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 – 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 – ³ Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence, and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants. ⁴ 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 – ⁵ The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. ⁶ For every activity there is a right time and procedure, even though a person’s troubles are heavy on him. ⁷ 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 – 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 – 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.

One In A Thousand (Ecclesiastes 7:15-29)

One in a thousand. That is the odds of you flipping a coin 10 times and getting heads on every flip. It’s also the odds of you catching a foul ball at a professional baseball game^[1] and the odds of the egg you crack tomorrow morning having a double-yolk.^[2]

The Teacher spent his life hunting for something much more significant than coin flips or foul balls. He was looking for someone who actually found meaning in life – someone who beat the system and was not only a good person, but also was able to enjoy their lives in a meaningful way, despite the difficulties, adversity, unfairness, and chance that all of us are subject to.

The odds of being that person? The Teacher says in his experience it’s one in a thousand. Maybe. And he admits that he is not one of those people. His experiments have failed.

Tonight’s passage is one of those eyebrow-raising sections of the book. We’ll find ourselves thinking, “Excuse me?” after some of these verses.

One commentator notes: “There is perhaps no book int he Bible that is the subject of more controversies than Ecclesiastes.”^[3] Chapter 7 is a major contributor to those controversies. Scholars tell us that some of the grammar is difficult to parse, as is the Teacher’s intent. But, on top of that, some of these verses seem to fly in the face of what the Bible teaches elsewhere.

So, let’s buckle up and take a look.

Ecclesiastes 7:15 – ¹⁵ In my futile life I have seen everything: someone righteous perishes in spite of his righteousness, and someone wicked lives long in spite of his evil.

In verse 14 the Teacher tried to reassure us. He said, “God is in charge. The best thing you can do is trust Him and go along with His plan.” But then he immediately acknowledges the reality that God-fearing people still suffer, sometimes unfairly. And some people who are doing life all wrong seem to escape any consequences.

Pastor Chuck Smith never smoked a cigarette in his life and then he died of lung cancer.^[4] We don’t live in an ideal world, we live in a fallen world. And even though the Lord provides for us, cares for us, and walks with us, we still are impacted by the effects of the fall every single day of our lives.

The Teacher says “in my futile life.” He acknowledges that much of his life has been a waste  – a hevel life. In the days of his apostasy.^[5] It will help if we remember this assessment as we get to the final verses of the chapter.

Ecclesiastes 7:16 – ¹⁶ Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Come again? Did he just say what I think he said? No. Remember: The Teacher is not speaking for a position of real faith in God, but from a secular position of trying to solve the problems of life with his own intellect, his own strength, his own will.

The righteousness here is self-righteousness. Derek Kidner writes, “[The Teacher] shuts out for a while any gleam of genuine faith, and introduces religion…only in the form of superstition.”^[6] And we know he’s not talking about real, heavenly righteousness because in a moment he’s going to say “No one is actually righteous.”

Self-righteousness cannot help you. It blinds you of your true condition and then robs you of joy in life. It breeds hypocrisy, a false sense of superiority. It is an inert medication for a deadly disease.

The Teacher is looking at someone who is trying to live a fanatically religious life, in the sense that they do all sorts of things that they think will put God in their debt so that He has to bless them or elevate them or exempt them from suffering. But that path, which looks so pious, really ends in ruin. Asceticism doesn’t work. Phariseeism doesn’t work. It doesn’t work because it’s just play-acting.^[7]

Ecclesiastes 7:17 – ¹⁷ Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time?

The Teacher now swings to the other extreme. If being a goody-two-shoes, religious fanatic doesn’t guarantee me a better life, might as well go all the way over to the other side and indulge myself. The Teacher says, “No, that’s stupid. If you do that there’s a good chance you’ll kill yourself.”

He’s not saying you’ll definitely die early – verse 15 made that point – but excessive vice, excessive worldliness does very often lead to an early death.

In these two verses, the Teacher has covered the philosophies of the vast majority of human beings. You have those who try to earn their life through self-imposed rules that they think will obligate God to do things for them. Then you have those who ignore their duty toward God. They dive into self-indulgence, feeding every urge whether it’s good or not.

And then in the middle you have people who think like the Teacher – people who want it both ways. One commentator writes, “They know better than to live a life of total wickedness because deep down they believe that God will judge [them]. Yet secretly they suspect that trying to be holy will take the fun out of life. Generally speaking they try to be good, and they hope they are good enough to get by on the Day of Judgment. But their consciences are troubled too little by their sins. As long as they are not overly righteous or overly wicked, they are happy the way they are.”^[8]

Ecclesiastes 7:18 – ¹⁸ It is good that you grasp the one and do not let the other slip from your hand. For the one who fears God will end up with both of them.

So is Solomon saying “be a little good, but be a little bad?” That is the conclusion that conventional wisdom leads to. But when we fear the Lord, something new happens. Because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of true wisdom^[9] – wisdom that leads to abundant life and eternal satisfaction.

When a person fears the Lord, they are able to escape the traps of self-righteousness and self-indulgence and they are able to get what the others failed to achieve. The self-righteous reaches for religion and casts off enjoyment. The self-indulgent person does the opposite. When a person fears God, they are able to to live a life of true religion and true enjoyment.^[10] They are gifts God gives us freely as we walk with Him. Sanctification and satisfaction. Devoted and delighted.^[11]

Ecclesiastes 7:19 – ¹⁹ Wisdom makes the wise person stronger than ten rulers of a city.

Remember, the Teacher speaks from the level of human wisdom. That doesn’t mean these proverbs are wrong, just that they will not ultimately lead to the eternal guarantees we all long for.

Verse 19 encourages us to value wisdom over other traits in our leaders. More than success. More than strength. More than wealth. More than will. Wisdom, meaning thoughtful understanding, will benefit a city or a society most. That’s a good reminder for a country like ours where we have the privilege of choosing our leaders. Do you want a truly strong leader? Then pick a wise one.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 – ²⁰ There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins.

Even the Teacher in his secularism cannot help but preach this obvious truth. As we listen to his lecture, we can’t help but feel bad for the him. He’s the smartest person in the world. He’s the most accomplished, the most impressive, all the things. He’s right there, so close to the truths he really needs to grant him the hope and peace that he’s longing for. But, thus far, he won’t surrender himself to God. The Teacher recognizes that God is Judge over all the earth and is sovereign and that He has laws that we sin against. But the Teacher won’t give himself to the Lord. Not yet, anyway. And the result is that he is trapped in futility. He can’t shake the plague of unrighteousness.

Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 – ²¹ Don’t pay attention to everything people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you, ²² for in your heart you know that many times you yourself have cursed others.

It’s so easy for us to get upset about things people say or post or suggest. Social media really brings the worst out of us on that level. It thrives on aggravation. But listen: I’m not perfect. You’re not perfect. Sometimes criticisms we hear are legitimate. And sometimes we misunderstand what was meant. Sometimes we hear things that were said in confidence. We can let it go.

In your version, this verse may say, “don’t take it to heart.” That was a good image for me. Our heart is a garden. What we plant there grows. If we plant these seeds of anger or resentment or bitterness, what kind of fruit do we think is going to come out? Be careful what you take to heart. Certain crops crowd out a lot of space and they produce nothing but rotten fruit.

Ecclesiastes 7:23 – ²³ I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved, “I will be wise,” but it was beyond me.

How could the wisest man on earth be so disappointed? We know why. It’s because, in his old age, Solomon did not love the Lord.^[12] That is why peace and satisfaction and rest and fulfillment and meaning was always just beyond his reach. And that’s why the more he looked for good, the more he found bad not only in himself but also in others.

Ecclesiastes 7:24 – ²⁴ What exists is beyond reach and very deep. Who can discover it?

At the close of his life, Isaac Newton said, “I have been paddling in the shallows of a great ocean of knowledge.”^[13] A truly wise person is quick to recognize how much they don’t know.

The Teacher had the practical but not the eternal – the rational but not the essential. After all this time, he had no answer to what life is about. The further he went, the further he felt from the goal.

Ecclesiastes 7:25 – ²⁵ I turned my thoughts to know, explore, and examine wisdom and an explanation for things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity and folly is madness.

He wants us to understand how meticulous he was in this pursuit. It wasn’t just a hobby. He wasn’t a weekend warrior. He dedicated himself to finding out the meaning of life, how to live a life that matters, how to have peace in his heart. What is the bottom line – what is the sum of all things?^[14]

Ecclesiastes 7:26 – ²⁶ And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a trap: her heart a net and her hands chains. The one who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner will be captured by her.

Some use the next three verses as evidence that the Teacher was a deplorable sexist, or that the Bible is a chauvinistic book. The words taken without context or consideration are controversial. But let’s pause and remember what we know.

First, we know the Teacher isn’t anti-woman. He will say in chapter 9 that one of the best things a man can do is enjoy the wife that he loves. We also know that, as a person, Solomon had a great love for women. And we know how he venerated women in his other writings. The book of Proverbs ends not with the portrait of a great man, but of an excellent woman.

We also know that the Teacher is detailing the results of his personal study. These are his findings from his own experience. And we know that Solomon’s life was brought down to ruin because he surrounded himself and deeply attached his heart to pagan women who turned him away from the Lord.^[15] His relationships with them did become a net and chains, spiritually speaking.

Some scholars make a case that the Teacher is personifying folly as a woman in these verses the same way Solomon personified Wisdom and Folly as women in Proverbs. They also point out that there is a lot of reference to Genesis 1 through 3 in these verses.^[16]

So, before modern ears are offended, we should consider the whole context. Philip Ryken writes, “Taken as a whole, the Bible has as much (if not more) to say about sinful men than sinful women. Iniquity is an equal opportunity employer.”^[17]

As an application there are a couple of good warnings here. First, to the fellows: There are women out there who are a trap. Perhaps some of you are going to the computer and have what you think is a victimless relationship with an enticing woman or harem of women as you watch pornography, but you are actually being snared and chained. That’s something you need to escape from.

But then, the second warning is the fact that any of us could be a trap to another person. God has an opinion about who you should marry or stay married to. When we don’t follow Him, obey Him, and honor Him, we potentially become a dangerous trap to other people. And when we get into a marriage or extra-martial relationship that God wants to rescue us from or keep us from, the only result is misery. The Teacher is the expert on this and he is giving us firsthand testimony.

It’s so easy for us to put ourselves in the victim’s position, but we also need to acknowledge that we could also be the problem. Instead of causing problems because we’re trying to please our own flesh or go our own way, we’re called to please God. How does a person please God? Through faith. By believing God’s Word, by going God’s way, by trusting that God has an opinion, discerning it and following in it. In this example, by coupling in faith.

Ecclesiastes 7:27-28 – ²⁷ “Look,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find out the explanation, ²⁸ which my soul continually searches for but does not find: I found one person in a thousand, but none of those was a woman.

Again, this isn’t sexism. A paraphrase of these verses is, “I have found very few people who please God—no one at all really.”^[18] There’s a poetic parallelism happening here.

Isn’t it interesting that his sample size is 1,000? How many wives and concubines did Solomon have? So, the Teacher says, “I looked all around at these people, trying to find someone who was upright, who had life figured out, and I found maybe one in a thousand.” Well, that ratio might improve if you didn’t fill your court with pagans who hated the God of Israel!

Meanwhile, the world is generally full of people who are not going God’s way – people captive in sin and stuck under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 – ²⁹ Only see this: I have discovered that God made people upright, but they pursued many schemes.”

Schemes here can mean inventions or devices or downward path. It can mean people have gone after their own explanation of things.^[19] And this looks back to the fall of man in the Garden. God showed His way, man decided to go his own way. And Ecclesiastes is the result.

In ancient Babylonia there was a poem written that we call the Babylonian Theodicy. It was a piece of their wisdom literature. It’s very possible that it was known to Solomon – the dates work out.

In that poem, we’re told that the gods made humans the way they are today. It’s not our fault that we lie and slander and steal and kill. Those things were endowed to us by our creators.

But here is the truth: God made us upright. Perfect. We broke the world. We invented the ruin around us because we are determined to take a downward path to ruin and death.

But God, out of His love and grace, didn’t stop at being our Creator. He then went on to be our Savior and Redeemer and Advocate and Helper and Great Physician. And now, He invites us to join Him on the high road of heaven. The road that leads to life more abundantly. To joy and peace and purpose and satisfaction.

Today, we’re invited to walk with Him. We talked about those one in a thousand odds. The truth is you can be the one in a thousand the Teacher talked about in these verses, not by chance but by choice. You know the winning numbers. You can decide to be that person by believing God and walking with Him.

Have you seen the commercials where they have the old smokers who have to speak through that voice box hole in their throat? The point of those ads is simple: Don’t be like these people!

Here’s the Teacher saying, “My life is hevel. I’m totally dissatisfied and despondent. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. Don’t be like me!” Instead, be one in a thousand. It’s not odds, it’s an opportunity God extends to every one of us. Have you taken Him up on it?

Dead Serious (Ecclesiastes 7:1-14)

What’s your idea of an ideal weekend? Maybe some relaxing, have a nice meal, go to a concert or movie, look through some old photos to reminisce on the good times you had back when you were first dating your spouse?

The Teacher has a different idea. He says, “You know what would be a really good use of our time? If we crashed a funeral or two. Maybe we could find a wise man to point out a bunch of things we’ve done wrong.”

Ecclesiastes wants you to think about life but especially through the lens of your certain, unstoppable, impending death.^[1] The Teacher’s words are often unpleasant, but remember: That’s the point. We talked about this in our first study but haven’t reminded ourselves recently: The Teacher’s message to us is supposed to be like a sharp goad – a cattle prod – to shepherd us toward God and the ultimate meaning and purpose He wants for our lives.

Tonight’s goads are: Consider adversity. Consider the fact that you’re going to die. Consider that your life is a part of the amazing, sovereign work of God. And through that consideration, we can put death and suffering and the wrinkles of life into proper perspective.

As chapter 6 closed, he asked a rhetorical question: Who knows what’s good? What is the advantage for human beings? Tonight, he’ll use the word “better” eight times in these verses. He’s answering his question with a series of proverbs.

In many ways, these verses are similar to many we would read one book to the left, also written by Solomon. But we’ll find that these proverbs feel very different. There is a gloom to them. The Teacher doesn’t talk about wisdom they way he does in Proverbs. That’s because in this book, he’s talking to us from the earthly perspective. He doesn’t weigh eternal life as he measures these things out. So when he speaks about ‘wisdom,’ he means earthly knowledge and ingenuity, not the heavenly wisdom of righteousness.

But even from the Teacher’s limited perspective, we are able to glean many helpful principles as we seek to live a life that matters and that makes a lasting difference.

Ecclesiastes 7:1 – A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

At the time, perfume was more than a nicety, it was a royal treasure – a decadent luxury that few had access to.^[2] But the Teacher tells us character is of much more lasting value than cologne.

But, it takes a lot more time to distill a good name than it does a bottle of perfume. It takes a life of consistent, careful choices both small and large. These ingredients aren’t always easy to acquire.

Next, the Teacher says that your deathday is better than birthday. We know he’s in a very depressed frame of mind, but the truth is he’s right – at least when it comes to us Christians. The day we die is going to be much better than the day we were born. Paul said it outright: “To die is gain!”^[3] He said he longed to go and be with Christ. But, even though we look forward to that arrival, we know  that God has given us this life on earth on purpose, with purpose. We are to follow Him until it’s done.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 – ² It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart.

Did you know that less than 47% of people want a funeral when they die.^[4] That’s not a good thing. It’s a bad trend for society. We need funerals. At funerals, we are confronted with the one reality that most people refuse to face – and that’s the fact that one day they will be buried.

If you’re a Christian, have a funeral service. Your family doesn’t need to go bankrupt putting one on. But that hour may be the most spiritually impactful event of your life. It is at that funeral that your faith, your testimony, your love for Christ is put on display for your family and friends and coworkers and community to see. None of them will try to shut you up or jeer you down. Instead, the Gospel can be directly preached to them as they stare their own deaths in the face.

And it’s good to attend funerals. They provide us an opportunity to calibrate and put what matters into perspective. To consider the work of God in a person’s life and His faithfulness to them.

Feasts are the opposite. Feasting isn’t bad in and of itself – the Teacher tells us to enjoy life, to enjoy meals, that these things are a gift from God – but feasting is meant to distract. It’s meant to keep us from serious thought. But life requires serious thought so that it doesn’t just happen to us. So that we are making the most of this incredible gift God has given to us for specific reasons.

Ecclesiastes 7:3-4 – ³ Grief is better than laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad. ⁴ The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure.

Busy with laughter and pleasure, the fool forgets to ask the question: What’s going to happen when time runs out? What’s going to happen when the good times stop rolling? When the money is gone? When the beauty fades? When my health breaks down? What is my life adding up to?

The party life is all about “You only live once,” right? That mindset ignores the hard stop at the end. All sense, no substance. The Teacher never lets us get far without reminding us, “Death is coming.”

Moses, in his Psalm (90), wrote this important line:

Psalm 90:12 – ¹² Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.

The average American will live a little more than 27,700 days. How many have you lived so far? Almost everyone in here has lived at least 5,000 days. I’ve lived 15,219. The Bible doesn’t present this to us to scare us – although some people need to have a little shock treatment. But your life matters. Your days matter. And the reality of this fallen world is that the outer man is perishing. We have an appointment with death. That is a very important appointment to prepare for.

Ecclesiastes 7:5-6 – ⁵ It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise person than to listen to the song of fools, ⁶ for like the crackling of burning thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.

To the young party animal, the wise man is just a stuffed-shirt – a wet blanket. But the Teacher really is trying to help people not make the same mistakes he did. He speaks from a place of expert disappointment. His whole goal is that we avoid the dead ends he ran into again and again.

Think of all the pop songs about how tonight is the night! Oh, the things we’re going to experience! We’re going to feel so alive! The number one song on Billboard’s Top 100 right now is a song I’ve never heard of from a band I’ve never heard of. It’s called “A Bar Song,” and it’s all about how the singer should just drink till they pass out then wake up and drink some more. There’s no point in working. There’s no point in worrying about the problems of life. There’s a party downtown, let’s go and drink all night and that’s it. Number one song filling the airwaves.

The problem is, it’s just (as some translate it), “Nettles under the kettle.”^[5] The song doesn’t last. There’s no heat, just noise. It’s hevel.

It’s better to listen to a rebuke from a wise person. Rebuke means when someone points out to you that you’ve messed up.^[6] None of us like being rebuked, but it can be a very helpful thing. One commentary writes that a rebuke “heals and strengthens even while it wounds.”^[7]

Ecclesiastes 7:7 – ⁷ Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the mind.

So far we’ve seen, “Ok, this is better than that. Funeral better than party. Rebuke better than Top 40.” And we could think of it almost as shoppers looking at different products. But here there’s a new significance. Because this is not just about what we might choose, but who we are becoming.

In verse 7 we see a wise person turn into a fool. How? Well, because they went down the road of loving money and valuing a life of pleasure and ease, they become people who extort and bribe to get what they want. Their minds become corrupted by the hevel of the world, and now they are the fools singing and laughing and dragging down the world around them.

But is this person in verse 7 going to have a good name on the day of their death? They’ve got shelves full of perfume and party favors and other treasures, but in the end their life will be a miscarriage like the Teacher talked about last time. There’s a corruption of what should have been.

Ecclesiastes 7:8 – ⁸ The end of a matter is better than its beginning; a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.

We’ll hang in there with a book or movie with a lackluster beginning. But when an author messes up the final chapter? That’s unforgivable.

Christians are supposed to care about finishing well. Paul talked a lot about this. Acts 20. 1 Corinthians 9. Philippians 3. 2 Timothy 4. So many believers don’t finish the race in the way they wanted to when they first started.

Now, of course, it is God Who completes the work He began in us. It is God accomplishing His purposes through His power. But we are able to slow to a crawl, or get lost in the woods, or disqualify ourselves from certain prizes in our walk with the Lord.

According to this proverb in verse 8, one way for us to aim toward finishing well is valuing patience over pride. As David Hubbard puts it, we should care about length rather than height.^[8] It’s not about whether my Christianity leads to big numbers or great fame or fantastic feats of faith. Did I run the race the Lord gave me and did I finish well? Did I arrive at the destination He plotted?

Ecclesiastes 7:9 – ⁹ Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry, for anger abides in the heart of fools.

I like to think that my anger is justified – that it’s always righteous indignation just like Jesus had! But that’s almost never actually true. Instead, I should endeavor to be more conformed into the image of the Lord, Who is slow to anger and abounding in love. There’s a time to be angry, but it’s way less often than we like to think.

Hubbard again writes, “Anger, which we all feel at times…will rarely improve our circumstances. It can, however, ruin our chance at any joy a can rain on the parades of everyone around us.”^[9]

What about injustice? What about wickedness? What about all the wrongs going on around us? Yes, that’s real. We’re not supposed to just ignore it. But “the wise man is neither naive nor cynical and embittered.”^[10]

Ecclesiastes 7:10 – ¹⁰ Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” since it is not wise of you to ask this.

This is a very interesting proverb. There’s always an idea that we could return to a better time in our past or our society’s past and regain the good life. That’s what nostalgia is.

Were the golden days better? Sure. Maybe. Sometimes in some ways. In other ways, not so much. We usually dismiss those parts from memory. But even if they were better, it doesn’t matter. Because you’re here and now. And sometimes nostalgia lies to us in very dangerous ways.

There were the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. “If only we could go back to the good old days in Egypt!” …You mean where you were slaves?

Or the Jews with Ezra and Nehemiah. “If only this temple were as nice as the last temple.” You mean when the kings of Israel and Judah were destroying the land with idolatry and immorality?

As Christians, we should know the past, learn from the past, even value much of the past, but we can’t live in the past. Instead, we should always remind ourselves the best is yet to come!^[11] Not in this life, but in the next. Heaven is coming. Eternity is coming. Freedom from sickness and sin and difficulty and death and sorrow and disappointments, it’s all coming. It’s wise for us to think on that.

Instead of living in the past, “How then should we live?” 1 Thessalonians 4 gives us principles for living as we hopefully await our coming future: To live in sanctification and holiness as the Lord shapes our lives. To love the brothers and sisters around you. To live a quiet life, working hard. And looking forward, not back.

Ecclesiastes 7:11-12 – ¹¹ Wisdom is as good as an inheritance and an advantage to those who see the sun, ¹² because wisdom is protection as silver is protection; but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

Remember, when the Teacher talks about wisdom, he doesn’t mean heaven’s eternal wisdom. He means human wisdom.^[12] We see the hint there: “Those who see the sun.” So, he’s talking about human know-how.

And human wisdom isn’t always bad. In fact, it can really help out sometimes. Don’t touch a downed power line. That human wisdom might preserve your life!

Human wisdom can be an advantage on a limited level, just like money can help out. But they cannot guarantee you anything. In fact, as we’ve seen, wealth might actually cost you your life. But, as you live, it’s good to be thoughtful and rational and knowledgable. It’s generally going to help. But it can’t guarantee you satisfaction or eternal life. We need over-the-sun wisdom for that.

Proverbs 12:28 – ²⁸ There is life in the path of righteousness, and in its path there is no death.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 – ¹³ Consider the work of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked?

“Crooked” here is not referring to moral crookedness.^[13] Rather, the Teacher means when we look at  life and it seems tangled – awkward – rough sailing. We get so wrapped up in ironing out our lives and trying to fix things that aren’t to our liking. The Teacher invites us to stop and consider whether what is going on is actually the work of God in our lives.

What is God doing in your life right now? If we think, “I don’t think He’s really doing anything in my life right now.” The Teacher would say, “Oh yes He is!” Maybe we’re distracted from seeing His work because we’re trying to cut a path when He wants us to turn along His road.

James Smith writes, “Man should concentrate on reflecting on God’s will and how he may bring his life into conformity with that divine will.”^[14] The Teacher would agree with that.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 – ¹⁴ In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that no one can discover anything that will come after him.

An overall theme of the last two passages has been: Prosperity isn’t always good and adversity isn’t always bad.^[15] They are both aspects of life that serve God’s purposes as He accomplishes His plan in and through our lives. As we walk with God, we’re going to encounter the full spectrum of experience in life. Rather than resist it, we should react as Christians who understand what’s really going on in the world, what’s really going on in history, and what God really wants for our lives.

We would be wise to consider, rather than constantly try to distract ourselves from things we’d rather not do or think about or confront ourselves with. That doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to have fun or embrace the lighter side of life. The Teacher is in a deep gloom in these chapters, but remember he commands us six times to enjoy life as a gift from God. But tonight the message is: Life is going to end. When it’s over, what will our lives have been? We should give it serious thought because life is too precious and too important to waste.

Low On Life (Ecclesiastes 6:1-12)

“I suppose it’ve been better if I’d never been born at all.” That was George Bailey’s conclusion at the pivotal moment in It’s A Wonderful Life. He was so despondent he was ready to jump off a bridge. But, after being distracted from his suicide, he goes on to see why his life was worth living.

If the Teacher of Ecclesiastes had been there instead of George Bailey, the movie might have had a very different ending. At least if we were dealing with the Teacher of chapter 6 – one of the darkest in all the Bible.^[1]

Clarence the angel might have said, “What about your family? What about all the great achievements of your life?” In this chapter, the Teacher would respond, “Yeah, what about them? I’m still unhappy and I have no guarantee for happiness or peace of mind in the future. From my vantage point, life isn’t worth living.”

What makes life worth living? How can we find happiness in life? That’s what America was all about from the beginning, right? “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” The Wall Street Journal once said, “We may have life and liberty. But the pursuit of happiness isn’t going so well.”^[2]

This passage brings us to the end of the first half of the book. For a few weeks, the Teacher seemed like he was finally figuring things out. Tonight it’s going to feel like he has regressed into that depressed obsessive he was a few chapters ago. And that’s because he has. Remember: this whole book is the travel journal of a man on a quest for satisfaction – a quest for meaning – a quest for ultimate happiness and well-being. In the last few sections, he took a quick detour to share with us a discovery or two he had made. But now he’s got to get back out into the field. Back on the hunt. These questions gnaw at him and each day they remain unanswered, he feels like his life is wasted.

As we read his travel journal, we will discover (as one commentator says), “[The Teacher] is left with no absolute values to live for; not even any practical certainties to plan for.”^[3]

Ecclesiastes 6:1 – Here is a tragedy I have observed under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity:

When reading Ecclesiastes, always remember what “under the sun” is the scope of the Teacher’s research. He means life on earth, disconnected from a personal relationship with God. He’s speaking from a secular humanist perspective.^[4] And that’s why he can’t find what he’s looking for.

In his travels, the Teacher discovered a tragedy – a terrible sickness. Something evil. Something that is happening all the time.^[5] What is it?

Ecclesiastes 6:2 – ² God gives a person riches, wealth, and honor so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself, but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy.

That’s the tragedy? That rich people are unhappy? It’s more than that. It’s what that reveals about our world. You see, this person with riches and wealth and honor possesses all the things the world has to offer. But having them is not the same as enjoying them.

Remember what we learned back in chapter 2: We can’t enjoy life apart from God. And that’s exactly what the Teacher and the people he’s describing in our text tonight are trying to do.

If you list the overall wealth of all nations of the world, the United States sits at the top. Per capita we’re still 3rd place out of 195.^[6] Meanwhile we have the highest suicide rate of all wealthy nations.^[7]

Now, is the Teacher saying that every rich person is depressed and suicidal? No. He’s speaking generally. But, we all know the feeling of finally getting some thing we wanted so bad – something we pined for and stared at and obsessed over. And then we finally get it on Christmas morning or when we’ve finally saved up enough. And, maybe a year later, maybe a few hours later, we find our heart is no longer thumping for that thing anymore. The thing doesn’t bring satisfaction.

When a man in the crowd wanted Jesus to decide an inheritance dispute, Jesus said, “Friend…one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”^[8] It’s the wrong focus. It’s the wrong answer.

Notice the wording: this fellow in verse 2 lacks nothing he could possibly want…for himself. He is looking for personal pleasure. It’s all about him and his feelings and his wants. They want to always feel the feelings of happiness, never bothered or inconvenienced by life, never encumbered by your needs because, after all, theirs are the ones that matter. But he’s left totally unsatisfied.

The Teacher blames this problem on God. “God does not allow him to enjoy these things.” But why should God allow it? God owes us absolutely nothing but wrath and judgment. Why should God participate with this person’s selfish enslavement to a temporal way of life? When Adam sinned, God said, “We can’t let him eat of the tree of life and stay in this position. We can’t allow that.”

Ecclesiastes 6:3-4 – ³ A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives, if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. ⁴ For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness.

In the culture of the time, a successful life was measured by if you were wealthy, had a large family, and lived to an old age.^[9] The Teacher uses extremes: Fabulous wealth. 100 kids. Fantastically long life. His point is: Money can’t buy you love. And having 100 kids doesn’t guarantee that this person won’t be hated and left unclaimed at the morgue one day. Life is about more than numbers.

“But I did the thing. I had the kids. I attained what the world said was the goal. So where’s the promise of relational fulfillment and family honor and a monument to my greatness after I die?”

Well, one problem is that he was still worried about himself more than others. “If he is not satisfied by good things…” His pursuit is self-satisfaction based on worldly acquisitions.

It’s at this point that the Teacher has his George Bailey moment: It would’ve been better if I’d never been born.

Ecclesiastes 6:5 – ⁵ Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he.

He wants rest. To be at peace. To have a heart that is untroubled. But we live in a difficult, troubled world, and the Teacher can’t escape it. So he envies the child who dies before birth.

Is the Bible saying that it’s better to be stillborn? Well, again, consider the scope of this study. The Teacher is not speaking as a Believer. He’s not considering eternity. As far as he’s concerned, life ends in the grave. He is not talking about what happens to human souls after death.^[10]

From this vantage point, he’s saying, “Well if you can do all the ‘right’ things and work yourself to the bone only to have all your riches taken and your family relationships broken, and you end up with some debilitating disease that kills you with terrible suffering, what’s the point?” In that case – if that’s all there is to life – it would be much easier to be the stillborn baby.

With that said, note that Solomon considered this stillborn baby to be a person as much as the rich man with 100 children. Their experience was different but their essence was the same.

Ecclesiastes 6:6 – ⁶ And if a person lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do not both go to the same place?

Let’s say someone lives twice as long as the oldest person ever, death is still going to get them in the end. And living a long time doesn’t guarantee a happy life. In fact, more often the longer you live the more opportunity you have to suffer under the sun.

The Teacher doesn’t want to die, but he also doesn’t see what the point of living is. It’s very sad. So, after failing at finding satisfaction in the big three pursuits – wealth, large family, long life – he turns to smaller pursuits. How about day-to-day things like really killing it at work and getting run-of-the-mill satisfactions that make the body feel good, or becoming the smartest guy in the room?

Ecclesiastes 6:7 – ⁷ All of a person’s labor is for his stomach, yet the appetite is never satisfied.

Focusing on day-to-day pleasure didn’t fare any better than his whole-life plans. The poor Teacher is going the wrong way. Your stomach will always become hungry again. Your eyes will never finish seeing. The urge you satisfy for today will return tomorrow, demanding more. This is what ethicists call the hedonistic paradox. “The more people pursue pleasure, the more elusive the goal becomes.”^[11]

Ecclesiastes 6:8 – ⁸ What advantage then does the wise person have over the fool? What advantage is there for the poor person who knows how to conduct himself before others?

Whether it’s wealth, fame, intellect, or experiences, satisfaction is sold separately. The wisdom of this world cannot bring peace to your heart because there is eternity in your heart. You can’t scratch that itch with anything the world has to offer.

And so, the Teacher turns from one pursuit to another, each time left more frustrated than before. Michael Eaton writes, “The Teacher is slamming every door except the door of faith.”^[12]