God's Wisdom For a Broken World pt 2

Introduction:

As we continue with our worship of the Lord this morning, and we continue with our study of Ecclesiastes, let us prepare our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord.

Let’s Pray Together!

How would you describe the world?

What things weigh heavy on your heart and mind?

What things keep you up at night?

What are you struggling with?

These are all things that we bring to the Word.... whether that be here this morning or when we are reading it at home. The problems that we are facing, the brokenness that we see, the pain that we are feeling. All of these things are on our hearts and minds when we come to the Word.

And when we approach the Word, we are waiting to hear from God. We are wanting Him to direct our hearts and minds so that we can do His Will. This is what Paul reminds us of in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Listen to these words...

16 All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17)

This is what we are after this morning as we look at His Word together. We are wanting to be equipped for every good work.... whatever that may be for you in this broken, messed up, world that we live in.

This is what we are wanting to discover. We are wanting to see how we are to live life here. That is what we are looking at in the second half of Ecclesiastes in our study: Finding Meaning in a Meaningless World.

To find meaning we are looking at God’s Wisdom for a Broken World.

Before we dive into the text this morning, let me give you the break down for the next few weeks as we will be moving kind of fast. Today we are going to look at chapter 8. Next week the plan is to cover chapters 9-10, so I would encourage you to read ahead to see what is in those chapters. Then we will cover chapter 11... and possibly chapter 12. That is the game plan.

Body: With that being said, let us dive into the Word this morning as we seek the Wisdom of God for our lives so that we can be equipped to do His good work in the World.

I want to invite you to open your Bibles to Ecc. 8:1-17 this morning. Hear His Word....

Let’s start with verse 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 (Ecc 8:1).

This verse is really really simple to understand. The point here is for us to walk in wisdom. Who is like the wise person is a way of asking... Is there anyone out there who is wise and who knows how to read a situation?” That is what is basically being said here. When a person walks in wisdom... he walks in joy. His face is bright. He is glad because he knows that he is walking in the will of the Lord.

So, much like last week, we have to ask ourselves, Do I Want to Be Wise? This is a question that we have to ask ourselves.... this is a question that you need to answer.

And much like we asked last week, the follow-up question is How Do the Wise Live? This is what Solomon is addressing in this section. He is giving advice over and over again to help us understand how we are to live life here.

Look down at verses 2-9 with me.

2 Keep the king’s command because of your oath made before God. 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. 4 For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure.

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? 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. 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.

One of the things that are made clear here is that We Are to Respect Authority.

This is not new to us. We have already looked at this a little bit before in chapter 4, I believe. Government is a God-given institution to bring about judgment and punishment on those who violate the laws of the land.

Paul would instruct us in this way when it comes to how Christians are to respond to the government. Listen to his words.

13 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience. 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks. 7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. (Rom 13:1-7)

However, this is not the only place where we receive this kind of instruction. Listen to Peters words in his letter in 1 Peter chapter 2.

13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17).

The truth of the matter is that how the people of God are to respond and treat those who are in authority over them is really all over scripture. We are to be submissive to them. We are to respect them. We are to follow them.

And of course, we are talking so as long as they are not stepping outside of their bounds and trying to play the role of God. As long as their rules and their ways are in no way a violation of Scripture, then we are to follow them. If, however, their ways violate Scripture, then we are to stand with God. Make sure we have that order right... but if there is not clear violation.... then we are to live under their authority.

This can be hard for us in our culture. We are used to having our rights and our freedoms.... but you have to remember for virtually the biggest part of history, life was not that way. People were not ruled by an elected official or government. People were ruled by a King and what that King said was all that mattered.... and that is exactly the context that this is written here in Ecc and the letters in the NT. It did not matter what your thoughts were about the guy in charge.... God called you to honor him and respect him and his laws.... that was it.

It is the same today. Now, why is that the case? This text gives us a few reasons... and they are good reasons as to why we should listen to the King. 1. The King’s Word carries authority. 2. You Don’t Know How He is Going to bring about punishment. 3. If you are caught doing wickedness.... his job is to bring about punishment. 4. I think this is the most important of all... because of your oath to God.

If you have given your life to Christ and you are part of the people of God.... God’s desire for you is for you to obey His word and walk in His commands. That is what a wise person would do. And part of His command to you this morning is for you to listen to and respect the governing authorities in your life.

So, I will say it again this morning.... Respect Authority. This can be broadened out to include teachers in the classroom. This can be applied to your parents. This can be applied to your boss. This can be applied in a billion different ways in your life. You are a created being. Created in the image of God to be under authority. This applies to each and every one of us. We are not our own.

Just think about how different this would make us in the world. What if we didn’t act like the rest of the world and didn’t live like them? Wouldn’t this show the greatness of God to our neighbors and co-workers? Wouldn’t they wonder why we are acting and submitting to authority instead of fighting against it? Wouldn’t that give us an opportunity to tell them about why and how we are seeking to follow God in this life, and we want to respect Him, so we respect others. Wouldn’t that be something? This is what it means to live wisely.

But I think if we are honest.... government does not always seem to work the way that it should. Let’s be honest, life doesn’t seem to work the way that it should... or not at least the way that we think that it should. And this is where the text turns next. Look down at verses 10-15 with me.

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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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.

Live Life with Your Focus on God.

Again, this sounds so simple to our ears, but this is the cry of this passage here. In the midst of a world that is broken we need to keep our eyes looking unto God. In a world where wickedness seems to prevail, and the righteous seems to suffer we would do well to focus on God.

I know that I have said it before, but I want to say it again. This section reminds me of Psalm 73.

Listen to the words of this psalm. (Read Psalm 73 from Bible)

How many of you can relate to this? How many of you look out at the lives of those you know who are not living for God and all that seems to happen to them is that they prosper? Isn’t that annoying? And here you are... trying your best to honor God and His ways.... and life seems to be falling apart? I know! I Get it! Life right now is not easy. Life does not seem fair. It seems that the wicked are winning and I am losing. Do you feel that way? What is the answer?

25 Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever. 27 Those far from you will certainly perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. 28 But as for me, God’s presence is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, so I can tell about all you do (Ps 73:25–28)

Hold ON! God Will Make It Right. Let God Be What You Seek After. Tell Others About Him.

Even though this passage gives us glimpses of how to live in a broken world, it ends with a stark reminder. Look down in verses 16-17 with me.

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 (Ecc 8:16–17.)

We Are Limited.

This can sound depressing or defeating at first. Like, try as you might but you are never going to get to live the life you are wanting.... but that is not what is being said here in this text. This is more of an encouragement to us that we are not going to be able to have it ALL figured out. That it is not up to us to have ALL of the answers ALL of the time. Think about how freeing that is to our minds.

And it just isn’t here that we see this type of language used.... it is only expressed openly here. Think about it for moment.... go back to verses 2-9 with me. Does the King have authority? Yes. Does he have ALL authority? We would have to say NO! He may rule his kingdom, but does he have authority over the wind or the day of death? NOPE! As much power as he has, he cannot control those things... but do you know who can? God Can. God has that authority.

Or think about the wicked. They seem to get by in this life so easily for them and everything. And yet, we know that one Day God is going to make things right when He judges the righteous and the wicked. We are limited in seeing things for how they really are, but God sees everything perfectly. He is not limited in the ways in which we are.

Conclusion:

We Are Limited.... But God Is Limitless.

This is where this passage leads us. It reminds us of our frailty. It points us to the fact that our hope cannot be in this world or the things or this world. If we are going to understand ...God’s Wisdom for a Broken World... then we have to come to grips with what is being said in this passage and see where it is pointing us.

Are we to obey and respect authority? We would have to say yes. We see that in the passage. But there is more there I think we need to see. Not only do we obey human authority..... this passage points us to the fact that there is a Greater Authority we are to respect. WE are to obey, respect, and honor, the KING OF KINGS and LORD of LORDS. This passage points us to our need for a Savior. Jesus Christ is the ONLY one Who HAS ALL AUTHORITY in Heaven and ON EARTH, and we would do well to submit to HIM. JESUS is the only who is going to come and judge the living and the dead. Jesus is the one who is going to come and reign... and whose KINGDOM there will be NO END... That is the great news of the Gospel. That is the story line of the Bible. That is how this text fits into the GRAND Story of Scripture. This is God’s Story...that is what this passage is pointing us to This morning. There is more to it than simply do these things and it will be ok. This passage leads us not to rules but to a person- Jesus Christ.

To use some worded that we did at the beginning... Wisdom Without Christ Is Meaningless.

As we get ready to close out this morning, I want to ask you a few question...

What Authority Do You Need To Surrender To?

Who Are You Living Life For?

Lastly, this isn’t so much of a question as it is an encouragement... I want to encourage you Embrace Your Limitations in this Life. It is ok that you do not have all of the answers. It is ok that you do not have it all figured out. You are not going to. You are simply to come to Christ and rest in HIS finished work on the cross. Come and rest in Christ this morning. Stop trying to get everything together and come and lay it down at the cross. You are only human. You can only accomplish what God has given you to do. Enjoy the life you have been given and seek Christ.

Let’s pray together.