Making Sense of the Madness

Introduction:

It has been a few weeks since we were in the Book of Ecclesiastes and we are almost finished with our study. We are getting close to Solomon’s conclusion for his experiment looking at the meaning of life under the sun.

Now, remember that Solomon is writing from two vantage points. The vantage point of the man without God and the vantage point of the man who trusts in God. Neither can always tell why things happen or what God’s reasoning is for allowing certain things, but one trusts God will ultimately right all evil and justice will be given. For the other man, everything is vanity, meaninglessness!

After trying several experiments to find meaning and purpose without God by turning to wealth, wisdom, women, and pleasures of life, Solomon gives some wisdom for living in this life under the sun that he has observed along his journey.

. We began looking at some of these principles, but here is where Solomon is going.

We began looking at some of these principles last time, but let’s take a big picture look at some of these principles again.

1. Wisdom Concerning Government (8:1-13)

Wisdom Concerning Government (8:1-13)

The Limits of Human Wisdom (8:14-9:10)

Wisdom Regarding the Use of Our Words (9:17-10:20)

The Call to Generous Living (11:1-6)

The Brevity of Life (11:7-8)

The Conclusion of the Matter (11:9-14)

So you can see where we’ve been and where we are going over the next couple of weeks that we are in Ecclesiastes. Tonight let’s zoom in on the limits of human wisdom and wisdom regarding the use of our words.

Read .

1. Wisdom Concerning Government (8:1-13)

Again, remember that we have just looked at wisdom for dealing with government, both from the perspective of the man who serves the king (i.e. the one being governed) and the one governing. We now turn to the limits of human wisdom.

The Limits of Human Wisdom (8:14-9:10)

We can only know so much in this world. We live with finite brains that can only hold so much information. Sometimes the information that we hold in our heads is not even factually correct. Other times, there just simply is no way to understand what we are looking at.

How many of you remember the feeling that you had when 9/11 happened? We looked on as those planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center, and many of us scratched our heads thinking, How could something like this happen!

We see scenarios like this play out every single day where good people have bad things happen to them, and bad people have good things happen. If a person doesn’t have a framework to understand God’s ultimate, divine justice, it can leave that person feeling very helpless and disheartened. The person can easily conclude, What difference does it matter what I do?

Solomon’s conclusion was to just try to enjoy life to the best of your ability with what God has given. Solomon then says in verses 16-17, when he tried to understand the logic of how things operate on this earth, he was left to realize that only God can understand it all. It is futile to spend your life trying to answer the question why.

Do you know people that have wanted to have that answer?

Why did I get diagnosed with this disease and that person is healthy?

Why do I have such a hard time finding good work?

Why can’t we seem to get ahead with our bills?

Why ..... you fill in the blank.

The problem of evil, the problem of pain and suffering, is a real obstacle for many people. If you spend your whole life searching for the answer to this question, in the end you will only drive yourself mad! There is no answer that can truly satisfy outside of God. Science says we are products of random chance. That doesn’t comfort us when mass shootings happen. It doesn’t give us hope when we go to the doctor for serious illnesses.

says,

Hebrews 11:1–3 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

You see, the answer to Solomon’s questions lies in having faith in God. You have to trust Him based on His character and what you know of God.

Since here in Ecclesiastes Solomon is writing from the vantage point of someone without God, he makes these conclusions.

Death happens to Everyone (9:1-4)

Life is better than death (9:5-6)

Enjoy life with what God has given you (9:7-10)

Solomon uses several cultural example of trying to live life up to the fullest. People would drink to have enjoyment. They would also wear clean garments of white and pour oil on their heads. Marriage was to be enjoyed and work celebrated. All of these are the best man can do to try to enjoy himself during the limited time he has in this world.

Random Chance Seems to happen to everyone (9:11-12)

No matter what you do, no one will remember you for it (9:13-16)

Solomon nows turns to a story about a man who saved a city. He wasn’t the likely hero. He was poor. He was not of the upper crust. But he had wisdom. It wasn’t by might that the city was saved, but his wisdom.

Once the city was saved, you would think that he would be the hero of the city. Everyone would have a parade for him. They would make monuments to him and celebrate a holiday named after him. After all, he saved the city!

However, once the danger had passed, no one remembered him. He was a forgotten memory and an unsung hero. That’s how it goes sometimes isn’t it? We may not save a city, but we do things for others and they just forget about what we have done for them.

Solomon concluded that even though the man may be ignored or forgotten, wisdom still was better than all the power in the world.

Conclusion:

Next we turn to having wisdom concerning the use of our words.

Next week we will turn to wisdom regarding the use of our words, but tonight we need to stop and consider where our faith is. Do we trust God when we cannot make sense of things? Do we believe that God has our best interests in mind and that He will not allow anything to happen to us that is not for our ultimate good and according to His sovereign plan?

In trying to solve the problem of evil, people have either gone to far to remove things from God’s control, believing that they are helping God out by removing the responsibility for what happens in this world, all the while not realizing that they are saying God is not all powerful and cannot help us. This is a hopeless conclusion! If God can’t help us who can!

Or they go to the other extreme and make God uncaring of what happens to us. The truth must be found in faith. God can and is in control. We don’t know why He allows some things to happen, but we know that He is good. He is kind and loving towards us. He has our welfare in mind.

There is a famous song lyric that says, “When you cannot see His hand, trust His heart.” There are no better words of advice that we could get than to trust in the heart of Christ. It will make all of the difference in the world regarding our life lived under the sun!