SERIES: Ecclesiastes
TEXT: Ecclesiastes 8:1-13
MESSAGE: “Who is in Control?”
“This book, being about work, is, by its very nature, about violence-to the spirit as well as to the body. It is about ulcers as well as accidents, about shouting matches as well as fistfights, about nervous breakdowns as well as kicking the dog around. It is, above all (or beneath all), about daily humiliations. To survive the day is triumph enough for the walking wounded among the great many of us. The scars, psychie as well as physical, brought home to the supper table and the TV set, may have touched, malignantly, the soul of our society.” — Studs Terkel
v.1 “Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.”
“Discretion…is the chief face of wisdom in this situation…with its reminder of Joseph and Daniel…” — Derek Kidner
“He’d built himself a huge house all in the Empire style—rows of windows flaming with light….’ They went up and looked through one of the windows…‘What was he doing?’ ‘Walking up and down—up and down all the time— left-right, left-right—never stopping for a moment. The two chaps watched him for about a year and he never rested. And muttering to himself all the time. “It was Soult’s (suit’s) fault. It was Ney’s fault. It was Josephine’s fault. It was the fault of the Russians. It was the fault of the English.” Like that all the time. Never stopped for a moment.” — CS Lewis
TEXT: Ecclesiastes 8:1-17
Q: What are the ways we try to rule our life and control the world around us? We can be tempted in three ways…(1. Idolizing Powerful People 2. Speculating the Future 3. Prolonging Our Days)
1. Idolizing Powerful People (v. 2-5)
“I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him. 3 Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.”
“The wise man will think more than twice before opposing the king in this way. He will not rush to speech and action. We may note similar general advice, also employing Hebrew, “be hasty,” in Ecclesiastes 5:2 and 7:9: Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” — Iain Provan
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” — Colossians 3:23-24
2. Speculating the Future (v. 6-9)
“For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. 7 For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.”
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11
3. Prolonging Our Days (v. 10-13)
“Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.”
“An attitude of deep respect, honor, and deference. In the RSV OT “revere” and “reverence” usually represent Heb. yārēʾ (lit “fear”). The truly devout person is typically described as one who “fears the Lord”. Implied are not only a reverent attitude but also the obedient actions that naturally flow from it.” — Geoffrey Bromiley
In the NT, the Apostle Paul says it like this: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” — Ephesians 5:15-16
“…the world we live in is not conducive to using time wisely, especially for purposes of spirituality and Godliness. In fact, our days are days of active evil. There are great thieves of time that are minions of the world, the flesh, and the Devil. They may range in form from high-tech, socially acceptable preoccupations to simple, idle talk or ungoverned thoughts. But the natural course of our minds, our bodies, our world, and our days leads us toward evil, not toward Christlikeness. “Thoughts must be disciplined, otherwise, like water, they tend to flow downhill or stand stagnant. That’s why in Colossians 3:2 we’re commanded, “Set your mind on the things above.” — Don Whitney
TAKEAWAYS: Let’s ask ourselves…
- Do I have control issues? (Fear of man, Fear of the future, Fear of dying)
- Do I see God as the Ultimate Authority?
“Behind every sin is a lie about God.” — Steve Timmis and Tim Chester
The 4 G’s about God:
- God is great — so I do not have to be in control.
- God is glorious — so I do not have to fear others.
- God is good — so I do not have to look elsewhere.
- God is gracious — so I don’t have to prove myself.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” — John 10:14-18