Lesson 27                                

Ecclesiastes

The Things That Don't Work!

Chapter Eight

WISDOM THAT COMES FROM GOD SOLVES MANY ENIGMAS OF LIFE

 

8:3   "Do not be in a hurry to leave him.  -- to leave the service of the king - don't be quick to bail out just because everything is not going your way

 

Do not join in an evil matter,  -- lit. do not stand - persist in an evil matter - revolt / rebellion against authority.

 

for he (king) will do whatever he pleases.

-  As the authority he has the power and responsibility to enforce his commands, must recognize that.

 

8:4  Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, "What are you doing?"

 

-  Recognizing the power of the tongue and the many scriptures dealing with it the B.L. I think that should guide us is to watch what we say and how we say what we do say.

 

8:5   He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.

 

 

-  Therefore what we should do when confronted with an unjust  authority -- commit it to the Lord. - throw that care on Him.

 

 

**  Biblically: The purpose of government is the righteous administration of justice. When rulers and judges carry out that divine mandate, both they and their people are blessed by God, and a considerable amount of man's present distress living in the devils world is alleviated.

 

 

8:6  For  (kiy - because) there is a proper time and procedure (mishphat)  for every delight, (chaphetz -  #pex'   purpose - matter).  though a man's trouble is heavy upon him.

-  When we find ourselves under the gun so to speak with an unjust authority - a severe hardship situation we need to remember that God is still in charge  and that there is a time He will deal with them - whether individually or as a nation. 3:17

 

8:7   If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?

 

 

                                               

8:8  No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver those who practice it.

 

- No matter what man does - vitamins - works out - jogs - whatever, he can not stop the inevitability of his death any more than he  can control the wind. 

 

-  Man, not God is the primary cause of, is responsible for all the misery and suffering endured in time on planet earth as he tries to do things contrary to God's revealed will.

 

8:9   All this I have seen and applied my mind to every deed that has been done under the sun wherein a man has exercised authority over another man to his hurt.

 

-  having observed many areas where man has abused and misused his authority; exercised = to lord it over another to their hurt.

 

In vs:10-11 Solomon gives us some examples of the prospering of the wicked, those who have in this context abused their authority.

 

8:10  So then, I have seen (ra'ah - made careful observation) the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, (describes the wicked as those who have been going in and out of the temple) and they are soon forgotten (had no lasting impact)  in the city where they did thus. This too is futility.

 

-  Here we see the wicked – operating under the sun apart from God - but religious!  

 

Churchill in regards to the Russians and their actions - logic continually confounded him said, "It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside of an enigma."

 

 

***  Kidner, the point here: "There are few things more obnoxious than the sight of the wicked flourishing and complacent.  Yet wickedness respected and given the blessing of religion is even more sickening.

 

8:11  Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.

 

 

-  Punishment is delayed, not instant, therefore seems so remote that it leads to the distorted perception that the sinner is getting away with living in evil.

 

 

Ultimately man must recognize and be motivated to do what is right not because if he doesn't he'll get clobbered but because it is the right thing to do.

-  the right thing = what is consistent with Will of God.

 

-  Point made here is that the decisions we make have consequences; this is especially true as a parent,  If you choose to compromise BD - it will have a tremendous impact on your children's orientation to spiritual truth and they on their children. 

 

Application of wisdom made to what he has observed

 

8:12   Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know (stands in contrast to what he has observed)  that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.

8:13   But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.

 

-  He is saying that though I am without answers, don't know the why? Yet I will believe in Him!

 

 

- Even though as we observe life around us it appears as if evil is   triumphing - though there are unfair circumstances happening all around us, we trust our God to see us through.

 

If we miss the eternal perspective, that is living our life in the light of eternity, we will spend the rest of our lives wringing our hands and waving our fists heavenward asking "WHY?" and protesting "HOW      DARE YOU!".

 

The key focus of these two verses for the believer is word FEAR (yere`).

 

Question these verses ask of us, "Do we fear God openly?"

 

 

8:14   There is futility (enigmas of life) which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked.

 

On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.  (an enigma to me).

 

 

What Solomon presents here is the mystery of unfair consequences or so it seems if we fail to remember that what we're observing is occurring in a world under the curse and mankind living predominately in a fallen state.

 

 

When you find yourself in that tough situation - pray for wisdom. It is God alone who has the wisdom to give the answers and put the right perspective  back in your life – can’t do it on your own!!