When Life Seems Hopeless - Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:6

©May 17th, 2020 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Ecclesiastes

Inevitably, you have heard (or said) the phrase to someone, “That’s not fair!” And you have also probably heard (or even said in response to someone else), “Well, life’s not fair!” This is one of the axioms of the human condition. And sometimes when we look at the world around us we conclude that life is hopeless, because everything seems to just be part of the unstoppable march toward our own death. It’s kind of a depressing thought. But that’s how many people come to view their own existence—life is an unfair trudge, and then you die.

In this morning’s passage, Solomon echoes some of these same beliefs and laments them. But he also helps us see that while we believe these things to be self-evident truths, there is actually more going on than we see. As he has done throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon challenges us to take a bigger view of life. To not look only at life under the sun, but to look at life in the light of the Son.

Injustice

Listen to Solomon’s first lament in the opening verses,

16 I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17 I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.” (Ecclesiastes 3:16-17, NLT)

Solomon laments the evil that exists in the justice system. He says that even the courts of law are corrupt. We live in a land that assumes justice can be served in the courts. We work hard to prevent corruption of judges and our legal system. But even the most straight-laced judge doesn’t get every decision right. Even judges sometimes don’t deliver justice.

Why is this? Why would Solomon say even the courts are corrupt? Is that always true? It certainly isn’t fair to say that all judges are crooks; I believe most are trying to do what is right. But in one sense our legal system is corrupt because it is based on human understanding and wisdom. Because human beings have corrupted the perfect image of God planted within each of us, we cannot properly render justice. We are all corrupted. And thus, so are our decisions and judgments.

People whose view of the world is distorted by sin will never see the world properly. It’s like asking a person with severe cataracts or macular degeneration to judge an art contest. They may be able to make out the picture, but they cannot see all the details that make one picture distinct from another. They cannot fully appreciate the complexity of the work of art before them because they do not see clearly. This is the problem all human judges face.

For evidence of this, look at our own legal system. In the United States, the Supreme Court is supposed to be the final arbiter of justice in our society. Its job is to right wrongs from lower courts and to issue guidance everyone else uses to establish justice. But even with a group of justices who believe in doing what is right, there is often disagreement on what the right thing is. And depending on the makeup of the court at any given time, “justice” can go either way. Of course, that isn’t justice at all. Justice is not dependent upon the situation, the current political climate, or who is currently in power. Justice does not change based on when a law was passed. It is an absolute concept, not a relative one. Even in the best circumstances, with all parties genuinely trying to do what is right, there are many times true justice simply doesn’t happen.

The other reason justice isn’t served is because human judges have incomplete information. They can never truly know what is in a person’s heart. They cannot know for certain what a person has or has not done. They cannot know the reasons why someone did what they did. They cannot know how their judgment will play out in the future. They make judgments using the best information they have available. Unfortunately, that information is lacking. Human courts are at a supreme disadvantage.

This ought to give us pause as we make judgments about other people as well. We often assume we know what’s best. We assume we know people’s motives. We assume we know what people really meant. But we don’t. We must remember that we don’t see things clearly. So, we should not be quick to judge others…because often we will get it wrong. It’s better to leave such judgments to God.

So, if we cannot be assured of justice in this life, even in the systems intended to ensure it, what is Solomon’s point? He reminds himself (and us) that even though human judges are imperfect, and our lives will be filled with myriad injustices, there is One who judges justly. He reminds us that God will judge everyone according to their deeds.

This is the difference between life under the sun and life with the Son. If all we ever consider is what we can see, then life is indeed hopeless. But Solomon reminds us that there is more going on than just what we can see. He reminds us that there is a time when God will serve justice. The guilty will be punished, and the righteous rewarded.

This is the truth we must cling to. We must remember that God loves us and will ensure justice is served. I often remind myself that “justice delayed is not justice denied.” Sometimes the justice we seek in this world does not come right away, but we need not lament or conclude the situation is hopeless. Rather, we should simply continue doing what is right, trusting that one day the Righteous Judge will set all things right.

Just Animals

Next, Solomon becomes despondent because he concludes that humans are no better or different than the animals.

18 I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. 19 For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20 Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. 21 For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life. And no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die. (Ecclesiastes 3:18-22, NLT)

His conclusion is that both humans and animals will live, die, and that’s it. In Solomon’s estimation, that meant that there is no benefit in being a human as opposed to any other animal on earth. He concludes that both “came from dust and they return to dust.” Again, this is a pretty depressing conclusion. What leads Solomon to this assessment?

In verse 21 he asks, “For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth?” Solomon wanted to believe there is life beyond the grave. He had probably even been told as much. But he despaired because he saw no assurance this is true. He may have concluded, like many today, that while the notion of life beyond the grave is palatable and desirable, there is no way to know it’s true. Many say it is a pipe dream intended to make us feel better about a life that is meaningless. Karl Marx once wrote about religion that it was “the opium of the people”, meaning that it helps people feel better, even if it isn’t really true.

But are these statements accurate? Is there really no way of having assurance of life beyond the grave? Is this a belief we have invented to make ourselves feel better?

The answer is a resounding No! In fairness to Solomon, he did not have the benefit of the life of Jesus, but we do. Because of Jesus we can be certain that there is life beyond the grave and that if we trust in Him then we will experience such life. How does Jesus provide such assurance? He told us He was going to prepare a place for us in heaven (John 14). He proved his power over death by allowing himself to be killed and then rising from the grave 3 days later! This was not something that happened in secret, and it wasn’t a myth invented by the disciples. He appeared to over 500 people after he was killed publicly. Seemingly overnight his disciples changed from people who were scared and hiding in a room to those who confronted the religious leaders and changed the world by proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. They were willing to die for their belief in the resurrection (and many of them did). This does not sound like people trying to perpetuate a myth, but people who had a genuine encounter with the risen Christ!

Before Jesus left his disciples after his resurrection, he told them he would come back again to bring justice and redeem his people. Then he ascended into heaven! I don’t know about you, but I find that to be pretty convincing evidence of life beyond the grave! Paul based his entire doctrine of life after death on Jesus’ resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15, he says,

And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. (1 Corinthians 15:14, NLT)

And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17, NLT)

And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. (1 Corinthians 15:19, NLT)

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. (1 Corinthians 15:20, NLT)

Solomon concluded that human beings were no better than the animals because we both will die, and that’s the end of the story. Like many today, Solomon believed you couldn’t be certain that there’s more to life than living and dying.

I will readily admit that there are still times I have doubts similar to Solomon. There are times when I ask myself whether I have devoted myself to a fairy tale because I like the way it makes me feel. Those times are few and far between anymore, and when they do come up, they are short-lived. The reason is that I always go back to the resurrection. The evidence that Jesus lived, died, and rose again is overwhelming. And because of that, I can face whatever comes, knowing this is not all there is.

Contentment

As Solomon begins chapter 4, he reiterates his frustration and hopelessness about the injustices of life. Then he points to the futility that most of us take in our pursuits in this life as well.

Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless. 2 So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. 3 But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.

4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

5 “Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin.” 6 And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 4:1-6, NLT)

We’ve already talked about Solomon’s despair over the injustices of the world. He reiterates that it seems like evil oppressors continue to get away with their oppression, so it’s better to have never been born. But we must remember that justice will ultimately be served. God will right every wrong. Justice delayed is not justice denied.

The last thing Solomon addresses is the fact that most people work hard for a very simple reason: they envy their neighbors.

We see this don’t we? Isn’t it true that many people go to work, accept greater and greater responsibilities and demands on their time, and work longer and longer hours for the simple purpose of having more? And aren’t you tempted to take a job that pays more than to remain in a job you enjoy doing? For most of us, that temptation is very real.

Why? It’s because we want more. We see what people around us have and we envy it. Whether that is the cars they drive, the house they have, the vacations they take, the luxuries they enjoy, or any number of other things, we tend to look at other people and envy what they have. So, we sacrifice what we have in order to get what we don’t have. We spend ourselves into debt, we work longer hours, we give up time with our families, we forgo our spiritual development, all in service of fulfilling our envious desires.

In American culture, this is so common that we have a phrase to describe it: Keeping up with the Joneses. Our neighbors get a pool, so we get one. Their lawn is meticulous, so we make sure ours is too. They have a big screen TV, so we need one as well. It’s part of our sinful human nature, and it’s something all of us struggle with. But Solomon says it is meaningless.

He said we can get off track by going one of two directions. He said that fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin. We can become lazy and choose not to do any work, but that isn’t good either. God has created us with unique abilities and skills, and He desires us to be productive in our work. So we shouldn’t be lazy, we should be willing to work hard.

But the other mistake we can make is to expend all our energy trying get more. Solomon expresses this poetically,

Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls and chasing the wind. (v.6)

What Solomon is preaching is contentment. We must learn that bigger and better things, more and more stuff, or greater and greater success will not satisfy. In fact, it will cause us to miss many of the good things of life. Instead, we should work hard, while also recognizing that work should not consume or define us. We should work hard in whatever area God has placed us and be content with what we have.

G.K Chesterton said, “There are two ways to get enough. One is to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.” (Living Life Backwards)

We should put to death the constant desire for more. It will not satisfy. If anyone knew this, it was Solomon.

Conclusion

In our passage this morning, we have gone in several different directions, but they are all tied to one overarching conclusion Solomon struggled with: Life is hopeless. My hope for you today is that you see this is not true. No matter what we face in this life, we know there is a bigger picture than we can see right now—God is working to create a masterpiece, but it isn’t finished yet.

So, what practical lessons should we learn from these verses today? I’ve got a few suggestions. First, we must remember that God will deal with all things justly. Maybe you’ve experienced injustice in the court system, or maybe it’s been in other areas of your life: in your work, in love, in your family, or it just feels like you can never catch a break even though you try to do what’s right. The feeling of hopelessness at injustice leads some to conclude that doing the right thing isn’t worth it. But that is short-sighted. God sees all that is going on, and He will right every wrong and reward those who have done what is right. It may take years before you see God’s plan unfold. It may not even be in this life; but God will ultimately do what is right and good. So, we can keep doing the right things, even in the face of injustice—because we trust there is a perfect Judge who will reward our obedience and right every wrong.

Second, Jesus is the remedy to hopelessness. What a wonderful gift Jesus’ death and resurrection is to us. It made it possible for us to be forgiven of our sin, but it also is the ultimate proof that this life is not all there is. Lots of people will tell you that you live, you die, and that’s it. But they are wrong. Many will tell you Christianity is simply wishful thinking. But they are wrong. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is unique in human history. Jesus proves there is life beyond the grave, and that life is not hopeless. The resurrection proves He has the power to deliver on all His promises. So we can face whatever comes with confidence—not in our abilities, but in His.

Third, we must find contentment in what God has given us instead of wearing ourselves out for the things He hasn’t. Discontent is insidious. We can find ways to envy almost anything. If we allow those seeds of discontent to grow in our hearts, it will consume us from the inside out. We will wear ourselves out trying to get the next thing, believing that if we can just get a little more, then we’ll be satisfied. But it’s a lie. We’ll spend our lives feeling deprived and cheated, lamenting what we don’t have instead of enjoying what we do. We would be better served to look around at the blessings God has given us and learn to be content with that. Contentment is possible by trusting that God has given us everything we need. Discontentment comes when we think He’s holding out on us. Instead of looking for the next big thing, we should focus on enjoying the blessings God has put in our lives right now. If we don’t, we will miss the good things He intended for us, hoping for something better which may never come.

If you listen to the world around you, then like Solomon, you may conclude that life is hopeless. But nothing could be further from the truth! God has given us hope, He has given us confidence, and He has given us all we need to enjoy this life as we await the life that is to come. But it requires us to take a very different view of life. It requires us to look not only at the world around us, but to recognize that the only way the world around us makes any sense is when we remember that this is not all there is. When life feels hopeless, we find our hope in the One who is writing the story, believing that when it’s all said and done, we’ll see that His work is a masterpiece, we just couldn’t see it yet.