Ecclesiastes 2:18-26

Introduction

[Illus] You’ve probably heard the story that leadership coach, Zig Ziglar, tells about the Washington monument.

Ol’ Zig’s group approached the monument excited to journey to the top and see the view. As they approached though, Zig heard a tour guide announce, “There’s a two-hour wait to ride the elevator to the top of the monument.” Then with a smirk, the tour guide said, “But there is not waiting to go to the top if your willing to take the stairs!”

Solomon felt as if had take the stairs to the top. He had worked hard and had it all, but in our passage tonight, he is in distress because he realizes that all that he has will have to be left to someone else when he dies.

At the end of the previous passage, in v. 17, Solomon said, “So I hated life...” He said this because, in his view, death was the final destination for the wise man and the mad fool alike, so what’s the point? “…for all is vanity and a striving after wind,” ().

But in other places Solomon says that life is superior to death () and that it should be enjoyed (3:12-13; 9:9).

So, which is it? Does Solomon hate life? Or does he love it?

Solomon is speaking in absolute terms for the purpose of effect. But there are times when we may feel like we hate life, but there are many days when we just dislike it a whole bunch. And there are days when we like life but don’t love it, and other days that we do love it!

Nevertheless, Solomon uses the same sort of absolute speech when talking about work in this passage (). He says, “I hated all my toil,” () and then later, “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God...” ().

So, which is it? Does he hate work? Or does he love it?

If someone asked us that question, we might say, “Well, it depends on the day.”

But the truth is, it depends upon our perspective.

The right perspective helps us enjoy our work even when its sorrowful, vexing, and exhausting.

The wrong perspective causes us to lament our work even when there is real good in it.

The right perspective can be summed up in the phrase—with God.

The wrong perspective can be summed up in the phrase —apart from God.

[TS] Look first at v. 18...

Major Ideas

v. 18, Solomon seems to only love work because of what he can get (money, glory, etc.) and keep. But of course we can’t keep it. If thieves don’t break in and steal it, death will come and steal us way from it. Thus, Solomon says, “I hate work because when I die, I can’t take it with me and must instead leave it to another.”

​ ESV“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Q: Why should we love work if not for the stuff we earn through work? Why should we love work if not for the stuff we can earn and leave behind to someone else? What other reasons are there for loving work?

work not apart of the curse, meant to work

work provides confidence, accomplishment, housing, and food!

​ ESVTherefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

v. 19, Solomon lamented that the one to come after him may be wise or foolish, but either way, he will get all that Solomon leaves behind; all that Solomon has worked for and used his wisdom to gain. It seems Solomon’s identity is wrapped up in his work.

Q: Why is it so easy to center our identity on our work?

​ ESVTherefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

Q: Where does our identity truly come from?

​ ESVDo not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

Q: Why is it dangerous to have our identity wrapped up in something good like work or family?

Solomon feels the comment of the early church father, Jerome, “one has the fruit of another’s labor, and the sweat of the dead is the ease of the one who lives” (alter labore alterius perfruatur et sudor mortui, deliciae sint viventis; see CChrSL, 72:271). [Roland Murphy, Ecclesiastes, vol. 23A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1992), 26.]

Solomon also laments that the one who gets all Solomon’s stuff will not have worked for

[Illus] When President Kennedy was seeing the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960, he visited a coal mine in West Virginia where a coal miner asked him, “Is it true that you’re the son of one of our wealthiest men?” President Kennedy said it was so. The coal miner then asked, “Is it true that you’ve never done a day’s work with your hands in your entire life?” I’m sure President Kennedy said something about other types of work and helping those who did work their hands, but standing before the coal miner who worked hard with his hands everyday, President Kennedy had to nod. He had not worked with his hands a day in his life.

The coal miner then said, “Well, let me tell you this, you haven’t missed and thing!”

That’s a humorous story, but the truth is we do miss out on a lot when we miss out on work.

Q: What values do you gain in earning what you have rather than it just being given to you?

delayed gratification

Roland Murphy, Ecclesiastes, vol. 23A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1992), 26.

budgeting

little by little

hard work

appreciation

maintenance

planning

vv. 20-21, Solomon turned to despair because he couldn’t take it all with him and had to leave it to someone else who didn’t earn it.

Q: Why is it ironic that Solomon, the son of King David, complained about leaving his wealth and accomplishments to someone else?

[Illus] Back in 2016 when President Trump was running for office, he was trying to present himself as a self-made man. He talked building up his empire starting from nothing… other than a small one million dollar loan from his father!

That reminds me of Solomon in this passage. He presents himself as someone who has earned it all on his own, when in fact his father, King David, gave him a boost in this direction.

Q: Solomon’s complaint in vv. 20-21 also reveals that Solomon has been working for the earthly side of eternity. How does the NT challenge a mere earthly perspective of work?

treasure in Heaven

work to the glory of God

my job is a testimony and a mission field

vv. 22-23, Work under the cures is sorrowful, vexing, and restless.

Q: Do you agree with this description of work? Has this ever been your experience?

Q: Why does say work will be frustrating?

Q: Based on this description, Solomon is expecting too much from work—joy, peace, and rest. Why can’t work provide these things? Where can we find these things in a way that lasts?

vv. 24-26, Verse 25 in the ESV, NASB, HCSB asks, “for apart from him (God) who can eat or who can have enjoyment?” This question highlights the graciousness of God in giving us enjoyment in our toil. Other versions, however, like the KJV and the NKJV ask, “for who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I (Solomon)?” This question is an appeal to Solomon’s expertise in pleasure. Translated this way, Solomon is basically asking in v. 25, “And who should know more about pleasure than me?”

Both are fine translations making sound points, but given the lead in from v. 24 though, I think it’s best to view this question as a question about God’s gift of enjoyment in toil rather than Solomon’s expertise on pleasure (although Solomon was an expert on the subject, cf., vv. 1-11).

Although pleasure or enjoyment is not an end in itself, Solomon realizes that with God work can provide enjoyment this side of eternity. Even if he thinks there’s no lasting joy beyond this earthly joy, he know that outside of God the monotony and temporariness of work here on earth dominates. The word ‘enjoyment’ in v. 24 (ESV) could also be translated “and make his soul see good.” This is a good definition for joy—the soul seeing good. With God, Solomon’s soul can see the good in his work under the sun even if it is frustrating and fleeting.

Q: How does God provide enjoyment in otherwise mundane and vexing work?

perspective change (begin to enjoy rather than dread the work, the people, the reason for the work we do)

assurance of purpose (even when we don’t know how, God is using it somehow)

Conclusion

Rather than work to get all we can in order to keep all we can, our approach to work should be to please God, trusting him to provide wisdom, knowledge, and joy even as we work under the curse of sin on this side of eternity.

Solomon left the kingdom and all that he earned and built divided between Jeroboam and his son, Rehoboam, both of whom the very thing Solomon feared. They wasted Solomon’s legacy; they wasted what he left behind ( ).

The ESV says in v. 21 that a man must leave ‘everything’ to be enjoyed by someone else. Other English versions use words like heritage (NKJV) or portion (HCSB). The NASB uses the word ‘legacy,’ which refers to what is left behind of one’s life after they have died.

at’s what the word ‘legacy’ in v. 21 means—what is left behind of one’s life after they have died. But Solomon’s view of ‘legacy’

But Solomon’s view of ‘legacy’ is rooted in material things. His frequent dissatisfaction with his legacy and the face that it was so quickly squandered should teach us something about rooting our legacy in material things.

There is nothing wrong (and actually something very wise) with living behind material things for the good of others, but we definitely serve future generations much better by thinking in terms of the spiritual legacy we leave behind.

And we will find that constructing a faithful spiritual legacy is much more satisfying along the way.

Let’s end by thinking about this question then: How do I begin today to build a lasting spiritual legacy for future generations?

Psalm 37:18 ESV

The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;

​ ESVBrothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

​ ESVDo not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Ezekiel: An Introduction and Commentary ii. The Ministers, Their Duties and Their Entitlements (44:1–45:8)

between the sacred and profane), and also in verse 5 with a special area marked off for Levitical cities (reading RSV, for cities to live in, in preference to AV for twenty chambers), instead of the pattern proposed in Numbers 35:2–8. The

“between the sacred and profane), and also in verse 5 with a special area marked off for Levitical cities (reading RSV, for cities to live in, in preference to AV for twenty chambers), instead of the pattern proposed in . The

and you will not be judged;condemn not,and you will not be condemned; forgive,

​ ESV“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

John B. Taylor, Ezekiel: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 22, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1969), 266.

Forgive and give are the positive side of not judging and not condemning. Not judging and not condemning pull us from negativity to neutrality in our relationships. But forgiving and giving, however, move us from neutrality to positivity in our relationships. Rather than just leaving a person alone by not judging or condemning them, we must do good to them by forgiving and giving to them.

and you will be forgiven;

​ ESVFor if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

It could be that being forgiven here refers to our neighbors. If we are harsh with them, then they will likely be harsh with us. If we are gentle with them, then they will likely be gentle with us.Ultimately of course being forgiven refers to being forgiven by God (cf. ), but this does not teach that we must forgive to be forgiven. We do not earn the forgiveness of God by forgiving others. Rather, we reveal that we have been forgiven by God when we forgive others.In the same way, we don’t give to get but give because we’ve already received an abundance in Jesus.

give,

​ ESVThe point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

and it will be given to you.It will be given to you by God.Good measure, (not meagerly)pressed down, (no space for any more in the container)shaken together, (so the grain will settle and allow for even more grain)running over, (a rounded heap)will be put into your lap.

​ ESVBehold, it is written before me: “I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their lap both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together, says the Lord; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds.”

In the ancient world, the arms would be placed under the cloak to form a makeshift basket of sorts in the lap. The lap is literally the ‘bosom.’

​ ESVAnd he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city.

For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

​ ESVAnd he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.

​ ESVAnd Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

He also told them a parable:

This is a parable about being blind to one’s own faults while eagle-eyed concerning the faults of others.“Eagle-eyed” is of course a figure of speech we use to describe someone with excellent eyesight. An eagle soars high above the ground but spots its prey far below. Then it swoops down to snatch up its kill.Through a thicket of trees an eagle sights its prey.Through the choppy waters of rivers and lakes an eagle zooms in on its dinner.We think we see the sins of others just as well.And then we swoop down with judgment and condemnation. All the while not realizing that we are more often “blind as a bat” rather than “eagle-eyed” in our judgments.

Can a blind man lead a blind man?Will they not both fall into a pit?

​ ESVLet them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

A disciple is not above his teacher,

​ ESV“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

but everyone when he is fully trained Jesus is our teacher, our Master. When we are fully trained, we operate like Him. Jesus stood for truth but did not operate with a condemning spirit. As Christians we are called to follow Jesus and led like Jesus. We can’t do that if we are blind to our own sins.

​ ESVFor God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

However, Jesus referred to the Pharisees as the blind leading the blind ( ). So perhaps here he is warning his disciples about following the judgmental way of the Pharisees. Following them will make you just as judgmental as they are. Following them will take you to the pit.will be like his teacher.

​ ESVFinally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

​ ESVequip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

​ ESVAnd after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

​ ESVI appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

​ ESVthat the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye,but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

​ ESVAnd as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

Jesus often used hyperbole to make his point.

​ ESVFor it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

​ ESVYou blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

How can you say to your bother, “Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,”when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye?You hypocrite,first take the log out of your own eye,and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Like the Pharisees who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel, we nitpick the sins of others while missing large sins in our own lives.

The answer, however, is not to get rid of the term “sin” and just make everything acceptable.

No, as Jesus says here, we need to remove the pride that makes us blind to our own sins, and then we will see clearly how best to help our brothers and sisters in their battle against sin.

--------------Things required: humility, confession, repentance, honesty What should characterize followers of Jesus? The critical spirit of judgment? Or a spirit of forgiveness and generosity?

Jesus was not ruling out the legal system, discernment, or calling sin “sin” when something obviously opposes the Word of God.

In , Jesus said to oppose false teachers, which requires judging between true and false teaching (cf., vv. 15-23).

In , Jesus taught about reconciliation with a brother or sister in Christ who sins against us.

That would of course require us to determine when someone has actually sinned against us (cf., 15-20).

In , the Apostle Paul chastised the Corinthian Church for not exercising discipline against the sexual immoral in the church (cf., vv. 1-5).

How could Paul have chastised them for such a thing unless he first judged between sexual morality versus sexual immorality?

Perhaps you’ve known someone who got a new position, a new responsibility that went to their head. When I was in college we had a few security guards who thought they were Walker Texas Ranger guarding Fort Knox. The position and responsibility went straight to their head.That can happen to us all. It even happens to us when we begin to follow Christ. We begin to think of ourselves as more knowledgeable, more righteous, more favored.And the truth is, we are!We are more knowledgeable, more righteous, and more favored in Christ!But we are only in Christ by grace, and grace squashes pride.Inspired by the Spirit of Christ, Paul wrote about this very thing in .At the beginning of that chapter Paul talked about how we were just as lost as anyone else. We were following Satan, living in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the sinful desires of the body and mind, children of wrath like the rest of mankind.Then says...

​ ESVBut God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

In that passage there are some things we should notice. God is merciful, not us.God is loving, not us.God is gracious, not us.God is kind, not us.For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast!Grace will not allow us to boast.Grace will not allow us to be puffed up about our salvation or service. As ...

​ ESVFor we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Our salvation in Christ is by grace!Our service to Christ is by grace!How could we then become prideful, thinking we are better than another?How could we forget to be grateful, showing compassion to those who are still trapped in darkness as we once were?[Illus] A while back there was the news story about the youth soccer team trapped in a dark, flooded cave. It took an expert team of divers to rescue those kids.But imagine the first kid rescued being interviewed on TV...“Tell the world what it was like to be rescued from the cave?”“Well, I knew I could do it if I set my mind to it.”“What about the other players still trapped in the cave? What would you say to them?”“Well, if they just do what I did, they’ll be alright.”If that were the interview, how would you respond? How do you think the world would respond?“Set your mind to it!? You didn’t do anything! You were the one who got trapped! The rescuer is the one who pulled you out! You ought to be grateful!”But many times we Christians act like that. We say things like, “Ol’ so and so needs to get his life together,” but we forget that it was the grace of God in Christ Jesus that got our lives together.We shake our heads and think to ourselves, “How could people act so shamefully,” forgetting that we too once acted just as shamefully before the Holy Spirit graciously revealed to us that Christ took our shame upon himself at the cross.Oh, we can determine between right and wrong, between moral and immoral, between truth and deception...…but we must never forget that we’ve received grace...…and we must never judge someone as beyond the reach of grace.

​Life Application Bible Commentary, Luke Jesus Teaches About Criticizing Others / 6:37–42 / 63The Jewish rabbis pictured God as having two scales—one called justice, the other mercy. If believers, having been forgiven (measured by the mercy scale), withhold mercy to others, God will judge them by his scale of justice. How easy it is for people to want strict and harsh justice measured to others while expecting mercy for themselves.

​Life Application Bible Commentary, Luke Jesus Teaches About Criticizing Others / 6:37–42 / 63God will use the same method to judge people (exacting or generous) that they use to judge others.

Judge the act or the attitude but not the person. A blind eye-surgeon is likely to produce blind patients. One cannot be a true follower of Jesus and continue to judge others harshly. One cannot be a true follower of Jesus and continue to condemn others. One cannot be a true follower of Jesus and act hypocritically, which is to judge people by a standard you can’t live up to yourself. What is Jesus teaching here? First our logs. Then their specks. OUTLINEIntro--illus - Dalton feeling judged by everyone Major Ideas -#1: The Disciple’s Attitude#2: The Disciple’s Altitude#3: The Disciple’s Aptitude

The disciple of Jesus is meant to help the world see sin as “sin” and Jesus as Savior. That means that he or she has is to have the fitness or aptitude to help. But whoever is blinded by self-righteousness is not fit to help. The one blinded by self-righteous does not have the aptitude to be a disciple of Jesus.Jesus explained this with another parable; one that would be humorous if its subject were not so serious and its situation not so prevalent.Jesus has us imagine a brother with a speck, a bit of saw dust in his eye while we have a log, plank, or beam that is in our eye (v. 41). But rather than noticing how impaired we are, we decide to repair our brother with the speck in his eye (v. 42a). [Illus] Imagine two friends come out of a bar. One says to the other, “Whew, I feel light headed.” The other friend—barely able to stand, his eyes slowly blinking, on the constant verge of vomiting—hiccups and says, “Bat’s TOTAY, buddy, I’ll smive!”We would say, “Well, obviously you out to sober up yourself, sir, before you think about helping someone else get home.”In the same way, if we are drunk on self-righteousness, then we ought to sober up before we think of helping someone else walk with Jesus. This is what Jesus says in v. 42b, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”It’s clear that disciples of Jesus are to help. Jesus doesn’t say that we aren’t to help. He is saying that we are to help only after we’ve examined ourselves and confessed and repented of any sins we’ve committed. The problem is that we are often blinded by and blind to the logs we have while eagle-eyed concerning the specks of others.Like the Pharisees who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel, we nitpick the sins of others while missing large sins in our own lives.The answer, however, is not to get rid of the term “sin” and just make everything acceptable. No, as Jesus says here, we need to remove the pride that makes us blind to our own sins, and then we will see clearly how best to help our brothers and sisters in their battle against sin. ConclusionGrace

On , MacArthur says, “Censorious, hypocritical, self-righteous, or other kinds of unfair judgments are forbidden; but in order to fulfill the commandments that follow, it is necessary to discern dogs and swine (7:6) from one’s own brethren (7:3-5).”