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partying in the midst of vanity Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Sunday Worship Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 May 22nd, 2011
When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.
But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun. Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them. (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17; 9:1-12 ESV)
INTRODUCTION “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley (1849–1903) Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul. If you have been following along in Ecclesiastes, you know that this poem, though sentimentally inspiring is far from the truth of biblical reality. Ecclesiastes takes a realistic but God-fearing view of the world under the sun.
Solomon teaches us about wisdom. Wisdom only comes from God and is only cultivated in the fear of the Lord. In this passage Solomon teaches us of the godly man’s perspective of the ways of God in a vain world and how we should respond.
I want to look at four truths that the wise know. I call it wisdom’s theology, because they relate to God and our view of God (theology).
Wisdom’s Theology:
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 ESV (16) When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, (17) then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.
The wise know that we cannot figure out what God is up to. The wise accept God’s power but don’t pretend to understand it.
The wise know what cannot be known. The follow stammers with explanations that He has no idea about.
God raises up kings and casts them down. God brings disease and heals. God brings to life and cuts off the living. God makes the righteous suffer and allows many wicked to prosper.
Ecclesiastes 9:1 ESV But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.
This book could not be more clear on this. Everything…including our actions are in the hands of God. We may not understand it all, but the Bible is clear on this.
Ecclesiastes 9:2-3 ESV It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. (3) This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
The book of Job shows us that we cannot judge by circumstances and discern God’s attitude towards a person.
God’s ways are far from us to understand what He is doing. He may bring trial to a just man and allow success to accompany the life of a fool. God is God and we can discern by mere outward appearances.
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 ESV (11) Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. (12) For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.
We cannot manipulate God. Life SEEMS unfair sometimes. Life is not run on a naturalist model, but by a personal God.
In the midst of vanity (under the sun), how shall we then live? (9:7-10) So how should we respond to such seeming incongruity? Do we through up our hands in frustration? Do we live paralyzed by the “what ifs” and pending doom? Do we live naïve to this reality and go our way?
Solomon points us in a faith-filled direction.
By looking at Verses 7-10 I want to lay out the godly response.
Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 ESV (7) Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. (8) Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head. (9) Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. (10) Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
What we are to do is based on God’s grace. “for God has already approved what you do.” “that is your portion in life”
In reality, this is the Gospel. We are accepted which then drives us to action not the other way around.
You are God’s covenant people. In Christ He has approved of you and what He has given to you is from Him and you are to enjoy.
The response if to be faith. Because He has lavished us with His favor, we trust in His promises and goodness to us.
The house may cave in tomorrow but we trust in the Lord with a smile on our face because He controls the house.
What does this faith look like in response to God’s favor?
The grateful enjoyment of His gifts in the present
Faith does not worry but thanks. Faith does not hide in a hole at potential doom, it trusts in the God who controls their lot.
(7) Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. (8) Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head. (9) Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. (10) Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
1. Eat and drink to the glory of God – with thanksgiving and not idolatry 2. Enjoy the comforts and pleasures that he gives with gratitude and not false worship 3. Enjoy the relationships He has given you knowing they are from Him – don’t forget that they are gifts from Him. 4. Embrace the work before you as from His hand and be vigorous.
This is not a head in the sand mentality. This is not a pagan – eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we shall die.
This is a faith that responds in joy to the grace of God in the present…even though it may be God’s good pleasure to let the shoe drop on us in the near future. We can deal with that because God is good and He will make everything good in its time.
This theology is this – enjoy His gifts in a messy house. That is his will. We cannot clean everything up…it is in His hands…He wants us to pull up a chair and enjoy the ride.
1 Timothy 4:3-5 ESV who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (4) For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, (5) for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
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