Who Is Like The Wise?

Introduction:

Recap:

Keep in mind that as we study through Ecclesiastes that Solomon is looking for the solution to man’s problem and for the reason of our existence, apart from divine revelation from God and His word. So while some of these finding, as believers, are not true. When looked at, apart from Christ, life is truly vanity.

Last week we discussed the fact that bad things happen. And it is because of sin. Personal sin, and the sin of others. We live in a fallen world, and experience the effects of the fall.

Bad things may happen but this world is not the end, God will use those bad things for lasting good, it equips you for deeper ministry, and the worst things happen to Jesus Christ.

Despite the hardships of life the only life worth living is the one lived for our Lord and savior.

We also looked at the fact that a healthy sense of our own imperfections will help us take criticisms. Realizing that we are not all that is a good thing.

vv 1-4) Wisdom in obeying

[1] In spite of the failure of human wisdom to solve all his problems, Solomon still admired the wise man above the others. No one else is as qualified to search out the hidden meaning of things. As far as the Preacher-King was concerned, wisdom is even mirrored in one’s physical appearance. His face is radiant, and an otherwise a stern expression is softened.

The questions asked in verse one are rhetorical, not in the sense of denying that such wise men exist but in indicating that true wisdom is a rare commodity:

Job 28:12 ESV

12 “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

Job 28:20 ESV

20 “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

Proverbs 2:1–4 ESV

1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,

For the person who possesses such wisdom it is written all over their face. Meaning it is evident to others. Just as a fool’s stupidity is obvious to others as well:

Ecclesiastes 10:3 ESV

3 Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.

[2] Wisdom teaches one how to act in the presence of the king. The literal statement here for “Keep the the king’s command” is “Keep the mouth of the king.” The verb keep in this instance indicates not so much “obeying” as “protecting, guarding, keeping watch over”

Proverbs 21:23 ESV

23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Micah 7:5 ESV

5 Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms;

Solomon is reminding people like the king’s counselor that he is obligated to help restrain the king from making foolish decisions on account of his “oath to God. We see this play out in King David’s life and the life of Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son.

2 Samuel 21:7 ESV

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

You might ask, “Pastor, how does this apply to our lives?” Good question. If your employer asks you to do something you should do it. Unless it goes against your conscience. Listen if you agreed to work for x amount of hours to do such and such. Don’t complain do what you said you would do.

For Peter and John going to the temple one day: Lame man healed. By the governing authority:

Acts 4:18–20 ESV

18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

When it comes to evangelism in the work place make sure you are actually a good worker and being a good example of Christ.

[3] There is obscurity in trying to understand what verse 3 is precisely saying. We could probably understand that this verse is warning against leaving the the king’s presence in anger, disobedience, insolence, or in quitting one’s job.

What I believe is being taught is that there are foolish kings who issue imprudent commands, yet that doesn’t mean that a counselor is free to disassociate himself completely from his master. At the same time, however, he ought not to exercise such obedience to the king that he becomes implicated in an evil cause.

This is really easy to apply to our lives. When it pertains to the working environment. There are a lot of foolish employers, if you know that God wants you there, what good is there in leaving when things get tough. Yet there is a fine line that you cannot disobey your God.

How do we know when to leave and when to stay? Praying first and seek God through His Word before asking for advice.

Understanding that our name means something because after being adopted into the family of God we are now ambassadors of Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

If an employer is mudding your name and character you will need to take a stand and quite.

[Example] Pastor before full time ministry was working a shipping job didn’t realize he was lying to increase the profits of his company, but once he found out he had to quite.

There are going to be repercussions for making a righteous stand.

[4] Solomon also gives us a reason why it is wise to obey a king. Their power- though sometimes held unrighteously- makes it unwise to fail to keep the king’s command or to fail to show him respect. Whenever a king speaks, his word is backed with power. It is supreme and is not subject to challenge by his subjects.

This for the Christian reflects our obedience to God as the Great King. If God is a King, then it is very dangerous for us to come up short pertaining to His commandments. Remember that one treason makes a traitor; one leak sinks a ship. God bought us with His glorious blood deserves to be obeyed in all thing with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

vv 5-9) Reasons for wise living

[5] Those who obey the king’s command need not fear the king’s displeasure. Wisdom teaches a person what is appropriate, both as to time and procedure in obeying the royal edicts. What Solomon is implying is that good will come to those who obey and honor the king.

Just as we have learned in the poem found in chapter 3 that there is a time and purpose for everything under heaven.

We see throughout the OT that through obedience the Israelites were going to be blessed.

Deuteronomy 6:24 ESV

24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day.

Deuteronomy 30:9–10 ESV

9 The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

This doesn’t only apply to the OT saints but for us as well, living under the New Covenant:

Acts 5:30–32 ESV

30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

We having been given so much the least we could do for Jesus our Messiah is to live for Him. In obedience and absolute surrender.

[6-7] There’s a right and wrong way of doing things, and a right and wrong time as well. The trouble that lies heavy upon man is that he cannot alway discern these moments. Even a wise man may discern a time but might not always the thing and vice versa.

[8] If the lack of wisdom discouraged Solomon, he found the powerlessness of man in the face of death to be even more despairing. Under the sun, he saw that death has no winners, there is no way to get our of war, that wickedness won’t give up those captured by it.

[9] The preacher understood that part of man’s misery on this earth was to be ruled by others oppressively. Talk about depressing. Solomon concluded that under the sun, mankind crushes each other. Leading the ones own hurt.

vv 10-13) Those who fear God will do well

[10] Living Bible - “I have seen wicked men buried and as their friends returned from the cemetery, having forgotten the all the dead man’s evil deed, these men were praised in the very city where they had committed their crimes!”

How is it right our just that evil is so quickly forgotten and instead are memorialized in infamy.

We see this a lot when celebrities pass away. They become memorialized and spoken highly of too. Somehow people forget all of the terrible things they were accused of. Not only the celebrities but we can probably come up with some personal examples of this as well.

So much of life is shallow. The wicked dies and is buried. They used to make trips to the place of worship. Now that he is gone, people praise them for their piety in the very city where they used to carry out their evil schemes.

A based critique on Christianity is that religion can be a facade to cover up dishonesty. Time and time again we see celebrity pastor fall from grace and people defending them.[[Ravi Z]] There is always a way for that brother or sister to be restored. But let us not gloss over their sin, or try and hind it. Their needs to be grace and also a calling it for what it is sin.

[11-12] We see endless delays in the trial and punishment of criminals only serve to encourage lawlessness and create contempt for the judicial system. Solomon’s point is that if wicked men are not punished after death, they are also often not punished in life… making life meaningless for him.

For us today we understand something that Solomon has no idea about… The mercy and grace of God. He is giving people time to repeat and believe. I know that it might seem to you or to me unfair. But i assure you that God doesn’t do anything that is less then fair and is righteous and just in His timing.

Do not be impatient when it pertains to the desiring of God’s wrath on the wicked. Because if you think about it God was merciful towards you to allow you to come to Him, why wouldn’t others deserve a chance too?

Another application for us today is that deal with sin quickly and don’t let it become entrenched in your life. Just because it doesn’t seem like the Lord is dealing with it quickly doesn’t mean it won’t be dealt with.

Someone once said: “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”

[13] Is the preachers hope or a wish, rather than a confident answer. He wishes this were true, but cannot have confidence that it is while clinging to his under the sun premise.

v 14) The bad have it good and the good have it bad

Solomon again speaking from his existential viewpoint, felt this made life meaningless or vanity. What he is asking is basically why do good men and women suffer?

Again this is the great question of the book of Job, and almost unanswerable part of life that appreciates eternity and our accountability in the world beyond.

What I really think Solomon had a hard time coming to terms with is, “why do wicked people seem to be blessed?” Yet one might say that this question is even more troublesome, because in a very real sense, there is no just men and all can be seen as wicked in some way. Why goodness is shown to the undeserving is a question that looks to the remarkable mercy of God.

1 Peter 1:3 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

vv 15-17) Living for the moment

[15] With the meaninglessness of life laid out before him, all Solomon could do was lay out the only logical policy left to him. Enjoy life while you can, making the best of a bad situation. This is a no pie-in-the-sky philosophy for Solomon. He wanted his pie here and now.

Solomon devoted so much of himself to the finding of these answers. He trained his mind in the study of philosophy, determined to get to the bottom of the activities of life. And they were not meaningless.

We reap the benefit of Solomon’s tedious research that required many sleepless nights. The benefit is that we get to compare what Solomon found with the rest of scripture. We get to look at these dismal findings and see that without God they are incredibly accurate.

[17] His conclusion is that we must be content not to know everything. Neither hard work, persistent seeking, skill or experience will unravel the mystery. Incredibly wise men may make excessive claims; they too will ultimately be baffled. No matter how hard we work, we will fail. No no matter how brilliant you may be, we will not be able to find answers to all the questions.

For Solomon true wisdom includes a generous dose of humility, realizing and admitting to the fact that mankind cannot fully figure out all of reality in a fallen world.

Isaiah 55:6–9 ESV

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We serve a God who is truly worth our worship.

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

[[Communion]]