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