WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.820 Now, we have another opportunity to dig into 00:00:01.820 --> 00:00:03.759 Ecclesiastes this morning. We're in chapter 9. 00:00:03.859 --> 00:00:07.839 Our goal is to cover half of it today. Lord willing, 00:00:07.960 --> 00:00:09.640 we'll get to finish the chapter before the end 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:11.179 of the year. And then, can you believe it, we'll 00:00:11.179 --> 00:00:15.259 only have three more chapters left. It's only 00:00:15.259 --> 00:00:18.559 been two plus something years. We'll get there. 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:21.440 Now, today I've titled the sermon, Wisdom to 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:24.039 Live. And on the screen here, we'll take a look 00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:26.899 at the outline again so you can see how it fits. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:32.890 There it is. We're going to see how knowing God 00:00:32.890 --> 00:00:44.729 can help us to live before we die. Think about 00:00:44.729 --> 00:00:48.490 that. I know awkwardness is a choice. Think about 00:00:48.490 --> 00:00:52.789 how knowing God can help you to live before you 00:00:52.789 --> 00:00:56.509 die. You may think that's so simple, but if that 00:00:56.509 --> 00:00:59.259 statement is confusing at all, then I pray that 00:00:59.259 --> 00:01:02.500 today's sermon is for you. Let's go ahead and 00:01:02.500 --> 00:01:04.400 stand for the reading of God's word, Ecclesiastes 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:07.799 chapter 9. We're going to read verses 1 through 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:12.239 10. For I have given all this to my heart and 00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:14.980 explained it that righteous men, wise men, and 00:01:14.980 --> 00:01:18.760 their service are in the hand of God. Man does 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:21.420 not know whether it will be love or hatred or 00:01:21.420 --> 00:01:24.519 anything may be before him. It is the same for 00:01:24.519 --> 00:01:27.659 all. There is one fate for the righteous and 00:01:27.659 --> 00:01:30.739 for the wicked, for the good, for the clean and 00:01:30.739 --> 00:01:33.739 for the unclean, for the man who offers a sacrifice 00:01:33.739 --> 00:01:36.900 and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the 00:01:36.900 --> 00:01:40.379 good man is, so is the sinner. As the swearer 00:01:40.379 --> 00:01:44.379 is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. This 00:01:44.379 --> 00:01:46.819 is an evil in all that is done under the sun, 00:01:46.980 --> 00:01:50.379 that there is one fate for all. Furthermore, 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:53.500 the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil. 00:01:54.010 --> 00:01:55.989 and madness is in their hearts throughout their 00:01:55.989 --> 00:02:00.010 lives. Afterwards, they go to the dead. For whoever 00:02:00.010 --> 00:02:02.290 is joined with all the living, there is confidence. 00:02:02.390 --> 00:02:06.030 Surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. 00:02:06.569 --> 00:02:09.770 For the living know they will die, but the dead 00:02:09.770 --> 00:02:12.550 do not know anything, nor have they any longer 00:02:12.550 --> 00:02:14.909 a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. 00:02:15.449 --> 00:02:17.669 Indeed, their love, their hate, and their zeal 00:02:17.669 --> 00:02:19.870 have already perished, and they will never again 00:02:19.870 --> 00:02:22.469 have a portion in all that is done under the 00:02:22.469 --> 00:02:26.699 sun. Go then, eat your bread in gladness and 00:02:26.699 --> 00:02:29.939 drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has 00:02:29.939 --> 00:02:33.000 already accepted your works. Let your clothes 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:36.539 be white all the time and let not oil be lacking 00:02:36.539 --> 00:02:39.560 on your head. See life with the woman whom you 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:42.300 love all the days of your vain life, which he's 00:02:42.300 --> 00:02:44.580 given to you under the sun, all the days of your 00:02:44.580 --> 00:02:47.840 vanity, for this is your portion in life and 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:49.979 in your labor in which you have labored under 00:02:49.979 --> 00:02:53.689 the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do. Do it 00:02:53.689 --> 00:02:56.050 with all your might, for there is no working 00:02:56.050 --> 00:02:58.389 or explaining or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol 00:02:58.389 --> 00:03:04.590 where you are going. You may be seated. Now, 00:03:04.689 --> 00:03:07.969 last week we had probably the most fun application 00:03:07.969 --> 00:03:11.830 from Ecclesiastes. Enjoy the center of the cinnamon 00:03:11.830 --> 00:03:15.270 roll. How many of you wanted a cinnamon roll 00:03:15.270 --> 00:03:17.990 afterwards? You probably did. I know I did. I 00:03:17.990 --> 00:03:19.650 didn't make it up to Pismo. I'll have to wait 00:03:19.650 --> 00:03:22.469 for that one. If you have not been, you should 00:03:22.469 --> 00:03:24.639 go. You will enjoy it. Old West Sin Minerals. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:27.719 Now, I'm not getting paid for them or anything, 00:03:27.860 --> 00:03:30.560 just to be clear. Now, as silly as that application 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:34.280 sounded, it was wisdom being displayed. There 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:37.280 are so many troubles to endure in this life. 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:42.000 Why add to them by being overly bothered? Why 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:44.560 not just enjoy what you have while you have it? 00:03:45.580 --> 00:03:48.159 We were left in chapter 8 with a firm statement 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:52.090 and a humbling one. No matter how hard man tries 00:03:52.090 --> 00:03:55.590 to find out the work of God, he simply cannot. 00:03:56.650 --> 00:04:00.310 We are limited. We are finite. We are unable 00:04:00.310 --> 00:04:04.009 to fully comprehend the infinite almighty and 00:04:04.009 --> 00:04:07.069 all the great things that he has done. Further, 00:04:07.349 --> 00:04:11.349 we are unable to know what comes next. We don't 00:04:11.349 --> 00:04:14.469 know what comes next for us. This is a hard one. 00:04:14.509 --> 00:04:16.290 We don't know what comes next for our loved ones 00:04:16.290 --> 00:04:21.439 and parents. That bothers us. But in the unknowableness 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:24.399 of the future, there is wisdom to respond. There 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:29.019 is joy to be had amidst the hardest days. There 00:04:29.019 --> 00:04:33.220 is grace to be glad. But we need to learn from 00:04:33.220 --> 00:04:35.920 the Lord on high how to live. God needs to teach 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:38.720 us to understand that things are not what they 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:43.860 seem. That eternal hope changes how we live today. 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:46.480 Thankfully, we do have a bit of an outline for 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:49.810 the passage today. for wisdom to live. We have 00:04:49.810 --> 00:04:52.930 the first few verses, the fate of all. Then verses 00:04:52.930 --> 00:04:55.350 four through six, the opportunity of breath. 00:04:55.709 --> 00:05:00.589 And seven through 10, the way of wisdom. So as 00:05:00.589 --> 00:05:02.970 we look at verse one, we've been moving along 00:05:02.970 --> 00:05:05.689 in our study. We haven't taken the words or the 00:05:05.689 --> 00:05:08.930 phrases of Solomon as disconnected ideas. We 00:05:08.930 --> 00:05:11.050 haven't taken this as the Proverbs. We've seen 00:05:11.050 --> 00:05:14.050 that he's wisely moving us through thought by 00:05:14.050 --> 00:05:16.509 thought so that we'll be encouraged to follow 00:05:16.509 --> 00:05:19.180 God's ways. So when we look at verse 1, he speaks 00:05:19.180 --> 00:05:22.000 of all of this that he's given his heart to explain. 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:24.639 You have to bear in mind what he has said previously. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:28.180 All of this is what he has just spoken of. It's 00:05:28.180 --> 00:05:30.220 like the Old Testament equivalent of therefore, 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:35.339 right? Last week, verse 12, chapter 8, it says 00:05:35.339 --> 00:05:38.500 it will ultimately go well for those who fear 00:05:38.500 --> 00:05:42.560 God. In verse 13 of chapter 8, it will not go 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:46.480 well for the wicked. He made that clear. And 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:49.759 why? Well, now we have verse 1. The why is because 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:54.500 the righteous are in God's hands. In his hands. 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:59.060 What passage does that remind you of? Did you 00:05:59.060 --> 00:06:03.660 think of John chapter 10, verse 29? Did you think 00:06:03.660 --> 00:06:08.939 of that one? I did. No one is able to snatch 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:15.439 them out of my Father's hand. The true sheep 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:17.959 in this passage respond to the true shepherd. 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:21.899 They follow him and he gives eternal life. And 00:06:21.899 --> 00:06:26.620 that promise is eternally secure. Why? Because 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:29.920 it's not based on man's ability to follow God. 00:06:30.459 --> 00:06:34.060 It's based on God's ability to powerfully hold 00:06:34.060 --> 00:06:38.600 life in his hand. Now where else do we see this 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:41.000 in scripture? You might have thought of Job chapter 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:44.410 12. He says, in whose hand is the life of every 00:06:44.410 --> 00:06:47.250 living thing and the breath of all the flesh 00:06:47.250 --> 00:06:51.189 of man. Deuteronomy 33. Indeed, he loves the 00:06:51.189 --> 00:06:54.610 people. All your holy ones are in your hand and 00:06:54.610 --> 00:06:58.250 they followed in your steps. Everyone is bearing 00:06:58.250 --> 00:07:01.569 up your words. And we read this morning, Grant 00:07:01.569 --> 00:07:04.050 read our call to worship, Psalm 73, a different 00:07:04.050 --> 00:07:05.949 way of phrasing it. But he said, nevertheless, 00:07:06.209 --> 00:07:09.250 I'm continually with you. You've taken hold of 00:07:09.250 --> 00:07:12.160 my right hand. With your counsel you will lead 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:17.420 me and afterward take me in glory. I love that 00:07:17.420 --> 00:07:20.019 one in Psalm 73 because Asaph turns it a little 00:07:20.019 --> 00:07:22.839 different. He says that Yahweh grabs his right 00:07:22.839 --> 00:07:28.040 hand and leads him to glory. I don't want you 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:30.100 to miss the messianic promise that's hiding in 00:07:30.100 --> 00:07:34.029 plain sight here in Ecclesiastes. If you were 00:07:34.029 --> 00:07:36.550 to read John 10, which confirms all of those 00:07:36.550 --> 00:07:38.850 Old Testament thoughts, whether it's Job, whether 00:07:38.850 --> 00:07:40.689 it's Deuteronomy, whether it's Psalms, then you're 00:07:40.689 --> 00:07:42.350 going to come to the next verse. We read verse 00:07:42.350 --> 00:07:48.089 29, but verse 30 says something incredible. After 00:07:48.089 --> 00:07:50.370 he talks about being secure in the Father's hand, 00:07:50.449 --> 00:07:57.790 Jesus says, I and the Father are one. Do you 00:07:57.790 --> 00:08:02.509 see that Solomon is pointing to the Messiah? 00:08:04.189 --> 00:08:08.170 Even 2 ,000 years prior. We're 2 ,000 years since 00:08:08.170 --> 00:08:11.829 Christ. Got to get the math right. Think about 00:08:11.829 --> 00:08:15.509 this. Jesus gives eternal security. And if you're 00:08:15.509 --> 00:08:17.689 a believer today, you know that. You've heard 00:08:17.689 --> 00:08:20.189 it. It's been preached about. Well, what did 00:08:20.189 --> 00:08:23.209 the Old Testament saints hope in? Pre -incarnate 00:08:23.209 --> 00:08:26.230 Christ, right? They didn't have the visible representation 00:08:26.230 --> 00:08:29.410 of Emmanuel God with us, but they still had hope. 00:08:30.310 --> 00:08:36.340 They had a trust. In who? In God Almighty. Now 00:08:36.340 --> 00:08:39.159 their full realization of the gospel was not 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:41.919 for them. Isn't that amazing? That's why the 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:43.500 New Testament says saints have longed to look 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:46.460 at the things we get to see. Isn't that incredible? 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:50.840 And it comes down to this statement, I and the 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:55.200 Father are one. The righteous are in the hand 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:58.860 of God not because of their goodness, not because 00:08:58.860 --> 00:09:04.730 of what they do, but because of The righteous 00:09:04.730 --> 00:09:08.730 are in the hand of God because of Christ. Faithful 00:09:08.730 --> 00:09:11.629 believers, faithful followers of Christ live 00:09:11.629 --> 00:09:14.809 for him. They have lives that are marked by their 00:09:14.809 --> 00:09:16.149 service to the king. And we're going to come 00:09:16.149 --> 00:09:18.590 back to this because verse 7 in chapter 9 is 00:09:18.590 --> 00:09:20.409 going to talk more about it. But be encouraged. 00:09:20.570 --> 00:09:24.129 Friends, Christ is the only way to have security 00:09:24.129 --> 00:09:28.090 and eternal rest. Solomon longed to see that 00:09:28.090 --> 00:09:32.019 day of Emmanuel. We get to see it. Isn't that 00:09:32.019 --> 00:09:35.419 amazing? Through Christ, we can have confidence 00:09:35.419 --> 00:09:38.340 to be presented spotless. You think about Asaph 00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:42.179 being led unto glory, hoping for what he didn't 00:09:42.179 --> 00:09:45.139 see, and now the risen Christ has been revealed. 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:48.919 We have something that is absolutely incredible 00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:51.679 in the scope of human history. Do we realize 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:55.179 it? Do we recognize it? Now, the second half 00:09:55.179 --> 00:09:57.679 of verse 1 poses a little bit of confusion at 00:09:57.679 --> 00:09:59.799 face value. But if we consider what we read in 00:09:59.799 --> 00:10:01.960 chapter 7, it will make sense. Do you remember 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:04.899 that Solomon pointed out the righteous perish 00:10:04.899 --> 00:10:08.139 and the wicked prosper? There's your alliteration 00:10:08.139 --> 00:10:12.399 grant. That the world is upside down. That things 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:14.379 don't make sense. He pointed that out. He repeated 00:10:14.379 --> 00:10:16.519 it in chapter 8. Well, the second half of verse 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:19.039 1 is stating the same thing again. You ought 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:21.259 to pursue righteousness, but you have no guarantee 00:10:21.259 --> 00:10:26.769 of outcomes. here on earth. Often you are reminded, 00:10:26.870 --> 00:10:29.090 especially in this church, that God is sovereign, 00:10:29.230 --> 00:10:33.690 right? We talk about that. We know that one day 00:10:33.690 --> 00:10:37.429 God will, he will meter out justice according 00:10:37.429 --> 00:10:41.529 to Christ. But you need to remember this. There 00:10:41.529 --> 00:10:45.210 is no predictable outcome with your works here. 00:10:46.470 --> 00:10:49.570 There's a predictable outcome in eternity, in 00:10:49.570 --> 00:10:52.659 glory. but you don't have the ability to predict 00:10:52.659 --> 00:10:56.940 your outcomes this side of glory. So love or 00:10:56.940 --> 00:11:01.080 hatred may await you. He's just saying the same 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:03.940 thing again. And the focus is not on interpreting 00:11:03.940 --> 00:11:07.039 whether you receive God's love or hatred. It's 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:09.720 just the unknowableness of outcomes. Anything 00:11:09.720 --> 00:11:12.279 may await you in this life, no matter what you 00:11:12.279 --> 00:11:14.559 pursue. You could be righteous. You may get bad 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:16.440 things. You could pursue bad things. You may 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:19.860 get good things. We've talked about that. Can 00:11:19.860 --> 00:11:22.539 you tell who God's friends are by whether they're 00:11:22.539 --> 00:11:27.700 blessed in this life or not? Interesting question, 00:11:27.940 --> 00:11:32.600 right? Can you discern whom God loves based on 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:37.820 how they're treated in this life? Now you see 00:11:37.820 --> 00:11:41.120 what Solomon is saying. Now the great and foolish 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:43.960 Mark Twain is reported as saying God would have 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:46.279 more friends if he treated the ones he had a 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:50.029 little better. That's why I say great and foolish. 00:11:52.090 --> 00:11:53.950 Some of you have a love for that movie that I 00:11:53.950 --> 00:11:56.129 still haven't seen. I'm so sorry. The play Fiddler 00:11:56.129 --> 00:12:00.289 on the Roof. I know. My wife just said, yeah, 00:12:00.289 --> 00:12:03.350 I know. But there's a line. I know there's a 00:12:03.350 --> 00:12:06.070 line from Tevye, right? He says this. I know, 00:12:06.110 --> 00:12:08.850 I know. We're your chosen people. But once in 00:12:08.850 --> 00:12:14.429 a while, can't you choose someone else? Now, 00:12:14.429 --> 00:12:16.009 whether you think you're on the receiving end 00:12:16.009 --> 00:12:18.940 of love or hatred in this life, Solomon is teaching 00:12:18.940 --> 00:12:21.740 you there's no way to predict it. You may have 00:12:21.740 --> 00:12:23.519 had that same thought. You may have wondered 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:27.399 like Asaph did in Psalm 73. Why do people suffer 00:12:27.399 --> 00:12:30.179 when they seek to do good and the wicked prosper 00:12:30.179 --> 00:12:33.679 and enjoy so much in this life? But we've learned 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:35.940 prosperity is not always a blessing. You remember 00:12:35.940 --> 00:12:39.559 in Ecclesiastes chapter six, verse seven, all 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:41.960 a man's labor is for his mouth, yet his soul 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:45.299 is not satisfied. You work so hard and you don't 00:12:45.299 --> 00:12:47.320 get it. That prosperity that you may gain here, 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:50.860 may end up meaning nothing. What about chapter 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:53.899 7, verse 2? That trials and adversity are the 00:12:53.899 --> 00:12:57.179 great teachers in this life. This is better to 00:12:57.179 --> 00:12:59.440 go to a house of mourning than to go to a house 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:02.340 of feasting because this is the end of all mankind. 00:13:02.379 --> 00:13:06.360 The living puts it in his heart. Or verse 14 00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:09.200 in chapter 7. In the day when there is good, 00:13:09.340 --> 00:13:12.279 be of good cheer. But in the day when there is 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:15.720 evil, see this. God has made the one as well 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.730 as the other. so that man will not find out anything 00:13:18.730 --> 00:13:23.330 that will be after him. You can't produce a formula 00:13:23.330 --> 00:13:26.730 to get what you want from God in this life. There's 00:13:26.730 --> 00:13:30.529 no way to ensure a desired outcome here and now 00:13:30.529 --> 00:13:34.090 to either receive God's tangible blessing or 00:13:34.090 --> 00:13:37.149 to avoid the burdens of this life, the sorrows 00:13:37.149 --> 00:13:42.070 of this life. But whether you perceive to receive 00:13:42.070 --> 00:13:45.009 blessings or burdens, he brings us to this fact. 00:13:45.389 --> 00:13:50.830 there's one fate for all of mankind. Death. The 00:13:50.830 --> 00:13:54.250 righteous and the sinner will both meet the same 00:13:54.250 --> 00:13:58.210 end. That's the reality of all. You know this 00:13:58.210 --> 00:14:02.509 from Romans 5, verse 12. As through one man, 00:14:02.610 --> 00:14:04.389 sin entered the world, and death through sin, 00:14:04.450 --> 00:14:08.250 so death spread to all men. Because all sinned, 00:14:08.250 --> 00:14:13.169 and all means all. Sin has brought death. We 00:14:13.169 --> 00:14:16.379 learn that. from Paul's writings. When people 00:14:16.379 --> 00:14:20.500 wonder why the world is upside down, we shouldn't 00:14:20.500 --> 00:14:24.460 point the finger at God. So many do, especially 00:14:24.460 --> 00:14:26.519 unbelievers. Tell me why your God is good if 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:30.519 the world is so broken. Well, Solomon tells you 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:33.440 to turn around and look at yourself. Look at 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.059 your heart. If you want to know why the world 00:14:37.059 --> 00:14:42.000 is broken, look at the heart of man. Ecclesiastes 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.659 9 .3 makes it clear. He says the heart of mankind 00:14:44.659 --> 00:14:50.240 is for perpetual evil. Evil. They're not for 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:55.000 God. As you look at verse 2 in Ecclesiastes 9, 00:14:55.100 --> 00:14:57.289 you see... Solomon gives this contrast, says 00:14:57.289 --> 00:14:59.669 clean and unclean, sacrificial, irreligious, 00:14:59.789 --> 00:15:01.690 the good versus the sinner, the one who takes 00:15:01.690 --> 00:15:03.610 an oath, which really means committed to God, 00:15:03.669 --> 00:15:05.669 versus the one who is uncommitted to God, afraid 00:15:05.669 --> 00:15:07.889 of commitment. That harkens back to chapter 8, 00:15:07.909 --> 00:15:10.090 verse 1. You remember the one who takes an oath 00:15:10.090 --> 00:15:13.129 to God as his basis for yielding to authority? 00:15:14.190 --> 00:15:16.289 He gives all these contrasts, but he says it 00:15:16.289 --> 00:15:19.509 doesn't matter which side you're on. There's 00:15:19.509 --> 00:15:24.080 one fate, and he calls that fate evil. Solomon 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:28.759 still hates death. I said many sermons ago, death 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:32.120 is no friend to those who love God. Death is 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:35.019 the final enemy, according to 1 Corinthians 15. 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:41.080 The last enemy to be abolished is death. Yet 00:15:41.080 --> 00:15:43.600 we don't blame God for the reality of death. 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:47.559 Romans 6 .23 teaches us death is the consequence 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:50.860 for sin. The wages of sin is death. If you grew 00:15:50.860 --> 00:15:52.480 up in Awana, you grew up learning this verse. 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:56.279 But the gracious gift of God is eternal life 00:15:56.279 --> 00:16:01.960 in Christ Jesus our Lord. We know that. Death 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:04.879 is brought not because of God, but because of 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:11.360 us. We've sinned, and the payment is death. But 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:14.440 here's what's crazy. Even though we know death 00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:17.200 is coming, do you know anyone who is oblivious 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:19.960 to the reality of death? They may act like it, 00:16:20.019 --> 00:16:22.850 but are they truly oblivious to it? Everyone 00:16:22.850 --> 00:16:29.610 knows about death. Everyone. And yet, Ecclesiastes 00:16:29.610 --> 00:16:34.769 9 .3 says that man is full of evil intent. Psalm 00:16:34.769 --> 00:16:38.750 73, Asaph talked about being like a beast, like 00:16:38.750 --> 00:16:42.750 a madman, just pursuing passions and pleasures. 00:16:43.590 --> 00:16:46.110 You remember in Ecclesiastes 7, the end of it, 00:16:46.169 --> 00:16:51.090 verse 29, God made men upright. But what? Man 00:16:51.090 --> 00:16:56.149 sought out many devices. The evil is that death 00:16:56.149 --> 00:16:59.850 does not respect those who are righteous by faith. 00:17:00.570 --> 00:17:03.070 It's evil because those who do righteousness 00:17:03.070 --> 00:17:05.369 and those who pursue wickedness arrive to the 00:17:05.369 --> 00:17:10.109 same end. Now, I know that seems all very grim. 00:17:10.809 --> 00:17:13.670 Death comes to all, whether you pursued righteousness 00:17:13.670 --> 00:17:16.410 or not. Hence why Asaph was saying, so what does 00:17:16.410 --> 00:17:18.829 it matter then? I might as well pursue wickedness. 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:21.859 Well, look at that even. Man is bent towards 00:17:21.859 --> 00:17:25.140 evil. Even when you're doing righteousness, when 00:17:25.140 --> 00:17:27.180 you see the evil prosper, then you're bent towards 00:17:27.180 --> 00:17:33.660 it. Wow. That's the heart of man. You can't predict 00:17:33.660 --> 00:17:36.940 an outcome even if you try to do good. You can't 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:40.099 know what's coming next. But you know you're 00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:43.299 going to die. So what do you do with this information? 00:17:44.329 --> 00:17:46.190 Well, the next few verses, verses four through 00:17:46.190 --> 00:17:49.910 six, they explain something to us in a really 00:17:49.910 --> 00:17:52.329 weird, different way than we talk. But it's this 00:17:52.329 --> 00:17:55.470 thought, as long as you have breath, you have 00:17:55.470 --> 00:17:58.990 an opportunity to respond to truth. As long as 00:17:58.990 --> 00:18:02.250 you have breath, you have an opportunity to respond 00:18:02.250 --> 00:18:06.549 in truth. The first part of verse four says it 00:18:06.549 --> 00:18:09.849 clearly. The living is preferred than to be among 00:18:09.849 --> 00:18:12.029 the dead. And that word confidence, you could 00:18:12.029 --> 00:18:15.349 also render it hope. That as long as you're joined 00:18:15.349 --> 00:18:17.470 with the living, there's hope. There's an opportunity 00:18:17.470 --> 00:18:20.150 moving forward. When you're alive, you could 00:18:20.150 --> 00:18:23.490 have at least some measure of hope. That next 00:18:23.490 --> 00:18:25.109 phrase, though, is a little harder. What does 00:18:25.109 --> 00:18:27.950 it mean to be better as a live dog than a dead 00:18:27.950 --> 00:18:31.130 lion? Well, in ancient times, sorry dog lovers, 00:18:31.309 --> 00:18:34.910 dogs were not fluffy man's best friend types 00:18:34.910 --> 00:18:38.190 that you have today. There were no Pomeranians 00:18:38.190 --> 00:18:41.890 hanging out in clothes and strollers and all 00:18:41.890 --> 00:18:46.660 of that. Some of you are big dog people. I know 00:18:46.660 --> 00:18:50.140 it doesn't apply, okay? Now, dogs back then, 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.660 they were not domesticated animals. They didn't 00:18:52.660 --> 00:18:54.619 just eat food out of your hand and live in your 00:18:54.619 --> 00:18:59.960 house. In ancient days, dogs were mangy. They 00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:03.460 were lowly. They were gutter feeders. Today, 00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:05.339 the equivalent would be like the New York City 00:19:05.339 --> 00:19:08.920 rats, which are almost the same size of dogs. 00:19:11.740 --> 00:19:15.559 Think about hyenas but smaller. like coyote -sized. 00:19:17.019 --> 00:19:19.900 Dogs ravaged in the wilderness of Israel. They 00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:22.960 ran in packs. They were brutal and disgusting. 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:27.240 It's okay if you love dogs today. That's just 00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:29.480 what they were, okay? Today's animals are very 00:19:29.480 --> 00:19:31.960 different, but you need to know how they were 00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:36.039 viewed in Solomon's day. Now, what about lions? 00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:40.619 Lions were the exact opposite. Lions represented 00:19:40.619 --> 00:19:45.420 honor, strength. an animal to be admired as much 00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:49.220 as it is to be feared. There were no superhero 00:19:49.220 --> 00:19:52.380 stories in Solomon's day, not like we have today. 00:19:52.460 --> 00:19:54.000 We didn't have, you know, they didn't have DC 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:56.720 or Marvel and cartoons and movies and all that. 00:19:56.920 --> 00:19:59.660 But the kids of ancient Israel, when they were 00:19:59.660 --> 00:20:02.400 imagining something powerful in their imagination, 00:20:02.680 --> 00:20:05.619 they would have seen the lion as what they wanted 00:20:05.619 --> 00:20:11.130 to be, powerful and strong, courageous. So when 00:20:11.130 --> 00:20:13.490 Solomon says that it's better to be a living, 00:20:13.529 --> 00:20:19.910 breathing dog rather than a dead lion, he's saying 00:20:19.910 --> 00:20:23.589 it's better to be a misfit reject in society, 00:20:23.910 --> 00:20:28.329 poor and destitute, this side of glory, fighting 00:20:28.329 --> 00:20:32.210 for the scraps of this life rather than to get 00:20:32.210 --> 00:20:34.910 all the pomp and circumstance and yet be dead 00:20:34.910 --> 00:20:38.930 with no eternal security. That's what he's drawing 00:20:38.930 --> 00:20:42.519 a comparison to. He says, why? Because if you're 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:45.000 still breathing, if you're still breathing according 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:48.519 to verse 5 in chapter 9, you have an opportunity 00:20:48.519 --> 00:20:52.619 before it's too late. So what's that opportunity? 00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:57.140 You have an opportunity to prepare to meet your 00:20:57.140 --> 00:21:02.559 maker. You have an opportunity to be in the hand 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:06.599 of God that verse 1 comforts, that the righteous 00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:10.289 and wise man's works. are in the hand of God. 00:21:12.029 --> 00:21:14.650 Living in light of impending death gives you 00:21:14.650 --> 00:21:16.750 the opportunity to embrace what you've been given 00:21:16.750 --> 00:21:20.390 and to consider how you may meet God one day. 00:21:20.829 --> 00:21:24.430 Will you meet God as one who pursued wickedness, 00:21:24.569 --> 00:21:28.569 giving yourself to all your base desires? He 00:21:28.569 --> 00:21:31.430 tells us in verse 13 of chapter 8, we talked 00:21:31.430 --> 00:21:34.190 about that last time, it will not go well for 00:21:34.190 --> 00:21:37.369 that wicked man. He will not prolong his days. 00:21:37.930 --> 00:21:40.470 Because he doesn't fear God. Are you going to 00:21:40.470 --> 00:21:43.009 meet him that way? Or are you going to meet God 00:21:43.009 --> 00:21:46.269 as the one who fears him openly? As Ecclesiastes 00:21:46.269 --> 00:21:50.069 8 .12 says, that it will be well for those who 00:21:50.069 --> 00:21:55.730 fear God openly. The reality of death also brings 00:21:55.730 --> 00:21:59.950 another sobering thought. Verse 6 tells us that 00:21:59.950 --> 00:22:06.049 their love, their hate, their zeal have perished. 00:22:06.509 --> 00:22:09.289 and they will never again have a portion under 00:22:09.289 --> 00:22:14.529 the sun. Knowing about death while you have breath 00:22:14.529 --> 00:22:19.049 helps you to live well before death comes to 00:22:19.049 --> 00:22:22.470 you. And you should be shocked, you should be 00:22:22.470 --> 00:22:25.089 startled when you consider that death erases 00:22:25.089 --> 00:22:28.549 a person's opportunities to respond. And not 00:22:28.549 --> 00:22:31.730 only are they no longer able to prepare to meet 00:22:31.730 --> 00:22:34.230 the maker, But everyone else is going to cease 00:22:34.230 --> 00:22:38.950 to enjoy or be burdened by their life. The memory 00:22:38.950 --> 00:22:42.349 of the dead fades with time. You can't talk to 00:22:42.349 --> 00:22:45.309 them. You can't hold them. You can't hug them. 00:22:45.349 --> 00:22:49.589 You can't laugh with them. Death is not to just 00:22:49.589 --> 00:22:52.089 be understood as freedom from the burdens of 00:22:52.089 --> 00:22:56.569 this life. Death should be understood as an inescapable 00:22:56.569 --> 00:23:02.569 evil that we all will endure. And considering 00:23:02.569 --> 00:23:05.829 that wakes you up. It gets you out of foolish 00:23:05.829 --> 00:23:08.769 thinking. It splashes water on your face so you 00:23:08.769 --> 00:23:13.089 can see how things really are. The world will 00:23:13.089 --> 00:23:16.609 distract you with so many things. And God, through 00:23:16.609 --> 00:23:19.170 Solomon, he's shaking you. He's saying, wake 00:23:19.170 --> 00:23:22.069 up, be alert. Don't be lulled into the slumber 00:23:22.069 --> 00:23:25.369 of lethargy and this worldliness that so many 00:23:25.369 --> 00:23:29.269 people are ensnared by. Your only opportunity 00:23:29.269 --> 00:23:35.960 to live. is knowing that you will die. Now, here's 00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:38.259 the thing though. The believer doesn't need to 00:23:38.259 --> 00:23:41.380 fear death, but he doesn't need to welcome it. 00:23:42.200 --> 00:23:45.400 You see the nuance there? The believer doesn't 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:48.460 need to fear death, but you don't need to welcome 00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:52.039 it. So in light of that thought, in light of 00:23:52.039 --> 00:23:55.180 being sobered, we should ask, how should we live? 00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:58.920 How should we live knowing that we will die? 00:23:59.630 --> 00:24:02.230 And the final verses of this section in Ecclesiastes 00:24:02.230 --> 00:24:05.529 chapter nine, at least the first half, tell us 00:24:05.529 --> 00:24:09.990 plainly. He says very clearly, go, go, eat your 00:24:09.990 --> 00:24:12.170 bread in gladness, drink your wine with a merry 00:24:12.170 --> 00:24:15.029 heart. Now you don't take that as the Spartan 00:24:15.029 --> 00:24:16.950 creed. Some of you have heard eat and drink for 00:24:16.950 --> 00:24:20.049 tomorrow we die. Solomon isn't advising us to 00:24:20.049 --> 00:24:24.069 resign ourselves to futility. What he is saying 00:24:24.069 --> 00:24:27.609 is he's saying go. Now that's an imperative command. 00:24:28.359 --> 00:24:30.960 Actually, all the verbs that are pointed toward 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:34.059 the reader in this section are imperative commands. 00:24:35.059 --> 00:24:37.420 The literal Hebrew rendering would be something 00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:43.039 more like, you must go. You must eat. You must 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:47.160 drink with gladness. You're being commanded. 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:51.440 Why? He says, because God has already accepted 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:55.640 your works. Earlier I said we come back to verse 00:24:55.640 --> 00:24:58.970 7. And consider mankind in the work of Christ. 00:25:00.049 --> 00:25:03.150 Now we know from Solomon, chapter 7, verse 20, 00:25:03.349 --> 00:25:08.170 he knows that mankind is not intrinsically good. 00:25:09.049 --> 00:25:11.589 Nor is man saved on his merit. Chapter 7, verse 00:25:11.589 --> 00:25:14.569 20, indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth 00:25:14.569 --> 00:25:16.569 who continually does good and who never sins. 00:25:17.650 --> 00:25:20.329 But then Solomon states this in verse 7 of chapter 00:25:20.329 --> 00:25:23.710 9, that God has already accepted your work. So 00:25:23.710 --> 00:25:25.769 that seems to be a conundrum. That seems to be, 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:30.420 A contrast, and it could be seen as God misunderstanding 00:25:30.420 --> 00:25:35.279 himself, but it's not. To the fool, yes. God 00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:38.319 is both ways. To the wise, God is consistent. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:41.759 God remains the same. Now when you look back 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:46.059 at verse 1 of chapter 9, you consider that the 00:25:46.059 --> 00:25:49.259 righteous man and their service, their work, 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:53.920 is in the hands of God. Then this can make sense. 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:58.339 Your eternal security cannot be bound up solely 00:25:58.339 --> 00:26:03.420 in what you do. Your good works will never be 00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:07.099 good enough. Never. You'll never have enough 00:26:07.099 --> 00:26:10.440 confidence in yourself on the day of your death 00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:16.799 unless your security or your works are in the 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:24.000 hands of God. For those who fear God, their offering 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:27.019 of life, of service toward others, is seen as 00:26:27.019 --> 00:26:29.519 even fulfilling the law. Here are some passages 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:32.559 that remind us about faith and works and following 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:36.460 the Lord. Galatians 5, verses 13 through 14, 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:38.839 you were called to freedom. Only don't use your 00:26:38.839 --> 00:26:41.099 freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but 00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:44.740 through love, serve one another. The whole law 00:26:44.740 --> 00:26:47.519 is fulfilled in one word, in this, love your 00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:50.940 neighbor as yourself. That's the response of 00:26:50.940 --> 00:26:53.289 the faithful. The prideful and the arrogant, 00:26:53.329 --> 00:26:55.930 though, they trust in their works, but their 00:26:55.930 --> 00:26:58.690 works are an indictment, is what Hebrews 6 .1 00:26:58.690 --> 00:27:01.009 tells us. Their works and their faith are false. 00:27:01.450 --> 00:27:03.329 We're called to leave the elementary teaching 00:27:03.329 --> 00:27:06.089 about Christ of all these rituals and to press 00:27:06.089 --> 00:27:09.849 on toward maturity, not laying a foundation again 00:27:09.849 --> 00:27:13.390 of repentance from dead works and faith towards 00:27:13.390 --> 00:27:16.329 God. It's in the negative sense, meaning we're 00:27:16.329 --> 00:27:18.390 not to trust in those things that we do, not 00:27:18.390 --> 00:27:20.349 from faith, the things that we do out of ritual. 00:27:21.799 --> 00:27:24.119 Things that we do that are not according to Christ. 00:27:25.740 --> 00:27:28.279 And you know James chapter two, our Monday night 00:27:28.279 --> 00:27:30.420 study will be there soon, TJ, I'm sure of it. 00:27:31.140 --> 00:27:34.980 Maybe in a couple months. James chapter two, 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:37.519 verse 17 and 18. Faith, if it has no works, is 00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:41.279 dead by itself. Some will say, you have faith, 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:44.000 I have works. Show me your faith without the 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:47.099 works and I'll show you my faith by my works. 00:27:48.859 --> 00:27:52.460 We know that works don't save. You've heard it, 00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:56.720 I'm sure of it. Only God does. If that's true, 00:27:56.819 --> 00:27:59.720 if works do not save, and yet you see so much 00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:03.859 emphasis on pursuing them, and yet only God saves, 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:07.220 then this command in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 is 00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:11.839 actually very liberating. It becomes an attainable 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:16.240 goal. So when Solomon says to go, eat, drink, 00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:19.420 and be merry, He's telling you that spiritual 00:28:19.420 --> 00:28:21.220 maturity looks very different than you probably 00:28:21.220 --> 00:28:25.500 think it does. Why do we tend to think that being 00:28:25.500 --> 00:28:28.599 spiritually mature means having some very deep 00:28:28.599 --> 00:28:32.339 knowledge or mastery of theology or doctrine 00:28:32.339 --> 00:28:35.079 or biblical languages? And I'm not knocking any 00:28:35.079 --> 00:28:38.339 of those things. But why do we think that that's 00:28:38.339 --> 00:28:44.160 the measure of biblical maturity? To Solomon, 00:28:44.359 --> 00:28:48.779 biblical wisdom and maturity looked like a person 00:28:48.779 --> 00:28:53.099 who feared God, who lived in submission to him, 00:28:53.240 --> 00:28:56.920 who enjoyed as much of this life as he could 00:28:56.920 --> 00:29:02.380 in a manner pleasing to Yahweh. I would encourage 00:29:02.380 --> 00:29:06.440 you this. Don't devote yourself to an idea of 00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:10.079 faithfulness. Devote yourself to the commands 00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:14.240 of God and his word. We all have ideas about 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:16.460 what we think it looks like to be faithful or 00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:19.109 mature. And there is goodness to imitating those 00:29:19.109 --> 00:29:22.250 who have walked before you. But don't chase an 00:29:22.250 --> 00:29:26.329 idea. Chase the commands, which means you're 00:29:26.329 --> 00:29:30.150 going to be chasing Christ. And consider that 00:29:30.150 --> 00:29:34.349 simple command, to eat, to drink, to enjoy. Food 00:29:34.349 --> 00:29:39.690 is a gift. God gave us taste buds, right? Most 00:29:39.690 --> 00:29:46.440 of us, I think. There are some who avoid. Delicious 00:29:46.440 --> 00:29:52.420 sauces. I'm thinking of our two Jeffs here. I 00:29:52.420 --> 00:29:54.779 know that there are also people who have allergies, 00:29:55.099 --> 00:29:59.220 alternate aversions, my sad cinnamon allergy. 00:30:00.559 --> 00:30:02.900 And there are foods that just taste good to us, 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:05.099 right? There are things you're like, man, I really 00:30:05.099 --> 00:30:09.200 like that. Even the Jeffs who don't prefer sauces 00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:13.819 prefer other food items, right? That's the thing. 00:30:14.430 --> 00:30:17.690 So it's just a matter of what it is. We like 00:30:17.690 --> 00:30:20.490 so many things. We like salty things. We like 00:30:20.490 --> 00:30:23.970 sweet things. We like tangy and sour, spicy, 00:30:24.390 --> 00:30:28.809 earthy, crunchy, soft. How do you look at death 00:30:28.809 --> 00:30:36.150 in the eye and scoff at it? Enjoy life. Marinate 00:30:36.150 --> 00:30:42.789 the steaks. Throw the sauce on. Or not. Or not. 00:30:44.170 --> 00:30:49.130 Bake the cookies. Be the Christian version of 00:30:49.130 --> 00:30:52.329 an Epicurean, one who enjoys the delights of 00:30:52.329 --> 00:30:55.369 food and drink, but you recognize the God who 00:30:55.369 --> 00:30:59.750 gives it. You shouldn't simply view food as just 00:30:59.750 --> 00:31:03.509 fuel. It's not, according to God. According to 00:31:03.509 --> 00:31:07.089 God, it's a command to enjoy it. Argue with him. 00:31:07.109 --> 00:31:08.430 Any of those books, you've got to pick it up 00:31:08.430 --> 00:31:12.940 with God. But don't overdo it. Don't pursue the 00:31:12.940 --> 00:31:15.339 good gifts and let them poison you. How many 00:31:15.339 --> 00:31:17.299 times have we been cautioned here in Ecclesiastes 00:31:17.299 --> 00:31:22.640 to avoid the extremes? Avoid them. Gifts are 00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:25.859 gifts. Gifts are not gods. So don't worship them. 00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:29.859 But eating and drinking with joy should draw 00:31:29.859 --> 00:31:37.480 you back to your anchor, your refuge, God. You 00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:40.240 can labor well, but don't trust in your outcomes. 00:31:41.549 --> 00:31:44.109 You can do well and it may go poorly for you 00:31:44.109 --> 00:31:47.109 in this life. That's reality. You could also 00:31:47.109 --> 00:31:50.210 do really poorly and it might go well for you. 00:31:51.390 --> 00:31:54.650 But what you can trust in is that if you're pursuing 00:31:54.650 --> 00:31:59.609 worship of the one true God, your works and your 00:31:59.609 --> 00:32:07.190 life will be in his capable hands. Your earthly 00:32:07.190 --> 00:32:11.920 end will result in an everlasting blessing. Not 00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:15.259 because of what you did, but because of his mercy 00:32:15.259 --> 00:32:19.380 in Christ. So if your confidence is in Christ, 00:32:19.519 --> 00:32:23.460 then you can eat, you can drink, you can be glad 00:32:23.460 --> 00:32:27.099 without second guessing the good gifts in this 00:32:27.099 --> 00:32:31.680 life. Now verse eight tells us to be dressing 00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:36.039 up for celebration all the time. Be joyful. You 00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:39.000 know, white clothes and oil on the head. That's 00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:42.420 the antithesis of sackcloth and ash. It's the 00:32:42.420 --> 00:32:45.579 exact opposite. Now, he's not telling you to 00:32:45.579 --> 00:32:48.619 go get some Gucci and get an expensive haircut 00:32:48.619 --> 00:32:50.779 or the fanciest perfume you can find. He's not 00:32:50.779 --> 00:32:53.799 saying that. But he's saying, don't be chicken 00:32:53.799 --> 00:32:59.299 little. Don't walk around like the sky is falling, 00:32:59.420 --> 00:33:04.480 even if it is. Because if you know the one in 00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:08.410 whose hand is the falling sky, You don't need 00:33:08.410 --> 00:33:12.869 to fear. You can be dressed in white. You can 00:33:12.869 --> 00:33:15.450 let your head be anointed with oil. You can be 00:33:15.450 --> 00:33:18.470 a joyful person. You can reflect the light of 00:33:18.470 --> 00:33:25.069 Christ to everyone in your midst. Now, I don't 00:33:25.069 --> 00:33:26.809 know if people read obituaries these days. It 00:33:26.809 --> 00:33:28.250 was a big thing with the newspapers, you know, 00:33:28.269 --> 00:33:30.049 those things that were on print they used to 00:33:30.049 --> 00:33:32.269 hold and they used to be at airports and coffee 00:33:32.269 --> 00:33:33.950 shops. I know we don't have many of those anymore. 00:33:34.190 --> 00:33:38.190 Not the airports and coffee shops. newspapers. 00:33:38.950 --> 00:33:42.490 Have you ever seen a discouraging or sad obituary? 00:33:45.289 --> 00:33:49.829 They exist. The kind where the person's not missed. 00:33:50.829 --> 00:33:56.349 The family is unfazed by their departure. Even 00:33:56.349 --> 00:34:00.430 glad. How tragic it is when the impression that 00:34:00.430 --> 00:34:02.329 one leaves behind on their family and their loved 00:34:02.329 --> 00:34:08.010 ones was one of misery and joylessness. Consider 00:34:08.010 --> 00:34:10.809 the contrast of the passing of a dearly loved 00:34:10.809 --> 00:34:15.070 saint, one whose death doesn't bring relief to 00:34:15.070 --> 00:34:18.690 their loved ones, but whose loved ones will miss 00:34:18.690 --> 00:34:22.309 them terribly, most of all because of the life 00:34:22.309 --> 00:34:27.710 of Christ that they represented. So Solomon says, 00:34:27.829 --> 00:34:32.050 let your days be filled with joy. Laugh, be glad, 00:34:32.250 --> 00:34:34.730 enjoy what God has given. And in verse nine, 00:34:34.869 --> 00:34:39.869 enjoy with whom? God has given. Now Solomon, 00:34:39.889 --> 00:34:42.090 he clearly abused the privilege of marriage. 00:34:42.349 --> 00:34:47.309 700 wives, 300 concubines. But here, here, he 00:34:47.309 --> 00:34:52.050 encourages proper marital relations. He learned. 00:34:52.769 --> 00:34:56.769 He learned. To see life with the one whom you 00:34:56.769 --> 00:35:00.929 love is singular. It's intentional. He didn't 00:35:00.929 --> 00:35:05.820 say with the ones. The one. Definite articles 00:35:05.820 --> 00:35:10.159 mean something. The means singular, one, not 00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:15.440 plural. To see life with the one that you love 00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:19.340 is to experience it, to understand it, to live 00:35:19.340 --> 00:35:23.420 it, to walk it through with your companion. Now 00:35:23.420 --> 00:35:25.059 that flies in the face of all of his arranged 00:35:25.059 --> 00:35:28.079 marriages that he did for wealth, for property, 00:35:28.260 --> 00:35:32.900 for alliances. It points to a monogamous marriage 00:35:32.900 --> 00:35:36.039 between a man and a woman. And it also points 00:35:36.039 --> 00:35:38.980 to the reality that marriage can be one of the 00:35:38.980 --> 00:35:44.420 best delights in this short life. Remember that 00:35:44.420 --> 00:35:47.300 vain doesn't mean futile. It doesn't mean pointless. 00:35:47.880 --> 00:35:51.019 It points to the temporary nature of this life, 00:35:51.059 --> 00:35:54.579 the fleeting nature of this life, so that we 00:35:54.579 --> 00:35:58.440 orient our gaze back towards God. Now marriage 00:35:58.440 --> 00:36:00.820 can be one of those great enjoyments in this 00:36:00.820 --> 00:36:04.039 temporary life. But we also have to acknowledge 00:36:04.039 --> 00:36:06.079 that marriage is not what completes a person. 00:36:07.139 --> 00:36:10.159 Some people are single now, but were not before. 00:36:11.139 --> 00:36:15.199 Some who are single now may not be one day. And 00:36:15.199 --> 00:36:17.860 some who are single now will remain so the rest 00:36:17.860 --> 00:36:21.099 of their lives. Marriage is not the definition 00:36:21.099 --> 00:36:24.280 of being a Christian. Christ is the definition 00:36:24.280 --> 00:36:28.280 of being a Christian. Identity in Christ is what 00:36:28.280 --> 00:36:32.119 completes us. So if you're not one to whom God 00:36:32.119 --> 00:36:34.719 has given this gift of enjoyment in marriage, 00:36:35.039 --> 00:36:39.039 you can still seek contentment in him. And you 00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:41.420 can look to those other base gifts that he gives 00:36:41.420 --> 00:36:44.119 us to enjoy. That's why he starts with eating 00:36:44.119 --> 00:36:48.440 and drinking, the most basic parts of life. Now, 00:36:48.460 --> 00:36:50.340 for those who enjoy the gift of marriage now, 00:36:50.440 --> 00:36:53.900 remember, though, that it's temporary. The gift 00:36:53.900 --> 00:36:57.599 of marriage will one day be done away with, whether 00:36:57.599 --> 00:37:02.739 by death or by glory. So be thankful and appreciate 00:37:02.739 --> 00:37:07.599 the good gifts while you have them. And for those 00:37:07.599 --> 00:37:12.179 who have the gift but are not enjoying it, you 00:37:12.179 --> 00:37:17.099 repent. Repent. We've heard before, I don't like 00:37:17.099 --> 00:37:22.320 my gift. Repent. I wish I had a different one. 00:37:24.440 --> 00:37:28.079 Repent. There's too much water under the bridge. 00:37:30.179 --> 00:37:37.099 Repent. Remember that your spouse is the one 00:37:37.099 --> 00:37:40.219 that God gave you either by your once upon a 00:37:40.219 --> 00:37:43.719 time wisdom or by their I didn't know any better 00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:47.159 folly. Go back and listen to that if it didn't 00:37:47.159 --> 00:37:52.019 make sense. You find yourself as a husband and 00:37:52.019 --> 00:37:57.079 wife though for God's glory. Miserable, grumbling 00:37:57.079 --> 00:37:59.510 and complaining. is not going to yield you anything. 00:38:00.150 --> 00:38:03.269 It only reveals a discontent heart. Now, God 00:38:03.269 --> 00:38:05.809 may need to do some serious work towards restoring 00:38:05.809 --> 00:38:07.769 a marriage if you've had those thoughts, if you're 00:38:07.769 --> 00:38:10.969 perpetuating those thoughts. That work will be 00:38:10.969 --> 00:38:16.750 on you and your spouse, your gift. Think about 00:38:16.750 --> 00:38:20.309 a spouse as a gift. The end, though, of enjoying 00:38:20.309 --> 00:38:23.010 that gift is to grow in the likeness of Christ. 00:38:24.869 --> 00:38:27.010 God is in the restoration business, is he not? 00:38:28.449 --> 00:38:31.650 He delights when his people return to him. As 00:38:31.650 --> 00:38:36.090 long as you still have life and breath, which 00:38:36.090 --> 00:38:38.929 is why it's better to be a living dog than a 00:38:38.929 --> 00:38:42.489 dead lion. Now verse 10 serves as a great capstone 00:38:42.489 --> 00:38:44.949 for this section. He says, serve the Lord with 00:38:44.949 --> 00:38:49.230 gladness in whatever you do. So life is not vanity, 00:38:49.269 --> 00:38:51.869 it's not pointless, even if it is fleeting and 00:38:51.869 --> 00:38:55.510 temporary. Put your effort into enjoying life. 00:38:56.329 --> 00:39:00.090 Put your effort into enjoying your spouse. Put 00:39:00.090 --> 00:39:02.929 your effort into working and living for God's 00:39:02.929 --> 00:39:05.650 glory in whatever you do. Don't be lukewarm. 00:39:05.730 --> 00:39:09.230 Don't be half -hearted. Don't be lazy. You can 00:39:09.230 --> 00:39:12.369 labor. You can pursue wisdom. You can pursue 00:39:12.369 --> 00:39:16.389 knowledge and understanding only while you live. 00:39:18.289 --> 00:39:20.429 When he speaks of Sheol here at the end of verse 00:39:20.429 --> 00:39:23.130 10, it's just the world of the dead. It's the 00:39:23.130 --> 00:39:25.260 grave. He's not speaking of... the everlasting 00:39:25.260 --> 00:39:29.699 eternal torment of the unsaved. So Solomon's 00:39:29.699 --> 00:39:31.179 statement on working with all your might, you 00:39:31.179 --> 00:39:33.280 might think of the New Testament commands that 00:39:33.280 --> 00:39:37.059 are very similar. Colossians chapter 3. Whatever 00:39:37.059 --> 00:39:39.059 you do in word or deed, do all in the name of 00:39:39.059 --> 00:39:42.400 the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father 00:39:42.400 --> 00:39:46.059 through him. 1 Corinthians 10 .31. Whether then 00:39:46.059 --> 00:39:48.860 you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to 00:39:48.860 --> 00:39:53.440 the glory of God. You see the consistency of 00:39:53.440 --> 00:39:56.699 God's word? He's not trying to confuse us, not 00:39:56.699 --> 00:39:59.440 trying to throw you off. His emphasis is on living 00:39:59.440 --> 00:40:04.460 while you can. Live before you die. Now we come 00:40:04.460 --> 00:40:07.199 to another abrupt stop on the ride of Ecclesiastes, 00:40:07.340 --> 00:40:10.340 but don't miss the simplicity of that last statement. 00:40:11.519 --> 00:40:15.679 Live before you die. Live in whatever you do, 00:40:15.719 --> 00:40:19.280 but live for God's glory. Live by the grace of 00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:22.760 Christ. In our culture today, So many people 00:40:22.760 --> 00:40:25.539 strive after so many things, do they not? And 00:40:25.539 --> 00:40:27.099 you hear it, if you're in the secular world for 00:40:27.099 --> 00:40:29.780 work, you hear about all the things they're working 00:40:29.780 --> 00:40:33.619 towards before they can enjoy life. All the aims 00:40:33.619 --> 00:40:37.239 for retirement, for finances, working so hard, 00:40:37.380 --> 00:40:41.739 attaining so much, before what? Before they can 00:40:41.739 --> 00:40:44.679 finally enjoy it. Then they're given the freedom 00:40:44.679 --> 00:40:46.980 in the later years of life when they no longer 00:40:46.980 --> 00:40:49.460 have the energy, but they have all the means. 00:40:51.050 --> 00:40:53.389 But like the bad aspects of all of our unsaved 00:40:53.389 --> 00:40:56.369 society, we're always encouraged to enjoy things 00:40:56.369 --> 00:41:01.250 too much and in the wrong way. But with wisdom, 00:41:01.369 --> 00:41:04.730 we're taught how to live even though we know 00:41:04.730 --> 00:41:08.769 we're going to die. In fact, the reality of our 00:41:08.769 --> 00:41:12.670 impending death helps us to live. That's the 00:41:12.670 --> 00:41:15.610 wisdom of God. Now for the fool, the one who 00:41:15.610 --> 00:41:17.250 doesn't know God, everything's meaningless. They 00:41:17.250 --> 00:41:19.349 might as well have their best life now. That's 00:41:19.349 --> 00:41:21.760 what Solomon keeps telling you. If your hope 00:41:21.760 --> 00:41:24.739 is here, this is the best life you have, so get 00:41:24.739 --> 00:41:29.500 it all. But if you see beyond this world, if 00:41:29.500 --> 00:41:33.039 you recognize that you are temporary and there 00:41:33.039 --> 00:41:35.960 is an eternity, there is a maker, there is a 00:41:35.960 --> 00:41:39.099 creator, amidst all the chaos there is yet, rhyme 00:41:39.099 --> 00:41:42.659 and reason, then he says, look beyond what you 00:41:42.659 --> 00:41:46.219 can see. Don't live for what you can hold and 00:41:46.219 --> 00:41:51.059 touch. Live for what lasts. Live as one who fears 00:41:51.059 --> 00:41:54.840 God. Live as one who serves him. Live as one 00:41:54.840 --> 00:41:57.960 who knows Christ is Lord and who lives as if 00:41:57.960 --> 00:42:03.179 Christ is Lord. You have to remember, this life, 00:42:03.179 --> 00:42:05.920 it's not better than the one to come, but it 00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:08.760 can still be enjoyed. Can you hold that intention? 00:42:10.760 --> 00:42:13.079 It's not better for the believer than what is 00:42:13.079 --> 00:42:15.280 to come. What is to come is infinitely better. 00:42:16.079 --> 00:42:18.679 But did you know that you can still enjoy this? 00:42:21.929 --> 00:42:26.170 In the midst of being homesick for heaven, this 00:42:26.170 --> 00:42:28.090 life under the sun can be enjoyed for what it 00:42:28.090 --> 00:42:34.829 is. It's a gift. And in enjoying this life, you 00:42:34.829 --> 00:42:38.190 can honor the creator. You can honor the savior. 00:42:39.110 --> 00:42:41.630 And we're all gonna face the same fate, but the 00:42:41.630 --> 00:42:44.449 future has a fork in the road. So while you have 00:42:44.449 --> 00:42:47.730 breath, while you have life, take the opportunity 00:42:47.730 --> 00:42:51.440 to learn to live for God's glory. And the truth 00:42:51.440 --> 00:42:54.000 of God's word gives us hope for a secure future. 00:42:54.840 --> 00:42:57.599 Through these ups and downs of life, even though 00:42:57.599 --> 00:43:00.099 you know the death is coming, you can count on 00:43:00.099 --> 00:43:03.920 the nearness of God through Christ. We read about 00:43:03.920 --> 00:43:06.820 the nearness of God in Psalm 73, and yet we know 00:43:06.820 --> 00:43:12.360 that the name Emmanuel is God with us. How much 00:43:12.360 --> 00:43:16.639 nearer can he be? So as you think about how to 00:43:16.639 --> 00:43:20.570 live before you die, Think about who Jesus is. 00:43:21.389 --> 00:43:24.789 Who is Christ? If Jesus is our greatest gift, 00:43:24.929 --> 00:43:27.150 if he's our greatest treasure, if he's our true 00:43:27.150 --> 00:43:29.429 friend, if he's the one who makes us complete, 00:43:29.710 --> 00:43:33.210 then even the other bright and wonderful gifts, 00:43:33.309 --> 00:43:35.150 the shiny things of this life, they're going 00:43:35.150 --> 00:43:39.349 to grow strangely dim as we sing, right? In the 00:43:39.349 --> 00:43:45.369 light of his glory and grace. And if Jesus is 00:43:45.369 --> 00:43:48.469 our greatest gift, then when that last enemy, 00:43:48.969 --> 00:43:54.250 comes to take our breath away, Jesus will breathe 00:43:54.250 --> 00:44:00.130 into us anew. And what was once dust to dust 00:44:00.130 --> 00:44:05.329 will from that point be from glory to glory. 00:44:06.530 --> 00:44:14.750 That's the story. Let's pray together. God, we 00:44:14.750 --> 00:44:19.170 want to learn how to live in the face of death. 00:44:21.190 --> 00:44:24.090 We want to learn how to scoff at death and yet 00:44:24.090 --> 00:44:28.190 also take it very seriously. We want to learn 00:44:28.190 --> 00:44:30.690 how to hold the balance of being homesick for 00:44:30.690 --> 00:44:35.710 heaven and yet living joyfully this side of glory 00:44:35.710 --> 00:44:40.789 until you call us home. So we need your help. 00:44:41.750 --> 00:44:44.869 We ask you to help us to embrace the life that 00:44:44.869 --> 00:44:47.800 we have now, the one that you've given us. And 00:44:47.800 --> 00:44:51.159 all of the things, the good, the bad, the blessings, 00:44:51.199 --> 00:44:54.900 the burdens, the love, the hate, we ask you to 00:44:54.900 --> 00:44:59.219 help us to know how to be joyful in these things. 00:45:01.699 --> 00:45:05.579 Help us to grow in knowing the gospel of Christ. 00:45:06.780 --> 00:45:09.980 Knowing Jesus changes everything, but we need 00:45:09.980 --> 00:45:15.159 help. We need help to see how. We need help to 00:45:15.159 --> 00:45:18.980 see that eternity's promises, eternity's assurance 00:45:18.980 --> 00:45:26.039 impacts today's troubles. Help us to look at 00:45:26.039 --> 00:45:31.099 Jesus as our dearest friend. Help us to not just 00:45:31.099 --> 00:45:33.460 say wonderful things about him, but to truly 00:45:33.460 --> 00:45:39.760 count him as our treasure. Help us not to just 00:45:39.760 --> 00:45:43.719 go through the motions of religion, but to see 00:45:44.219 --> 00:45:48.059 the Savior who has sacrificed for us to be broken 00:45:48.059 --> 00:45:51.539 by our sin, to repent, and to turn to him and 00:45:51.539 --> 00:45:55.840 ask for his grace, his help constantly. Not just 00:45:55.840 --> 00:46:01.940 one time, but daily. And in that, as we daily 00:46:01.940 --> 00:46:04.679 look at our own sinful tendency towards evil, 00:46:04.760 --> 00:46:08.039 like Solomon has warned us, help us to have joy 00:46:08.039 --> 00:46:13.130 to live in this life. Help us to look death in 00:46:13.130 --> 00:46:15.489 the eye knowing that it's coming and still enjoy 00:46:15.489 --> 00:46:18.050 the little blessings and the little graces of 00:46:18.050 --> 00:46:21.329 this life. We don't need to be so morbid, so 00:46:21.329 --> 00:46:25.949 serious, nor do we need to be flippant. Help 00:46:25.949 --> 00:46:28.829 us to rightly assess our situation as creatures 00:46:28.829 --> 00:46:33.369 who will one day meet death and who also trust 00:46:33.369 --> 00:46:39.210 that death will be no more. So help us to grow 00:46:39.210 --> 00:46:43.210 out of our grumbling and our complaining of things 00:46:43.210 --> 00:46:46.570 here and now. Convict us. Help us to repent. 00:46:48.070 --> 00:46:50.730 Help us to not be arrogant and demand things 00:46:50.730 --> 00:46:55.170 of you and outcomes that we can't control. And 00:46:55.170 --> 00:46:58.150 cultivate in us a heart of gladness, a heart 00:46:58.150 --> 00:47:00.550 of thankfulness for whatever you've chosen to 00:47:00.550 --> 00:47:06.789 do. Our desire as we gather today, help us to 00:47:06.789 --> 00:47:09.820 praise the name of Jesus. As we walk out of here 00:47:09.820 --> 00:47:12.300 later today, we think about everything that we 00:47:12.300 --> 00:47:14.500 sang and everything we read and everything we 00:47:14.500 --> 00:47:17.960 learned, talked about, wrestled with. May we 00:47:17.960 --> 00:47:22.159 come away knowing that the one thing that matters 00:47:22.159 --> 00:47:27.380 is knowing Christ as Lord. And if Christ is our 00:47:27.380 --> 00:47:31.480 Lord, then our hearts may be glad. And so help 00:47:31.480 --> 00:47:34.940 us to that end. Change our affections. Change 00:47:34.940 --> 00:47:37.320 the way that we approach life. Change the way 00:47:37.320 --> 00:47:39.619 that we think about things so that we would see 00:47:39.619 --> 00:47:42.940 your goodness here and now and long for things 00:47:42.940 --> 00:47:47.280 to be finally, fully good. Give us hope for that 00:47:47.280 --> 00:47:49.840 future, we pray. In Christ's name, amen.