“Candle in the Wind”
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In the 2007 film The Bucket List, two terminally ill men—played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman—take a road trip to do the things they always said they would do before they "kicked the bucket." In anticipation of the film's release, Nicholson was interviewed for an article in Parade magazine. While reflecting on his personal life, Nicholson said:
I used to live so freely. The mantra for my generation was "Be your own man!" I always said, "Hey, you can have whatever rules you want—I'm going to have mine. I'll accept the guilt. I'll pay the check. I'll do the time." I chose my own way. That was my philosophical position well into my 50s. As I've gotten older, I've had to adjust.
But reality has a way of getting the attention of even a Jack Nicholson. Later in the interview, Nicholson adds:
We all want to go on forever, don't we? We fear the unknown. Everybody goes to that wall, yet nobody knows what's on the other side. That's why we fear death.
Absolutely fundamental to being a human is the reality that we are all one day going to die. Every one of us at some point. But for many of us, we have a hard time believing it. Or we just don’t think about it. “Ain’t no body got time for that.” We sometimes just cant comprehend it when we think about it. If we think about it.
But death finds a way to get our attention. It will confronts us so personally and so directly that we cannot deny it. We hear the news everyday that someone had died. We attend the funeral of someone we knew and loved. We visit a grave site. Or maybe we simply daydream about the end of our own existence. For some of us, in a moment of clarity, we suddenly remember that life ends in death, and this changes everything. Or maybe nothing changes at all. We will take a look at this tension today and see how we can truly find hope in our Lord Jesus.
I have seen wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praised in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless. When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.
And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!
So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.
It will confronts us so personally and so directly that we cannot deny it. We hear the news that some famous person is dead. We attend the funeral of a loved one. We visit a grave site. Or maybe we simply daydream about the end of our own existence. In a moment of crystal clarity we suddenly remember that life ends in death, and this changes everything.
Ecclesiastes 8:
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 191). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.
The Gravesite
The Deadly Delay
The Judgement
The Fear
It is Well
The first thing we will explore is the sobering reality of death when face to face at the gravesite. The second thing we will look at is how delayed judgement spurs more and more deadly sins. Third, we get an answer to that question of what happens when we die… it’s judgement. Finally, we can rejoice because our Lord Jesus has brought to us victory over death, mercy in judgement, and a holy fear of the Lord and thats why we sing it is well with my soul.
Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to become indifferent and fearful of the reality of death, it is our Lord Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to see the true reality of what it means when we say to live is Christ and to die is gain.
I. The Gravesite
- The gravesite continues to be one of life’s great instructors.
A. The Preacher King has come to a moment of clarity when it comes to the great questions of life and death.
I have seen wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praised in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless.
B. What Solomon witnessed was the burial of a wicked man, which gave him even greater wisdom. For we we see that death has a way of bringing new perspective to life.
C. “The sight of a funeral is a very healthful thing for the soul.” - Charles Spurgeon
But in any case he witnessed the burial of a wicked man, which gave him greater wisdom.
“The sight of a funeral is a very healthful thing for the soul.” - Charles Spurgeon,
D. Man it is easy to be distracted in life. It is easy to get distracted by the pleasures and problems of everyday life. The problem with this is that we give too little thought to the future or to the end of our days. Ahh… But its different at the funeral or when we stand beside a grave. We remember. Oh we remember something that most of us try hard to forget: death is coming sooner than we think.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 192). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 192). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
It is easy to get distracted by the pleasures and problems of everyday life that we give little thought to the future or to the end of our days. But when we stand beside a grave, we remember something that most people try hard to forget: death is coming sooner than we think.
E. But there was something even more troubling. It is the sober reality that Qoheleth had to understand and accept something that was troubling his soul. What he saw was that bad people seemed to have a good life and if God is just, then he ought to judge the wicked. And as Solomon observed, he witnessed the exact opposite.
This sad and sober reality helped the Preacher understand and accept something that was troubling his soul. As far as he could tell, bad people seemed to have a good life. If God is just, then he ought to judge the wicked. Yet as the Preacher looked around, he saw exactly the opposite.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 192). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
F. Asaph also witnessed this sobering reality...
For I envied the proud
when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
They seem to live such painless lives;
their bodies are so healthy and strong.
They don’t have troubles like other people;
they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 192). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Walk through the awful ruins of the city;
see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary.
There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries;
there they set up their battle standards.
They swung their axes
like woodcutters in a forest.
G. It just does not seem right. Why is it that God’s enemies seem to get all the blessing. Why do they make more money, have more power, and experience more pleasure than people who try to do what God says.
Why is it that God’s enemies seem to get all the blessing. Why do they make more money, have more power, and experience more pleasure than people who try to do what God says.
H. They get buried and receive honor in their burial. They frequented the temple and appeared to be godly and they were praised by the people in the city where they committed their crimes.
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 192). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
I. Solomon says that this is all vanity. It is all meaningless. Oh, the injustice of it all! The logic does not add up. If God is righteous, then shouldn’t He reward the righteous and punish the wicked. Yet, He seems to do the exact opposite. Why Why Why… Good people have troubles that only bad people deserve, while bad people get what only good people deserve.
J. Cruel dictators drive out free governments. The man who robs investors of their inheritance gets a huge bonus, while hardworking people lose their jobs and their homes. Suffering missionaries are put in prison, while the persecutors of the church grow strong in their cruel power.
Oh, the injustice of it all! If God is righteous, then we would expect him to reward the righteous and punish the wicked. Yet often he seems to do exactly the opposite. Good people have troubles that only bad people deserve, while bad people get what only good people deserve. Cruel dictators drive out free governments. The man who robs investors of their inheritance gets a huge bonus, while hardworking people lose their jobs and their homes. Suffering pastors are put in prison, while the persecutors of the church grow strong in their cruel power. To bring things down to the personal level, the student who cheated on a difficult exam gets an A, but all you get is a C-. The worker who stabbed you in the back gets the promotion, while you remain stuck at the same pay grade. Or you make a commitment to chastity, and although you are still single, the girl who throws herself at men gets a ring on her finger and a long white dress.
K. To bring things down to the personal level, the student who cheated on a difficult exam gets an A, but all you get is a C-. The worker who stabbed you in the back gets the promotion, while you remain stuck at the same pay grade. Dishonest resumes get the jobs. The bad rebellious carefree guy gets the girls and the immodest permiscuese girls are the ones who get the guys.
L. The Preacher is telling us that in this life there is a reversal of retribution and reward. This is not just the way things seem, but the way they actually are. So what is the use of being righteous? If bad people get a good life, then what do we gain by godliness? The Preacher called this “vanity.”
II. The Deadly Delay
- When sins of the wicked go unpunished right away.
A. This get worse... the seeming inequity between the rewards of the righteous and the unrighteous makes some people more likely to do evil.
When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.
To make matters worse, the apparent inequity between the rewards of the righteous and the unrighteous makes some people more likely to do evil.
B. Here we get an unpleasant glimpse into the total depravity of the human heart. Logically we all know that if evil deeds were punished right away, then people would be less inclined to wickedness.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 193). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
C. We heard A-Rod say it in the video. One of the main reasons why famous athletes like Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez kept using steroids, even though such drugs had been banned from professional baseball, is because steroid users were not being punished. It was what everyone was doing.
D. If there are never any consequences, then why not go ahead and sin? We see so much ungodliness with delayed justice. Oh yeah well if there really is a God then let Him strike me dead… Im still here so he must not be here. So much idolatry and blasphemy all in the face of God. So much our country is doing in the face of the living God because the Lord is not dropping us all like flies. We think that when we sin and God does not strike us down with lightning that he doesn’t care or doesn’t notice.
Here we get an ugly glimpse into the total depravity of the human heart. If evil deeds were punished right away, then people would be deterred from doing wickedness
To give an example from the world of sports, one of the reasons why famous athletes like Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez kept using steroids, even though such drugs had been banned from professional baseball, is because steroid users were not being punished. If there are never any consequences, then why not go ahead and sin?
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 194). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
E. When we operate unrighteously because of the delay, we are taking advantage of God’s mercy. Here is the reality… The reason God does not throw thunderbolts from the sky is because he is so patient and compassionate.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 193–194). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,
“Yahweh! The Lord!
The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
When people operate unrighteously, they are taking advantage of God’s mercy. The reason God does not throw thunderbolts from the sky is because he is so patient. He is “slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love”
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 194). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
F. So do not be deceived, judgement is coming.
But you, O God, will send the wicked
down to the pit of destruction.
Murderers and liars will die young,
but I am trusting you to save me.
G. But He is giving us more time. More time for what? For us to repent. So the way for us to respond to the delay is not to sin more or envy the wicked, but to come to the Lord in humility and repent.
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
H. But there is also something even more frightening.
In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”
I. They were already during the time of Abraham wicked. But the Lord waited 400 years before the hammer came down on the Amorites. So they did not take advantage of God’s mercy to repent like the Assyrians, and Judgement day came… why is this so frightening? Now instead of 100 years of sins being judged, it is 400 years. The full measure of Amorite sin, gets a full measure of God’s wrath. The delay is merciful and so the judgement become even worse. I gave you 400 years to repent… make it all so much worse.
J. This is a picture of the judgement of God...
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.
Romans
K. It makes it all so much worse. That is why the message for us today is repent.
III. The Judgement
- What happens after we die?
A. One of the best ways to regain God’s perspective on good and evil is to do what the Preacher did and go to someone’s grave, especially the grave of someone evil. In his struggle over witnessing injustice, the Preacher also needed to see the end of the story. So do we, if we hope to keep our spiritual sanity in a fallen world.
B. This is the ultimate question. What happens after we die? The Preacher believed there would be a final righting of all wrongs. True, he was troubled by the common injustices of life in a fallen world. But he was also convinced that God would make things right in the end.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 195). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
What happened after that? This is the ultimate question. What happens after we die? The Preacher believed there would be a final righting of all wrongs. True, he was troubled by the common injustices of life in a fallen world. But he was also convinced that God would make things right in the end:
But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.
C.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 195). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
C. Even if he does not explain exactly what happens after death, Qoheleth knows that justice will be done. Although he knows that the world is full of injustice, he also believes in the final justice of God.
Even if he does not explain exactly what happens after death, Qoheleth knows that justice will be done. Although he knows that the world is full of injustice, he also believes in the final justice of God.
D. Things will not turn out well for the wicked, who will come to a bad end. Whether they sin a hundred times or a thousand, there is no blessing beyond the grave. One day they will be dead and buried, for as the Preacher reminds us in verse 10, the wicked will not live forever.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 195). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.
E.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 195–196). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
E. Verse 12 tells us that the wicked want to prolong their days. Because they do not have the assurance of Heaven, they cling to life for dear life, desperately trying to live as long as they can. But verse 13 tells us that they will not get even one more day than God gives them. The shadows lengthen at the end of the day, but the wicked cannot prevent the nightfall of death.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 196). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
F. The Preacher says further, and rather ominously, that “it will not be well with the wicked” (; cf. ). If he is thinking about what happens after death, he is absolutely right. After they die, the wicked will face the judgment (see ). Their sins will be counted against them, their souls will be condemned to Hell, and they will be banished from God’s presence forever. Do not envy the wicked, even when they seem to prosper. It will not go well for them on the Day of Judgment! No indeed, for the Bible says that they will be “thrown into the outer darkness,” where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” ().
The Preacher says further, and rather ominously, that “it will not be well with the wicked” (; cf. ). If he is thinking about what happens after death, he is absolutely right. After they die, the wicked will face the judgment (see ). Their sins will be counted against them, their souls will be condemned to Hell, and they will be banished from God’s presence forever. Do not envy the wicked, even when they seem to prosper. It will not go well for them on the Day of Judgment! No indeed, for the Bible says that they will be “thrown into the outer darkness,” where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” ().
IV. It Is Well
- One day all will be well for the God-fearing people of God.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 196). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
One day all will be well for the God-fearing people of God.
A. Why?
And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!
B. It just does not seem right. It is all vanity to see this happen. What of all the injustice? So meaningless. But the reason why it is well with the souls of God’s people is because God the Father used this meaningless situation to bring about meaningful salvation to His people.
C. Our Lord who was good was treated as if He were wicked. And Barabbas who was wicked was treated as if he were good. They set Barabbas free and condemned Jesus who was good a criminal.
D. Jesus who was good was flogged like a criminal, beaten like a criminal, spit on and mocked like a criminal and was finally nailed to a cross like a criminal to die between two criminals.
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
E. The Gospel of Jesus is clear. In this case, Jesus who was good being treated as wicked, brought blessing to mankind. He took our sin, became sin for us, died the death that we all should have died. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures...
F. Salvation is here. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord… All who call upon the name of the Lord… If you believe that Jesus is the Christ...
G. This is the testimony of everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and the grace that comes from his cross and the empty tomb. In spite of our present sufferings, it is well, for God is near. And it shall be well, because the God of justice and mercy will save us on the final day.
This is the testimony of everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and the grace that comes from his cross and the empty tomb. In spite of our present sufferings, it is well, for God is near. And it shall be well, because the God of justice and mercy will save us on the final day.
-
This is the testimony of everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and the grace that comes from his cross and the empty tomb. In spite of our present sufferings, it is well, for God is near. And it shall be well, because the God of justice and mercy will save us on the final day.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 199). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.