Make the most out of life
Wisdom Literature for application • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 47:42
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Inexplicable purpose of God
Without a doubt there are things that we can know, death is eminent, but we can know some great wisdom from the scripture about the inexplicable purpose of God as well as many other great topics we will overview tonight in our passage.
All things serve God’s eternal purpose and plan (Ecc3:1-15)
To everything there is a season and a time for everything under the sun (Ecc3:1-8)
God has created everything beautiful in it’s time (Ecc3:11)
11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
God has set eternity in the heart of man, though man has striven to find out the purpose of life, it is like striving after the wind, we cannot know everything.
Everything happens in it’s proper time
Our mixture in this world is filled with joy, sorrow, laughter, tears, triumphs and tragedies. We have harmony, conflict, life and yes death too. All happens in it’s proper time. May we as creatures in this world for a time such as this know what we have waiting for us when we confess and wait on the eternal purpose of God to be fulfilled in us.
While life maybe grievous, may we not be without hope (Eph2:12; Heb10:23; 1Tim1:1)
We were once without hope
12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
But now we need to hold to our hope
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
For Jesus is our hope
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,
This life can be frustrating because we cannot understand, comprehend everything, but we can rest assured the God’s eternal purpose (Jesus and the Church) that gives us our eternal hope. We can only now, in this temporal world, accept what the Lord has given us and know that our salvation, our resurrection, our victory over death is assured in our belief, faith, trust and obedience to Jesus Christ.
so may we
In this life may we rejoice and be good (Ecc3:12)
Enjoy this life and the fruit of our labor (Ecc3:13)
God’s eternal purpose does include reverencing Him (Ecc3:14; Act17:26-27)
26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
Everything we have is a gift from God (Ecc3:13; Jam1:17)
17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
Death is eminent
Death is eminent
Death and taxes you have heard that those two things are eminent. Well Solomon has much to say about the death part in this passage, and his outlook regarding death
16 Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. 17 I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.
18 I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.” 19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.
20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?
22 I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Koheleth saw the oppression of men (Ecc3:16-17)
God see’s the oppression of men and one day will hold men accountable for being an oppressor or being oppressed.
God will use injustice and wickedness in carrying out his purpose
God raised up Assyria, raised up the Chaldean’s against Israel
Ask the question: Can you think of anything, anytime God has used evil for a good outcome?
Koheleth reasoned in his heart God tests heart of man (Ecc3:18)
God will judge in the future, and all will be held accountable but also
God judges now (v.18) testing the heart of man.
Leads to the next point the fate of men and beasts
Koheleth acknowledges God and the fate of man and beast (Ecc3:18-21; also see Jm2:26; Gen35:18; Lk8:55; Ecc12:7)
Man is the same as beasts they will return to the ground, return to dust when they die
Man is also different for man has a spirit that ascends and the beast descends
Remember we were created in the image of God (Gen1:26-27) so we have advantage over beast.
Man dies when spirit leaves the body (Jam2:26; Gen35:18; Lk8:55 and Ecc12:7) you can look those up on your own
Koheleth draws another conclusion (Ecc3:22)
Maybe better put the conclusion up again
22 I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?
While we are people of faith, we learn to live with what seems to be inconsistencies and absurdities for we live by promises not explanations. We can’t explain life, we just have to experience it, either enduring it or enjoying it, so which is it going to be?
Now as we continue this “Make the most out of life” Koheleth goes on and talks about a few topics throughout chapter 4 so let’s break them down.
Koheleth: It is better to be dead
Koheleth: It is better to be dead
Without hope, without God this world can be pretty oppressive and depressing and Koheleth looks at what he see’s with no view of God here.
1 Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.
2 So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. 3 But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Koheleth looks and again, sees the oppression (Ecc4:1)
Notice that again it says “under the sun.”
He see’s tears and no comforter; there seems to be power in the oppressor
Where he even says better to not to have been born, this is all a hyperbole, an over exaggeration
God see’s the oppression of the people too (Exo3:9; 2Kng13:4; Act7:34)
We have a full picture, the full counsel of God we have the whole book in our hands and know God sees the oppression of the people too.
9 “Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.
34 ‘I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’
Koheleth: On labor and riches
Koheleth: On labor and riches
Remember we have already discussed vanities of vanities and labor is part of the vanities, now he gives a little more to prove his vanity conclusion here.
4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. 5 The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh.
6 One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind. 7 Then I looked again at vanity under the sun.
8 There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
It can cause rivalry, envy (Ecc4:4)
It too is vanity and like striving after the wind. (Ecc4:4)
It is foolish to do nothing, but to labor and acquire brings no lasting satisfaction either (Ecc4:5-6)
Here is a Godly solution, be content with what God gives you (Pro15:16-17)
16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord Than great treasure and turmoil with it. 17 Better is a dish of vegetables where love is Than a fattened ox served with hatred.
Koheleth on: Friendship
Koheleth on: Friendship
Man was not created to be alone, to strive, to live alone, we were meant to be communal . Koheleth gives a beautiful description here in our passage.
9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
In this life we face many hardships, tragedies, disappointments, but there are few things that can help us more in those times than a real friend. A friend who is by our side, not just in the good times but in the trying times too.
Koheleth sees the value of friendship, two better than one (Ecc4:7-8; Ecc4:9)
There is a promise in (v.9); what is it? (they, together, will have a return for their labor) There is in insinuation in (v.9) too, what is it? (Friendship takes effort, takes work).
Koheleth sees the strength in friendship, vs. being alone (Ecc4:10)
Who doesn’t need someone to come by their side in the difficult times to help them get up and keep moving and not give up?
Koheleth sees the importance of friendship (Ecc4:11)
In the cold dark times of life, we need people, someone who will be there for us to help us through those times.
Koheleth has not sexual implications here in (v.11); but intimacy in being there for one another; oftentimes this can be our, should be our spouse.
Koheleth sees the power in friendship (Ecc4:12)
Cord of three strands (expand on this briefly)
Koheleth on: Popularity
Koheleth on: Popularity
Who did not want to be popular at some time of your life, be honest. Well Koheleth see’s that popularity is fleeting too and it is vanity, and striving after the wind too.
13 A poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction. 14 For he has come out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom.
15 I have seen all the living under the sun throng to the side of the second lad who replaces him. 16 There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him, for this too is vanity and striving after wind.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Better to be a poor lad and teachable then old privileged and set in your ways (v.13)
From poverty and prison to a kingdom (v.14)
It is better to be the second one (the poor lad) than the other, but yet still striving after the wind here too.
Political power and popularity are short-lived. Those who are in power for long periods of time seem to be set in their ways and inflexible to the people and thus make themselves vulnerable and the people desire to take them out. Still the struggle is real and it is vanity of vanities, popularity and political power it is like striving after the wind it avails nothing.
Drawing a conclusion
Drawing a conclusion
Vanity of vanities we have seen that through Chapters 1-4; and we have seen Koheleth view of everything “under the sun” and then the introduction of God. So from there may we see some application, draw a conclusion.
God has made everything, and given everything in it’s season to be used and enjoyed, knowing it is temporal.
God has set eternity in the heart of man, eternity that goes beyond death which is eminent.
Life without God is useless, pointless, it is like striving after the wind, but when you have God in view it can, should have purpose, meaning and shared with others, for two are better than one!
Life maybe perplexing since we cannot understand everything how God works all things out (Rom8:28) but we have each other to help each other (Ecc4:9-12; 1The5:11)
11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
For there is no better way to encourage one another then to have the greatest friend we can have, Jesus
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
We have the mystery revealed to us, we have the Son, we have the Church, we have the scripture, and through Jesus with the right view we can find mercy and grace in our time of need.
15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Encouragement slide)
Koheleth had a view of the world, a view of God that he has started to introduce and will continue to develop as we continue our series, but tonight our view, may it be of Jesus and what He did for us, does for us, will continue to do in us and through us.
(Encouragement slide 2) prayer (exit slide)