True Wisdom is Fearing God and Keeping His Commands
Intro: Well morning friends and visitors. My name is Matt Johnson and today we are concluding our study of Ecclesiastes thinking especially about Solomons final words in verse 13 – fear God and keep His commands.
PRAYER: Well in some ways Ecclesiastes 12 – kind of reads like a deathbed confession. You know – we hear stories of people – who spend their whole life ignoring God and breaking all his commands. They really waste their life. But at the 11th hour – and just before beep-beep of the heart monitor flatlines – they call the priest or the pastor, throw themselves on Gods mercy and voila admit their great need for God. Does God forgive such people? Well I think Solomon MUST have done something like a deathbed confession because there is no record of his repentance anywhere in the Bible (unless it is this book of Ecclesiastes).
The Bible tells us that Solomon was a polygamist with 700+ wives. The Bible tells us Solomon broke ALL Gods commands given to the King in Deuteronomy 17. The Bible tells us Solomon worshiped the detestable gods of CHEMOSH and MOLEK (and made high places for them). That was idolatry and apostasy. The Bible says (and I quote) “the LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD the God of Israel…”
As a result, God told Solomon – I’m going to punish you. So God started to raise up people who opposed Solomon’s kingship. FIRST, a man named HADAD, then a man named REZON and still another man named JEROBOAM. Because of his own selfish, foolish leadership Solomon started to face a lot of knives in his back. He’d sown to the wind and he was starting to reap a whirlwind.
But despite Gods rebuke for disobedience let me show you THE LAST HISTORICAL WORDS about Solomon’s life in the Bible (Slide 2 – 1Kngs11:40). It seems that Solomon has still not learnt his lesson about obeying God and keeping His commands.
As you know one of the 10 commandments is – “Thou shalt not kill.” The last thing we are told about Solomon is that he is conspiring to kill. So why do we have books in the Bible from King Solomon?
Well as I’ve suggested – in some places Ecclesiastes – reads like a CONFESSION. Solomon kind of admits that he wasted his life. He put all his time and energy into things that were ultimately meaningless. So towards the end of the book – Solomon urges the next generation of young people – “Don’t waste your life like me. Remember God and keep His commands…”
But as read on into Ecclesiastes 12 – Solomons words sound more and more like a death bed confession. Solomon talks very poetically about people getting old. The STRONG MEN stoop. The GRINDERS (teeth) are now few. The WINDOWS (eyes) grow dim; the HAIR goes white (like an almond tree in blossom); DESIRE is no longer stirred and then MOURNERS go about the street. The language is so emotive that it seems to come from personal experience. Solomon’s heart monitor is flat-lining and Solomon seems to be saying to himself – “Remember God before the silver cord is severed.” (Eccles.12:6). In Scripture this word REMEMBER often carries the idea of turning back to God and His commands. You remember God and you turn and obey God…
But is there hope for people like Solomon?
Point 1: Solomon ended up Writing what was Upright and True
Show: Eccles.12:9-10 (READ)
Explain: Well Solomon, the teacher is no longer speaking. SOMEONE ELSE is giving us a summary of Solomons conclusion. Perhaps Solomon has now died. But this FINAL SPEAKER assures us that there is (end of verse 10) an UPRIGHTNESS and TRUTH to be found in Solomons words. We’ve seen this… For starters, Solomon tells us that all the normal pursuits of life are meaningless. Most of us are convinced that if we had more MONEY; more PLEASURE; a nicer ARCHITECT BUILT HOME we’d be happy. If only I had a better wife or a different wife… perhaps 700 wives – it would be happy wife, happy life. But Solomon is like – been there, done that. It doesn’t work.
Now sadly, much of Solomons more mature conclusions seem to be gained in the SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS OR THE UNIVERSITY OF LIFE. Solomon learnt wisdom the hard way and as he was HUMBLED by dumb decisions – it appears that he did come back to God – recognizing what was UPRIGHT and TRUE. This means Ecclesiastes gives us the opportunity to learn from Solomons stupidity rather than having to learn things the hard way. (I know many people in our church prefer to learn things the hard way). But that is the whole point of wisdom literature. You either learn wisdom 1) the easy way – listening to God OR 2) you learn wisdom the hard way by reaping what you sow.
But what was driving so much of Solomon’s stupidity and foolishness in the first place? THE MAIN POINT of Ecclesiastes (that Solomon shows and articulates beautifully) is that everything in life under the sun has a VANITY or MEANINGLESSNESS or BREVITY to it – that doesn’t really endure? Like vapour or steam – everything in life seems to evaporate before our eyes. So what we are all looking for in life is something of more substance. Something that is enduring and eternal, not just hevel. Let me show you again what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Slide 4 – Eccles.3:11).
The point is we have a CONCEPT OF ETERNITY that resides in our hearts. It is beautiful. It is attractive. So we long for that which is eternal. But we struggle to find it in a world where everything is hevel, meaninglessness and vapour. So our hearts drive us to keep searching and searching. Solomon also says in Ecclesiastes 3 (ENTER; Eccles.3:14). Solomon recognizes that only the things of God and the work of God endures forever. The longing in our hearts for eternity is actually a longing for more of God and more of the things of God. That is where real substance and meaning is found – in God…
Illustrate: Jewish Rabbi HANAN SCHLESINGER writes on “my Jewish learning” about Ecclesiastes saying (Slide 5). Now there is A PARTIAL TRUTH in what the Rabbi says. Solomon acknowledges nothing is permanent and he encourages us to live in the moment – eat, drink, enjoy. He tells us to seize the day within the guardrails of God’s commands.
But Solomon did not give up on the eternal. (Slide 6) Twice in the final words we get the word “SEARCHED.” What Solomon was really searching for in life – is the eternal. Something that might help him escape the hevel, meaninglessness, vanity of life. I think Solomon is saying this search for the eternal is actually in all of us. You don’t have to be in this fallen, sinful world for long to realise something is missing. There is A DEEP YEARNING in all of us for MORE. But we can’t quite put our finger on what the more is that we lack…
Nothing seems to satisfy. Not 666 talents of gold per year; not wisdom and fame; not even 700 wives. Many pastors call this yearning for more – the God shaped hole in all of us. As Psalm 42 says (Slide 7; Ps.42:1-2; READ). I believe this is true for all people. We thirst for God. We thirst for the eternal. But like Solomon, many of us go through life – trying to quench this deep thirst – with things other God. But what’s missing is GOD. Or to put it another way – what is missing is the ETERNAL. One may even say what is missing is HEAVEN.
Apply: IN LIFE UNDER THE SUN – man has been cut off from God, cut off from the tree of life, cut off from an enduring utopia – and our hearts are longing in this direction. How do we find our way back? In some ways I think Solomon thought he was the Messiah. The promised child of David. But the more Solomon sought to fill A) the God shaped hole with B) stuff other than God – the bigger and deeper the hole seemed to become. And again there is something UPRIGHT AND TRUE about what Solomon came to recognize for himself. DO YOU REALISE that what you are actually searching for in life is God AND the eternal? THE REAL LACK in your life is the absence of God and the things of God. REAL GAIN is only found in God and the things of God. As famous Christian evangelist – CT Studd – once said – “only the things done for Christ will last will last…”
So the answer at the end of Ecclesiastes – “Fear God and keep His commands” – is really the recognition that what we are all looking for in life is God and more of God…
Point 2: Solomons Words were ultimately Inspired by the True Shepherd
Show: Eccles.12:11-12 (READ)
Explain: Well the book finishes by admitting the words in this book are like goads AND firmly embedded nails. A goad was basically an ancient cattle prod. In fact, even a couple of nails driven through a piece of wood – with the sharp ends pointing out – could suffice as a cattle prod. Hit the cows or sheep on the rump with the nails and it got them moving. Of course, the cattle or sheep – really did not like the goad or the nails to the rear end. But fact is cattle and sheep are not renowned for their intelligence. So sometimes good shepherds had to use goads and nails to move their livestock from arid, dusty ground to greener pastures so they didn’t starve. OR they would need to drive them from parched dusty ground to places of still, clean water so they had something to drink.
And again, there is a TRUTH to this reality. Like dumb cattle and sheep – human beings often try to satisfy their hunger for God and their thirst for the eternal by consuming nonsense. We gulp down every bit of advertising that marketers throw at us – thinking that IF ONLY I get the PowerXL Air Fryer or the Jet Hawk pressure washer (on Global Direct TV) my thirst for more will be satisfied. But even Oak flavoured milk can’t satisfy this hungry-thirsty. (lips-neck). Sorry, that was a challenge from the teenagers…
Apply: BUT TRULY – nothing can really satisfy our hunger and thirst for God, except God. Thankfully, God is a good shepherd. The famous Psalm 23 – says the “Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me by still waters. (NEXT LINE). He restores or refreshes my soul. Now sometimes God needs to hit us with the goads OR nails to get us where we have to go for our own good. We may NOT like the words of Ecclesiastes. But God is kind of hitting us with “MEANINGLESS, MEANINGLESS” because we need to realise that the only thing that will really satisfy us – is more of God.
The problem is – we think we can grasp the eternal and fill the God shaped hole – with things of creation. This is the hope of both CAPITALISM and COMMUNISM. One thinks more of creation will satisfy. The other thinks better distribution of creation will satisfy. But what’s still lacking is the Creator.
Ecclesiastes is teaching us that our lives will always be empty hevel and unsatisfying vanity without God. Even if you gain everything the world has to offer – you’ll still feel empty without God. God (the good shepherd) is telling you this unpleasant truth to drive you towards Himself. But God doesn’t just drive you in the right direction with goads and nails. God also woos you in the right direction with His love.
As Jesus says – “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (GOSPEL) When Jesus died on the cross for our sins – he was protecting the sheep from the ferocious wolf of Satan. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins – he was taking THE PENALTY for everything you have done wrong – so that you can come back to God without fear of punishment. Thanks to Jesus – you can now come back to God (without fear) because he has taken the punishment for every sin you have committed. Again God did this for you because He loves you. God did this for you – so that you could find what you are looking for – meaning, eternity, hope in His arms. So as we come back…
Point 3: Solomon Encourages us to Live in Proper Relationship with God
Show: Eccles.12:13-14
Explain: Well this is the CONCLUSION of Ecclesiastes. The words fear God and keep his commandments – basically mean to live in a right relationship with God. To fear God – means to believe in God and respect God and honour God. To keep his commands means that you trust and obey the parts of the Bible that apply to you as a Jew or a Gentile, a man or a woman, an adult or a child. Now of course, we know Solomon didn’t fear God or keep His commands. Instead of chasing after more of God and the things of God, he chased after the wind and did a lot of evil stuff. Solomon seems to acknowledge this evil in the conclusion. Verse 14 says God will bring everything (even our hidden sins) into judgment – whether good or bad. Is Solomon again admitting he has some EVIL in his life that needs to be judged?
This is often the turning point in life. We need to ADMIT our mistakes AND ADMIT our deep need for God. And to get us to admit our mistakes and our deep need of God – God usually humbles us. HE HUMBLES US – by letting us reap the consequences of our stupidity. BUT HE ALSO HUMBLES US through old age and approaching death. Have you made some mistakes? Have you done some foolish stuff that makes you feel guilty? Is D-Day drawing near? SADLY, (even in old age) our pride often refuses to admit that we need God’s help. Even as the heart monitor begins to flatline – our guilt often prevents us from coming to God. None of us like to say sorry.
Now Solomon was at a disadvantage to us today. He knew God was a GOOD SHEPHERD through the goads and the nails. God drove Israel through the wilderness to the green pastures and the still waters of the Promised Land. It hurt. But it was an expression of God’s love for lost sinful sheep like the Jews. So Solomon knew God was good and loving even towards sinners. And I think he MUST have returned to God and put His trust in God’s goodness, love and mercy before he died.
But as people living in the C21st we have a much better picture of God’s love and willingness to forgive sinners – than Solomon. Jesus is God in the flesh. And as Jesus died on the cross, his perfect life, was given as a sacrifice for your sinful life. OBJECTIVELY – Jesus was accepting the guilt and punishment for everything you have done wrong – so that you can be spared God’s punishment on judgment day. SUBJECTIVELY – Jesus was showing you how much God loves you. Jesus took the GOADS and THE NAILS that should fall on your rump because of your stubbornness – UPON HIMSELF, (on the cross) so that you can be spared. The good shepherd became a SHEEP AND accepted the goads and nails the sheep deserve; so that the sheep (might see the shepherds love for them) AND willingly return to Him.
Now I believe that Solomon eventually got there – returning to God and trusting in Him – even though His picture of God the good shepherd was less clear than ours. But like Solomon we need to get there before we die. We need to see 1) Gods goodness, 2) His love and 3) His willingness to forgive wayward sheep like us. Then you need to ask God to forgive you and come back into our life. NOW YOU MIGHT THINK – “Ok, well I’ll wait to my deathbed.” But I wouldn’t recommend waiting until your deathbed to turn to God because that’s kind of A) running the gauntlet and B) it’s also detrimental to self. Why put off the very thing your soul is thirsting for? For many people the moment of returning to God and receiving His forgiveness is almost palpable. People often have the wonderful experience of God filling the God shaped hole; washing away their guilt and quenching their thirst in a real way. This is God’s gift to those who turn to Him.
But this is a VERY IMPORTANT POINT. We don’t fear God and keep his commandments in order to earn Gods love and forgiveness. No! We fear God and keep His commandments – because God has loved us, forgiven us and come back into our lives through Jesus and in the Spirit. Obedience is our response to Gods love and forgiveness. Obedience does not earn Gods love and forgiveness.
Now the way God wants us to fear Him and keep His commands as Christians – is by listening to Jesus. Jesus and the apostles actually flesh out what Old Testament laws we should still obey and what Old Testament laws no longer apply. The truth is Christians no longer obey everything that is in the Old Testament. But we do strive to obey everything Jesus and the apostles teach us in the New Testament because that is how we Carpe Diem and Seize the day. It’s in relationship with God (revering Him and keeping His commands revealed in Jesus) that we turn meaningless into meaningful AND hevel into eternal.
But please notice – that this side of heaven – there will still be a slight longing for more of God. You MUST accept this. It is only at Jesus return – that hungry-thirsty will be fully satisfied – once and for all. As we finish Ecclesiastes today I want to show you a passage from Romans 8 – that is picking up ideas from Ecclesiastes. (Slide 9; Rom.8:21-22). As Christians we are liberated from the meaninglessness and decay of this world. We have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. We have found the eternal that satisfies. But there is still a part inside us that groans for more. More of God. So Paul goes on in Romans 8 and says (Slide 10; Rom.8:23-24). Notice we have God. The Spirit is within us, but we still groan inwardly for a little more…. There is nothing you can do about this as a Christian. There is no secret super-spirituality that unlocks the fulness of heaven now. So as Christians we MUST seize the Day by accepting this tension between now and not yet. The absolutely best, most meaningful life you can live NOW is in relationship with God – fearing Him and keeping Jesus’ commandments. But in life under the sun – you cannot have heaven now. Who hopes for what they already have. So there will always be a little hungry-thirsty in the deep recesses of every Christian soul – because we long to see God face to face. THE ANSWER to this little hole that always remains – is not other stuff… The answer is still God. So we Carpe Diem by fearing God and keeping His commands PATIENTLY – while praying ”
