Life Under the Son (Ecclesiastes)
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CJ Walker
Firm Foundations • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:08:29
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· 88 viewsLife under the sun only leaves you scorched, while life under God’s Son leads to fountains of living waters
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Formal Elements / Descriptive Data
Text: Ecclesiastes
CIT: God’s people must find His purposes for fulfillment to avoid a life of emptiness
Proposition: Life under the sun only leaves you scorched, while life under God’s Son leads to fountains of living waters
Statement of Purpose:
(1) MO – Supportive
(2) SO – I want my hearers to be shown how futile and useless it is to pursue materialistic, selfish, worldly goals as an end in and of themselves and to find God to be their only source of lasting personal fulfillment to lead a meaningful life for Him.
Title (Topic/Name): Life Under the Son
Informal Elements / Rhetorical Data
Introduction:
Introduction:
[Start Low]
· See Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary:
The book of Ecclesiastes is one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible. Christians have tended either to ignore the message of the book or to regard it as the testimony of a man living apart from God. This is unfortunate, for the book asks relevant, searching questions about the meaning of life, and it declares the utter futility of an existence without God. Like all Scripture, the Book of Ecclesiastes benefits and edifies God’s people. Negative descriptions such as “cynical,” “fatalistic,” or “existential” do not do the Book of Ecclesiastes justice. There is too much evidence of robust cheerfulness throughout its pages. “Then I commended mirth [enjoyment]” (Ecc. 8:15) is a recurrent theme that pervades the book; in fact, the Hebrew words for “gladness” and “being glad” appear seventeen times in Ecclesiastes.
15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
The underlying mood of the book is joy: finding pleasure in life despite the troubles that often plague it. Those who fear and worship God should experience this joy; they should rejoice in the gifts God has given them. Solomon probably wrote this book toward the end of his life, after he had repented of idolatry and his pursuit of foreign wives. Thus the Book of Ecclesiastes is both a monument to Solomon’s recommitment to the living God and a guide for others through the pitfalls and perils of life. In fact, Solomon might have written this wisdom book as a tract for other nations. That would explain why he did not write about the Law, and why he used the divine title Elohim, meaning “Exalted God,” instead of the covenantal name Yahweh in the book (Ex. 3:14, 15).
14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Solomon had entertained many dignitaries from other nations, including the queen of Sheba. The queen’s questions concerning the basic meaning of life might have prompted him to write Ecclesiastes to teach the Gentiles about the living God and their need to worship only Him. Centuries before, Moses had called for this type of treatise to the pagan nations (Deut. 4:6–8).
6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? 8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
RAPID & LOW
The nations that had heard of Israel’s success needed to know about the living and exalted God who had blessed Israel with wealth and wisdom. Sometimes it is better to read the end of a book to understand better the direction in which the book is headed. This is certainly true of Ecclesiastes. The book should be interpreted in light of its conclusion: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all [the whole duty of man” (Ecc. 12:13).
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
To fear God means to revere, worship, and serve God—to turn from evil and turn in awe to the living God. This was the attitude of Abraham (Gen. 22:12),
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Job (Job 1:1, 8, 9; 2:3),
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
3 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
and the Egyptian midwives (Ex. 1:17, 21).
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
It does not involve dread but instead a proper respect for and obedience to our Creator. Why should we respect and obey God? The Book of Ecclesiastes answers this question in its concluding verse (Ecc. 12:14):
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
God will judge everyone—both the righteous and the wicked. Life cannot be lived with abandon, as if God will not see or remember the deeds of the past. For on the final day, He will call forth all men and women to account for their actions. The admonition to fear God and the expectation of divine judgment are the two great themes that conclude the book and provide an interpretative framework for the rest of it (Ecc. 12:13, 14). The journey of Solomon to his conclusion “to fear God” is founded on the human search for meaning in life. In 3:11, Solomon eloquently expresses humankind’s dilemma: God has placed eternity in our hearts. A search for true meaning in this life—in money or fame, for instance—will only leave us empty-handed, because our souls yearn for something that will last. Our frustration arises from a hunger to fellowship with our eternal Creator—the only One who can give meaning to our lives. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon takes us on a tour of all of life and concludes that all of it is vanity. Pleasures and riches lead merely to boredom and despair. Only a relationship with the One who created us and continues to care for us will truly satisfy. Troubles and uncertainty will continue to plague us, but even during these times we can find joy in a secure trust in our Father. [Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 779–780.]
Body – Development – Outline:
I. The Theme of Life Under the Sun – All Is Vanity (Ecc. 1:1-11)
I. The Theme of Life Under the Sun – All Is Vanity (Ecc. 1:1-11)
Go Slow
ILL: Temporary Things -
In a Chicago Tribune profile about the creator of the syndicated comic strip “Dilbert,” Jane Meredith Adams writes:
In an office just slightly bigger than a cubicle, Scott Adams transforms tales of idiotic bosses and meaningless empowerment teams into Dilbert, the chinless comic-strip hero to millions of cubicle-confined workers.
Since Adams published his Internet address (scottadams@aol.com), he has been deluged with questions from readers who wonder how he knows the exact level of ineptitude with which their company operates. It’s because he has been there. Adams endured 17 years of cubicle employment—most recently as an applications engineer with Pacific Bell, a job he left last year after six years of “Dilbert” syndication.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget what it feels like to sit in a cubicle,” says the cartoonist, “and realize you’ve been there for eight hours … and everything you did today will become unimportant in the next reorganization.”
Scott Adams expresses a feeling we’re all familiar with. We want what we do to last. Our work (and even our life) doesn’t seem important if it is only temporary. The sure hope we have in God is that all we do for him has eternal significance. [Craig Brian Larson, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 564–565.]
Poem:
Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument
About it and about, but evermore
Came out by the same Door wherein I went.
With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with mine own hand wrought to make it grow,
And this was all the Harvest that I reaped,
I came like Water and like Wind I go.
~ Omar Khayyám (d. 1123): Persian astronomer and poet.
[Oswald Chambers, Shade of His Hand: Talks on the Book of Ecclesiastes (Hants, UK: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1936).]
TS: The Theme has been set – Vanity of Vanities, now notice -
II. The Preacher’s Messages –
II. The Preacher’s Messages –
LM: Before we see the Preacher’s Wisdom Exposition to the Congregation, let’s consider the greater context of the Wisdom books of the Bible, in general-
The record of the whirl of things as they are is marvellously stated in these Books of Wisdom: Job—how to suffer; Psalms—how to pray; Proverbs—how to act; Ecclesiastes—how to enjoy; Song of Solomon—how to love.
[Oswald Chambers, Shade of His Hand: Talks on the Book of Ecclesiastes (Hants, UK: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1936).]
A. Find Purpose with God (Ecc. 1:12-3:15)
A. Find Purpose with God (Ecc. 1:12-3:15)
Climb Higher
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
App: - The Narrow Way seems at times like the long way, but it is the Way that is through Jesus, for it is that way He chose:
Illustration: Is Socialism the Answer to Reach Perfection Apart from Redemption?
Jesus Christ deliberately chose “the long, long trail”; we choose “the short cut,” and continually go wrong until we understand the meaning of the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd, He leads me in the right paths.” It looked as if the way was leading nowhere but beside still waters and green pastures; but I begin to see that it is all unfolding one thing, viz. a personal relationship to God, which is the meaning of a man’s life. The Bible declares that what is true in personal life will be true in material life; there will be “new heavens and a new earth.”†† The Utopian visions of socialists and atheists, dreamers and Christians, are all the same, there is no difference in their vision of a united human race, a perfect order of equity, everything in perfect harmony, But how is it to come about? We are all “in the soup” just now. No nation under heaven believes it is going to be brought about in Jesus Christ’s way on the basis of Redemption. We all believe it will be brought about by a line of things that has yet to be tried, viz. Socialism.
[1 “The vision of Socialism is magnificent; there are benedictions and blessings for mankind on the line of Socialism which have never been yet; but if once the root is cut from Redemption, it will be one of the most frantic forms of despotic tyranny the human race has ever known. It looks like the lamb, but when the big crisis comes, it gives life to the beast.”—The Shadow of an Agony, p. 97. O.C.—Footnote in original text]
We are on the verge of trying it, and it will be the nearest and the finest approach to fulfilling the vision; but at the point where it seems nearest fulfilment, it will make the biggest departure. [Oswald Chambers, Shade of His Hand: Talks on the Book of Ecclesiastes (Hants, UK: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1936).]
B. Learn the True Worship of God (Ecc. 3:16-5:17)
B. Learn the True Worship of God (Ecc. 3:16-5:17)
1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. 3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. 4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
Quote - “The essence of Christianity is not adherence to principles; but a personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ at work in the whole of my life.” ~ Oswald Chambers
21 There are many devices in a man’s heart;
Nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.
Note - What ways are we in danger not “keeping our feet” when going to God’s house?
This section on public worship has much to teach us. Worship has to do with God, but we have a constant tendency to shift the focus elsewhere, for example, entertainment, one another, or growing the church. In his critique of being quick to speak and his example of making a vow but not fulfilling it, Qohelet is in line with much prophetic critique of Israelite religion. Word and deed must go together in worship, otherwise it becomes empty. The great ritual of the church is the [Lord’s Table], and Paul’s warning to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 11:27–32 is reminiscent of Qohelet’s warnings in this section.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
According to Paul, one will be held accountable for participating in the [Lord’s Table] in an unworthy manner. One should examine oneself before participating, lest one eat and drink judgment against oneself. Commenting on v. 27, Thiselton asserts:
“The syntax therefore implies not a sacrilege against the elements of the Lord’s Supper but answerability or being held accountable for the sin against Christ of claiming identification with him while using the celebration of the meal as an occasion for social enjoyment or status enhancement without regard to what sharing in the Lord’s Supper proclaims.”51
Qohelet similarly wants to hold his readers accountable for their worship, to ensure that they understand what they are involved in, and to act accordingly.
The particular temptation Qohelet addresses is a careless approach to God and the use of many words, somehow thinking that this will satisfy God without accompanying deeds. Since the coming of Jesus, worship is no longer centered in the temple, but similar dangers remain. In mainline ... denominations the danger of empty ritual remains real. And [all] churches have their own temptations, such as emotionalism and entertainment. As N. Lohfink says, “What alone matters is that the fear of God, which transcends any particular ritual act, must not be damaged.”52 Once holy reverence for God is subverted, then other things move into center spot and the danger of idolatry is never far away. [51 Thiselton, First Corinthians, 890. 52 N. Lohfink, Qoheleth, 75.] [Craig G. Bartholomew, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes, ed. Tremper Longman III (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 209–210.]
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
C. Life Is a Gift From God (Ecc. 5:18-8:13)
C. Life Is a Gift From God (Ecc. 5:18-8:13)
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. 19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. 20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
App: How is it that we struggle so much to achieve so futile gain without recognizing the true source of every good and perfect gift?
The irrationality of human rebellion against God is on open display in this section of Ecclesiastes, although its destructiveness to human beings is also painfully visible. What is it in human nature that leads us to “run after” material things (Matt. 6:32),
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
behaving in adulthood as we behaved first as young children (accumulating and hoarding possessions that we were unwilling to share), rather than learning to trust and to worship the Creator God? Why are we so blind that we cannot see that this way of life is not even in our own best interests, much less in the interests of our neighbor or our planet?
It is the breathtaking stupidity of sin, rather than simply its wrongness, that often strikes our biblical authors. Even the ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but human beings are too stupid to recognize their Creator (Isa. 1:3).
3 The ox knoweth his owner,
And the ass his master’s crib:
But Israel doth not know,
My people doth not consider.
So they go on hoarding goods to their own harm (Eccl. 5:13),
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
even though these possessions do the owner no real good while he or she possesses them but bring with them lack of satisfaction, worry, sleeplessness, frustration, and anger (Ecc. 5:11–12, 17; 6:1–6); and even though they are consumed in the end by other people, whether in life or in death (whither we go naked, Ecc. 5:11, 15–16). This is a reality of human life reflected throughout the Bible, which identifies the human attachment to material things as one of the primary barriers that exists between God and his human creatures.
The book of Deuteronomy addresses the issue directly in its opening chapters. Note, for example, Deuteronomy 8:6–20, where the possibility is raised that Israel might forget God once they settled happily in the land and were enjoying God’s blessings:
14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; 16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; 17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
Likewise the book of Proverbs, while recognizing material abundance as a gift from God, also knows of the dangers:
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies:
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with food convenient for me:
9 Lest I be full, and deny thee,
And say, Who is the Lord?
Or lest I be poor, and steal,
And take the name of my God in vain.
This same theme figures prominently in the Gospels, which also place at the heart of prayer the request only for “daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). Material abundance is a blessing here too, but more importantly, an awesome danger:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
First Timothy 6:5–10 captures particularly well the thrust of Ecclesiastes 5:8–6:12:
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
The present “grief” that often results from a materialistic lifestyle is thus as evident in the New Testament as in the Old Testament, although the New Testament also adds to this a grief that is eternal rather than simply temporal. Eternal consequences arise from the decisions we make about material goods and their place in our lives. What is equally clear from the New Testament, however—and this is also proclaimed in the Old Testament—is that such consequences affect not only us ourselves but other human beings as well. Oppression is as much associated with wealth in the Bible as blessing is, and this oppression is systemic as well as personal. It involves governmental and judicial power, which usually lies in the hands of the rich, and it all too often functions, whether with deliberate intent or simply through neglect, to establish the interests of the rich over against those of the poor (Eccl. 5:8–9).
This is one of the reasons why the words “rich” and “wicked” so often appear closely connected in the Bible and are sometimes used interchangeably (as in Isa. 53:9). The desire for possessions leads on to oppression of the neighbor, often pursued in judicial ways. Note the Old Testament example of Ahab, who desired Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21). A striking New Testament example of this phenomenon is provided by James 5:1–6: We lust as consumers after the good things of life; we end up consuming our neighbor, and eventually ourselves. We do this as groups of people and as individuals. Sin is structural—rooted in our institutions and customs—and not merely personal. [Iain Provan, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001), 131–133.]
D. Learn the Knowledge of God (Ecc. 8:14-12:7)
D. Learn the Knowledge of God (Ecc. 8:14-12:7)
Take Fire
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
App:
If there is no God, then there is no Judge. If there is no Judge, then there will be no Final Judgment. If there is no Final Judgment, there is no ultimate meaning to life. Nothing matters.
This is the logic of Quentin’s argument in After the Fall by Arthur Miller. Quentin says:
For many years I looked at life like a case at law. It was a series of proofs. When you’re young you prove how brave you are, or smart; then, what a good lover; then, a good father; finally, how wise, or powerful.… But underlying it all, I see now, there was a presumption. That one moved … on an upward path toward some elevation, where … God knows what … I would be justified, or even condemned. A verdict anyway. I think now that my disaster really began when I looked up one day … and the bench was empty. No judge in sight. And all that remained was the endless argument with oneself, this pointless litigation of existence before an empty bench.… Which, of course, is another way of saying—despair.1
If there is no God to judge the world, then human existence is a pointless litigation that ends in meaningless despair. The Preacher who wrote Ecclesiastes would have agreed. From the beginning of his book he has been saying that if there is no God, there is no meaning. Nothing matters. [1 Arthur Miller, After the Fall (1964), quoted in Tim Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (New York: Dutton, 2008), pp. 156–157.] [Philip Graham Ryken, Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2010), 273–274.]
Note - Describe the word “Vanity”
“Vanity”
By the way, looking at the term “vanity” in Hebrew: The word is hebel, and one of the meanings of it is—when you go out in the winter morning, for example, when you take a breath, you see the vapor that’s there, and then it’s immediately gone. So, that’s what these things are. They have fleeting pleasure, fleeting benefits, but ultimately they’re just chasing after wind. [David W. Baker, OT102 Introducing the Old Testament: Its Poetry and Prophecy, Logos Mobile Education (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).]
App: All There Is
Why does Ecclesiastes tell us about the final judgment here? Because it means that everything matters. The Preacher began and ended his spiritual quest by saying that everything is vanity and that without God there is no meaning or purpose to life. “Is that all there is?” he kept asking. “Isn’t there more to life than what I see under the sun?” If there is no God, and therefore no final judgment, then it is hard to see how anything we do really matters. But if there is a God who will judge the world, then everything matters.
This is not all there is. There is a God in Heaven who rules the world. There is a life to come after this life. One day the dead will be raised and every person who has ever lived will stand before God for judgment. When that day comes, it will be revealed that everything anyone ever did or said or thought has eternal significance.
At the final judgment, it will matter how we used our time, whether we wasted it on foolish pleasures or worked hard for the Lord. It will matter what we did with our money, whether we spent it on ourselves or invested it in the eternal kingdom. It will matter what we did with our bodies—what our eyes saw, our hands touched, and our mouths spoke. Whether we obeyed our father and mother will matter; so will the look we gave them and the little comment we made as we were walking away. What we did for a two-year-old will matter—the way we made time for her and got down on her level. What we said about someone else’s performance will matter—the sarcastic remark or the word of genuine praise. The proud boast and the selfless sacrifice will matter. The household task and the homework assignment will matter. The cup of water, the tear of compassion, the word of testimony—all of it matters.
The final message of Ecclesiastes is not that nothing matters but that everything does. What we did, how we did it, and why we did it will all have eternal significance. The reason everything matters is because everything in the universe is subject to the final verdict of a righteous God who knows every secret.
What matters most of all, therefore, is the personal decision that each person makes about Jesus Christ. Ecclesiastes does not end with a promise of grace but with the warning of judgment. Nevertheless, this book has the gracious purpose of pointing us to the gospel. If it is true that God will bring everything to judgment, then it is desperately important for us to make sure that we will be found righteous on that awesome and momentous day. The only way to be sure is to entrust our lives to Jesus Christ, who alone has the power to save us from the wrath of God.
Into this vain world the Savior came. Like us, he suffered all of its futility and frustration. But Jesus did more. When the time was right, he took the judgment that we deserve by dying for our sins on the cross. His body returned to the dust, like the Preacher said. But on the third day he rose again, bringing life out of the grave.
Soon Jesus will come again, “on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16). The Bible says that God “has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). When that day comes, everyone who believes in Jesus will stand before the righteous Judge and look into the eyes of a loving Savior. Trust Jesus, whose victory saves us from life’s vanity—praise God! [Philip Graham Ryken, Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2010), 281–282.]
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
The Preacher’s Conclusion – Fear God and Keep His Commandments (Ecc. 12:8-14)
APP: Old Age Comes to All
Young people commonly think and act as if they were going to live forever. For that reason, Eccl. 12 paints a picture of old age and introduces it to young people with the warning, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.”
Certainly there are many elderly who defy this portrait. Yet in the main, the conditions mentioned are typical. Ecclesiastes warns the young to remember God before earthly life ends. Several images convey the coming of death and mourning: a silver cord is loosened, a bowl is broken, a pitcher is shattered, a wheel ceases to turn (Ecc. 12:6), the “dust” of the body returns to earth (Ecc. 12:7; compare Gen. 3:19; Job 34:15), and the spirit goes to God, presumably for judgment (Eccl. 12:7, 14).
This is the fate of every human being. No matter how young or old we are, every day each of us is a bit closer to death. Given that reality, Ecclesiastes challenges young people to live unto God, for life is empty and meaningless without Him. [Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 792.]
God’s people must find His purposes for fulfillment to avoid a life of emptiness!
Life under the sun only leaves you scorched, while life under God’s Son leads to fountains of living waters!