Wisdom for Living in a Fallen World

Transcript

GR 2133
07/14/2019
Wisdom for Living in a Fallen World
Ecclesiastes 8:10-17
Gil Rugh


We're going to the book of Ecclesiastes in your Bibles, Ecclesiastes 8. And there is certainly no more practical book in the Bible than the book of Ecclesiastes. It is giving us instruction on how to live wisely in this world that is under the curse of God for sin, a world that can be difficult and unpleasant, unfair and unjust. But in it all, we as God's people know that our God is sovereign over all, so we want to conduct ourselves each day with wisdom, handling whatever the day brings, as God would have us conduct ourselves.

In chapter 8 where we have been focused in our last study and will be in this study, Solomon is the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes, and what he has made clear is some of the basic things. By that I mean we won't walk with wisdom if we overlook certain foundational principles that God says that we are to recognize as God's people. And what he dealt with in the first part of chapter 8 was a very simple matter, that God has established authoritative structures throughout His Creation. These are not the result of the fall, but the fall has brought the negative into those authoritative structures. By that I mean they don't always function as they should, they don't always function for the good of those that are being ruled over or who are under that authority. But if we are going to function with wisdom in the world, we are going to need to recognize that God has appointed authoritative structures.

I know this is contrary to much of the world's thinking, but that is why Solomon is writing this, so we as believers don't get drawn into the thinking of the world. We noted these authoritative structures go all the way back to the original creation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. And before the fall occurred, the very fact that God created Adam the male before He created Eve the female indicated, according to the direction of the Spirit in 1 Timothy 2, that God had created Adam to be in an authoritative position over Eve. No sin in the world, only two people without sin on the face of the earth, and yet there was a structure observed. We talked about that as we looked at the first part of chapter 8. That is true in all areas of God's creation. There is an authoritative structure.

Now we as God's people who walk with wisdom, want to recognize that, and live properly within it. Doesn't say anything about we are to improve it, we are to correct it, or we are to change it. Now obviously, if you were a person in authority in one way or another, you are to exercise that authority in a godly way. But he focuses primarily on those who experience the misuse of authority. And we have to deal with the injustice. He particularly focused on the matter like of the king, the highest authority in a country or nation. No matter what we would call them, our President or other titles, but in all levels of government, we saw there is that as well as the other areas of authority.

Let me read you what one commentator wrote on this whole matter of the authority as laid out in the opening verses of chapter 8. “Short of sinning, the subordinate should not despise any direction from a superior as incidental or optional. If the demands are doable and ethical, one has an obligation before God to comply.” Now helpful that we have these principles established in our mind, that if I am to function with wisdom in this world, I will recognize the authority structures that God has established, whether it is in the home, a husband and wife, the children, it is in the church, it is in the government. We recognize that and submit to it. That will help take some of the stress and conflict out of our life, because too many times we get caught up in thinking I don't agree with that. With our leaders in our country, we'll talk about the political structure as the example as Solomon uses it. We don't agree with the decisions, we can't understand . . . Doesn't matter. Remember these are things out of our control. In verses 5-8 he made that clear, walking with wisdom means we recognize what is not under our control. So, we conduct ourselves not trying to take control, but submitting to those in authority and conducting ourselves wisely.

In verse 5 he said, “He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble….” In other words, if you will obey the governing authorities you will have less problems. That will take some of the stress out of your life. Now he doesn't get into good government, bad government, good rulers, bad rulers; he acknowledged down in verse 9 that some exercise authority in a detrimental way that is harmful to people. But he doesn't say we ought to fix that. Obviously, if you are one of those in authority, you have to be sure you are functioning in a proper way. But when we are under authority, I recognize the authority. That solves some of my problems. If they establish the law, unless it requires of me something that is clearly unbiblical, I will do it. I may not like it, I may not agree with it, but that is not the position that I am in. It seems clear, but so many of the problems that we create are not recognizing that and accepting it.

As he said in verse 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,” or every event, every action, “though a man's trouble is heavy upon him.” Now this is just not a situation where the authorities are probably functioning properly. There may be real problems for you, there may be real difficulties. The authority down at the end of verse 9 may be functioning to you hurt. Verse 7, “If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen.” Then in verse 8 he gave those four examples of things that are out of our control to further illustrate the point certain things are out of our control. They are out of our control because God has not put them under our control.

And one of the evidences is if He has not made me the President of the country or the king of the country, He has not given me the authority then to decide on the decisions of the country. And my role is clear, I submit again, unless there is a clear conflict with the Word of God. It's not enough I don't agree with him, I don't think it is the right decision. So? It's not your decision to make. We recognize that authority so it takes some of the stress, the pressure, and the conflict that will come if I don't obey the authority. I don't agree how they use the taxes so I'm not going to pay them. Well, then there will be consequences, I will have more trouble. God hasn't given me that authority. I often say the test of authority, the test of leadership, is when you disagree. That's always the case.

So that is simple principles. And so, there is a proper time for every event, verse 6 said, every procedure. I recognize that, and I recognize God appointed it. We went back to Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” Then all those examples. Coming down to verse 11, “He…” referring to God, “…has made everything appropriate in its time.” What I am recognizing is God has established authority. He has placed me under different authorities and different structures. Functioning wisely in the world is to recognize that authority from God and conduct myself appropriately in obedience to it, rather than trying to fight against it or overruling. This is the position of being wise, this is simple, basic. It's not like he is out here with some great theological development. Very simple, God has appointed authorities throughout life, throughout His creation. Recognize it, submit to it. Function appropriately. How do I know? Well, the decision they made impacts me for today, then I will recognize that. These are things not under my control. How do I know I am not the controller? God didn't put me in authority there. He put that authority in that place. Suddenly life gets a little smoother. Not that bumps are taken out, but it gets, could I say easier. Not always fighting against the authority. It's like kids are always fighting against the authority of their parents. It's going to be an unpleasant time. It should be for the kids, if they are going to resist the authority. And it just goes on in all areas.

Come to verse 9. “All I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man exercised authority over another man to his hurt.” Solomon is not idealistic here. The world can be a cruel place; it was very cruel in those days. Solomon's half-brother did something that Solomon thought was a threat to his throne. He just sent the commander of his army out and said, go kill him. Shimei made an agreement, I won't leave town, so to speak, or if I do, I will pay the penalty. Shimei left town and Solomon sent his commander, go kill him. Didn't even have to have a trial. Could be a very difficult world with immediate consequences. He understands, he knows, authority is misused. We live in a fallen world dominated by sinful people, ruled by sinful people. He doesn't say it is going to be pleasant and always fair. And he doesn't condone the injustice, but it's the fact of life.

“…I have seen…” I've intensely examined this, I'm aware that sometimes and often authority is used in such a way it is harmful to people. So, part of wisdom is recognizing that. And sometimes you will be the object of that harm, that unfairness. He doesn't say fight against it, resist it, or change it. Just be aware of it, that will help you. Now I have to decide, how do I conduct myself within this kind of framework?

We're ready to move on to the next section, and that's verses 10-17. And he picks up on really the end of verse 9 where authority may be used in a harmful way. Let's talk about the wicked and the godly, those who do not fear God and those who do fear God because that is what we have in this world. And that leads to inequities, injustices, unfairness. Again, he doesn't tell us as those who fear God to fix it or change it. You understand it is not God's intention that the world improve. This is His judgment on the world. It's going to get worse. When Christ comes and the kingdom is established, then we will see some real changes. Until then God's people need to learn how to live skillfully, wisely in this world as it is.

We pick up with verse 10. “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.” A number of commentators remarked that this is maybe the most difficult verse in Ecclesiastes. And part of the problem is they translate that last statement in verse 10, “This too is futility,” meaninglessness, senseless. They say you would think the death of the wicked and their burial and being forgotten would be a good thing. How are we going to reconcile that? Well, as we have noted, that word translated futility, hebel, a Hebrew word really means a breath. What he is going to emphasize is this is brief, this is transitory, this is temporary, this is part of what this life is.

This is the 13th time he has used that word in Ecclesiastes. We're not going to go back and look at them, but it is an emphasis, a reminder that whatever is going on in our days under the sun, our physical time on this earth is all temporary. It is all brief and passing. He'll mention this twice more, down in verse 14 where the verse will begin, “There is brevity…” and the end of the verse, “…this too is brevity.” Part of it is, we want to recognize the brevity of life under the sun, this physical life, for the wicked, for the righteous. Any injustices we experience, it is all brief, passing, soon gone.

In verse 10, “So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place...” I thought they were the wicked, and here they are at the holy place. For the Jews that would naturally have been the temple. They are going through all the motions that were expected of God's people, going through worship activity but they are wicked. They may be the authority of verse 9, who is exercising authority when another man is hurt. You know what that would be like in our day. If you were at work in a job and the person you work for is very unfair and treats you unfairly in your job and makes life difficult for you, and your job unpleasant and creates stress. Then you come to church and they sit there, and everybody views them as just one of the holiest people and most godly men in our congregation. And you say this isn't fair, this isn't right. That's the kind of situation they had then. Nothing has changed. Sometimes the wicked put on a veneer of being very good and righteous. But the point is, the wicked are buried and they used to go in and out of the holy place. They acted like they were righteous, but people know them. That's why for an elder, for example, they should have a good reputation of those who are outside the church family. They should conduct themselves with a certain consistency. But this individual, he takes the extreme. He is a wicked man, but he may look righteous, and you may have been hurt by his unfairness.

“…and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus…” their wickedness, their righteousness. They are buried, they are gone. “This too is brevity.” Remember the wicked, the phonies, the unjust, their life is brief. That's part of the brevity. We get caught up and it begins to absorb us. And not making light of the pressure that is applied when you are in this kind of situation. We talk about they tighten the screws, and it seems like my life is miserable. What is the point? Why? I'm doing the best I can, I think I've been faithful, I've worked harder than others, but nothing I can do makes them happy.

One time I worked for a boss in the East. He always treated me very well, but he would get on somebody and he just wouldn't let it go. One time there was a man who was working for us and our boss said to me, I want him gone. I want you to start giving him the worst jobs, putting the most pressure on him. I called him Boss, and I said Boss, he's a decent person. Boss said, “This is the way it is going to be.” I had to decide what I would do and function within what my responsibility was. He just had somebody else do it, when I wouldn’t. Until the guy said, I'm turning in my resignation, I'm done, I just can't take it here. I didn't try to talk him out of it. I didn't have much to say except thank you. Life can be unfair. Why would you do that? That's the way life is. Now remember it is all temporary, transitory. That boss is gone, those inequities are gone. It's the way life is. It's all brief, it is brevity, it is passing.

Look at verse 11. This is part of the frustration we have to deal with. “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.” If there are not consequences applied, then people think they are getting away with it, and I can get away with it. And if a person does the wrong thing and thinks they are in a position… We have examples of this in people that have been in positions and have abused that position and now it comes out how they have been functioning. But as long as there are no consequences, they just continue to do it. And we realize that goes on in an unjust, unfair world. Evil is done but there is no penalty applied. When there is no penalty applied, it spreads.

I'm old and I realize we need be careful about talking about the good old days because Solomon told us the good old days were just old days and they weren't any different than these days. They were evil days like these days. But when authority structure breaks down in the home or the school, it just multiplies. Justice was immediately applied in the grade school I attended. If you got out of line, they immediately called you to the front of the class and administered physical discipline. And when your parents found out about it, they administered physical discipline. Nobody was creating any turmoil in school. Now they were just as sinful, but consequences limited these. And that is true throughout society, it has always been that way. We have always had the imbalance in the administering of justice, and it gets administered for subjective reasons, for personal gain, whatever, throughout. But the principle is there, when justice is not administered, then evil spreads. Why? Because we are dealing with evil people.

Look back in Ecclesiastes 7:25, “I directed my mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation…” note this, “…and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.” You know, people are crazy. In that sense sin makes you irrational, foolish. Come over to Ecclesiastes 9, trying not to jump ahead too much but verse 3, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men.” Now note this, “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.” We live in a world that sometimes we look at it and say, what are people thinking? This is crazy. That is exactly what Solomon says, we live in a crazy world. This is the asylum, the inmate, there is no logic, there is no rationale. They do stupid things. And when they think they can get away with evil and there are no consequences, then the evil spreads. He begins the explanation, that's why you need authority. Bad government is better than no government.

I mentioned when we traveled in a Communist country, there were real consequences for the believers living under that government. Some of them had been unfairly imprisoned for years. But there was also an order in that country. Consequences for attacking me as a foreigner were so dire that I didn't have any fear. They told me don't be afraid to go out and walk the streets, go ahead to the park, walk through the park. You won't have any problem. Now the authority and the administering of punishments was not equitable, but there was order in that society that enabled that society to function. When that breaks down, we see places in the world where the authorities are totally disregarded and there is chaos for everyone. The reality of it is, this helps understand that the misuse of authority creates problems and allows the spread of disorder and evil.

We as believers recognize that and we say we understand sin, we understand that men and women are sinners, enslaved to their sin, under the control of the devil. Yet when things go on, we say, I can't understand what is happening. Well, do we have any wisdom? Remember we go to the house of woman wisdom, not to the house of woman folly. In a little bit we realize something of the thinking of the world has begun to condition my thinking and I think the world ought not to be like God says it is and will be. Solomon already touched on that, that there is not a righteous man on the earth who always does good and never sins. And then you take people that are outside the framework of the fear of God, under the control of the devil, and what would we expect? And it is only God's common grace that has blessed us to live in a country where here we are freely opening God's Word, gathering to worship Him.

There was a book written a number of years ago by an unbeliever. It was titled, The Death of Common Sense. And sometimes we think it is common sense but understand the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things. It is filled with insanity and madness. It is only the common grace, as we refer to it, of God that is common and universal, but it enables the world to function. And the authoritative structures, as abusive as they are, as selfish and self-centered as they are, are ordained of God and we are to live wisely within those structures.

Look at verse 12. “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.” Now realize, he just talked about the sentence against evil if not executed quickly. That may be. We execute people when we do have capital punishment for a crime, they committed thirty years earlier, and they think capital punishment is no deterrent. Of course not, everybody has forgotten about that crime and moved on, it's irrelevant. So, we live in this and we begin to think the sinner's sin spreads because there are no consequences. Then it seems their life goes on and they do fine. But we who have wisdom because we fear God, we know it will be well with those who fear God because He is the sovereign, He is in control, He will ultimately administer justice. So those who fear Him, and we fear Him openly. In other words, I will not compromise the truths of God's Word. I have to live within a fallen, sinful system organized and controlled by the god of this world, small “g”, the devil. But I will not compromise the truth of God's Word and my faithfulness to Him. We will live openly and pay the price accordingly.

I've used this example over time, but when we were in the Communist country, the pastor, Edward Meyer, that I was meeting with had been imprisoned for over 20 years. He was now out and met with us in a hotel lobby. He says, I will not take you to my room or go to your room because then the government would view me as a subversive, meeting with you secretly. But I am happy to meet with you here in this public lobby and accept the materials you have brought to me to disseminate it to people. And they do what they will. I appreciated that he feared the Lord openly, but he obeyed the rules and was careful. Didn't keep him from experiencing serious consequences of unfair mistreatment at the hands of the authorities, but there is wisdom there. I will maneuver with wisdom here, so I won't do things . . . I'm not doing anything wrong in doing it, but I recognize the system I live within and under, and I will maintain my open relationship with the Lord. But I won't do things that could compromise my citizen responsibilities.

The next verse, “But it will not be well…” taken from the other side, “…for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.” So, the lesson here, fearing God, doing what is right. We will do what is right, what is biblical, because we fear God. Our prime allegiance is to Him, but I don't want to use that as an excuse. As a believer, just because I disagree with the decisions that are made, and I see them as unfair and unjust, doesn't mean I don't have to live within that. I may think that taxation is totally unfair, everybody did, they did in Jesus' day. Tried to trap Jesus with it. He said render to Caesar what is Caesar's. It is not my job to decide what they do with the taxes. I can vote in our system, but the reality of it is, they will do what they want. Then, I don't think we should change this. That's not what he is talking about, he is talking about those who fear God, those who don't. And those who don't will pay the consequences. You'll note here in verse 12, the emphasis, I think, “Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life…” In other words, we see that, they misuse their authority, they are dishonest.

I went back when I was doing this, I got to thinking, I don't know how I ended up there, but I was reading about Rome. I have to see here again, remind myself, who were the Roman Emperors while Paul and Peter were ministering? There were about four of them. I pulled off a book from my shelf, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. You talk about despicable. Horrible! The worst of men. You wouldn't even know that the rulership changes. I would have thought maybe Paul, somebody like Nero comes on as some of the others did, and initially in their rule they look like they were going to be very just, and what a breath of fresh air having a new ruler is.

You don't even know they change when you read the New Testament, that's not something that affects Paul. He doesn't have his hope in that. You realize the injustice, the unfairness that has been there. Solomon knew about it. But there is the confidence that those who fear God, and you'll note he talked about how they lengthened their life in verse 12. It seems they go on, sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. You realize the brevity of life. I'm reading about their life and it is over. One of them lived less than four years before he got murdered. They had a lot of wickedness in those less than four years. But others lived longer.

But you are reminded in verse 12, Although a sinner does evil many times and lengthens his life, verse 13, “But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow…” Any lengthening of his days is like a shadow. Come back to Ecclesiastes 6:12, we saw that analogy. Ecclesiastes 6:12, “Who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few days of his brief life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him…” We come over to Ecclesiastes 8:13, “…lengthen his days like a shadow.” We are reminded a shadow is not very durable, not very long. So, he talks about man who just keeps going on in his wickedness. I shared with you the people enduring that terrible treatment, and the abuse they put people through. It will never end. And by God's grace sometimes improvement comes. We complain a lot about our rulers, but we are doing very well in a fallen world. We thank God for His grace.

Any lengthening of days is lengthening a shadow. We need to be reminded, this is brevity, this is a shadow. So, don't get so absorbed in everything that revolves around this unjust authority we have, and if it's not dealt with . . . That's the way the world is. If we don't get rid of this President and get another President, the world is going to come to an end in 12 years. I should live my days here wisely. And down to more immediate authority the same thing.

For the one who does not fear God, there is no future. This brief time and you are gone. Those rulers that seem to have such power, could not be restrained, declared themselves gods, declared themselves the god to be worshiped; they are gone, seems like a brief time. We talk about World War I and World War II, for the generation coming up that is history. They don't teach much about those things anymore. That doesn't bother me, is the attitude. That was a brief time, it's not my time. We want to realize these are the days we live.

Verse 14, here we go again. “There is brevity…” not futility, not meaningless. But it is emphasized, we bracket this, remember, it is brief. Now we are talking about people with wisdom, people who fear God. That is, you and me. Remember the inequities of this life, the unfairness, the mistreatment that you may experience, is brief. It is limited to the days we have under the sun at most. Now look at verse 14. “There is futility…” brevity, “…which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked.” In other words, certain righteous men seem to bear the kind of consequences that belong to the wicked. I mentioned the country where I was where men, their only guilt was that they taught the Word of God, and they went to prison, and the rulers lived a high, good life.

“On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous.” Sometimes the righteous seem to be getting the punishment that the wicked should get, and the wicked seem to be getting the blessings of the righteous. Some days, don't we as Christians, sometimes think, Lord, it would seem great if your people experience great obvious blessings…we didn't get sick, we prospered materially, we lived long lives. Then that would be a testimony to the world that there is a God who takes care of His people. That's the health and wealth preachers—God's people don't get sick, they don't get cancer, they don't die at young ages. Wouldn't that be a great testimony. And soon we have stepped beyond the local authorities to tell God how He ought to be running the world. That's not the way He does it, that's what He says. In this brief time on earth there is brevity which is done on the earth, this injustice is a brief time. Now these are the days of our life and it can seem to go on and on and on and we get to the point and say I can't take another day of this. Then we realize this is brief, it's passing.

Right at the end, what does he say again in verse 14? “…I say that this too is brevity.” It is temporal, it's temporary, this injustice, this unfairness. This is to help us live with wisdom. He doesn't say we'll correct it, and it will get better. When we change rulers, it will be better. When . . . It will be when Messiah of Israel, the Lord of glory comes. Then. But until then, we will live our days with wisdom in this world. This is the way it is, not the way we would wish it to be, not what we're going to change so it won't be like this. This is what he says, this is what is done on the earth, in this brief time on the earth. So, the recognition of that.

If we don't appreciate that Solomon is stressing brevity here and we are making it meaningless or senseless, the other writers of Scripture struggled too. I just printed out some verses, so for time we won't turn there. But you listen. These come from Job, from Psalms, from Jeremiah the prophet, from Habakkuk the prophet. Just to show those believers struggled with the same thing Solomon is talking about in verse 14. “…righteous men to whom it happens…” What happens to them? Seems “…according to the deeds of the wicked.” And wicked men seem to be getting the blessing that should belong to the righteous. Here is what Job said in Job 21:7, “Why do the wicked still live, continue on, also become very powerful?” That's like verse 12, “…a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life…” he keeps going on. Or the powerful, they continue in power and abusing their power. “Why do the wicked still live, continue on, become very powerful?” Remember Job is being crushed like a bug—all his kids died at one event, his wealth is gone, his health. He says I can't lie down, I can hardly breathe, I can't eat. Even his wife said you would be better dead. He agreed.

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 73:3 and 5, summarize those. I saw the success of the wicked. They are not troubled like others. Sometimes we look around and say, look at the wicked. I want to tell them how difficult life can be and there is glory ahead. And they are living in mansions and have more money to do foolish things! Where is the justice? Jeremiah the weeping prophet had a difficult life. Jeremiah 12:1, “Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?” I mean, this is frustrating.

Habakkuk 1:13, “…Why do you look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are you silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” Lord, I don't understand. It's like Your favor is on the wicked, and they are destroying the righteous and You don't do anything. You are in this situation and you say, Lord, I need this job. Lord, where are you? I had a believer going through difficult times ask me, “Do you think the Lord has forgotten about me?” Well, we've all had that. Solomon is writing from his own personal experience, his own personal observation. This is life. Now he doesn't say it is going to get better, he doesn't say we'll change it, not in our days of this life. It's all brevity, though. Make sure you mark that in your Bible, this is brevity, it's temporary. That helps us endure it. I know how it ends, we have read the last chapter. We win because our God has assured our victory. But we are grinding out the days often.

But it's not just grinding. We come to verse 15, and it seems like, wow! “So I commended pleasure...” But wait a minute, not pleasure! The hedonistic lifestyle the world does? We turned on a program yesterday afternoon. I think it was after lunch and it was all about people who have money. They spend $100,000 for a watch that doesn't do any better than Timex, but it's worth it. And vacations; they stay in places that are $35,000 per night. I thought $100 a night was a lot. $35,000 a night! You know, they do these things, they are living the good life. You ought to come to trust in Christ and you will have a life like me. Well, it's not the appearance. But he commends pleasure. But for us with God's wisdom we have it in perspective.

“So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun…” We're talking about under the sun now, our physical life. He's not just carrying us to the future when we will be in glory with Him. “…except to eat and to drink and to be merry…” You’ve talked about the injustice, the unfairness, the oppression, and now you tell me be happy, enjoy life. But yes, and reality is we can understand this. God intends us, note what Solomon says, “…and this will stand by him in his toils…” in his labors. He doesn't say He is going to take that out of our life. “…throughout the days of his life…” Note “…days of his life…under the sun.” That reminder of this brief time we have. “…which God has given him under the sun.”

You say God keeps stressing this. Nothing good for a man under the sun, except to eat and to drink, this will stand by him in his place, in the days of his life which God has given him under the sun. We are reminded this is all temporal. So, we can take time to enjoy it. I may not have the wealth. Marilyn and I were watching the news and we said, does any of that appeal to you? Do you wish you had $1 billion so you could live like that? Well, really you don't. We're sitting there eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, this is good. She had cooked something else.

But we enjoy. That's what he is saying. Enjoy the things you have, appreciate life. It is temporary here, we know the outcome. He'll get to that in chapter 12 as well. But God hasn't intended His people just to grind it out and I can't find any good in this day or any day. Some days it is going to be hard to find good because that is part of the grief. I mean it wouldn't be a trial if it wasn't a trial. It wouldn't be difficult, if wasn't oppressive. This is reality, but in all of that don't fail to appreciate that no matter how difficult your job is, no matter how difficult your finances are, no matter what . . .

Sit down and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and thank God for His goodness. And thank God that during the trials in this life, as difficult as they are, He is sufficient. His grace is sufficient, and I look forward to the blessings He has promised. And that's where we go with it. Otherwise we are just so squeezed down. It's like I can't deal with this stress and if I don't change this…And pretty soon we are almost hating the people that are making our life difficult. Then I find it hard to love those who are mistreating me. And Jesus told me to love my enemies. I read these martyrs and they are praying for those as they are burned at the stake for those who are burning them at the stake. We need to have God's wisdom.

So, enjoy life. I love Solomon, he has brought this up several times. I have to take you back to a few references. Come back to Ecclesiastes 2:24. Just a reminder, he keeps breaking in to remind us of this, “There is nothing better…” At the end of the previous verse, “This too is brevity.” The task is painful, grievous, even sometimes we don't rest at night, our minds going 100 miles an hour. “This too is brevity. There is nothing better for a man than to eat and to drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.” You can't eat and have enjoyment without Him. And when I realize this is from the hand of God, I accept it as that, and I enjoy what I can enjoy.

Come over to Ecclesiastes 3:12, “I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor-it is the gift of God.” God is working so that we would fear Him, the next verse says. Come down to verse 22, “I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?” Reminder, you are not in control, I'm not in control. God has appointed the time and the event. So, look at the day in which you are living now and enjoy what there is in that day. Doesn't have to be caviar and expensive wine, maybe it's a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk. Enjoy the pleasure, there is satisfaction. And we all realize it as believers. We'll talk about things you did, we really had a good time. That doesn't mean you spend $100,000, like this man! There was a break from the normal grind, and you relaxed and enjoyed that. That's what he is talking about.

Come over to Ecclesiastes 5:18, “Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor…” Note he doesn't take the labor away, “…in which he toils under the sun during the few days of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.” God has given us these little enjoyments. We are not in the kingdom. All the fullness of what God has promised to those who love Him is yet future. And we are living in a miserable, sin-cursed world. That's the danger of the prosperity that we are privileged to enjoy that many other countries don't. That prosperity begins to eat away at us, and we take more advice from the woman of folly than we do from woman wisdom, as we have seen the picture. We want to be careful. I've seen this. I don't see the fact that my life is difficult, that I am often treated unfairly as abnormal. I thank God He has given me the grace for this day, the strength for this day, the provision for this day. You are short-sighted. You know, that could all change tomorrow. I have no control over tomorrow. I do what I can, put stuff in the refrigerator for tomorrow, but I don't have any control over tomorrow. I don't have control over what is going on today that I see that is unfair and unjust.

And there are other verses, but we'll leave those.

Come back to Ecclesiastes 8, look at verses 16-17 and this is important as we wrap this up. We sort of wrap it together. Do you know what? It is not God's intention that we understand what He is doing. Sometimes we think I don't understand this, I don't see any good in this, I don't see why. Do you know what? God says you don't need to know, I don't intend you to know. And in fact, He says it doesn't matter how wise you are, you will not know. Let me read the verses. “When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task which has been done on the earth…” life here, “…(even though one should never sleep day or night)…” In other words, if you could do that and spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with all the wisdom you have trying to search this out, “…and I saw every work of God…” so I could see it all, “…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.”

Do you know what? We cannot know what God is doing. I know, I understand prophecy in Scripture. I understand certain things God has revealed that He is going to do, but do you know what? We just know so much. I can hardly put a space between my fingers, we know so little of God's dealings, God's working. Why, Lord, would You do that? Why would You take his life? Why would You put that man in power? Why would You . . . We can't know. How many times people come and say, I don't understand what God is doing? They thought they came to me, all wise, all knowing. You are at the throne of ignorance. I don't know either. Well, I think if this could be done, and this could change. How many times have I said to people, I can't change somebody else, you can't change somebody else? I can't change you and you can't change me.

You have to decide what you are going to do in light of God's Word. It is wisdom that somewhat simplifies my life, takes some of the stress that keeps me from enjoying. We get so caught up thinking I need to take control of this, I have to fix this, it has to be done the way I think it should be done. And soon we are uptight, that set in the jaw. Like we saw in Ecclesiastes 8:1, “Who is like the wise man who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.” We sometimes say, I could see it in their face, they are getting tense, the jaw gets set, the . . . Let God's wisdom come into our mind. God doesn't intend me to understand. I don't understand why God would do that, I don't understand why God would let that happen. I don't understand either.

We always say I don't see any good that might come out of it. I don't have the answer, I'm not God. We try to explain if this happened and this happened. One time somebody did this and good, and there are scriptural examples. Joseph said you meant it for evil, God meant it for good. Yes, whether you will see good out of that tomorrow or next month or next year or the day you die, I don't know. And will God explain it all when we get to glory? You understand He doesn't owe us an explanation. It is wisdom, He is in heaven and I'm on earth. He's the creator and I'm the created. That will always be the case. I will never have exhausted knowledge of God and His working. Not in a hundred trillion years into eternity. That's what he says. You try to sort this all out, the evil, the unfairness, the injustice. You could apply yourself with the wisdom of Solomon 24 hours a day, endlessly, and you could not, because God's intention is that we do not sort it out, find it out.

Back in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “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.” It's not God's intention for us to know. Sit back, Gil, relax. It is out of your control, it never was under your control. That doesn't mean there aren't things I am responsible for. That's true for everyone, but the reality of it is God is in control. The worst tragedy that could happen in my life, I may not know in this life. Why, God, why? Why did You do that? I don't know.

So, to live a wise life I recognize the reality of sin and all that sin under the judgment of God has done to this creation. And I live the days of my life in this fallen world and it never will be just and never be fair in my brief life. And the cycle goes on. What Solomon wrote about almost 3,000 years ago is just as true today. We gather here, and what we do is live the days of our life under the sun with wisdom. And God won't take the pain away, He won't take the unfairness away. We get the idea, I deserve to be treated fairly. Chapter and verse? And the world where I play god, I deserve to be treated fairly but that's not the real world, I'm not God. Who said that?

It wasn't fair that Paul would get beheaded, it wasn't fair that the Lord of glory would get crucified. We talk about I deserve, we have rights. Paul would claim his rights as a Roman citizen. But be careful that doesn't pull us into the house of woman folly, as though we deserve something. It's my right, it's not fair . . . God never says that life here would be fair, but He says He gives the wisdom to navigate skillfully and wisely through this unfair life and the unfair situations which He will bring into our lives and the painful and unpleasant things. And in it all remember He is God, He is sovereign. Enjoy the fruits of your toil and labor. Have happiness in the life you live day by day and sort it all as God gives you wisdom.

Let's pray. Thank You, Lord for Your Word. It's a very practical Word. Lord, this is the real world in which You have placed us. The awfulness, the ugliness of sin is all around us. Just like it is in the environment and it is because the god of this world is at work in the lives of his children. There is abuse, there is unfairness, there is pain and suffering, there is injustice. Lord, we experience it as Your people. You have not promised us that You will spare us from trials and hardships. But You have promised Your grace is sufficient. Our desire is that we would walk with wisdom. For any who have not yet come to fear You, and in the fear of You come to place their faith in the Savior You have provided, we pray for them today and the hopelessness of their life and the artificial life they live in, listening to a worldly wisdom that promises what they cannot deliver. Thank You for the Savior who loved us and died for us. We pray in His name, amen.