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.
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
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?"
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!!