Luke Pt. 3 ~ Jesus and Baptism

What’s the theological significance of John The Baptist’s message & Jesus’ baptism?

What role does baptism play in a ‘Biblical Relationship’ with God?

Luke 3:1-23

It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests.

  • 30 AD the beginning of Jesus’ ‘Public Ministry’
  • The Scripture is anchored in historic reality, corresponding to other histories

At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

  • John had time for preparation in the wilderness
  • Once given his ‘Marching Orders’ he was focused on a single message
  • His message: ‘If you have repented and turned to God to be forgiven, show it in a public proclamation of baptism’
  • The Scripture specifically asserts this message is ‘From God’

4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!

5 The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth. 6 And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’”

  • Connecting the Old Testament with current reality (The arrival of Christ)
  • Our obedience to ‘believers baptism’ is a form of clearing MY road for Jesus
  • The public confession of our faith is a way God reveals himself to ‘All People’

7 When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’

  • It became ‘Popular’…when crowds came…real confession of sin is not popular
  • John calls out the idea of doing baptism for show, checking it off your list
  • Baptism is not an ‘Insurance policy’
  • It is to signify your acknowledgement of sin & surrender to God 4 forgiveness
  • It is then to be backed up by your life / lifestyle / actions
  • In ‘Believers Baptism’ you give The Body license to hold you accountable
  • It’s not about someone else conferring you in…each Soul is an individual

That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

  • God knows where you are regarding a true confession of Christ as Lord
  • His judgement is perfect
  • Good Fruit = Repenting of your sins & turning to God V. 8 (surrender)
  • Don’t produce good fruit, thrown into the fire

10 The crowds asked, “What should we do?” 11 John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” 12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.” 14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

  • In order for John to baptize them he wanted to be sure they were serious
  • Baptism is meant to awaken you to the spiritual reality of surrendering your life
  • Baptism is a proclamation / confession of Christ as Lord following His example
  • Then there is practical living that shows the influence of Christ’s Lordship
  • The Scripture is teaching a ‘Both And’: Baptism & Surrendered Living

15 Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals.

  • There was a buzz prior to John The Baptist about the coming Messiah
  • John knew his baptism was not what determined forgiveness
  • He speaks of what he is doing will be totally overshadowed
  • This example describes the difference between him and Jesus (God v man)

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

  • The coming Messiah will ‘Immerse’ / ‘Baptize’ everyone in His ‘Person’ or His ‘Wrath’
  • Reminiscent of Simeon’s prophecy, the Messiah would define redemption
  • There is no place between: either the barn or never-ending fire

18 John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people. 19 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. 20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.

  • Luke uses the term ‘Good News’ that is, forgiveness from God for sin
  • Herod was not a legit King, John had a low tolerance for fakers

21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy. ” 23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry.

  • Among the crowds… the example is a very public situation
  • God Himself (Jesus Christ) initiated being baptized
  • He took it very seriously; as He was praying…
  • Father confers His blessing on Son for obedience (fulfilling all righteousness)

(Matthew 3:13-15)

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

The rest of the chapter is a genealogy of Jesus’ earthly father’s heritage

It was 77 generations from Adam to Jesus.

The first and last lines of the genealogy: Jesus was known as the son of Joseph. Adam was the son of God.

Application Questions:

Why is John The Baptist’s message important to understanding who Jesus is?

Why does John preach repentance demonstrated in baptism?

What is the connection between baptism and God-centered living?

Why is Jesus’ public baptism in all four gospel accounts?

What role does baptism play in a ‘Biblical Relationship’ with God?

/by

Luke Pt. 2 ~ Jesus and The Temple (Ch. 2:21-54)

The Gospel of Luke is a journey starting with an amazing coming and ending with an even more incredible going. The Advent of The Messiah, The Christ… It’s a big deal! It is not by chance that Luke writing under control of the Holy Spirit points out a strong connection between Jesus and The Temple in Jerusalem. To truly understand the ‘New Covenant’ that Christ brings we need to keep it connected to the previous revelation of God and the Temple is a central part of that

21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. 22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

  • Circumcised on 8th day & named as the angle instructed
  • Then 5 day walk (65 miles) to The Temple
  • It is totally ironic that Joseph & Mary take Jesus to present him to ‘The Lord’

23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

  • They buy the birds, take them to the priests, they are killed as a sacrifice

25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

  • There were groups of devout Jews who were focused on the Messiah
  • Simeon was being led by The Holy Spirit to anticipate the Lord’s Messiah
  • He thought the Messiah was just for Israel…

27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

  • The place to see God’s Salvation was the place it had been foreshadowed
  • Simeon was in the place where Law would meet Grace…The Temple
  • He knew what he was looking at the moment he saw Jesus the Messiah
  • Waiting for Israel’s Salvation, but when he saw IT, he knew it was for everyone
  • The Christ / Messiah is how God has chosen to reveal Himself to all people

33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

  • Remember the Wise Men had not come yet, just some Shepherds…
  • Mary visited by Gabriel & her experience with Elizabeth
  • Joseph visited in a dream by an angel
  • Simeon’s ‘pronouncement / prophecy’: big picture, then personal about Mary
  • The Temple is the place where God had revealed Himself to his people before

36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four.

  • The title of ‘Prophet’ was serious business (you had to be right EVERY time)
  • Being this old and still being called a prophet meant you were the real deal

She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

  • She was anchored to the Temple
  • She happened to be there when Simeon declared what God had shown him
  • Her first response is praise, then she turns into a messenger (great credibility)

39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

  • Based on the Gospel of Matthew this didn’t happen for two more years and then a stay in Egypt before getting back to nazareth
  • Wiser than normal… Obvious favor of God upon Him

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

  • Yearly trek to Jerusalem for Passover Festival was common
  • When the festival was over everyone headed home, except Jesus
  • They assumed he was with other family, but is a no show @ dinner…

45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

  • They go back and search for two days (one day to get there, two searching)
  • Think how distressed they must have been!
  • And there he is in the Temple, in the mix, blowing people’s minds!

48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” 49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.

  • Shocked to find their 12 yr old son trading scripture insight w/ religious teachers
  • They are hurt that Jesus had been inconsiderate of them
  • Jesus is confused they didn’t know where he was, he thought it was a given
  • He didn’t realize they didn’t understand his connection to the Temple

51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

  • This is not to say that he had not been obedient previously
  • Good translation: ‘He continued to be obedient’
  • Mary is putting all the pieces of the puzzle together
  • Again the mention of Christ’s wisdom and favor with God AND everybody…

Application Questions:

Why does this scripture detail a connection between Jesus and The Temple?

Since Jesus came to end the need for the Temple, why is it the location of this story?

Where do you see connection between the Temple and The Messiah?

What’s significant about Jesus being at the Temple in this story & throughout his life?

/by

Luke Pt. 1 ~ Prelude to The Advent

The story behind the story. The ‘prequel’ to Christ’s birth! Amazing in it’s own right, not talked about as much. In the beginning of the book of Luke we see the background of fulfilled prophecy and how this story has been coming together, setting the stage for the advent of Christ Jesus!

1-4

Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.

  • This was written to be a verified, credible history of sorts.
  • An attempt to codify the oral tradition of the Gospel

Our story begins with a Jewish priest named Zach and wife Beth

5-7

When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

  • Serious compliment to be seen as ‘righteous in God’s eyes’
  • Childless and old…reminiscent of Abraham & Sarah

Zachariah was taking his turn to offer incense at the temple in Jerusalem (big honor). He is in the Holy Place, alone and he is visited by Gabriel The Angel. Zach is scared to death!

13 & 15b-17a

But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John…

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.

  • The Angel tells Zach he and Beth are going to have a very special son
  • The spirit & power of Elijah is significant (prophetic forerunner of the Messiah)

18-20

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

  • He wants some kind of assurance, which is not a faith move
  • Gabriel makes it clear he is speaking for God Himself…
  • Gabe strikes Zach ‘speechless’

Zach goes home and even though he cannot speak, he and Elisabeth conceive! It is seen as a miracle…and the scene shifts to Nazareth…

26-28

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

  • Gabriel is on another visitation
  • We see who Mary and Joseph are
  • He calls her ‘Favored’…quite an understatement!

29-33

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

  • 1st Gabe told of the forerunner of the Messiah, now he is announcing the Christ
  • This description can only be about One: The Messiah / The Christ

34-37

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”

  • Mary is questioning in a different way & questioning a different thing than Zach
  • Gabe puts the two stories together of the miracle births, one is unprecedented
  • All that Gabriel say is the actual ‘Word of God’
  • Mary’s response: “I am the Lord’s servant”

39-43

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She enered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?

  • John the Baptist in the womb, is filled with God’s Spirit
  • Beth, filled with The Spirit proclaims the 1st recognition of Jesus as Lord!
  • She is humbled when she gets the whole story

Then Mary breaks out in an epic song of praise V46-55. The last line: “For He made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.” This is explaining to the gentiles how all of this is been in the works thru the Jews for centuries…the whole story of the Bible… (Then Mary stays 3 months, came @ 6 mo) Then John the baptist is born…Zach gets his voice back. He speaks of prophecy to be fulfilled in his son & ultimately The Messiah

68-73

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.

  • Has visited…Has sent… he is talking like it has already happened (faith)
  • Declaring how this Savior to be born will bring salvation
  • Fulfillment of the covenant oath God made to Abraham

76-79

“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

  • John is to prepare the way…play the Elijah role
  • All humanity is overshadowed by death, but now there is a path to avoid death!
  • This is what God is offering each of us through His Son: Total Peace!

Application Questions:

Do you consider this account to be valid and true? Why or why not?

Why do you think God chronicled all of this prior to Jesus’ birth?

What’s significant in how Mary & Zachariah react differently to Gabriel’s announcements?

Do you want what God is offering in His Messiah?

/by

When they saw The Star they rejoiced! (Knowing you are in the place God is working)

I pray we are all ‘Joining The Wise Men’. They saw the supernatural work of God and they wanted details. This ‘Star’ was no normal occurrence; A miracle that makes Jonah look explainable. They knew what the set up of the stars was, Christ’s Star was outside the natural. These guys were Astronomers, they studied the stars…they knew what should be where at certain times of the year. They had seen the normal stars, so this one stood out…They were willing to believe miracles can happen, are you?

Matthew 2:1-16

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

  • About that time…actually TWO YEARS after Christ was born!
  • ‘Wise Men’ = Magi / Astronomers (Two Places they came from)
    • Arabs (As descendants of Ishmael they would know scripture)
      • Facade on the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
    • Persians (Descendants of people led by Daniel, they would know scripture)
  • Came to Jerusalem; general location of Star (not visible when they arrive)
  • Star was foretold: Numbers 24:17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel…”
    • Messianic prophecy, they found the scripture once they had seen the star
  • This whole process of figuring it our may have taken a while, then to travel…
  • They showed up asking about ‘The King of the Jews’ who had been born

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said…

  • Herod was disturbed because he was an ‘Illegitimate King’! (everybody knew it)
  • Knowing they spoke of the Messiah, he consulted the experts on Scripture
  • The exact location was to be Bethlehem…

“for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” (Micah 5:2 & 4)

  • Maji would know of Numbers (1300 BC) but not of Micah (700BC)
  • Bethlehem was David’s hometown

7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

  • Herod doing everything on the sly
  • “Find him for me so I can kill him, um, I mean worship him”

9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

  • Why were they filled with Joy? They were in the right place!
  • What was this ‘Star’? Perhaps The Shechinah Glory of God
  • It came and went some… not a normal star
  • Being where God is working fills you with joy!

11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

  • House, not stable
  • Three gifts, but we don’t know how many guys
  • Gold for a King / Frankincense used by Priests / Myrrh to embalm the dead
  • The three gifts underline the Messiah’s offices as prophet, priest and king.

12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

  • They listen to God not Herod
  • They had played their role: to give credence to what God was doing

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

  • Joseph had experience with ‘God Dreams’ and knew what to do
  • Herod would be a threat (because he was threatened) until he died

14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” (Hosea 11:1)

  • More prophecy connected to Jesus’ life

16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.

  • Since his plot to secretively find the Messiah had been thwarted he went big
  • This is how we know the wise men were not there at the birth of Christ
  • It was two years later!

Application Questions:

How do you react to something that is beyond explanation (Miracles) in your life?

What are ways you can follow some ‘Wisemen’ to be where God is working?

How might you specifically be willing to take chances and be persistent to see God working?

Why might there be a connection between miracles you have seen and your belief in miracles?

The conclusion about the Star of Bethlehem: It cannot be explained by science. It was a special, supernatural light created by God just as we are, to be a celebratory sign of the birth of His Son made man. Simply put, it was a miracle of light to herald a miraculous virgin birth of the One sent to save us. Hallelujah!

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 9

THE TIME IS NOW

Oh to be younger again…Youth is wasted on young people! Older people often miss today because they are focused on yesterday. As the ‘Teacher’ wraps up this writing. he makes an appeal to live with eternal urgency.

Ch. 11:7-10

7 Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning. 8 When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. Everything still to come is meaningless.

  • Each day can be enjoyed & is reason to rejoice, because hard times will come
  • You may see light today, yet tomorrow may be dark and unintelligible

9 Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10 So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless.

  • Use your youth to the fullest, you will never be young again under the sun…
  • Be a steward of the vitality you have and be accountable to God in how you live
  • Refusing to worry is being ‘God Dependent’
  • Value health, it doesn’t get any easier to stay fit, so if you can’t do it now…
  • But don’t make an idol of your youth (enjoy responsibly)

Chapter 12

1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky.

  • Terms ‘Remember’ & ‘Honor’ have to do with Loyalty & Devotion… (Priorities)
  • It’s easy to justify living 4 yourself now and ‘Planning’ to live 4 God in the future
  • Orientate your life to God now while your physicality is the best it will ever be
  • Life gets more complicated, you get more limited physically; people blame God
  • Devote your life to him now because ‘It’s all down hill form here’ (after 35)

3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.

  • When we have youth and vitality we can be complacent about our need for God
  • If you can depend on God when you are strong you will when you are weak

4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint.

  • We only have so long to be productive and build things (Stewardship)
  • Give God your best years, serving eternal purposes while you can

5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.

  • Devote your life to him before you have to be careful, while can take chances
  • There is a time coming when your body will lose it’s desires & passions
  • We are all dying…this body has one destination: the grave!

6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

  • We are all going to breakdown physically, literally to dust (everything decays)
  • This body will be dust, but our Spirit is in God’s hands

8 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.” 9 Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them.

  • The pronouncement of ‘Meaninglessness’ comes from a place of ‘wisdom’
  • He amassed the knowledge of all known wisdom and shared it

10 The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly. 11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.

  • This scripture is meant to communicate truth, direct revelation from God
  • The hard reality of the choice we must make: God-life or Me-life
  • We need hard, painful yet helpful lessons and guidance
  • We are the sheep, God’s Word is the nail-studded stick

12 But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.

  • Don’t get caught up in the purely intellectual pursuit of learning
  • Knowledge needs to be seasoned with living

So here is the end!

What is the conclusion of the wisest person who ever lived?

13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

  • Fearing God & Obeying in relationship is the sum of what our existence is
  • We are made to live for Christ!
  • He has the last word and ALL the information…everything!

Application Questions:

How do you intentionally honor God and enjoy the season of life you are in?

How can you build a lifestyle of ‘God Remembrance’ sooner rather than later?

Why do you think living longer would over stress an unstable relationship with God?

How can you more frequently expose yourself to some painful but helpful wisdom?

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 8

Wisdom is Expressed in Humility

Practical application: The nitty gritty…it is a blessing…not so great at the time. This is at the heart of the Discipleship Process; refinement and shaping. Teachability born of Humility is the essential attitude of the Serious Disciple, for us, Jesus Christ’s Body, it is true Wisdom.

This Book & today’s passage , define wisdom from Human & Heavenly standpoints: Big Picture and Daily Picture (Eternal Perspective creates Relationally Skillful Living)

Big Picture of Humility & Teachability: Salvation: The necessary humility to surrender. Daily Picture: Embody the Humility Christ modeled & taught to bless others and ultimately glorify God!

So is Wisdom about Skillfully living relationally with Humility & Grace here ‘Under The Sun? Or is Wisdom express in being teachable and humble before God and surrendering your life to His purposes and ways focused on eternal things? Yes! Both and Each!

At the core of Wisdom is humility because the enemy of Wisdom is Pride. Pride destroys Wisdom & Pride is the father of all sin. The denial of Pride is the crucial mistake you and I can make: “I am not being proud, I’m just right”

Pride keeps us from being who God wants us to be; under the sun and eternally. So we can choose to value and intentionally pursue humility & teachability. Our text today points us in God’s direction and gives us practical ways to: Recognize Pride / Surrender Control of our need to be right & ‘Know It All’ / Let the reality of God’s sovereignty drive our value of being meek & teachable / Focus on problem areas to watch for Pride leading to lacking wisdom.

Ch. 10

1 As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor. 2 A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one. 3 You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street! 4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.

  • The application of wisdom includes the exclusion of ALL foolishness
  • There is no wisdom in false bravado: Wisdom is about being teachable!
  • Humility is necessary for teachability

5 There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake 6 when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. 7 I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!

  • It is a lack of humility that clouds the judgement of people in power
  • Kings and Rulers are known for their lack of humility & teachability
  • Arrogance in leadership is the norm ‘Under the Sun’

Arrogant Leadership is Rejected in Christ’s Kingdom

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28

8 When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. 9 When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax.

  • There are inherent risks associated with whatever you undertake
  • The wise approach is a humble approach: realistically accessing the situation

10 Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. 11 If a snake bites before you charm it, what’s the use of being a snake charmer?

  • Utilize the skill and resources that you have to minimize risk and danger
  • Success is good…are you humble enough to glorify God with it?

12 Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. 13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; 14 they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future.

  • What are wise words?
  • Your ‘World View’ colors your analysis of events and circumstances
  • Foolish Assumptions: A ‘World View’ that doesn’t recognize the ‘World Maker’
  • Bad data in = bad conclusions
  • The less than humble desire to predict the future: foolishness!

15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home. 16 What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning. 17 Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.

  • A basic definition of a fool is one who doesn’t value work
  • Worthy leadership knows the right time to do things
  • Doing things at the right time is about giving your emotions and time to others
  • Are you teachable about how you set priorities and manage your time?

18 Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house. 19 A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!

  • Wisdom is about doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done
  • Ecc. 3: For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven
  • These are all things that have value: ‘Under The Sun’

20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said.

  • It is wise to stay humble regarding those who have power over you
  • You don’t know what might be repeated…(lots of ‘little Birds’ out there)
  • Wisdom expressed in humility is not saying things you don’t want repeated

Ch. 11:1-6

1 Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you. 2 But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.

  • Branching out into new markets & diversification of your investment (change)
  • It is wise because it recognizes our lack of control & builds ‘God Dependance’
  • The ultimate humility of being ‘The Created’ under the authority of ‘The Creator’

3 When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls. 4 Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.

  • It rains when it wants to, trees fall where they want to…nature is beyond control
  • As we are able to manipulate nature more we are drawn to more pride
  • Mystery is a good thing
  • Deal with what you have instead of expecting things to be perfect / ‘your way’

5 Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. 6 Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.

  • There is so much that is beyond us, if we are humble enough to admit it
  • Do we have a clear picture of God / Good Theology based on Scripture?
  • A proper appreciation for God’s all encompassing power (World & Word)
  • The awe and wonder of God / The ‘Fear of God can and will make us humble

Application Questions:

How much do you value being humble & teachable?

How well and often do you recognize pride in your life?

What is the connection between foolish over-talking and teachability?

It what ways are humility and doing things at the proper time connected?

Why should you pursue Humility?

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The point? Pt. 7

The Ultimate Equalizer

Do you spend much time thinking about death, specifically your death? The old saying is there are two things you can count on: death & taxes…

Everyone must face death, no matter your socioeconomic status Death is the ‘Ultimate Equalizer’. What is God’s purpose in making us all face death? How can the reality of death shape this life? How does death help us come to trust in God’s sovereignty?

And how can a healthy understanding of our time being limited help us live the way God desires; with gratitude and consideration? And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. ~ Micah 6:8

Chapter 9

1 This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. 2 The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious.

  • Writer seeks to be credible (I am an expert) God’s Spirit speaking thru him
  • BELIEF in the fact that who receives God’s favor is decided solely by Him
  • Admission that God is in charge of EVERYONE’S ultimate destiny
  • You cannot be good enough, clean enough or religious enough to avoid death

Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t. 3 It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate.

  • What we see VS what God sees
  • It seems like injustice to us…what makes us think we know what real justice is?

Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. 4 There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”

  • God’s image is compromised by sin, and sin leads to death
  • It creates a hopeless situation we are without power to change

5 The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. 6 Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth.

  • When you are under the power of sin that is all you know
  • This life become the only thing (no perspective beyond this life)
  • And this life is finite

7 So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! 8 Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne! 9 Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.

  • If there is nothing but this life, go ahead: PARTY UP!
  • The search for fulfillment in ‘Stuff’ & ‘People’ and ‘Status’
  • What God gives us ‘under the sun’ is meaningless when it is just about this life

10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

  • Living under the sun is about thinking it’s only about this life, this world
  • Is this all there is? What’s The Point?

We have to come to grips with our finite, hopeless reality before we can fully surrender to God’s solution for us to be rescued from it: The Gospel of Jesus Christ!

11 I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives.

  • We judge and assign value based on human / worldly perspective (bad data)
  • Our ideas of ‘Justice’ start with bad data then are influenced by sin
  • We are always looking at an incomplete story

It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. 12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.

  • Reality: We have NO CONTROL… How do we deal with that?
  • Our lives happen to us, without the ability to really control them
  • This reality, without a Biblical Relationship with God, can really wreck you

13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. 14 There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. 15 A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him.

  • This is an example of ‘How the world works’…
  • People have always lacked gratitude (Jesus & ten lepers: Luke 17:11-19)
  • When something good happens it’s God we should thank, He made it happen
  • Our level of ‘Thanks-Living’ corresponds to our level of surrender to God

16 So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. 17 Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king. 18 Better to have wisdom than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

  • The injustice of how people treat others based on Socioeconomic Status
  • The World judges on a scale we do not have to use

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ~ James 2:1-4

  • Human nature is to discriminate, tolerance of oppression results
  • But there is an ultimate equalizer: Death
  • The wisdom to surrender to God is the only answer to the ultimate Equalizer

Application Questions:

How are you with this ‘Everyone’s actions are in God’s Hands’ declaration?

How at peace are you with the idea that this life will end soon?

Looking at your time, emotions and resources, what is the ratio of those things used for ‘Self-Fulfillment’ VS ‘Kingdom-Fulfillment’? (Time. 45 total hrs: 20hrs / 25hrs)

Who are the targets of your discriminating? What is at the root of it?

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 6

Eternal Vision Provides Meaning

The struggle for meaning is as old as humankind. Where meaning comes from in our lives, how our lives can have eternal meaning is what this Scripture is revealing. Eternal life gives us ‘Eternal Perspective’. This is where we discover meaning and purpose: in the person and work of Jesus The Christ.

Chapter 7:15-29

15 I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people. 16 So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? 17 On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? 18 Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.

  • Extremes are meaningless to pursue or default to
  • A wise & healthy life begins with the fear of God and is expressed in balance

19 One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town! 20 Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. 21 Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you. 22 For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

  • Wisdom is better than position (Western Culture often values the opposite)
  • Wisdom leads to a real assessment of yourself (Romans 12:3)

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

  • Don’t go in search of what you should not be exposed to
  • Recognize the capacity of others to sin based on YOUR capacity to sin

23 I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work. 24 Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find. 25 I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

  • You can’t make yourself wise, you can only cooperate with God doing it
  • True wisdom, God’s wisdom, is totally beyond us. It is His alone to give
  • Using our mental faculties to understand the mind of God will always fall short
  • You get stuck in a humanist / temporal perspective

26 I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.

  • The ‘Seductive Woman’ is often used as a metaphor for passions of the flesh
  • Illegitimate pleasures are traps, snatching us away from God’s will & fellowship
  • Not desiring to please God, doing ‘what we know to be sin’… it enslaves us!
  • ‘Sinners’ = Ongoing Unrepentant Rebellion (Living only for this life)

27 “This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle. 28 Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! 29 But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

  • ‘The Qoheleth’ concludes, from HIS observations: Serious lack of virtue!
  • Men only .1% better than women (one in a thousand vs zero in a thousand)
  • The search for virtue in fallen mankind is like chasing the wind… Hevel
  • We are made in HIS image but sin; ‘Unrepentant Rebellion’ destroys our virtue
  • This is all meaningless with solely temporal perspective,

Chapter 8

How wonderful to be wise, to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person’s face, softening its harshness.

  • When we can interpret life from God’s / Eternal point of view it limits frustration
  • Eternal perspective gives joy & contentment; relieves stress, confusion & anger

2 Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would. 3 Don’t try to avoid doing your duty, and don’t stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants. 4 His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it. 5 Those who obey him will not be punished.

  • Obedience to the authority God has placed us under is the ultimate expression of Wisdom (Eternal Perspective)
  • God’s sovereignty is enacted though earthly authorities: God’s power thru them
  • Obedience to who you are placed under is obedience to God
  • The promise of obedience
  • Every knee will eventually bow… all will be made to obey, we get to choose to!!

Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, 6 for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble. 7 Indeed, how can people avoid what they don’t know is going to happen? 8 None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked.

  • Prioritizing what God prioritizes no matter the circumstances
  • Today is the time to obey…you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow
  • We have no control over our mortality, this life is finite
  • It is scary business, totally unavoidable
  • Evil ways of manipulating circumstances in life are of no help
    • It is implied that SOMETHING (SomeONE) can rescue…just not wickedness

9 I have thought deeply about all that goes on here under the sun, where people have the power to hurt each other. 10 I have seen wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praised in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless.

  • Hurting others while exerting power over them = Oppression
  • Being powerful enough to control public image of you
  • Powerful enough to fabricate a religious persona when you are a criminal
  • The injustice is depressing you have nothing but a temporal perspective

11 When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. 12 But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. 13 The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.

  • The rule of law, applied equally as humanly possible, is important to humanity
  • A wicked 70, 80 years VS ETERNITY with God in Perfection & Glory?
  • What is forming your days? Here and now or Eternity?
  • He is not speaking of earthy prosperity but rather eternal prosperity (Heaven)

14 And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!

  • More meaninglessness, really?
  • ‘In this life’ There is not perfect justice…not possible in our fallen world
  • People can be misjudged & people can misjudge…

15 So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

  • ‘Under The Sun’ …If all you care about is THIS life under the sun…
  • Unless you find some other purpose to live this life for: ‘Party Up!’
  • Your meaningless enjoyment will be your ‘some happiness’

GOSPEL

16 In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. 17 I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim.

  • Activity to relieve burden doesn’t work, ‘No rest for the wicked’
  • It is not about ‘figuring out’ God,
  • It’s about surrendering you life to Christ and the Gospel
  • The are things beyond our discovery

Application Questions:

What are habits / lifestyle choices that help you have more eternal perspective?

How can you get others to participate in your self-evaluation?

What authority Structures have you been placed under? How is your obedience?

Who do you know that has obvious meaning and purpose in their life? Why?

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 5

Nothing is Certain in this Life

Chapter 6

1 There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. 2 God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.

  • Meaningless – paradoxical: seemingly absurd or contradictory
  • When you try to grab it, it slips through your fingers
  • Tragedy ” A protagonist, usually a person of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he or she cannot control.”
  • Weighs heavy, the frequency

3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead. 4 His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn’t even have had a name, 5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man.

Meaningless – temporary / vapor

  • The Teacher is saying: ‘nothing is what it seems’
  • No man who lived experienced more, accumulated more
  • ESV v3: “but his soul is still not satisfied with life’s good things” – lack of purpose – we all recognize this
  • Decent burial : “still depart unnoticed, unlamented and unfulfilled.”
  • Better to die in the womb than to spend your whole life dead

6 He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use? 7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough.

  • We could live 2000 years and still end in the same place stillborn
  • This observation is lacking spiritual context
  • Some people work their whole lives, never able to stop to enjoy it.
  • We think we know what Justice is, but it doesn’t seem to be true all the time.
  • Ecc. 1:7 “All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full”
  • After winning the world series, do those guys retire? NO! They want more…

8 So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others? 9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

  • V 8, leaving God out, leads to a conflict (wisdom good or not?)
  • V 9 gets to envy, coveting
  • It is meaningless unless we can enjoy it!
  • The conclusion here is to adjust your expectations so your world view doesn’t shatter when horrible things happen for doing the right thing.

10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny. 11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they? 12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?

  • V 10 the human condition is what it has always been
  • We are made in the image of God, but sin has made it broken and dysfunctional.
  • Martin Luther said “As things have been, so they still are; and as things are, so they will be.”
  • V 11 is repeated from 5:2: the more we talk, the emptier our words become
  • Job argued with God, he discovered how that goes

Chapter 7

1 A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. 2 Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart.

  • V 1 in Hebrew it is word play, translation that is closer: “Fair fame is better than fine perfume.”
  • Our reputation ties to our burial ch 6:3
  • All four things mentioned are good things, perfume is GREAT in the ‘smelly world of Solomon’
  • Thomas Boston on Followers of Christ: “In the day of our birth we are born to die, but in the day of our death we die to live.”

This is true for those who have surrendered to Christ as our savior. We find greater purity, deeper rest, better company than the world we entered on the day we were born, our death is our entrance into glory. Our desire for self-esteem shoves bad thoughts out, we don’t like to dwell on painful things. Our natural instinct is to hide in the vapor / meaninglessness. Our reputation is important: we represent Jesus Christ as His followers. Living for the reputation of Christ is what gives our lives meaning / purpose

3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. 4 A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

  • The ESV renders V 3: “By sadness of face the heart is made glad”
  • Young people, those in college are not interested in significant things
  • The tendency is to stick to things that numb those thoughts. Superficial lifestyle
  • Without eternal perspective we live ignoring the reality that nothing is certain in this life

5 Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool. 6 A fool’s laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless.

  • We learn best from wise people
  • True discipleship includes aspects of personal rebuke ‘Kind Disapproval’
  • Hebrew words for thorn and pot sound very similar “crackling thorns under a pot”
  • Thorns don’t burn very long, no substance
  • In Luke 6:25 Jesus says: If you don’t take things serious, it’ll come to a bad end.
  • If we are wise we will deal with our own mortality

7 Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart. 8 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. 9 Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. 10 Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise.

  • The corruption of the powerful, it happened then, it happens now: timeless truth of the human condition
  • Pride has redeeming traits, but quickly turns to sin.
  • One’s prayer life is a good example; start small. But the end is better, when God molds/grows us
  • Looking back on old times, can be dangerous, you lose touch with the present
  • Live in the moment, enjoy where you’re at, make the most of today

11 Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. 12 Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.

  • How does wisdom save your life? It is only through God’s wisdom that we surrender to Christ
  • True wisdom is a growing focus on the eternal, moving away from focus on meaninglessness
  • True wisdom itself is eternal; it cannot be lost or lose it’s value
  • Wisdom is made greater with money – deploying resources to help others gain wisdom.

13 Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what He has made crooked?

  • All of the things that God has made is crooked, (from our point of view) who are we to straighten them?
  • Avoid being too definitive in your statements about this world, a little humility goes a long way
  • When we view catastrophes, genocide, childhood death we should defer to ‘God Knows Best’
  • God has HIS ways and timing Ecc. 3:11 “Everything is beautiful in its time”
  • This includes the things we may think are twisted and ugly.

14 Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

  • Enjoy what God has allowed us to enjoy, be content with your lot in this life
  • Remain somber, be reverent regarding the challenges He has given you.
  • Ageless Truth: Nothing is certain in this life! We may think we know…

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

Who in your life gives you ‘wise criticism’? Have you given someone the license to do this?

Why shouldn’t you ‘long for the good old days’?

Do you think God is really sovereign over the bad things that come our way? Why?

/by

Ecclesiastes: What’s The Point? Pt. 4

‘The Wisdom of Choosing Relationships Over Things’

We need Christ in our lives in order to value people over things…It is an ongoing fight, connected to how I view and approach God. The Writer of Ecclesiastes came to know the meaninglessness of things, and he had it all! He also understood who God was and His relational nature.

Chapter 4

Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless. 2 So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. 3 But most fortunate of all are those who are not yet born. For they have not seen all the evil that is done under the sun.

  • The reality of evil can be discouraging
  • From an earthly standpoint it can seem like there is nothing worse than this life
  • People oppress others so they can hold on to wealth & power (things)

4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. 5 “Fools fold their idle hands, leading them to ruin.” 6 And yet, “Better to have one handful with quietness than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.”

  • The drive to compete based on comparison is a dead end street
  • Idleness is no good but so is workaholism…
  • Wisdom is found in balance: a time to work and a time to recreate

7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

  • Working to amass wealth while living a life devoid of relationships is worthless
  • The lie people tell themselves: “when I’m rich then I will have relationships”

9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

  • The goodness we can enjoy in this life is all about relationships
  • We need each other
  • We are made in the image of God who is relational in His very essence (Triune)
  • The cord of three strands is you, me & Jesus

13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. 14 Such a youth could rise from poverty and succeed. He might even become king, though he has been in prison. 15 But then everyone rushes to the side of yet another youth who replaces him. 16 Endless crowds stand around him, but then another generation grows up and rejects him, too. So it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

  • You can be shrewd and play politics to get ahead, but the favor is fleeting
  • Such popularity is a short lived thing until the ‘Next Fad’ comes along
  • The eternal significance of of politic is ZERO (give unto Caesar…)

Chapter 5

5 As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. 2 Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.

  • God is not interested in what we promise, He wants authentic relationship
  • Carefully consider what you offer God, he knows where your heart really is

3 Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool. 4 When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. 5 It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.

  • Hyperactivity is not what God is looking for, and volume of words have no value
  • Only make promises to God that are sincere and be sure you keep them
  • When in doubt listen (listening prayer)

6 Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. 7 Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.

  • Measure your words in the community of God’s people (don’t over promise)
  • Make good use of the time and energy you have out of reverence for God
  • What does it mean to fear God?

8 Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. 9 Even the king milks the land for his own profit!

  • Don’t be naive regarding those in power, they don’t have our well being in mind
  • When you get into that machine it owns you, it’s about things, not relationships
  • Classic politician lie: “I care about the little people’

10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! 12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.

  • The lure of wealth is never satisfied, and wealth never satisfies anyone
  • The more you have the more people want things from you, not relationship
  • Contentment with what you have brings peace, riches bring worry

13 There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. 14 Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.

  • Hording wealth and seeking to multiply it rots your soul (things over people)
  • It can lead to losing everything!

Then he said “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Luke 12:15-21

16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.

  • We would like to think we make a difference getting things
  • You will never have enough, someone will always have more
  • The only difference we make is in people’s lives; by being a blessing from God

18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. 20 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.

  • Contentment is the key (Paul Philippians 4)
  • True contentment is found in a real relationship with God

Summary: We are to fight against Oppression that crushes peoples souls. We are to pursue contentment & balance between work and recreation. Relationships are what really matter & what makes life meaningful (partnership). The approval of people & success is short lived, everyone will be replaced / forgotten. God is concerned with the condition of our hearts not the words of our mouths. God is not pleased with our heartless religious activities, He wants obedience. We should expect earthly powers to be unjust. Wealth doesn’t bring peace and the hording of it brings disaster. Life that is lived for only earthly things will frustrate & depress. We are to be content with what we have and attribute it to God.

Application Questions:

How can you pursue contentment by balancing work and recreation?

How can you intentionally honor and appreciate others to build relationships?

How can you build a lifestyle of generosity with your resources and time?

How can you focus on pleasing God with obedience rather than pleasing people?

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