Into the Unknown - Ecclesiastes 8:9-17

Into the Unknown

Ecclesiastes 8:9-17

©July 19th, 2020 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Ecclesiastes

There are some things I understand very well, but a lot of things are a complete mystery to me. I don’t really understand how cell phones work, but I know they do, because I use one regularly. I can’t really grasp the complexities of how cars work, but I know they do, because I have driven one daily for the last 20 years. I’m confident no one understands the weather, because not even the meteorologists can seem to predict the weather with much accuracy! And yet, I believe in the rain. We are quite comfortable with accepting our own limitations of knowledge in many areas of life. But sometimes we assume we know a lot more than we do—and that gets us into trouble.

I experienced this in many of my college courses. Organic chemistry was one of those courses designed to weed people out of the pre-med program. I remember going through that class and feeling like I understood a concept, only to apply that knowledge and get the wrong answers. It was frustrating because I wanted to understand it, and felt like I did, only to find out I really didn’t.

Solomon faces a similar experience in our text this morning. He talks about how often life just doesn’t seem to go the way he thinks it should and how frustrating that is. As we read along with him, we will likely find ourselves echoing his sentiments. But I believe Solomon is trying to help us see the limits of our own knowledge and understanding. Once we recognize this, it frees us to live with a joy many never find. So let’s dig in.

Injustice

Solomon starts by once again lamenting the seeming injustice of the world.

9 I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other. 10 I have seen wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praised in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless. 11 When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. 12 But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. 13 The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.

14 And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless! (Ecclesiastes 8:9-14, NLT)

We resonate with Solomon’s complaint. It sure seems sometimes that people who lie, cheat, kill, and steal get away with things. It often feels like wickedness is actually rewarded. Philip Graham Ryken put it this way,

Cruel dictators drive out free governments. The man who robs investors of their inheritance gets a huge bonus, while hardworking people lose their jobs and their homes. Suffering pastors are put in prison, while the persecutors of the church grow strong in their cruel power. To bring things down to the personal level, the student who cheated on a difficult exam gets an A, but all you get is a C-. The worker who stabbed you in the back gets the promotion, while you remain stuck at the same pay grade. Or you make a commitment to chastity, and although you are still single, the girl who throws herself at men gets a ring on her finger and a long white dress.[1]

It often seems like evil people prosper while “good people” (like us) are left to suffer. Let me challenge this conclusion for a minute, because there are some false assumptions that go along with this belief.

First, it assumes we know what people deserve. When we look at other people and conclude they do not deserve what they have, or we deserve more than they do, we are assuming we know everything about them. We do not. We don’t really know what people deserve. We think we know way more than we actually do.

Second, it assumes everything is a direct result of a person’s good or bad choices. We look at someone who is rich but has done bad things and conclude their bad behavior should result in them being poor. We look at the popular person who is also a gossip and conclude their behavior should make them a social pariah. We look at the person who had a terrible loss and conclude their good behavior should have prevented such a painful experience. But nothing is ever that simple. Not everything that happens is a direct result of either righteous behavior or evil behavior. Some things are simply a result of living in a fallen world. Others are a result of hard work or natural giftings. Things are not always directly connected to sinful or righteous choices.

Third, it assumes we see the whole picture. We look at the person who has great wealth and assume that’s a blessing. But sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it leads people further from the Lord. We look at the person who has experienced great hardship and assume it’s a curse. But sometimes in the midst of hardship people are drawn to a deeper faith. And we assume that just because a person isn’t punished for their sin now they will never be punished for it. We are assuming we see the big picture (or we forget that there’s a bigger picture than just what we see). Once again, we assume knowledge we do not have.

Fourth, it assumes we are good people. We tend to assume we deserve blessings while others deserve punishment. But that is a result of an inflated view of ourselves. We overlook our sin while spotlighting the sins of others. If we were honest, we would recognize we deserve condemnation—and anything other than that is an act of grace; a blessing we should be grateful to receive.

Solomon makes another astute observation—when crime is not punished quickly, people think it is safe to do wrong. If there are not immediate consequences for breaking the law, we think our behavior is ok. Why do we have police officers patrolling the highways with radar guns? Because otherwise people will simply ignore the posted speed limits. Why do we put them in unmarked cars? Because otherwise people will only follow the law when they see a police car. If there does not seem to be a punishment, people will brazenly break the law. It leads people to say things like, “It’s not a crime if you don’t get caught.” This is false, but is an attitude we all have within us. If we think we get away with sinning, we are emboldened to sin more.

So why does God not always punish sin immediately? Because of His grace and His love. He wants us to repent, turn to Him, and have a restored relationship with Him. So rather than giving us what we deserve (destruction), he gives us time to see our need for Him. But one day that time will be up, and He will punish sin once and for all.

This leads Solomon to conclude that those who fear God are going to be better off, even if sinners seem to get away with things for a time. This begs the question of what does it mean to fear God, and why is this beneficial?

Michael Eaton says the fear of God is,

The awe and holy caution that arises from realization of the greatness of God.[2]

In other words, fearing God is about recognizing God for who He really is: the holy and powerful ruler and creator of all things. When we view God in this way, we will desire to act in a way that pleases Him. Fearing God means recognizing that though God is wonderfully kind, gracious, and loving, He is also utterly holy and must punish sin. The person who fears God recognizes it is foolish to act in ways that oppose Him, because the consequences of doing so will be severe. Those who do not fear God either choose not to believe in His existence at all, or choose to believe that if He does exist, He doesn’t really care how we live. These people could not be more wrong, and as Solomon tells us, it will not end well for them.

In these verses, Solomon reminds us that there are really only two groups of people in the world: those who fear God and those who do not. So we should make sure that we have an accurate understanding of who God is, and internalize this belief to such a degree that it impacts how we live.

So what benefit is there to fearing God? Solomon’s answer seems to be that while there are certainly benefits in this life, those who fear God will have eternal life, while those who do not will face eternal destruction. Solomon could not have fully understood how true this was at the time (since this was centuries before Jesus came), but he seems to understand that life doesn’t end when we die. He knew there was coming a day when those who fear God would be blessed, and those who opposed Him would receive the just punishment they deserve. We should take this truth to heart.

Enjoy Life

In verse 15, Solomon makes another statement that could be easily misunderstood if we aren’t careful.

15 So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 8:15, NLT)

The cynical (and worldly) way of viewing this is since life seems to be so unfair, you may as well just give up trying to do the right thing and indulge your sinful desires in hopes of finding some pleasure in this life. But that contradicts what Solomon said in the preceding verses! He said those who fear God will be better off! So, if he’s not telling us to indulge our sinful desires, what is he saying?

I believe Solomon is saying that rather than wasting our time worrying about whether the world is fair according to our standards, he is telling us to leave those things in the hands of God and simply enjoy the blessings God has given to us.

Isn’t it true that often our joy is tempered when we compare our blessings to those of other people? If someone handed you a hundred dollar bill because they wanted to bless you, you’d feel pretty good about that right? You would be thrilled at this unexpected blessing. But what if you found out a bit later that the same person had given your friend two hundred dollar bills? Suddenly, you might feel this blessing for which you had rejoiced before was inadequate, and not a blessing at all but a slap in the face. But this attitude is a result of our arrogance. We are assuming we know better than the gift-giver. He or she had a reason they gave the gifts they did. The point of the gift was to bless us. But we miss that when we second-guess the gift-giver.

This is something most of us struggle with to some degree or another. We look around at what other people have and feel like the blessings of our lives are somehow cheapened. But a wiser course of action is to take stock of the blessings God has given you and rejoice in and enjoy them! Maybe you have been blessed financially (even if not as much as others), or maybe you have been blessed with wonderful family or friends, a job you love doing, skills that allow you to bring joy to others, or an opportunity to substantially improve the life of another person. God meant for us to enjoy these things, but we can’t as long as we second-guess how He distributes His blessings.

True joy in this life can only be found by resting in God’s providence. Joy is a choice. No matter what we face, joy can come about by choosing to trust God in the things we don’t understand and can’t control, and instead choosing to enjoy the blessings He has given us. We aren’t to indulge in sin, but part of fearing the Lord is trusting Him. That means we don’t second-guess Him, but enjoy the blessings in front of us.

Trusting What We Can’t Understand

These last few verses of chapter 8 are similarly empowering if we will take them to heart.

In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. 17 I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim. (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17, NLT)

Solomon points out another issue; we tend to wear ourselves out trying to play God or trying to understand everything He is doing. This is a fool’s errand, because Solomon rightly points out that no one, not even the wisest person, can fully understand everything God is doing. So instead of wearing ourselves out worrying about whether God is doing His job right, we would be better served to rest in the truths we do understand—like the truth that God is perfectly just and good, and will work all things out for ultimate good.

This is much harder to do than it is to say, I’ll admit. I’ve shared this story before, but a few years ago in the midst of my wife divorcing me, I was out walking and praying to the Lord one day. I remember saying to Him that I trusted Him and I could be at peace if He would just show me how the story ends. I didn’t hear a voice out loud or anything, but I have no doubt that what came into my mind next was from the Lord. He said if you really trusted me, you wouldn’t need to know how the story ends. It was not what I wanted to hear. I was actually angry at that response initially. But then I realized He was right. If we truly trust, then we can rest knowing that He is in control, even when we don’t understand what’s going on. The post-script is that though I couldn’t see it at the time, God had a wonderful blessing in store for me in Ashlee. God’s grace often surprises us—we don’t have to know how the story ends, just trust the Author.

We just got back from vacation and I noticed that children don’t worry about the directions you are supposed to take, they just get in the car. When the trip takes longer than they think it should (are we there yet?), they don’t assume their parents have lied to them, but they trust you know how to get to where you’re going. This is why kids can fall asleep in the car, can play games together, and can occupy themselves—because they don’t worry about who’s driving and whether they’re doing a good job. They simply trust their parents to get them to where they are going.

Friends, this is one of the great challenges of the Christian life—to learn to trust the driver of our lives so much that we don’t worry about where we’re going or how we’re getting there, but instead enjoy the journey. We want answers to so many of our questions. We want to second-guess everything God is doing, whether that is to complain that He should be punishing people we think are getting off easy, or demanding answers about why certain things happen. It is wonderfully freeing when we learn we don’t have to have all the answers, and instead surrender ourselves to the truth that God has all the answers and is leading us exactly where we need to be.

For some, this is unsatisfying. Many conclude that if they cannot figure everything out, they cannot believe in God. Let me challenge that conclusion. If you claim to believe in a God who knows all things and is all powerful, then why would you think He could fit inside your feeble mind? If the god you believe in is able to be completely understood by you, then you have created a god in your own image. The God of the Bible is big, far bigger and wiser than I could ever figure out. So when I don’t understand what God is doing, it shouldn’t cause a crisis of faith, rather it should bolster my faith, because that’s exactly what I would expect to happen with the God of the Bible.

I am not alone in this conclusion. Solomon obviously reached the same conclusion. So did Job. And so did Paul. In the book of Romans, Paul lays out some wonderfully deep truths about the character of God. He spends 11 chapters explaining concepts we still struggle to fully grasp today. And yet, at the end of Romans 11, he writes these words,

33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! 34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? 35 And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? 36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33-36, NLT)

Paul, after explaining God’s character in a way that I don’t fully understand, rejoices in how little he truly understands the character of God. He concludes that no one can fully understand the Lord—and rather than being cause for alarm, Paul views it as a reason to praise Him. This should be our approach as well. We should constantly grow in our understanding of the Lord, while also recognizing that the things we don’t understand do not need to destroy our faith. Rather they can serve as reminders of how big our God is, and drive us to fear Him, worship Him, and honor Him with our lives.

Conclusion

As usual, these verses seem somewhat depressing, as though Solomon once again is looking at how messed up the world is and despairing. Like Solomon, we are often guilty of looking at the world and concluding it’s meaningless. But Solomon didn’t believe the world was meaningless. Rather, he was showing us our attempts to make sense of the world, our attempts to exert control over things which we cannot control, our assumption that we always know what’s best—these are meaningless.

Instead, he points us to the way we can truly find joy and meaning in this life—recognizing we don’t have all the answers, we don’t understand everything, and we often assume knowledge we cannot possibly have. When we recognize these things, we are driven into the arms of our Lord. And it is only in His arms that we can find true meaning and joy in this life, and in the life to come.

©July 19th, 2020 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Ecclesiastes

[1] Ryken, Philip Graham. Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2010.

[2] Quoted in Ryken, Philip Graham. Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2010.