Lesson 38 

The Things That Don't Work!

Chapter Eleven

 

11:5 NEED TO LEAVE THE RESULTS TO GOD

11:5  Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.

 

- He illustrates how in the natural aspects of life we often function without knowing all the "hows" and "whys".

 

 

** We cannot fully comprehend the methods of our Lord who is the creator    of all the universe.

** What we can depend upon is that He will meet our needs. (Phil 4:19)

 

11:6 WE NEED TO DO OUR PART

11:6   Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.

 

-  Whether we’re young or old makes no difference - all of us have areas in our niche where we can sow, fulfilling the will of God.

 

-  Solomon sums up the thrust of this paragraph with a final cmd;  do not be idle - good txln ; lit. do not let your hand rest

 

11:7 The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.

 

-  Light here is used to refer to life (just as darkness is often used metaphorically to refer to death)

 

 

-  If we focus on what we see and observe in this world under the sun,  under the curse, if this is our concentration point instead of source of our life in Jesus Christ, then its no wonder that we have a gloomy and pessimistic view of life.

 

It is from our relationship with Him that we derive our sense of security.

 

To be a gloom and doomer, to be pessimistic about the future is to be disorientated to your heritage in Christ.

 

God expects you to enjoy life!!  And the provision will be there for you to do that if your willing to go His way!!

 

11:8 Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all,

 

     and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many.

 

- days of darkness - yami  choshek   %v,xoêh; ymeäy>   - see two aspects referring to the days of trials, testing, and sorrow that are a part of life.

 

Everything that is to come will be futility.

 

- Again SOLOMON makes the point that after death there is no share in the enjoyments of life.

 

OBSERVATIONS

1. IF CHRIST is the light of your life then you are commanded to enjoy life.

-  Solomon's emphasis is for today not tomorrow or next year or when you retire.

-  guilt over yesterday and worry about tomorrow robs you of the +H,  the contentment that God would have for you today.

 

2. Your life in Christ has unlimited opportunities don't settle for a drab, predictable life outside the will of God.  (filled with SIM).

-  Sign on an Alaska highway "Choose your rut carefully, you'll be in it for the next 200 miles." (there is no need to live that way.)

ENJOY LIFE DURING YOUR YOUTH

 

11:9  Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.

 

Amplified:  Rejoice, O young man, in your adolescence, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your [full-grown] youth. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes,

 

 

The balance: Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.

 

 

OBSERVATIONS:

1.  This is an invitation (cmd) to the young - the adolescent - to enjoy life during their youth.

- rejoice and delight yourself in the thrill of living

 

2.  Do not abuse this blessing with evil comforts and pleasures that offer in the long haul no real joy.

- sin - evil is pleasurable > Heb 11:25

 

3.  See God's compassion expressed in the last phrase that tells us that God will bring into judgment all your activities.

 

4. Life is to be lived with eternity's values in view if we are to realize true happiness.

 

 

11:10 Things that are to be done to attain the goal of +H – enjoying life

IF we are to enjoy life we must remove some things - uses two hiphil imp's here to make his point.

 

11:10 So,  (therefore)  remove grief and anger from your heart

-  What we are to remove!  grief and anger  KJV vexation = ka'as  s[;K;  - (not used much today) blending of anger and resentment that leads to rebellion against the std's of God

 

 

- Not handling these type of situations brings SIM 

 

- The how?  Takes self-examination; and then a course correction.

 

and put away pain from your body,

-  CMD here is to put away evil “pain” = ra'ah - h['Þr"  evil, misery, distress

 

 

-  1st dealt with the MA now deals with its overflow into the body.

-  Consequences for having inner turmoil leads to activity that results in abuse of the body and more SIM.

 

-  We attempt to forget, to compensate for that turmoil many different things are attempted.

-  abuse with alcohol, drugs (both illicit and prescription),  workaholics, illicit sexual relationships (outside marriage is a sin against the body 1 Cor 6:18).

 

because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

 

-  What your doing with your life today is the memory that you will carry into all your tomorrows.