ECCLESIASTES 7-82007 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Ecclesiastes 7-8

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2007. Ecclesiastes chapter 7.

Now, we've been kind of on different roller coasters of different things that God's been doing with the pastor's conference happening in June and the different guest speakers and then me and my wife being able to get away for a week. And so I know it's been a little chaotic, but we're continuing now going back to Ecclesiastes. We'll be finishing up over the next couple of weeks.

This evening looking, Lord willing, at chapters 7 and 8 and seeing again Solomon in the midst of his journey.

Solomon is known as the wisest man that ever lived, except for Jesus Christ, because he asked God for wisdom at the beginning of his reign. We find that in 1 Kings. And Solomon was given wisdom by God. And so he had understanding. People came from all areas, all nations, all regions to listen to Solomon's wisdom. He knew everything.

about everything. He had the best education you could imagine. He knew about nature and science and philosophy and you name it. Solomon knew it. He had more wisdom than anyone else. And yet having more wisdom than anyone else,

At the end of his life, he still strayed away from the ways of the Lord. We learned in the book of Proverbs that true wisdom is to receive instruction from God, to live life according to his principles and guidelines that we find in his word.

But Solomon, being the wisest man towards the end of his life, laid aside those things that he once followed the ways of the Lord and began trying to figure out life based on his own understanding. He is looking at one of the key phrases that's found in the book of Ecclesiastes, as you're familiar with, is the phrase under the sun over 30 times here in this book.

Solomon is just limiting his search, looking for meaning, for purpose, for satisfaction, for joy, looking for his answers under the sun, not looking up into heaven, not looking at God as he has revealed himself, but instead basing everything upon what he can figure out, what he can fathom and what he can understand. And he's tried all types of things to fulfill himself and and to bring satisfaction in his life.

He's tried the riches. He's had the greatest power. He's delved into philosophy and education. He had more relationships than you and I can imagine. He says of his own mouth, he says, I withheld nothing from myself. Whatever I desired, I gratified my flesh. I gratified myself. I didn't keep anything back from myself in seeking to become satisfied, to become fulfilled.

As I was preparing for this evening and looking at chapter seven and eight and looking at the words of Solomon, I began to picture in my mind Solomon becoming like a dog who chases his tail. He's just going round and round, desperately searching for the truth, trying to find meaning and purpose. But it's always just beyond his reach. He's not able to grasp hold of it, not able to grab it.

And many of these portions that we've been looking at and what we'll see tonight, Solomon does make reference to God. But what we must understand is that it's not based on what God has revealed of himself, but what he has of his own accord or by himself, by reasoning, tried to figure out about God. You know, I was telling my wife this afternoon, we were able to have lunch together and she was asking me how it was going, getting ready for this evening and

I kind of sighed like that and she said, whoa, what's the sigh for? You know, Solomon drives me crazy. That's what I get as I'm going through and studying for these messages and preparing for our times together on Wednesday evenings. He really does. He drives me crazy as I'm going through this because everything has to be analyzed.

You can't just like most of the word of God where you just know, hey, this is what God says. This is the revelation of God, of his ways, of his plans. But Solomon, the book of Ecclesiastes, is a little bit different because Solomon is on this journey. And so in looking at chapters 7 and 8 or 5 and 6, really anywhere except for the last couple of verses of chapter 12, there's got to be this great warning flag saying, hey,

this isn't necessarily what God says, but this is what Solomon, by his own understanding, and even though he had great wisdom, this is the best that he can come up with. And as I was meditating on that and sharing that with her, I realized, you know, in that way, this is great practice for us. Looking at these things that Solomon is going through and this journey that he's on and seeing, is this really of God or is this of Solomon? And

It's a good practice for us to do that determination, to do those tests, because the world is continually throwing all kinds of ideas and philosophies, attitudes and mentalities, and we have to take them and analyze them by the word of God. We have to do exactly what we're doing with Solomon here with the television that we're

We happen to watch or the advice that we receive from friends or coworkers or family or the things that are broadcast over TV.

The radio or the articles that we read on the Internet or wherever we receive information, it needs to be checked. It needs to be held to the standard of the word of God. And we need to find out, is this God's truth? Is this truly what God says? Or is this our own opinion, man's own understanding of life or of things? You're probably familiar with Second Timothy 215.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But what I find interesting about that portion of Scripture is the very next verse in 2 Timothy 2.16. It says, But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness, and their message will spread like cancer.

Paul tells Timothy there in 2 Timothy 2, hey, you need to study to show yourself approved unto God. You need to be able to rightly divide the word of truth. You need to have a good grasp of the word of God. Why? Well, because there's profane and idle babblings. There's a lot of talk that is completely useless, is contrary to the word of God, and it's going to spread like cancer. And so you need to have a grasp of the word of God. Solomon reminds us of that passage.

As we look at what he says and remember that everything that he says is not necessarily what God has proclaimed in the rest of his word. It seems here in chapter 7 as we continue on in Ecclesiastes that Solomon is attempting to answer the question that he asked in verse 12 of chapter 6. And so let's start there. It says,

For who knows what is good for man in life? All the days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow. Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun? Solomon is asking the question, who knows what is good for man in life? And what we see in chapter 7 and 8 is his own attempts to answer that question. What is good for man in life? Who knows what is good for man in life?

Solomon begins to answer that in chapter 7 and let's look at verses 1 through 6. It says this,

Verse 5. Verse 6.

That word vanity, another key word of Solomon here in the book of Ecclesiastes. We've talked about it many times. It's been described as what is left after a bubble pops. It's just emptiness. It's nothing. He says it's all vanity. The things that are taking place. Vanity of vanities. Everything is vanity. This is the conclusion that you must come to if you refuse to include God in your life.

This is what Solomon has done. He's excluding God from his life. He's looking at things from his own perspective, by his own understanding, trying to find out what is good for man in life. What is good for us? You know, there's so many who ask that question today. What is good for us? What are we supposed to be doing here? What is the purpose or the meaning of life? What's good for man in life?

Solomon here in verses 1 through 6 essentially is saying this. You know what's good for man in life? Sorrow. He says sorrow is better than laughter, than joy, than mirth. Sorrow is better than those things because it makes you, it forces you to consider your life. In verse 1, he talks about the good name being better than a precious ointment and the day of death.

than the day of one's birth. Basically, what he's saying here, obviously, the first part, you probably recognize something similar in the Proverbs. A good name is better than great riches. And so some of what Solomon is saying is common sayings and things that we would consider to be true. But then he goes on to say that the day of death is better than the day of birth.

And he's not talking about the day of your death being better than the day of your birth, but he's talking about death, the day of death is better than the day of birth because the day of birth doesn't cause you to evaluate your life and consider what you're doing and cause you to think ahead. The day of birth doesn't do that. The day of death at a funeral, everybody does that. Well, where am I going and what's happening and how am I living my life and what if that was me?

So he says it's better to have sorrow because sorrow makes you evaluate yourself. Sorrow is good for you and makes you to be a good person. And that's really what Solomon is aiming at here. These things that try to make you a good person. What's good for you in life that would make you a good person that you might do what's right? In verse 3, Solomon says that sorrow is better than laughter. And by a sad countenance, the heart is made better.

Again, Solomon saying, look, when you have sorrow, when you're suffering, when you're in turmoil, when there's tears, that's when you grow. That's when your heart is made better. But again, I described Solomon like a dog chasing his own tail, because we'll see as we go into chapter eight, verse 15, he comes to the conclusion there. Oh, well, what's best for man is to eat, drink and be merry.

And so on the one hand, he's saying sorrow is better than laughter. And then on the other hand, he comes to the conclusion, yeah, you might as well just eat, drink and be merry. So he's going in circles, right? Sorrow is better than laughter. Sorrow is better than laughter. Wait, wait, wait. No. Eat, drink and be merry. Eat, drink and be merry. No. Sorrow is better than laughter. Sorrow is better than laughter. Eat, drink and be merry. Eat, drink and be merry. All the while trying to be satisfied, trying to find purpose, trying to find fulfillment. And he comes to one conclusion only to leave that and go to the next conclusion. And he can't find it.

You can see the same attitude, these things, these thoughts and principles in people today as well. You know, some people cannot find meaning in life, are searching for meaning, so they eat, drink, and be merry. They party it up. They live it. Hey, I don't know what's next. I don't know what's happening. Might as well enjoy what I got while I got it and get the most out of this life. And so it's the philosophy by which they live their life. Another group of people, unsatisfied with life, determine that sorrow, suffering,

Neglecting the body is best. They live by that philosophy. It's not as popular as the other one, but there are those who follow that philosophy.

It's called asceticism or or these people who deny themselves or or man, if I punish myself for my sin or if I punish myself for this or if I experience sorrow or heartache or or withhold things from myself, then that's what's best for me. That's when I'll be satisfied. Buddhism is largely based on those types of principles. Solomon comes to this conclusion. Sorrow is better than laughter.

Now, it is true that God many times does work in our hearts during the times of sorrow. But Solomon, again, is basing all of his conclusions, his searching, his analysis, not on God's ways, not looking to God, not in faith in God, but upon his own understanding. Solomon says, you know what's good for man in life? Sorrow, not laughter. Now, I would encourage you to consider and compare Solomon's words with Paul's words. 2 Corinthians 5 says,

Verses 1 through 11, I won't read those to you. I would encourage you to spend some time in it later. But there Paul is talking to the Corinthians and he's reminding them about what is to come. He says our earthly body is groaning. We know we're going to be with him. We're going to have new bodies. And so he says in verse 7 that we walk by faith and not by sight. We don't walk by what we see and what we understand here. We walk by faith on what God has promised us.

And he says in verse 9 that we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well-pleasing to him, that is to God. Solomon has quite different things to say than the Apostle Paul.

Solomon says, well, sorrow is better than laughter. That's what's good for you. Well, no, never mind. Eat, drink and be merry. Paul says, no, here's what you need to do. Live to please God. Whether you're in this body or out of this body, seek to please God. That's your purpose in life. That's where you will find fulfillment. That's where you will find meaning. And that's where you experience real joy. The question is,

It's not really if laughter or sorrow is better. The real question is, are you living to please God? Let's look at verses 7 through 10. Solomon goes on to say, Surely oppression destroys a wise man's reason, and a bribe debases the heart. The end of a thing is better than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

Here Solomon quickly makes reference to some things that he considers are good or are not good for man in life. First of all, in verse 7, what's good in man for life? What's good for man in life? That's what I meant to say. Well, not oppression, he says.

Oppression destroys the wise man. Corruption is not good for man in life either because a bribe destroys the heart. In verse 8, he says, you know what's good for man in life? Patience, not pride. It's good to be patient. As you wait, you know, the saying, good things come to those who wait. Solomon says that the things that come later are better. So you guys go, oh wow, the Heinz commercials are true. Yeah.

Good things come to those who wait. But that's what Solomon is concluding. In verse 9, he goes on to say, what's good for man in life? Well, not anger. Anger is a thing of fools. It's not good for you. And so that's not good. Verse 10, what is good for man in life? Not looking back.

Why were the previous days? Those are so remember, we had it so great back then. We had the good times then, the golden years or whatever you want to call them. And those those are fantastic. Those were great. But Solomon says, no, that's not good. That's not wise. That's that's not beneficial. You don't inquire wisely in those things if you're looking back and holding on to the past.

Again, Solomon's trying to figure out what is good for man in life. He's on this search. He's on this journey. How can I be satisfied? How can I be fulfilled? What's good for me? What's going to help me? Well, not oppression, not corruption. I know patience is good. I know that anger is not good. And looking back and dwelling in the past, that's not good. But what is good for me?

And he continues to try to answer that as we look at verses 11 through 14. It says,

And the day of prosperity be joyful. But in the day of adversity consider, surely God has appointed the one as well as the other so that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

That's a phrase that Solomon uses quite a bit as well in the book of Ecclesiastes. The idea of not knowing what will come after you, not knowing what's going to be next. You can store up all these wealth and these riches, but then you're going to die and you don't know what's going to happen to all that after you or so on and so forth. He uses that example a lot because, again, he's not looking towards eternity. He's limiting his search. He's limiting his perspective to the things under the sun.

And so he decides what's good for men in life. Well, you know, what's good for men in life is wisdom. In verse 14, he says, wisdom is good with an inheritance and profitable to those who see the sun. Wisdom is good, he says. It's profitable. In verse 12, he explains it's a defense, just like money is a defense. Right. You can rely upon your savings account if something happens and you can pull from that and take care of the situation in those days. Right.

Money would be a defense because as your enemy was attacking you, you could pay him off and say, hey, here, take all my money and don't attack me. Don't knock down my walls. And he would usually go away. Money is a defense. But Solomon says, just like money is a defense, wisdom is a defense. It's a defense for your life. It protects your life. It keeps you from doing stupid things and going foolish directions and making mistakes. Wisdom is good for men in life, Solomon says.

It's good for men in life because you can't fight God, he says in verse 13. He says, consider the work of God. For who can make straight what he has made crooked? Can you undo what God has done? Can you do it differently? Can you do it better? No, of course not. You can't fight God. You can't change what he has established. Then in verse 14, he advises us to consider God appoints prosperity and adversity.

Hey, when things are going well, when there's prosperity, rejoice, Solomon says. It's okay. Enjoy what you've got while you've got it. But then there in the day of adversity, also consider that God has appointed the one as well as the other. Very similar to what Job said to his wife there in the first part of the book of Job. As he says, hey, shall we not receive this from the Lord as well as blessing? Shall we not receive the trials and tribulations?

God has appointed both. That's what Solomon is saying.

We would agree with Solomon on this, that wisdom is good for us in life. But the important thing for us to take note of is as long as it's the wisdom of God and not of man, there is a difference. There is the wisdom of man and there is the wisdom of God. And wisdom is good for us, is what's best for us in life. We learn that over and over again in the book of Proverbs. As long as it's the wisdom of God and not man's wisdom and man's understanding.

How can you tell if it's the wisdom of God? Well, I'd like you to turn there with me very quickly. It's James chapter 3. We'll be right back to Ecclesiastes. But James chapter 3 there towards the end of the New Testament, right before the book of 1 Peter, after the book of Hebrews, James chapter 3. James gives us the test. How to know what is wisdom from God and what is not. James chapter 3, let's pick it up in verse 13.

He asked the question, Verse 17.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now, the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Essentially, James says this, who's wise and understanding among you. It will be demonstrated by the way that they live.

But if by the way that you live, live, there is self-seeking, there's envy in your hearts, then don't boast or lie against the truth saying, yeah, I have wisdom. But you're living contrary to that. Your life shows otherwise. And then he gives us the evidence. Here's the wisdom that is from above. Here's the wisdom from God. First of all, it's pure. And so in considering the wisdom here,

that you hear the advice, the instruction, the counsel, the encouragement, the direction. You must evaluate it by these standards. First of all, is it pure? Second, is it peaceable? Sometimes people advise us to do things that are not peaceable, but the wisdom that's from above is peaceable. Is it gentle? That's a good test as well. Sometimes our friends and family will encourage us to be harsh, to be difficult,

To put up a good fight, but the wisdom that's from above is gentle. Is it willing to yield? See, these are contrary to all of our natural tendencies and what our natural counsel would be to one another. Is it willing to yield? Is it full of mercy and good fruits? Is it without partiality? Well, in this way, you know, in this circumstance, be this way to this people or this kind of person, don't trust them. You know, this kind of people you need to deal with differently. And is it without hypocrisy?

Is it something that's just fake? Is it something that's just a front that is being put forth? That's the evaluation that we need to use, the criteria to evaluate. What I'm hearing, what I'm receiving, what I'm watching, does it comply with these things? Is this the wisdom from God or is this wisdom from man? Much of what we see in Solomon is man's wisdom, his best attempt. Sure, he was wise. He had the best education.

But it's not enough. It's not enough because our ways are not God's ways. Let's go back to Ecclesiastes chapter 7 and continue on reading verses 15 through 18. Solomon says, I have seen everything in my days of vanity. There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness. Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish. Why should you die before your time? Verse 18, it is good that you grasp this and also not remove your hand from the other. For he who fears God will escape them all. Here in verses 15 through 18, again, Solomon is saying some confusing things. He's chasing his tail again, going back and forth, not making much sense really.

As he's seeking to answer the question, who knows what is good for man in life? He says there in verse 18, it's good that you grasp this and not forget to hold on to the other. Well, grasp what and hold on to what? Well, he's going back to verse 15. He says, I have seen everything in my days of vanity. There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness. Solomon, the direction he's going is not everything works out the way that you might think.

I mean, we would think and it would seem natural that, you know, if you do good and you do what's right and you're a just and righteous person, that you live long, that you prosper, that things go great for you. And that if you're wicked and you do evil and you do bad things, that your life should be cut short. But Solomon's saying, but I've seen in my days of vanity, you know, all this fruitfulness, this vain life that I've been living. I've seen the just man who perishes and I've seen the wicked man who prolongs his life. Now, we would agree we've seen that.

It happens all the time. But that doesn't mean we have to come to the same conclusion that Solomon comes to. Solomon's saying, look, since everything doesn't work out like you might expect, then don't be overly righteous, nor be overly wicked. Just try to live a middle of the road type of life. Don't go gung-ho in righteousness. And, you know, don't,

go completely into wickedness either. But just try to hold on to both a little bit of righteousness, a little bit of wickedness, and live that middle-of-the-road life. Remember what Mr. Miyagi said? You walk on one side, you walk in the middle, you get squished. You can't do it, but that's what Solomon's coming to. Now, there's some commentators that will say, well, you know, Solomon's not saying anything wrong here, but I would disagree because he says, do not be overly wicked. Do not be overly wicked.

The implication is, really the statement is, well, it's okay a little bit. Just don't be overly wicked. Don't be overly foolish. Solomon's saying what's good for man in life is to be basically a good person. Just walk that middle road. Solomon's falling prey to that good person philosophy. As long as you're mostly good, you know, you shouldn't be...

super fanatical or gung-ho about the righteousness. You shouldn't be a real wicked person and kill people. And if you kind of avoid those two extremes and just walk down the middle, then you'll be okay. Solomon says it's good if you grasp this. Don't be overly righteous. Don't be overly wicked. Now I'm right here in the middle. Not being overly righteous, not being overly wicked, but here I am walking this life with just a little bit of both.

Lukewarmness is another way that we would describe that. But it's Solomon's conclusion. Because the righteous die, the wicked prolong their life. So don't be overly righteous. That might end your life quicker. Don't be overly wicked. That for sure will end your life quicker. Just try to go middle of the road. Don't go to extremes. Continuing on verses 19 through 22, Solomon says, "...wisdom strengthens the wise, more than ten rulers of the city."

For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin. Also, do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times also your own heart is known that even you have cursed others. He's not talking about you guys. You guys haven't cursed others, I'm sure, but I have. Solomon's now looking at wisdom, still looking at wisdom. One of the few solid statements of Solomon is found here in verse 20.

For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin. It's probably one of the few that you could take and hold on to and go, I know that one's true. Because the rest of the scripture agrees with that. Romans 3.23, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Earlier in Romans chapter 3, Paul quotes from several of the Psalms, says basically the same thing. There's no one who does good. There's no one who seeks after God. We have a sinful nature. Solomon recognizes that.

He doesn't have an answer for it. He just has a statement. There's no one who does good and does not sin. But the Bible has an answer for it. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You know what the next verse says? Maybe you should turn there. Romans chapter 3. Because it's important. We need to know the answer. What is the answer to the sin problem? We have all sinned. We've fallen short of the glory of God. But Romans chapter 3, verse 24. Romans chapter 3, verse 24, page 991.

It says, would you read it out loud with me? Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. There is a sin problem. Solomon recognizes that he has no answer, but there is an answer to the sin problem. Yes, we all sin. We all fall short, but we're justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

We can be cleansed, washed, set free completely by the blood of Jesus Christ. It's so important. Now Solomon, in looking at this life in his own understanding, he doesn't have the answer for the sin problem, for the sin situation. But God sent His Son to die upon the cross for us. God revealed to us the plan of salvation. He has brought to us and presented to us the gift of eternal life, the free gift through His Son, Jesus Christ.

He moves on from that to talk about the things that people say. And he says, hey, don't take to heart everything people say. The things people talk about you.

Again, what is good for man in life? Hey, you know what's good for you? If you don't take to heart the things that people are saying about you, as Solomon is saying. Because if you take it to heart, then you're eventually going to hear your servant cursing you and it's going to be very troublesome to you. Now, I think that's appropriate right after the statement that no one does good and then, hey, don't take everything to heart because people are going to be cursing you. Because nobody does good. Everybody sins.

Since everybody sins, think about this for a moment. You sin. You're a sinner. Whatever it is that people are saying about you, you're worse than that anyways. So don't take it to heart. You're worse than they know. You're worse than they're saying. So it's okay. Don't even worry about it. Don't let that consume you. Don't get caught up in what others say about you. Don't believe what people say about you, good or bad. We need to stay focused on what God says about us. What does God say about you?

What does God say regarding you and who you are in the life that you live? That's what you need to be concerned about. That's where you need to be focused. Going on verses 23 through 25 here in Ecclesiastes chapter 7.

He says,

I read one extra verse, but we'll get to that one in a second. Solomon here is saying, look, I tried my best. I did my best. I used all my wisdom, all my resources to understand everything and figure everything out. But he again says there in verse 24, who can find it out? Those things that are deep.

Again, he's still not found the answers to satisfy him. He's still not found the thing that will fulfill him. He's still frustrated and exasperated. Who can find it out? These things are too deep.

They're too great. And Solomon being the wisest man on earth, we need to understand there's no way we're not any better. Even though we have the World Wide Web and all the resources that we have today, we cannot figure out on our own. We cannot search out the things of God, the things of life on our own. They can only be known by revelation from God, by receiving what God has delivered to us in His Word. In Isaiah chapter 55 says,

God extends to us an invitation to come to him if we are thirsty. And it says in verse 6, to seek the Lord while he may be found, to call upon him while he is near. Verse 7, it says of Isaiah 55, let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon.

But verse 8 says, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. God says, look, I invite you. Seek me. Come to me. I will satisfy you. I'll give you what you need. But you have to come on my terms and you can't figure it out and try to accomplish it upon your own.

He says, because my ways are not your ways. My thoughts aren't your thoughts. As high as the heavens are above the earth, that's the difference between what you think and the best that man can offer and what God thinks. So he says, you can't do it your way. You can't figure out my ways on your own. The only way you can do it, he says, let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. It's repentance. And return to the Lord. Let him forsake. That's turn away.

And return to the Lord. A hundred degree change of direction. Make a U-turn. It's the only way to be satisfied. To experience what God has. To walk in His ways and find the joy and fulfillment that God has promised to us. Looking now, the last couple of verses, 26-29.

He says,

Solomon's being a little bit hard on women for being married to a thousand of them. One man in a thousand I found, but a woman I haven't found. He's, again, looking and evaluating things based on his own understanding. Who's worthy? Who has figured out what life is about? Who can be called a good man? Who knows what is good for man? And he's searched desperately, tirelessly with all of his resources, and he can't find anything.

Meaning or purpose or anyone who knows it. In chapter 8, verse 1, he says, Who is like a wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine and the sternness of his face is changed. He can't find a wise man. He can't find anyone who has the answers. He can't find anyone to bring satisfaction. There's no relationship that will. There's no one who has the answers except for Jesus Christ. Only he will satisfy you.

Going on in verses 2 through 9 of chapter 8, Solomon says, I say, keep the king's commandment for the sake of your oath to God. Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.

Verse 4,

Verse 8, Verse 9, Solomon now begins to deal with authority.

What is good for man? Paul has been asking that question regarding authority. Well, on the one hand, he says it's good to keep the king's commandment. That's good for you to obey the laws, to obey the rules and the principles that the king has laid down. He says it's good for you. It's good for you not to be hasty to go from his presence, not to be in a hurry to get away from him. It's good for you to not take your stand in an evil thing because that

will come with consequences. He says, wherever the word of the king is, there's power. He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful, he says in verse 5. So in regards to authority, he's saying, look, be obedient to authority. That's what's good for you. Who knows what's best for man in life? Well, Solomon says, I do. It's obedience to the king. He could probably say that with a special boldness because he was the king. And so he looked at his servants, hey, obedience to the king. That's what's good for you. Then I won't hurt you.

But he says obedience, submission to authority, then nothing harmful will take place or nothing harmful will come to you. Verse eight is pretty interesting. He says no one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit and no one has power, has power in the day of death. All the laws and authority really have no impact on the spirit.

No one has the authority. No one has the power to retain the spirit. No one can stop from dying. No one can keep themselves from dying. No one can keep you from dying. No one has the power to retain the spirit. But there was one man who was able. In Luke chapter 23, Jesus cried out with a loud voice and he said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And having said this, he breathed his last.

He gave up his spirit. He surrendered his spirit to the Lord. He had the power over his spirit to retain his spirit. He had power in the day of death, but he released that to God only to take it up three days later to prove that he is the resurrection and the life.

Solomon is saying that it's good to be obedient to the king. But then he goes on in verse 9 to say that there's some kings who hurt themselves by their rule. He says there's a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt because of tyranny, perhaps, or because of the decisions that they make, or just simply because they rule and there's always opposition to that.

There's a time when the king rules, the authorities rule to their own hurt. How many kings have been assassinated by those that they have oppressed and treated poorly? You might remember Rehoboam, Solomon's son, in fact. He tried to rule hard or difficult or to have a heavy hand on his rule and lost 10 of the 12 tribes. There was a split in the kingdom of Israel.

Solomon says authority is good for man, but at the same time, it's not good for retaining the spirit. And in fact, many times it's hurtful for those who are exercising and wielding authority. But obedience to the king overall, he says, that's what's good. Then verses 10 through 13 says,

Solomon says,

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before him. Verse 13. But it will not be well with the wicked, nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God. Solomon now begins again to look at the wicked. And he says, I saw the wicked buried. They've done wickedly.

They've since then have been put to death or have died. They've been buried. And he notices how quickly it's forgotten what they have done.

The wickedness is forgotten. The consequences are forgotten. And so he concludes that people are inclined to do evil because they don't recognize and they don't connect the consequences to the action that was done. They've forgotten all about that. And so they're inclined to do evil. They're continually turned to do evil because they don't see the consequences for that evil that has been done already in the past by others.

He says in verse 11, because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Now, he's not necessarily talking about the government sentence, but, you know, the saying, you reap what you sow, the biblical principle. He's saying, you reap what you sow, but it doesn't necessarily happen immediately. You know, you lie, you don't get struck with lightning, you steal, you don't get ran over on the way home.

You don't necessarily experience immediately the consequences for your action. And so he says, as a result, the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Because we always think we have wicked hearts. Hey, I got away with it. So I can keep doing it because we don't receive immediately the sentence against the evil work. Basically, he's coming against God in a sense and saying,

God, if you were more quick, if you acted more quickly, then men would not have it set in them to do evil. Solomon says it takes a while. And so they keep doing wickedly and they seem to prosper. That's what verse 13 says. Well, he comes to a conclusion. He says they seem to prosper. But verse 13, but it will not be well with the wicked, nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God. And so just when you think Solomon's coming back to his senses, right?

He seems to prolong his life, but it will not be well. He doesn't fear God. Then he goes into verse 14 and throws it all out. Verse 14 says, Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

So I commended enjoyment because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry. For this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun. Solomon says, wickedness is done. Judgment isn't brought speedily. They continue to prosper. But I know they're not going to very long because he doesn't fear God. But then he goes on to say, well, his conclusion is,

Wicked people are being rewarded as if they were righteous. They receive what do the righteous person. They receive blessing and honor and they receive good things. But the righteous people are experiencing what should happen to the wicked. And so my conclusion, Solomon says, to see, drink and be merry. Make the most of what you got right now. Enjoy life because it's all you got.

There's nothing more. You can't control it. Things are opposite of what they should be many times. They're backwards, Solomon says. See, Solomon's frustrated and cynical because he cannot figure out how this is and why this is. Why do wicked people prosper? Why don't they get struck down? Why isn't their sentence brought upon them quickly?

I would encourage you, if that's something perhaps that you struggle with or has been upon your mind or you would like to spend some more time considering, read through Psalm chapter 73. In Psalm chapter 73, the psalmist goes through the same thing. He's looking around. He's saying, why am I doing good? Why am I following God? Why am I following God?

because I live this way and I have very little, I have almost nothing and I'm always in trouble. And then the wicked people who disregard the things of God, they just continue to prosper and be blessed. I mean, why am I following God? But he says, I didn't understand until I went into the sanctuary. And that's the problem with Solomon. He has no eternal perspective. He's looking under the sun at this life, at right now,

And so his conclusion is because he's not considering eternity, he's not considering the promises of God, he's not receiving God's word. His conclusion is that there's nothing better than to eat, drink and be merry. Just satisfy yourself, gratify yourself right now. There's nothing better than that because there's nothing to come is the attitude of Solomon here. Again, chasing his tail. He says nothing's better than to eat, drink and be merry.

Wait, no, I changed my mind. Sorrow is better than laughter. It's better to be miserable than to be happy. No, no, no, you should be eating and drinking and being merry because there's nothing greater. No, never mind. You should beat yourself up and fast and withhold things from yourself and punish your body because it's evil. Okay, wait, never mind. Eat, drink, and be merry. The whole book is like that. He's searching desperately, looking desperately.

Trying to find happiness, trying to find fulfillment. He's thirsty and he cannot find it. Going on in verses 16 and 17, ending the chapter, it says, When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, then I saw all the work of God that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun.

Again, frustrated, exasperated. He says, I'm the wisest man. I have the most wisdom. I haven't slept day or night. I've given myself entirely to this. I cannot figure out the meaning, the purpose, fulfillment in life. I can't figure it out, he says. It doesn't make sense. I've tried hard. I've used everything.

And there's so many today that continue to follow that same pattern, that same work. And that's the importance of why Ecclesiastes is here, so that you and I know we don't have to do that. You don't have to search after and chase after and seek and try to find the meaning and purpose and try to find joy in life. It's already been done. Solomon already tried it all with much better resources than you or I have. We cannot find it out.

Why? Because God said, Isaiah 55, My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways your ways. As the heavens are higher above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Who knows what is good for man in life? Not Solomon. Not my wisdom. Not my understanding. Not the wisdom and understanding of any of those around you. Of all the shows that are broadcast. Only God knows what is good for man in life.

This evening, I want to remind you, I want to encourage you. Receive His instruction and direction. Let the wicked forsake his way. Let him seek the Lord. Let him return to the Lord. If you're unhappy, if you're unsatisfied, if you're unfulfilled at all in your life, if you're thirsty, you're not drinking enough, you need to forsake your ways and spend time with God and seek Him. You need to let Him be your Lord. You need to spend time in His Word.

And do what it says. Follow his instruction and direction. The fear of the Lord, Proverbs says, is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is receiving God's instruction, his guidelines, his principles for living. And putting them into practice. And the fear of the Lord is the beginning of that. First things first, we need to come, forsake our ways, and receive his. And that will be the beginning of the abundant life that Jesus promised us.

at the end of the book of ecclesiastes solomon comes to the right conclusion after all of his searching after he's tried everything else he says in verse 13 of ecclesiastes chapter 12 let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear god and keep his commandments for this is man's all notice verse 14 for god will bring every work into judgment including every secret thing whether good or evil finally at the end

After much heartache and trouble and sorrow, he comes to the conclusion, there is an eternity. I will stand before God. What I need to do is whether I'm absent from this body or present, I need to seek to please God. I need to fear the Lord and keep his commandments. Only then, only when you receive God's ways. They don't make sense to us. We can't understand them.

His commandments to forgive, His commandments to love, His commandments, they don't make sense to us. They don't balance out. They're contrary to what the rest of the world says. But it's only when you make Jesus Christ your Lord that you will be completely satisfied. You can search, you can try, just like Solomon, and end up an old, bitter, cynical, dried-up man with nothing until he finally realized what he knew at the beginning.

Fear God. Keep his commandments. For this is man's all. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you this evening and I pray, Lord, for each one of us here that we would take these words to heart. God, that we would not look to our own wisdom and understanding. And Lord, if there's ways and areas in our lives where we're looking to ourselves and we're living contrary to what you have revealed, God, show us. Speak it to our hearts, we pray. God, I pray that you would help us

to forsake our ways, to forsake our sin and return to You and to seek You, Lord, and to receive Your instruction, to receive Your thoughts and Your ways, Lord, that we might walk in them. And God, I pray that You would be faithful to Your Word as we're obedient to You, Lord, that You would fill us with Your Spirit, Lord, that the fruit that abounds in our lives would be love and joy and peace, patience,

gentleness, long-suffering, and self-control. God, I pray that you would work these fruits in our lives as we turn to you and allow you to change our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.