Now as we continue in Ecclesiastes today, I want
to put something in front of you before we read.
Last week we came to an abrupt stop because wisdom
literature does that sometimes. And part of that
dynamic is to jolt us, to keep us off balance,
to keep us from getting stuck in the weeds as
well. It's a grace when wisdom literature seemingly
pulls us from the muck and the mire that it placed
us in. And today we're going to, Lord willing,
experience more of that. We're going to consider
the nature of authority and being under authority.
We're going to come back to certain ideas that
he's already explored like our inability to determine
outcomes or to understand all mysteries. And
by God's grace, Solomon is going to show us how
to appreciate daily blessings, how to live wisely
in a broken world and not get stuck in the mess
of it. As we continue, you can see the overall
outline we've been working with. on the screen
here. We're in this section, the third section,
the prescription for living with vanity. Today's
theme, wisdom in a broken world. Go ahead and
open your Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter 8. Last
week we began with chapter 7 verse 15 where Solomon
pointed us to consider the exceptions to the
rule. When righteous people perish and the wicked
prosper. And today we're going to see in chapter
8 that it's not just an exception, but that the
world we live in is upside down. So you can listen
as I read or follow along in your Bible, but
let's stand for the reading of God's word. Ecclesiastes
chapter 8. Who is like the wise man, and who
knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's
wisdom illumines his face and causes his stern
face to beam. I say, keep the command of the
king. Because of the sworn oath before God, do
not be in a hurry to go from his presence. Do
not stand in an evil matter, for he will do whatever
he pleases. Since the word of the king is powerful,
who will say to him, what are you doing? He who
keeps a royal command experiences no evil thing,
for a wise heart knows the proper time and custom.
For there is a proper time and custom for every
matter, though a man's trouble is multiplied
upon him. If no one knows what will happen, who
can tell him when it will happen? There is no
man who has power to restrain the wind with the
wind. There is none who has power over the day
of death. And there is no discharge in the time
of war. And wickedness will not provide escape
to its masters. All this I have seen and given
my heart to every work that has been done under
the sun, wherein a man has power over another
man to his calamity. So then. I've seen the wicked
buried, those who used to go in and out from
the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in
the city where they did thus. This too is vanity,
because the sentence against an evil work is
not executed quickly. Therefore, the hearts of
the sons of men among them are given fully to
do evil. Although a sinner does evil a hundred
times and may prolong his life, still I know
that it will be well for those who fear God.
There is a vanity which is done on the earth.
That is, there are righteous men to whom it happens
according to the works of the wicked. On the
other hand, there are wicked men to whom it happens
according to the works of the righteous. I say
that this too is vanity. So I laud gladness.
For there is nothing good for a man under the
sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry.
And this will join with him in his labor throughout
the days of his life, which God has given him
under the sun. When I gave my heart to know wisdom
and to see the endeavor which has been done on
the earth, even though one never sleeps with
his eyes day or night, and I saw every work of
God, I concluded that man cannot find out the
work which has been done under the sun. Even
though man should seek laboriously, he will not
find it out. And though the wise man should say,
I know, he cannot find it out. Please be seated.
Now I know it's a lot. We're taking on a whole
chapter today. But I do see some theming going
on that's going to make it easier for us to embrace
this passage. Now when you turn on or you read
the news today, How often do you find yourself
encouraged? Exactly. I doubt that any in here
will read the news or see something on the national
stage or the global stage and think, wow, things
sure are getting better. I think a more common
response for us is something more like, how much
more crazy can this world get? How much more
of this can I take? When you hear of wars and
famines and evil prospering, what can you do?
Solomon gives some hot takes in Ecclesiastes,
and they're like a friend who's just whispering
the answer to you in class when you don't know
the answer. What do you do? And he's like, hey,
fear God. Enjoy life. So simple. So simple, but
so profound. We were taught last week that wisdom
cannot solve all our problems, that wisdom cannot
ultimately save. But he continues to give the
benefits of wisdom here. And this is a major
theme that I see in this passage, that wisdom
illuminates. And verse 1 calls us to consider
how wisdom can make even the sternest of faces
to beam. Now think of this in context with where
we were last week. The previous verses, when
things don't work out well, when temptations
are battling within your very heart, when everything
seems to be broken, wisdom can somehow change
the sourest of faces and make them shine. And
when you think of a shining face, you might be
prone to consider Moses' face. If you remember
that story when he was beaming because the glory
of the Lord passed by him while he was hidden
in the cleft of a rock. But this is not the same.
This is actually very different. I actually like
the rendering of the LSB and the NASB. They say
that wisdom illumines the face, not makes it
shine. And I think that's the key word for this
passage. Wisdom illuminates. It's not like Exodus
34. It's actually the same word as in Genesis
1. That God shines light into the darkness. It's
the same word for the verb in Genesis 1. It's
the same word for the noun in Genesis 1. God
said, let there be light. And then there was
light. And light breaks through the darkness.
And darkness cannot overcome the light. And light
breaks over the face of the one who is troubled
by the many vanities. of this world. It's God
who gives light. God who illuminates faces. The
wisdom of God helps to illuminate even our darkest
days so that we can navigate the pathways of
this broken world. So how does God's wisdom illuminate
our path? In this passage, I see four ways that
God's wisdom illuminates our path. First, it
illuminates our path in regard to authority.
And you'll see that in verses two through five.
Second, it illuminates our path in regard to
trouble. You'll see that in verses 6 through
9. It illuminates our path in regard to eternity.
You'll see that in verses 10 through 13. And
finally, wisdom illuminates our path in regard
to here and now. And you'll see that in verses
14 through 17. So let's begin and let's take
a look at verses 2 through 5 to consider how
wisdom illuminates in regard to authority. His
first encouragement is clear. We are to obey
the king, obey our rulers, obey our authorities.
The text is on the screen. You may shudder at
that thought. You may point out that Israel's
government in Solomon's day was quite different
than ours is today. That no earthly government
today submits to the Lord God. But that's not
the point that Solomon is talking about. If you
want, that would be another sermon. Romans 13,
1 Peter 2. No, what he is focusing on here is
an oath sworn before God. So whose oath? The
king's oath? Do we follow and obey the king because
of his allegiance to God? I don't think that's
the correct interpretation here. Not all kings
have committed to go God's way. In fact, most
do not. We obey our earthly authorities because
of our oath before God. If we intend to obey
God, we will obey those he has placed in authority
over us. Wisdom obeys the king. Wisdom remains
loyal to him. Wisdom is not rebellion. Wisdom
is not dissent. That's why we shouldn't be quick
to run from the presence of the king or from
the presence of authority, the text says. We
shouldn't be quick to run to the woods or to
run to Idaho and embrace anarchy and autonomy.
Yes, I said it out loud. Wisdom tells us not
to pursue an evil matter because the king's authority
can end very poorly for you. We'll see wicked
Haman, when we return to Esther, how that ends.
We'll see it. The king sits in a unique place.
Solomon doesn't say this is right or wrong, but
that it is. The king, according to verse 4, doesn't
really answer to anyone. Now, we're going to
see in a few verses that everyone ultimately
does answer to someone, and that someone is God.
But in terms of earthly authority, no one questions
the king. No one asks him what he's doing. I
know that doesn't sit well with us. With our
desire for government accountability, for checks
and balances, our democratic republic system
of government bristles at this thought. But it's
still true. Friends, who was able to question
President Biden when there were concerns over
his cognitive ability? I'm not preaching politics.
I'm asking a question. Who is able to question
President Trump when he desires to do something?
Now you understand what Solomon's saying. What
about lower level officials? What about judges
and senators, representatives? They all say they
have a civic duty, do they not? But isn't it
all too common that there are personal agendas,
personal endeavors? Mixed in with that? And who
can question them? Now maybe we're allowed some
semblance of accountability in our governmental
system, but it doesn't solve anything. Corruption
is on the news all the time, is it not? And verse
five sheds more light. Solomon says, obeying
royal commands tends to go well. At bare minimum,
it reduces the odds of a bad outcome. wisdom
picks battles. Wisdom engages on the right thing
at the right time. In our Esther study, we left
off at precisely this principle. Esther knew
the customs. She knew the times. So when the
great need for her people was presented, she
sought to wisely engage the king. And there are
many other biblical examples. You think of Nehemiah
among others, but the principle is clear. Wisdom
obeys. And wisdom considers the best way forward.
Wisdom honors the king. Wisdom is not rash and
disobedient. Wisdom does not purpose evil. Wisdom
lives under authority, responding the right way
at the right time. Yet even when seeking to honor
authority and being prudent to address the right
problems at the right time, we still may find
ourselves in times of difficulty. Even there,
wisdom illuminates in regard to trouble. That's
the next section here. The phrasing in verse
six, it harkens back to chapter three, where
you remember the famous passage, there's a time,
there's a season for everything. And the statement
in verse six, it's a little difficult to render
in English, but it's focusing on the pathway
forward, even when things are very difficult
or bleak. It's connected with the previous verse
in five, the words time and custom or way or
procedure. They're repeated in both. And the
focus is that in wisdom, there's always a way
forward. So don't be fooled into thinking that
bad situations only have bad ways forward. If
you're a believer, you must know that in Christ,
there is always a righteous way forward in any
and every situation. Now that doesn't mean comfort.
That doesn't mean ease. But that in the wisdom
of God, there is a way for all kinds of times
that we find ourselves in. That is the truth.
So our endeavor as believers should be to honor
the true king in everything that we do. So we
exercise wisdom in timing. We exercise wisdom
in considering the pathway forward. In this,
we should always be reminded that God's word
illuminates our path. God's word is the best
trail guide for every season of life. Now, verse
7, again, it calls us back to consider that no
one knows the future. No one can predict or ensure
certain outcomes. Now, the question is designed
to knock us off balance again. As much as you
may want to rely on wisdom, or even experience,
you cannot guarantee what will happen. Go and
pursue wise counsel. Pursue good and holy things,
but hold loosely to the outcomes. Those are for
the Lord. Verse 8, hammers that home with more
audacity. And again, I like the LSB and the NASB
wording here. The ESV uses the word spirit, but
I do think it should be wind because it's the
common motif throughout this book. Ruha, wind.
Think about it in context of this book. Striving
after wind. Yet no one can control it. Trying
to grasp it, but never laying hold of it. And
specifically, Solomon mentions this. with the
day of death in view. You don't know your final
day. You can't predict or plan it. Yet it will
come, and God will be sovereign over that day,
but it's not for you or I to know. Think about
it. Even the mighty king that's mentioned earlier,
or the rulers and authorities of our day, they
have no ultimate authority when it comes to the
day of one's death. That is for God. Now, the
second half of verse 8 is a little more difficult
to comprehend, but I think the context can be
attained through the text. Look at the very end
of verse 8. Before we talk about war, look at
the very end of verse 8. Now, remember, in the
previous chapter where we were, we were told
that we shouldn't be excessively wicked, right?
We noted that sometimes in our hearts, we rebel
against goodness because we don't get what we
want. That's what we talked about last time.
Sometimes we forsake that righteous path, even
when we see the good way, because we're upset
about not getting what we want. Yet wickedness
does not provide an escape for the toils of life.
That's what the end of verse 8 tells us. In light
of that, now let's consider that there's no discharge
in the time of war. Now for anyone who's served
in the military, or who's read about battles
or wars or seen a movie or two involving war,
you know that the soldier cannot take a true
reprieve on the battlefield. Now, in light of
the previous statements on authority, we have
to consider that king, that king who decides
to go to war. He is not going to discharge the
soldiers, the troops, in the middle of the battle.
The battle must be fought to the end. Think about
it in light of today. There is no legitimate
escape from the war that is being waged right
now. Now, though you may not see the spears,
you may not see the shields, if you've been exposed
to Ephesians chapter 6, Matthew chapter 16, 2
Corinthians chapter 10, you know that there is
indeed a war being waged right now. Right now
as you sit here. It is bigger, it is more catastrophic,
more deadly, more monumental than any war in
the history of mankind. In fact, it is the war
for the salvation of mankind. There are spiritual
forces of wickedness seeking to bite and devour
right now. Right now. Thankfully. Like we sang
earlier, it can look grim, but we know that Christ
will one day be victorious. But for now, you
and I cannot be discharged from this war under
the sun. There may be moments of peace, but do
not be fooled into thinking that there is no
war raging right now. When trouble is at your
doorstep, wisdom calls you to remember God. to
remember your position, to walk in a manner pleasing
to him. And verse nine serves as a capstone for
this section. Solomon reminds us that he's paying
special attention to how things work. These are
verified observations. He's not just musing.
And what he notes is that certain men have authority
over others, even toward calamity. The king can
indeed send the troops to war and you may lose
your life. There's no wisdom shield that can
protect you when someone's authority is abused
or when injustice prevails. But that shouldn't
drive you to despair. That should drive you to
consider reality and to not be surprised when
such things occur. In such times when even those
in authority use their power, In an improper
way, you need to look beyond present circumstances.
And that's why wisdom illuminates in regard to
eternity. The next section here. Solomon is considering
another broken aspect of this world. Think about
this. Funerals for fools. and legacies full of
lies. I'll say it again. Funerals for fools and
legacies full of lies. As you look at verse 10,
notice he says, it is the wicked who he has seen
be buried. Yet these wicked used to go in and
out from the holy place. Now, if you're using
the ESV, you'll notice the word praise instead
of forgotten in verse 10. Now, most Hebrew manuscripts
use the word forgotten, and I think that's most
helpful in understanding the meaning, but let
me explain because the ESV can still arrive at
the same intent, though in a slightly different
manner. When supposed holy men are in fact wicked,
and it's known, then it is folly for people to
forget their wickedness simply because they've
died. Should I say that again? Friends, just
because somebody dies doesn't mean that we forget
the life that they lived. And if they profess
to be holy and yet we're living a false life
knowingly, Don't lie to yourself. Now the ESV
follows that less common Hebrew text variant.
And it says, even these holy men, though they
were wicked, when they were buried, received
honorable burials. They were praised. And this
too is vanity. Why should we celebrate the life
of someone who was known to be wicked and especially
hypocritical on matters of faith? Now, whether
their deeds were forgotten, the wicked things
brushed away simply because they died, or in
fact, people found a way to praise their life
in spite of their folly, it is vanity. What incentive
is there if you do righteousness and are yet
while the wicked blasphemer gets all the pomp
and circumstance in their death. You see the
vanity? Now in verse 11, Solomon tells us why
this is so. He says it's because evil is not
punished quick enough. When there is not a swift
sentence to deter evil, the wicked will see the
lack of consequence and they will perpetuate
even more wickedness. Being soft on crime is
not a political issue. It's a biblical one. Measuring
consequences to bad behavior is not a social
justice issue. It is a wisdom principle to restrain
greater evil. And again, he's pointing us back
to chapter 7, verse 20. And he's reminding us
that there is no one inherently righteous. And
he draws us back to the garden, speaking of the
sons of Adam. Evil spreads when it is not dealt
with. But this is folly. Only the fool thinks
he can get away with wickedness without punishment.
Only the fool thinks about things here and now
without respect to eternity. Verse 12 tells us
the sinner may pursue evil a hundred times. That's
a high number for dramatic effect. And it may
even be seen to be gaining something in this
life by being evil. And that's the conundrum
that he gave us in chapter 7, 15, a wicked man
who prolongs his life. But, and this is important,
you need to listen to Solomon here. He says he
knows, he knows it will be well for those who
fear God and fear him openly. The fool may have
his best life now, but it will be repaid. And
the only one to whom there will be better days
for is the one who fears God and worships him
without shame. The foolish person lives based
on what they see. They live for here and now.
They focus on blessings and they do not consider
eternity. They don't think about what's going
to happen on the day of their death. They see
the wicked prosper and they think, why not? I
might as well pursue wickedness to try to gain
something. Fools walk by sight. The wise, they
walk by faith. The wise person who fears the
Lord knows that the war will be over one day,
that everlasting rest is coming for those who
don't deserve it. but receive it on the merit
of Christ, but it's not going to go well for
the wicked man, verse 13 says. You may remember
the sermon on chapter 7, 11 through 14, we discussed
a shadow that often references protection. That
could be in view here. The wicked has no shadow
of protection against their evil deeds. You might
also think about the nature of wisdom illuminating
or casting light, and light casts a shadow, does
it not? And a common ancient Near East understanding
of life and age was that men wanted to grow old
and grow tall and cast a large shadow. A building
casts a shadow, does it not? And the taller the
building, the bigger the shadow, right? The wicked
man will not have prolonged days. He will not
ultimately have the legacy that he is trying
to obtain because his days are short. in light
of the eternal light of Christ. No one, no one,
friends, will measure up to Christ. No one will
be able to compare with him. The shadow of the
wicked man will be insignificant when Christ,
the wisdom of God, shines finally and fully.
Solomon repeats the phrasing that the issue is
fearing God openly. Literally, Fearing before
him. And it's the idea, we've covered this many
times, man is created to worship. Last time we
finished in verse 29 of chapter 7, man was created
upright. Yet man often forgets his creator and
worships creation. And people often say, where
has God gone? Where has he run to for things
to go wrong? In this upside down world, God is
not absent. Our right worship is. The brokenness
that we bear witness to, it's not some result
of divine exasperation as if the Almighty were
able to tire due to all our wicked deeds. No,
friends. His exceeding patience, his long suffering
has resulted in the saving of many. But those
who are saved, Solomon says, they worship before
him. They fear him openly. They're not ashamed
to be counted among the Yahweh fearers. They
don't mind being mocked for worshiping God. You
know this. We're not to be ashamed of the gospel
of Christ. We live for him. We die for him. because
he died for us. Don't miss Solomon's warning
here though. These days may seem to go to the
wicked, but there is a coming day of terror,
a day of absolute horrendous terror for those
who do not fear God, for those who do not worship
him. And if it weren't for that grace upon grace,
we would all be counted among the same. So we
give thanks to Christ who gives us not what we
deserve. We deserve that day of terror. but he
lavishes forgiveness, forgiveness and grace so
that we be redeemed and follow after him. Faith
and obedience, honoring him as the true king.
I'm moving to the final section here. We're gonna
see that wisdom illuminates in regard to life
here and now, not just eternity. And in this
close, Solomon, he's again asking us to think
about the upside down brokenness of this world.
He's reminding us that there is a vanity when
righteous men are struck with the consequences
of the wicked and vice versa. And there's no
explanation for this world other than to state
it clearly. It is broken. It is broken. Righteous
people suffer like the wicked. Wicked people
are rewarded as if they were righteous. This
is a mystery, and yet it is an observable fact.
The scales of justice do not tip as they ought
to, and it hurts, and we're bothered by this.
But it's not eternal. This is a breath, a vapor,
a temporary pain that will one day be dealt with.
So how do you deal with this habel, this vain
life? When up is down and wrong is rewarded as
right and everything seems so absurd, verse 15
holds the key. Be glad. Be glad. Solomon's saying,
you might want to lament the brokenness of this
world. When you've had all that you can stand,
what did Popeye say? He's had all that he can
stand. He can't stands it no more. Some of you
don't know that one. You should look it up. It's
probably on YouTube. When you feel like everything
is going to break, that's just so brittle that
nothing else can be added because it's just going
to shatter. Solomon says, be glad. Be glad. Eat,
drink, and be glad. If you want to know what
is good, literally the good, tov, then eat, drink,
and be glad. Eating and drinking are the most
normal parts of life. They can be mundane. You
do it every day. They can be special like celebrations,
but they should always be undertaken with an
aspect of thanksgiving from the God who provides.
You will labor throughout this life under the
sun. That has been given to you and I as sons
of Adam. And God has numbered our days. So, eat,
drink, enjoy the daily blessings that can be
searched out. Did you draw your breath as the
dawn awoke? Does your heart still beat? Then
it is well. Does Jesus take on our burdens? Are
you able to sing of his mercies? then it is well.
We'll all be made right one day. Will Christ
return with glory and win the battle? Will creation
be restored? Will death be destroyed? Friends,
we sing it, we've sung it, we'll sing it today.
It is well. I mentioned last week, pastor and
author Brian Borgman, I appreciated an analogy
that he brought to consider this principle in
chapter 8. I'll put it on the screen as I read.
He said this, We have a wonderful woman in our
church who wages war against my battle with the
Beltline. She makes cinnamon rolls to die for.
My wife and I love them. Well, we better eat
the rest of them so that they're no longer around,
is the logic. Now anyone who is a cinnamon roll
connoisseur knows it is the center of the cinnamon
roll that is the best part. With the center being
the sweet spot, we revisit a well -known theme
in Ecclesiastes that we can rightly call the
cinnamon roll center. The Hebel of life introduces
all kinds of mysteries. One of them is that the
way things ought to be is not the way things
are. Shalom is vandalized. The scales of justice
are knocked over. This is Psalm 73. It is painful,
but it's still a vapor. The vandalism of shalom
does not last forever. It is a mere breath. What
shall we do in such a world, Koheleth says? I
commend joy. In an upside down, mad, mad world,
Koheleth says, go for the center of the cinnamon
roll. Some of you know I have a very sad allergy
to cinnamon. There are some forms of it that
can severely hamper my tongue, my throat, my
windpipe. But I grew up in an area of Pismo Beach,
and there's a delightful shop there called Old
West, and it's been selling fresh -baked cinnamon
rolls since I was a kid. And I can tell you that
no matter the consequence, I endeavor to enjoy
one even to my detriment every time I visit.
My wife's not a fan of it, but she's a fan of
cinnamon rolls, not a fan of me taking one. But
wouldn't you agree, the center of cinnamon rolls
are so, so good. If I could only have one bite,
that would be it. So amidst the topsy -turvy
nature of life under the sun, enjoy the cinnamon
roll center of life. Again. Wisdom literature
gives us a jolt here. It upends our introspection.
It's been so heavy, but it's halting us from
thinking too deeply. Enjoy. The secret to dealing
with the complexities of life is not in knowing
the outcomes. It's not in pursuing knowledge.
It's not in comprehending God's work. The secret
is enjoyment in Him. If you're a believer here
this morning, you are powerfully able to be glad
in any and every circumstance. Not as though
you're an ostrich pretending that in this life
there are no great difficulties or trials around
you, but you're able to know the one who holds
the keys to eternal life and holds you in his
capable hands. If you are his, he will not abandon
nor forsake you. Listen to these other passages
in God's word. Explain the same. Deuteronomy
31, six through eight, be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid or be in dread of them for Yahweh
your God is the one who goes with you. He will
not fail you or forsake you. Then Moses called
to Joshua and said to him, in the sight of all
Israel, be strong and courageous for you shall
go with this people into the land which Yahweh
has sworn to their fathers to give them and you
shall give to them as an inheritance and Yahweh
is the one who goes ahead of you. He will be
with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.
Do not fear or be dismayed. And in case you thought
that was only for Israel, listen to Hebrews chapter
13, verses five through six. Make sure that your
way of life is free from the love of money, being
content with what you have, for he himself has
said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever
forsake you, so that we confidently say, the
Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What
will man do to me? Do you hear God giving us
wisdom over and over again through his word?
Solomon is providing no secret knowledge, no
hidden knowledge. He's not some savant who just
figured out the secret to life. He tells us so.
Verses 16 through 17, he closes the chapter and
he says, even when the wisest man sets out to
know wisdom, He cannot find out the work of God.
He said this earlier in chapter 3, verse 11,
in relation to God putting eternity in the heart
of man. No matter how studious you are, no matter
the wisdom you've been gifted, even if you stayed
up and you never slept, just so you could observe
God's ways, you could see it all, and yet still
the conclusion would be the same as Solomon's.
Man cannot find out the work. which has been
done under the sun. Even if you strive to know
it, you will not find it. Even the wisest man
may profess to know it, but he can't find it.
The world is broken. It's upside down. And you
don't know everything that God is doing. Surely
you can't. But you don't need all the answers
to be glad. You don't need to comprehend the
incomprehensible to enjoy the days that God has
given you. Friends, I'd encourage you to go back
and read the call to worship that Ken read. Psalm
46, cease striving and know the I am. Know God.
Know that he is with us. Know that he is our
refuge. He is our strength. He is our help in
times of trouble. So fear God. Fear him openly.
Worship him with reckless abandon. We often use
Deuteronomy for our baby dedications, do we not?
We think about God, we rise, we walk about. Friends,
we have seen now the light of Christ and so let
me encourage you to refine that meditation. Let
Jesus be on your mind when you rise up, when
you walk about, and especially when you sit down
to eat and to drink. And so we find ourselves
at the end of another jarring roller coaster.
But that's Ecclesiastes. Practice eating the
center of the cinnamon roll. It's okay to laugh.
That's part of it. When everything seems so heavy,
You think of the secret of contentment that Paul
shared, which is not so secret if he shared it,
in Philippians chapter 4. You think of the casting
of your cares that Peter encourages in 1 Peter
5. You think of that confidence that Moses described
in Deuteronomy 31 when he said that God will
not fail or forsake his people. And it's the
same wisdom that Solomon illuminates for us here
in Ecclesiastes chapter 8. When this life of
trials tests your faith, set your hope on Jesus.
Speak confidently to your soul that it is well.
Give praise to the Lamb of God who died for you.
Your death is not going to be final. If you're
in him, your glory will be everlasting. So make
sure that your confidence is not in rulers or
authorities or your ability to follow them. Make
sure you don't pursue wickedness. when you're
disillusioned with the brokenness of this world,
remember that there's going to be a day when
the wicked will perish and they will receive
God's full justice. And don't be lulled into
thinking that we're not engaged in warfare. But
also remember, our weapons are not of the flesh,
but spiritual weapons. So engage in the spiritual
battle. Seek to rescue as many as you can. out
of the eternal fire until your work here is done.
And while you're in the midst of this great war
between light and dark, aim for the center of
the cinnamon roll. Christ didn't die for you
to be a miserable wretch intent on scrutinizing
every blessing under the sun. That's not this
life. He also didn't die for us to be ignorant
of the battle. Avoid the extremes. So while the
battle rages on, in those moments of reprieve,
when you're eating and drinking, be glad. Be
thankful for the little graces in Christ. Remind
yourself of where the believer will call home
one day. Your sojourner. This is temporary. It's
a vapor. When you think of what wisdom illuminates,
be most thankful that the light of the world,
has shown into the darkness. That in following
Christ, we never have to walk in darkness because
we have the light of life illuminating our path.
And if none of that makes sense to you, would
you come and talk to a member of this church?
Come talk to one of our elders? Our desire as
believers here is to help people walk in the
light of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can confidently
say, any of the genuine believers here will be
glad to discuss such a wonderful thing. Let's
pray. God, as we see this theme in the beginning
of chapter eight, verse one, of wisdom illuminating,
we ask you to help illuminate our thinking. When
we consider authority, we ask you to help us
to think rightly about authority and about our
responses to authority. Help us be wise through
the troubles. that plague our day. We're not
guaranteed to be free from them, but we know
that wisdom can help us in and through them.
God, when we look at our troubles, help us to
also remember eternity and to remember eternity
both for ourselves and for others. Not that we
look at those who are unsaved and are thankful
that we are saved and they are not, but that
we will look at the unsaved and see there's an
opportunity we may have to bring light. to the
darkened mind. So help us be compassionate as
you have been compassionate upon us. And God,
help us be glad here and now. Help us to see
goodness in the midst of daily life, not to be
cast down and struck down by all the burdens
of this world. We cannot understand these things.
But we don't need to understand. the things to
be glad and to be thankful. So we ask you to
help us. Help us to look to Christ as our light
and as our guide. Give us a longing for eternal
glory when the brokenness of this world will
be undone, when all will be made right. Help
us to praise the name of Christ. When we sing
today, let us not just recite words, But let
us proclaim from the depths of our hearts that
Christ is the one who rescues from the toil of
this life. Christ is the one who gives water
to the thirsty and who gives food without price.
So help us to lift high the name of Jesus as
we consider wisdom in a broken world. We pray
this for your glory and for our good. Amen.