Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Samuel 17:33-

Introduction

Introduction

Understanding the youth today.

We always say “the youth of today is the future of tomorrow”, but we do not work enough to build our tomorrow.

We thought the tomorrow will come by itself.

Understanding the youth today

Worldwide, Many churches are facing the problem of dropping in the number of youth.

Many youths no longer find the church or religious living relevant their lives.

the problem becomes more obvious when they turn into young adults, because now they see themselves as an adult who is free from parents, they can make any decision on their own.

There was a reseeacrch survery done In 2017 by LifeWay Research survey , 66 percent of Americans between 23 and 30 years old said they stopped attending church on a regular basis for at least a year after turning 18

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/january/church-drop-out-college-young-adults-hiatus-lifeway-survey.html

youtube: why do young people drop out a church.

What do we see here?

we see a problem, but we also see a hope - young poeple needs guidance.

Being a parent, or an adult with youths in our family, what can we help?

Understand their struggle/help them in the search of life

significance of mentioning ‘youth’ at the end of Ecclesiastes as a conclusion - after spending 10 chapters on talking on the vanity of life.

This section （11:7-12:7） is in two parts: counsel to youth and a poem on aging and death

Understand their struggle/help them in the search of life

Garrett, D. A. (1998).

The Poetic and Wisdom Books.

In D. S. Dockery (Ed.), Holman concise Bible commentary (p.

250).

Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

1) Rejoice - their life’s enjoyment with consequential view (v9)

hedonism.

many youths see their ultimate goal as enjoyment.

Joy is part of life that God intends for us, as the goodness of life in verse 7 is portrayed by light, which denotes “joy, blessing and life”.

It is being joyfully alive (cf.

; ).

‘Since life is not … truly life unless it can be enjoyed, “light” often designates the pleasures of life.

Joy is to be controlled by the knowledge of God’s judgment.

But while man thankfully enjoys life, “let him remember” it will not last for ever.

The “many days of darkness,” that is, the unseen world (, ; ), also days of “evil” in this world (), are coming; therefore sow the good seed while life and good days last, which are not too long for accomplishing life’s duties.

youth—distinct Hebrew words, adolescence or boyhood (before ), and full-grown youth.

It marks the gradual progress in self-indulgence, to which the young especially are prone; they see the roses, but do not discover the thorns, until pierced by them.

Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997).

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 413).

Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Eaton, M. A. (1983).

Ecclesiastes: An introduction and commentary (Vol.

18, p. 164).

Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

the occasion given for joy has its reason in this, that a man ought to rejoice, viz., according to God’s arrangement and ordinance: the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun; for it ought thus to be, that a man, however long he may live, should continue to enjoy his fair life, especially in view of the night which awaits him

YOLO. the call to the youthful enjoyment of life is accompanied with the nota bene: but know that God will bring thee to an account for all this; and thus it excludes sinful sensual desire

2) their eternal destination (v9)

Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996).

Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol.

6, p. 787).

Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.

Rejoice, O young man! in thy youth.

Some make this to be the counsel which the atheist and the epicure give to the young man, the poisonous suggestions against which Solomon, in the close of the verse, prescribes a powerful antidote.

But it is more emphatic if we take it, as it is commonly understood, by way of irony, like that of Elijah to the priests of Baal (Cry aloud, for he is a god), or of Micaiah to Ahab (Go to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper), or of Christ to his disciples, Sleep on now.

“Rejoice, O young man! in thy youth, live a merry life, follow thy sports, and take thy pleasures; let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, cheer thee with its fancies and foolish hopes; entertain thyself with thy pleasing dreams; walk in the ways of thy heart; do whatever thou hast a mind to do, and stick at nothing that may gratify the sensual appetite.

Quic—quid libet, licet—Make thy will thy law.

Walk in the ways of thy heart, and let thy heart walk after thy eyes, a rambling heart after a roving eye; what is pleasing in thy own eyes do it, whether it be pleasing in the eyes of God or no.”

Rejoice, O young man! in thy youth.

Some make this to be the counsel which the atheist and the epicure give to the young man, the poisonous suggestions against which Solomon, in the close of the verse, prescribes a powerful antidote.

But it is more emphatic if we take it, as it is commonly understood, by way of irony, like that of Elijah to the priests of Baal (Cry aloud, for he is a god), or of Micaiah to Ahab (Go to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper), or of Christ to his disciples, Sleep on now.

“Rejoice, O young man! in thy youth, live a merry life, follow thy sports, and take thy pleasures; let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, cheer thee with its fancies and foolish hopes; entertain thyself with thy pleasing dreams; walk in the ways of thy heart; do whatever thou hast a mind to do, and stick at nothing that may gratify the sensual appetite.

Quic—quid libet, licet—Make thy will thy law.

Walk in the ways of thy heart, and let thy heart walk after thy eyes, a rambling heart after a roving eye; what is pleasing in thy own eyes do it, whether it be pleasing in the eyes of God or no.” Solomon speaks thus ironically to the young man to show that if men give themselves to such a course of life as this it is just with God to give them up to it, to abandon them to their own heart’s lusts, that they may walk in their own counsels

Solomon speaks thus ironically to the young man to

Henry, M. (1994).

Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p.

1053).

Peabody: Hendrickson.

Henry, M. (1994).

Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p.

1053).

Peabody: Hendrickson.

their eternal destination (v9)

enjoyment begin in one’s youth because youth is fleeting; but he added that enjoyment should be tempered by responsible living because everyone is answerable to God. there is no reason to believe from either explicit or implicit arguments in this book that Solomon believed this judgment would take place in the afterlife.

Instead, like other wisdom writers of his era, he emphasized a temporal judgment within a man’s lifetime

enjoyment begin in one’s youth because youth is fleeting; but he added that enjoyment should be tempered by responsible living because everyone is answerable to God

To the young, Ecclesiastes advises that their brief time of youthful vigor be spent in joy rather than in anxiety.

But they are not free to pursue folly and immoral behavior.

Awareness of divine judgment and the fleeting nature of youth should always govern their decisions

two cases i heard on radio on the way to office.

kidnapping and drug trafficking.

2) Remove - their emotional struggle (heart) and physical struggle (body) - v10

their emotional struglle (v10)

v. 10.

Let young people look to themselves and manage well both their souls and their bodies, their heart and their flesh.

Henry, M. (1994).

Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (pp.

1053–1054).

Peabody: Hendrickson.the

perplexity (1:18), grief (2:23; 7:3) or irritation (7:9) caused by sheer experience of life.

The ‘vanity’ of the world easily induces in us ‘vexation’, which hinders the joyful life of faith.

The danger is that ‘vexation’ over the enigmas and irritations of life will grip the ‘heart’ and that disillusionment will lead to cynicism

the perplexity (1:18), grief (2:23; 7:3) or irritation (7:9) caused by sheer experience of life.

The ‘vanity’ of the world easily induces in us ‘vexation’, which hinders the joyful life of faith.

The danger is that ‘vexation’ over the enigmas and irritations of life will grip the ‘heart’ and that disillusionment will lead to cynicism

Let them take care that their minds be not lifted up with pride, nor disturbed with anger, or any sinful passion: Remove sorrow, or anger, from thy heart; the word signifies any disorder or perturbation of the mind.

Young people are apt to be impatient of check and control, to vex and fret at any thing that is humbling and mortifying to them, and their proud hearts rise against every thing that crosses and contradicts them.

They are so set upon that which is pleasing to sense that they cannot bear any thing that is displeasing, but it goes with sorrow to their heart.

Their pride often disquiets them, and makes them uneasy.

their physcial challenge (v10) - body

The Hebrew bāsār (body) portrays mankind in his weakness, both physical weariness (12:12) and moral frailty (5:6).

This text with its contrast between heart and flesh, the inner and outer aspects of human life, emphasizes physical weakness.

Thus the exhortation is to remove the physical barriers to joy as far as possible.

E. Jacob understands this verse to refer to gratification of sexual desire, but the passage is not concerned with anything so specific.

It operates in general categories