Wisdom

Where is thy Sting?

Dan

It was my observation while reading Ecclesiastes 8:6-8 that Solomon commented on proper government procedures, future events, our time of death, and sustained wickedness in this section. Solomon writes — For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery. Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come? As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has power over the time of their death. As no one is discharged in time of war, wickedness will not release those who practice it [NIV].

Most of us know that a wise man can manage his time and make proper judgements during his day-to-day business activities. He knows God’s assurance — blessings will come his way. Yet, at the same time, Solomon is aware that few men are actually wise. Furthermore, he knows that are times when even the wisest man does not foresee the trouble on the horizon. And that leads to our passage in Ecclesiastes; there is a proper time for us to deal with every matter and there is a proper method to deal with each matter, with all this coming together at the right time, to accomplish the task in front of us. When we accept our task from God, he will help us understand what is needed to render the task successful. We know that following the plan will rarely lead to trouble (if we stick to the plan).

It is a sure thing that we are in the dark about the future, in fact it could be considered a blessing to be in the dark about the future. Who among us at the Saturday morning group (given most are type A personalities) could resist tweaking God’s plan to ‘make it better.’ I think it is a blessing we do not know. We are told what we need to know when we need to know it. I suggest you are wary of those who would tell you about the future. They may have some insight and perhaps not. Seek God before you act.

Now, being weighed down by misery can be difficult, to be sure, we are pressed from all sides when trouble strikes. It could be troubles with the county or the city, it could be troubles with your HOA, it could be troubles with your neighbors, it could be troubles with your family. For example, when dealing with government or local officials we may struggle because they have one way, a method or process to fix the issue. If we have little recourse or interest to avoid the problem, misery can move right in and take control of our thoughts. Then we experience diminished capability to solve problems because we are burning brain cells thinking about our angst, caught in the circle of self-pity and misery. Once we let misery in, we will make mistakes, and we will have trouble pushing misery back out the door.

What do we do? We take the time to get close to God, we look for the goodness in the situation, even if it is hard to find. We work hard to be attentive to the situation and look for the best (not easiest or quickest) path to rectify the situation and move on – never looking back. Most of all – We look for God.

On the topic of death. We cannot run from death, hide from it, or otherwise prevent death. When our soul is called to heaven we shall respond. Fortunately, it is not an actual time of sorrow, rather it is a time to be happy. We are going home. Evil men fear this event, they try to bring their fear into our life and supplant our hope. But the evil will fail, those who remain will be sad for a season, but in time they will heal and move on. Evil does not ultimately win, it may hinder us for a time, but it will never win. Jesus has already won!

The deeper truth — for those who have yielded to Jesus, misery has no hold, death has no sting. Death calls us home and we go, knowing of the glory to come. Evil men try to crush our hope, but they cannot. We stand tall, pointing to the cross, resting in the restoration of Grace – safe in the palm of the Father.

I choose Jesus.

The Wise Man Knows

Dan

It was my observation while reading Ecclesiastes, Solomon delivers an amazing compendium of wisdom in chapter 8, the nature of true humility is defined, a humility enabled by all manner of awareness and discernment. Solomon intimates that the wise man exhibits meekness, walks with God, and this man attributes all success in their life to the grace of God. This wise man knows himself and carries himself in an upright manner, is content with the things of God, is content in his place; is gentle in spirit, and able to communicate this wisdom to others in need.

Solomon wrote In Ecclesiastes 8:1-5 — Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes their hard appearance. Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?” Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure [NIV].

Solomon suggests in this passage that wisdom will give a person an edge when dealing with the people that surround him. It will help him understand things, respond properly to things, and know when to stand firm and when to let things go. This type of wisdom sets us apart from others. Not in a haughty or elevated manner, rather in a quite assurance, grace driven, confident but not arrogant, competent but not prideful, comfortable with himself and others in his circle. This person becomes rich, not in wealth but in contentment, content with the place his has been given by God. Content that he walks with God, content he serves God, and lives at peace with his surroundings.

This type of personality will cause people to find us, Why? We are helpful on the job or at home with our family. This type of personality is somebody you can rely upon. This type of person understands the larger set of events that drive our life, understands the times and events, can identify the critical junctures and discern how to move through the mine field of life events (see 1 Chronicles 12:32).

This wisdom can make his face shine with the shekinah glory that comes from God, similar to what happened to Moses when he walked from the mount. This kind of wisdom brings a quiet confidence that draws people to his words and guidance (see Job 29:7) and the strength of his resolve when confronted with the troubles of the day, bring peace to the situation. This man is never very far from God’s word. He walks with God. There is something obliging and calming with God’s presence.

Even for people who have a natural temperament of roughness, they are altered by the grace of God, they become easier to be around, mild and gentle – God intervenes into their firmness and build a new work in them. Their roughness is transformed by God into courage, their strength is transformed by God into helpmates for the downtrodden.  They see beyond themselves to the larger need.  Where wisdom goes, grace follows. The enemy has no tools, no power, no influence. God prevails.

In this wisdom a wise man learns to respect the things of God. When dealing with human affairs we are to render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to hand all things that belong to God, to God. We know to always hold back and not quarrel with God in any fashion or manner. We may not always know why God has moved the way he did, we may not understand why evil appears to be prevailing at the moment, we may not always understand why we feel alone. But the wise man knows – above all else, to respect the decisions of God, in all things, in all places, no matter what the outcome.

I choose Jesus.

Respecting the Things of God

Dan

It was my observation while reading Ecclesiastes that Solomon was clear in Ecclesiastes 8:9-13 that we should avoid engaging with tyrannical and oppressive people. Why? In the end, the righteous succeed and evil men will diminish. He also talked about the need for a speedy trial and resolution in court cases.

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 8:9-13 — All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive [men’s] praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless. When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do [more] wrong. Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, their days will not lengthen like a shadow [NIV].

Solomon made it clear he had observed many rulers that ruled over others even to their own hurt. They were put into power to administrate justice for their people, to preserve public peace, and to protect the people from aggressive outsiders. Yet, they used power to hurt, take property, freedom, and justice away from the people to the benefit of the few. Their pride and greed led to their decline in power; bringing the troubles they imposed on others back to themselves. They had no respect for God or God’s people.

He saw these rulers and potentates come and go from the temple, never being held accountable for their actions. They continued with the behavior all their life in office, died and were buried with the honor of the office they held (not the honor they carried because of their actions). Their vanity, wealth and power vanished with the whiff of their death. Their life was considered to be meaningless. Nothing was remembered – neither the good things nor the bad things. They became obscure. Their bodies buried in the dust, vanishing into dust. God had the last word. Death put them in their place.

Solomon has sufficient experience and foresight to understand that some leaders, placed into power, would do improper things one hundred times over and yet God’s response would be deferred, patience would be applied to the situation much beyond the range of human kindness. This would add to the leader’s days, and then, at the same time – God told us to hang tough – He is in control. We are not to become discouraged or demoralized. You may recall the song lyric – Be happy! That is God’s counsel. Focus on the one true living God, not some random human who is out of control. The message of God for people who are enduring poor leadership is found in Ecclesiastes 3:14. He says — I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him [NIV].

We are given the fruit of the Spirit for a reason; our character is shaped by each of the fruits. The notion of fearing God can be easily defined as ‘respecting God’ and his plans. We know his eye is always on us, even when things are falling apart, His eye is on us. In turn, we are to keep our eye on the one true living God (eternal things), not on the things around us (temporal things). If we stand in awe of his majesty, trust his judgement in our lives, and focus our life on walking with God, we will find peace.

When we are flat on the ground, fully at the mercy of proud oppressors then we find the true meaning of fearing God. We stay focused, submit to God’s will, find our way through the trouble, and find a place of respite to reel in our thoughts. We learn through these experiences they cannot interrupt our communion with God. We know it will be well with our soul when we respect the things of God. I choose Jesus.

Trends in Godliness

Dan

It has been my observation that life can look very unfair if we do not view it through the lens of God’s eye. Ecclesiastes 7:15-20 says “In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. Do not be over righteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city. Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” [NIV]

Shedding the old ways, the old self, the old attitudes, the old pattern of life is not trivial nor is it easy. Habits are difficult to abandon. This disposition, extraction, adjustments of the old self is a work of God. If they are not of Him, then the adjustments will fail. The adjustments are not a work of passion or heated exuberance; we are not talking about the emotional fire of a revival tent that exudes a zeal for God. Rather we are talking about deliberate, conscious actions, yielding to the wisdom of God.

If the changes are forced on us, we will surely develop pride or conceit of our own ability to bridle our actions in accordance with the Law. We will start finding fault with everything that does not exactly align with our personal view of godliness. We start busying ourselves with the matters of other people, failing to see the logs in our eyes because we are sooooo busy getting all our friends on board with the latest ‘trend’ in godliness. It is true that we can live an ok life with ‘knee jerk’ reactions to the latest trend blowing through our local churches, but I think that there is a better way.

I think if we are to really respect and fear God who created this universe (not a scared, cowering fear), if we are to express a healthy respect for God’s power and righteousness then we will express a desire to emulate Him within our limited capacity. We will gradually develop the need (desire) to serve others, to be steady in the fiercest storms of life, to exude a quiet joy when things are going ‘really good’ rather than some kind of ‘jumping jack flash’ approach to good things. A steady heart, unmoved by any circumstances softens many an angry confrontation. Wisdom brings us to the waters of stability, the calming strength that overwhelms resentful affronts with gentility. Passion has its place, but it must be bridled and managed, or it will bring much trouble to our doorstep.

Solomon tells us (Ecclesiastes 7:23-26) “I am determined to be wise … Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it? So, I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search for wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.“ [NIV]

I think that Solomon, in his search for meaning, felt deluded and foiled by real life. He was earnestly trying to walk with God, but with a few steps closer to God came a step or two backwards away from God. He felt his search was mostly stumbling in the dark. Then comes the awareness of how companions influenced him. He was unable to find companions that shared his interests. He felt trapped. Yet, he also knew a strong woman could be our best friend, she would know our habits and be a sounding board against poor behavior; she can remind us of the original path we set forth on; she can ask the questions that no one else on earth can ask of our actions and behavior. Being one with us, she would know us best and encourage the best for us (implied in Ephesians 5:22-33). What are we asked to do? Love this woman as Jesus loved the Church and died for the Church. Love her even unto death.

I choose Jesus.

Anger is Not our Friend

Dan

It has been my observation while reading Ecclesiastes that I have much to learn if I want to walk peacefully with God. Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 says “A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. … The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. “[NIV]

Our behavior matters, Paul tells us that we should walk humbly before God and people, that we should be men and women who can be trusted, acting with self-control and serious minded, that we should have a respect for order, we should be a person who is comfortable with guests In our house, a ready teacher, truthful, able to manage our social interactions, and to be comfortable with our income, not desiring riches (implied in 1 Timothy 3:2-8).

Our lifestyle should not be easily influenced by our surroundings or by events. We should be sensitive to help from wise men and women, avoiding flippant exuberance, we should seek stability rather than pleasure. Solomon is clear on how life can be lived in power. Foolish behavior is meaningless, it makes more sense to get focused, get serious, and walk humbly before God. This is where the power exists… Anger mutes this expression of life, Anger distracts our heart, controls our emotions, and steals our peace. We should avoid this thief.

Dark days come and go like storm clouds. They dot the sky, they bring rain, but they also bring thunder, lightning, and wind. When the blue sky (high pressure cells) collide with dark clouds (low pressure cells) friction occurs, in some cases a tornado develops, but like all things, the darkness moves on and the blue sky is restored. Our trials are similar. The trouble does not seem so bothersome the day after, just as a tornado lasts for a short time, it is better to be patient and navigate through the storm rather than be hasty to force a solution and stand in pride at the outcome. Else, if we encourage and support the tornado, we have weeks of clean up to repair the poor decisions.

Anger is not our friend; long term anger should never be our companion. The energy required to maintain anger steals our heart, our smile, our ability to help, our ability to be compassionate. We should be terribly slow to anger, always looking for an alternative to resentfulness.

Exuberance is not our friend. It steals the show, causes us to not see things clearly with prudence. We lose perspective and we lose humility. It leads to resentful actions when someone appears to be trying to impair our exuberance.

Someplace in the middle is where we belong. When we are balanced in our emotions, not pinging off the wall from anger or from exuberance; we are able to gather facts properly, sift through the information in front of us accurately, apply discernment to the situation and then find God’s plan. Because we are thinking clearly, we are able to yield easily to his will. Exuberance and anger are both self-focused, they both impair our ability to yield to God (less of me and more of Jesus). We are to be of sound judgement.

Only foolish people embrace the noise and showiness of anger. Loud does not make right, nor does it excuse our poor habits. Mercy for our actions is difficult to find if we are unable to extend mercy to others. If all we do is make noise from anger or exuberance, how can others feel our compassion?

Complaining and murmuring are poor substitutes for humility, mercy, kindness, and grace. Bragging about how blessed we are does not always create the desired result. People stop seeing Jesus in you and only see your mouth pushing oxygen in an endless stream of self-adoration.

When we are balanced, the clouds come and go, but God’s grace remains, it remains firm in our heart, unchanging, always present. Be careful that your foolishness does not bring you to stand against God, for we are very unwise of we engage in quarrels with God about His behavior and plan.

Walking with God’s version of balance and wisdom delivers a bonus. God provides a strong inheritance for our children as we pass his wisdom and lifestyle to the generations to come. Wisdom brings us shelter and peace even when there is a raging storm all about us, The Word of God shelters us from the scorching heat of the day, bringing a calm approach to our daily life, it strengthens us through all the struggles and keeps us from too much buoyancy when things are good.

Balance in everything is the goal, garnering strength from God to manage both the good and bad in a way that is pleasing to the God we serve. Truth and wisdom will undergird our walk with God and strengthen men for services under their sufferings.

Ecclesiastes 7:18-19 tells us — Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city (NIV). How can we not clamor towards this goal? How can we not sift through the scriptures hunting down wisdom like a miner who hunts for Gold?

Fearing God is a simple thing – it is respecting his sovereign actions and wisdom that guides us through the storms of life to his safe haven. Respect him. Live well. Anger is a thief. It steals your time. Walk away from the thief – put your anger to rest.

I choose Jesus.

Do not be Surprised at Such Things

Dan

It was my observation while browsing Ecclesiastes chapter 5 that making vows is a serious business. We are told to keep our obligations, do not back out. What does this mean in practical terms, how do we avoid loans and promises? God knows there are times when we need to obligate ourselves to debt. In those cases, we should be determined to keep our word. No waffling, no excuses – we keep our word.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 says — When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, ‘My vow was a mistake.’ Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore, fear God. [NIV]

How do we proceed? We should view our vow as a primal bond. Moses wrote — When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said (Numbers 30:2); before we make the vow (commitment) we carefully examine the conditions, and we confirm we are respecting the affirmations in God’s word. Leviticus says — They must not exchange it (the vow) or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if they should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy (Leviticus 27:10). After making an agreement, we should act on the agreement as if we are in God’s service and elevate God’s glory by keeping our word. If trouble arises and we cannot avoid a delay, we are wise to keep our debtor aware of the situation and the new plan for repayment. Clearly, it is better we do not make vows, than to vow and not to re-pay, or to vow with no intention of full repayment (implied from Acts 5:1-6).

If we view lack of repayment as an affront to the one true living God, we elevate the importance of the loan or vow to its proper place. We would not be able to show proper respect for God if we had no awareness of his objectives and plans. There are many ‘prophets’ who would talk you into purchasing things you do not need, new cars, new clothes, jewelry, road trips… All these things take money, easily borrowed with a charge card. These ‘prophets’ tell you to charge it – you deserve it – you can handle the debt and handle the payments.

Jeremiah wrote — Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. … which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? (Jeremiah 23:16-18). None of them.

Solomon seemed to understand the deeper truth. He wrote — This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, [they should] accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life [pining for things they crave]; because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20).

When the gifts (our earnings) come from God, and we acknowledge God as the source of the gift, we are given wisdom on how to use the gift. Seek the higher calling, seek God’s wisdom on how to manage your earnings.

Borrow carefully, only when it is necessary. Be at peace with yourself. Be not driven by avarice.

I choose Jesus.

Abundance Leaves no Sleep

Dan

It has been my observation that Solomon demonstrated (in the fifth chapter of Ecclesiastes) the inherent problems with pleasure, gaiety, and public testimony of outstanding personal honor, power, or dignity. He also observes there are many covetous humans that believe money to be worthy of aggressive pursuit and that the voluminous pile of fresh dollar bills will make a person powerful and extremely happy. After setting the premise, Solomon attempts to explain the deeper over-riding problem; he shows that there is much emptiness in wealth; the pride of life tugs on all of us. Therefore, a man can make himself no happier by hoarding wealth than by spending it. Neither condition brings happiness or peace that overcomes the troubles of the day. Only God can bring peace to our troubled soul.

Ecclesiastes 5:9-17 says — The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the field. Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb and as everyone comes; so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes; so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? [NIV].

Our profit from the earth is for all; it is appointed for all; there is enough for all; the same fertile soil supports food for cattle and food for men (implied in Ecclesiastes 5:9 and Psalms 68:7-10). Solomon maintains that excess riches support hoarding and vanity, they will not make a man’s life easy or happy. Jesus said — a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses (Luke 12:15). Our spirit filled heart will rest when the goals are met, but the greed in us can drive us further. We often strive for a bit more. Learn to resist. Learn to rest.

Jesus said in Luke 12:27-31 — Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well [NIV].

The more wealth we accumulate the more anxiety we garner; the collecting of wealth disrupts our rest (Ecclesiastes 5:12). We sleep better when we work hard and have only what we work for; the balance between working and becoming weary facilitates our ability to sleep. When our head is full of troubles, they drive away the sleep we need to be ready for tomorrow. After spending time in the service of others and of God, the sleep of the diligent Christian will be fruitful; we settle in, we rest from a good day’s work.

Those that have accumulated too much often are unable to secure a good night’s rest. Either their eyes are held open, their sleep is unquiet, or their sleep does not refresh; the anxiety over their abundance disturbs their rest (implied in Luke 12:16-21). The abundance vexes the heart, makes them sick with ulcers, and so hinders their rest. God gives his beloved the rest they need, so they are ready for work on the next day. I choose Jesus.