Wise Living for Dummies

Ecclesiastes 8:1–17 ESV

Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him. Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt. Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God. There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun. When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.

Introduction:

I once met a guy in a coffeeshop who studied philosophy. I think he was connecting with me on that level because of an assumption that religious and theological study in his mind are the same. However, if you have studied any of the world’s great philosophers through history, what you’ll find is that there always comes a new philosophy that seeks to plug the holes and deal with the flaws in the previous one. It’s because none of them truly get to the bottom of what is wrong in the world when they don’t understand the created order and the creator.

We look at those in our culture who are supposed to be the most knowledgeable or learned on how the world works, endorsing evil and harmful things. They are lauded by the world and even to shame, by some in the church. Sin runs rampant. The world begins to celebrate that which the Bible calls sin. And for those of us who are following Christ and living to serve the Lord it can seem very dark out there.

Today’s passage from Ecclesiastes 8 is going to show us the Preacher noticing, even back then, even with his massive amounts of wisdom, that these things are going on and it seems beyond our understanding. Our main idea this morning that I want to convince you of is this:

Main Idea: Trust God even when things look bleak and you don’t understand because you know God does.

It is important to know that this passage is situated following chapter 7 regarding wisdom and folly and followed by chapter 9 regarding death. This would seem to point to life as a vapor that appears for a short time and so we should live wisely while we are under the sun.

The Preacher wants us to feel that frustration that we talked about in chapter 3. We read through the passage and we feel that frustration that we can’t even master our own stuff. We can not even wrap our arms around what’s going on in our lives much less the world. So what do we do about it? How do we cope?

I. Wisdom changes how you live.

Verse 1 begins by giving us a framing for what we are about to read.

Ecclesiastes 8:1 (ESV)

Who is like the wise?

And who knows the interpretation of a thing?

A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,

and the hardness of his face is changed.

Who is like the wise?

Who knows the meaning or the explanation of a word, a matter, an affair. Who can explain what’s going on or what the meaning is of these things?

If the wise man does not understand the meaning of these things, what does that mean for the rest of us who aren’t as wise as Solomon?

A man’s wisdom has a changing affect on him.

James 1:5–6 ESV

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Wisdom brightens a person’s appearance????

Wisdom is guiding us throughout the rest of the chapter though we find it is limited under the sun… here on earth.

Wisdom is written on a person’s face.

similar to Ecclesiastes 10:3

Ecclesiastes 10:3 ESV

Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.

The wise live differently than the unwise. They excercise discernment in their approach to the king’s command.

The question in verse 1 is rhetorical. The point being that it is a rare thing to find such wisdom.

Keeping the king’s command —> Literally “Keep the mouth of the king.” Yes, submit to the authority of the king when it’s not against a command of God. But this wording indicates something beyond obeying to protecting, guarding, and keeping watch over the command of the king. This is wise.

Discretion in approaching the king.

Submission to authority

The king as God’s representative - Rom. 13…

Discretion - the face of wisdom

….

God has established commands to keep us from the way of the wicked as guardrails on a mountain pass.

The wise should play a part in the king’s court.

A king who silences wisdom would be folly.

The wise should be cautious before the king but never give up his integrity.

The wise know when to speak and when to remain silent.

Wisdom knows the frustration of life under the sun.

II. Living Counter Culturally

Living with the frustration of apparent injustice.

A. Wisdom towards authority.

The Preacher seems to be reminding the counselor of the king of his obligation to keep the the king from making foolish decisions.

This is interesting because this is the king, Solomon writing.

The preacher speaks to moral perversity that looks like it is going without punishment. He’s frustrated that there is apparent injustice. Yet in the end God will bring justice.

Human wisdom can’t get to the bottom of the injustice we see around us.

The preacher’s frustration

David Wells points out that our culture makes “sin look normal and righteousness seem strange.”

It’s worse when the wickedness gets respected and championed. It’s worse still when not only is it flourishing but it is respected by and given the blessing of the religious. The idea that the wicked would be given the blessing of the church ought to turn our stomachs when we see it. The wicked sometimes have a lot of flair and pomp and they get things done. They live in style and we see them on our tvs or at our workplace and it is frustrating that we see them succeeding and often we see the righteous struggling. We want to ask why. We might be tempted to think that the way of righteous isn’t worth it.

B. The wise fear God.

The preacher’s realization

He has been contemplating these things from a sort of secular rhetorical position but he moves into a religious declaration. There’s this pivot he makes.

He affirms judgement.

We need to ask God to help us with understanding and discerning or interpreting the times in which we live. Not so we can make predictions about the end of the world but so that we can know how we should live wisely in these times under the sun in light of God’s ultimate victory.

C. The wise live with joy.

III. Wisdom within our limits.

V. 10-13 is puzzling to us and leads the Preacher to conclude that human knowledge, as great as it is, and as great as his own wisdom is, is still truly limited. This should breed humility in us.

As we saw in James chapter 1, it is a good thing to desire and pray for wisdom. But ultimately when we can not understand, it should not cause us to lose faith or shut down but should push us into deeper trust in God’s sovereignty and His plan for us in the world. This should move us to desire to live wisely in the world, fearing God and living joyfully.

Connection to chapter 3:11

Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

We have information that the Preacher did not have.

Gospel connection - v. 6 and 8

v. 8 - Man doesn’t chose when he dies.

Ultimately the wicked will meet judgement.

We are all the wicked without Jesus. We could go either way. The only thing that separates the righteous from the wicked is the cross of Jesus Christ.

This is what enables us to live wisely as righteous people.

The great exchange. - He takes my sin and gives me His righteousness.

Enables us to live in fear of God.

Enables us to live with the joy of the Lord.

Enables us to enjoy life as an act of worship to God.

Thanksgiving coming up…

Application:

Know God’s Word so that you can follow His commands.

Be joyful and enjoy the good gifts God has given in life.

Live in fear of God.

Structure your life around the Word of God.

Remember the temporary nature of our life here under the sun. Enjoy it. But also, look for ways to serve God because what God does through us will last for eternity.

Know your role and enjoy your role in life. (In Jesus)