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.

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 well
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.

Remember your Creator now before it's too late

Text Ecclesiastes 11.7-12.7 Time 25/09/05 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

We have been looking at the Book of Ecclesiastes for some time now. This week we come to the final main section with just the conclusion to cover next time. We have suggested that the main body of the book can be divided into four parts.
We have already learned
1. From 1:12-2:26 that true contentment is found in God alone not in man so we must look to him for wisdom, knowledge and happiness, refusing to go on any longer in our sins.
2. From 3:1-5:20 that God wants us to live in a way that is good and proper which is a satisfying way. Indeed to know how to enjoy life and be content is God’s gift. Such a person is so taken up with God that he has no time to worry about death or such things.
3. From 6:1-8:15 that prosperity is not always a good thing nor adversity necessarily a bad thing. Rather we must avoid running to unwise extremes, thinking too highly of human power or giving up seeking wisdom because it is difficult. Recognising the need to obey the powers that be and the good they do we nevertheless recognise their undoubted weakness. We must keep in mind both the coming judgement and the unfairness of life now. The section concludes So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.
Then in this fourth and final section we have noted similar themes including the mystery of this world, the certainty of death and the need to enjoy life. Now in a final exhortation Solomon pulls it all together and pleads with us to make the most of life while we can aware that very soon we will be in our graves and there will be no more opportunity to do anything under the sun. We can divide up the section into three main parts.

1. Don’t worry, be happy. Feel free. Life is good and to be enjoyed especially when young

My father has a Billy the Fish somewhere – that novelty item that was popular a few years ago. I think it sings three songs. One of them is Bobby McFerrin’s lilting ‘Don’t worry; be happy.’ It’s hard to take serious such a message when it comes from a fish and it’s easy to dismiss. It’s the message of countless little ditties and pop songs. ‘But surely’ some say ‘it’s pretty useless advice for some people and on some days’. Well, yes, if all Solomon had to say to us here was However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all and Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth it could sound pretty corny. But you notice that each time he says something very positive like banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body he balances it with other statements that also need to be taken into account. This is typical of the Bible’s excellent balance. You see, whereas on the one hand there are some people who can be rather superficial and light who say ‘Always look on the bright side’; ‘The glass is always half full never half empty’; ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’; ‘Everyday I want to say I’m getting better in every way’; ‘Well, there we are let’s just pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and all will be well’; ‘cheer up things could be worse’; ‘I’m HAPPY’, etc. Such people can be quite unhelpful and nauseating at times. They are the Tiggers of this world. Then on the other hand, there are those doom and gloom merchants who go to the very opposite extreme – the Eeyores of this world! ‘It never rains, it pours’; ‘Trouble comes in threes’; ‘The glass is always half empty never half full’; ‘It’s fine weather now, but will it last’; ‘Christmas is coming but so is winter’; ‘If we make it that far’. Either extreme is wrong. So the first point we want to make here is that we should not worry but be happy. With a sense of freedom we should enjoy life especially while we are young. Isn’t this what Solomon says? Verse 7 Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. The light is as sweet as honey and able to reinvigorate too. It’s good to be alive! What a privilege to feel the sun on your back. Yes, Christians are looking forward to the glories of heaven but that does not mean they’re oblivious to the delights of this world and this life. Solomon’s exhortation is (8a) However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. Life is to be enjoyed. It is to be savoured. It is a sin not to be positive about life and seek to enjoy it. 9a Be happy, young man, while you are young, he says and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. His Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, may sound a little dangerous to some but his point is that if our attitude is right we can and should live like that. We are not to be stunted, narrow-minded types who can’t make a move for fear of doing something wrong. If our hearts are right we can follow them; if we are facing in the right direction we can follow what our eyes see. I think it was Augustine who put it like this ‘Trust in God and do as you please’. To sum up (10a) So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body. This, of course, is the very opposite of the essentially negative approach of the ascetic whether he be Hindu, Roman Catholic or whatever. I know that there is a long tradition of monasticism and similar practices in professed Christianity but it is a bypath, a cul-de-sac. It leads nowhere. Yes, self-denial is important. We need to learn to say ‘No’ to ourselves on certain things. However, this is the way to joy not to gloom and doom. We are right to look after our bodies. Avoid drugs. Don’t overeat. Look after your body. Don’t be old before your time. Back in the 17th Century The Westminster Assembly understood it well. Many of you know the first question and answer in their Shorter Catechism – "What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever". In more recent years the American preacher John Piper has endeavoured to express this in a new way by speaking of ‘Christian hedonism’. It’s a little dangerous the way he expresses himself sometimes but he basically has it right as you can see from this passage. Life is to be enjoyed. Christianity is life-affirmative. We are not gloomy souls who are haunted by the frightening thought that may be someone somewhere is enjoying themselves. Especially to younger people we say – enjoy being young. It doesn’t come round twice. We must totally reject the anti-life elements in our society – the pro-abortionists, the euthanasia fans and the pro-suicide lobby. Life is good. It is God’s gift. We ought to be thankful for it. We ought to make the most of it.

2. However, don’t forget youth is fleeting, the future is dark and death and judgement will follow

Now having covered that ground it is important that we also take careful note of the other things that Solomon says. 8b But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless (empty). From the perspective of being under the sun – now is the day. The light is shining now but soon death will come the darkness. Indeed there is a darkness about the future for us which, while not filling us with foreboding or fear, should make us sober and thoughtful. As we have noted before Everything to come is empty, unknown. We do not know what lies ahead and so while we are enjoying life there needs also to be that thought. It’s like a man driving his car round rising hairpin bends in the Alps or somewhere. Yes, enjoy the scenery; enjoy driving but bear in mind that you do not know exactly what lies ahead – a sudden narrowing of the road, a road block, etc. In verse 9 Solomon says Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgement. Yes, as we have said, we can do what we want but we must keep in mind that for everything we do we will be judged. As Jesus reminds us (Matthew 12:36) But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken. It’s a little like a game of football or some similar sport. The game is to be enjoyed. A player is intended to use his skills as best he can in whatever way he likes but there are rules to the game and there is a referee who is making judgements all the time and if he decides you need to be sent off then off you will go. If we forget that the Judge is watching then we are in trouble. We must remember it. And so he concludes (10b) for youth and vigour are meaningless. They are empty or, better, fleeting. Many of you are young now but that time will quickly be gone. It seems only yesterday I was a young Welsh boy of 24 meeting with church members in the parlour to discuss whether I might come here as pastor. Now I’m 46 and a Londoner and I’ve been pastor here for over 20 years. They showed this week 49-up documentary which they started 42 years ago with a group of seven year olds. It’s remarkable to see these documentaries every seven years and how the years are speeding by. Your life will soon be over however long you live. Are you enjoying the light while you have it? Are you ready for the darkness? Are you ready for the judgement? Life will soon be gone.

3. Remember your Creator now before old age and death come on you

As we come into the final chapter Solomon brings it all together and in those famous and memorable words he says Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them. In other words – now is the time, now when you are young or at least a young as you ever will be again, remember the one who made you, your God. Remember does not mean keeping at the back of your mind that there is a God but walking every step of the way very conscience of the fact that there is God with whom we have to do – the one who made us and takes care of us and who will one day judge us. We must do it now before the days come when we say I find no pleasure in them. What is he talking about? Old age and then death.
1. Old age. To drive home his point he gives a very powerful and sometimes humorous description of old age. There is some debate about how to take all the different elements fit. He seems to be describing a house falling down, like that old song ‘This old house’ but not all the things said fit into that pattern. Perhaps we can understand it best by taking verse 2 to be describing the intellectual climate in old age, the mental changes, and then verses 3-5 the bodily changes.
Mental changes. You need to remember your Creator now while you have all your faculties and you can still think straight (2) before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain. Perhaps we’re more aware than ever of how Alzheimer’s disease and similar things can affect people in old age. Generally speaking there is a slowing down of the brain. Older people find thinking more difficult and changing is less and less easy. That time can be characterised by fuzzy thinking and a lack of clarity. Perhaps the reference to the clouds refers to the way in old age bad news seems to come with increasing frequency – people dying, things going wrong. How important to have true faith at such a time. If you have I give thanks to God. If you don’t, do realise what you’re headed for.
Physical changes. When the keepers of the house tremble Shaky hands. You see older women shake as they carry the tea. and the strong men stoop, Stooping legs and sloping shoulders? when the grinders cease because they are few A lack of teeth. We use dentures today. and those looking through the windows grow dim Poor eyesight. Most have glasses today. when the doors to the street are closed Bad hearing (could be thinning lips). and the sound of grinding fades Lack of appetite. when men rise up at the sound of birds Restless sleep. but all their songs grow faint The voice getting weaker. when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets Full of fears and apprehensions. when the almond tree blossoms White hair. and the grasshopper drags himself along All the liveliness of youth gone. Think of an old person using a stick. and desire no longer is stirred. No sexual appetite and general loss. It’s hard when you’re young to think of yourself as old but unless you die sooner that is what lies ahead. We need to face up to that and not leave things too late. Now is the time to live life to the full, conscious of the Lord.
2. Death. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. Then, hopefully after old age, comes death. That’s when man’s soul goes to his eternal home – heaven or hell. Here on earth mourners go about the streets. And so Solomon says again (6, 7) Remember him – before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. He uses four images or probably two pairs of images. Before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken – imagine a great chandelier hung by a silver chain – the severing of the chain pictures what death is like. The golden bowl of oil it carries is broken on the floor. It cannot be mended. Once the silver chain of life snaps the soul seeps out, as it were, never to be restored on earth. Before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well. Think of life as a daily trip to the spring to collect water, or a daily lowering of the bucket into the well to draw water out. Then one day the pitcher is shattered. These bodies do not go on forever in this life. There comes a day when they will no longer hold our souls. When the wheel is broken at the well it can no longer be used to bring out the water in the well. The end has come. At that point the dust returns to the ground it came from, let’s not forget that our bodies are made of what is found in the ground. At the same time the spirit or soul returns to God who gave it to be judged and sent either to heaven or to hell. Are you living in the light of that awesome day? Are you remembering your Creator today and so preparing for old age and for the grave? If you are wise that is how you will live. That is how you will enjoy all your days.

Never stop doing good

Text Ecclesiastes 10.12-11.16 Time 18/09/05 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

It is often rather difficult when we are reading the Bible to be sure quite how one part fits with another. As we study the Bible, however, we find that there are certain patterns and a number of principles can be established that guide us in our understanding.

One of the features of many writings in the Old Testament is the use of what are called inclusios. These are words or phrases that occur at the beginning and ending of a section. In fact often as you look at a passage you will see a carefully organized pattern of matching sections. Now we are currently studying Ecclesiastes 9:10-11:6. We looked last week at 9:10-10:11 and this week I want to look at the rest of the section.

Now these verses cover many different points and it may be difficult to see quite what ties them together. However, you notice that the section begins (9:10) with the words Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Now if you go down to 11:6 you see that it says Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Now the words are not identical but the command is pretty much the same. The reason given is in both cases our ignorance. You may also notice that there are other correspondences. For example 9:12/11:5 (ignorance) – 9:11/11:3,4 (providence). I haven’t been able to work it out completely but the pivot is probably between 10:15 and 16. The important thing to see is that whereas last week we began with the point Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might and then explored that, this time we are heading towards Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle. Last week we made a series of points fleshing out in what way we should do what we do with all our might

1. We should do so keeping in mind God’s sometimes surprising providences (The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all)

2. Also our general ignorance especially about when we will die

3. Then there is his story illustrating the public’s general scorn and amnesia with regard to wisdom

4. There is also foolishness’s disproportionate influence in this world

5. Wisdom has power to strengthen but it has many limitations

6. Finally, keep in mind the need for a balanced approach (Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them); the wisdom of thorough preparation (If the axe is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.) and the dangers of procrastination (If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.)

Now this week we will be doing something similar although we will be coming at things from a slightly different angle. We will use four headings

1. Actions speak louder than words

1. Wise words are kind words

In Chapter 4 Solomon has a great deal to say about the wise and the foolish. In 12a he says Words from a wise man’s mouth are gracious. As one writer says, we never go very far reading about wisdom before the subject of how we use our tongues comes up. If you are wise, you will take care how you speak. What you say will be gracious, pleasant and kind. There is something attractive about wise speech. By commending action, doing things with all your might, Solomon is not about to speak against words altogether. Endeavour always to speak graciously.

2. But some people are all talk

The full verse is Words from a wise man’s mouth are gracious but a fool is consumed by his own lips. There is such a thing as favourable speech but there is also harmful speech and the fool is one who is all talk and no action. 13, 14 At the beginning his words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness – and the fool multiplies words.

1 There is something destructive about the fool’s words a fool is consumed by his own lips. Unlike the wise man, the fool speaks not in a way that builds up and edifies but one that tears down and consumes. You remember how James calls the tongue a fire. That fire destroys people’s reputations and in the end burns up the fool himself. Think of the way a fool will lie and lie and in the end he says something that incriminates him and he is found out.

2 There is something unreasonable about the fool’s words. At the beginning his words are folly. If you listen to what a fool is saying you will see how unreasonable and stupid he is. It can sound pretty impressive if you don’t know any better but it’s not.

3 There is something wild about the fool’s words at the end they are wicked madness and the fool multiplies words. The fool doesn’t know when to stop. On and on and on he goes causing more and more problems. He makes great boasts but he never does anything. Oh what dangers there are in letting our tongues run away with us. Do you know Bunyan’s Mr Talkative in Pilgrim's Progress? He was all talk and ended up in hell. Words can be a great blessing to others but we must act not merely talk. Are you all talk and no action?

2. Avoid indolence, incompetence, immaturity, indulgence and idleness

It is difficult to be sure how what comes next should be taken. The note is again sounded, however, that we are ignorant. No-one knows what is coming - who can tell him what will happen after him? Even a wise person has to admit his ignorance. Indeed, it is part of wisdom to do so. Nevertheless, just because we do not know certain things that is no excuse for simply sitting down and doing nothing or not trying to do something. Rather we need to get ourselves organised.

1. Avoid indolence and incompetence

Verse 15 A fool’s work wearies him; he does not know the way to town. There are some people who have a distaste for all hard work. Sometimes it is because they are very intelligent and because some things come easy to them they want everything to be like that. For whatever reason, if we have a disinclination towards hard work we need to turn from it. We need to be ready to work hard and serve the Lord in whatever way he requires of us. Some are simply incompetent. They do not know the way to town as it were. It is well signposted but they get lost anyway. Again there are some who find the simplest things difficult. Their mind is really not on the job in hand. Such a person needs to buy a map or to walk out the route for himself until he does know it. There can be no excuses. Is your incompetence letting you down? Get it sorted out.

2. Avoid immaturity and indulgence

Verses 16, 17 Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning. Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time - for strength and not for drunkenness. Here we see a situation where a country is going to rack and ruin. Why? In one case it is because the person on the throne has not been trained up for the task. He lacks maturity. Sometimes this can be the problem with someone who is unwilling to work hard. Certain jobs are for those who are up to it. If we try and press ourselves into something beyond our capabilities then it will not work. Parkinson’s Law speaks of everyone rising to their own level of incompetence. Better that we work hard and successfully at some lowly job that we can handle than that we take on something and then make a mess of it. Others are simply indulgent. Instead of hard work they throw themselves into every indulgence. It’s a constant round of parties and festivities. This is not how it should be. Is that what is letting you down? Is that why you are not more competent in the Lord’s service?

3. Avoid idleness

Verse 18 If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks. Here is a house with sagging rafters and a leaky roof. Why? Because the owner is too lazy to do anything about fixing it. How many problems, how many things not done just because people are too lazy?

3. Be practical and respectful

Two further cautions come in verses 19, 20. Again there is some dispute over their meaning.

1 Be practical

19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything. It sounds a strange verse to be in the Bible. Some are convinced it must be the sentiment of an unbeliever or spoken with heavy sarcasm. It is much more likely that this is simply Solomon getting us to face up to reality once again. You can imagine some people getting hold of verses like this Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle and really pushing for the most active and vigorous sort of Christian program imaginable. Great plans could be hatched for leafleting the whole of London, etc. When people come back to you and say ‘Yes, but who’s going to pay for all this?’ you dismiss them as unspiritual and lacking in vision. But no, says Solomon, we must be practical about things. He gives two examples and then his third over-arching point.

• A feast is made for laughter. That is the point of a feast. It is to be enjoyed
• Similarly wine makes life merry. That is a fact of life, as it were.
• But money is the answer for everything. Without money there will be no feast and no wine either. Some people would describe such an attitude as unspiritual but Solomon would not agree. We need to be practical about things. Be diligent but be practical. My own attitude as a youngster was quite impractical in many ways – "let's give all the church's money away for missionary work". That’s one of the great things about William Carey. Yes, a real dreamer with his ideas for bringing the gospel to India but very practical too. Being zealous for God is not a matter of being impractical.

2 Be respectful

Verse 20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. Here is a warning too against being disrespectful. Again, Carey is a model. Perhaps you know how for very many years he spoke to other ministers about the needs of the heathen and was largely ignored. There is the story of the man who said to him ‘when God decides to save the heathen he will do so without your help or mine’. It is probably not accurate but it sums up the sort of attitudes that did exist. In such a situation it is easy to show disrespect for those who are holding things back. Here we are warned not to say anything even in the privacy of our own rooms against such people. We should be full of respect. Again I have to confess my own lack of it as a youngster. Christ always gave respect where respect was due

4. Be enterprising whatever happens

1. Be enterprising despite your ignorance

6:1, 2 Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. This verse makes you think of throwing bread on a pond for ducks perhaps. You may think of doling out portions to people around a table. It is much more likely that we are thinking of trading ships here, something Solomon knew all about. Whatever we do we must enter into with an enterprising attitude. A certain amount of risk taking is involved. You knock people’s doors to tell them about Jesus. They may be nasty to you but you will see results eventually it may be. You want to pass on the good news to others. Don’t stick to just one or two. Give to many. Whatever you do, do it with this spirit, a generous open-hearted and hopeful one.

2. Do not make providence an excuse for inactivity

6:3, 4 If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. Think first of a gathering storm. You see the rain clouds gather and then down comes the rain. Then think of a very strong wind. It is so strong it brings down a tree. Where that tree lands, it lands. Now if you think to yourself ‘I want to plant my seeds where the trees will not fall’ and so you try and figure out which way one might fall in a storm then you will never get around to sowing. Or if at harvest time you keep looking at the clouds and thinking it’s no good harvesting now as it might rain after I have started then you may never get the harvest in! God’s providence must not be made an excuse for inactivity, for not doing anything. If you say we can’t try and plant a church here it might not work, it might never be planted. If you say we may not be able to afford to pay a pastor so we can’t go ahead with trying – you may never get one. It’s no good thinking ‘I won’t speak to him/her they might not be converted’.

3. Recognise life’s mystery but still be active in doing good

Verse 5 follows on As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Yes, we are in tremendous ignorance as we have said several times. As competent as weather forecasters are, they cannot get it exactly right. We cannot be sure which way the wind will be blowing tomorrow. We now have photographs of babies in the womb and we understand better than ever what happens but we don’t understand it. In a similar way we cannot predict the work of the Spirit or who will be born again when or how. And so Solomon exhorts (6) Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. We have no way of knowing such things. We do not simply then forget about doing anything. Rather we pray and we witness and we work with all our might at sharing the truth and in everything else we do we work with great fervour knowing that we are entirely in God’s hands.

Whatever your hand finds to do ...

Text Ecclesiastes 9.10-10.11 Time 11/09/05 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

We begin with a recap of last week’s message

1. Recognise that life is full of mystery

2. Recognise, however, that we do know two things

1 We know that we will all soon die

2 We know that it is good to be alive

3 Therefore aim to enjoy life despite its emptiness and toil

The next section goes all the way from 9:10-11:6. Tonight we will just focus on 9:10-10:11. You will notice here how Solomon begins to use more and more proverbs. He produced a whole collection of proverbs and these are not from that collection but are additional to them and appropriate for his purposes here. Three things then

1. Consider this leading principle for life and these balancing considerations

1. Consider this leading principle – the principle of action

Overarching principles can be very helpful. This is what Solomon gives us here – a general rule for life. Verse 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. It doesn’t tell us everything, of course, but when it comes to practical every day living then

1 If a thing is not worth doing well it isn’t worth doing at all. The devil tempts you to, say, commit adultery or to steal. What is his aim? He wants to take you as far in that sin as possible. But we are compromisers. We don’t want to go as far as the devil wants; we just want to think about these things. Forget thinking about adultery, about stealing. Put them behind you.

2 Whatever you do, do you do it with all the zeal and enthusiasm you can muster?

Really pray, really study the Bible, really live it out. That’s how the commandments speak – not love God a little bit but with all your heart and soul, etc. No pussyfooting, no half measures. Nothing lackadaisical. Throw yourself into it.

3 Now is the time

Very soon we’ll be in the grave. There’s no planning, etc, there. Remember the end of Chapter 6 Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known; no man can contend with one who is stronger than he. The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone? We don’t know how long we will live but it won’t be long. Life goes by so quickly. When we’re young we have all sorts of ambitions but by my age you realise you are, more or less, what you are. 2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously, John 9:4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

Is this principle part of your thinking? When you wake up, for example.

2. Consider these three balancing considerations to keep in mind

We need to balance this statement with other considerations

1 God’s sometimes surprising providence

Verse 11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. It is tempting to think that the person who does things with all his might is going to be the most successful. However, things are not quite so simple. My father has always had a great love for horse racing. I remember watching it with him when I was young and assuming that the favourite would win. My dad explained how betting works so that you don't get much if the favourite wins. However, the truth is that sometimes the favourite doesn’t win. Remember the story of the hare and the tortoise. It's the same with boxing matches or great battles in history. There have been surprising changes in history when there have been unexpected turnarounds. Life is full of turnarounds. It is one of the things that makes life so interesting. Think for example of Vincent van Gogh – you know he never sold a painting while he lived and yet his painting snow sell for millions. Have you heard of the Jamaican bobsleigh team? They nearly won Olympic gold! Sometimes the least likely people rise to power – think of Abraham Lincoln born in a log cabin. Time and chance happen to them all – this is not a denial of providence but an assertion of it. There are various ways of understanding this phrase but clearly God is in control of all things. Recently the England soccer team lost to Northern Ireland (ranked 116th in the world) after 78 years without defeat. If we knew that ten in every hundred people we spoke to would be converted, wonderful! But there is no simple formula – pray for an hour a day and revival will come, etc. In 1 Corinthians Paul says I planted the seed …. But God made it grow! Parents say to their children ‘work hard at school and you will do well’ – I understand why they say it but it is not necessarily true. There are plenty of variations.  We live with great mystery.

2 Our general ignorance

Verse 12 Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them. It is not just our ignorance of death. We don’t know when we will die. Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859. I was born May 22, 1959. He died July 7, 1930 – will I live until 2030? I cannot know. Think of fish caught in a net or a bird in a snare. It reminds us of the recent New Orleans disaster and others like it. Hurricanes, floods, acts of terrorism, etc. Everything has changed. The man driving the 31 bus on June 7 2006 couldn’t have known what would happen. Situations can change very quickly. We have to say ‘If it is God’s will …’.

3 The public’s scorn and amnesia

We don’t tend to think of this. Solomon starts on what we expect to be a story of heroism but that’s not what it is about as we see. Verses 13-15 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. You think to yourself – I wish I’d been that man. No, says Solomon, it wasn’t like that at all. But nobody remembered that poor man. After they’d got over the shock, he was forgotten. A few years passed and people couldn’t even remember his name! Verse 16 So I said, Wisdom is better than strength. But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. Wisdom is a truly great thing, no question – it teaches you what to do as here - but it doesn’t solve every problem. It is no good thinking that if we were wise, all our problems would be over. We are in God’s hands and we must look to him. People’s memories are very short – politicians bank on this. People forget things. Otherwise, we would all be increasingly wise but sadly things are forgotten and wisdom is scorned and despised. ‘Nobody likes a smart Alec’ they say.

2. Further matters to keep in mind for life

Two further points about wisdom’s limitations need to be noted

1. Keep in mind foolishness’s disproportionate influence

9:17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. All around us the world is shouting at us – various media, advertising, etc. It's loud and it's brash. We hear a noise – we are drawn. What’s going on? It is very easy to be drawn after foolishness. But Solomon says don’t listen to the noisy man raging at the front, listen rather to the quiet man at the back, speaking words of wisdom. See (18) Wisdom is better than weapons of war. It’s not a matter of these things. But one sinner destroys much good. He uses a proverb (10:1) As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honour. Picture it. The point is not so much that one foolish act can spoil a life of wisdom but rather that one fool or just a few fools can undo all the good that wise men have brought about. Make no mistake – at all levels there is a struggle going on between the wise and the foolish. 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. The right stands for strength. There’s strength in wisdom but the heart of the fool is all in the wrong place. What a mess it makes. Verse 3 Even as he walks along the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is. You only have to look at a fool ... – but so often we don’t and we don’t see. So fools can be very influential indeed. No matter how many wise you have, one fool can make a terrible mess – in a company, a government, a family, a church. What a disproportionate impact a fool can have! For example, it is clear from Scripture that homosexuality is wrong. Think how few practice homosexuality and yet how much impact they have. What a disproportionate and unhelpful influence they have.

2. Keep in mind wisdom’s power to strengthen and its limitations

Solomon goes on with an example of wisdom in action. Verse 4 If a ruler’s anger rises against you, you’re in trouble with someone further up the chain do not leave your post; calmness can lay great errors to rest. Again we are being called to heavenly wisdom. Wisdom demands diligence, demands that we are faithful, that we press on. We mustn’t panic. As he says, calmness can lay great errors to rest. If we panic every time the truth is under attack we are not going to make much progress. Think of all the things that have been thrown at the gospel – modernism, Marxism, Freudianism. They have come and they have gone. Take Marxism or modern psychiatry. It is so easy to panic – some certainly did. They ran round like headless chickens. We need to stay calm. When people attack, stay calm. However, at the other extreme, we mustn’t become complacent either. Do you know that phrase "nothing has ever changed at Princeton" – it can have a good meaning or a bad one. Verses 5-7 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. Let’s be faithful but faithfulness isn’t going to solve all our problems. We must be realistic – faithfulness doesn’t guarantee success. What about that statement Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 7 How do you know you will convert your husband …? How realistic Paul is. All sorts of anomalies will exist. When Jesus came think who was in leadership then. A sense of reality is so important. Be soberly faithful and cry out to God. We feel so powerless and frustrated sometimes. We wan t a revolution. But we must stay calm.

3. Final principles of wisdom to keep in mind at all times

1. Keep in mind the need for a balanced approach

In verses 8 and 9 we have a series of activities where a danger is involved. Verses 8, 9 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. The wise person doesn’t say I’m never going to dig a pit, etc, because it is too dangerous. Rather he recognises that there is danger in these activities and so he takes care. Take spending time with unbelievers as an example. Somehow we need a balance between telling them and not being influenced by them so that we go astray. Or take the need to be praying, reading the Bible, etc, and the need to find time for everything else. What about bringing up children? We need to teach them well without ramming it down their throats. With giving – there is a straight physical element but a spiritual one too.

2. Keep in mind the advantage of thorough preparation

Verse 10 If the axe is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success. Do it with all your might, it says, so he hacks and hacks and hacks. He would be wiser to stop and sharpen the axe. Doing it with all your might involves preparation not just rushing into things.

3. Keep in mind the dangers of procrastination

The other side of the coin is here in verse 11 If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. It's easy to say ‘I’m going to ....’. Think of perpetual students for the ministry for example. That is not good.

Death Certain, Life Good; Enjoy life while it lasts

Text Ecclesiastes 8.16-9.9 Time 04/11/05 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

I want you to imagine two men. Both profess to be Christians.

is a stern fellow, rather grim. He often fasts, never drinks alcohol. He doesn’t believe in spending too much money on clothes and buys all his clothes from Oxfam. His shoes are the cheapest he can find. He indulges in no luxury and is a single man as he believes holy people don’t get married. He is not particularly friendly. Picture him in your mind.

Jack is a relaxed fellow, easy going in manner. He likes his food and drink and has been known to spend a large amount of money on a slap up meal in a good restaurant. He dresses smartly and uses expensive after-shave. He is married with children. He likes to take his wife away for quiet weekends alone from time to time. He often laughs despite the troubles that come into his life from time to time. Picture him in your mind.

Now these are caricatures, of course, not real people but let me ask you, which one do you think is the most holy? Which one would you think is likely to walk closest to God – Joe the grim, fasting, teetotaller bachelor in his Oxfam cast-offs and cheap shoes? Jack the easy going gourmet, wine drinker and father of four in his Italian suit and leather shoes?

Now, of course, we can’t see into men’s hearts and so the question is redundant to some extent. The reason I raise it, however, is because many of us have a sneaking feeling that Joe is more likely to be the holy one and a sneaking suspicion that Joe is really not acting to some extent in the way that a good Christian should. And the question is whether we are right.

Keep that question in mind as we turn to Ecclesiastes 8:16-9:9. This is the first part of the fourth and final main section of this book. The first three main sections are – 1:12-2:26;3:1-5:20 and 6:1-8:15. To summarise

1. True contentment is found in God alone. It is not found in man but in God and so we must look to him for wisdom, knowledge and happiness, refusing to go on any longer in our sins.

2. God wants us to live in a way that is good and proper. It is a satisfying way. Indeed to know how to enjoy life and to be content is a gift of God. Such people are so taken up with God that they have no time to worry about death or such things.

3. Prosperity is not always a good thing nor is adversity necessarily a bad thing. Rather we must avoid running to unwise extremes, thinking too highly of human power or giving up seeking wisdom because it is so difficult. We should recognise the importance of obedience to the powers that be and the good it does while recognising their undoubted weakness. We should also consider both the judgement of God and the unfairness of life now.

He concludes (15) So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.

Now in this final section Solomon doesn’t really open up new arguments but confirms and enlarges upon what has gone before. Here come the practical exhortations.

There are three things here

1. Recognise that life is full of mystery

1. Accept the testimony of a man who knows

Verses 16, 17 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man’s labour on earth - his eyes not seeing sleep day or night - then I saw all that God has done. The idea of having the leisure to study wisdom and to learn about all the things that occupy men here on earth, all that God has done as he puts it here, may sound very attractive to some but for most of us we have neither the time nor the inclination nor for that matter the ability. Now Solomon wasn’t like that. He had the time, he had the inclination and, by the grace of God, he had the mind for the task. He applied his keen mind to know wisdom and to observe man’s labour on earth – his ceaseless round of activity. He saw all that God has done.

Do you ever get advice from strangers? People will advise you about all sorts of things quite freely. For example, ‘Don’t bother to pay the congestion charge. They never catch up with you.’ ‘Get your fruit and veg in Kilburn. It’s the cheapest.’ ‘If you go to Wales take an umbrella.’ It’s not wise to take any old piece of advice and assume it’s correct. You have to weigh up who’s giving it. Well, here is the testimony then of a man famed for his wisdom. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and what he says is here in Holy Scripture. You can take this as Gospel. This testimony is true.

We are not wise but here is a man who was. If we are willing to listen to him then we too can be wise.

2. Despite all his efforts man can’t plumb the mystery of life under the sun

So what does he say? No-one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. ‘It is impossible’ says Solomon ‘to know all that goes on in this earth. Men make many efforts to search out its meaning but it is not possible to learn it.’ All wisdom, however great it is, is incomplete. There is always more to know. Now we don’t like such a thought but it is a fact. We must try our best to understand this world but it will always be beyond us. There are many examples of this. There was a time, I believe, when physics as explained by Isaac Newton was accepted by most scientists. Then along came Albert Einstein and our understanding underwent a paradigm shift. Maybe another will follow in years to come. Or take global warming. It is generally agreed that there is such a thing although there are some who question it. Not everything seems to add up completely. What about dyslexia? Thirty years ago none of us had heard the word, now we have at least some idea of what it is supposed to be. But now people are questioning whether the current thinking is correct. Anyone who claims to understand it all doesn’t really understand it all. If you think you understand the situation in Northern Ireland, they say, then you don’t properly understand it. Similarly, it is so more generally.

3. Though people claim to have plumbed it they lie

Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.

So when a man says ‘I’m an atheist’ you know something is wrong. He doesn’t know everything. So how can he know that God’s existence isn’t one of the things he doesn’t know? People who come along with their cut and dried systems thinking thy can explain everything at a stroke are dangerous people and they should be avoided. There are many cults and false religions around that make huge claims but really they know very little at all. There are many mysteries in life, many things we cannot explain. To deny that is to fly in the face of the truth.

2. Recognise, however, that we do know two things

Having said all that, we do not want to make the mistake of saying we don’t know anything. Agnostics, for example, properly speaking, are those who claim we can’t really know anything. That’s why, they say, you can’t believe in God for sure. But just because we can’t believe things exhaustively doesn’t mean to say that we can’t know them at all. Some of you know me. You don’t know everything about me. But that doesn’t mean to say that you don’t know me. And so we have to accept that none of us, not even Solomon, knows everything. However there are some things we do know nevertheless. So what do we know?

1. We know that we will all soon die

If you are a Christian that is one of the things you know very well. We are all going to die. Let’s put it like this. We know as believers

1 That our lives are in God’s hands

9:1 So I reflected on all this says Solomon and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands. How did we get to be alive? How did we come to have life? Well, it is something that God has given us. It is something he gave and something that he can take away. We are in God’s hands. That is an important thing to know. To imagine that we came to be alive and can go on living as we please is a great mistake. Many fall for it but let none of you do that. Our lives are in God’s hands. Acts 17:28 says For in him we live and move and have our being. Are you aware of that fact?

2 But they are ignorant of the future

We know that we are in God’s hands; however, like everyone else, we do not know the future - but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. Who know what’s round the corner? As the proverb says we do not know what a day may bring. It is all a mystery to us. We can’t even be sure, despite all our sophistication, what the weather will be like next Tuesday. In truth, we don’t even know if we’ll be alive next Tuesday. Do you think often of that fact?

3. Yet they do know that death is man’s common destiny

Verse 2 All share a common destiny - the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. As Benjamin Franklin once famously said, there are two things in this life you can’t escape – death and taxes! Now it’s very obvious, I know, but it’s surprising how many people live regardless of this obvious brute fact. There is no way around it. We will all die one day. We must never forget that that’s where we’re all heading – to the grave. Death awaits us all. Indeed, even now it is on the road.

4 This is the evil in life under the sun

9:3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. No matter who you are, you will die. The rich die as well as the poor, the young as well as the old, the good as well as the bad. It’s no good thinking you can somehow save yourself by being good. It doesn’t work like that. He says

• While they live men’s hearts are filled with madness and evil. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live. This point has been made before. We are born corrupt. We are full of evil and not just evil but madness. This is how we live our lives. Evil? You only have to think of the terrorists and suicide bombers, the looters and rapists down in New Orleans. And isn’t it madness too? If you want to know about madness there is plenty of evidence. For example, I was in Aberystwyth recently and on the way to church someone pointed out to me where a drunk student had fallen onto railings and died. On July 15, 1999, in Alabama, a drunk hurled himself out of a high window in a spitting contest. (Cf Darwin Awards 1 - 180 bizarre and true stories of how dumb humans have met their maker). Take people in Lima, Peru who believe that the Titicaca frog (an endangered species) is an aphrodisiac. They put them in a juicer and drink the liquid! Half of the things reported in our newspapers reveal some sort of madness or other.
• Then they die and afterwards they join the dead. Some die sooner than others because of their stupidity. Take the example of Carol and Mark, who in April 1999, in Washington DC died from laughing gas (nitrous oxide). They were intelligent people (a fire department worker and a medical technician) but they were fools. Some last longer than these, of course, but all die in the end.

2. We know that it is good to be alive.

Verse 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope - even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! This is not a denial of the joys of heaven but a realisation that, all other things being equal, it is best that we live long lives. Certainly under the sun it is better to be alive than to be dead. What can the dead do? Do they make good fathers and mothers? No. Given the choice wouldn’t you want to see your children grow up. In nearly every case you’d want a person to go on living as long as possible. It is good to be alive.

Here are some reasons

1 The living know some things, the dead know nothing. Verse 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. Again this is an under the sun perspective but you can see the point I’m sure.

2 Unlike the living, the dead go unrewarded and are often forgotten. They have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. I know that you do sometimes get posthumous awards and medals but those are really for the person’s family. When they give out Oscars and so on although they occasionally will have someone who has just died honoured they look to the living. The film people never say what about Charlie Chaplin or Laurel and Hardy let’s award them this year. No, they look for someone living to award. Put it this way - who are the best preachers you’ve ever heard? Aren’t they ones that have been alive?!! Spurgeon was a great preacher in his day. We could, I suppose, exhume the bones and have him back here but we won’t get much of a sermon from him. I make no boast when I say that I could preach a better sermon than Spurgeon tonight!! Worse than that, as we’ve observed before, people are often forgotten when they die. There must have been fine preachers in Spurgeon’s day but do you know any of their names? Moody? The Bonars? Mostly they are forgotten. Ask that  we will be given a few years more. Remember my question about the names of your great grandparents?

3. This Life is fleeting and death is final

Verse 6 Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. How brief life is, how fleeting. It doesn’t last long. So quickly it is passed. "Time like an ever rolling stream …." Once you are dead, you play no active part in life here on earth. It’s finished. It’s over. A great runner, a great singer, a great boxer – once they are dead they are useless.

3. Therefore aim to enjoy life despite its emptiness and toil

So we come to Solomon’s conclusion in the light of all this. It may surprise you but it is only what he has suggested already.

1. Enjoy this time of God’s favour

7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favours what you do. To be alive is to be favoured by God. It is not something that lasts long. It is soon over and it is right that we should enjoy it while we can. Food and drink are to be enjoined. We mustn’t be greedy, of course, and we must take care not to shorten our lives by over indulgence but food and drink is to be enjoyed. There may be times when we feel we ought to fast in order to draw near to God but fasting is not a big feature of true religion. It is much more about happy times around the table in fellowship. APP Recognise that this is the time of God’s favour. Thank him for it. Enjoy life while it lasts. Banish all thought of suicide or of wanting to die

2. Enjoy these God-given days

Verse 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. White was only worn by those rich enough to be sure they would not get their clothing dirty. Oil was used as lotion or like after-shave or perfume. Verse 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless (empty) life that God has given you under the sun. Some believers have had a low view of sex and marriage. That is quite unbiblical. Yes, some are called to singleness for various reasons including the kingdom. The norm, however, is for believers, to be married or at least to be willing to be married. The thing to remember is that life is God given – it is a gift from him. It is to be enjoyed. Death is ahead, yes, and after that the judgement but now we are alive, we must make the most of it. Are you dong that? Are you seeking to live life to the full? We ought to be very positive about life. It is a gift from God.

3. Enjoy life in spite of the emptiness and toil there is

He ends - all your meaningless (empty) days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labour under the sun. That is important. Solomon hasn’t forgotten how hard life can be. There is a fallenness, a fleeting quality about life that means it is hard to grasp. There is plenty of toil too. Oh how hard some things are! How pressing! Yet life itself is good. Jonathan Edwards once surmised (and I think correctly) that the reason most people don’t commit suicide is because in the end life is good. And it is good to be alive isn’t it? The simplest things can bring so much pleasure? The sunrise, the sunset, the rain, snow, the smell of new mown hay, a pint of cold beer, the music of the flute or the trumpet, flowers, trees, birds singing, a wedding, a honeymoon, a life together, your best friend calling, Sunday tea, etc. To be a Christian is not to deny any of those things but rather to see them as a gift of God and to enjoy them, conscious of his goodness. May God help us then to have the right perspective on all these things. Yes, there must be a willingness to deny ourselves certain things if we are going to live the Christian life. But we do not deny ourselves because it is wrong to enjoy life but because we are looking higher – above the sun, to God himself.

So what about Joe and Jack? I think you know what I’m saying.

Right Attitudes to the Powers That Be

Text Ecclesiastes 8:1-15 Time 24/07/05 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

We’re looking at the third section of Ecclesiastes found in 6:1-8:15. We have already looked at Chapters 6 and 7 and today I want us to look at the final part 8:1-15. This whole section considers some of the anomalies of life and seeks to help us get a handle on them. We have said so far, firstly, 1. Prosperity is not always a good thing

1 Wealth and honour don’t guarantee enjoyment

2 Earthly advantages are worthless without enjoyment

3 Man’s unaided effort can’t bring satisfaction

4 God is in control of all things and we must look to him

2. Adversity is not necessarily a bad thing

1 Discerning what’s best isn’t always easy

2 See the great importance of wisdom

3 Look to God in everything and so understand

Then we noted three warnings against

Running to unwise extremes (Don’t think that pretended goodness/wisdom can help you and Don’t think a complete rejection of holiness is the answer either but See that true godliness involves neither of these. See also that wisdom is what you really need)

Thinking too highly of human power (Don’t think too highly of man’s righteousness, of public opinion or even of wisdom itself)

Giving up seeking wisdom while realising how difficult it is (Don’t give up trying to find wisdom but Realise how difficult it is  - Recognise The need to beware of the adulteress, How rare uprightness is and The perversity of mankind).

As we come into Chapter 8 the question is raised Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man’s face and changes its hard appearance. Wisdom has its limitations without question but it is still the thing we need in order live holy and satisfying lives here on earth. It brightens a man’s face and changes its hard appearance, which is a particularly striking way of picturing its practical benefits. Wisdom doesn’t make things more difficult, it brings a smile to the face. It is a real blessing. Besides enlightening us about prosperity and adversity and forearming us against various dangers, wisdom also shows us the importance of submission to the powers that be and how that, though by no means perfect, can contribute to our general happiness in this world as we seek to fear God.

I want to say three things to you then today about obedience to the powers that be, their undoubted weakness and this balance between God’s coming judgement and the unfairness of life now.

1. Consider the importance of obedience to the powers that be and the good it does

In verse 2 Solomon says to the one who is wise Obey the king’s command, I say, or to put it in more modern New Testament parlance – Submit yourselves to the powers that be or the powers ordained by God. He gives a number of reasons why we should do this

1. If you obey the powers that be you will be loyal to your oath

Why should I obey the king? asks Solomon and his answer is because you took an oath before God. Now we may not have taken an actual oath of allegiance to this country, although I think if you become a citizen it is expected. However, it is assumed. If you are a citizen of this country or any other then you are committed before God to obeying its laws and living in a law-abiding way that honours the powers that be. So there is one reason for obedience and allegiance.

2. If you obey the powers that be you will escape punishment

He goes on in verse 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence - to desert him for an enemy. More generally Do not stand up for a bad cause. Why? for he will do whatever he pleases. Indeed (4) Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, What are you doing? If you rebel against the powers that be, then the full weight of the law will come down on you – you will suffer the consequences. See Romans 13:2, 3 He who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

3. If you obey the powers that be you will escape from harm

More generally we can say (5) Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm. The laws that are passed in most cases are there to help people to do them good. It is only when we transgress these laws that we find ourselves coming to harm. Sticking to the speed limit, paying your taxes, not stealing - these are things that are not only according to law but good ideas anyway.

4. If you obey the powers that be you will know what to do in every situation

He concludes and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. As a general rule this is the way forward. There are difficulties when the powers that be pass laws that are not good. So in this country we know, for example, that abortions are allowed and that children cannot be given physical punishment by third parties, shops can open on Sundays and homosexuality is legal. Now we may not like these laws or agree with them but we seek to live within the law and to act wisely. And when they debate bringing in new laws such as the one against inciting religious hatred or may be one banning smacking children altogether we need not fear if we are believers, the Lord will show us what to do. Verse 6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him. If a rebellion is in order (and I don’t think the Bible rules it out absolutely) we will know it is the time. So, I suggest to you, these verses (1-6) are quite positive and remind us that when there is a stable and generally benevolent government of any sort (dictatorship or democracy) then it is a great blessing, something we should be thankful for. Our obedience to the powers that be is an important means of leading a stable and satisfying life on earth, here under the sun.

2. Consider the undoubted weaknesses, nevertheless, of the powers that be

Now that all may seem to be rather mild and not to confront the undoubted problems that there are in this area. But, as ever, Solomon is not closing his eyes to the real situation. He is very much aware of the difficulties and so he goes on to consider the undoubted weakness even of the best ordered society, the limitations of even the best situation as far as human government is concerned.

A number of difficulties are highlighted.

1. Consider the fact of human ignorance, weakness and death

1 Ignorance – Verse 7 Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come? No matter what a human government may think or say or claim, like the rest of us, it is ignorant of the future. No-one can know what is round the corner. Take the Iraq war for instance. Opinion is divided on that war but undoubtedly given where we are at now many things would have been handled differently with the benefit of hindsight. All the time governments are playing catch up. They do not know what lies ahead. None of us does.

2 Weakness - Verse 8 No man has power over the wind to contain it. There are many weaknesses in us all and that includes the powers that be. Just as we cannot stop the wind blowing so there are many other powers that we do not know how to contain. The most obvious thing at the moment is these suicide bombers. We do not know how such fanatics can be stopped. There are many other forces at work in this world that are beyond the power of a civil government’s control.

3 Death - so no-one has power over the day of his death. Here is another factor that we can never forget. Death means that if we find a good leader he will not last forever. It means that things can dramatically and suddenly change overnight. It means a lot of uncertainty and change for all.

2. Consider the power of wickedness

Solomon goes on As no-one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practise it. If it were simply a matter of passing laws then most of our problems would be over. You could say ‘Right we will make suicide bombing illegal’ and that would be the end of it. But that is nonsense. One of the curious things about passing laws is that you can only pass a law that most people are going to keep. Why don’t they make adultery illegal for example? Or take smoking tobacco as an example. It is generally agreed that smoking is a bad thing. So why don’t they just ban it? Well, you know it would simply drive it underground. Many people would still smoke. You have heard no doubt of Prohibition and how in America in the 1920s they outlawed alcohol. It really didn’t help things at all in the end, for all the good intentions involved. Wickedness is such a powerful thing that when it gets hold of a person it is sometimes extremely difficult to eradicate. It is easy to be critical of governments but we must remember how limited they are in what they can do when wickedness has so gripped people.

3. Consider the prevalence of oppression, hypocrisy and procrastination

Here are three more commonly found phenomena observed by Solomon that serve to underline the fact that stable government won’t solve all our problems

1 Oppression - Verse 9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his (own) hurt. He has mentioned oppression before. Here he reminds us again of the sort of thing that goes on even in the best run democracies. There are inevitably occasions when people turn into Little Hitlers, as the expression is, and start lording it over 

2 Hypocrisy - In verse 10 he says 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. Here is something else that adds to the frustration of life. Sometimes wicked people not only die at a good age but in their lives they are held to be paragons of virtue and people look up to them when all the while they deserve no such accolades. It is discouraging, but we must learn to accept it for now. It is always good to remember that those who … come and go from holy places … and receive praise in the city are not always what they seem.

3 Procrastination - Then in verse 11 Solomon raises another common problem - When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. Sometimes governments drag their feet. They fail to see the need not only for justice but for swift justice. In such circumstances people are tempted to take the law into their own hands. Thankfully we know little of that in this country but it is a real temptation in some parts of the world. We ought to recognise it. Pray not just for justice but for swift justice.

3. Consider both the judgement of God and the unfairness of life now and enjoy life forever

So how do we resolve these tensions? On the one hand we are saying that stable government is a good thing, something to be thankful for, and yet there are these many difficulties. There are three things we can say.

1. Consider the judgement of God

1 God will not forget the one who fears him

Solomon says (12) Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. Although those who fear God may have to face many troubles from the powers that be because of their ignorance and weakness, although it may seem at times that wickedness is winning and there is much oppression and hypocrisy and even when there is justice it seems very slow in coming - nevertheless, if we fear God, if we reverence him, then we can be sure that it will go well with us in the end. Further

2 God will judge the one who is wicked

Verse 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. God knows who the oppressors are. He sees through hypocrisy and lies. He knows all things and he has all power. He is just and although his justice may seem to move very slowly to us at times and we are tempted perhaps to try and take matters into our own hands he is in fact not slow at all. He will very soon bring down all the wicked. Even now he is removing tyrants and bringing down oppressors. The wicked cannot stand before him.

2. Yet in this life there will be much that seems unfair

Having made this point, Solomon reminds us that still this world is often rather messy and not the place we would like it to be. (He never lets us get too far from reality). Verse 14 There is something else meaningless (empty) that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless (empty, fallen). Again and again we see it. Some evil tyrant is feted, some godless oppressor is praised to the skies. Hypocrites and false teachers are held up as a wonderful example. Meanwhile true believers are ignored and denigrated and all manner of evil is spoken against them falsely. Such things may annoy us and vex us but they should not surprise us. This is how it is until the Return of Christ. This is how it will be until the Lord comes again.

3. It is the man who looks to God who will enjoy life nevertheless

And so to the concluding verse of the section (15) So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun. It is no good getting frustrated at the powers that be or trying to overthrow them. It is no good either expecting them to get everything right and supposing we can just leave them to get on with things. Rather we must be thankful to God for the protection and freedom they help us to enjoy and where they are against us and against the truths of God’s Word then we must seek God’s wisdom as to how we ought to conduct ourselves. This is the way to enjoy life on earth so that joy will accompany us in our work all the days of the life God has given.

Warnings for those who want to enjoy life

Text Ecclesiastes 7:16-29 Time 17/07/05 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

We are looking at the third part of the Book of Ecclesiastes. This is found in 6:1-8:15. The concluding verse there is 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, that is if you fear God, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun. Satisfaction is guaranteed. We looked last week at 6:1-7:15 and considered how to look at life with discerning eyes. We noted two things

1. That prosperity is not always a good thing

1 Wealth and honour don’t guarantee enjoyment

2 Earthly advantages are worthless without enjoyment

3 Man’s unaided effort can’t bring satisfaction

4 God is in control of all things and we must look to him

2. That trouble and hardship are not necessarily a bad thing

1 Discerning what’s best isn’t always easy

2 See the great importance of wisdom

3 Look to God in everything and so understand

What we were saying then is that you can’t judge a book by its cover. On the face of it the good thing seems to be wealth and possessions, etc, but things are not so straightforward. This week we turn to the next part of this third section – 7:16-29 – and again we are being encouraged to look below the surface and to avoid a superficial judgements. These are not easy verses.

Verse 16 Do not be over-righteous, neither be overwise - why destroy yourself? It sounds more like Buddhism than anything from the Bible and what about verse 28? While I was still searching but not finding - I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them that all sounds rather chauvinistic. We need to take care then not to misunderstand.

What we have here is really a series of warnings. We can put them in three groups. If we can get hold of this teaching it will be a very great help to us in all sorts of ways.

1. A warning against running to unwise extremes

1. Do not think that pretended goodness or wisdom can help you. 16 Do not be over-righteous, neither be overwise - why destroy yourself? On the face of it this would not appear to be something that the Bible would be saying. It is most likely, however, that what is being said here is something like ‘Do not be self-righteous and do not play the part of a wise man.’ It is hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness that is being attacked, a smug, holier-than-thou attitude. In the light of what he goes on to say about man’s lack of righteousness, this is an obvious thing to guard against. It is a danger for all religious people, which includes people like us. We think that because we go to church, pray, etc, that we’re something special. We must beware of getting into that sort of attitude. God will destroy all hypocrites. You know those words Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!

2. Do not think that a complete rejection of holiness is the answer either

Of course, on the other side, there is no merit in being particularly wicked either. 17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool - why die before your time? There is an unholier-then-thou attitude, a reaction to smugness and self-satisfaction that positively revels in its wickedness. It is common in our day. In a reaction against priggishness and pomposity many people positively revel in their lack of morals. That can never be right. His why die before your time? reminds us of the many who lose their lives young because of their recklessness and stupidity with drink and drugs and in other dangerous pursuits. Even if a person survives that he may still die in the flames of hell and has in a sense died tragically young.

3. See that godliness involves neither self-righteousness and self-conceit nor wickedness and foolishness.

To sum up (18) It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes (or perhaps follow both). We must be righteous and we must be wise. These are vital. We must avoid hypocrisy on the one hand and down-right wickedness on the other. Tread the narrow path of a holy and wise life that neither vaunts itself nor falls into excess.

4. See that wisdom is what you really need

Wisdom is especially needed and is the key to a holy life - 19 Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city. Ten fine politicians with all their pretended wisdom may lack the wisdom to be found in just one God-fearing man. There is more power in wisdom within than all the outward power of a whole group of men united on a point. What strength there is in God-given heavenly wisdom. So let’s look to God for wisdom and holiness not being diverted into mere religiosity or into evil doing of one sort or another.

2. A warning against thinking too high thoughts of human power

Here is our next set of warnings. We really need to assess men’s power soberly.

1. Do not think too highly of man’s righteousness

20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. This is one of the plainest announcements of what is called total depravity in the Bible. Total depravity does not mean that a man is as bad a he can be but that he is bad in every way. Every part of him is corrupted. This verse reminds us of that sobering fact. Perhaps you know it better from the New Testament and Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It is because of our sinfulness that we need a heavenly wisdom that will lead us out from sin.

2. Do not think too highly of public opinion

In verses 21 and 22 we are given another warning Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you - for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. This is a sort of corollary to what has been said. Given that no-one is righteous we should not be surprised that people find things in us to criticise nor should we think too highly of what others say anyway. We will have to answer to God one day and that is enough to fear. It can be good to get advice but in the end what others think cannot dictate our lives.

3. Do not think too highly even of wisdom itself

Solomon then adds in verses 23 and 24 All this I tested by wisdom and I said, I am determined to be wise - but this was beyond me. Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound - who can discover it? This is quite sobering because as we read words like these we are tempted to think ‘Yes, this is the way forward. I need to turn from hypocrisy, see how wicked this world is and how wicked I am and regardless of what others think I need to live for God.’ Yet, if even Solomon had to say that wisdom was beyond him then who are we to suppose that we either have found it or are going to find it. No, true wisdom, given who we are, is bound to be beyond us and part of wisdom, paradoxically is to see that.

So remember depravity. Do not set higher store by what people think of you. Realise that wisdom will always be something beyond you. You will never arrive as far as that is concerned. If you do find yourself thinking ‘Now I am wise’ perhaps that is a good sign that you are not.

3. A warning not to give up seeking wisdom but to realise how difficult it is

Now, having said that, the danger, of course, is of giving up the search for wisdom. It’s like the warning against hypocrisy and smugness. Just as we mustn’t react to that danger by deliberately going in the path of sin so we must not react to the danger of thinking we are wise when we are not by giving up looking to be wise.

1. Do not give up trying to find wisdom

See how Solomon reacted. 25 So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. Investigating, searching - these are the operative words. We need to do some reckoning, some working out. On the one hand, there is wisdom itself, but on the other, there is the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. We must face up to that and see it. Verses 26-29 sets out some of Solomon’s conclusions. They are not easy verses to understand but we are best to see them as setting out three further warnings in this area that warn us how difficult it is to seek wisdom.

2. But realise how difficult it is

1. You need to beware of the adulteress

26 I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare. It is highly unlikely that he is talking here about an individual. This is much more like the warnings we get in the Book of Proverbs against the adulteress and the wayward woman who stands for the various false philosophies and false ways in which it is possible for people to be led away from the Lord.

2. Recognise how rare uprightness is

We have touched on this already but here he underlines it from his own experience. 27, 28 Look, says the Teacher, this is what I have discovered: Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things – as he reckoned up while I was still searching but not finding - I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. Quite why he puts it like this we do not know. Perhaps it has something to do with his wives who you know eventually led Solomon astray into worshipping false gods. It is certainly not a piece of misogyny. Sadly, there are very few people in this world who are truly upright. Again and again we read of people coming unstuck in various walks of life. There is much hypocrisy as well as much outright wickedness. It is a sad fact and if we fail to reckon with it we are likely to meet with many disappointments in life.

3. Recognise the perversity of mankind

Finally, in another outstanding verse regarding total depravity, he says (29) This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes. The original creation was perfect. However, sin has come in and that has changed everything. but men have gone in search of many schemes. In all sorts of different ways men have perverted and spoiled this earth that God has made. What Solomon’s theology taught him his experience confirmed.

Again we are forced to face reality. We live in a corrupt world, a world marred by much sin. So many go astray. What guarantee is there that it won’t happen to us? The only guarantee is if we look to the Lord for wisdom. Be warned.