Ecc Sermon Manu Week 10

Intro/Welcome

Good Morning, Welcome // Online — Name

Today we are going to talk about “How to not get fired”

We’ve all had the boss or supervisor that we couldn’t stand

My first captain was a screamer — you did not want to cross him.

What do you do when you don’t agree with your boss? your parents? with those in authority over you?

This is what Solomon has for us today.

Recap

The whole second half of the book is unpacking the advantages of wise living — that is answering the question “what can be gained under the sun”

Ecclesiastes 2:13–14 (CSB)

13 And I realized that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly,

like the advantage of light over darkness.

14 The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.

Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.

There is an advantage — but alas ultimately it is hevel b/c all share on fate, namely death.

Given that death is inevitable what gain is there?

Week 8 — Solomon showed us wise living that will result in ending life well: Applying wisdom, grieving brokenness and practicing patience over pride.

Week 9 — Solomon showed us what to do when life doesn’t make sense. He said don’t be overly righteous, overly wicked, or overly wise. He then said Wisdom is valuable, but limited.

Week 10 — This week Solomon continues to unpack the gain of wisdom, but is keen to remind us again that wisdom is limited and in light of that we should seek to enjoy life rather than excessive worry or think on things beyond us.

Bible

We’ll be in Ecc 8:1-17

go there in your bibles

Let’s pray

Pray

god of my salvation

Who is the Wise Person

He beings by asking this question: “Who is like the wise person?”

Ecclesiastes 8:1 (CSB)

1 Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A person’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.

That is “who is wise”? or what does a wise person look like?

He elaborates: “who knows the interpretation of a thing?

Therefore a wise person is someone who knows how to interpret things.

Think Joseph — It carries the idea of a court official, someone who might advise a King.

The Effect of Wisdom

He then describes an effect of wisdom (Ecc 8:1b)

Ecclesiastes 8:1 (CSB)

1 Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A person’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.

namely that wisdom brightens a face, softens a face even.

meaning when we can understand something, when we can interpret something it brings a peace and almost excitement about it.

You’ve experienced this right?

Maybe you misheard what somebody said to you or misinterpreted it. You face may be stern until you discover the true meaning of what was said. Thus your face softens, you can smile.

Or figuring out that math problem/physics problem

Thus wisdom, correctly interpreting a thing, understanding brings brightness to ones face and a softness to one’s heart.

The Limits of wisdom

Yet he reminds us at the end of our passage that though wisdom brings gain, it is also still limited.

Look what he says:

Ecclesiastes 8:16–17 (CSB)

16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night), 17 I observed all the work of God and concluded that a person is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a person labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; even if a wise person claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

We see the exact same verbiage here.

He applied himself to know wisdom — wisdom brightens ones face

And even a wise person cannot know it. — who is like the wise person.

So again, as we explore the ‘gain’ of wisdom, wisdom itself says to see the limits of wisdom — one will do well to remember the limits of wisdom.

Which we’ll come back to

namely, when we become overly wise, we begin to live a life of obsession and futility trying to understand things we never will

the alternative is to apply the benefits of wisdom — and enjoy the life God has given you.

Wisdom when under Authority

Here is what the wise person is like:

The first thing he says is how to be wise when under authority, and specifically when you don’t agree with a decision from above.

Obey

Ecclesiastes 8:2 (CSB)

2 Keep the king’s command because of your oath made before God.

basically he says obey the Kings command, even if you disagree with it.

Note on Kings in that day

Keep in mind that Eastern rulers in that day held the power of life and death in their hands and often used that power capriciously.

That’s not the case in our modern democracy, but it is true in other parts of the world.

This is the reality to which Solomon is speaking

And although our life may not be at stake certainly this wisdom applies anytime we are under authority and commanded to do something.

Obey the king — That’s wisdom

Why? — 2 reasons.

#1 B/c of the Oath

The First reason is this ‘because of the oath of God’

my oath of office in the navy

the obligation you made to be the employee rather than the employer

this is about respecting authority

#2 King is in Charge

Ecclesiastes 8:4 (CSB)

4 For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

Since the King has all the authority and power who can challenge his word?

In other words, He is in charge and you are not.

Wisdom says to submit, to obey, to keep his command, perhaps especially if in the official court

best not to challenge the word of the king in front of others.

Thus wisdom says ‘know your place’ when you are in disagreement with someone who is in authority over you.

Caveat to Ultimate Authority

But what if the King’s command is something evil or immoral?

Then we must realize that we have a higher authority than the King and that is the King of Kings

At this point we must submit to God’s ways rather than man’s

Example: Daniel

This is true in marriage btw as well. The husband is not to be followed if he is leading into sin.

Acts 5:29 (CSB)

29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people.

How to Respond

Look at what he says next.

Ecclesiastes 8:3 (CSB)

3 Do not be in a hurry;

leave his presence,

and don’t persist in a bad cause,

since he will do whatever he wants.

This is a very strange translation

ambiguous Hebrew here

Following the train of thought

King has made a bad decision — that you are in disagreement

#1 Don’t be rash

don’t be hurry — lit. don’t be rash/dismayed.

In other words, don’t be visibly upset or rash in your response to the King’s command.

Don’t show your disapproval.

Rather leave his presence when you are no longer needed.

He says don’t be rash to just run out of the room in disagreement

And don’t just linger around longer than required.

He says ‘leave when you can’ don’t rush and don’t linger — don’t do anything that could display your displeasure.

#2 Don’t be rebellious

Secondly, “don’t stand up/persist in a bad cause”

Ecclesiastes 8:3 (CSB)

3 Do not be in a hurry;

leave his presence,

and don’t persist in a bad cause,

since he will do whatever he wants.

What does this mean?

Following the train of thought of disagreeing with the command

— don’t persist in a bad cause — meaning rebellion against the king.

We see similar phrasing in Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24:21–23 (CSB)

21 My son, fear the Lord, as well as the king, and don’t associate with rebels...

Therefore, when you disagree:

Don’t slander

don’t gossip

don’t join the opposition

don’t rebel

don’t participate in a plot against the king.

WHY?

Ecclesiastes 8:3 (CSB)

3 Do not be in a hurry;

leave his presence,

and don’t persist in a bad cause,

since he will do whatever he wants.

— meaning he could throw you in prison or

he could have you killed on the spot — he mentions harm in the next verse.

perhaps in your job

don’t participate in gossip, in slander

in bad mouthing your boss

— this could lead to you being fired.

How to disagree

So obey — No harm

Ecclesiastes 8:5 (CSB)

5 The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.

Wisdom says ‘keep the command’ obey it without hesitation even if you disagree

then no harm will come to you.

but “a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.”

The point isn’t so much that you can’t disagree

— but rather having wisdom in how to make your disagreement known

it’s about showing tact in your disagreement

So perhaps, this would be a private conversation, if permitted, to let your concerns be known.

Perhaps that is a meeting behind doors with your boss, or your parent.

Wisdom says to do so respectfully and tactfully.

Why? B/C there is a right time...

Ecclesiastes 8:6–7 (CSB)

6 For every activity there is a right time and procedure, even though a person’s troubles are heavy on him. 7 Yet no one knows what will happen because who can tell him what will happen?

B/c there is a right time for ‘every’ activity — even disagreement

and a right procedure.

This language is reminiscent of Ecc 3

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (CSB)

1 There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:

perhaps specifically

Ecclesiastes 3:7 (CSB)

7 a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak;

Therefore, even though you may be troubled, you may be distressed and anxious, follow what wisdom says.

practice patience and discernment when under authority.

Especially when you are burdened specifically b/c you don’t know what is going to happen.

Summary:

Wisdom says when you disagree with the King/your boss

obey the command / short of sin

be respectful — don’t just out in a tizzy, and don’t just linger longer than needed, but leave when appropriate

don’t join in in the gossip and slander — that could bring harm

Practice discernment and bring your complaint at the right time and in the right way

App

when you disagree with your boss / parent /professor?

what do you do?

Solomon shows us how we can be wise here.

Wisdom when in Authority

What about those in authority?

how to not lose employees.

Solomon points us to the one who has ultimate Authority

Ultimate Authority

Jesus said this to Pilate

John 19:11 (CSB)

11 “You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above....”

Here Solomon warns everyone who is really in charge.

Ecclesiastes 8:8 (CSB)

8 No one has authority over the wind to restrain it, and there is no authority over the day of death; no one is discharged during battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape.

No one has authority over the wind — the spirit — the breath of life (or death)

But God does

No one has authority over the day of their death

But God does

No one is discharged during battle

meaning, once a battle is going, you are not able to abandon your post.

so if you are in authority — and things get hard,

you can’t just abandon your post/responsibility.

Wickedness will not allow those (release) those who practice it to escape

This last one is really interesting.

What does it have to do with the others?

Power of Sin

I read it and I think about what Jesus taught:

John 8:34 (ESV)

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

Or Paul

Romans 6:6–7 (ESV)

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.

What does this have to do with the previous section?

those in authority and with power are particularly vulnerable for

power tends to corrupt

b/c Ecc 7:20 “no one is righteous and never sins”

if you practice sin/wickedness is will begin to rule you

Of course, we’ve already seen the injustice that comes from misuse of authority.

Ecclesiastes 5:8 (CSB)

8 If you see oppression of the poor and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation, because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them.

this will lead to great harm, which is what the next verse says.

Do you have authority? Do you have power?

Who gave it to you?

Are you being seduced by its power?

How do you know?

Ask you team members

Ask you family members

Ask you spouse

Ask you employees

If you are — it will lead to great harm.

Sin leads to Harm

Ecclesiastes 8:9 (CSB)

9 All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one person has authority over another to his harm.

When there is authority of one over another in a fallen world

this often leads to harm in this fallen world b/c of sin/wickedness and it’s power over us

Does the “hurt” fall only on the king’s victims, or ultimately on the king himself?

The passage as a whole suggests that [Solomon] intends us to think of both outcomes.

Evil intended for others ultimately damages the perpetrator (cf. 5:13). NIVAPP

Perhaps again he knows this from his own life, both being under Authority for a time and in Authority.

CS Lewis:

The Germans, perhaps, at first ill-treated the Jews because they hated them: afterwards they hated them much more because they had ill-treated them. The more cruel you are, the more you will hate; and the more you hate, the more cruel you will become—and so on in a vicious circle for ever. (Lewis, C. S.. Mere Christianity, pp. 131-132)

For those in Authority

Wisdom then recognizes where real authority lies.

Wisdom recognizes the harm that comes from wickedness

Hevel in regards to Authority

Now he begins to muse over the ‘hevel’ — futility of it all

Ecclesiastes 8:10 (CSB)

10 In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they did those things. This too is futile.

He says, even those who were wicked rulers and mistreated man

they are praised by the very people they oppressed

He says this is futile, it’s hevel.

People’s wicked deeds are buried with them — there is seemingly no justice

which is where he goes next and which is also hevel

Motivation to Sin

Ecclesiastes 8:11 (CSB)

11 Because the sentence against an evil act is not carried out quickly, the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit evil.

He says this lack of justice only perpetuates the problem.

b/c people can get away with evil, the continue in their pursuit of it.

in fact the desire itself to do evil grows.

Romans 2:4 (CSB)

4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

This is a great evil

and under the sun it is hevel, futile, perplexing, meaningless.

Ah but wait — “wisdom brightens the face and softens the heart” — Ecc 8:1

Here then is what really matters for those both in authority and under authority

the end of all things

The Hope of Judgment

Ecclesiastes 8:12 (CSB)

12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, for they are reverent before him.

He says even though sin may prolong someones life on earth

in the end, beyond this life,

it will go well (good, better) with those who fear God (who is in authority)

because they are reverent and respectful to God’s authority

Ecclesiastes 8:13 (CSB)

13 However, it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, for they are not reverent before God.

However for the wicked it will not go well,

and though their life is prolonged here on earth,

beyond this life their days will not be lengthened

becuase they do not fear God and they do not respect his Authority.

prolong his life but not lengthen their days

indication of life beyond

Yet — seeming injustice.

Ecclesiastes 8:14 (CSB)

14 There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.

Solomon again can’t figure it out.

Life doesn’t make sense — it’s hevel.

It’s better to fear God and live rightly — yet even then it still won’t work out.

Solomon is perplexed

That being the case he comes to his usual conclusion.

Just enjoy life and don’t try to figure it out — or believe anyone who says they have.

Ecclesiastes 8:15 (CSB)

15 So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:16–17 (CSB)

16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night), 17 I observed all the work of God and concluded that a person is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a person labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; even if a wise person claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

This is the best that Solomon can offer us

It’s the best that those who depend on wisdom and intellect can give us.

In our day, “just be a good person”

You only live once — so enjoy life

Coca cola “open happiness”

Apple “think differently”

Buger King “have it your way”

Visa “Everywhere you want to be”

Toyota “Let’s go places”

It’s all about finding freedom, having it your way, finding the elusiveness of try joy and peace.

There is no hope outside of God.

He knows it will go better for those who fear God and follow him

it’s where the book ends, it’s the final conclusion.

Jesus

Solomon brings us there — to the brink — Fear God, obey Him b/c judgement is coming.

But something greater than Solomon had to come.

Solomon had a phD in wisdom, but couldn’t figure it out.

Something more than wisdom was needed.

Paul says

1 Corinthians 1:19 (CSB)

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.

1 Corinthians 1:20–21 (CSB)

20 ...Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of what is preached. (The Cross)

Jesus said I’m am the way

It’s like the answer is staring Solomon in the face, but he can’t see

In all of his wisdom he couldn’t see the cross of Christ.

He couldn’t fathom the resurrection.

Ecclesiastes 8:14 (CSB)

14 There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.

Jesus was the one righteous person,

the only righteous and he got what the wicked deserve, betrayal, abandonment and death

— the death of a criminal, a rebel

and the wicked get what the righteous one deserved,

namely everlasting joy and life with God.

Jesus didn’t come to just teach us about righteous living

he came to become our righteous living.

And our wickedness was transferred to him so that we could escape it’s power through the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 1:30 (CSB)

30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption

All that is required is that you believe and receive this gift from God

Christ’s death for you

1 Cor says it is a stumbling block — a scandal — for the jews,

and for all those who trust in their own good life,

that they could live a good enough life to earn heaven.

and it is foolishness to the wise, the the intellectuals of that day

John 3:16–17 (CSB)

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

When we believe this is true for us

it changes everything

There is nothing better than to be able to enjoy the best of life in the days and years that God has given you

Where does this inexpressible and indestructible joy come from?

This is the Joy of God’s Salvation

Repentance from sin, wickedness

Psalm 51:12 (CSB)

12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.

Rejoice in God of my Salvation

Habakkuk 3:17–19 (CSB)

17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, 18 yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

Habakkuk 2:4 (CSB)

4 Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith

This kind of life will get people’s attention. — it will infect people.

the one who enjoys life — no matter if they have much or little

no matter if they are under authority or in authority

no matter if they are suffering or prospering

they have the joy of the Lord.

Application

Under Authority

understand the ultimate authority —

look to Jesus who was under the Father’s Authority

Where do you need to change your ways? — repent

who do you need to apologize to?

Your boss, parents, supervisor, team leader

how can you practice discernment?

by slowing down eh?

In Authority —

understand you are a steward of authority

— look to Jesus and how he led

God is in ultimate authority and you will be held accountable to how you lead others,

what you did with the power and authority that God gave you.

treat others well, serve them, as Jesus did

Repent and Rejoice

Repent of sin and Rejoice in the God of your Salvation — Jesus Christ and enjoy life.

The one who was in ultimate authority (highly exalted and seated on the throne) came down to be under the authority and power of the wicked so that He might break the power of sin and death.

he submitted to death and burst through it in the resurrection.

and he offers you salvation and new life.

Acts 2:23–24 (CSB)

23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. 24 God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death.

oh what a savior

Let’s Pray