Ecclesiastes: Only One Shepherd Has Wisdom

Introduction

Open this evening to Ecclesiastes 12. Ecclesiastes 12 and we will look at verse 11 - 14

Last time we explored Solomon’s explanation of the problem, namely that even where there ought to be righteousness and justice there is still wickedness.

Solomon drew a circle about his point leaving no escape.

If you look under the Sun you cannot find any meaning or lasting value.

It this point we reiterate, people hate God so much that they would rather believe in and try to find mean in vanity, and emptiness.

Solomon however, did not come from a time when the world had sunk into the insanity of pending there is no God, so in verse 13 he can legitimately get to the end of the Mater, unlike those today that pretend there is no God and leave themselves with two feet planted I firmly in mid air.

Let’s Read

Ecclesiastes 12:11–14 ESV

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

May God Bless the Reading of His Holy, Inflatable, and perfectly sufficient Word

Let’s Pray

Transition

I am going to warn that I am going to be in a lot of texts this evening. I am just going to read them and cite them, if you want the sermon manuscript later I can get that for you if you let me know.

The first two verses this even, 11 and 12, Solomon say that if you understand the wisdom that he been given here it will drive you to a conclusion.

Lets read verses 11-12

Body

The Wise Say what Scripture Says

Ecclesiastes 12:11–12 ESV

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

I love these verses, the wisest man to live, other than the God Man, tells us the scripture is the only place to find wisdom.

goads

Paul in Acts 26 recounts the Lord saying “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Ac 26:14, ESV)

One cannot kick against the Word of the Lord, they will either find life in submitting to it or it will be their judge.

“firmly fixed are the collected sayings”

The word of the Lord is the strong foundation.

“46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Lk 6:46–49, ESV)

“they are given by one Shepherd.”

Remember how Solomon taught of of the Wisdom of God in Christ, in Proverb 8?

Proverbs 8:1–8 ESV

1 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? 2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 4 “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. 5 O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. 6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, 7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.” (Ps 80:1, ESV)

“22 I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.” (Eze 34:22–24, ESV)

“ 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:10–11, ESV)

“beware of anything beyond these”

The scripture is sufficient

“16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Ti 3:16–17.)

The usefulness of other teachers,

“Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good.” (1 Th 5:20–21, ESV)

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Eph 4:11–12 ESV)

“much study is a weariness of the flesh.”

The is a time to rest from the reading of people, never from the Word.

Why?

Transition

The word of God is all authoritative and because of that standard, Solomon can speak of the end of the mater, in verse 13. Like was mentioned before, those that pretend there is no God are indeed fools because they can give no foundation by which a authoritative claim. The best they can say is, I think this is the end of the Mater. Or popular opinion says this is the end of the mater. As soon as you look under the sun, vanity ensues. Just ask, why should we take your opinion for it what you are going to die and before gotten. Why should we take popular opinion’s when it has change so many times in history and it will change again. Both of those standards are no standard, but we have the word of God. That does not change, and therefore we can with Solomon actually consider the End of the Mater.

Let’s read verse 13

The End of the Matter

Ecclesiastes 12:13 ESV

13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

“The end of the matter” the conclusion

The circle is complete

The reader if forced by the goad of truth and the conclusion that the word of God is a firm foundation,

“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

Man cannot say, because they are but a breath, and the whole collection of man just a pile of dirt.

“13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (Jas 4:13–14, ESV)

What can mist say to the almighty, and what stand can one have before the God that created him.

The only response that is except-able is to “Fear God and keep his commandments”

One job but as Solomon has already said, “where there ought to be righteousness and justice there is still wickedness.”

Int he places where God ought to be the most feared and his commandment most follow ever there they are not.

Transition

This is the problem in all of scripture yet again show to us. See verse 14

But Ya Can’t… So What Now?

Ecclesiastes 12:14 ESV

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Is God not a righteous judges, that goes without saying, or he would not be God.

The just judge, will justly judge every work of man, and they are wanting, again Solomon has already said, “where there ought to be righteousness and justice there is still wickedness.”

And this God’s plan is revealed, that in our wickedness the world would glorify God and God’s displays is justice. But God is not only just be merciful, and that is why the good Shepherd came.

“11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:10–11, ESV)

Everyone one of us held in the bondage of sin, everyone of us sharing the destine of all the earth is recused by the savior. And what Ezekiel prophesied by the Holy Spirit comes true in Him, he is the root of David, and he says, through Ezekiel,

“22 I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.” (Eze 34:22–24, ESV)

This is the promise to all the saints, Christ has died for you, you no longer live for death but have eternal life so that all this world is no longer vanity but has meaning, everyone of of your actions, every moment of your life has meaning because God ordained to show you mercy.

Now praise him, revel in the wonderful love and mercy of God that the Shepherd dies for us.

If the fact that Jesus died for you does not blow your mind, if the wonder of it does not break you and make you turn yourself wholly over to him for every, then you have not grasped it.

Conclusion

Theology and romance are inextricably interlined. Not romance like the world, that is basically just lust, but pure intimacy and love that Christ who is God and is love, has for his Church. Next time we get into the Song of Solomon and explore some of that.

Benediction

Until then my dear beloved family in Christ, should the Lord will our next meeting

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.