Joy Under the Sun

Under The Sun

Last week we opened this three part series named Frustration, Joy and The Fear of God. We began by considering the frustrating and perplexing things of life and how at the end of it all the teacher of Ecclesiastes counts it all as hebel, as a mist. Though that doesn’t take the pain away from what we experience it does point us to a greater hope, Jesus Christ.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–13 ESV

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

This week we will explore our joy through the frustration. Last week we looked at the term hebel, which is translated as vanity in this book, though a more accurate description or definition is that of a mist, or a breath. This week I want us to consider the Term “under the sun,” in Hebrew shemesh tahat. This term appears 28 times in Ecclesiastes. So, it is a pretty big deal. I believe it clearly expresses something I mentioned in passing last week, Like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes shows how to navigate life “under the sun”, on this side of eternity, after the fall and before the glory to come. This is life “under the sun”, the life we live now that becomes frustrated and exhausting as we work and just try to make it one more day. This is what I love about this book, the Teacher’s direct and realistic reflection of life after the fall.

What is Joy?

God has emotions. His don’t change in the same way as ours do, but He has emotions. We see that in several different ways in scripture. From His satisfaction in creation to His great pleasure in His Son, Jesus Christ. So, since we are created in the image of God, we know and experience differing emotions. I don’t need to list them, but I do want us to take a look at two that are at times used interchangeably, though they are different; happiness and joy.

Happiness and joy are experienced pretty much in the same way. In either case you feel happy, energized and they have an impact on the people around you. The biggest distinction between the two is where they come from. What is the root of it? Happiness changes from moment to moment. A perfect example of happiness is a child and their ice cream. I always think of Eddie Murphy’s stand up from the 80’s. If you can imagine a little kid with an ice cream cone. They’re happy carrying it, eating it, showing it off; then they drop it and they’re devastated. That is happiness, it feels good when it’s here, but it is fleeting, it runs out as soon as the moment or memory of the moment is gone. And you’re left with the hebel of it all.

Joy on the other hand, runs deeper than that. Joy is there when happiness has run out. It is was keeps us running through despair. I’m gonna give you two definitions found in the bible dictionary that I use.

happiness

A state of pleasure or joy experienced both by people and by God, but subject to change according to circumstances. True happiness derives from a secure and settled knowledge of God and a rejoicing in his works and covenant faithfulness. God rejoices over his faithful people.

joy

A quality or attitude of delight and happiness, which is ultimately grounded in the work of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Among the many situations in which joy is experienced, Scripture recognises as supreme being accepted in the presence of God

Happiness is when we experience the joy of our lives and Joy is grounded in something else is.

A way I often thing about Joy is a time that there was sorrow in my life and despite that there was joy in my heart. I wasn’t particularly happy, but my joy extended beyond that. In 2018 I had lost two of my grandparents, one to Alzheimer’s and dementia, and another to natural causes. These were difficult times that left me with a heavy heart. And yet there was joy in my heart, because even though I wasn’t happy, my joy is rooted in Jesus.

Psalm 30:5b ESV

For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Joy is the light we have during the midnight of the soul. Where we put our faith is where our joy comes from.

Sometimes we put our faith in others, we put our faith in money, in our work, in music, in whatever earthly good we can find. WE put our faith in the temporary and wonder why when our happiness ends we have nothing left.

A Time to Enjoy

In these classic verses we begin to understand life “under the sun.” We see the ever changing experience and our response to it. Something that is noticeable in this idea of enjoying the fruits of your labor. Whether your labor is secular or in Christian Ministry, enjoy the fruits there of. Ecclesiastes opens with the vanity of work and all of life, because we all die in the end.

Ecclesiastes 2:22–24 NASB95

For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity. There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

This expression helps to illustrate the point. Life is hard, fleeting and ever changing, yet we are to enjoy it while we have it, because all we have now is from God.

Sometimes people can fall into monasticism. Monasticism is basically to live as if nothing existed outside of church. If it doesn’t happen at church, it shouldn’t happen anywhere.

Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

High priestly prayer:

John 17:15–16 NASB95

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

In these verses we see Jesus is praying for us. What I think is important to note is that He does not ask tah we be taken out of this world, but that the father protect us. Even Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 shows us how he lives that out by becmoing all things to all men. We can try to preach the Gospel, but if we don’t know how to speak the language, whether that be literally or culturally, there is a possibility of it going over people’s heads. If we do not enjoy the good things that God has provided in this world as Ecc 2:24 says, “these things I have also seen are from the hand of God.”

The good things of this world are to be enjoyed, they are from God. So whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Where is your Joy?

As I said earlier, our joy stems from our faith and We tend to try and find joy in the things that are hebel, in the things that can be lost. So then we’re building our joy on a foundation of sand. Happiness is fleeting and can never be possessed. And There is a reality to joy that is sometimes forgotten and that is, when life gets really hard, joy carries us through. Therefore, If joy can be possessed and it carries us through the hard times.

What is your joy? Is it Everlasting?

Life can be so difficult, frustrating and can feel as if living it is in vain. But even as we keep pushing, as believers we make it through by the grace of God. We build our joy on the solid foundation, the rock of our salvation, our Ebenezer, Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

Christianity gives a meaning for life that suffering can’t take away from you.

Tim Keller

To be in Christ is the source of the Christian life; to be like Christ is the sum of his excellence; to be with Christ is the fullness of his joy.

Charles Hodge

Unbeliever, put your hope in Christ, rest in Christ. There is no work to be done. Though we toil on this earth, we have rest and joy in Him. IF you’ve found yourself empty and exhausted, look to Christ who has done it all.

Believer, the call is to be in Christ, to be like Christ and to hope in Christ. Our hope and our joy are not separate, but our joy flows from our hope, from the one in whom we have faith. Jesus is our everlasting hope, the one we should have our faith in, the one who is the foundation of our joy. If you feel that you’ve forgotten that joy in these trying circumstances, turn back, repent and remember your creator. AS we’ll see next week knowing God is what leads us through this life.

When all I can see is my breath And my body collapses from all the weight You are the shield of my faith My head has been lifted and worry erased

In peace I will lie down and sleep And dwell in the safety of Your word All of this joy in my heart Is greater than all that this world could provide Rejoice and be glad in Him, peace has come

The river of God is replete Reviving the souls of His saints with truth There is no greater relief Then knowing in Christ all my joy is complete

Rejoice and be glad in Him, peace has come

In peace I will lie down and sleep My joy is complete In peace I will rise up and sing My joy is complete In peace I will lift up my head My joy is complete In peace I will walk in Your light My joy is complete