Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:7
Notes
Transcript
Enjoy God’s gift with their intended purpose while you still can
Enjoy God’s gift with their intended purpose while you still can
The exhortation to enjoy a gift seems pretty straightforward and simple. However there are several factors that can complicate this.
Is the gift given with something expected back from you? (Brother gives $5, the sister says what do you want)
The former came with expectation, but it is just as confusing if the gift comes with no explanation (Husband gives wife a new socket set for Christmas)
Then there is a timing factor in the gift. If it is short-term one may consume it or abuse it knowing that he has only a little time with it (Drive it like a rental) or if there is no time limit it may not be used (unlimited gym access- I will do it tomorrow)
So far in Ecclesiastes we have received a realistic view about the gifts of pleasure, riches, work, and wisdom. They are good but one cannot gain from them in this life (watermelon example). Also riches and wisdom don’t make one immune to trouble and death. Still in light of these enigmas, God has admonished us to enjoy the portion of the gifts that we have been given. As we come toward the conclusion of this book enjoyment is once again admonished, but it is given with the ticker of old age and death increasing and about to stop at any moment.
Do we live frantically live or go ahead and act like one foot is in the grave?
Rejoice in the goodness of life here one earth
Rejoice in the goodness of life here one earth
7 Truly the light is sweet,
And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun;
Though the earth around us is characterized by futility, brevity, and no gain, it is still full of sweet and pleasant gifts.
When we keep in mind our whole view of Scripture, we see that
God created everything good.
The fall introduced all of the complications, but it did not change the nature of God who still gives things richly to be enjoyed.
The Fall has resulted in corrupt hearts that used the gifts wrongly. We will always try to make idols out of the gifts God has given us, but that does not make the objects bad.
Creation has been cursed, but it is in a groaning status and will one day be restored.
In light of this nature of God’s good gifts, we are exhorted to:
8 But if a man lives many years
And rejoices in them all,
Yet let him remember the days of darkness,
For they will be many.
All that is coming is vanity.
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment.
The timing for doing this is one’s youth. This again seems almost natural. Youth seem to have endless energy to do this. They seem to have the most care-free life to carry this out. However, the youth easily squander the gifts rather than truly enjoy them. Keep listening.
The admonition for enjoyment is given from a perspective at the end of life. The end of life is characterized as” accumulated experience with evil days.” The days also end with accountability before God.
We know when God’s gifts are given there is accountability as to whether we hoard or invest. Consume or give.
Think through this aspect of accountability for enjoying God’s gifts.
In Kidner’s wonderful phrase, “This was the nerve the serpent had touched in Eden, to make even Paradise appear an insult.”9 There is a way of looking at the world that sees God’s goodness gifted to us and that causes us to live with constant wonder at his daily provision. There is another way of living that feels constantly slighted by God and others and becomes a greenhouse for bitter roots to flourish. One day the extent to which we have embraced life’s gifts will be called to account.
When we are not grateful for the little things, it is only a very short step to no longer being grateful for anything. When we do not enjoy and savor and love and laugh and delight in the little things, then we are heading toward losing our delight in anything.
Enjoyment is actually an expansion not a reduction. Expand your desires to the breadth of God’s gifts in all its forms and sizes (This is not minus learning even from death -chapter 7
The former verses spoke of rejoicing. verse 10 speaks of another command that is parallel with rejoicing
10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,
And put away evil from your flesh,
For childhood and youth are vanity.
Remove the threats of joy
Remove the threats of joy
You can’t remove problems, brevity, death and corruption
Throughout Ecclessiastes, the writer used the words “sorrow/vexation and evil” to describe the situations that were frustrating and confusing, calamitous.
One can gain wisdom(1:18) without trying to control life through wisdom
You can work as one who brings God’s rule to bear in creation rather than seeking permanent gain for your name through work.
You can invest wealth rather than seeking for an accumulation that hurts
There is a brevity to life, but it does not have to be used in futility.
Finally what does it look like to enjoy God’s gifts in this life while you still can?
1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:
Remember the Creator of your joys
Remember the Creator of your joys
How do you remember your Creator?
Don’t separate the Creator from the joys
You forget your creator when you try to control- this only leads to anxiousness
“Anxiety is actually the fool’s response to the fact that his life is a breath.” - Jeffery Meyers.
You forget your Creator when you minimize His gifts- complaining or avoiding.
How else do you remember your Creator?
Don’t separate youth from old age/ beginning from the end.
the end is to teach one how to live not threaten or halt living.
There is a temporary decline that takes place from youth to the days of death
The unmaking of creation
The busy house slows down
Temporary death occurs
2 While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain;
3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down; When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim;
4 When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all the daughters of music are brought low.
5 Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well.
7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
We can learn from death rather than trying to avoid it
There is the humor of being the cantankerous old person.
There is the cosmetic way of attempting to hide the wrinkles.
There is the cenegenic way of attempting to stay in the body as long as possible.
There is the way of dying to soon
Application:
While you can: In youth, there can be a lot of “I can’t wait until.” You may hear of the impending doom of “you wait until.”
Keep a rememberance of God’s commands and works before you.
Keep the gospel before you- you are richer than you ever know. You are in a story that begins and ends in joy. You have been redeemed.
When you hear of gloom, don’t toss it up to someone who only sees the negative.