Wisdom in a Broken World | Ecclesiastes 8:1-17

Now as we continue in Ecclesiastes today, I want

to put something in front of you before we read.

Last week we came to an abrupt stop because wisdom

literature does that sometimes. And part of that

dynamic is to jolt us, to keep us off balance,

to keep us from getting stuck in the weeds as

well. It's a grace when wisdom literature seemingly

pulls us from the muck and the mire that it placed

us in. And today we're going to, Lord willing,

experience more of that. We're going to consider

the nature of authority and being under authority.

We're going to come back to certain ideas that

he's already explored like our inability to determine

outcomes or to understand all mysteries. And

by God's grace, Solomon is going to show us how

to appreciate daily blessings, how to live wisely

in a broken world and not get stuck in the mess

of it. As we continue, you can see the overall

outline we've been working with. on the screen

here. We're in this section, the third section,

the prescription for living with vanity. Today's

theme, wisdom in a broken world. Go ahead and

open your Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter 8. Last

Ecclesiastes 8 · chapter mention

week we began with chapter 7 verse 15 where Solomon

pointed us to consider the exceptions to the

rule. When righteous people perish and the wicked

prosper. And today we're going to see in chapter

8 that it's not just an exception, but that the

world we live in is upside down. So you can listen

as I read or follow along in your Bible, but

let's stand for the reading of God's word. Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8. Who is like the wise man, and who

knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's

wisdom illumines his face and causes his stern

face to beam. I say, keep the command of the

king. Because of the sworn oath before God, do

not be in a hurry to go from his presence. Do

not stand in an evil matter, for he will do whatever

he pleases. Since the word of the king is powerful,

who will say to him, what are you doing? He who

keeps a royal command experiences no evil thing,

for a wise heart knows the proper time and custom.

For there is a proper time and custom for every

matter, though a man's trouble is multiplied

upon him. If no one knows what will happen, who

can tell him when it will happen? There is no

man who has power to restrain the wind with the

wind. There is none who has power over the day

of death. And there is no discharge in the time

of war. And wickedness will not provide escape

to its masters. All this I have seen and given

my heart to every work that has been done under

the sun, wherein a man has power over another

man to his calamity. So then. I've seen the wicked

buried, those who used to go in and out from

the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in

the city where they did thus. This too is vanity,

because the sentence against an evil work is

not executed quickly. Therefore, the hearts of

the sons of men among them are given fully to

do evil. Although a sinner does evil a hundred

times and may prolong his life, still I know

that it will be well for those who fear God.

There is a vanity which is done on the earth.

That is, there are righteous men to whom it happens

according to the works of the wicked. On the

other hand, there are wicked men to whom it happens

according to the works of the righteous. I say

that this too is vanity. So I laud gladness.

For there is nothing good for a man under the

sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry.

And this will join with him in his labor throughout

the days of his life, which God has given him

under the sun. When I gave my heart to know wisdom

and to see the endeavor which has been done on

the earth, even though one never sleeps with

his eyes day or night, and I saw every work of

God, I concluded that man cannot find out the

work which has been done under the sun. Even

though man should seek laboriously, he will not

find it out. And though the wise man should say,

I know, he cannot find it out. Please be seated.

Now I know it's a lot. We're taking on a whole

chapter today. But I do see some theming going

on that's going to make it easier for us to embrace

this passage. Now when you turn on or you read

the news today, How often do you find yourself

encouraged? Exactly. I doubt that any in here

will read the news or see something on the national

stage or the global stage and think, wow, things

sure are getting better. I think a more common

response for us is something more like, how much

more crazy can this world get? How much more

of this can I take? When you hear of wars and

famines and evil prospering, what can you do?

Solomon gives some hot takes in Ecclesiastes,

and they're like a friend who's just whispering

the answer to you in class when you don't know

the answer. What do you do? And he's like, hey,

fear God. Enjoy life. So simple. So simple, but

so profound. We were taught last week that wisdom

cannot solve all our problems, that wisdom cannot

ultimately save. But he continues to give the

benefits of wisdom here. And this is a major

theme that I see in this passage, that wisdom

illuminates. And verse 1 calls us to consider

how wisdom can make even the sternest of faces

to beam. Now think of this in context with where

we were last week. The previous verses, when

things don't work out well, when temptations

are battling within your very heart, when everything

seems to be broken, wisdom can somehow change

the sourest of faces and make them shine. And

when you think of a shining face, you might be

prone to consider Moses' face. If you remember

that story when he was beaming because the glory

of the Lord passed by him while he was hidden

in the cleft of a rock. But this is not the same.

This is actually very different. I actually like

the rendering of the LSB and the NASB. They say

that wisdom illumines the face, not makes it

shine. And I think that's the key word for this

passage. Wisdom illuminates. It's not like Exodus

34. It's actually the same word as in Genesis

1. That God shines light into the darkness. It's

the same word for the verb in Genesis 1. It's

the same word for the noun in Genesis 1. God

said, let there be light. And then there was

light. And light breaks through the darkness.

And darkness cannot overcome the light. And light

breaks over the face of the one who is troubled

by the many vanities. of this world. It's God

who gives light. God who illuminates faces. The

wisdom of God helps to illuminate even our darkest

days so that we can navigate the pathways of

this broken world. So how does God's wisdom illuminate

our path? In this passage, I see four ways that

God's wisdom illuminates our path. First, it

illuminates our path in regard to authority.

And you'll see that in verses two through five.

Second, it illuminates our path in regard to

trouble. You'll see that in verses 6 through

9. It illuminates our path in regard to eternity.

You'll see that in verses 10 through 13. And

finally, wisdom illuminates our path in regard

to here and now. And you'll see that in verses

14 through 17. So let's begin and let's take

a look at verses 2 through 5 to consider how

wisdom illuminates in regard to authority. His

first encouragement is clear. We are to obey

the king, obey our rulers, obey our authorities.

The text is on the screen. You may shudder at

that thought. You may point out that Israel's

government in Solomon's day was quite different

than ours is today. That no earthly government

today submits to the Lord God. But that's not

the point that Solomon is talking about. If you

want, that would be another sermon. Romans 13,

1 Peter 2. No, what he is focusing on here is

an oath sworn before God. So whose oath? The

king's oath? Do we follow and obey the king because

of his allegiance to God? I don't think that's

the correct interpretation here. Not all kings

have committed to go God's way. In fact, most

do not. We obey our earthly authorities because

of our oath before God. If we intend to obey

God, we will obey those he has placed in authority

over us. Wisdom obeys the king. Wisdom remains

loyal to him. Wisdom is not rebellion. Wisdom

is not dissent. That's why we shouldn't be quick

to run from the presence of the king or from

the presence of authority, the text says. We

shouldn't be quick to run to the woods or to

run to Idaho and embrace anarchy and autonomy.

Yes, I said it out loud. Wisdom tells us not

to pursue an evil matter because the king's authority

can end very poorly for you. We'll see wicked

Haman, when we return to Esther, how that ends.

We'll see it. The king sits in a unique place.

Solomon doesn't say this is right or wrong, but

that it is. The king, according to verse 4, doesn't

really answer to anyone. Now, we're going to

see in a few verses that everyone ultimately

does answer to someone, and that someone is God.

But in terms of earthly authority, no one questions

the king. No one asks him what he's doing. I

know that doesn't sit well with us. With our

desire for government accountability, for checks

and balances, our democratic republic system

of government bristles at this thought. But it's

still true. Friends, who was able to question

President Biden when there were concerns over

his cognitive ability? I'm not preaching politics.

I'm asking a question. Who is able to question

President Trump when he desires to do something?

Now you understand what Solomon's saying. What

about lower level officials? What about judges

and senators, representatives? They all say they

have a civic duty, do they not? But isn't it

all too common that there are personal agendas,

personal endeavors? Mixed in with that? And who

can question them? Now maybe we're allowed some

semblance of accountability in our governmental

system, but it doesn't solve anything. Corruption

is on the news all the time, is it not? And verse

five sheds more light. Solomon says, obeying

royal commands tends to go well. At bare minimum,

it reduces the odds of a bad outcome. wisdom

picks battles. Wisdom engages on the right thing

at the right time. In our Esther study, we left

off at precisely this principle. Esther knew

the customs. She knew the times. So when the

great need for her people was presented, she

sought to wisely engage the king. And there are

many other biblical examples. You think of Nehemiah

among others, but the principle is clear. Wisdom

obeys. And wisdom considers the best way forward.

Wisdom honors the king. Wisdom is not rash and

disobedient. Wisdom does not purpose evil. Wisdom

lives under authority, responding the right way

at the right time. Yet even when seeking to honor

authority and being prudent to address the right

problems at the right time, we still may find

ourselves in times of difficulty. Even there,

wisdom illuminates in regard to trouble. That's

the next section here. The phrasing in verse

six, it harkens back to chapter three, where

you remember the famous passage, there's a time,

there's a season for everything. And the statement

in verse six, it's a little difficult to render

in English, but it's focusing on the pathway

forward, even when things are very difficult

or bleak. It's connected with the previous verse

in five, the words time and custom or way or

procedure. They're repeated in both. And the

focus is that in wisdom, there's always a way

forward. So don't be fooled into thinking that

bad situations only have bad ways forward. If

you're a believer, you must know that in Christ,

there is always a righteous way forward in any

and every situation. Now that doesn't mean comfort.

That doesn't mean ease. But that in the wisdom

of God, there is a way for all kinds of times

that we find ourselves in. That is the truth.

So our endeavor as believers should be to honor

the true king in everything that we do. So we

exercise wisdom in timing. We exercise wisdom

in considering the pathway forward. In this,

we should always be reminded that God's word

illuminates our path. God's word is the best

trail guide for every season of life. Now, verse

7, again, it calls us back to consider that no

one knows the future. No one can predict or ensure

certain outcomes. Now, the question is designed

to knock us off balance again. As much as you

may want to rely on wisdom, or even experience,

you cannot guarantee what will happen. Go and

pursue wise counsel. Pursue good and holy things,

but hold loosely to the outcomes. Those are for

the Lord. Verse 8, hammers that home with more

audacity. And again, I like the LSB and the NASB

wording here. The ESV uses the word spirit, but

I do think it should be wind because it's the

common motif throughout this book. Ruha, wind.

Think about it in context of this book. Striving

after wind. Yet no one can control it. Trying

to grasp it, but never laying hold of it. And

specifically, Solomon mentions this. with the

day of death in view. You don't know your final

day. You can't predict or plan it. Yet it will

come, and God will be sovereign over that day,

but it's not for you or I to know. Think about

it. Even the mighty king that's mentioned earlier,

or the rulers and authorities of our day, they

have no ultimate authority when it comes to the

day of one's death. That is for God. Now, the

second half of verse 8 is a little more difficult

to comprehend, but I think the context can be

attained through the text. Look at the very end

of verse 8. Before we talk about war, look at

the very end of verse 8. Now, remember, in the

previous chapter where we were, we were told

that we shouldn't be excessively wicked, right?

We noted that sometimes in our hearts, we rebel

against goodness because we don't get what we

want. That's what we talked about last time.

Sometimes we forsake that righteous path, even

when we see the good way, because we're upset

about not getting what we want. Yet wickedness

does not provide an escape for the toils of life.

That's what the end of verse 8 tells us. In light

of that, now let's consider that there's no discharge

in the time of war. Now for anyone who's served

in the military, or who's read about battles

or wars or seen a movie or two involving war,

you know that the soldier cannot take a true

reprieve on the battlefield. Now, in light of

the previous statements on authority, we have

to consider that king, that king who decides

to go to war. He is not going to discharge the

soldiers, the troops, in the middle of the battle.

The battle must be fought to the end. Think about

it in light of today. There is no legitimate

escape from the war that is being waged right

now. Now, though you may not see the spears,

you may not see the shields, if you've been exposed

to Ephesians chapter 6, Matthew chapter 16, 2

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention Matthew 16 · chapter mention 2 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 10, you know that there is

indeed a war being waged right now. Right now

as you sit here. It is bigger, it is more catastrophic,

more deadly, more monumental than any war in

the history of mankind. In fact, it is the war

for the salvation of mankind. There are spiritual

forces of wickedness seeking to bite and devour

right now. Right now. Thankfully. Like we sang

earlier, it can look grim, but we know that Christ

will one day be victorious. But for now, you

and I cannot be discharged from this war under

the sun. There may be moments of peace, but do

not be fooled into thinking that there is no

war raging right now. When trouble is at your

doorstep, wisdom calls you to remember God. to

remember your position, to walk in a manner pleasing

to him. And verse nine serves as a capstone for

this section. Solomon reminds us that he's paying

special attention to how things work. These are

verified observations. He's not just musing.

And what he notes is that certain men have authority

over others, even toward calamity. The king can

indeed send the troops to war and you may lose

your life. There's no wisdom shield that can

protect you when someone's authority is abused

or when injustice prevails. But that shouldn't

drive you to despair. That should drive you to

consider reality and to not be surprised when

such things occur. In such times when even those

in authority use their power, In an improper

way, you need to look beyond present circumstances.

And that's why wisdom illuminates in regard to

eternity. The next section here. Solomon is considering

another broken aspect of this world. Think about

this. Funerals for fools. and legacies full of

lies. I'll say it again. Funerals for fools and

legacies full of lies. As you look at verse 10,

notice he says, it is the wicked who he has seen

be buried. Yet these wicked used to go in and

out from the holy place. Now, if you're using

the ESV, you'll notice the word praise instead

of forgotten in verse 10. Now, most Hebrew manuscripts

use the word forgotten, and I think that's most

helpful in understanding the meaning, but let

me explain because the ESV can still arrive at

the same intent, though in a slightly different

manner. When supposed holy men are in fact wicked,

and it's known, then it is folly for people to

forget their wickedness simply because they've

died. Should I say that again? Friends, just

because somebody dies doesn't mean that we forget

the life that they lived. And if they profess

to be holy and yet we're living a false life

knowingly, Don't lie to yourself. Now the ESV

follows that less common Hebrew text variant.

And it says, even these holy men, though they

were wicked, when they were buried, received

honorable burials. They were praised. And this

too is vanity. Why should we celebrate the life

of someone who was known to be wicked and especially

hypocritical on matters of faith? Now, whether

their deeds were forgotten, the wicked things

brushed away simply because they died, or in

fact, people found a way to praise their life

in spite of their folly, it is vanity. What incentive

is there if you do righteousness and are yet

while the wicked blasphemer gets all the pomp

and circumstance in their death. You see the

vanity? Now in verse 11, Solomon tells us why

this is so. He says it's because evil is not

punished quick enough. When there is not a swift

sentence to deter evil, the wicked will see the

lack of consequence and they will perpetuate

even more wickedness. Being soft on crime is

not a political issue. It's a biblical one. Measuring

consequences to bad behavior is not a social

justice issue. It is a wisdom principle to restrain

greater evil. And again, he's pointing us back

to chapter 7, verse 20. And he's reminding us

that there is no one inherently righteous. And

he draws us back to the garden, speaking of the

sons of Adam. Evil spreads when it is not dealt

with. But this is folly. Only the fool thinks

he can get away with wickedness without punishment.

Only the fool thinks about things here and now

without respect to eternity. Verse 12 tells us

the sinner may pursue evil a hundred times. That's

a high number for dramatic effect. And it may

even be seen to be gaining something in this

life by being evil. And that's the conundrum

that he gave us in chapter 7, 15, a wicked man

who prolongs his life. But, and this is important,

you need to listen to Solomon here. He says he

knows, he knows it will be well for those who

fear God and fear him openly. The fool may have

his best life now, but it will be repaid. And

the only one to whom there will be better days

for is the one who fears God and worships him

without shame. The foolish person lives based

on what they see. They live for here and now.

They focus on blessings and they do not consider

eternity. They don't think about what's going

to happen on the day of their death. They see

the wicked prosper and they think, why not? I

might as well pursue wickedness to try to gain

something. Fools walk by sight. The wise, they

walk by faith. The wise person who fears the

Lord knows that the war will be over one day,

that everlasting rest is coming for those who

don't deserve it. but receive it on the merit

of Christ, but it's not going to go well for

the wicked man, verse 13 says. You may remember

the sermon on chapter 7, 11 through 14, we discussed

a shadow that often references protection. That

could be in view here. The wicked has no shadow

of protection against their evil deeds. You might

also think about the nature of wisdom illuminating

or casting light, and light casts a shadow, does

it not? And a common ancient Near East understanding

of life and age was that men wanted to grow old

and grow tall and cast a large shadow. A building

casts a shadow, does it not? And the taller the

building, the bigger the shadow, right? The wicked

man will not have prolonged days. He will not

ultimately have the legacy that he is trying

to obtain because his days are short. in light

of the eternal light of Christ. No one, no one,

friends, will measure up to Christ. No one will

be able to compare with him. The shadow of the

wicked man will be insignificant when Christ,

the wisdom of God, shines finally and fully.

Solomon repeats the phrasing that the issue is

fearing God openly. Literally, Fearing before

him. And it's the idea, we've covered this many

times, man is created to worship. Last time we

finished in verse 29 of chapter 7, man was created

upright. Yet man often forgets his creator and

worships creation. And people often say, where

has God gone? Where has he run to for things

to go wrong? In this upside down world, God is

not absent. Our right worship is. The brokenness

that we bear witness to, it's not some result

of divine exasperation as if the Almighty were

able to tire due to all our wicked deeds. No,

friends. His exceeding patience, his long suffering

has resulted in the saving of many. But those

who are saved, Solomon says, they worship before

him. They fear him openly. They're not ashamed

to be counted among the Yahweh fearers. They

don't mind being mocked for worshiping God. You

know this. We're not to be ashamed of the gospel

of Christ. We live for him. We die for him. because

he died for us. Don't miss Solomon's warning

here though. These days may seem to go to the

wicked, but there is a coming day of terror,

a day of absolute horrendous terror for those

who do not fear God, for those who do not worship

him. And if it weren't for that grace upon grace,

we would all be counted among the same. So we

give thanks to Christ who gives us not what we

deserve. We deserve that day of terror. but he

lavishes forgiveness, forgiveness and grace so

that we be redeemed and follow after him. Faith

and obedience, honoring him as the true king.

I'm moving to the final section here. We're gonna

see that wisdom illuminates in regard to life

here and now, not just eternity. And in this

close, Solomon, he's again asking us to think

about the upside down brokenness of this world.

He's reminding us that there is a vanity when

righteous men are struck with the consequences

of the wicked and vice versa. And there's no

explanation for this world other than to state

it clearly. It is broken. It is broken. Righteous

people suffer like the wicked. Wicked people

are rewarded as if they were righteous. This

is a mystery, and yet it is an observable fact.

The scales of justice do not tip as they ought

to, and it hurts, and we're bothered by this.

But it's not eternal. This is a breath, a vapor,

a temporary pain that will one day be dealt with.

So how do you deal with this habel, this vain

life? When up is down and wrong is rewarded as

right and everything seems so absurd, verse 15

holds the key. Be glad. Be glad. Solomon's saying,

you might want to lament the brokenness of this

world. When you've had all that you can stand,

what did Popeye say? He's had all that he can

stand. He can't stands it no more. Some of you

don't know that one. You should look it up. It's

probably on YouTube. When you feel like everything

is going to break, that's just so brittle that

nothing else can be added because it's just going

to shatter. Solomon says, be glad. Be glad. Eat,

drink, and be glad. If you want to know what

is good, literally the good, tov, then eat, drink,

and be glad. Eating and drinking are the most

normal parts of life. They can be mundane. You

do it every day. They can be special like celebrations,

but they should always be undertaken with an

aspect of thanksgiving from the God who provides.

You will labor throughout this life under the

sun. That has been given to you and I as sons

of Adam. And God has numbered our days. So, eat,

drink, enjoy the daily blessings that can be

searched out. Did you draw your breath as the

dawn awoke? Does your heart still beat? Then

it is well. Does Jesus take on our burdens? Are

you able to sing of his mercies? then it is well.

We'll all be made right one day. Will Christ

return with glory and win the battle? Will creation

be restored? Will death be destroyed? Friends,

we sing it, we've sung it, we'll sing it today.

It is well. I mentioned last week, pastor and

author Brian Borgman, I appreciated an analogy

that he brought to consider this principle in

chapter 8. I'll put it on the screen as I read.

He said this, We have a wonderful woman in our

church who wages war against my battle with the

Beltline. She makes cinnamon rolls to die for.

My wife and I love them. Well, we better eat

the rest of them so that they're no longer around,

is the logic. Now anyone who is a cinnamon roll

connoisseur knows it is the center of the cinnamon

roll that is the best part. With the center being

the sweet spot, we revisit a well -known theme

in Ecclesiastes that we can rightly call the

cinnamon roll center. The Hebel of life introduces

all kinds of mysteries. One of them is that the

way things ought to be is not the way things

are. Shalom is vandalized. The scales of justice

are knocked over. This is Psalm 73. It is painful,

but it's still a vapor. The vandalism of shalom

does not last forever. It is a mere breath. What

shall we do in such a world, Koheleth says? I

commend joy. In an upside down, mad, mad world,

Koheleth says, go for the center of the cinnamon

roll. Some of you know I have a very sad allergy

to cinnamon. There are some forms of it that

can severely hamper my tongue, my throat, my

windpipe. But I grew up in an area of Pismo Beach,

and there's a delightful shop there called Old

West, and it's been selling fresh -baked cinnamon

rolls since I was a kid. And I can tell you that

no matter the consequence, I endeavor to enjoy

one even to my detriment every time I visit.

My wife's not a fan of it, but she's a fan of

cinnamon rolls, not a fan of me taking one. But

wouldn't you agree, the center of cinnamon rolls

are so, so good. If I could only have one bite,

that would be it. So amidst the topsy -turvy

nature of life under the sun, enjoy the cinnamon

roll center of life. Again. Wisdom literature

gives us a jolt here. It upends our introspection.

It's been so heavy, but it's halting us from

thinking too deeply. Enjoy. The secret to dealing

with the complexities of life is not in knowing

the outcomes. It's not in pursuing knowledge.

It's not in comprehending God's work. The secret

is enjoyment in Him. If you're a believer here

this morning, you are powerfully able to be glad

in any and every circumstance. Not as though

you're an ostrich pretending that in this life

there are no great difficulties or trials around

you, but you're able to know the one who holds

the keys to eternal life and holds you in his

capable hands. If you are his, he will not abandon

nor forsake you. Listen to these other passages

in God's word. Explain the same. Deuteronomy

31, six through eight, be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or be in dread of them for Yahweh

your God is the one who goes with you. He will

not fail you or forsake you. Then Moses called

to Joshua and said to him, in the sight of all

Israel, be strong and courageous for you shall

go with this people into the land which Yahweh

has sworn to their fathers to give them and you

shall give to them as an inheritance and Yahweh

is the one who goes ahead of you. He will be

with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.

Do not fear or be dismayed. And in case you thought

that was only for Israel, listen to Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

13, verses five through six. Make sure that your

way of life is free from the love of money, being

content with what you have, for he himself has

said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever

forsake you, so that we confidently say, the

Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What

will man do to me? Do you hear God giving us

wisdom over and over again through his word?

Solomon is providing no secret knowledge, no

hidden knowledge. He's not some savant who just

figured out the secret to life. He tells us so.

Verses 16 through 17, he closes the chapter and

he says, even when the wisest man sets out to

know wisdom, He cannot find out the work of God.

He said this earlier in chapter 3, verse 11,

in relation to God putting eternity in the heart

of man. No matter how studious you are, no matter

the wisdom you've been gifted, even if you stayed

up and you never slept, just so you could observe

God's ways, you could see it all, and yet still

the conclusion would be the same as Solomon's.

Man cannot find out the work. which has been

done under the sun. Even if you strive to know

it, you will not find it. Even the wisest man

may profess to know it, but he can't find it.

The world is broken. It's upside down. And you

don't know everything that God is doing. Surely

you can't. But you don't need all the answers

to be glad. You don't need to comprehend the

incomprehensible to enjoy the days that God has

given you. Friends, I'd encourage you to go back

and read the call to worship that Ken read. Psalm

46, cease striving and know the I am. Know God.

Know that he is with us. Know that he is our

refuge. He is our strength. He is our help in

times of trouble. So fear God. Fear him openly.

Worship him with reckless abandon. We often use

Deuteronomy for our baby dedications, do we not?

We think about God, we rise, we walk about. Friends,

we have seen now the light of Christ and so let

me encourage you to refine that meditation. Let

Jesus be on your mind when you rise up, when

you walk about, and especially when you sit down

to eat and to drink. And so we find ourselves

at the end of another jarring roller coaster.

But that's Ecclesiastes. Practice eating the

center of the cinnamon roll. It's okay to laugh.

That's part of it. When everything seems so heavy,

You think of the secret of contentment that Paul

shared, which is not so secret if he shared it,

in Philippians chapter 4. You think of the casting

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

of your cares that Peter encourages in 1 Peter

5. You think of that confidence that Moses described

in Deuteronomy 31 when he said that God will

not fail or forsake his people. And it's the

same wisdom that Solomon illuminates for us here

in Ecclesiastes chapter 8. When this life of

Ecclesiastes 8 · chapter mention

trials tests your faith, set your hope on Jesus.

Speak confidently to your soul that it is well.

Give praise to the Lamb of God who died for you.

Your death is not going to be final. If you're

in him, your glory will be everlasting. So make

sure that your confidence is not in rulers or

authorities or your ability to follow them. Make

sure you don't pursue wickedness. when you're

disillusioned with the brokenness of this world,

remember that there's going to be a day when

the wicked will perish and they will receive

God's full justice. And don't be lulled into

thinking that we're not engaged in warfare. But

also remember, our weapons are not of the flesh,

but spiritual weapons. So engage in the spiritual

battle. Seek to rescue as many as you can. out

of the eternal fire until your work here is done.

And while you're in the midst of this great war

between light and dark, aim for the center of

the cinnamon roll. Christ didn't die for you

to be a miserable wretch intent on scrutinizing

every blessing under the sun. That's not this

life. He also didn't die for us to be ignorant

of the battle. Avoid the extremes. So while the

battle rages on, in those moments of reprieve,

when you're eating and drinking, be glad. Be

thankful for the little graces in Christ. Remind

yourself of where the believer will call home

one day. Your sojourner. This is temporary. It's

a vapor. When you think of what wisdom illuminates,

be most thankful that the light of the world,

has shown into the darkness. That in following

Christ, we never have to walk in darkness because

we have the light of life illuminating our path.

And if none of that makes sense to you, would

you come and talk to a member of this church?

Come talk to one of our elders? Our desire as

believers here is to help people walk in the

light of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can confidently

say, any of the genuine believers here will be

glad to discuss such a wonderful thing. Let's

pray. God, as we see this theme in the beginning

of chapter eight, verse one, of wisdom illuminating,

we ask you to help illuminate our thinking. When

we consider authority, we ask you to help us

to think rightly about authority and about our

responses to authority. Help us be wise through

the troubles. that plague our day. We're not

guaranteed to be free from them, but we know

that wisdom can help us in and through them.

God, when we look at our troubles, help us to

also remember eternity and to remember eternity

both for ourselves and for others. Not that we

look at those who are unsaved and are thankful

that we are saved and they are not, but that

we will look at the unsaved and see there's an

opportunity we may have to bring light. to the

darkened mind. So help us be compassionate as

you have been compassionate upon us. And God,

help us be glad here and now. Help us to see

goodness in the midst of daily life, not to be

cast down and struck down by all the burdens

of this world. We cannot understand these things.

But we don't need to understand. the things to

be glad and to be thankful. So we ask you to

help us. Help us to look to Christ as our light

and as our guide. Give us a longing for eternal

glory when the brokenness of this world will

be undone, when all will be made right. Help

us to praise the name of Christ. When we sing

today, let us not just recite words, But let

us proclaim from the depths of our hearts that

Christ is the one who rescues from the toil of

this life. Christ is the one who gives water

to the thirsty and who gives food without price.

So help us to lift high the name of Jesus as

we consider wisdom in a broken world. We pray

this for your glory and for our good. Amen.