some who can light up a room just by leaving. But I don’t believe that is what the Preacher is describing. You see, the concept of having one’s "face shine" is one familiar to every Jew. It was a part of the Levitical Blessing.

The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
And be gracious to you,
The Lord lift up His countenance on you
And give you peace. (Number 6:24-26).

A similar usage is found in Psalm 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3; 80:7; 80:19; 119:135. In every one of these passages, it is the Lord’s face that is said to be shining upon His people. As a result of this shining, they would receive a blessing.

This time, it is not the Lord’s face that is said to be shining. This time it is the face of the wise man that is said to shine. It is his wisdom that enlightens his face.

Here is the point. Wisdom does what God does. True wisdom comes from God. And it brings with it the blessing of God. Even in the hard times. Even when everything falls apart. Even when life deals you a short hand.

But that is not all. Wisdom also has a second effect upon the one who possesses it. It causes his stern face to beam - literally, it "changes the strength of his face." Wisdom softens a harsh look. It takes the harsh condition of life that leads to a stormy countenance, and it softens it with an understanding that God is still in control and events are not so random as they seem.

SUBMISSION TO THE OUT-OF-CONTROL

I 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." 4 Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, "What are you doing?" 5 He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.

For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man’s trouble is heavy upon him. 7 If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? (Ecclesiastes 8:2-7).

This passage is written by Solomon. He writes it as the King of Israel. He is a King writing about how to get along with the King. But even if you do not live in a country that has kings, there are some principles here which can apply to any who are under authority.

Americans by nature are not inclined to submit to authority. We are a nation who was founded upon rebellion to authority. Our forefathers decided that they no longer wished to abide the taxing authority of England and moved to oust that authority and to declare our independence. I have no wish to try to rewrite history, but we should not automatically assume that all decisions which led to the founding of this country were godly decisions in keeping with Biblical principles.

Solomon begins this section with the injunction to "Keep the command of the king." Why is this so important? There are two reasons given.

1. Obedience is Required because of an Oath of Loyalty.

I say, "Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God. (Ecclesiastes 8:2).

Notice that this obedience is not for the sake of the king. It is for the sake of the One who placed the king on the throne. It is because of the oath before God.

What oath is this? It was the practice in the ancient world that when a king came to the throne, the people of his kingdom were required to swear an oath of obedience to that king (2 Kings 11:17; 2 Chronicles 36:13).

Today we do not enter into these kinds of oaths. But we DO make commitments to authority.

• We pledge allegiance to the country of our citizenship.
• When we work for an employer, we are bound to obey his lawful directives until such a time that we leave his employment.
• Members coming into the Presbyterian Church in America promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of their ability, submitting to the government and disciple of the Church.

We ought 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 something that is against the Word of God - only then are we to disobey and then only in that single area.

2. Obedience is Required as a Prudent Procedure.

Not only are you to obey authority because God said to do it, you are also to do so because it makes life a lot easier. A lot of God’s commands are like that. He is the Creator of life and life goes better when you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

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 his epistle to the Romans:

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. (Romans 13:3-4).

This principles has many modern-day corollaries. 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 works faithfully on the job, it doesn’t concern you that the boss is watching.

THE LIMITS OF CONTROL

If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? 8 No 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. (Ecclesiastes 8:7-8).

Solomon has just finished speaking about how to deal with kings and monarchs - and we have applied some of these principles to dealing with any authority under which we find ourselves. But now he hastens to add that, no matter how high any such authority might extend, it has certain impassable limits.

• No one has authority over the future: If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen? (8:7).
• No one has authority over the wind: No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind (8:8).
• No one has authority over the day of his death: No man has... authority over the day of death (8:8).
• No one has authority over his own draft card: There is no discharge in the time of war (8:8).

In modern days, people are merely fined or imprisoned for draft-dodging (if they do it deftly enough, they are elected to be president). But in ancient times, this could be a capital offence. Indeed, there is an instance where a vassal requested to have his eldest son exempted from military service as Xerxes of Persia was preparing to go to war. Xerxes had the young man drawn and quartered for this offense.

• No one has authority to prevent the eventual judgment of evil: ...and evil will not deliver those who practice it (8:8).

 

THE EVILS OF CONTROL

To make matters worse, the authority that man DOES have is often utilized to his own hurt.

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. (Ecclesiastes 8:9).

Governments are capable of great evil. This is not speaking of one type of government over another type. It is true of ALL sorts of government. John Kenneth Galbraith put this very aptly when he said, "Under capitalism man exploits man; under communism it is exactly the reverse."

But this does not mean that government is itself a wrong thing. The Preacher is not advocating anarchy. He is simply showing us life as it really is. The reason that governments are capable of evil is because they are led by fallen and sinful men. That is the only kind of men there are.

WHEN HISTORY GOES OUT OF CONTROL

The problem is that not all such evil leaders are recognized for their evil acts. In many cases their evil deeds are forgotten.

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. (Ecclesiastes 8:10).

The NIV translates this verse quite differently.

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. (Ecclesiastes 8:10, NIV).

The two different readings are a result of textual differences. Different Hebrew manuscripts show one of two possible readings.

As can be seen above, the difference between the two reading is the difference between and (similar to making a mistake in reading between O and Q).

It is the context that will help us to understand the passage. If we are 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 afterward praised. History often whitewashes the scoundrels of the past and praises those who were in reality despicable in their actions.

She was the wife of a notorious wretch and a criminal. On hearing the eloquent eulogy of him, what a wonderful man he was, etc., she said to her son, "Go up and see if that's your father that's in that coffin!"

In Shakespear’s Julius Caesar, Mark Antony quips, "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is often interred with their bones." But Solomon tells us that it is the opposite which is often true.

Consider no less an icon than Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of the New World. His magnificent discovery notwithstanding, he was a notorious scoundrel.

• He kidnaped Indians and brought them against their will back to Europe.
• He demanded that he be made governor of all that he had discovered, even though he showed himself to be a terrible governor.
• He mandated an annual tribute of gold from the Indians under threat of punishment, making them virtual slaves on their own land.
• Within a space of 2 years, he managed to have a third of the Indian population of Espanola put to death (approximately 100,000 people).
• By the time 15 years had passed, the entire population had been reduced from 300,000 to 20,000.
• When he was deposed as governor, he rebelled against the authority of the King and Queen of Spain who had installed him and only desisted when put into chains.

And yet, much of history has whitewashed his actions and focused only upon his accomplishments. That is often the case. For this reason, the Preacher concludes with his familiar refrain, "This too is futility."

The good news is that God knows the whole story. And there is coming a day when the rest of the story will be told. Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed (Luke 12:2).

THE APPEARANCE OF LOST CONTROL

There are times, at least from our "under the sun" perspective, when it seems as though God has lost control - when it seems as though the universe is operating only by chance and there is no great plan or purpose.

1. When a Sentence is not Quickly Executed.

Because 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. (Ecclesiastes 8:11).

Here is a hypothetical situation. A man is warned that if he sins, he will suffer the consequences of those sins. But he sins anyway. Time passes. And then passes more. And nothing happens. It appears that he has gotten away with it. The natural reaction is to emulate such sins.

2. When a Sinner Lives a Long Time.

Although 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. 13 But 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. (Ecclesiastes 8:12-13).

It also looks as though the way of sin is a better way when you see the sinner living a long time. But the Preacher has already concluded that this is not really the case. In the long run, the life that he leads is not "lengthened like a shadow."

3. When the Righteous Suffers and the Sinner is Rewarded.

There 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. (Ecclesiastes 8:14).

The emptiness of life under the sun is that the books do not always balance in this life.

Generally speaking, it is true that what you sow, that you also reap in this life. But it is not always the case. There are notable exceptions. The cross is such an exception. Where we have sown sin, God brings about righteousness and life. That is the message of grace.

 

THE ANSWER OF THE NATURAL MAN

So 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.

When 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), 17 and 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. (Ecclesiastes 8:15-17).

The Preacher’s conclusion is that life is to mysterious for us to figure out all the answers. Even staying awake each night will not help to solve all of life’s mysteries.

And so, he concludes that we ought to eat and to drink and to be merry. This is true if this is all that there is. It is also true if this is all that you can know.

But we can know more because there is more. It was demonstrated to us in the life of the One who came to earth and died for sins and then rose from the dead to demonstrate to us that there is life after death.

LIVING WHILE YOU LIVE

Ecclesiastes 9:1-18

Ecclesiastes is not afraid to ask the "tough questions." And the Preacher does not hesitate to admit that he does not have all of the answers.

Gods ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). We will not always understand the meaning and purpose of events in this life. Indeed, the Preacher 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 answers that question.

Not all answers will be given. A great many questions will remain. But the Preacher will show that, as hard as life is, it is worth it.

ALL OF LIFE IS IN THE HAND OF GOD

For 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. (Ecclesiastes 9:1).

God is the unifying principle of all of life. Life is impossible to explain apart from God. This relates, not only to the origin of life, but also to the meaning and significance of life.

Life is in the hand of God. He is in control of all things. And that means if I do not completely understand God (and who does?), then I will not completely understand the meaning of all the things which happen in life.

Our future is also in the hands of God. This includes not only how long we shall live, but what we will do and enjoy in this life, even whether it will be love or hatred.

ALL LIFE ENDS THE SAME WAY

It 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.

This 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. (Ecclesiastes 9:2-3).

There is one universal truth which we’ve seen throughout Ecclesiastes concerning life. All life ends in death. There are no exceptions. It does not matter if a man is...

• Righteous or wicked.
• Clean or unclean.
• Religious or profane.
• Saint or sinner.
• Soft-spoken or swearing like a sailor.

The end is the same. Death is the great equalizer. Sooner or later, everyone 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 the same way in which everyone else dies.

You might be thinking, "Wait a minute! The Bible teaches elsewhere that there is a final day of reckoning in which men shall be judged for their sins and then shall be consigned either to everlasting blessing or everlasting damnation." And you would be right. But that had not yet been revealed in Solomon’s day. And he looks at life only from the perspective of "under the sun." Here is the point. You only have a limited time to make use of this life. Use it wisely.

THE BENEFITS OF LIFE

For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For 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. 6 Indeed 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. (Ecclesiastes 9:4-6).

The Preacher points out the benefits of this life, beginning with what has become a well-known saying: Better to be a live dog than a dead lion.

1. The Benefit of Hope: For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope (9:4).

Remember that Solomon is speaking of life as it exists "under the sun." While you are still alive, there is hope in this life. But such hope in this life only lasts to the grave.

You may have hope that you will...

• Enjoy good health.
• Fall in love.
• Be married and/or have children.
• Enjoy a successful career.
• Accomplish certain ambitions.

But such hope fails when you die. You may enjoy the next life, but when this life is over, then all worldly aspirations are abandoned.

2. The Benefit of Knowledge: For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything (9:5).

You can and should plan your life in the light of the fact that it will one day end. Those who are dead can make no such plans. It is too late for them. Plan your life while you are still living! Live your life purposefully and wisely.

3. The Benefit of Participation: Indeed 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 (9:6).

THE ENJOYMENT OF LIFE

The preacher concludes that, since there are benefits to be enjoyed in this life, you ought to labor to enjoy them. There are four specific areas which he mentions.

1. The Enjoyment of Food & Drink.

Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. (Ecclesiastes 9:7).

Eating and drinking are gifts from God. He has designed these to be enjoyed. You can enjoy them as being the blessings of God.

In 1 Corinthians 15:32, Paul quotes this passage to show that those who do not believe in the resurrection have nothing more to do than to "eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." That is all there is for the view of life "under the sun."

2. The Enjoyment of Clothes.

Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. (Ecclesiastes 9:8).

This is not saying that you should be a slave to fashion. But neither are you called to go to the other extreme. It is good and proper to enjoy a clean set of clothes. "Oil on your head" is the ancient equivalent of deodorant and perfume and cologne - do us all a favor and use it.

Here is the point. It is better to enjoy life than to go through life with a depressed attitude.

This is the opposite of what the Preacher said in Ecclesiastes 7:2 - "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting." The truth is that there needs to be a balance. It is good to realize the inevitability of death. But that is not a call to morbidity. By realizing the truth of eventual death, you can more greatly appreciate and celebrate the gift of present life.

3. The Enjoyment of Married Life.

Enjoy 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. (Ecclesiastes 9:9).

If you are 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 makes it worthwhile is the enjoyment that a husband and a wife can have one for the other. There may not be much time, but there is time enough to love.

4. The Enjoyment of Work.

Whatever 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. (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Work is not viewed here as only a way of making money, but rather it is the maximizing of your potential. You have an opportunity to do that which you will never again be able to do. It is an opportunity to make a difference.

Work is not a 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 the Scriptures condone the goodness of employment.

 

THE UNKNOWN OF LIFE

I 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. 12 Moreover, 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. 13 Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me. (Ecclesiastes 9:11-13).

The Preacher challenges our preconceived ideas about the way we tend to view the way of life. Our tendency is to think that certain actions will guarantee certain results.

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 cannot tell from the "under the sun" perspective whether a man is going to succeed in life or whether he is going to fail; whether he is going to be rich or whether he is going to be poor; whether he will be wise or whether he will ultimately play the fool; whether he is going to live or whether he is going to die. 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 is 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. There is a great deal in life over which we have no control.

John Lennon is quoted as saying life is that which happens to you while you are deciding what to do. his was a man who brazenly declared that he and his compatriots were more popular than Jesus. And yet, he was brought down in the prime of his life by a gunman’s bullet.

This is the Preacher’s point. The story is not over until it is over. And today’s success only guarantees today - it does not guarantee tomorrow.

WISDOM - THE GUARDIAN OF LIFE

There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siege works against it. 15 But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.

The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. (Ecclesiastes 9:14-18).

Once upon a time there was a city. It wasn’t a very big city as cities go. It didn’t have very big walls. And it didn’t have very many inhabitants. And to make matters worse, it had a neighboring king who was very big and very powerful and who was not kindly disposed to the city.

The small city found itself surrounded and besieged and on the verge of collapse. The small city had only one thing going for it. It had living within its walls a single poor man who possessed that rare quality of WISDOM. And that was enough, for 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. hey did not learn to value that wisdom which had proved to be their salvation.

This is the story told to us by the Preacher. And having told his story, he proceeds to teach us several points of application.

• Wisdom is to be Valued: "Wisdom is better than strength." (9:16).

The wise man of the Preacher’s story had no strength. He was not a man of valor. Indeed, the truth was that he was a she. It was a woman who delivered the city of Abel Bethmaacah (2 Samuel 20:14-22).

• Wisdom does not automatically guarantee esteem: The wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded (9:16).

There are some realistic limitations of wisdom. Wisdom is not 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. The wisdom of the world looks at Christianity and concludes, "Religion is the opium of the masses - a crutch needed only for fools."

Notice that it is the POOR man’s wisdom that is despised. People tend to esteem the wisdom of the rich. That is because of our tendency to judge a book by its cover. But popular rejection is not a sign of ineffectiveness and popularity does not equate to being right.

• Volume is no Substitute for being Right: The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools (9:17).

It is a well-known proverb that it is the squeaky wheel which gets the grease. But being squeaky is no guarantee that you are right or that you deserve the grease or that grease is not desperately needed in another location.

• Sin Negates the Value of Wisdom: Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good (9:18).

You can have all the wisdom in the world and still follow the way of the fool if you are walking in sin. Wisdom is good. It is better than weapons of war in its protective ability. But its protective effects are negated by sin.

WISDOM TO LIVE BY

Ecclesiastes 10:1-20

We have already defined wisdom as the "skill of living." Living well takes skill. It involves the development of positive habit patterns and it involves making the right decisions. And it involves doing the right thing when you find the you have made the wrong decision.

PROVERBS ON WISDOM & FOOLISHNESS

1. The Weightiness of Foolishness.

Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.(Ecclesiastes 10:1).

The first couplet is linked to the last verse of the previous chapter.

This same principle 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. In Ecclesiastes 7:1 the Preacher told us that "a good name is better than a good ointment." But just as it doesn’t take much to ruin a good ointment, so also it doesn’t take much to ruin a good name.

The idea of "weightiness" points to the importance of a thing. A little foolishness has more impact than a lot of wisdom and honor.

2. Wise and Foolish Choices.

A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left. (Ecclesiastes 10:2).

I’ve read more than a few commentators who attempted to read something of politics into the "right" and "left." This kind of treatment of Scripture is always unfortunate at best. When we interpret Scripture, we must always look to the cultural context of THAT day in which it was written for our undestanding of various idioms.

In ancient cultures, the right hand was the hand of honor while the left hand was the hand of dishonor. 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. For this reason, those who were left-handed were looked upon with a certain measure of disdain.

Notice that we are speaking of a man’s HEART - not merely a spur of the moment, one-time decision, but the very core of a person’s being.

3. The Fool is Self-Evident.

Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. (Ecclesiastes 10:3).

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.

 

THE QUALITY OF COMPOSURE

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

This is good advice on how to handle a hot-headed boss. The situation is described in which one in authority over you loses his temper. The Hebrew says, "rising, his spirit rises." The double use of the word is given to intensify the meaning of the word ("it soars").

How do you handle it when the one who is in authority over you becomes angry at you through no fault of your own? The wise man keeps his cool. He calmly stands his ground and keeps his composure. He doesn’t retaliate. He doesn’t respond in anger. He maintains his composure. And in doing so, he gains a hearing.

PRINCES & PEONS

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. (Ecclesiastes 10:5-7).

This is related to the previous section in that they both deal with rulers. The Preacher makes the observation that it is not always the smartest or the wisest or the richest or the most noble who get the credit. Notice the series of contrasts.

Do you remember the honor bestowed upon Mordecai in the days of Esther? It was to ride into the city on the king’s horse. It was considered to be a great honor to ride on a horse.

The Preacher notes that such honors are not reserved for those who are deserving. He has seen instances when those who are mere slaves have acted the part of princes and, correspondingly, he has seen princes walk as though they were mere slaves.

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 is the foolish which is exalted. Those in the very highest positions sometimes step into grievous error.

DANGERS ALONG THE WAY

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. (Ecclesiastes 10:8-9).

There are certain actions taken which can bring disastrous consequences. Notice the list:

These actions do not seem on the surface to be of a violent nature. The person who was digging the pit was not necessarily doing it from evil motives. He wasn’t necessarily digging so that someone would fall into his pit. He was merely digging. As was the man who was breaking through a wall. Or the stone mover. Or the log splitter.

And yet, each of these activities CAN be undertaken to someone’s hurt. Most instances in which the Bible describes the digging of a pit, it was so that someone else might be thrown into it. The breaking of walls and the removal of stones could involve the moving of property lines.

Here is the point. You will sow what you reap. Your actions will come back to haunt you. What you DO brings results and those results are often not the ones on which you had planned.

The wise man is one who has learned this lesson. And he guides his actions accordingly, determining what will be their outcome.

THE DANGER OF FOLLY

While there can be dangers in any pursuit, there are some special dangers when you walk the way of folly. Or to put it another way, life is hazardous enough without bringing stupidity into the equation.

1. Folly in the Use of Wisdom.

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. (Ecclesiastes 10:10-11).

The Preacher now gives two illustrations concerning wisdom and folly. They both are lessons on the utilization of wisdom.

The first illustration is of an axe. A dull axe means that you have to work harder in cutting wood. You’ve heard the story of the lumberjack who came into the hardware store and the sales clerk exclaimed, "I have a real deal for you! We have this brand new power saw that will be a lot more effecient than the axe you presently use." The lumberjack bought the power saw but was back the next day. "It didn’t work very well. I was only able to cut down two trees all day." The saleman took the saw into the back room, replaced the blade, oiled all the working parts and brought it back out. "Try it again." The lumberjack was back again the next day. "I did a little better and managed to cut down three trees." The sales clerk was puzzled. "I don’t understand," he said, "It should have been a lot more efficient than that." Taking the saw, he pulled the cord and the saw started with a roar. Startled, the lumberjack asked, "What’s that noise?" 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 is utilized at the onset of that situation. That is the lesson of the second illustration. It is of a snake. It does not help to charm a snake after it has 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."

2. Folly in Words.

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? (Ecclesiastes 10:12-14).

The Preacher has already spoken about the words of a wise man. In the last chapter, 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 are also gracious. This is seen in contrast to the words of the fool.

a. His lips consume him.

He is like a self-devouring cannibal who gobbles himself up. He chews himself up and then spits himself out. No wonder that he is such a mess!

b. His sayings run the gamut from folly to wicked madness.

Everything produces after its kind. That is a product of creation. And so it is with the fool - a foolish man produces foolish talk.

It is not merely that his words are empty. If they were really empty, they could do little harm. Instead, they are full of deadly poison (James 3:8).

c. He multiplies his words.

There is often an inverse corollary between a person’s verbosity with their level of wisdom. There are more printed words today than ever before in history. But this explosive rate of communication has not made men any more wise.

3. The Wearisome Life of a Fool.

The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. (Ecclesiastes 10:15).

Have you ever known someone who could take a 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. This is a Hebraic proverb which describes the ability to accomplish the simplest of tasks.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP

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. (Ecclesiastes 10:16-17).

We are given a series of contrasts. These contrasts are made up of two lands, two kings and two sets of princes.

What happens when a child comes to the throne of a kingdom? He has neither the strength nor the wisdom to rule and so a regent must be appointed who will rule until the child is grown.

The word for "lad" refers to a young man. It can be a young man who is still pre-adolescent - it is used of the child Moses as he was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:6). Or it can be a young man who is an adult - it is used of the men of Abraham’s war party (Genesis 14:24), of the spies who entered Jericho (Joshua 6:23), and of Solomon himself after he had become king (1 Kings 3:7).

The point is not the age of the king. The point is whether or not he is a mature person - not merely in physical age, but in his level of wisdom and in his possession of a noble character. Does he "act his age"?

It is a tragedy when the leaders of a nation lack the wisdom and maturity to lead that nation - when they give themselves over to selfish pleasures rather than to discipline and self-control.

THE DANGER OF SLOTHFULNESS

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. (Ecclesiastes 10:18-19).

Verse 18 is an example of Hebrew parallelism. The thought given in the first line is repeated in the second line.

Both parts of this parallel are describing the quality of slothfulness. The term translated "slackness" is literally "in lowered hands." What happens when you develop a leaky roof? If you do not repair it, then the damage becomes more extensive. What could originally be repaired at a relatively low cost later must be completely replaced.

Verse 19 should not be taken out of context. It is still speaking of the characteristics of slothfulness. 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 outward pleasures. It is the attitude of foolishness.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CIRCUMSPECTION

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. (Ecclesiastes 10:20).

In verse 16 we saw the king who was immature. But now we see that even a poor king is still a king and ought to be treated like one. After all, he is still in authority and has power over you. If you think that it is hard living under a king who is an immature fool, then wait until he finds out that you have been talking about him! Again, this comes in the form of Hebrew parallelism.

Why? Because that which you say might reach the ears of the one against whom you speak. Again this is in the form of a parallel.

We have a similar expression in English: "A little birdie told me..." The truth is that the things we say even in private have a way of becoming known as though some winged creature were carrying them with the speed of flight. Here is the principle. Never say anything that you do not want repeated from the rooftops because it just might be.

HOW SHALL WE THEN LIVE?

Ecclesiastes 11:1-10

I wish that I had thought up the title, but I did not. It was the title to a book by the late Francis Schaeffer, "How Should We Then Live?" But the question itself is not unique to Dr. Schaeffer. It is a question that all Christians ought to ask. And it is a question to which we are brought by the Preacher.

Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, we have been treated to a sober and realistic view of life as it exists "under the sun." It is not a pretty picture. You are born and you struggle through life and then you die. The years that pass by can never be reclaimed. And that realization should motivate us to live purposefully, making our lives count.

WE MUST VENTURE IF WE ARE TO SUCCEED

Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. 2 Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2).

We have come to use this phrase about casting bread upon the waters without thinking much of its meaning. Casting bread upon the waters meant either throwing it into a river or into the ocean. In either case, that is a good way to lose a loaf of bread. It does not seem to be the better part of wisdom. And yet, the Preacher who gave us the Proverbs and who exhorted us to walk in the way of wisdom tells us to throw our bread in a location where it will be swept away. What does this mean? I believe it to be a reference to attempting a venture.

1. Casting Your Bread upon the Waters Appears Wasteful.

After all, that bread could better be used elsewhere. Waterlogged bread isn't good for anything. Bread is made to be eaten, not thrown away. Human wisdom would lead you to believe that bread thrown upon the waters is bread wasted.

2. Casting Your Bread upon the Waters is Risky.

The Jews were not a seafaring people. Nearly every time you read of Jews getting into a boat, it results in a navigational hazard.

• Jonah
• The disciples of Jesus
• The Apostle Paul

Anything that you did with waters that did not involve either drinking or washing was by its very nature dangerous. The word "cast" is the pi'el imperative of a word meaning "to send." The picture is perhaps not merely of throwing bread on the water or even of setting it adrift, but rather of sending it out in ships of trade. Such an undertaking was considered to be a risky venture to the Jews. The ship could sink. It could be captured by pirates. It's cargo could rot in the sea air. A thousand things could go wrong.

Here is the principle. When you cast bread on the waters, you are taking a risk. There are no guarantees that you will get anything back. You are taking a chance that there will be no return.

Most of us are not real risk-takers. We like the "sure thing." But the Christian life is one of risk. It is one in which you give up your own life to live Christ's life. It is one in which you subordinate your own desires to fulfill the desires of another. And that involves the greatest risk of all.

3. Casting Your Bread upon the Waters means that you do without for a time.

If you have cast your bread on the waters, then that is one loaf of bread that you no longer have. Americans are not used to doing without. We long ago lost sight of our needs in the midst of our wants. We want what we want and we want it right now. But such an attitude is not Biblical. Jesus said, "He who wishes to save his life must be willing to lose it." The way to save is to lose. The way to get is to give. And the way to enjoy a return is to let go for a time.

4. Casting Your Bread upon the Waters brings Eventual Gain.

The reason that you ought to step out on such an undertaking is because it brings eventual reward. On the one hand, this could merely be a reference to the fact that taking great risks sometimes allows for the receiving of great rewards. We have a similar saying - "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

While I do not believe that the primary emphasis of this passage deals with generosity, it IS a practical application of the truth of the passage. One of the ventures which the Christian is called to undertake is that of GENEROSITY. Jesus taught that generosity brings eventual gain.

"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.' (Matthew 25:34-40).

The scene is the Second Coming. Notice what is the determining factor in this judgment. It is what you GAVE. Jesus says, "When you give, it is as though you are doing it to Me."

The unbelievers are quick to protest, "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."

A man died and went to heaven. When he arrived there, he found an angel with a clipboard who said, "Before you are allowed to enter heaven, I must ask you whether you have ever committed a totally self-sacrificial deed?" The man replied, "As a matter of fact, I was walking down the street and saw this big burly biker mugging a little old lady. I ran to him and I punched him in the nose and then picked up the old lady to her feet and told her to run away and then I kicked the mugger in the stomach." The angel was visibly impressed and asked, "Wow! When did this take place?" The man replied, "Oh, about 5 minutes ago."

If Jesus were being mugged, would you help Him? 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? Jesus says, "You do it, because that is Me."

5. The Return on Water-Cast Bread does not come Immediately.

You do not see soon results on this kind of investment. And that is okay. God is building for eternity. And it takes many days. The Bible teaches that you reap what you sow. But you do not reap in the same season as when you sow. You do not put a seed into the ground and then pick the fruit the next day. Reaping takes place in a different season than sowing. Investments take time to produce significant rewards.

The second verse is similar to the first. But there is a slightly different emphasis.

Do you remember the story of Jacob? He is on his way back to Israel after having been away for 21 years. He receives the news that his brother Esau is coming to meet him - that is good. But his brother is bringing with him a band of 400 horsemen - that is bad. He does not know if his brother will be peaceful or vengeful. So Jacob seeks to act wisely. He diversifies. He prepares of possible misfortune. He divides his caravan and his family into two parts, reasoning that if one group is attacked, the other has a chance to escape. Risk is good, but foolish risk is - foolish.

WE MUST LIVE DILIGENTLY WHILE WE CAN

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.

He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.

Just 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.

Sow 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. (Ecclesiastes 11:3-6).

Verses 3-5 give observations concerning the way things are. Verse 6 gives the practical application - the "so what" of the passage.

Can you picture the plight of the over-careful farmer? He goes out to sow his seed, but he looks up at the clouds and thinks, "It might rain today and if it does, then it might not be the best day for sowing seed because it would then be washed away." And so, the seed stays in the barn. The same thing happens the next day. He waits for a perfect set of events that never come. The Preacher exhorts us not to be like that farmer.

It is true that the rains MIGHT come and the seed MIGHT be washed away. Today's work might be ruined and I might have to do it over again tomorrow. But that is okay. Today's work might succeed as well as tomorrow's And if so, then I will be able to reap the rewards for both.

Here is the point. Risk does not have to result in immobilization. It should instead result in redoubled efforts. It is true that we should work smarter and not just harder. But there are also times when we ought to work harder.

Nothing comes without effort. That is true in the natural realm and it is also true in the spiritual realm. Even your salvation took effort - it took the strong arm of the Lord.

WE MUST TREASURE LIFE WHILE WE LIVE

The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun. 8 Indeed, 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. (Ecclesiastes 11:7-8).

Life is good. It is a gift of God. And it is to be treasured. And the beauty of light is all the more pleasant when it is recognized that darkness eventually comes.

Even if a man lives many years, the days of darkness will also be over a course of many years. You live and then you die and the days in which you will be dead far outnumber the days which you will live. The emptiness of death comes to all men. So live while you are alive.

In Ecclesiastes 3 we read that there is an appointed time for everything and a time for every event under the sun. This includes each of the seasons of life. The morning. The noon. And the twilight of life. We are called to treasure all of the seasons of life. Here is the principle. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not merely endured.

"There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second." (Author unknown).

That sounds good and even has a measure of truth, but it contains a subtle trap. It is the trap of thinking that you must obtain certain THINGS or achieve certain GOALS before you can begin enjoying life.

I tend to be like that. I remember one particular vacation where we were going to spend several weeks in the mountains of North Carolina. We drove north along the coast, going through Savannah and Charleston over a couple of days. By the third day, we still had not gotten to the mountains and I found myself not having much fun. It was as though I had a goal - "Get to the mountains" - and couldn't bring myself to relax until I had achieved the goal. I like to think that I am better than I used to be. And I'm learning to enjoy the journey. But this applies to more than just vacations. It also applies to LIFE.

The Westminster Catechism asks the question, "What is the chief end of man." The answer is, "To know God and to enjoy Him forever." We are called to enjoy the life which God has given and to enjoy the God who has given it.

WE MUST ENJOY YOUTH WHILE IT LASTS

Rejoice, 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. 10 So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting. (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10).

You are only young once. Enjoy it while you can! This is a call to the optimism of youth. Time enough to be pessimistic in the grave. There are a series of parallel injunctions:

The parallel continues:

And follow...

the impulses of your heart

and

the desires of your eyes

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!

I love the part that Robin Williams plays in the movie, "Dead Poets Society." He 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 are dead. And as they gaze on these long-forgotten portraits of youth, they hear the whisper of the Preacher. Carpe Deum - "Seize the Day!" Life is short. All too soon, they 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 is time for greatness. And yet, there is a warning. This warning serves as a balance.

Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things (10:9). In your quest to live your life meaningfully, do not forget that it is God who sets the standard for what is truly meaningful.

In verse 10 is a third injunction. As in the previous two cases, the injunction is given, followed by its rationale.

So, remove anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting (11:10). Life is too short to harbor anger. As to pain, put it aside while you can. There will be plenty of time to hurt when you are older.

The reference to "pain from your body" can refer either to a physical evil (pain) or to moral evil. The context seems to favor the former as a part of a contrasting parallel.

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

George Burns used to say, "I’m so old, all of my friends are already in heaven. That’s not so bad, except they are sure I didn’t make it." We don’t talk a lot about old age; especially when we are young. There has grown up in this country a "generation gap" between the old and the young. That is unfortunate. It is unfortunate because the elderly are able to give words of wisdom on what you should do when you are young. That is what the Preacher does in this passage.

REMEMBER THE LORD WHILE YOU ARE YOUNG

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1a).

This verse contains a continuation of the thought that was begun in the previous chapter. The subject was the brevity of youth.

Because youth is brief, we are called to utilize the days of our youth in the best possible way. This involves remembering the Lord.

Christianity is a religion of remembrance. The primary feast of the Jews was the Passover. This was a feast of remembrance. It remembered two aspects concerning the Lord.

• It remembered that He is the Creator.
• It remembered that He is the Redeemer.

We also have a celebration of remembrance. It is the Lord’s Supper. In partaking of this rite, we remember the same two aspects of God as the Creator of the New Creation and that He is the Redeemer.

We are called to remember. I would suggest that this means more than merely remembering the fact of God’s existence. This is a call to serve the Lord in one’s youth. There are several reasons for such a call.

1. We are to Remember the Lord in the Days of our Youth because He is our Creator.

God is our Sovereign. All that which comes into our lives comes from His hands. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. We owe Him a debt of gratitude for our very existence.

We were made for worship. It is rooted in the very core of what we are. We are made so that we find our highest fulfillment in service that which we deem to hold the most important of all. There is no one more important than God.

2. We are to Remember the Lord in the Days of our Youth because this Gives Him the Firstfruits of our Lives.

The Lord always demands the firstfruits rather than the leftovers. He wants that which it first place in your life. He wants to BE first place in your life.

.

3. We are to Remember the Lord in the Days of our Youth because this may be all that there is.

Life has no guarantees. You do not know for certain that you will achieve old age. Today could be the last day of your life. You ought to worship the Lord while it is today.

4. We are to Remember the Lord in the Days of our Youth because this will form a Habit Pattern for the Days of our Old Age.

The person who says, "I’m going to wait until I get older to begin serving the Lord" never does. Relatively few people turn to the Lord in their old age. It is like the sign at the beginning of the old country road that said, "Choose your rut carefully; you’ll be in it for the next 20 miles."

5. We are to Remember the Lord in the Days of our Youth because this will see us through to the Days of our Old Age.

That is the point the Preacher goes on to make. You are to serve the Lord today because bad times are coming tomorrow. These "bad times" are a reference to the evils of old age.

 

REMEMBER THE LORD BEFORE OLD AGE COMES

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"; 2 before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 in 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; 4 and 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. (Ecclesiastes 12:1-4).

The Preacher goes on to describe in detail the conditions of these coming "evil days." He does this by using a series of double metaphors. Each of these metaphors has two pictures.

The first picture is that of a house that is in a growing condition of disrepair.

The second picture is of a person growing older.

Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain (12:2).

This is a general picture of dark days. We speak similarly of entering the twilight of one’s life. At such a time, the lights of the mind are dimmed. Your thought processes are not what they used to be. More often than not, your mind feels as though it is in the clouds. As one person put it, "Just about the time that your face clears up, your mind begins to go."

There are three things that mark the onset of old age. The first is the loss of memory... and I can’t remember the other two.

In the day that the watchmen of the house tremble (12:3).

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.

Mighty men stoop (12:3).

One of the sings of old age is the stooped posture. We look at a young man and he is normally tall and straight. We look at an old person and his knees buckle while his belt won’t.

The grinding ones stand idle because they are few (12:3).

This is a humorous reference to TEETH. They don’t chew as much as they used to because there are not that many of them left. This was before the era of false teeth.

Those who look through windows grow dim (12:3).

This speaks of 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.

When I hit 40, I noticed that the print started to get smaller and a bit harder to read. But the time I hit 50, I couldn’t even see the print without reading glasses.

The doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low (12:4).

This seems to be a reference to HEARING. The sounds that one hears are muffled as though they come from behind closed doors.

There is another possibility. We have already seen that the "grinding ones" are a reference to teeth that have become fewer and fewer. As you lose your teeth, your face begins to sag around the mouth and, instead of the noise of chewing, there is the soft sound of gumming.

One will arise at the sound of the bird (12:4).

Although the older person might be hard of hearing, it also seems that it does not take much noise to awaken him. The aged generally find it increasingly difficult to sleep and what sleep they do attain is more easily interrupted.

All the daughters of song will sing softly (12:4).

Literally, this says, "All the daughters of song are brought down." This might be a reference of the ability to sing or even to speak. I can remember how my own father’s ability to annunciate gradually degraded prior to his death. Likewise, Paula and I used to sit with her grandmother prior to her death and sing several favorite hymns. Her voice, once strong, was weak and she found it difficult to hold a note.

This could also be a reference to the onset of deafness as sounds become increasingly muted.

It is a grim picture. No one WANTS to get old. Of course, most of us aren’t too excited about the alternative, either. Like the song says, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die."

Verse 5 continues the metaphorical description of advanced age, albeit without the double reference to an aging building.

Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road (12:5).

Old age brings with it certain fears. There is the fear of high places due to the fact that it is easier to take a spill and it now takes longer to heal from such a fall. There is also the fear of traveling. The elderly are less inclined to take risks, for they are more aware of the adverse consequences.

The almond tree blossoms (12:5).

It is my understanding that the almond tree blossoms in the winter 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 appears a withering blend of bare branches with a scattering of pale white. It is a picture of the sparse and thinning grey hair of the elderly.

The grasshopper drags himself along (12:5).

The Hebrew is a bit unclear in this phrase. If we accept the translation of the New American Standard Version, it would mean that there is no longer a spring to your step. Where there was once a spring and a bounce, now there is barely the energy to shuffle along.

While the above translation is the normal rendering of the reflexive Hithpi’el stem, it has 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 caperberry is ineffective (12:5).

What is a "caperberry?" The word comes from the Vulgate’s translation of capparis, a reference to the caper bush. This shrub has a flower, the bud of which was used as an aphrodisiac. This is the only time the word is used in the Old Testament. It seems to come from a root word, which meant literally "to breathe after" but which carried the figurative idea of a "desire."

Here is the point. There comes a time in old age when that which used to stimulate no longer works and when all of the aphrodisiacs in the world are powerless and when desire fades away.

It is true that modern technology has made it much easier to deal with many of these burdens of the elderly. 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 do not deal with the source of the problem -- the fact of a body that is wearing out from the inside out. They do not deal with the problem of eventual death.

The preacher concludes that this aging process only stops when man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street (12:5).

REMEMBER THE LORD WHILE YOU ARE STILL ALIVE

Remember 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; 7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7).

This verse marks a return to the previous double allegory of the aging home with the aging person. Each of these allegories are describing DEATH.

The metaphor of a silver cord describes both the beauty as well as the frailty of life. It is a small thing that holds your life to your body and this cord is easily snapped.

At such a time, there is a dividing of the spirit from the body. James 2:26 says that the body without the spirit is dead. Each goes its own way.

The point of the passage is that you are called to remember the Lord and to serve Him and to worship Him TODAY while you have life.

It is hard to find the answers to life when you are old. It is true that there are exceptions to this rule and that there are those who find God when they are advanced in age, but such cases are rare. Most people who do not come to the Lord in their youth do not come to Him in their old age. I am told that 95% of all believers come to Christ before they are 50 years old and that most of those do so before they are 30. Youth is the time to find God. This is why the Preacher tells us, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth."

REMEMBER THE LORD BECAUSE ALL ELSE IS EMPTY

Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "all is vanity!" (Ecclesiastes 12:8).

This has now become a familiar refrain" "Emptiness of emptinesses!" Remember that when you repeat something in Hebrew, you are emphasizing that quality.

The Song of Songs which is Solomon’s

Dying you shall die

Truly, truly, I say unto you...

The Preacher uses this same sort of repetition for emphasis. He does this in order to teach us a lesson -- actually three lessons:

1. You aren’t getting any Younger.

If your life is not cut short, then you will eventually face the prospect of old age. You are on a journey and the descriptions of this chapter tell you all about the eventual destination.

You may be like the man who jumped off the Empire State Building. As he passed the 50th floor, he was heard to mutter, "So far, so good." You may not have noticed, but there is an eventual end to this life.

2. God has designed you to the Empty without Him.

There is an emptiness that exists without God. Augustine said, "Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee." We could paraphrase his words to say that God has made us with an empty place within which only He can fill. The Preacher concludes that life without God is not only empty, it is resoundingly hollow.

We have seen the oft repeated message of the emptiness of life. You need to know that this is not mere happenstance. It was designed to be that way in order to drive you to that which fills life with meaning and purpose.

3. Now is the Time to Prepare for Eternity.

It is a good thing to prepare for retirement. That is merely being a good steward of the resources God has given. But that is, at best, only short term planning. Truly long-term planning takes the eternal view. If you do not have an eternal perspective, then you have become short-sighted in your outlook on life.

FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

It isn't an easy thing to follow directions. One Christmas tradition that grew up through the early years of our family was that of the Christmas Eve Assembly Project. It involved my wife constructing all of the Christmas presents that required assembly. It is something for which she is extraordinarily talented. It isn't that she is so good with tools. It is that she knows how to read and follow the directions.

To tell you the truth, I'm not that good at following directions. I have a tendency to try things my own way; to try to puzzle things out for myself. Only when all else had failed do I resort to reading the directions.

Throughout Ecclesiastes we have been provided with some directions for life. In this chapter particularly, we are given the wise direction to fear the Lord and to follow Him in our youth.

THE DELIVERY OF WISDOM'S TREASURE

In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. (Ecclesiastes 12:9-10).

Throughout this book, we have followed the Preacher in his quest for meaning and purpose to life. We saw him try all sorts of experiences and attitudes. But the relating of this quest was not for his benefit. It was for our own.

The Preacher was the possessor of wisdom. He was also the dispenser of wisdom. It is possible to have wisdom and to keep it to yourself. What made him a Preacher is that he preached -- he proclaimed words of wisdom to others in a way that made it understandable. Notice the means by which he operated:

He Taught the People Knowledge (12:9).

Notice that there are two aspects to this teaching. They are two aspects that are always present when real teaching is going on.

• He taught knowledge: There must be substance to the teaching or else there is nothing worthy of being taught.

A little girl in church with her mother asked, "Mommy, why does the pastor pray before his sermon?" She replied, "He's asking God to help him preach a good sermon." "Mommy," came a second question, "Why doesn't God answer his prayer?"

• He taught the people. A teacher does not really teach unless he teaches people. It is not enough to teach a subject. You might know all about a particular topic and be able to expound upon it. But unless you are also able to communicate to the minds and souls of your HEARERS, then all is in vain.

The Preacher knew people. He knew what made them "tick." He spoke to where they were.

He pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs (12:9).

This implies a labor of study. The Preacher did not merely share with people the first thing that came into his head. He thought before he spoke. He spent time searching out that which he was going to teach. He set his wisdom in order, arranging "many proverbs."

The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. (12:10).

It was not enough to have knowledge. It was not even enough to have it arranged intelligently. The Preacher also labored to speak in a pleasing manner. The NIV 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.

The Preacher sought... to write words of truth correctly (12:10).

Finally and most importantly, the Preacher was on a quest to communicate TRUTH. We live in a relativistic age. People have long since bought into the idea that truth is only relative. We hear that something might be "true" to one person but not true to another. The Bible knows nothing of such a concept. Truth IS.

A style of teaching means nothing without truth. A lie all dressed up in eloquence is still a lie.

This tells me something important about the book of Ecclesiastes. In spite of its often dark and gloomy view, it is a book that teaches TRUTH. It should not be understood as the outlook of a skeptic or as an advocate of a hedonistic lifestyle. It is written to give us a realistic view of life that, as a result, we might live for the Lord.

 

THE VALUE OF WISDOM'S CORRECTION

The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. (Ecclesiastes 12:11).

This verse is given in the form of a parallel. The Hebrew text gives a chiastic order to the words. This parallel is seen by contrasting two images.

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 are hammered to keep something in place. The first is temporary. The second is permanent.

The Word of God accomplishes both of these purposes. It afflicts the comfortable and it comforts the afflicted.

• 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.
• To the one who is burdened and tossed to and fro by the winds of life, it provides a haven of stability. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

 

THE WEARINESS OF WISDOM'S QUEST

But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. (Ecclesiastes 12:12).

This is a warning. In the midst of a soliloquy of the value of words and of wisdom, the warning is given 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. A teacher has been defined as someone who talks in other people's sleep. While we are called to take heed to words of wisdom, we are NOT called to excessive devotion to books. Such a devotion is wearisome to the body. The reason it is wearisome is because it is never put into PRACTICE. It only remains theoretical.

Our problem is not generally that we do not KNOW enough. Our problem is in APPLYING that which we do know. The most simple truths become profound when put into practice.

THE SUMMARY OF WISDOM'S END

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Wisdom teaches us to do two things. The first of these things is based upon the second.

1. Wisdom Teaches us to Fear God.

This is the conclusion of the book of Ecclesiastes. It is also the same "big idea" that is found in the other Wisdom Literature.

Job	Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:28).
Psalms	The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. (Psalm 111:10).
Proverbs	The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7).

2. Keep His Commandments.

This injunction flows out of the first. The principle is simple. If you truly fear the Lord, then you will desire to keep His commandments. If you really fear God, then you will also fear sin and its consequences.

After Moses had delivered the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, the people were frightened at the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the smoking mountain. They went to Moses and asked that he might serve as an intermediary so that God would not speak directly to them.

Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, lest we die."

And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." (Exodus 20:19-20).

The fear of the Lord is a good thing. This is not a paralyzing fear or a morbid fear. It is a fear that God is very big and that He is sovereign and that He is able to do as He pleases. It is a fear that recognizes our own sin and which therefore drives us to the grace of God.

The reason for this double conclusion is because this applies to every person. This phrase literally reads, "because this is all of man" or "because this is the all of man." The implication is that "this is the whole duty of man." The Westminster Confession captures the same essence of this statement when it says, "This is the chief end of man."

THE SOURCE OF WISDOM'S MOTIVATION

For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

The reason that we are to fear God is because He is ultimately our Judge. He is not only our Judge, He is also our Sovereign Judge. The aspect of His sovereignty means that there is nothing that shall escape His judgment. Nothing shall remain hidden, whether good or evil. All shall be judged.

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. (1 Corinthians 4:5).

We are going to stand before God one day and we sill give an accounting of both our deeds as well as of the intents of our hearts.

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 shall not remain hidden, their penalty has been paid.

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered!

How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,

And in whose spirit there is no deceit! (Psalm 32:1-2).