All My Bags Are Packed, I’m Ready To Go (Ezekiel 12:1-28)

Do you know your sign?

You’re probably thinking horoscope. A horoscope is an astrological forecast based on the position of celestial bodies at the time of your birth. It involves the twelve zodiac “signs,” each representing specific birth periods throughout the year. Horoscopes are typically used for entertainment or self-reflection, although some people take them more seriously, believing they offer insights into character and destiny.

It’s not harmless fun. It is a form of divination, of which God said. The Bible expressly forbids divination, sorcery, and hidden arts. We see it in our text, in verse twenty-four, where “false vision” and “flattering divination” are condemned.

We aren’t talking about the signs of the zodiac…We’re talking about the sign of Ezekiel.

“I have made you a sign to the house of Israel,” the LORD said, and “Say, ‘I am a sign to you” (v4&11).

Where do we fit in? One of the sources I consulted said, “the Church is intended to be a visible and spiritual sign that points others to God’s character and redemptive purposes.”

I’ll organize my comments around two points: #1 If You Are A Believer, You Are ‘Signing’ The Redemption Of The Lord, & #2 If You Are A Believer, You Are ‘Signing’ The Return Of The Lord.

#1 – If You Are A Believer, ‘Sign’ The Redemption Of The Lord (v1-16)

American Sign Language imposters were unusually prevalent for a short time.

  • The Nelson Mandela Memorial Service in 2013.
  • The Tampa Bay Police Department press conference in 2017.
  • A Hurricane Irma press conference in 2017.

God’s prophets are the real deal when it comes to signing. Ezekiel is perhaps the most well-known, but Jeremiah (and others) performed signs.

Biblical signs and symbols are one of my favorite things to talk about. Almost everyone gets it backwards. They think signs and symbols make the Bible more difficult to read and understand.

A great many believers balk at reading or teaching the Book of the Revelation. Too many signs & symbols, they say. Not true. The signs are all clearly defined, either in the book itself or elsewhere in the Bible.

Think of the purpose of signs in your daily life, e.g., traffic signs. Are they intended to confuse? Of course not! They clarify. And they are not subject to any independent interpretation.

605BC…597BC…586BC.

Those are the years in which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded Jerusalem. Ezekiel was taken to Babylon as a captive in the second invasion. He was chosen by the LORD to be His prophet to the exiles who were already there, and to those who would come there.

A tiny bit of history is needful at this point. Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah as ruler over Jerusalem. He was not the rightful king, and that’s why he is called a “prince” in verses 10&12.

Ezk 12:1  Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

Ezk 12:2  “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

Another day, another rejection of the Word of God and its messenger.

Have you ever considered how many of God’s prophets were unsuccessful by human standards?

All you need to know about Jeremiah is that he was called “the weeping prophet.”

Isaiah was told his audience would refuse to receive the Word.

In his defense before the first century rulers of the Jews, the martyr, Stephen, would say to them, “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers…” (Acts 7:52).

The LORD encouraged Ezekiel when He twice says the Jews are “a rebellious house.” Ezekiel was faithful to obey the LORD.

As a servant, the Lord looks for you to be faithful. You are accountable, but not responsible.

Ezk 12:3  “Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

The LORD was showing them what was about to happen. Nevertheless, it was not too late to repent! Ezekiel’s two-act, day/night drama might yet penetrate the rebellious hearts of the Jerusalem Jews.

We all have biases. That’s not always bad. Ours is to believe that God “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (First Peter 3:9). Your understanding of the character of God influences how you approach and interpret His Word.

Ezk 12:4  By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity.

Ezk 12:5  Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it.

Ezk 12:6  In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground [We would say that he left “under cover of darkness”] for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

Jason Bourne frequently relies on his Go-bag, stashed with passports, cash, weapons, and supplies, as he is constantly on the run and needs to be ready to bug-out at a moment’s notice. Ezekiel ‘signs’ to the Jews a man bugging-out with his go-bag.

Ezk 12:7  So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.

Ezk 12:8  And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ezk 12:9  “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’

I wonder: Did these guys even try to understand the “sign”? I don’t think so. They probably wanted Ezekiel to simply tell them what the LORD said. Thing is, though, they consistently rejected God’s Word, or twisted it. Signs were the way to go.

Ezk 12:10  Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them.” ’

As I said, Zedekiah was not the rightful king of Judah. Ezekiel called him “prince.”

Ezk 12:11  Say, ‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall be carried away into captivity.’

Ezk 12:12  And the prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes.

This story is told in Jeremiah and in Second Kings. All accounts agree.

Ezk 12:13  I will also spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.

Ezk 12:14  I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.

Ezk 12:15  “Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.

“I will spread My net… My snare… I will scatter them.” Babylon would accomplish these things. The LORD was behind them, using them, to discipline His rebellious nation.

Don’t get upset about God using the godless to discipline His people. Being disciplined by God is a show of His affection.

“Yes, Gene, I get that. But their punishment was so harsh!” Was it though? What is a proper punishment for a nation that encouraged burning infant children on the molten-hot arms of an idol of Molech?

If Zedekiah was taken to Babylon, why didn’t he “see” it? Second Kings tells us why: “They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon” (25:7).

The LORD continued to bless and use the remnant of believers. You might recall that Nebuchadnezzar – who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace – saw a fourth Person. It was Jesus. Later Nebuchadnezzar was saved. He wrote a Gospel tract that was widely circulated.

Ezk 12:16  But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”

Do we not look upon the history of the dispersed Jews with wonder? In their discipline unbelievers see that there is a God Who loves them. Napoleon Bonaparte noted, “The existence of the Jews is proof of the existence of God.”

God’s plan is to redeem the Jews:

  • Israel became a nation again.
  • In the future they will enjoy a time of protection from the antichrist.
  • Exactly half-way through the seven year Time of Jacob’s Trouble, the antichrist will launch the greatest persecution of Jews ever.
  • Jews will be holed-up in Petra.
  • They will finally call upon Jesus.
  • He will save them, physically.
  • The remnant that has survived will all be saved spiritually.
  • The one-thousand year Kingdom of God on earth will begin.

A long time ago in a title insurance company far, far away, my bosses asked me to be involved in a pretty big lie. It was  worse than that; it was illegal. The Lord gave me the strength to say “I’m a Christian and I can’t do it.” I give Him all the glory for it. I kept trying to justify it. At that time in my life, that was a way to ‘sign’ what God’s redemption meant to me.

If we believe that the Lord is guiding our path, and that we are on it, then we need to talk to Him about our ‘sign’ where He has led us.

#2 – If You Are A Believer, ‘Sign’ The Return Of The Lord (v17-25)

Eschatology is the branch of theology that deals with the study of the last things. It’s almost always the last chapters in theology books. The apostle Paul taught it first in Thessalonica. Likewise the apostle Peter in his letters. Eschatology isn’t a curiosity, but a necessity.

Ezk 12:17  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ezk 12:18  “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety.

Ezk 12:19  And say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: “They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may be emptied of all who are in it, because of the violence of all those who dwell in it.

Ezk 12:20  Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the LORD.” ’ ”

Small Jewish cities lined the way to Jerusalem. These would be the first conquered.

They would “know” because it would be the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy.

Ezk 12:21  And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ezk 12:22  “Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?

Ezk 12:23  Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.” But say to them, “The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.

This is an OT way of saying, “Scoffers will come in the last days… saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”[1]

Ezk 12:24  For no more shall there be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.

Ezk 12:25  For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”

Any seeming delays do not nullify God’s plans. He’s waiting; His longsuffering waits.

Ezk 12:26  Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ezk 12:27  “Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’

Ezk 12:28  Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”

Do you have a go-bag? It’s tough to limit it to bare necessities.

Do we have only the bare necessities and are we ready to go to another place? For us, it is not a departure to go into exile, but to the Father’s house.

Maybe then people will ask us why we live the way we do. Then we can point them to the wrath of God that is coming upon the world, and to the Savior Who can and wants to save from it. We can sign the hope that is in us.

Signing the return of Jesus can be as casual as you coming to Church Sunday & Wednesdays. Your neighbors see you going & coming while they mow their lawns. They’ve probably been to churches that turned them off… or had a bad experience… But there you are, excited to meet with the Lord & His peeps.

Signing the return of Jesus can be more formal. Right after I got saved, I made an appointment with my philosophy prof to share the Lord with him.

We can’t tell you how to apply this in your life. The Lord can, and He will if you talk to Him about it.

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 1 Peter 3

Prophecy Update #806 – Blow, Blow, Blow Your Shofar

We set aside a few minutes most Sunday mornings to identify connections between unfulfilled Bible prophecies and current news & events.

Turmoil in the Middle East on account of the nation of Israel is the most obvious sign that we are in the Last Days. Israel’s existence again as a nation is both a miracle and a fulfillment of many OT prophecies.

Other biblical signs include the push towards both global government & global commerce; the technology to utilize biometrics to buy & sell all goods & services; instantaneous global communication; an effort to alter our genetics in order to reproduce a hybrid, nonhuman race; a great falling away from faith in Jesus Christ; and the exponential growth in knowledge.

Daniel & Ezekiel explain that there will be a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem during the future 7yr Great Tribulation. Ritual animal sacrifices will be conducted there.

Something happened during Passover that has not been seen on the Temple Mount for 2000 years!

Israel365 News posted a story titled, Full-Dress Kohen Sighted on Temple Mount. 

(A Kohen is a male descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses, who served as the first high priest of Israel. In Jewish tradition, Kohanim hold a special priestly status, stemming from the tribe of Levi, and were responsible for conducting services in the Temple in Jerusalem).

Excerpts:

The Temple Institute announced a remarkable development that brought Israel one step closer to the Third Temple. A kohen ascended to the Temple Mount wearing the Biblically mandated Kohanic garments. While on the mount, the Kohen joined in a prayer quorum and gave the priestly blessing to those gathered (Numbers 6:22-26).

The Temple Institute prepared the garments in preparation for the return of the Temple service.

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, a group of Jews smuggled a shofarot (ritual rams’ horns) onto the Temple Mount and, despite police efforts to stop them, blew all of the requisite shofar blasts for the holiday.[1]

The Temple Institute is dedicated to making the Holy Temple a reality in our day, and toward this end, the Temple Institute has, for 36 years, been building and planning and researching and teaching and sharing reconstructed sacred vessels and priestly garments.

The Temple Institute is ready with everything necessary to equip the Third Temple.

It is exactly what you’d expect from reading the prophecies in the Bible.

Jesus promised to resurrect & rapture His Church prior to His Second Coming, and before the time of Great Tribulation would come upon the whole Earth.[2]

The resurrection and rapture of the church is presented as an imminent event. It could happen anytime. Right now, for example.

Are you ready for the rapture? If not, get ready, stay ready, and keep looking up

Ready or not Jesus is coming! 

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 https://israel365news.com/397180/full-dress-kohen-sighted-on-temple-mount/
2 The Revelation of Jesus Christ 3:10

Look On The Blight Side (Ecclesiastes 9:11-10:1)

Do you consider yourself a pessimist or an optimist? Compared to other nationalities, Americans are some of the most pessimistic people. When asked if they think the world is getting better, only 6% of Americans said yes. If you think that’s bad, nearly 1 out of every 3 Americans say they believe humanity will be extinct in the next century.[1]

There are optimists, of course. Clint Eastwood is quoted as saying, “I don’t believe in pessimism. If something doesn’t come up the way you want, forge ahead. If you think it’s going to rain, it will.”

But does pessimism bring the rain? Even the most optimistic person here would have to admit that Clint’s quote is more wishful thinking than anything else. We don’t control the weather.

We live in a wonderful world full of beauty and supply and discovery and adventure. But, at the same time, life in this world can be incredibly frustrating. This reality is often rife with suffering, unfairness, disappointment, and sorrow.

Optimism doesn’t keep the clouds away, as I’m sure many of you who had an outdoor wedding can confirm. On Monday we took a day trip to Yosemite. It was a beautiful day…until it wasn’t. In the mid-afternoon a cloud suddenly rolled in. Before we knew it, rain was pouring down and, since it was so cold, snow even started to flurry.

It was fun for us, but there was at least one couple who did not appreciate the sudden change – the lady and gentleman who were taking their wedding pictures outside the Yosemite Valley chapel. They were doing their best – forging ahead – but there was something profoundly unfair about how things turned out for them. Of course, we’re used to that kind of thing. “It’s just part of life.”

In our text tonight, the Teacher speaks frankly about the fundamental unfairness of this world. Many label him a pessimist, but that’s not quite right. Certainly he is distressed by the world he lives in and has studied so closely, but the Teacher isn’t just a cynical Eeyore here to ruin the party. He’s honest about what we’re up against. Look at the world, look at your life, and you’ll find many happy occurrences, days filled with achievement and joy. But in the same life you’ll find when things went the other way, and not because of something you did or some mistake you made, but simply because this world is broken. What should happen doesn’t always happen.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 – 11 Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them.

The Teacher isn’t talking about The Tortoise And The Hare here. In that case, the Hare gets what he deserves. These are instances where chance twists the outcome. Think of any obviously terrible sports call – Maradona’s hand-of-God goal in the 1986 World Cup. The rightful winner simply doesn’t always win.

Nikola Tesla died broke while Pablo Escobar died with $70 billion.

Or consider stories like that of Donald Peters. For 20 years he would buy a pair of lottery tickets from his local 7-Eleven. On November 1, 2008 Donald bought his tickets, like he always did. He died later that day. And then the numbers were announced: Donald’s ticket won $10 million.[2]

There have been times when you should’ve been selected for the promotion, the position, the opportunity, but it didn’t happen. Why? Because time and chance hold sway over this world.

Even so, the Teacher isn’t saying that it’s stupid to train or strengthen ourselves or to learn to be wise and skillful. He’s already shown how doing those things can dramatically help you in life and benefit the world around you. The point is that you cannot guarantee outcomes in this life.

Ecclesiastes 9:12 – 12 For certainly no one knows his time: like fish caught in a cruel net or like birds caught in a trap, so people are trapped in an evil time as it suddenly falls on them.

The Teacher often reminds us of our impending deaths, but that’s not the only thing he’s referring to here.[3] He also means the regular misfortunes of life that grab the guilty and innocent alike, like a self-springing trap.[4] Ours is a dangerous world, full of thorns and tangles and snares.

The Teacher considers time and chance to be “evil.” A cruel net. A system that works against people, whether they’re wise or foolish, righteous or wicked. Not as it should be.

Ecclesiastes 9:13 – 13 I have observed that this also is wisdom under the sun, and it is significant to me:

Wisdom should always triumph, but we’re under the sun in a reality where Adam and Eve traded God’s wisdom for man’s wisdom and now, things are different. Just as the rules of movement and survival change when you submerge under water, so reality changed under the sun when sin came.

The Teacher invites us to look at a particular case study that proves his point. He says this is significant to him. Your version may say it was “great” to him. Not great in the sense that he was happy about it, but in the sense that it was a major finding in his research. This story shows the kind of brokenness and unfairness people are up against in this world.

Ecclesiastes 9:14-15 – 14 There was a small city with few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege works against it. 15 Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.

Scholars argue over what the Teacher really said in this story. One of two things happened: Either this poor wise man figured out the way to save his town and then, despite his heroism, he was forgotten and unrewarded, or the Teacher might be saying that this poor wise man could have saved the town, but because of his social status, he was ignored and the town was destroyed.[5]

Either outcome would’ve been bad. Yes, the second option is much more bad, but neither is right. But, despite what should be, this world values a lot of things that don’t actually matter. Things like social status, style, the class a person is in, the hype that surrounds them. It still happens today.

This is a serious blight in the system. Let’s say the wise man did successfully save his city. Wouldn’t you want to then give that guy a position of leadership? But, they didn’t, because he wasn’t cool enough or rich enough or important enough. He’s written off – never paid back for his service.

How often has history shown people choosing defeat and destruction because they were too proud to humble themselves to do the wise thing? Isn’t that the case with those who refuse salvation in Jesus Christ? Psalm 149 tells us that God adorns the humble with salvation.[6] But so many people refuse to humble themselves and instead choose humiliation in the end.

Ecclesiastes 9:16 – 16 And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

“Wisdom is better than strength” was probably a popular maxim during the Teacher’s time – one of those things people say like, “Cheaters never prosper.” “Every cloud has a silver lining.” “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” True? Kinda. Maybe.

In an ideal world, wisdom is better than strength. But in this world, wisdom is disdained far too often. Think of the Apostle Paul on the ship sailing to Rome. He knew they were making unwise choices to keep sailing late into the season. He warned them to head to port and wait out the winter. But unwise men wanted pleasure, wanted convenience, wanted their payday, wanted to be seen as the experts, and so they sailed right into the Euroclydon and almost paid with their lives.[7]

Our world’s rebellion against wisdom is a feature, not a bug. That doesn’t mean we should all give up on this world or give up on wise living, and just recede into ourselves. In fact, chapter 10 is all about the consequences of folly. And we’ve already seen that wise living, even in our broken system, can bring a lot of advantages to a life and community. But we shouldn’t be surprised when the world around us goes the way of fools. Cooler heads do not always prevail.

Ecclesiastes 9:17 – 17 The calm words of the wise are heeded more than the shouts of a ruler over fools.

That is better translated, “Wise words, spoken quietly should be heeded rather than the leader of fools.”[8] But the system is broken. Once again, what should be true usually isn’t here under the sun.[9]

Let me ask you this: If you turn on any cable news show tonight, what are you most likely to see? A calm and thoughtful person making a reasoned case full of solutions for the world’s problems? Or, will you see four people all shouting over one another, saying nothing particularly sage or helpful?

Ours is a shouting society. That’s not a good thing. Let’s not be a shouting people to our family or in our community or online toward those we disagree with.

Ecclesiastes 9:18 – 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much good.

If this was where Ecclesiastes ended, it would be pretty bleak. Remember, this is a major finding in his research. This is the way things are in this world, vividly illustrated in the next verse.

Ecclesiastes 10:1 – Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

All the work of gathering the ingredients, reducing them down, straining and purifying them, storing them properly, then mixing them all together in a careful recipe to make this costly bottle of perfume. And then one little fly randomly lands in the batch and it’s all wasted. Ruined. Hevel.

The Teacher says the same is true when a single “bungler” enters a situation in life.[10] He doesn’t even necessarily mean a purposefully evil person. But that’s how things go under the sun.

The Bible is full of examples of the incredible, destructive power of sin and folly. Achan’s impulsive decision to take a few goods out of Jericho led to a shocking defeat of Israel’s army. Solomon’s own son Rehoboam made a foolish political decision and instantly the kingdom of Israel, which had never been stronger, wealthier, or more at peace was ruined. Split in two.

As I said, if this were the end of the book, it would be pretty hopeless. But it’s not the end. By the end, the Teacher will have discovered not only what is but also he finds the answer to what we should do about it. His findings are basic, considering he was writing centuries before Christ’s arrival. In his conclusion, having seen the brokenness of the world and the difficulties of life, he says, “Here’s what you do: Fear God, follow Him, and enjoy the life He has given you even though our life experiences are dominated by time, death, and chance. God is real. He is sovereign. He knows what we don’t, so live as joyfully and happily as you can and trust that God will do the right thing.” That’s the culmination of the Teacher’s lifelong research.

But, before we close, I think it’s important that we wrestle with this for a moment. Given what the Teacher discovered about the broken, hevel nature of the world under the sun, is his finding sufficient? We know a lot more about the plan and Person of God than Solomon did. We don’t think about life from an agnostic, secular humanist perspective, but rather in the knowledge of what God does and what He has promised and what He is capable of.

Knowing what we know, how are we to reckon with the unfairness that pervades this reality? If God is sovereign, how do we square that with the chance horrors of life? The nagging problems of pain, suffering, injustice, many of which are arbitrary not only from our perspective, but frankly from history’s perspective? We know God could remove His people or exempt them from the consequences of sin. He’s done it before. But, in most cases He doesn’t. The cruel net grabs young and old, good and bad alike. And often without direct spiritual purpose.

It’s estimated that 16,000 children die every single day around the world. Eleven every minute.[11] When people suffer around us, as theological conservatives we tend to assuage ourselves by saying, “God must be trying to teach us something.” Or, “God will bring specific good out of that situation.” But is that just a not-quite-real maxim like “every cloud has a silver lining?”

Did all those children die today because God had things He wanted to teach people? More than 225,000 people died in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. As far as I know, none of them became a modern Lazarus. Rather, if we’re honest, it seems to be more Ecclesiastes 9 than Genesis 50.

Jesus Himself seemed to reference the arbitrary randomness of suffering inherent to this world in Luke 13. A group of people came to complain to Him about injustice. In response He said, “A tower fell and killed 18 people in Siloam. Do you think that happened because they were more sinful than other people?” The answer was no. The fact of the matter is that tragedy, injustice, and unfairness are baked into this world because of the ruinous impact of sin. How do we square that with what we know about God?

On the one hand, we take to heart that wonderful promise from Psalm 31 that “My times are in Your hands.” But we also experience the same reality that the Teacher brought out here: People are trapped in an evil time under the sun. These findings have serious implications.

If God is sovereign and He cares about us and He can deliver, then why doesn’t He? Why does Peter go free while James is beheaded?

It’s wise to consider these questions because this is the major accusation people use when they reject the Gospel. And we should be careful in how we answer these questions because we may inadvertently back ourselves into a theological corner where God is a monster making sport of us. Or, we may convince ourselves that every difficulty would go away if we could just learn the spiritual lesson. That suffering always exists because I’m being disciplined or instructed.

We must start by thinking about the sovereignty of God. The Bible clearly, explicitly teaches that God is sovereign. The Teacher agrees, while also noting that chance impacts everyone, both righteous and unrighteous. Evil touches all of our lives, yet God cannot be the Author of evil.

When you think of sovereignty, what do you imagine? Do we picture it as God standing before a vast, soulless machine which only He operates – pulling levers and flipping toggles in whatever order He wants while each gear underneath turns in lifeless obligation? Is the universe simply a great bin of Legos that God alone is constructing, posing, and adjusting with no other input?

That is a view of sovereignty held by many faithful Christians, commonly known as “Divine determinism,” or “meticulous providence.” The problem is that this view of sovereignty leads invariably to God being the cause of the suffering in our world. Even the suffering that we have to admit does not lead to any lesson being learned or eventual Joseph-esque reveal in the end. And it also conflicts with some very straightforward teachings in Scripture like: “God does not tempt anyone,” yet we are tempted.

On the polar opposite you have what is called “Open Theism.” If you boil down this view, the idea is that God is not totally sovereign – in fact He doesn’t even really know what’s going to happen in the future. He’s just super powerful and is reacting to things. Proponents of this view will say things like God is “experimenting,” and “taking risks” with us.[12] All I can say is, “Yikes.”

There is another perspective called “Relational sovereignty.” Where “God’s will is settled in terms of the intention of His character” and His overall plan for this world, but meanwhile He personally relates to us and invites us to individually, truly cooperate with Him, not as pawns but as partners.[13]

What does that mean? It means your life is not just a toggle God is switching, but He allows you to make an impact on His heart and activity. You can please Him. You can grieve Him. You can anger Him. You can hasten His coming. You can delay His stated intentions in your life. All of these things are said and exampled in the both Testaments of the Bible. But that means there is flex in the providence and sovereignty of God. Does that mean things can happen that He wasn’t aware of or happen outside of His authority? No. He is sovereign over all the universe. But He is sovereign over His sovereignty. And, as King, He has freed the wills of human beings and humans now make a difference as we interact with Him. As God reigns, He invites us to live in this hevel world as active partners in His grace. We will be subject to the futility of this world just as Jesus Himself was subject to it in His Incarnation. Though time, death, and chance often work against us, and though this fallen, failing, soon-to-be-dissolved world actively tries to trap us and hinder us, none of it can succeed in separating us from the love of God in this real relationship we have with Him.

Understanding that God’s sovereignty is accomplished through a love relationship can give us a lot of hope, perspective, and excitement.

It gives us hope because we know that even though we are impacted by time, death, and chance under the sun, we have a faithful Friend and Savior Who does care about us and Who does keep the score with the intention of settling it in eternity. And He allows us to impact His heart and activity as we respond to His love and grace by loving and obeying Him in return.

It gives us perspective because we realize that God could remove us like He removed Enoch, but instead He has decided to leave us here, under the sun. Why? So that we can be salt and light. So we can lead others to salvation. So that we can be a part of restraining evil through the power of the Holy Spirit. God leaves you here so that maybe you can, in some small or large sense, be the wise person in the city under attack. You have God’s truth, His wisdom, His mandate. These are better than weapons of war. These are more precious than gold. These keep our world from spiraling into total ruin. Your life is meant to be an example of what is possible and what is coming.

And having that perspective should give us a lot of excitement. Your life might not be appreciated by the world around you, but God appreciates it. He gave it to you for a reason. He put you where you are and gave you real freedom and empowering to not only bring Him glory, but also so that you could actually please the Lord Himself. And you can be a meaningful, heroic part of His merciful, redemptive work. Your simple life shining as a beacon of how the Lord is going to make all things right one day. How hesed not hevel defines the people of God.

Yes, the world is unfair. Yes, sometimes it rains on our wedding day. Yes, sometimes we suffer under the sun – intensely – not because we’re being disciplined, not because God’s is going to use it to start some new ministry, not because we need to learn something, but because the world is sick with time, death, and chance.

But knowing what is really true and knowing what is really going on and knowing what is really going to happen because God is sovereign, as Peter said in his second letter, “It’s clear what sort of people we should be:” People who understand that my focus does not have to be on the failures of earth, but the faithfulness of God as we fear Him and follow Him and are able to do so joyfully and contentedly in spite of the sufferings of this present time. No matter the unfairness, no matter the circumstances we can trust Him and thank Him for His faithful love endures forever.

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 https://reason.com/2016/07/07/american-pessimism-only-6-percent-think/
2 https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna28485679
3 The Bible Knowledge Commentary
4 Choon-Leong Seow   Ecclesiastes: A New Translation With Introduction And Commentary
5, 9 Seow
6 Psalm 149:4
7 Acts 27:9-44
8 Duane A. Garrett   The New American Commentary, Volume 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
10 Roland Murphy   Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 23a: Ecclesiastes
11 https://ourworldindata.org/much-better-awful-can-be-better
12 https://reknew.org/2015/01/does-the-open-view-undermine-gods-sovereignty/
13 Roger Olsen   A Relational View Of God’s Sovereignty

Total Exchange Of The Heart (Ezekiel 11:1-25)

  • “The Zionists want to become a state. But there is no place for such a state in the Arab world.”
  • “There are 30 million Arabs on one side and about 600,000 Jews on the other. Why don’t you face up to the realities?”
  • “To support a Jewish state in Palestine would be to antagonize the Arab world and create serious difficulties for the United States in its relations with the Arabs.”

Those strong anti-Israel statehood comments were uttered by, respectively, Undersecretary of State Robert Lovett, Defense Secretary James Forrestal, and Loy Henderson, Director of the State Department’s Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs.

I’d be surprised if you recognized the names. They served President Harry S. Truman in the late 1940s.

The advice of his closest advisors was to not recognize the statehood of Israel.

The president went against the advice of his advisors. On May 14, 1948, just 11 minutes after they declared independence, Truman made the United States the first country to recognize the modern state of Israel.

“I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now,” said Truman. “I believe it has a glorious future before it – not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.”

The 6th centuryJerusalem Jews in our chapter followed the bad advice of advisors.

Adopting a well-known Jewish adage, they assured the citizens “This city is the caldron, and we are the meat.”

The LORD responded, “These are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city…” Their bad advice would get thousands of Jews killed.

As we explore what was happening in 6th century Jerusalem & Judah we will consider the effect that advice from advisors can have on us – for better or for worse.

I’ll organize my comments around two points: #1Proceed With Caution When You Receive Advice From Advisors, and #2 Proceed With Comfort When You Receive Advice From Your Counselor.

#1 – Proceed With Caution When You Receive Advice From Advisors (v1-12)

Twenty-five elders were giving terrible, horrible, no good, very bad advice to the citizens in Jerusalem.

King Nebuchadnezzar had twice invaded Judah, carrying off Jews to be exiled in Babylon. God’s prophet in Jerusalem, Jeremiah, was insisting that they submit to Babylon. The elders refused to consider it. They argued that God would never allow Jerusalem to be defeated & the Temple destroyed  He would… It was.

Ezekiel had been taken captive and brought to Babylon in the second of the three invasions. He was the major prophet to the Jews exiled there. We’re in the middle of a vision the LORD gave him.

Ezk 11:1  Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the East Gate of the LORD’s house [We’ve seen before that quite often God’s prophets were physically transported from one geographical location to another by the Holy Spirit; it was expected, even] which faces eastward; and there at the door of the gate were twenty-five men [These guys are a second group of twenty-five, not the priests we saw previously] among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

Ezk 11:2  And He said to me: “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give wicked counsel in this city,

Ezk 11:3  who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses; this city is the caldron, and we are the meat.’

Both Jeremiah & Ezekiel were predicting a long captivity. In fact it would last 70yrs. These advisors brushed it off, giving a false hope that “The time is not near to build houses” in Babylon.

‘Caldron & meat’ was an adage employed when you wanted to emphasize that no matter the circumstances, you’d get through it safely. It’s a little like “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

The “caldron” was Jerusalem. The “meat” was the Jews. As long as you were in the city, you’d feel the heat but remain protected.

Ezk 11:4  Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man!”

Ezk 11:5  Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said to me, “Speak! [You may recall that Ezekiel was a voluntary mute for quite a while. He spoke only when the LORD gave him permission] ‘Thus says the LORD: “Thus you have said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind.

Ezk 11:6  You have multiplied your slain in this city, and you have filled its streets with the slain.”

The advice of these men would result in multitudes being “slain in” Jerusalem.

Bad advice can be lethal.

We can substitute the word “counsel” for advice. Bad counsel can cause a great deal of spiritual harm. I’ve told the sad story of a Christian woman I visited in the Mental Health ward of San Bernardino Community Hospital. She was going through a financial hardship. She approached her church leaders. They told her she was in sin for asking. If she had faith, she would not be in the spot she was in. She attempted suicide.

Ezk 11:7  Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Your slain whom you have laid in its midst, they are the meat, and this city is the caldron; but I shall bring you out of the midst of it.

The LORD borrowed their illustration but gave it a different twist. Jerusalem was the “caldron,” alright, but not to keep them safe. Quite the opposite: Many in the city would die horrible deaths, as if they were dead meat boiling in the caldron.

Ezk 11:8  You have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you,” says the Lord GOD.

Ezk 11:9  “And I will bring you out of its midst, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and execute judgments on you.

Ezk 11:10  You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezk 11:11  This city shall not be your caldron, nor shall you be the meat in its midst. I will judge you at the border of Israel.

The leaders insisted everything would be OK. But when the going got tough, they got going by trying to leave Judah. They killed by the sword.

Ezk 11:12  And you shall know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.” ’ ”

God’s desire is that the Jews “know that [He] is the LORD.” Never forget when reading the Bible a bedrock principle that God is not willing that any should perish, but all come to eternal life. The LORD’s discipline would prove His love for the Jews, and preserve them to complete their abandoned  mission of being a blessing to every nation, tribe, people, and tongue on earth.

Believers should find the “customs of the Gentiles” appalling rather then appealing. Why don’t we?

Obviously there is the pull of sin upon our unredeemed physical bodies. A root cause we need to explore more-and-more is the fact that most believers do not enjoy their relationship with Jesus.

  • Believers who are legalists do not enjoy Jesus. A legalist believes that their good works and obedience to God affects their salvation. Legalism focuses on God’s laws more than relationship with God. It keeps external laws without a truly submitted heart. And legalism adds human rules to divine laws and treats them as divine.
  • Believers who are trying hard to live the Christian life in their own energy, rather than the enabling of the Holy Spirit, are not enjoying the Lord. My constant example of this is the plethora of self-help, how to live the Christian life books & programs. Promise Keepers, The Purpose Driven Life, The Prayer of Jabez, to name a few.

The first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism is: “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

Enjoying God is a command, not an optional extra: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). Even in the worst of times.

After the one ring had been cast into the fires of Mount Doom Frodo & Sam found themselves on a boulder that was floating on hot lava. Frodo said to Sam, “I’m glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things.” It was tender and moving and loving and victorious.

“I’m glad to be with You, Jesus, here in my distress…or desertion… or diagnosis… In my disease… In the death or deaths of my loved ones. After all, nothing can separate me from Your love. In my human grief I suffer but not as those who have not the hope of Heaven. Contrary to how I may feel, You can never leave me or forsake me.”

#2 – Proceed With Comfort When You Receive Advice From Your Counselor (v13-25)

Jesus said that, after His departure, “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

“Helper” can be translated “Counselor,” or “Comforter,” or “Advocate.” He is with you, and He is in you. We talk about Him coming upon you, filling you, and that’s OK as long as we remember that He is God, a Person, not a force or a power. He doesn’t come & go.

Ezk 11:13  Now it happened, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will You make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?”

Fausett’s Bible Dictionary offers this explanation of Pelatiah’s sudden death: “Like Ananias, [he was] stricken dead [as] an earnest of the destruction of the rest.”

Ezekiel responded to Pelatiah’s death by having a moment in which his faith wavered. Would there always be a remnant?

Of course there would! Israel must exist or God’s program of redeeming the human race and His creation would fail.

Ezk 11:14  Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Ezk 11:15  “Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get far away from the LORD; this land has been given to us as a possession.’

Ezk 11:16  Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.” ’

The 25 & others in Jerusalem, because they were not taken into captivity, felt themselves superior to the ‘suckers & losers’ who had been taken. But God would exit the Temple, no longer making His presence known there.  Meanwhile He would be what He calls “a little Sanctuary” for those He scattered all over the world. In other words, the exiles would enjoy a presence of God at least preserving them that those in Jerusalem would not.

Ezk 11:17  Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” ’

Ezk 11:18  And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there.

This prophecy was partially fulfilled after the 70yr Babylonian captivity. Ezra, then Nehemiah, return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, the walls, and the city.

The ultimate fulfillment is currently underway. Jews are back in their land and have been returning since 1948. They have a name for it – “Aliyah.” The word “aliyah” is Hebrew for ascent or rise. Jerusalem is built on a hill, to get there you must ascend & rise.

New immigrants to Israel are called olim. Nearly 30,000 olim have ‘made aliyah’ since the current conflict began.

Ezk 11:19  Then I will give them one heart [The NT writers refer to this as being baptized into the Body of Jesus, being made one with every person who shares God the Holy Spirit’s indwelling] and I will put a new spirit within them [the “new spirit” is God the Holy Spirit] and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh. [Normally the word “flesh” indicates our unredeemed physical body with its propensity to sin. Here it simply refers to life. We are alive and functioning on some level even though born with a stone heart – a heart dead to God. When saved, God gives you a heart appropriate to your new life].

Ezk 11:20  that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

This is a promise of the literal, future one-thousand year Kingdom of God on Earth. At its start, all mortal Israelites who survive the Tribulation will be saved. (As well, all Gentile believers who survive). The Lord will give them, as promised, the permanent indwelling of God the Holy Spirit.

When the 1st century Jews said “No” to Jesus, God hit ‘pause’ on establishing the one-thousand year Kingdom on earth. We live in the pause. When a person believes God and is saved, he or she is an early recipient of the permanent indwelling of God the Holy Spirit.

According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary,“The inauguration of the New Covenant, which includes this permanent indwelling,[1] began with the death of Christ,[2] but the ultimate fulfillment awaits the national regathering of Israel. The church today is participating in the spiritual (not the physical) benefits of the covenant through its association with Jesus.”

Ezk 11:21  But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD.

You are born with a fatal heart disease, Stony Heart. The only remedy is to call upon the Lord to be saved. If you, in the end, stand before God unsaved, you are asking Him to let you enter Heaven on the basis of your “deeds.” “Recompense” means punish. If you do not have Jesus as your Savior, your deeds are insufficient, and you must be punished. Jesus took upon Himself the punishment you deserve.

Ezk 11:22  So the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was high above them.

Ezk 11:23  And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.

A major theme in this vision was the departure from the Temple the glory of the LORD, Shekinah – the cloud that manifested His presence among His people. He left ahead of the Temple’s destruction.

Ezk 11:24  Then the Spirit took me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to those in captivity. And the vision that I had seen went up from me.

Ezk 11:25  So I spoke to those in captivity of all the things the LORD had shown me.

Ezekiel returned to “Chaldea” (Babylon), and shared what the LORD had shown him with his fellow exiles. They were his mission.

Darrell Mansfield was a pioneer of Christian rock. His song, Bible Study, is fascinating. A teenager is talking to his friends and at one point he says, “Now the house is empty and my folks are gone.”

What do they decide to do? “Hey! Let’s have a Bible Study!”

When you are in love, where do you want to be? You want to be with the person you love. You’re sick over being parted.

This does not mean you can never go anywhere or do anything that isn’t overtly Christian. It does mean that wherever you go, whatever you do, you can experience the love, joy, hope, and peace of God.

“Jesus, I’m glad you are here with me”

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 Jeremiah 31:31-34
2 Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6-13; Hebrews 9:15; Hebrews 10:14-16; Hebrews 12:24

Prophecy Update #805 – The Pearly (Bill) Gates

We set aside a few minutes most Sunday mornings to identify connections between unfulfilled Bible prophecies and current news & events.

Turmoil in the Middle East on account of the nation of Israel is the most obvious sign that we are in the Last Days. Israel’s existence again as a nation is both a miracle and a fulfillment of many OT prophecies.

Other biblical signs include the push towards both global government & global commerce; the technology to utilize biometrics to buy & sell all goods & services; instantaneous global communication; an effort to alter our genetics in order to reproduce a hybrid, nonhuman race; a great falling away from faith in Jesus Christ; and the exponential growth in knowledge.

The seventeenth chapter of the Revelation presents an End Times, One-World religion. The false religion will dominate all the “peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues” of the earth (17:15), meaning that it will have universal authority, no doubt given by the Antichrist, who rules the world at that time.

The Roman Catholic Church has long been believed to be the fulfillment of the one-world religion. The description of the system does seem to have elements of Catholicism. More recently, Islam has been the favorite of prophecy teachers. Popular books seek to ‘prove’ that the Antichrist will be a Muslim.

Something is emerging that makes more sense. You should read the article titled, Bill Gates Declares Need For New World Religion Created from AI.

Excerpts:

Gates has announced on Reid Hoffman’s podcast that a new religion should be created, centered around Artificial Intelligence. Gates told Hoffman on his Possible podcast, “The potential positive path (of AI) is so good that it will force us to rethink how should we use our time. You can almost call it a new religion a new philosophy of how do we stay connected with each other, and not be addicted to these things that will make video games look like nothing in terms of the attractiveness of spending time on them.”    

Gates, who claims to be a Roman Catholic, seemed to claim that humankind’s technological advances will create a God-like problem solving ability. He told Hoffman, “It’s fascinating that issues of disease, and enough food, and of climate – if things go well – those will largely become solved problems.”

It appears that Gates believes Artificial Intelligence can create a better god – and solve more problems -than the one currently worshipped by Christians.[1]

As always, we are not insisting that the one-world religion will be some form of AI. We are simply pointing-out how easy it would be for AI to be the fulfillment. It makes total sense.

Jesus promised to resurrect & rapture His Church prior to His Second Coming, and before the time of Great Tribulation would come upon the whole Earth.

The resurrection and rapture of the church is presented as an imminent event. It could happen anytime. Right now, for example.

Are you ready for the rapture? If not, get ready, stay ready, and keep looking up

Ready or not Jesus is coming! 

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 https://protestia.com/2024/11/01/bill-gates-declares-need-for-new-world-religion-created-from-a-i/#google_vignette

A Death Well Lived (Ezekiel 8:16-9:10)

In the mid-1700’s lived a man who could have written Ecclesiastes if Solomon hadn’t already done it. He entered the university at age 12. From there, his life took many adventurous turns. He was a cleric, then a soldier, a gambler, a poet, and a conman alchemist. He once saved the life of a Venetian senator and became a spy in Amsterdam.[1] He was imprisoned by the Inquisition, then became the only person to ever escape the prison.[2] He reportedly helped to write the libretto for Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni and penned a 12 volume autobiography. He knew wealth and poverty, saw the world, and left a string of scandals and broken hearts in his wake.

Some idolize him. To others he is notorious. You know his name, at least his last name: Giacomo Casanova. One author wrote that Casanova’s quest was to “drink as much pleasure from the cup of life as possible.”[3]

And yet, while many celebrate his lust for life, his womanizing, and his unrestrained worldliness, the truth is that at the end of his life Casanova knew no joy. At the age of 65, exiled from Venice, worn out, and unhappy, he got a job as a librarian. He was so lonely he considered suicide.

But there was a problem: Casanova was afraid of death. He described death as a monster who chases you out of a theater before the play is over. And so he lingered at his librarian job for the last dozen years of his life.

The Teacher of Ecclesiastes is the Bible’s Casanova – A man who tried everything he could think of to drink in life. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t escape the shadow of death. It haunted and frustrated and demoralized him.

In tonight’s text he comes to a couple of conclusions. The first is that human beings don’t know nearly as much as we think we know. The second is that the one thing we do know is that we are going to die. And the third conclusion is how we should respond to the first two.

Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 – 16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the activity that is done on the earth (even though one’s eyes do not close in sleep day or night), 17 I observed all the work of God and concluded that a person is unable to discover the work that is done under the sun. Even though a person labors hard to explore it, he cannot find it; even if a wise person claims to know it, he is unable to discover it.

The Teacher speaks as someone who is trying to solve the puzzle of life on his own, using human wisdom, human genius, human philosophy. The problem is: Human philosophy cannot solve the puzzle. Derek Kidner very aptly points out that every human philosophy comes along and exposes the omissions of its predecessors.[4] Another scholar writes, “Human insight, understanding, and reason, like water, cannot rise higher than their source or own level.”[5]

We are finite beings. We cannot comprehend the infinite unless it is revealed to us. The Bible puts it very plainly in Job 28: “Where can wisdom be found? It cannot be found in the land of the living” (meaning under the sun). But God understands the way to wisdom, and He knows its location.[6]

Not only does God reveal His wisdom to us, He also reveals that He is in charge of all things. He is sovereignly accomplishing His will. While we often don’t know why things are happening the way they are, we do know that God is working. That means we can be s Christians no matter what happens. In the first 10 verses of chapter 9, the Teacher shows us how it’s possible to live a joy-filled, faithful life even in the midst of hevel, of unfairness, and even when facing death.

Ecclesiastes 9:1 – Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: The righteous, the wise, and their works are in God’s hands. People don’t know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them.

We don’t know what’s going to happen. We know some things, like that the sun is going to rise tomorrow. But we don’t know a lot of important specifics, like whether we’ll be alive to see it. Will your Thursday be full of delight or disaster? Or will it be a mixture of both? We don’t know.

Here’s what we do know: Your life is in God’s hands. Not only in the general sense that He reigns over all the universe. Look at what Solomon says here: He specifically carves out the righteous – God’s people. He is our loving Shepherd and we are the sheep of His gentle hand.[7]

Yesterday I saw a video where Ben Shapiro said, “We live in a timeline where God clearly hates us.” I think he was probably being a little sarcastic, but he said it multiple times as he expressed his fear for the election.[8] I can’t help but note that he speaks and feels as someone who has rejected Christ as Messiah. Someone who turns away from God’s revelation.

But God doesn’t hate us. And we can be hopeful because that the righteous are safe in His hands.

That doesn’t mean believers won’t experience problems or suffering. The Teacher is about to make the point that everyone on earth is subject to the same effects of time, death, and chance. But rather than being frustrated about the mysteries and disappointments of life, we can remain hopeful and joyful and confident in our lives.

Ecclesiastes 9:2-3a – Everything is the same for everyone: There is one fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not sacrifice. As it is for the good, so also it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who takes an oath, so also for the one who fears an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone.

The one fate he’s talking about is physical death. That’s always what the Teacher returns to, because  as a self-centered secular humanist, that’s the end of the line. And, as usual, he’s incredibly upset by the fact that there’s no apparent escape from the grave. Whether you’re good or bad, clean or unclean, honorable or dishonorable, everyone has a date with death. All of us are dying right now!

The Teacher thinks this is unfair. Since God exists, shouldn’t making the sacrifices count for something? Shouldn’t religious activity get people an exemption from death?

It does, but not in the way the Teacher wants. You see, a real relationship with God makes all kinds of difference. But the differences are internal and eternal. The Teacher wants external and temporal differences. He wants to keep living this life. He wants to find human experiences to fill up the void in his heart. But that fulfillment cannot be found under the sun. It can only be found in eternity.

Faith in Christ is not about getting external, temporal things. It’s not about being healthy and wealthy all the time in this life. It’s about the internal transformation as God bears spiritual fruit in us. It’s about the eternal value, the eternal advantages.

Meanwhile, we live on this earth for a time. As we do, “Everything is the same for everyone.” That doesn’t mean we all experience the same things, but that the same rules apply to everybody. We’re in a world that is wrecked by the presence of sin which has brought death to every corner of the cosmos. This universe is spiraling down the drain to destruction. But God reaches down to save, reaches down to sustain, reaches down to make beauty from the ashes. But death still applies to the people of the earth. God has defeated death and He will cast death and hades into the Lake of Fire one day. But for now, we live in a storm of sin and we are headed to the end of our mortal lives.

Ecclesiastes 9:3b – In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live; after that they go to the dead.

Death isn’t the only problem in this world. We see here that life, too, has been infected by the toxicity of sin. It leads people into lives of “moral wildness.”[9] This is why we shouldn’t focus all our efforts on patching world systems. We should focus on healing hearts. If we only work to make systems better – to solve temporal problems with temporal solutions – it will invariably come undone because the underlying condition of human hearts is evil madness.

Instead, we should work in the power of the Gospel that brings people from death to life. Power that transforms mad kings into evangelists. The power that changes the world.

Ecclesiastes 9:4 – But there is hope for whoever is joined with all the living, since a live dog is better than a dead lion.

From this verse comes the often quoted maxim, “While there’s life, there’s hope.”

Most people are generally hopeful that things will work out in the end.[10] But what is your hope built on? A lot of people hope in the “I’m a good person” idea. That when they die, there will be a scale and all the good things they did will be on one side and all the bad things on the other, and the good will outweigh the bad. What a stupid hope! You’re going to be disappointed.

A lot of people hope that death is just the end, even though their own hearts betray them with the gnawing suspicion that death is not the end. Their hope is built on hevel. Wisps of smoke.

Our hope, on the other hand, does not disappoint. It the anchor for our souls. Our hope is firmly rooted in the justification by faith, in the grace of Almighty God. Fastened to God’s unfailing love that is poured out in our hearts. Our hope is real and secure and adamantine.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 – For the living know that they will die, but the dead don’t know anything. There is no longer a reward for them because the memory of them is forgotten.

The Teacher is not denying an afterlife. He believes in a future judgment.[11] But the fact of the matter is that these Old Testament believers didn’t have as much revelation as we have. They weren’t exactly sure what to expect after death.[12]

The point Solomon is making is that you have this life to earn a reward. The problem is, this life is fleeting. At the same time, it’s incredibly important. Your life is not a mistake. Your life is incredibly valuable. As is the life of your neighbor. We must preserve the value of life in our hearts and we must recognize that how we live has monumental, eternal impact.

So many people live out their lives totally distracted and deceived by the enemy, doing all they can to ignore death or put it out of their minds until it suddenly ambushes them. We need to spread the word that there is an antidote to death. That there is a way to take all its sting and all its victory and it is only through faith in Jesus Christ, the King of Life.

Ecclesiastes 9:6 – Their love, their hate, and their envy have already disappeared, and there is no longer a portion for them in all that is done under the sun.

We get one life on this earth. There’s no purgatory. There’s no reincarnation. There’s no time machines to do it over. This temporal life is passing quickly, but in it we are locking in eternal absolutes. Our eternal home. Our eternal rewards. From the Teacher’s perspective, death is the most significant moment in life and we’re all dying. So what kind of death are we living out? Are we living out a death in Christ or a death on the run from Him?

Love and hate here can also refer to passions.[13] What are we passionate about? What are we filling our days with? Spending our lives on? Casanova had a great passion for women. But his passions were worldly. They led to perversions. Scandals. Disgrace. Looking at our passions – would our memoirs sit on the shelf next to Casanovas or someone like Corrie Ten Boom’s?

So, Solomon’s first conclusion is that we know much less than we like to think. His second is that what we do know is that death is coming. In verses 7 through 10 we have his third conclusion, which is how to live life in light of what he’s discovered.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 – Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works.

That “Go” can be translated, “Come on!”[14] It’s an urgent summons to action.[15] The Teacher says we must live joyfully. And he’ll then point to joy in daily life, in marital life, and in your work life.

Bread and wine refer to life’s staples. Regular, day-to-day enjoyment of the gift of life God has given you. Philip Ryken writes, this is not to live a life of guilty pleasures, but Godly pleasures.[16] That we seek joy where it can be found.[17] The beauty of creation. The gratification of a meal. The cheer brought from a favorite song. God gives all sorts of gifts in ordinary life for our enjoyment.

Some Christians tend to think that the more somber we are, the better. That deprivation equals holiness. But that isn’t true. Again, we’re not talking about living a Casanova life. But neither should we think an ascetic life is what the Lord wants. James Smith points out that asceticism only intensifies the gloom of this world and all its problems. “That gloom, however, can be dispelled by resolving to enjoy all the gifts of God.”[18]

The Teacher says your works are already accepted by God. The verb he used there often referred to God’s divine pleasure at the sacrifices in the Temple.[19] That doesn’t mean anything you do will please God. But, as we walk with God doing the things He’s given us to do, then we please Him.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 – Let your clothes be white all the time, and never let oil be lacking on your head.

Is this a “let them eat cake” moment? No. In this time, white robes symbolized celebration and festivity.[20] It’s about attitude more than attire. Don’t live your life in sackcloth.[21] There are times of mourning or repentance or discouragement, but let those be the exception, not the rule.

In Psalm 45 we read that God anoints us with the oil of joy. In the New Testament the Lord gives His people white robes of righteousness. That’s the reality of our lives. If we don’t live in that reality, it’s a problem. In fact, when writing to the church at Sardis, Jesus said that there were a bunch of people there who had a reputation for being alive, but in reality they were dead. And He said, “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy. In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.”[22] We’re called to live the life Christ has given us. White robes of righteousness, anointed with the oil of gladness. Conducting ourselves as joyful people.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 – Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life, which has been given to you under the sun, all your fleeting days. For that is your portion in life and in your struggle under the sun.

Marriage was the first institution and relationship that the Lord established on the earth. The Bible is clear that not everyone needs to get married. If God calls you to singleness, that’s not worse than being married, nor is it better. But the vast majority of us are going to be called into marriage. And marriage is meant to be a great blessing to us – a thriving, cooperative relationship based on love. Solomon wrote this when most marriages were arranged. Here he says, “What God wants is for you to enjoy life with the wife you love.” And we see that God has an opinion about who you marry. He has a specific portion, a specific person in mind for you. And He matches you for just the right fit. And when we allow God to lead us in this area of our lives, the result is wonderful. Because he brings us to our helper so we can face the struggles of life together.

Enjoying here isn’t only for you. “In combination with ‘love,’ it seems to have the connotation of keeping one’s marriage ‘alive and happy,’ not allowing it to become ordinary and routine.”[23]

Ecclesiastes 9:10 – 10 Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Sheol here refers to the grave, not hell. Again, the Teacher isn’t saying there’s no afterlife or that when we die we go into soul sleep. Jesus echoed this verse in John 9 when He said, “We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.”[24]

The message is: This life matters. What you do matters. The work of your hands and the words from your lips. Life is extremely consequential, but it’s also hevel – fleeting. And we live it out in a frustrating world that is dominated by sin, by suffering, by randomness, and difficulty. Knowing what we know, let’s live life on purpose with purpose.

Casanova reportedly worked 13 hours a day trying to complete his 12 volume memoir. A self-important record of his sinful excesses, crimes, and selfishness. What a waste of work. What a waste of the gift of life God gave to him.

You are dying. John Oxenham wrote, “Death begins at life’s first breath, [but for the Christian] life begins at the touch of death.” In this mortal world, we are living out our death. It’s an extremely important life, full of consequence and opportunity and worth.

As we live, let’s be a people of lively hope. Listen to what the Teacher has learned. Don’t let the mysteries or frustrations of life rob your joy. It doesn’t mean we have to walk around with fake smiles on our face. But, as we face each day, we can do so with a special knowledge. Solomon said that the living know that they will die. Well, as Christians, we are the dying who know that we will live. We’re going to live forever with the Lord, where He will reward us for the lives we lived here under the sun. And we know that He is sovereign and that He has our lives in His hand. We know He gives us innumerable gifts to not only endure life but to enjoy life. Because of these things, we can walk through life in hope, approved by God, and entrusted by Him with the Gospel and with so many other gifts. And not only can we enjoy this life He’s given us, He enjoys it when we receive these gifts from His hand.

It’s never too late to take this gift from God and use it the way He intends. I’ve dumped a lot on Casanova tonight, but let me close with this: At the end of his life, he turned to the Lord. Multiple witnesses record that his last words were, “I have lived as a philosopher and I die as a Christian.” The first road he took led only to sorrow and ruin. The high road of heaven leads to life everlasting, life more abundantly.

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/art-culture/casanova-the-lover-venice-italy
2 https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/01/arts/learning-to-love-a-lover-is-casanova-s-reputation-as-a-reprobate-a-bum-rap.html
3 https://lideamagazine.com/life-is-the-only-treasure-we-possess-and-those-who-do-not-love-it-do-not-deserve-it-reflections-on-the-passion-driven-life-of-giacomo-casanova/
4 Derek Kidner   A Time To Mourn And A Time To Dance
5 Walter Kaiser   Ecclesiastes: Total Life
6 Job 28:12-13, 23
7 Psalm 95:6-7 KJV
8 https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/1853588041178517718
9 Philip Ryken   Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters
10 James Smith   The Wisdom Literature And Psalms
11 Ecclesiastes 12:14
12 Frank Gaebelein, Willem VanGemern, Allen Ross, J. Stafford Wright, and Dennis Kinlaw. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
13 Michael Eaton   Ecclesiastes: An Introduction And Commentary
14 Kaiser
15 Eaton
16, 20 Ryken
17 Iain Provan   The NIV Application Commentary: Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
18 Smith
19 Roland Murphy   Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 23a: Ecclesiastes
21 Duane A. Garrett   The New American Commentary, Volume 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
22 Revelation 3:4-5
23 Henry Morris   The Remarkable Wisdom Of Solomon
24 John 9:4

Wake Me Up When The Danger Ends (Psalm 17)

If you were arrested, who would you dial for your one phone call? Actually, it’s a myth that you only get one call. But try to imagine being in that situation. You’re locked up and the only way out is for you to make a call and for the other person to answer and spring into action. But what if the person you called didn’t pick up? Or what if they did pick up, but had no money to bail you out? The call is wasted if the person on the other end isn’t ready to answer, if they don’t care about you, and if they don’t have the resources necessary to help you.

Can God be counted on when we call out to Him? Every time we pray we do so out of a belief that God can be counted on to hear us, to care about our prayer, to answer, to respond in power and grace. But does He care? Can we count on Him?

Psalm 17 is a prayer of David where he calls out to the Lord for deliverance. In fact, it’s the very first psalm to be labeled a “prayer.”[1] It seems that David prayed this psalm one night before bed.

His prayer is a series of three pleas. David was in life-threatening danger. Each plea escalates in intensity.[2] But even though his situation was urgent, throughout this song David assumes God will keep up His end of the covenant. By the end of his prayer, David has reminded himself and us that God can be counted on to hear, to answer, to respond out of the depths of His tender love for us.

Psalm 17:1 –  A prayer of David. Lord, hear a just cause; pay attention to my cry; listen to my prayer—from lips free of deceit.

We’re pretty well trained to acknowledge our sinfulness before God, so hearing David say, “My lips are free of deceit,” it’s hard for us to accept, right? But David never claims to be sinless. Far from it. He’s using legal terms here.[3] This is a just cause. Sometimes David spoke as a man presenting a case to God the Judge. David is saying, “I’m the victim here, and I need judicial intervention.”

He is very bold in his opening statement. He calls for an answer three times. “Hear, pay attention, listen to my prayer.” How could he be so bold before such a powerful Judge? How could he – a mere mortal – have the audacity to speak to the King of kings with this kind of insistence?

The secret is found in the very first word of his prayer: Yahweh. The God Who has revealed Himself. The God Who we know by name. The God Who shows us His heart, His character, His nature. The God Who has made and kept a covenant with us by His faithfulness, not ours. He is the God Who willfully, purposefully, unfailingly attaches Himself to His people. David’s call was to Yahweh.

Psalm 17:2 – Let my vindication come from you, for you see what is right.

Our God is a God Who sees. It can be frustrating to us that we don’t see Him. But, if we’re willing to look, we can see His power, His goodness, His truth, His activity. But we don’t yet get to see Him yet. And, when we’re suffering or confused in life, it’s easy for us to feel like He doesn’t see us – that He is off on some other case, forgetting about our struggles. But it isn’t true.

There’s a beautiful set of verses at the end of Exodus 2. Moses sets the scene at the start of the book – how God’s chosen people were brutally enslaved for hundreds of years. How their sons were being murdered, wholesale. How things kept getting worse. And then, after painting this dark picture of suffering and hardship, we read these verses:

Exodus 2:24-25 – 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 and God saw the Israelites, and God knew.

And what follows is one of the greatest historic epics of all time. A record of God’s faithfulness, God’s intervention, His vindication of His people.

David knew that God was a God Who sees. But in verse 3, he acknowledges that God doesn’t only look at our enemies, He looks at us, too.

Psalm 17:3 – You have tested my heart; you have examined me at night. You have tried me and found nothing evil; I have determined that my mouth will not sin.

These terms for testing and trying refer to the melting of metals like gold or silver so that the waste, the dross separates from the ore.[4] It’s called proving. David didn’t resist this examination process.

In his moment of deadly distress, David says, “Lord, I recognize that the first important thing is that I be in right standing before You.” Before the rescue, before the defeat of his enemies, he says, “God, I want to be right in your eyes.” In verse 1 he asked God to hear him three times. Here, David speaks of God proving him three times. Tested, examined, tried me.

No matter what situation we’re facing, our heart’s relationship to the Lord is the most important element. Our spiritual health is not dependent on outward circumstances.

There’s an amazing moment in the Gospels where the disciples are rowing in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. They row all night but are stuck in the middle of the lake, battered by the waves. Then here comes Jesus walking on the water. But before the storm is calmed, before the guys are saved from the danger, the Lord and Peter have a personal interaction. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach Peter about weakness in his faith. The storm is still raging. The waves are still beating. But it was more important to the Lord that He teach the disciples about faith than it was to stop the storm.

So here’s David, at the end of his day, evaluating whether he was in good spiritual health. It’s not a bad idea for us to apply to our own lives. As we come to the end of another day, to invite God to examine us. To say, “Lord, did I honor You today? Did I serve You faithfully today? Did I surrender to the Spirit today or did I give in to my sin nature?” Remember: God’s purpose in our lives is to refine us like gold. And we should invite His refining, sanctifying work in our hearts just as David did.

Psalm 17:4-5 – Concerning what people do: by the words from your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps are on your paths; my feet have not slipped.

As this stanza comes to a close, David finishes making the case that he is innocent. He says that despite what other people do, he has dedicated his life not only to belief in God, but to obedience to the word of God. He says, “I’m walking on Your paths. By Your words my feet have not slipped.”

We live in a crumbling world – a world full of pitfalls, perils, and traps. The only way to stay stable is by the word of God. David says, “Because I obey the words from God’s lips, my feet have not slipped.” This is a common theme in the Psalms.[5] Jude agrees: The Lord keeps us from stumbling.

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus gave an extended teaching to His disciples. During that teaching, in John 16, He said, “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.”

The Bible is not a collection of mythologies. It’s not just another religious book. It is the very Word of God, Himself. And when a Christian or a church or a nation moves away from the authority of Scripture, they invariably put themselves on a slippery slope of destruction.

Sometimes people mock Christians when we talk about a slippery slope, but you know what? Life ungoverned by the authoritative Word of God is a slippery slope. Like David, we can’t help what other people do. He says, “Here’s what I’ve determined to do.” Christians are called to be in the world, not of the world. And meanwhile, we’re to live lives planted firmly on the Rock, walking on the high road of heaven, with our steps illuminated by God’s Word, standing on solid truth.

Psalm 17:6 – I call on you, God, because you will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say.

David is fully confident that the Lord will hear and He will answer. This isn’t naïveté – he speaks from a place of real faith and real understanding. He knows Who God is. He knows God will answer. Why? Because God promises to answer us!

Jeremiah 33:2-3 –  “The Lord who made the earth, the Lord who forms it to establish it, the Lord is his name, says this: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.

David needed an answer. But in his distress, he knew that what was true before the danger is still true during the danger. If you want to know what is promised to you as a person who is loved by God, read Psalm 91. There we learn what it means to belong to God. What it means that He will be our Refuge. One of the things God says in that Psalm is: “When he calls out to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble.”[6]

David is no longer speaking to God as if He’s a Judge. In this stanza he speaks to the Lord as a Friend – a Friend Who has pledged to protect him.[7]

Psalm 17:7 – Display the wonders of your faithful love, Savior of all who seek refuge from those who rebel against your right hand.

David’s relationship with Yahweh was not based on what David earned, not based on David’s performance or importance. It was based on love. Hesed love. This is an active, loyal, tender love. A love that flows from compassion. It is a love that is freely given by a stronger person to a weaker person who is in need.[8] Hesed is the truest love, the truest kindness. Nothing can eclipse it.

David invites God to use his life circumstances to demonstrate to the world what is true about the God of the Bible.

This word wonders can mean something distinct or marked out.[9] “A mighty act of God that is inexplicable according to human standards.”[10] He’s not necessarily asking God to work a miracle, but he’s asking God to visibly accomplish what He has promised to do.[11]

What has God promised to do? Well, in the context of this psalm, David says, “Lord, You’ve promised to be my Protector and Provider and Refuge and Shield.” If God is to demonstrate to the watching world that He is a Protector and He wants to use your life to show it, doesn’t it follow that – at some point – you will need to be in a situation where you need protection?

What else has God promised to you? That He will sustain you. That He will call you to some unique purpose in His will. That He will build testimonies of His power and grace in your life. These promises require certain circumstances. God wants to use our lives to display that He is a Savior. That He is a Provider. That He is faithful and able.

Psalm 17:8-9 – Protect me as the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who treat me violently, my deadly enemies who surround me.

These are two wonderful images. First, the pupil or apple of the eye. It speaks of nearness and attention, but also sensitivity. Once, in high school, I went to put on my sunglasses and as I pulled the arms open, the frame cracked in half and swung into my eye. I ended up with a little scratch on the cornea for a couple weeks. If you’ve ever had an eye injury or even just a little grain of sand in your eye, you know just how sensitive that body part is.

God has great sensitivity toward you. He’s not unfeeling. He’s not callous. He’s not checked out.

The second image is of the mother bird covering over her young with her wing. There’s the little chick, nestled in close – warm against his mother’s side. Jesus, of course, said this is how He loves. David wants us to look on the profound depth and personal nature of God’s love for us. For you.

After looking on God’s love, he pivots to looking at what he’s up against.

Psalm 17:10-12 – 10 They are uncaring; their mouths speak arrogantly. 11 They advance against me; now they surround me. They are determined to throw me to the ground. 12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush.

David description of his enemies’ is masked in my translation. He said something like, “Their fat has covered their hearts, and with their dewlaps they speak haughty words.”[12] The dewlap, refers to the folds of fat some people develop underneath their chins. Quite colorful imagery from David, here!

This isn’t just a description, it’s a diagnosis. Their problem was not physical fat but spiritual. You see, David uses a term that refers to the fat of animal sacrifices[13] – fat that belonged to the Lord. Instead, they kept their fat. They kept what belonged to God. And it led to heart dysfunction. The same thing happens to the physical heart when there’s too much fat around or in it – you get a stiffening of the heart and pump dysfunction.[14] And we see that their spiritual hearts had grown hard.

We see an escalation in their behavior toward David. First they’re generally uncaring. Then they start to speak words against him. Then they advance against him. Then finally they’ve surrounded him like a pack of lions, licking their fat chops and moving in for the kill.

And so David calls out for rescue once more.

Psalm 17:13-14 – 13 Rise up, Lord! Confront him; bring him down. With your sword, save me from the wicked. 14 With your hand, Lord, save me from men, from men of the world whose portion is in this life: You fill their bellies with what you have in store; their sons are satisfied, and they leave their surplus to their children.

David wanted help now. That’s the point of his prayer. Did he get it? We don’t know the specific setting of this psalm, but we do know this: David was a fugitive from Saul for somewhere between 7 and 15 years. He was anointed to be God’s chosen king when he was a teenager but he didn’t start reigning until he was 30 years old. And then there were six and a half years of brutal civil war.

God is a Rescuer, but sometimes His timing is much less urgent than our feelings. Think of the Christians in Damascus in the book of Acts. They had been driven out of Jerusalem by violent persecution. No one was safe from this guy, Saul of Tarsus. And then they hear that Saul was coming to their town. Coming to imprison. Coming to kill. Coming to destroy. How long did God wait before intervening? He waited till Saul was just outside the city.

Or consider Lazarus. Or the woman with the flow of blood. Or the man born lame and waited for more than 40 years to be healed. Rescue is coming. But it might not come today.

Despite the pressure, David still believed that God could be counted on. And in his description of the men of this world, he highlighted the fact that their time was coming to an end. What an amazing difference there is between the people of God and those who reject God. Time is counting down. For them, it’s a countdown to an end. For us, it’s a countdown to a beginning.

Psalm 17:15 – 15 But I will see your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied with your presence.

What would you do if you found a cougar in your house? Recently a family in Boulder, Colorado came home to that reality. There’s video of them outside their house and, upstairs, there’s a live cougar looking out the window!

You know what you wouldn’t do? Go to sleep! But apparently that’s what David did. “When I awake, I’ll be satisfied with Your presence.” What an amazing testimony to the power of faith.

Peter demonstrated this kind of faith in the book of Acts. He’s taken in by Herod. The order goes out to chop Peter’s head off in the morning. But there’s Peter, asleep in his cell. He didn’t know that God was going to save him that night, but he knew God was going to save him in the end.

“Satisfied with Your presence” can also be translated, “when I awake in Your likeness.” God is not only saving us, He’s also transforming us. He’s changing us into His image – refining us like gold. He does so for our good and His glory, but also because it has to be done. We cannot be in the presence of righteousness unless we are righteous. But as we walk with God, we are made like Him and one day we will see Him face to face, dwelling with Him forever.

How is this possible? It’s only possible because God comes to the rescue. To understand how that happens, we have to go back to verses 11 and 12. There the lions are surrounding David. He had killed lions and bears before, but this was too much. How would he be rescued from that scene?

The real rescue happens in Psalm 22. Where we see again the enemy dogs and bulls and lions surrounding David. And in that terrible scene, Jesus Christ comes and says, “I’ll stay and be devoured so you can escape.” I will die so you can live. The scene ends at Calvary.[15] And there we see not only the depth of God’s love for us, but even for these enemies. These stiff-hearted killers. What did Jesus say as He hung on the cross? “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.”[16] The hesed love of God holding nothing back in His quest to save and redeem and show compassion.

This is the God we pray to. This is the God of the Bible. This is the King Who rules forever and ever. Can He be counted on? You better believe it!

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 Thomas Constable   Notes On Psalms
2 Bruce Waltke   Psalms 1-41
3 CSB Study Bible Notes
4 J.J. Stewart Perowne   Commentary On The Psalms
5 See Psalm 15, 16, 17, 56
6 Psalm 91:15
7 Derek Kidner   Psalms 1-72
8 Theological Wordbook Of The Old Testament
9, 13 TWOT
10 Lexham Theological Wordbook
11 Frank Gaebelein, Willem VanGemern, Allen Ross, J. Stafford Wright, and Dennis Kinlaw. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
12 Robert Alter   The Hebrew Bible: A Translation With Commentary
14 https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/01/health/fatty-heart-health-risk-wellness/index.html
15 Kidner
16 Luke 23:34

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory Of The Leaving Of The Lord (Ezekiel 10:1-22)

Where were you when the world stopped turnin’?

Most of us recognize that as the title & the opening lyric of the Alan Jackson song. He wrote it in reaction to the terror attacks on 9/11/2001. Have you noticed that when we talk about it, we always preface our comments by giving a short account of where we were when we heard the news?

September 17th, 592BC is a date all Israelites ought to remember.

It is the probable date on which the glory of God exited His Temple in Jerusalem. To say it was a monumental day in Jewish history should top the list of the greatest understatements of all time.

The LORD dwelt among His people in the Holy of Holies, using the Ark of the Covenant with its Mercy Seat as a throne. The glory of God departs the Holy of Holies to the threshold of the Temple (10:4). It then moves from the Temple to the east gate of the Temple (10:18-19). Finally, it departs entirely from the city, pausing on the Mount of Olives (11:23).

Then glory was gone…and has not returned.

I’ve used a quote from A.W. Tozer too many times, but it’s so good. He challenges us, “If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the Church today, 95% of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference.”

Would we know the difference? The way I asked the question assumes that God the Holy Spirit has not already withdrawn.

God’s Temple departure gives us opportunity to examine the State of the Church. I’ll organize my comments around two questions: #1 Can You See God’s Withdrawing?, and #2 Can You Stop God’s Withdrawing?

#1 – Can You See God’s Withdrawing? (v1-17)

When Solomon dedicated the Temple we read, “And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud [Shekinah] filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD” (First Kings 8:10-11).

Fast forward 400yrs. His people spiritually & physically have turned their backs to Him. They placed abominable idols in the Temple. Like Snagglepuss, God would “exit stage north.”

It’s hard for us to understand the scope of the LORD’s departure. This was easily one of the ‘darkest’ (pun intended) days in the history of Israel.

Not just Israel. Her task was to reveal the glory of God to all nations. What happens to Israel affects all human history profoundly.

Ezk 10:1  And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the Cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

We saw this conveyance in the first chapter. We call it God’s Throne Chariot. It involves four supernatural beings, identified as Cherubim, supporting a platform upon which is a Throne for God.

Ufologists excitedly see the Throne Chariot as a spaceship piloted by alien astronauts. Among their arguments is that a 6th century observer would have a difficult time describing spaceships.

They’re listening to way too much Coast to Coast AM Radio in the middle of the night.

Look at verse eighteen: “As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “Wheel.” When God uses symbols & signs, He usually defines them within a few verses. In this case, there is no symbolism. “Wheels” are defined as “wheels.” It counters any suggestion that he was describing chariots of the gods. This was the chariot of God – the God of the Bible.

Are UFO’s (and USO’s) ‘real’? Of course! But what are they? Everything about the UFO phenomena, including abductions, can be explained by fallen angels prepping humans for a great deception.

Ezk 10:2  Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the Cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.

Scattering the hot coals represents God’s judgment falling upon the city. It was a necessary, holy judgement. It couldn’t happen while the glory of the LORD was in the Cherubim.

Ezk 10:3  Now the Cherubim were standing on the south side of the Temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court.

Ezk 10:4  Then the glory of the LORD went up from the Cherub, and paused over the threshold of the Temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory.

Ezk 10:5  And the sound of the wings of the Cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

Scholars are split over whether or not Jews in the Temple and the surrounding area could see these phenomena. In verse five we’re told it was “heard even in the outer court.” If it was “heard” it implies there were people who heard it.

Jerusalem is situated on a hill. The people in areas surrounding the city could have seen the radiance coming from the hilltop.

It would have been beautiful, but terrifying. Shekinah stayed put in the Holy of Holies.

Ezk 10:6  Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the Cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels.

Ezk 10:7  And the Cherub stretched out his hand from among the Cherubim to the fire that was among the Cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out.

Ezk 10:8  The Cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

This is an incredibly detailed description. True, it is hard to depict, and if you search for images they are mostly too weird. Ezekiel was not confused. He knew what he was seeing.

Ezk 10:9  And when I looked, there were four wheels by the Cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a beryl stone.

Ezk 10:10  As for their appearance, all four looked alike – as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

Ezk 10:11  When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went.

Ezk 10:12  And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around.

Ezk 10:13  As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “Wheel.”

I can almost hear someone asking Ezekiel what the wheels represent, and him answering, “They were wheels.”

Ezk 10:14  Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

In chapter one the Cherubim had faces of lion, eagle, man & ox. Here the ox is replaced by “the face of a Cherub.”  The simple answer is that the face of a Cherub looks like the face of a bull or an ox. Cherubs are not little baby angels with wings.

Ezk 10:15  And the Cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar.

Ezk 10:16  When the Cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the Cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them.

Ezk 10:17  When the Cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

It sounds like they had on the new  $400,000.00 helmets our courageous F35 pilots have.

Remembering back to 9-11, can you imagine a scenario where you saw the planes crashing into the World Trade Center and then went about your business as if nothing monumental had occurred?   

The Jerusalem Jews kept committing their abominations as if nothing of any real significance had occurred.

Unlike OT Israel, every NT believer receives the permanent indwelling of God the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t come & go.

What can happen is this:

  • A believer who begins in the Spirit can try to live the Christian life in his or her own energy. The apostle Paul put it this way, “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).
  • A Church that begins in the Spirit can, according to Jesus, leave their first love for Him. If it persists, the Lord says He will withdraw that Church’s “lampstand.” Intellect will begin to overwhelm intimacy. Thus it becomes works-oriented rather than grace-sufficient. D.L. Moody said, “The Bible was not given for our information, but for our transformation.”

You can see this shift. The Tozer quote has a second part: “If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95% of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.”

  • Paul saw it in Galatia.
  • Jesus saw it in Ephesus.

One of the great questions we hear every presidential election is, “Are you better off today than you were 4yrs ago?”

We can ask, “Am I farther along spiritually today than when I first was saved?” Or, “Is my life characterized by my plans for it or God’s?”

#2 – Can You Stop God’s Withdrawing? (v18-22)

There is something quite important to notice in God’s withdrawal. The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says,

Successive steps are marked in His departure; so slowly and reluctantly does the merciful God leave His house. First, He goes up from the Cherub, whereupon He was, to the Threshold of the Temple (9:3); then He elevates His throne above the Threshold of the house (10:1); leaving the Cherubim ‘on the right side of the house’ (10:3). Then He mounts up and sits on the throne (10:4); He and the Cherubim, after standing for a time at the door of the east gate (10:18-19), where was the exit to the lower court of the people – leave the house altogether (11:2-3), not to return until Ezekiel 43:2.

Reluctant to leave, the LORD made significant pauses during His departure. He loved (and loves) Israel with an everlasting love. He desired their repentance. He made a spectacular exit, pausing. They paid it no mind. The pauses could have, as we say, “given them pause,” to repent.

We need to establish that this idea of our human disobedience causing pauses along the redemption timeline is Scriptural.

  • God hit ‘pause’ for Abram. He was told to go to Bethel. He went, but on account of a famine, he headed to Egypt. It was a thirteen year pause until he got back to where he once belonged.
  • God hit ‘pause’ for the Exodus generation. The Hebrews who Exodus-ed balked at the border of the Promised Land. Their refusal to go in stalled the Jews for a period of 40yrs.

In the NT, the apostle Peter has a rather unusual approach to the passage of divine time and it involves at least one very long pause.

  • He first reminds us that what we consider to be a long time is a mere day with the Lord (Second Peter 3:8).
  • Next he tells us that, although the Lord could come at any time, His longsuffering with sinners waits giving them opportunities to repent and be saved.
  • While He is waiting, we are told we can “hasten,” meaning speed-up, His return.

Ezk 10:18  Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the Temple and stood over the Cherubim.

Ezk 10:19  And the Cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

After 400 years of being among His people, Shekinah was gone.

Ezk 10:20  This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew they were Cherubim.

Ezk 10:21  Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.

Ezk 10:22  And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each went straight forward.

Here is a quote from Chariots of the Gods by Erich von Däniken: The time has come for us to admit our insignificance by making discoveries in the infinite unexplored cosmos. Only then shall we realize that we are nothing but ants in the vast state of the universe.”

I prefer what David said: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet…” (Psalm 8:3-6).

The glory of God returned briefly when Jesus came. The apostle John said, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14).

Jesus came preaching that the Kingdom of God on earth was at hand. It was; unfortunately the Jews hard-passed on Jesus being their King.

Their rejection marked the beginning of God’s longest pause.

Paul describes the pause in the last chapter of the Book of Acts, “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” (28:28).[1]

Paul goes on to explain that God is using the salvation of Gentiles in the Church Age to make the nation of Israel jealous. In the end, with clarity and all Heaven’s authority, Paul said, “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25-26).

He means ethnic Jews, the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob.

We are living in the longest historic pause – The Church Age.

Let’s live continuing in the Spirit and rekindling our first love.

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 Make a mental note that Paul mentioned three distinct groups – Ethnic Jews… Gentiles… the Church

Prophecy Update #804 – Ark My Words

We set aside a few minutes most Sunday mornings to identify connections between unfulfilled Bible prophecies and current news & events.

Turmoil in the Middle East on account of the nation of Israel is the most obvious sign that we are in the Last Days. Israel’s existence again as a nation is both a miracle and a fulfillment of many OT prophecies.

Other biblical signs include the push towards both global government & global commerce; the technology to utilize biometrics to buy & sell all goods & services; instantaneous global communication; an effort to alter our genetics in order to reproduce a hybrid, nonhuman race; a great falling away from faith in Jesus Christ; and the exponential growth in knowledge.

Daniel, Ezekiel and other OT prophets predicted that there will be a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem during the future 7yr Great Tribulation. Animal sacrifice will be reinstated.

Jesus confirmed that this was true in His prophecy talk with His disciples in Matthew 24.

Jews have been planning for their next Temple for decades. This week I read an article titled, Historic Ark Replica Makes Its Jerusalem Debut During Sukkot Festival.

Excerpts:

In a remarkable fusion of ancient tradition and modern craftsmanship, a meticulously constructed replica of the biblical Ark of the Covenant was showcased in Jerusalem during the Sukkot holiday. The display featured the golden vessel housing a Holocaust-surviving Torah scroll from Thessaloniki, Greece.

The ambitious project, spanning three and a half years, involved 17 volunteers across multiple countries who adhered strictly to Torah specifications. The replica’s construction required approximately three tons of Egyptian Acacia wood and was adorned with high-purity gold measuring 23.75 carats – the same grade used in ancient Egyptian royal artifacts.

The replica has already traveled to several significant locations, including Shiloh, the ancient site of the Tabernacle, and has even made an appearance at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.[1]

The Bible predicts a Tribulation Temple. The Temple Institute and others are preparing for it – just as we expect.

Jesus promised to resurrect & rapture His Church prior to His Second Coming, and before the time of Great Tribulation would come upon the whole Earth.

The resurrection and rapture of the church is presented as an imminent event. It could happen anytime. Right now, for example.

Are you ready for the rapture? If not, get ready, stay ready, and keep looking up

Ready or not Jesus is coming! 

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 https://israel365news.com/397284/historic-ark-replica-makes-its-jerusalem-debut-during-sukkot-festival/

Death & Despots (Ecclesiastes 8:1-15)

In 1976, Mao Zedong stepped into eternity. This man responsible for about 80 million deaths was honored with an immense state funeral.[1] The Politburo demanded that his body be permanently preserved. While he lay in state, a million people came to see him and pay him respects.[2]

Above his crystal casket was a banner that read, “Carry on the cause left by Chairman Mao and carry on the cause of proletarian revolution to the end.” Sadly, his cause has been carried on. His legacy of oppression continues almost 50 years later, where he’s still called China’s “eternal father.”[3]

Realities like that bother us. Why should a man like that get honor while countless thousands starve to death just outside the door? That sort of injustice bothered the Teacher, too.

He has talked about our daily lives, our goals, our family relationships, our religious behavior. But what about our relationship to the government? That’s one of his focuses tonight. The Teacher recognizes that sometimes government acts in a good way, but sometimes it acts in very bad ways. As we’ve seen before when he talked about judges and courts: Sometimes the people who are supposed to uphold justice are the very ones who multiply injustice in the world.

So, how should we relate to human government? What should we do when governments are unrighteous? What does wisdom dictate? The Teacher has thoughts.

Ecclesiastes 8:1 – Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A person’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.

The Teacher has just said that only one in a thousand people have real wisdom he’s searching for. But we know any of us can be that person if we will believe God and fear Him and go His way. When we do, heaven’s wisdom is a gift given to us to help us navigate life and please the Lord.

Whose face is the Teacher talking about here? Depending on how you read these verses, it could be our face or God’s face or a human king’s face.

The truth is, it can apply to all three. When we believe God and follow Him, we please Him. His face shines upon us as His grace flows into our lives. Wise speech and action will also help us in our relationships with earthly authorities. If you’re the kind of person who speaks knowledgeably and can solve problems, generally you will find yourself in the good graces of your boss, your supervisor, your commander, or other authorities.

But God’s wisdom doesn’t only change how other people perceive you. It actually transforms a person from the inside out. We heard about this in our study of Ezekiel this past Sunday. God’s people, going God’s way are – by definition – a transformed people. Visibly identifiable.

There are many people out there who are savvy, or smart, or successful. Are they transformed? Are we? Is the power of God at work in us as we walk with the Lord?[4]

Ecclesiastes 8:2 – Keep the king’s command because of your oath made before God.

The Teacher is finally coming out of the depression he’s been in for a few passages.[5] He sees that there is an advantage to wisdom. Whether he means human wisdom or God’s wisdom, either way, it’s better to live with them than without them.

He starts to talk about a person serving in the court of the king. We can apply it at the level of government or military or in other areas where there is authority over us.

The Teacher says, “Keep the king’s command.” Obey the government. Naturally and culturally we think, “Well, sure, if the command is good.” But the Teacher doesn’t add any qualifiers. In fact, by the end of this section, the Teacher is thinking more of an oppressive dictator than a King David.

Some commentators suggest that he really means God, not the earthly kings we’re under. But that really doesn’t line up with the rest of his description.

The primary question at this point is not whether the king deserves to be obeyed. The primary question is: Do we believe that government is ordained by God? Do we believe Romans 13? Do we believe Titus 3:1, which tells us to submit to rulers and authorities? Do we believe 1 Peter 2:16-17, which says, “Submit as free people…honor the emperor?” Do we believe God is right?

The truth is, we are a rebel people. Rebels by nature, rebels by culture. We come to the table in the default mode of revolution and resistance and self-governance. Now, let me say that I love our country. I think the American system has led to a great decrease in autocratic oppression on a global scale for hundreds of years. Liberty and democracy are very good things.

And let me also say that the Bible does not command blind or absolute obedience to earthly authorities. The book of Daniel is a treatise on Godly civic disobedience. The apostles, too, famously stood before the supreme court of Israel and said, “We’re going to obey God, not you.”[6]

But the Bible is clear that the default position of a believer is to be peaceable, civic obedience even to ungodly governments. In God’s Word, the carve outs for disobedience are never for comfort or for prosperity or for our opinions. The only time civic disobedience is sanctioned by the Bible is when human authorities demand that God’s people disobey God’s specific commands.

Daniel served joyfully and faithfully in the court of Babylon for decades. He followed their rules, he enforced their laws, he supported their kings except when they demanded that he break specific commands of God. Even then, he did not resort to violence or revolution. He did not stage a coup. He simply said, “I won’t do that.” And then he waited around for the consequences.

Ecclesiastes 8:3-4 – Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence, and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants. For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

We shouldn’t be a people who huff and puff. “Unending vexation is pointless.”[7] The New Living Translation shows another layer. It says, “Don’t try to avoid doing your duty.”

At this point I find myself thinking, “Well, a republic is different. The system exists for me to get what I want.” Ok. That’s not always wrong. But remember what Peter said: “Submit as free people.” They weren’t free in the Roman Empire. Peter says, “Act like you’re free and submit to the state as a testimony of God’s grace and peace.” Show the world that you’re just passing through.

But the king is corrupt! Or, my boss is an idiot! Or, I know more than the board of directors! Ok. That may be true, too. But here’s a question for us: If I’m unwilling to submit to an earthly king, what makes me think my heart will be willing to submit to my heavenly King? Again, that doesn’t mean we do things that are evil. But a lot of things we don’t want to obey aren’t actually about good and evil, they’re about my wants and comforts. They’re about my will, not God’s will.

When faced with a ruler that is doing something we don’t like, don’t be hasty to turn your back in rebellion. As one commentator writes, “When suffering oppression at home or at work or in society, do not let the desire for revenge turn your heart to ungodliness.”[8]

Ecclesiastes 8:5-7 – The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. For every activity there is a right time and procedure, even though a person’s troubles are heavy on him. Yet no one knows what will happen because who can tell him what will happen?

Wisdom recognizes that human beings actually need governance. It would be nice if we didn’t, but we do. What child doesn’t need a parent? Soldiers need commanders. Authority is good for us.

Now, human authorities are not perfect. In fact, they’re often oppressive. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need authority. It doesn’t mean we don’t need to learn how to obey for our good and for the good of society. Let’s remember what Hebrews 5 says about Jesus: That “although He was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.”[9] Obviously, you and I also need to learn to obey.

Ecclesiastes 8:8 – No one has authority over the wind to restrain it, and there is no authority over the day of death; no one is discharged during battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape.

This verse reminds us that even though we’re so sure we know what every president and boss and quarterback should do, the reality is that there is a ton we don’t know and more we cannot control. “I think the government should do this and not that.” You might be right. Or there might be more going on that you haven’t considered. But let’s say you’re right. Even still, you and I have obligations to our nation and government.

What are they? Well, obeying the laws. Paying taxes. Praying for our leaders. Living at peace with our neighbors. Being a shining example of Godliness. Working righteousness, which will exalt our nation. These are our Biblical obligations to whatever society we live in. Whether we’re under Mao or Reagan, Stalin or Solomon. Specifics within our personal activity will change depending on which of those rulers we find ourselves, but the broad callings remain the same.

Ecclesiastes 8:9 – All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one person has authority over another to his harm.

The Teacher is thinking of a dictator who oppresses his people. But what a comfort that we can live with faithfulness and wisdom even under bad rulers because most of history’s rulers have been very bad! But Christianity works in every time and in every place because God’s truth and power remain the same yesterday, today, and forever!

But, if the rulers are oppressive, why not overthrow them? Why not destroy them? “Since God is slack in His promise, why not do God’s job for Him?” We want justice as we see it. We want revenge for ourselves. And often we don’t want to wait for the Lord to be our Avenger.

The Teacher says, “Violent disobedience to authority is not the answer.” And then, to help us deal with the disappointment of injustice, he now pivots to say, “Chin up – Stalin will eventually die!”

Ecclesiastes 8:10 – 10 In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they did those things. This too is futile.

There are six different ways this verse can be translated.[10] Your version may say the wicked are forgotten, not praised. Others say the righteous are forgotten. The point is that this world often doesn’t get it right. It’s hevel.

But, the evil king eventually answers to the King of kings. Chairman Mao – that evil oppressor – died and stood before the Lord to face judgment. He was no longer a king or commander and he is going to be repaid for his wickedness for all eternity.

But what happened back on earth? This world is so spoiled by sin, so defined by hevel that people here were crying for Mao. Honoring him. Praising him. Burying him with great pomp.

He doesn’t deserve that burial! He doesn’t deserve that praise! You’re right. He doesn’t. But this is the world we live in. A hevel world. And our job is not to execute our wrath on the people around us. Grace is the way forward. In an absurd world, we can cling to our faith in the fact that God will make things right. Mao is getting what he deserves right now.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 – 11 Because the sentence against an evil act is not carried out quickly, the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit evil.

This is a principle that we wish our government would take to heart. But, in the moment, it seems the Teacher is actually criticizing God, not human rulers.[11] As if he’s saying, “God, why don’t You wipe out these evil people so that people will stop being evil???”

Why doesn’t He? Because of His kindness. Because He loves people like us and wants to save us from the punishment we deserve. That’s the heart of God. When a person refuses God’s offer, then He will be a Judge to them. But His heart is to be their Savior and Father and Friend.

But, knowing what kind of Person He is, we should never take advantage of God’s mercy. We don’t sin that grace may abound and we don’t assume that mercy never expires. It does. For individuals, for nations, and ultimately for all mankind as God brings the history of this world to a conclusion.

Ecclesiastes 8:12 – 12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, for they are reverent before him.

I had a great teacher in college named Richard Unruh. I took as many of his classes as I could. He taught political science classes. He was very careful to never reveal his own political opinions in class. Some people were convinced he was a red-blooded conservative, others said a flaming liberal. He was acting like the Teacher. But every once in a while his core beliefs would sneak out.

Out of nowhere, the Teacher talks with the afterlife in mind. It’s uncharacteristic. Speaking of this sudden spiritual declaration Derek Kidner writes, “the Teacher drops the veil of his secularism and shows a window into his true faith.”[12]

For the first time, the Teacher hints that death is not the end. For those who fear the Lord, there is something absolutely good and just and right waiting for us. And, as one commentary points out, the Teacher presents this idea to us without any supporting evidence! It’s all by faith.[13] But his faith is comforting him in the midst of this unfair world. It’s carrying him through the futility.

Ecclesiastes 8:13 – 13 However, it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, for they are not reverent before God.

Well, when will it go poorly for them? We’ve had a bunch of references to how they seem to get away with everything in this life. But, once this life ends, they don’t get away with anything. God brings the bill due. He settles every score. Justice is done.

Ecclesiastes 8:14 – 14 There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.

If all my affections are tied to this world, I’m going to be disappointed. Because hevel defines this world. And God is working to save us from it. But even here, the word hevel gives us hope. Remember: hevel means vapor – a wisp of smoke. Something temporary and fading away. The unfairness of this world is a passing vapor that will soon be gone, replaced with the Kingdom of Perfect Righteousness that will never, ever end.

So, after this discussion about government and unfairness and death and despots, what’s the bottom line? Are we just to grit our teeth and bear with the unrighteous unfairness of life?

Ecclesiastes 8:15 – 15 So I commended enjoyment because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, for this will accompany him in his labor during the days of his life that God gives him under the sun.

Six times the Teacher comes to this conclusion: Enjoy life. Not in the sense of “eat, drink, and be merry because tomorrow we die.” The whole point of the book is that you can’t find ultimate enjoyment in life unless you understand that your life is made by God, sustained by God, and given to you by God along with other gifts like day-to-day enjoyment.

The only way to truly enjoy life is by fearing God and recognizing that we don’t know everything. But we know the ultimate truths. We know what is coming. We know that Christ is the real King. We know what God offers us. We know what really matters. Because we fear God and receive His wisdom, we are able to enjoy life, even when it’s difficult or uncomfortable or unfair.

When Chairman Mao was getting prepped for burial, the embalmers were told his remains needed to last forever. They were promised any facilities, personnel, or equipment they might possibly need.[14] But the task was impossible. The result of their efforts was comedic and grotesque.

Our Lord supplies what we need for joy and peace and meaning in life and it works. He preserves us. He enlivens us. He fills us with joy. Even when city hall or Sacramento or Washington are against us. Even when we’re not getting what we think we should. Remember what God has provided. David Hubbard writes, “The simple graces from God’s hand are the daily staff of life. We should lean on them particularly hard.”[15] By doing so, we can carry on in His cause, enjoying life along the way.

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_state_funeral_of_Mao_Zedong
3 https://www.cnn.com/2012/11/06/world/asia/china-mao-legacy-grant/index.html
4 Ephesians 3:20
5 Frank Gaebelein, Willem VanGemern, Allen Ross, J. Stafford Wright, and Dennis Kinlaw. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
6 Acts 5:29
7 Duane A. Garrett   The New American Commentary, Volume 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
8 Philip Ryken   Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters
9 Hebrews 5:8
10 Douglas Miller   Ecclesiastes
11 James Smith   The Wisdom Literature And Psalms
12 Derek Kidner   Ecclesiastes: A Time To Mourn And A Time To Dance
13 Garrett
14 Christine Quigley   Modern Mummies: The Preservation Of The Human Body In The Twentieth Century
15 David Hubbard   The Communicator’s Commentary: Ecclesiastes, Song Of Solomon