Studies In Ecclesiastes

Studies In Ecclesiastes Presentation 09

The Point Of Righteousness Chapter 9v1-12 Presentation 09

Introduction What is the point of living a righteous life? Why ensure that our lives are in a right relationship with God? - that's what righteousness involves. These are the kinds of questions which the cynic, the secular man who has closed God out of his life, is asking in this chapter. The questions are posed first against the background of death and secondly against the background of life's uncertainties. The self-same questions are being asked today. It is therefore important to find out the answer! Presentation 09

Death: the Lowest Common Denominator In the opening verses the preacher thinks the thoughts of the secular man after him. He says he can see no advantage in a righteous life because all men must meet death which he views as the final curtain. ‘Look’, he says, ‘I've been around long enough to see that the greatest saint and the foulest sinner, the wisest sage and the most ignorant fool all meet with the same end. No one escapes death!’ Presentation 09

Death: the Lowest Common Denominator This attitude to life has devastating consequences. It produces the mad, mad world that is mentioned in v3 for it creates a dangerous domino effect. It produces disillusionment, which in turn produces despair, which in turn often finds expression in violence. A careful reading of history will show that acts of violence and vandalism against a man’s person and property rise in a nation as its righteousness wanes. I have no hesitation in saying that the anger and violence in our own society is as a direct result of men being persuaded that life has no meaning, that it is absurd! Presentation 09

Death: the Lowest Common Denominator This whole approach to life produces a dangerous morality expressed in v4... "even a live dog is better off than a dead lion". In other words the quality of our lives is not important as long as we stay alive. It’s better to be a contemptible dog who stays alive than a noble lion who is dead. Jesus said, “blessed are you when you are persecuted for righteousness sake” Matt. 5.10, but this perverse morality ridicules those who suffer and even die for their convictions. It shouts, "stay alive at all costs. If it means betraying your friends, betray them, if it means becoming a traitor so be it. If it means denying God, carry on. Life no matter what its quality is the only answer to the mystery of death”. Presentation 09

Death: the Lowest Common Denominator The preacher’s response to the mystery of death is found in v7-10. We need to remember that he is neither writing with the benefit of N.T. truth, nor in the knowledge of the fact of Christ's resurrection. He begins by quoting from a well-known poem some 1500 years old. An epic in which a young bereaved man, goes to the underworld to look for his dear friend. There the doorkeeper speaks with him and it is here in v7 that the quote begins. The young man is told, go on home and get on with life. That is the world’s advice for the bereaved, ‘you just have to carry on'. Presentation 09

Death: the Lowest Common Denominator But is that all we have to say? Significantly the preacher inserts two lines of his own to the poem. Words intended to jar his hearers. For the great difference between the secular man and the man of faith is that the man of faith enjoys God's smile, "for it is now God favours what you do". If we experience God's grace in the present we do not need to be tied to the past or spend too much time peering into the future. Trust God in the present and value his approval. Do the mysteries of life and death produce doubts which in turn cause us to keep God out. We say, "I can't believe in God because of my problems/doubts." But these are the very reasons you need to believe in God for without him you have no foundation for life Presentation 09

Death: the Lowest Common Denominator The second line the preacher introduces to this epic poem is found at the beginning of v10 "whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might". You see the believer, the man of faith, knows that God has given him a task to perform and that makes all the difference to his attitude to life. He has been liberated. He is no longer running from one roundabout to another trying to find some satisfying meaning to life. For the very first time his life has purpose and direction. Self is no longer at the centre of his living. It is no longer a question of ‘what best suits me?’ but rather, ‘how can I fulfil the royal commission which God has entrusted to me?’ Presentation 09

Death: the Lowest Common Denominator Do you remember Jesus’ words, "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work” Jn.9.4? You see the day will come when our opportunity to work for God will have ended and all we will be left with is regrets. Here then is the difference God makes for the man who sets out on a course of righteousness in the face of the mystery of death; he knows he has God’s approval and he knows he has a royal commission entrusted to him. His life has a God given purpose. It is this new reality which enables him to face death with a steady eye. Presentation 09

Chance: The Uncertainty Of Daily Living The second element in life that the secular man finds threatening is its uncertainty and unpredictability. Life proves itself constantly disappointing for it does not yield the expected return for endeavour. He finds that circumstances over which he has no control upsets the expected outcome of a whole variety of events cfv11... During the 1984 Olympics we were told that the one woman who was guaranteed a gold medal was Mary Decker. But a chance nudge knocked the fastest woman in the world at her distance out of contention for a medal. With events like that in mind the writer's aim is to show that for secular man life seems like a game of monopoly with the 'chance cards' constantly creating baffling and heart-breaking circumstances. Presentation 09

Chance: The Uncertainty Of Daily Living But the man of faith sees God in control of life’s unpredictable circumstances. The fact of God’s control should be a tremendous encouragement to us. God's sovereignty is the great comfort blanket that we must never let go of. In this context think of the little shepherd boy who challenged Goliath, the most powerfully equipped soldier in the Philistine military machine. No one would have laid his money on David to win. Then a stone from David’s sling just happened to strike his opponent’s temple and topple him to the ground. David did not believe in chance cards. He believed in a God who was in sovereign control. Presentation 09

Chance: The Uncertainty Of Daily Living Remember too that the preacher was addressing a nation who lived under the shadow of the Persian empire. She was the only super power of that day. She had complete military and political supremacy. Israel had no defence spending in her budget. If war were to break out the best she could hope for was to put together a sort of make piece dad's army. But they only had to look back on events in the nation’s recent history. The cream of Judah’s youth had been taken captive to Assyria by Nebuchadnezzar. When his son Belshazzar succeeded him to the throne he considered himself thoroughly secure in the great city of Babylon. So much so that when his armies went out to engage the Persians in the field of battle - he threw a great party. Presentation 09

Chance: The Uncertainty Of Daily Living He would have thought even if his army was defeated his capital was defended by a triple wall 14 miles long and 100ft high. But he miscalculated! Those of his own people whom he had offended, betrayed him to the enemy and let them into the secure capital. Many people fear the might of superpowers, they mistrust arms agreements and live in dread of nuclear holocaust. But ‘the race is neither to the swift nor the battle to the strong’. There is a sovereign God in control of the events of history. The fatal button cannot be pressed without his permission. The man of faith should take great comfort in that. Yes there are unforeseen circumstances in life but they are the commonplace servants of God. Presentation 09

Chance: The Uncertainty Of Daily Living The secular world may laugh at the church because she seems so weak and insignificant. She may ridicule her as she seems deprived her of her power and witness. The church which was once ablaze and consumed for God's glory is seen as a spent force. The fire has gone with only fitful coughs of smoke to be seen. Her buildings are seen by speculator and developer alike as fit for nothing but furniture stores, bingo halls and restaurants. But ‘the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong’. God's ‘does not despise the smoking flax’ Isa. 42.3, for it can be ignited again. God has his own agenda for his church no matter what men think or how they might write it off. Presentation 09

Chance: The Uncertainty Of Daily Living These words in v11 can be applied at a personal level. We may not see ourselves as particularly gifted. We may be carrying a huge inferiority complex on our shoulders. ‘What can I do for God’, we ask. ‘How can I possibly serve him. I'm a nobody! With my background I could be no use to God!’ Remember that Jesus did not chose the swift and the strong and the wise and the wealthy and men of great reputation to be his disciples. He chose flawed fishermen who, despite their many failures, advanced the cause of Christ and were instruments in building his church. ‘The race is not to the swift... Presentation 09

Chance: The Uncertainty Of Daily Living On the other hand we may consider ourselves to be gifted folk, indispensable to the work of God. Then there is a word of warning here lest we put our trust in what is passing, fleeting and human. It is not wrong to develop the skills and gifts which God has given us but we need to guard against becoming proud and self-assured in depending upon our gifts rather than upon God. We can easily find ourselves left in the starting blocks as we begin to learn that ‘the race is not to the swift .... Presentation 09

Chance: The Uncertainty Of Daily Living God's sovereign control is a great leveller, for both the strong and the weak are subject to God's circumstances. Secular man is unsettled by the fact that his life is surrounded by circumstances over which he has no control. But the man of faith finds great reassurance in it for even when time and circumstance seem to be against him. He can know a deep conviction from God that the apparently chance circumstances are the ordinary messengers of God and are to be welcomed as such. Think of what happened to Jonah who ran away from God! Why such a severe storm? Why was it decided he was to blame? Why was he swallowed by a great fish? In time he would come to see that they were God's circumstances. It was God's storm, God's fish! Presentation 09

Conclusion Why are some reading this and pondering its implications? Is it a case of time and chance? The preacher would argue that nothing happens by accident! Or, put another way it is God’s time and chance for you to hear his voice and to feel his power. Have you like those addressed here been keeping at a distance? The writer to the Hebrews writes, “today if you hear his voice harden not your hearts”. God’s goal is to bring us into a right relationship with himself where we can experience his mercy, grace, love and forgiveness. The righteousness he seeks is not produced by human effort but is his very own which is gifted to us as we trust in what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us. He took the punishment of our sin that we might be given his righteousness. Hallelujah! Presentation 09

Studies In Ecclesiastes