Podcast: Download (39.0MB)
Living Wisely In Dark Days
(Ecclesiastes 10-11)
Introduction: Ecclesiastes teaches that we humans live life in a world filled with “vanity.” Vanity is described as a worldly law of life events that are forever changing and ultimately disappointing. Nothing in life permanently fills our souls, though for brief periods these events will provide joy or agony. The problem is that we humans continue to search for something in our “under the sun” living that will bring us permanent joy. When that doesn’t happen, we become terribly disturbed. This past year has been a perfect illustration of this.
In this lesson we will look at some principles from Ecclesiastes 10-11 that will help us learn from our mistakes in the past year and do better as we face future trials.
- Facing a Culture of Misery (Ecclesiastes 10)
- This chapter exposes the misery that can take place when fools are in power and the common person has very little control. Verses 5-7 sets up this type of governmental power, which has been common throughout history and should not be a surprise when we see it in our country. Everything is upside down. Fools are in power instead of those who are wise. They serve for power and their own desires instead of for the benefit of the people.
- Verses 8-11 give some hope with the principle that when a person is destructive, he usually destroys himself.
- Verses 14-15 also provides hope because these kinds of rulers boast of great things even though they have no idea what will be in the future nor the wisdom to accomplish it. They are without common sense, not even “knowing the way to the city.”
- However, verses 16-20 expresses the depressing condition of living in such a nation. It is truly miserable:
- The ruler is a “child” without experience and uses power to have a continuous party.
- The ruler is negligent so that the whole government organization falls apart and is inept.
- The mantra is that food is made for laughter, wine gladdens the heart, and money answers everything. In other words, eat, and drink, and if there is a problem, just throw money at it.
- Finally, life is so oppressive that one must be careful what he says or even thinks because a bird might carry the message to those who can do harm.
- I’m sure we can all relate to some of these things in our country especially in this past year. How have we responded? There has been anger, disappointment, depression, disruption, fear, and most of all, complete isolation. But surprisingly, none of these reactions are part of the Preacher’s wisdom in the following chapter.
- Wisdom In Spite of Vanity and Dark Days (11:1–12:2)
- First, an overview of the text: The Preacher is again reminding us of the things over which we do not have control. It is that lack of control that give us the most concern. It is why trials and pressures on our lives causes us to become fearful, isolate ourselves, shut down, and inordinately focus on ourselves. Therefore, the Preacher turns us to what we can and should do. He turns us to the things over which we do have control.
- The Preacher minimizes the concerns over what the future may be and that which we cannot control and admonishes us to do the opposite of our carnal fears. His advice is completely counter-intuitive and difficult to follow in times of a pressing tribulation. It simply does not make sense to our human minds. Liberal giving without any perceived immediate benefit to us, is crazy.
- Jesus offers the parallel to this text: Luke 6:37-38 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Therefore, the question is, how much do I trust God to take care of me if I am liberal with my time, sacrifice, and possessions during these dark days?
- Paul repeats the same in 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”
He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” God is our supplier, and our response in times of tribulation must always exalt and glorify him by our trust. - Therefore, verses 2b–6 lay out a critical principle that we desperately need. It is made clear by the first and last phrases: “for you know not what disaster may happen on earth,” and “so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” In other words, quit evaluating what God can do based on what your limited sight can see physically.
- Verse 3: Most things that happen in life are beyond our control. It will happen regardless of our input. It is a bit humorous to think that the “experts” told us a year ago that we could control this virus. “Just stay inside your house for two weeks!” Ha ha.
- Verses 4 and 6 draw conclusions based on this knowledge. If you are always observing what might be, you will never accomplish anything. Therefore, get to work. Whether morning or evening, sow your seed! We have no idea what will prosper, therefore invest in God’s work. Of course, there is one principle we do know – do nothing and we will reap nothing.
- Verses 8–12:2 gives us the critical advice on living life during dark days. In spite of all the questions of the future and of all the uncertainty, this is what we have in our control and therefore what we ought to do to “sow our seed.”
- The overall message is that there are so many good things in life in spite of dark days that it is foolish not to enjoy them. The sun is still shining–God is still blessing us. Chapter 9:7, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.”
- Rejoice in all the days of your life. Yes, there will be many dark days, but all that comes is vanity, that is, transitory, fleeting. All that comes is a “breath.” The dark days will not always be. Realize that God has given both so that we maintain our trust in him (7:13-14).
- Therefore, rejoice & remove vexation from your heart and pain from your body (wow! Much of our vexation – “anger, frustration, emotional stress” [NET] – is in our control; it is self-inflicted!), and remember your Creator while you have the chance because the days will come in which opportunities will be few and you will lose your desire to do the only thing that matters, serve God and keep his commandments.
- New Testament Illustrations of Wisdom During Tribulation
- Consider Luke’s narrative in Acts. Both the apostles and the disciples repeatedly show courage in the presence of danger:
- Acts 4: after being threatened, the apostles pray for boldness and God responds.
- Acts 5:41-42: the apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.”
- Acts 7-8: after the murder of Stephen and men and women being dragged out of their houses and committed to prison, the disciples would not be silenced and went everywhere preaching the word.
- Acts 13: after the murder of James and the imprisonment of Peter, the scripture says, “But the word of God increased and multiplied.”
- Luke’s repeated message: Nothing stops these disciples! But why is that? Why do these Christians keep pressing the message of the kingdom in spite of threats, imprisonments, and even murder? [Folks, what they faced was far more dangerous and uncertain than what we have faced.] There are three primary reasons for their aggressive response:
- First, they came to Christ because of the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus. And if Jesus was raised, they would be raised. When Paul wrote of his persecution in Asia, he said, “We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Cor. 1:8-9).
- Second, this is what they signed up for! They understood what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus and therefore to live the message of the cross. Jesus suffered to bring salvation to the world, and then called on his disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him. Hebrews calls Jesus the pioneer/trailblazer of our salvation by suffering and then leading us to glory through the same suffering. Did we think of this when we became Christians? Did we consider this as discipleship?
- Third, the theme through these texts is not simply suffering. It is how God uses hardship to open new opportunities for the gospel. The persecution of Saul spread the gospel even further. Paul was put in prison for four years, but God used it to teach the gospel to the most powerful people on earth. Every hardship they endured was used by God to further the kingdom. Nothing was ever, “Woe is us, the powers and culture around us has just put up too many obstacles. We will just have to give up.
- Consider what the Lord said to Paul after nearly getting torn apart in his stairway address and his utter rejection before the council: “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome” (Acts 23:11). As far as we know, not one person was converted from his first two defenses, and yet the Lord says, “Great job!”
- Paul gives a unique connection between us and the suffering of Jesus in Philippians 3:8-10, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death”.
- Notice two statements: “I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish…that I may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” This reminds us of the reaction of the apostles in Acts 5:41. They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name. Paul wanted to share in his suffering. Why? Because that is how we come to know him. It is the same as when two of us share in similar trials. It draws us closer. We feel we know each other better through the same experience.
- Our problem is that we have under-valued and under-estimated what discipleship requires. As Jesus said in Luke 14, we have not counted the cost – “therefore, any of you who does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple” (33). What did the Lord require of Israel when they came to Kadesh-barnea at the border of the land? They had to face the giants, and they feared. The only way into the land was to trust God in spite of battle-trained giants! What are our giants? What are our fears? What disciple was ever praised for his fear?
- Again, the primary point: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” Notice the words: “to this you have been called…”
Conclusion: We never know specifically in what way we might be called to suffer, but it is not difficult to know how this should look in our daily life. We have a discipleship to live, and every day it must be lived. For the most part it may look like “small” things in which God will multiply into greater results: regularly talking to a specific neighbor or casual friend in order to make a deeper connection, or being inconvenienced for the needs of those who do not know the gospel message.
But there will also be times when the sacrifice will be far more challenging. It will be those times in which we feel danger and fear, especially under conditions in which we are called to boldly do what Jesus commanded in spite of a world culture that is threatening us to do otherwise.
Either way, we live for him, “relying not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead!”
Berry Kercheville