Lesson 24
Ecclesiastes
The Things That Don't
Work!
7:5 It
is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the
song of fools.
7:6 For
as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool;
And this too is futility.
- rebuke - ga'arh hr'['G> -
rebuke or reproof; correction for error often we are quick to react to rebuke -
reproof instead of responding and thinking through the rebuke, does it apply or
not; our arrogance often gets in the way.
**
It is better to listen to the rebuke of
the wise - one who is operating on a spiritually sound foundation then to
listen to the praise of the fool which is empty - has no substance, no lasting
merit - just like the crackling thorn bushes.
7:7 For
oppression makes a wise man mad, And a bribe corrupts the heart.
-
In a world marked by many wrongs and
injustices - consequences of sin, we must be very careful, work harder to
maintain control of our emotions. That
is not to let them take over and rule, become dominate.
Mad = halal indicates an irrational mindset and
behavior. (totally looses it emotionally - tantamount
to a tantrum)
For the individual
the consequence is a destroyed heart - the N&S, the conscience. The bribe taker corrupts his understanding
and blinds his sense of justice.
7:8 The end of a matter is
better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of
spirit.
-
This fits right in with what he already has said, going back to vs:1 the end of one's life is better than the beginning - true
for bel'r only.
-
Arrogance of spirit leads one to criticize God and become angry and bitter
against others and life in general in this world of emptiness, under the sun. Ps 73:2-5
OBSERVATIONS
1.
Patience is an important part of the
character building process in the life of the believer. Rom 5:3-5
2.
Part of this perseverance is maintaining
our focus on our objective as bel's so that we do not
grow weary under the pressures of the day.
Gal 6:9
3.
Rem: If you expect to be used by God, to
have impact in your life and not to be defeated by the tests in your niche as
they occur (and they will) we must be prepared.
4. You have a destiny - each of us have destiny,
not only the good ending in eternity, in the presence of God, but also an
objective for your life in phase 2 - and will provide all that is necessary to
complete the goal so that we can say as did Paul, "I have finished the
course". 2 Tim 4:7
5. At some point we must come to grips with who
is in charge of our lives, God or you,
and that no matter what the situation is - whether prosperity or adversity, are
you developing a trust and dependence on Him?
Or are you flailing around trying to solve your problems and dilemmas on
your own.
7:9 Do
not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.
Anger unchecked is
like a cancer that quickly spreads in ones life and produces vindictiveness,
hatred, spite and even murder. (extreme from mental murder,
anger, to overt murder).
Ps 37:7-8 gives us
the proper means of rest in contrast to anger.
- More often than not, nostalgia, if it is more
than a reflection on the past, if it becomes a desire to once again live in the
past becomes a very real stumbling block to living CWOL.
-
Question to ask is not why!! But how can
I learn from this situation!
*** God will never take you
where His grace will not provide for you.
-
preserves
- piel of hajah says God is intensely interested in protecting the life of the
bel'r who fears Him - lives in His will
-
Wisdom preserves us from the pitfalls of
living under the sun.
How?? Solomon I
believe has already given us the answers.
#1 - with
inheritance/wealth comes the pitfall of pride/arrog.
#2 - With
difficulty or adversity comes the pitfall of doubt and
disillusionment.
-
wisdom preserves us by giving us the DOA's - the
survival techniques for any situation faced.
OBSERVATIONS:
1.
We will never get the whole picture if
we leave God out of the equation of life.
2. We must take His wisdom and
walk by faith - not by sight.
-
this means we need to recognize that God being perfect
has designed a perfect plan - a perfect design for the ages > human history.
-
His provision will also be perfect and therefore we should be able to function
in both prosperity or adversity.
3. We must recognize that
conditions in life will change - count on it.
-
personal - national
4.
God is even more concerned with you than
your natural parents and better able to meet your need.
-
He continually knows our way - our responses, experiences, calamities, the dead
ends and apparent impossible situations
-
Isa 49:14-16
5. Today’s challenges and
tomorrows surprises are in His hands.
-
wisdom applied gives us the ability to take life from
the palm of His hand and to handle it.
6.
Wisdom then is the God given ability to
see life and live it with rare objectivity and stability.
-
having above the sun vpt gives us the capacity to handle life under the sun as
it really is.
***
The only way we can properly reconcile the ways of God with the disappointments
of men is to avoid judging by mere externals.