Toppling our idols

Now let's turn in our Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and we're going to read from verse 12 to verse 26.

Ecclesiastes 2 · chapter mention

And today we're going to think about how the teacher of Ecclesiastes helps us to begin to topple some of our idols.

So Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and at verse 12.

Ecclesiastes 2 · chapter mention

Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom and also madness and folly.

What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done?

I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.

The wise have eyes in their heads while the fool walks in the darkness.

But I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

Then I said to myself, the fate of the fool will also overtake me.

What then do I gain by being wise?

I said to myself, this too is meaningless.

For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered.

The days have already come when both have been forgotten.

Like the fool, the wise too must die.

So I hated life.

Because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.

All of it is meaningless.

A chasing after the wind.

I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun.

Because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.

And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish.

Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil,

into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun.

This too is meaningless.

So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.

For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge, and skill.

And then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it.

This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.

What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?

All their days their work is grief and pain.

Even at night their minds do not rest.

This too is meaningless.

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil.

This too, I see, is from the hand of God.

For without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness.

But to the sinner, he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth

to hand it over to the one who pleases God.

This too is meaningless.

A chasing after the wind.

Amen.

I wonder if we are familiar with the idea of achievement addiction.

I was reading a short article from an employment counselor this week,

and she was talking about that idea,

and she was arguing that achievement is the alcohol of our time.

So she works with high-level business folks,

and she says these days the best people don't abuse alcohol,

they abuse their lives.

Everything else is sacrificed for the sake of achievement

in their particular field.

And again, she argued that an achievement addict

is no different from any other kind of addict.

And so how this looks in business and in the workplace

is that you find people,

and perhaps we recognize this in ourselves,

we're living for the high of a completed project or a big sale,

and you can live off that for a while,

but after a time, that feeling wears off,

and what happens, you're chasing after it again,

but not just the same level.

You want something bigger, something more significant.

An achievement addict is no different from any other kind of addict.

Two realms where this achievement addiction can be a big issue

are addressed here by our teacher.

Education and employment.

In our city of Edinburgh,

education and employment,

two avenues where people can look for their significance.

And so it's good for us that, again,

our teacher returns to focus on these two topics.

Because wisdom and work

can become idols to us.

What do we mean when we talk about idols and idolatry?

Well, if something provides our sense of security

and satisfaction,

and it's not God,

then that thing has become an idol to us.

If we are looking to our wisdom

or our work to create a sense of pride,

an inflated view of ourself,

where we're thinking,

well, I am somebody because I have this level,

and we look down on others

because they haven't reached that level,

then our wisdom or our work is an idol to us.

If when we measure our lives,

we say,

I am someone,

I have value

because of what I know or what I do,

or the other way around,

I have no significance

and I have no value

because I feel like my job is worth nothing,

then, again,

it's a sign that we're looking to

something

to give to us

what God is

only able to give.

Our sense of identity

and worth and significance

are supposed to come from

our relationship with God.

And when we look to find our sense of self

from a created thing,

that has become

an idol to us.

So our teacher here,

we've seen him,

he's on a search for gain,

he's on a search for

ultimate happiness.

In some ways,

he sounds like that child

who's always asking the question,

but why,

but why,

but why?

He returns again

to wisdom

and to work

to ask the question,

is that where we can find

ultimate gain

and significance?

Or should we look

somewhere else?

as a wise king,

he claims to give us

the final word.

And that final word

that we have in this section

is that since all worldly efforts

are futile

in giving eternal happiness,

we should find our joy in God

and in his everyday gifts.

gifts.

Let's see how he gets us there.

Beginning with the reality

that there is no gain

from wisdom

or folly.

So this is the first section,

verse 12

to 16.

He's returning

in his thoughts

to consider wisdom.

He's already taken us there

in chapter 1,

verses 13

and 17.

Asking the question,

can wisdom

or can folly

answer the search

for something final,

something absolute?

Look at what he says

in verse 12.

He says,

I turn my thoughts

to consider wisdom

and madness and folly.

What more can the king's

successor do

than what has already

been done?

What's he trying to say there?

He's trying to say,

if anyone should know

the answer to this,

it's me.

Because Solomon

was a king

who was famous

for his wisdom.

His wisdom was given

to him by God.

We know the queen

of Sheba

travelled many hundreds

of miles

because Solomon's wisdom

was world famous.

And as he searches

deeply

and as he probes

these questions,

he is confident

that he is able

to provide a better answer

than anyone

following him.

And to help

in this question

of do wisdom

or folly

provide ultimate meaning,

he takes two different

points of view

for us.

One point of view,

just daily life,

a day in the life,

but the other point of view

is from a gravesite.

So in verses 13 and 14,

he's considering

wisdom and folly

from a relative

point of view.

And from that point of view,

he can say,

I saw that wisdom

is better than folly,

just as light

is better

than darkness.

So wisdom

is like light,

folly

is like darkness.

It's better

to have eyes

that can see

rather than be blind

so that you are

alert to danger

so that you can choose

the right direction.

Moral instruction

is good

to listen to.

King Solomon

would tell us,

relatively speaking,

wisdom is better

than folly.

But then,

ultimately,

end of verse 14,

I came to realize

that the same fate

overtakes them both.

Verse 16,

the wise,

like the fool,

will not be long remembered.

The days have already come

when both have been forgotten.

Like the fool,

the wise, too,

must die.

So when we think

about our ultimate destiny

and when we realize

we all share

that same fate,

whether we are wise

or foolish,

in a worldly setting,

when we will die

and be forgotten,

when you can't take

wisdom with you

or you can't use

that wisdom

you value

in the grave,

we can see why

the teacher says,

well, actually,

in the end,

it makes no difference.

Death is like

that trump card

that's played over

every pleasure,

that's played over

the value of wisdom.

There was a minister

by the name

of Haddon Robinson

who's also written

a good few books

and he spoke about

conducting a funeral service

for a man

who had a working knowledge

of 34 different languages

when he died.

Now, I don't know about you,

but that, to me,

seems mind-boggling.

That is an incredible achievement,

but

no eternal game.

We can be dazzled

by wisdom

and knowledge,

but without God,

it doesn't lead

to eternal gain.

In this search

for happiness,

death brings

that sudden stop.

And so,

our teacher will say,

wisdom is meaningless

or vanity.

It's like that morning mist.

It's short-lived.

You cannot hold on to it.

And most of all,

it cannot save us

in the end.

And so,

the wisdom of our teacher

makes us reflect.

Am I basing

my sense of self,

my sense of security,

on my knowledge

and wisdom?

Or does my hope

lie in the fact

that I know

my God?

Am I consuming

the information

and the knowledge

of this age,

but ignoring

the wisdom

of God?

We have an invitation

in our own lives

to follow the example

of this teacher,

assess our lives

on the basis

of our day-to-day,

think about the wisdom

that we live by,

but also

go to the day

of your death.

Are we wise

towards God?

Do we know God?

That's the only wisdom

that counts in the end.

So our teacher

can say

there's no gain

from wisdom

or folly.

And then he turns

in verse 17

to 23

to say there's no gain

from work.

Verse 17,

So I hated life

because the work

that is done

under the sun

was grievous to me.

All of it

is meaningless.

A chasing

after the wind.

So our teacher

King,

he knows

the toil

of work.

Of course,

his situation

is different

than ours,

thoroughly different

than ours.

We do not exercise

a kingly role.

We are not

controlling

a nation.

But he too

in that

elevated position

felt the burden

of work.

The Bible

teaches us

that God

gave

to Adam

and Eve

to humanity

work as a good

gift.

But since

in Genesis

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

we read about this

Adam and Eve

turned away

from God

and his word

choosing

their own path

the earth

was cursed.

there were

those thorns

and thistles

which means

for us

work comes

with exhaustion

and frustration.

It comes

with pain

attached.

So we were

made for it

but now

it's been

spoiled

by the fall.

And so

our teacher

who knows

that

then leads

us to the

conclusion

well in that

case work

is the wrong

place to look

for your

ultimate sense

of meaning

and significance.

And again

because it's

all done

under the sun.

Verse 18

I hated

all the

things

I had

toiled

for

under

the sun

because I

must leave

them to the

one who

comes after

me.

That under

the sun

repetition

in Ecclesiastes

becomes something

of a time

marker

reminding us

of eternity

beyond death.

So again

to help us

to follow

his conclusion

he considers

both working

life

and the

end of

life

in these

few verses.

We'll think

about

first of all

how he speaks

about the

nine to five

in verses

22 and

23.

What language

does he use

to describe

work?

Just listen

to it again.

What do

people get

for all

the toil

and anxious

striving

with which

they labor

under the sun?

All their

days their

work is

grief and

pain.

Even at

night their

minds do

not rest.

I wonder

if we can

relate to

that.

Maybe it's

the anxiety

of having

an uncertain

job future

or uncertain

finances.

Perhaps we

know in our

workplace the

pressure of

being under

staffed or

under

resourced for

our role.

Perhaps we

have known

grief and

pain from

our colleagues

or grief and

pain because

we've been

asked to do

unethical

things in

the workplace.

Have you

found your

work making

it difficult

for you to

sleep?

Your work

making it

difficult to

leave it at

the office so

you come home

and you're

distracted and

unable to

fully engage

with the

people in

your life

because of

the consuming

burden of

work.

Our work is

a gift from

God and it

causes us to

groan.

Both those

things are

true and

both these are

recognized by

our teacher.

So that's in the

context of the

nine to five but

again he takes us

to our destiny

verses 18 to

21.

From the point

of view of the

day of our

death what does

he say there?

Verse 18

again I hated

all the things I

toiled for under

the sun because I

must leave them to

the one who comes

after me and who

knows whether that

person will be

wise or foolish.

Just as we

cannot take our

possessions with us

we cannot take our

work with us it

will at some

point be handed

over to somebody

else and the

other person may

do a brilliant

job of it or

may wreck it

all.

And actually we

just need to

think about King

Solomon's own

life to realize

this happening.

So King

Solomon would

pass his

kingdom on to

his son

Rehoboam and

Rehoboam through

his folly would

lose ten of

the twelve

tribes.

I think if we

think even in

terms of retirement

we begin to get a

glimpse into the

wisdom of our

teacher.

For some

retirement has

already happened

for others it's

approaching.

You come to

retirement and you

may get the gold

watch, the nice

pen, the lump

sum payout.

But there are

lots of losses

also.

Someone else

will come and

will take over

your work and

they will likely

change your

systems.

They will do

things their own

way.

They will take

over your desk,

your office,

they may take

over your

company.

And that is for

better or for

worse.

And either way

we have no

control over

that.

And that's just

retirement.

It's much more

final when we

think about our

day.

And so the

teacher wants to

remind us again

of, in that

sense, the curse

associated worth

with work.

There is too

much strain for

too little

gain.

To help us to

see that we

need more than

work to give

us ultimate

significance and

happiness.

As our

teacher has

been thinking

about wisdom

and folly

has been

thinking about

work, did you

notice in verse

17 and 18 the

language of

hate.

A strong

language, very

striking language

in the middle

of this section.

And what's

happening there

is that our

teacher is

hating what

has become

of Eden.

The world

as God

intended it

to be.

This isn't

cynicism or

blind despair.

This is the

lament of a

wise king.

When he says

in verse 17,

so I hated

life because

the work that's

done under the

sun was grievous

to me.

This is an

ache for the

way in which

the world is

broken and for

the way that

that impacts us

in so many

ways.

So let's just

turn our minds

for a moment

back to the

Garden of Eden

to think about

what wisdom

and work

looked like

then.

Wisdom in the

Garden of Eden

for Adam and

Eve was knowing

and enjoying

life with

their God.

Gladly submitting

to and

obeying their

God.

Enjoying the

privilege of

being made in

the image of

God and

ruling under

God for

him and

enjoying his

presence.

And work in

that setting

was gift.

And work in

that setting

was also an

act of worship.

It was duty

but it was

also delight.

But here

our teacher is

coming from a

different perspective.

He's coming

from the

under the sun

perspective.

Coming from

the imagine

if you think

there is no

God and you

live without

God in your

life perspective

and then when

you face death

there's real

sadness because

of all these

losses.

All that we

do not take

with us.

Losses because

we are east

of Eden.

We've seen

it a few

times the

sense of

discontent

that is

present.

To remind us

again of

chapter 3

in verse 11.

God has

made everything

beautiful in

its time.

He has also

set eternity

in the human

heart yet no

one can fathom

what God has

done from

beginning to

end.

We are

longing for,

we are made

for permanence

and stability.

But when we

look for that

sense of

permanence and

stability in

what we know

and in what

we do we

will only be

disappointed.

Death comes as

the ultimate

game over.

And our

teacher is

trying to

show us

this.

We strive

for wisdom,

we strive for

work but they

do not in

the end

save us.

And so he

wants to

show that

sense of

discontent but

he also

wants to

let God's

light in.

verses 24

to 26.

It's the

first break

in our

book,

first major

section

completed,

first time

the light

of God

really breaks

in for

us.

Sometimes

reading

Ecclesiastes

you can feel

like you're

in the

darkness.

I don't

know if

you've ever

been caving

or potholing

but if you

find yourself

caving you

will find

yourself

underground

for hours

at a time

and confined

spaces,

it can be

painful,

it can be

exhausting

and after

a while

you're just

desperate to

see even

just a

glimpse of

natural light

well here

is light

in Ecclesiastes

and why is

there light

all of a

sudden?

Because we're

reminded of

the reality

of God

because God

is introduced

because now

we're being

pointed away

from these

small idols

of work and

wisdom to

the one

true God

now we're

being directed

beyond life

just under

the sun

thinking on

the horizontal

to lift our

eyes to

remember the

one who

created and

is above

the sun

and he's

leading us

to walk

in the

light of

faith

so as we

look at this

little section

three wisdom

choices

to make

in the light

of this

text

one

we are

invited

to choose

to enjoy

God's

ordinary

gifts

today

to live

for today

to enjoy

God's

gifts

today

verse 24

and verse

25

a person

can do

nothing

better

than to

eat

and drink

and find

satisfaction

in their

own

toil

this too

I see

is from

the hand

of God

for without

him who

can eat

or find

enjoyment

work

is not

a God

to serve

but work

is a

gift from

God to

enjoy

so is

food

so is

drink

one

one of

the

American

presidents

Roosevelt

said

far and

away

the

best

prize

that

life

offers

is

the

chance

to

work

hard

at work

worth

doing

now as

Christians

we would

say that

the greatest

thing is to

know God

through faith

in Jesus

but we

recognize

that God

has given

work

as

a

gift

it's

important

that we

understand

why we

work

and how

we work

we're not

working to

establish a

sense of

self

we are not

invited to

work to

boost our

pride

we are not

invited to

work simply

to pay

our bills

rather

we work

with an

awareness

of God

we work

with a

sense of

thankfulness

that God

has given

me this

work

this task

to do

whether our

work is

paid or

unpaid

it is an

opportunity

for us

to be

faithful

to our

God

to be a

blessing

to others

in the

way that

we serve

and if

we're paid

in the

money that

we get

that we

can bless

others

God's

word gives

us a

new lens

through which

to view

our work

reminding

us that

we go

to work

with

God

and we

go to

work

for

God

I think

Paul put

it really

helpfully

in

Colossians

Colossians 3:23

3

verse 23

and 24

whatever

you do

work at

it with

all your

heart

as working

for the

Lord

not for

human

masters

since you

know that

you will

receive an

inheritance

from a

Lord as

a reward

it is a

Lord

Christ

you are

serving

so the

author

the teacher

of Ecclesiastes

says work

is a gift

food and

drink are

a gift

so practically

speaking I

imagine for

many of us

we we grew

up and we

practice the

saying of

grace before

our meals and

that's a good

thing it

reminds us

God gave us

these things

God gave us

the resources

to have

these things

do we

say grace

for our

work

too

do we

go to

our

workplaces

or do we

sit at

our desk

with a

sense of

thankfulness

for being

able to

serve God

and to

serve

others

in the

way that

he has

called

us to

we need

to choose

to enjoy

the everyday

gifts of

God

in the

way that

God

intended

and we

can go

wrong in

that

I enjoy

a game

of tennis

and I

enjoy

oranges

when you

think about

tennis and

oranges you're

supposed to

have them

as a

wee half

time

refreshment

but if you

choose to

make an

orange a

tennis ball

it will

not go

well

you will

end up

with a

mess

we are

supposed to

use God's

gifts

properly

not to

make them

into

God's

for us

food

and drink

and work

are good

gifts

and we

should take

real pleasure

in them

but the

problem for

us comes

that often

we hunger

for more

from them

than they

were ever

designed

to give

it's that

problem of

idolatry

that keeps

creeping

in

again to

help us

to remember

1st

Corinthians

10 31

whether you

eat or

drink or

whatever you

do

do it

all for

the glory

of

God

not

sell

now we

thought a

number of

times about

Matthew chapter

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

6 where

Jesus says

don't store

up treasures

on earth

but treasures

in heaven

for where your

treasure is

your heart

will be

also

have that

perspective

the wisdom

that we

find in

Ecclesiastes

holds two

realities

together

all of

life is

like a

mist

life is

short

compared to

eternity

and

even as we

recognize life

is like a

mist and

sometimes that's

really difficult

and confusing

joy is

possible

and good

as Dickens

would say

it is both

the best of

times

and the

worst of

times

second

wisdom

choice

choose

to honor

God

today

verse 26

to the

person who

pleases him

God gives

wisdom

knowledge

and happiness

but to the

sinner he gives

the task of

gathering and

storing up wealth

to hand it

over to the

one who

pleases God

there is the

contrast here of

the two ways

to live

person one

lives to

please God

chooses to

live under

the mercy

of God

chooses to

honor God

pleasing God

in faith

and trust

and worship

and enjoying

God's gift

and the

result

God gives

wisdom

knowledge

and happiness

that happiness

which is not

just temporary

but is

eternal

when we're in

right relationship

with God

but then there's

the other way

to live

the way of

the sinner

who chooses

to live

without God

God is not

the solid rock

that life

is built on

Jesus is not

the center

around which

our life

orbits

and the result

is loss

and no gain

just as Jesus

said in that

parable in Luke

19

to everyone who

has more

will be given

but as for the

one who has

nothing even

what they have

will be taken

away

our teacher

reminds us

of total

loss

that we

might by

God's grace

topple those

idols that

would seek

to replace

God in

our hearts

so that we

would serve

and worship

him only

which takes

us to our

last piece

of wisdom

wisdom choice

three

choose to

rest in

the wisdom

and work

of Jesus

because ultimately

that's the one

work we all

need

it's the work

of Jesus

John chapter

four verse

thirty four

Jesus said

my food

is to do

the will

of him

who sent

me

and to

finish

his work

Jesus came

to do

the work

of God

Jesus came

to perform

the work

of the

suffering

servant

read the

gospels

and you

discover

Jesus

toiling

under the

sun

you discover

Jesus tears

under the

sun

as he

came to

a world

of poverty

as he

was not

believed in

by many

as he was

rejected

by many

as ultimately

he would go

to the cross

to be punished

for us

to be pierced

for our

transgressions

to be crushed

for our

iniquities

that his

father made

him a sin

offering

that was his

work

the work

that he

completed

those

toil

toils

and tears

of Jesus

would then

on the third

day give way

to triumph

in his

resurrection

the work

of Jesus

the work

of salvation

is a

completed

work

and because

of that

Jesus says

there's only

one work

that we

need

the one

work

that we

need

is to

believe

in Jesus

to have

our faith

in Jesus

to ask

him to

forgive

our sin

to be

our Lord

and Savior

the one

wisdom

we need

is the

wisdom

of God

who is

Jesus

1 Corinthians

1 and 2

Paul is

full of

that language

he says

that Jesus

is for

us

wisdom

from God

that is

our

righteousness

holiness

and

redemption

Jesus

Christ

crucified

is

God's

wisdom

for

our

salvation

it's not

the wisdom

of the

world

but it's

the wisdom

of God

the only

way for

us to

be saved

and knowing

that truth

knowing

this

Jesus

that's

what

frees

our

hearts

from

captivity

to

those

idols

where

we're

not

thinking

that

our

wisdom

and

our

work

is

all

that

we

need

it's

knowing

Jesus

and

his

finished

work

and

the

wisdom

of

God

that's

what

gives

us

the

lasting

eternal

happiness

that we're

seeking

so the

teacher in

Ecclesiastes

he's trying to

help rescue

us from

an achievement

addiction

which we can

all suffer

from

thinking that

our meaning

significance

and worth

comes from

what we

know

or what

we do

he says

to us

remember

that doesn't

last

and it

doesn't

save

and we're

invited in

God's

word to

look instead

to Jesus

the great

teacher

to his

great

work

his

great

wisdom

to

trust

in

his

achievement

and

bringing

salvation

and

eternal

life

understanding

that

is the

only

place

it's

the

right

place

and the

only

place

to

find

our

identity

so

let's

pray

in

light

of

that

Lord

God

we

recognize

how

easy

it is

to want

to build

our life

on what

we know

or what

we do

that we

can

find

our sense

of value

and self

worth

from our

degrees

or from

our

job

from our

responsibilities

Lord help

us to

understand

that while

those are

good things

they are not

ultimate

things

help us

to live

in light

of our

own

death

and in

light

of

eternity

and help

us to

trust in

and rest

in the

work

and the

wisdom

of the

Lord

Jesus

that we

be so

grateful

that on

the cross

he cried

out

it is

finished

everything

necessary

for our

salvation

had been

done

and all

we need

to do

is to

ask him

to be

our

Lord

and

saviour

and so

we pray

that he'd

help each

one of

us

to be

looking

to

him

as

saviour

so

then we'd

be able

to

approach

each day

in the

right way

to enjoy

our food

and drink

and our

family

and our

work

as good

gifts

to be

thankful

and to

use

them

well

we pray

for your

wisdom

and your

help

and we

pray in

Jesus

name

amen

now we'll

finish

with

the hymn

that comes

from the

book of

revelation

but I

think in

many ways

helps us

to reflect

on some

of the

brokenness

that we

keep returning

to in

Ecclesiastes

is he

worthy

so let's

stand

and let's

sing

together

there

do