An anatomy of biblical preaching
Text Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 Time 09/10/05 Place Childs Baptist Church
We come this week to the very last part of the Book of Ecclesiastes. Here in 12:8-14 Solomon brings the whole work to a conclusion. It is a very interesting section as it reveals to us to some extent something of the background to the writing of this particular part of Scripture.
More than that it gives some insight in general to the writing of Scripture. With the children this morning we were looking at the Catechism Question ‘Who wrote the Bible?’ The answer is 'Holy men taught by the Holy Spirit'. Here we get an idea of what that means in practice.
More generally again I think these verses give us an insight into the preaching of God’s Word. There is a difference, of course, between the Word of God and preaching the Word of God. God’s Word is inspired. It is infallible or inerrant. Preaching is not like that. It is possible for a preacher to make a mistake. However, as far as the preaching is based on God’s Word it is very similar indeed. Peter says to those who preach (1 Peter 4:11) If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. The same care and diligence must go into it as if speaking the very Word of God. No preacher is infallible, of course, but the closer he comes to saying what is in the Word, the closer he comes to complete reliability.
So let’s look at these verses 8-14. We want to say five things.
1. Don’t forget the Preacher’s text
Some would include verse 8 with what went before but there is good argument for taking it as part of the conclusion. Once again Solomon repeats his text, as it were. There is a form of preaching that takes a text – one verse or phrase and repeats it several times while expounding it until it is driven home. Solomon’s approach here is similar. This is where he began back in 1:2 Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. He uses the word meaningless another 25 times over the course of the succeeding verses. Then finally in 12:8 we read Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Everything is meaningless! Now, as we have said before, meaningless is probably not the best translation for this word, which literally means ‘breath’ or ‘vapour’ (cf vanity). Perhaps fallen would be the best way of translating it. Fallen! Fallen! says the Teacher. Everything is fallen! This is not the message of the book as such but this is the theme. Under the sun, that is in this fallen world everything is empty, fallen, a mere phantom. This is not only a theme in Ecclesiastes but throughout the Bible. In the Bible we learn how this world fell. That’s in Genesis 3. Then throughout its pages we are constantly being reminded of the fact. This is a world of sin and suffering. The moment we forget that and assume it is something else we are in trouble. Never forget that this is a fallen world, a world where there are bound to be many disappointments, many troubles, much that is empty and vacuous.
2. Understand what is required of a faithful preacher of God’s Word
In verses 9 and 10 Solomon then says something about himself – the Teacher. Again this is a difficult word to translate. Perhaps – Assembler of the people would be best. What he says could sound a little boastful in some ways but his concern is for the book to be taken seriously. He wants us to realise where it is coming from. It is from a reliable source. When people write PhDs, etc, it is important for them to show their sources. Hence little footnotes everywhere. Similarly the writer here is explaining his sources. Or think of how a medical doctor or a dentist will have his certificate up somewhere to show that he is a legitimate practitioner. Now what Solomon says about himself could be said of all the writers of the Bible and there is a sense in which it should be possible to say it of all preachers of God’s Word. We could put it in the form of what preachers are and do or should be and do.
1. Preachers must be wise
9a Not only was the Teacher wise. Solomon is trusting that you have realised that he the Teacher/ the Assembler is wise. A wise person is one who can apply knowledge. It is almost an aside. Now I’m sure no-one is going to argue that Solomon lacked wisdom. Of course he didn’t. This is true of all the other writers of Scripture. Moses we know (Acts 7:22) was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9) Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. There are two references in 1 Samuel 18 to how successful or wise David was. In Ezra 7:25 Artaxerxes spoke with Ezra of the wisdom of your God, which you possess. The same can be said of New Testament writers like Paul and Luke and John. Now, to a lesser degree, all who preach should be wise. They need to be people of good intelligence who can apply God’s Word wisely. I remember going to a funeral of a minister who was quite good in some ways but quite lacking in others. A good deal was made of the fact that he had had no formal theological education. It was thought to be a virtue but it seemed to me a major flaw. I know there are wonderful exceptions like Spurgeon and Lloyd-Jones but normally theological education is vital. Certainly spiritual wisdom is very important. Pray for LTS and colleges like it. Pray that potential ministers that they will be willing to study and become wise. Pray that God will deliver us from ill-educated men who are not wise.
2. Preachers must teach the people
9b But also he imparted knowledge to the people. All the learning in the world is of no use if people are not taught the truth. This is the main part of a preachers’ work. He needs to educate the people. He must explain the truth.
3. Preachers must prepare well
Solomon goes on to say that He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. Several of them are in this book, of course, and even more are in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs were very popular at this time. They had the Law of God and they were going to have the written word of the prophets but most of the books of the Bible that come from this period were Books of wisdom – books that take a particular approach to presenting the truth including the use of these portable nuggets of truth called proverbs. Solomon says three things about how he used proverbs. They point to the way a preacher today preparing a sermon might go about things
1 Pondering
There is no point in a preacher simply standing up and saying whatever comes into his head, however spiritual it may seem. Notes are not strictly necessary but in our day most preachers will need notes to help them. To get those notes they need first to do a lot of pondering – thinking; weighing up what the Bible actually says in order to come to some clear conclusions on it.
2 Searching out
This probably involves finding suitable proverbs or may be searching for their meaning. Certainly a good minister will ideally want a good library and will make good use of all the resources there are to help him – lexicons and dictionaries, commentaries and other books.
3 Setting in order.
10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words. This is so important too - choosing exactly the words that will drive the message home.
5. Preachers must preach only what is true.
Finally, last but not least - and what he wrote was upright and true. If a sermon fails that test it is worthless.
3. Understand what is found in the faithful preaching of God’s Word
Having spoken about his own approach and given us some insight into the teaching ministry, Solomon then adds three further things that again we can apply to preachers today.
1. Their preaching must be pointed
11a The words of the wise are like goads. What are goads? Basically it is a pointed stick used to prod an animal into life. Preachers must get under people's skins. They need to get in where they can do some real work.
2. Their preaching must be reliable
their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails They need to give people a hold on something that will not slip away, something firm and reliable.
3. Their preaching must be from the One Shepherd
Given by one Shepherd. The Shepherd is the leader in Israel. A messenger who opposed Israel's chosen king would be counter-productive. Today we must preach the Chief Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Good Shepherd Christ.
4. Be warned against anything that is not found in the faithful preaching of God’s Word
Before closing Solomon then says three things by way of warning (12)
1. Beware of additions to what the Bible says
Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Such warnings are found in more than one place in Scripture. What is said here about this book applies to all of Scripture. As I mentioned to the children this morning one of the distinctives of cults is that they want you to have the Bible plus something else – the Bible plus Tradition or The Church; plus Watchtower publications; plus The Book of Mormon, etc. What you really need is two Bibles. Let the Bible be its own interpreter. Of course, preachers who are faithful to the Word can help you. While they stick to the Word they can be a great blessing. People look today on products for the sign that says ‘no additives’. Do the same with Scripture. Stick to the Bible and what it says. To add to it is akin to the sin of taking parts away.
2. There will always be false theories about what to believe and how to live
The next phrase is well known but often misunderstood. Of making many books there is no end. One often hears it said in libraries and bookshops. Solomon lived at a time when there was a profusion of books. Everyone was writing, or so it seemed. There have been other times like that and we are living through such a time now. I remember going to the National Library of Wales many years ago and discovering books that were bibliographies of bibliographies! I had never seen such things. Here, however, Solomon is not complaining about the profusion of books. He is warning against a certain type of book, of which there are many – the type of book that attempts to be an addition to his own, that seeks to add to what the Bible itself says. We need to watch out for that sort of book. The secular and indeed the Christian bookshops of our land are full of them. They add to the Word things taught by men as though they were God’s Word. What harm they can cause.
3. None of these theories can give a man rest
This is famous too and much study wearies the body. This may look like a general statement but surely Solomon’s point is not that all study wearies the body – studying the Bible shouldn’t! Rather, studying these extra-biblical books is wearisome to the body. They are strength sapping and potentially destructive. This is one of the problems in our societies at the present time. People are reading this extra-biblical and anti-biblical stuff and it is dragging them down. What harm it does. Beware of such false teaching. Don’t be worn down by it. I remember hearing Josif Ton, the Romanian pastor, describing how he had read a book by the liberal writer Leslie Weatherhead and it had set him back years before he came to realise what sort of a book it really was. Beware of falling into the same sort of trap.
5. A crucial conclusion from God’s faithfully preached Word to consider
Finally, to finish Solomon says (13a) Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter. He goes on to say two things about what to do and two things about why
1 What to do
Fear God. Fear God if we fail to show reverence to the true God then we will make no progress whatsoever.
Obey him. and keep his commandments True fear is accompanied by obedience. At the very least we will be endeavouring to obey God.
2 Why to do it
This is what God requires. The NIV has for this is the whole duty of man. Perhaps better would be for this is the duty of every man. This is what God requires of us all. That is why we must obey.
Because the judgement is fast approaching. Verse 14 For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. He will judge every deed at the end. Nothing can be hidden from him. What a fearful thought.
Let's take it to heart and the other things in this striking book.
1. Don’t forget the Preacher’s text
Some would include verse 8 with what went before but there is good argument for taking it as part of the conclusion. Once again Solomon repeats his text, as it were. There is a form of preaching that takes a text – one verse or phrase and repeats it several times while expounding it until it is driven home. Solomon’s approach here is similar. This is where he began back in 1:2 Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. He uses the word meaningless another 25 times over the course of the succeeding verses. Then finally in 12:8 we read Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. Everything is meaningless! Now, as we have said before, meaningless is probably not the best translation for this word, which literally means ‘breath’ or ‘vapour’ (cf vanity). Perhaps fallen would be the best way of translating it. Fallen! Fallen! says the Teacher. Everything is fallen! This is not the message of the book as such but this is the theme. Under the sun, that is in this fallen world everything is empty, fallen, a mere phantom. This is not only a theme in Ecclesiastes but throughout the Bible. In the Bible we learn how this world fell. That’s in Genesis 3. Then throughout its pages we are constantly being reminded of the fact. This is a world of sin and suffering. The moment we forget that and assume it is something else we are in trouble. Never forget that this is a fallen world, a world where there are bound to be many disappointments, many troubles, much that is empty and vacuous.
2. Understand what is required of a faithful preacher of God’s Word
In verses 9 and 10 Solomon then says something about himself – the Teacher. Again this is a difficult word to translate. Perhaps – Assembler of the people would be best. What he says could sound a little boastful in some ways but his concern is for the book to be taken seriously. He wants us to realise where it is coming from. It is from a reliable source. When people write PhDs, etc, it is important for them to show their sources. Hence little footnotes everywhere. Similarly the writer here is explaining his sources. Or think of how a medical doctor or a dentist will have his certificate up somewhere to show that he is a legitimate practitioner. Now what Solomon says about himself could be said of all the writers of the Bible and there is a sense in which it should be possible to say it of all preachers of God’s Word. We could put it in the form of what preachers are and do or should be and do.
1. Preachers must be wise
9a Not only was the Teacher wise. Solomon is trusting that you have realised that he the Teacher/ the Assembler is wise. A wise person is one who can apply knowledge. It is almost an aside. Now I’m sure no-one is going to argue that Solomon lacked wisdom. Of course he didn’t. This is true of all the other writers of Scripture. Moses we know (Acts 7:22) was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9) Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. There are two references in 1 Samuel 18 to how successful or wise David was. In Ezra 7:25 Artaxerxes spoke with Ezra of the wisdom of your God, which you possess. The same can be said of New Testament writers like Paul and Luke and John. Now, to a lesser degree, all who preach should be wise. They need to be people of good intelligence who can apply God’s Word wisely. I remember going to a funeral of a minister who was quite good in some ways but quite lacking in others. A good deal was made of the fact that he had had no formal theological education. It was thought to be a virtue but it seemed to me a major flaw. I know there are wonderful exceptions like Spurgeon and Lloyd-Jones but normally theological education is vital. Certainly spiritual wisdom is very important. Pray for LTS and colleges like it. Pray that potential ministers that they will be willing to study and become wise. Pray that God will deliver us from ill-educated men who are not wise.
2. Preachers must teach the people
9b But also he imparted knowledge to the people. All the learning in the world is of no use if people are not taught the truth. This is the main part of a preachers’ work. He needs to educate the people. He must explain the truth.
3. Preachers must prepare well
Solomon goes on to say that He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. Several of them are in this book, of course, and even more are in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs were very popular at this time. They had the Law of God and they were going to have the written word of the prophets but most of the books of the Bible that come from this period were Books of wisdom – books that take a particular approach to presenting the truth including the use of these portable nuggets of truth called proverbs. Solomon says three things about how he used proverbs. They point to the way a preacher today preparing a sermon might go about things
1 Pondering
There is no point in a preacher simply standing up and saying whatever comes into his head, however spiritual it may seem. Notes are not strictly necessary but in our day most preachers will need notes to help them. To get those notes they need first to do a lot of pondering – thinking; weighing up what the Bible actually says in order to come to some clear conclusions on it.
2 Searching out
This probably involves finding suitable proverbs or may be searching for their meaning. Certainly a good minister will ideally want a good library and will make good use of all the resources there are to help him – lexicons and dictionaries, commentaries and other books.
3 Setting in order.
How important is this. If a sermon can’t be prepared that has some sort of shape or order to it then no-one is going to be able to benefit from it. It has to be put down in order.
4. Preachers must preach well10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words. This is so important too - choosing exactly the words that will drive the message home.
5. Preachers must preach only what is true.
Finally, last but not least - and what he wrote was upright and true. If a sermon fails that test it is worthless.
3. Understand what is found in the faithful preaching of God’s Word
Having spoken about his own approach and given us some insight into the teaching ministry, Solomon then adds three further things that again we can apply to preachers today.
1. Their preaching must be pointed
11a The words of the wise are like goads. What are goads? Basically it is a pointed stick used to prod an animal into life. Preachers must get under people's skins. They need to get in where they can do some real work.
2. Their preaching must be reliable
their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails They need to give people a hold on something that will not slip away, something firm and reliable.
3. Their preaching must be from the One Shepherd
Given by one Shepherd. The Shepherd is the leader in Israel. A messenger who opposed Israel's chosen king would be counter-productive. Today we must preach the Chief Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Good Shepherd Christ.
4. Be warned against anything that is not found in the faithful preaching of God’s Word
Before closing Solomon then says three things by way of warning (12)
1. Beware of additions to what the Bible says
Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Such warnings are found in more than one place in Scripture. What is said here about this book applies to all of Scripture. As I mentioned to the children this morning one of the distinctives of cults is that they want you to have the Bible plus something else – the Bible plus Tradition or The Church; plus Watchtower publications; plus The Book of Mormon, etc. What you really need is two Bibles. Let the Bible be its own interpreter. Of course, preachers who are faithful to the Word can help you. While they stick to the Word they can be a great blessing. People look today on products for the sign that says ‘no additives’. Do the same with Scripture. Stick to the Bible and what it says. To add to it is akin to the sin of taking parts away.
2. There will always be false theories about what to believe and how to live
The next phrase is well known but often misunderstood. Of making many books there is no end. One often hears it said in libraries and bookshops. Solomon lived at a time when there was a profusion of books. Everyone was writing, or so it seemed. There have been other times like that and we are living through such a time now. I remember going to the National Library of Wales many years ago and discovering books that were bibliographies of bibliographies! I had never seen such things. Here, however, Solomon is not complaining about the profusion of books. He is warning against a certain type of book, of which there are many – the type of book that attempts to be an addition to his own, that seeks to add to what the Bible itself says. We need to watch out for that sort of book. The secular and indeed the Christian bookshops of our land are full of them. They add to the Word things taught by men as though they were God’s Word. What harm they can cause.
3. None of these theories can give a man rest
This is famous too and much study wearies the body. This may look like a general statement but surely Solomon’s point is not that all study wearies the body – studying the Bible shouldn’t! Rather, studying these extra-biblical books is wearisome to the body. They are strength sapping and potentially destructive. This is one of the problems in our societies at the present time. People are reading this extra-biblical and anti-biblical stuff and it is dragging them down. What harm it does. Beware of such false teaching. Don’t be worn down by it. I remember hearing Josif Ton, the Romanian pastor, describing how he had read a book by the liberal writer Leslie Weatherhead and it had set him back years before he came to realise what sort of a book it really was. Beware of falling into the same sort of trap.
5. A crucial conclusion from God’s faithfully preached Word to consider
Finally, to finish Solomon says (13a) Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter. He goes on to say two things about what to do and two things about why
1 What to do
Fear God. Fear God if we fail to show reverence to the true God then we will make no progress whatsoever.
Obey him. and keep his commandments True fear is accompanied by obedience. At the very least we will be endeavouring to obey God.
2 Why to do it
This is what God requires. The NIV has for this is the whole duty of man. Perhaps better would be for this is the duty of every man. This is what God requires of us all. That is why we must obey.
Because the judgement is fast approaching. Verse 14 For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. He will judge every deed at the end. Nothing can be hidden from him. What a fearful thought.
Let's take it to heart and the other things in this striking book.
