Monday Night Bible Study

Verses 1-5

In the closing sentiments of chapter 2, Paul tells the Christians at Thessalonica that they (Paul, Silas and Timothy) wanted to visit the Thessalonians, but they were hindered. In lieu of Paul coming, he sends Timothy, and this is the subject of the opening verses of chapter 3. The reasons that Paul names for being so motivated to visit the Thessalonians are listed:

• Establish them
• Encourage them concerning their faith
• He could no longer endure it

What do these reasons mean, really? Taken together, they paint a picture of an apostle’s concern for young saved souls in the midst of a society that was not always welcoming to the Christian faith. The faith was relatively new at the time and although the young church at Thessalonica was made up of Jews and Greeks, the primary demographic there were Greek worshippers of pagan gods such as Zeus and Apollo.

Paul recognizes in verse 3 that afflictions would come to them and he feared for their ability to withstand persecution. Being young in the faith, the Thessalonians might not have the spiritual fortitude to withstand affronts to their faith, particularly if their safety or family was threatened. So Paul worries over them to the point that he sends Timothy to help secure and solidify their faith, so that they would be able to succeed in an unwelcoming environment.

The message for us is no different. In the United States, we are fortunate enough to live in a land that was founded on Judeo-Christian values, yet our way of life, when lived earnestly for God, will still find us at odds with the culture around us.

“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” II Timothy 3:12

Verses 6-13

Paul, Silas and Timothy are all greatly heartened after Timothy has visited the Thessalonians and he reports that the Thessalonians were also eager to see them. Now, where Paul was telling them that he was concerned for their faith in the midst of their affliction, he is encouraged by the Thessalonians’ faith. God’s kingdom is just like this in practice. We will see later in this book Paul exhorting them to comfort and edify one another: faith in God is strengthened as it is seen and shown from believer to believer.

Paul rejoices in them and thanks God for them. The Thessalonians must have been a great encouragement to Him as he endeavored to spread the gospel far and wide. He concludes with a prayer in the last three verses, stressing the ideas that they are to love one another, “so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

Paul’s message in this chapter is direct from a heart that cares for these new Christians, a heart that deeply loves and believes in God. His concern for their faith shows us how very important it is to stay strong in adversity. Let us take comfort and encouragement from the Thessalonians. Paul was worried for them, and often, worry for others is justified. But in this case, the Thessalonians were doing exactly as they had been taught by the apostle Paul, exactly as the eternal Word of God had guided them through the Holy Spirit and through the words, example and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

As Paul settles into this letter to the new Christians at Thessalonica, themes of love, adversity and joy appear. As we read, we are forced to imagine what it must have been like to live in a time when the revelation of what Jesus had done for mankind was still a new idea. To say that He disrupted the religion, society and culture of the time is an understatement.

Verses 1-12: Integrity in intention

When Paul first came to Thessalonica to teach and convert, he was coming from a violent atmosphere at Philippi. The Word of God was not well received there. Despite this experience, Paul and those with him pressed on to Thessalonica.

He makes the point that the Word of God is pure and honest; when properly delivered in love, it will not typically incite violent conflict. Yes, people will resist when they do not want to believe, but vehement resistance is typically the result of wicked hearts, not the Word of God.

Paul seems concerned that the conflict at Philippi gave some the impression that they delivered the gospel in a brash or antagonistic manner. On the contrary, Paul defends the delivery of the gospel through the Thessalonians because they can bear witness that the gospel was delivered in humility, gentleness and truth. Paul stresses how all of it leads back to God: back to the idea that we follow and obey Him.

Verses 13-16: The Judeans condemned

Paul commends the Thessalonians’ conversion in that they accepted the gospel as information direct from God and not from man. Their acceptance and obedience is commendable because they, like new Christians in Judea, are having to contend with opposition from the Jewish population. Paul is not hesitant to include the facts that these same opposers killed God’s prophets, killed Jesus Christ and also persecute new believers.

Verses 17-20: Together with Christ

This chapter concludes with a sentiment of longing from Paul to see the new Christians at Thessalonica again. But even if Paul, Silas and Timothy are prevented from seeing them again, they can all rejoice in the knowledge that they will be in the presence of Christ when He returns. At this time, many expected that Christ would come back in their lifetimes, perhaps very soon. The last two verses of this chapter contain that sense of urgency.

As we close out tonight’s study, think of the powerful effect Christ had on the world. God’s Word enacted in Christ produced conflict, derision and love at the time. The conflict arises when people resist the truth and do not want to believe because believing means changing.

The power of God’s plan is such that it never has decreased in message or impact. Whether we want to or not, we still must contend with the cross and its’ meaning today.

In Acts 16:9-10, Paul was called to Macedonia by a man in a vision. Paul and Silas went to Phillippi and eventually made their way to Thessalonica in Macedonia. They had much success there, using the gospel of Jesus Christ to convert many.

Thessalonica was a base for spreading the gospel in Macedonia and Greece. It was a great commercial center at the time and was connected to Rome and Byzantium via a highway.

This book is a letter from Paul to the young church at Thessalonica, which was made up of both Jews and Greeks.

This first chapter is fairly simple. It has Paul greeting the new Christians there and encouraging them. Paul gives credit to Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy as fellow editors of the letter. While salutations make up the first verse, verses 2-5 contain references to more important matters. Paul recognizes their youthful faith while simultaneously commending the strength of it. In fact, there is a very nice triad of ideas that Paul employs to compliment their religion:

• Work of faith: Their work of faith is the good work that is spurred by faith in God: teaching and preaching the gospel, treating all with love, kindness to those in need
• Labor of love: They work for God because they love Him. Because of their salvation and freedom from sin, they are happily indebted to work for Him
• Patience of hope: No one knows when God will come to collect those that love Him. They live in hope of the greater future to come

The Holy Spirit’s role in the Thessalonians’ conversion is referenced in concert with the message of Christ. This group of Christians is strong and exemplary. Paul does an amazing job of both complimenting their faith and reminding them of paramount statutes of the new covenant from God:

“And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” I Thessalonians 1:6-10

God is working through the apostle Paul to build up this young church, ensuring that their faith and work will remain strong so that God’s word and influence can continue to spread in the region of Macedonia.

Most of us are probably familiar with how the apostle Peter denied Jesus three times. Peter was consistently outspoken and often the first to proclaim his allegiance and loyalty to Christ. But when it truly mattered, he often faltered.

If we look at Peter, we may find similar qualities within ourselves: quick to side with Christ, but when the going gets tough and our faith is tested, we fail. Peter did not believe Jesus when he learned of the three upcoming denials. Despite denying Jesus three times, Peter still shows his loyalty even after the denials.

Peter’s first denial is found in John 18:17: “Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”

Peter’s second and third denials in John 18:25-27: “Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.”

Now, after these denials, Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, Peter visited the tomb and saw that it was vacant. Notice in this passage how Peter was eager to see evidence of Jesus, so much that he entered the tomb when John (the other disciple) did not: “Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.”

Peter was eager to see Jesus again. In another example from when Jesus appeared to the disciples, many of them were going to him in a boat across the water, but Peter was eager again. He jumped in the water to swim to Jesus in John 21:7-8: “Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits)…”

The boat was not fast enough for Peter. Peter did reach Jesus, and after they had all eaten breakfast, Jesus spends some time with Peter, asking him three questions. Put yourself in Peter’s place at this time. You have denied Jesus, the one that you saw perform miracles, claim to be the Son of God and raised from the dead. Despite all of the resulting shame, you were still seeking him, rushing into his tomb, plunging into the water, in an effort to be in His presence, perhaps to be forgiven. Finally, after all of the seeking and with a heart full of hope, you sit down with Jesus and he asks you three questions in return: three questions to match the three denials. John 21:15-19: “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

With these three questions, and Peter’s three answers in the affirmative, Jesus restores Peter. All of Peter’s bluster was promising, but was not very effective when it really mattered. Nevertheless, Jesus knew that this was what Peter needed to grow, and is now assuring Peter that he will be a great and effective disciple of Christ until the end.

Peter’s failures were necessary for his successes. All we need to do is read the first several chapters of Acts to be confident of this.

When it comes to this study, we primarily rest in the knowledge that Jesus not only offers salvation, but he also seeks our enduring obedience. Tonight, let us meditate on what it means to have Peter’s passion and what it means to act with courage for God when it counts.

Next week I plan to start  study in I Thessalonians. But for this week, let us take a brief detour and look at the life of Samson. The choices he made, the man he was, and the man he could have been.

We will be spending most of our time in Judges chapters 13 – 16. Here is a synopsis of his life as recorded in the Bible:

Samson synopsis

Samson was born in a time when Israel was not obedient to God and because of this, God put them under control of the Philistines for forty years. Samson’s birth is heralded by the Angel of the Lord and his mother is told that he would begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Samson was to be a Nazirite. Can anyone tell me what it means to have been a Nazirite in the Old Testament? In Numbers 6:1-21 the Nazarite vow is explained. A Nazirite was one that dedicated himself to God. He was consecrated, set aside for service to God. Among other things, a Nazirite was to abstain from drinking wine and to not cut his hair. There was also a series of sacrifices he was to make.This was to be Samson’s purpose.

A sacrifice is made to God on behalf of the unborn boy and the Angel of the Lord ascends to heaven in the flame of the altar – this is quite an auspicious beginning for Samson.

Samson is born and raised and we see him first in action heading to Timnah where he sees a Philistine daughter that he desires for himself as a wife. Timnah was a Philistine city. Samson’s father implores him to marry an Israelite but Samson is set on this particular woman because she pleases him. The text tells us that this is part of God’s plan for Israel to rise against the Philistines. In traveling again to Timnah, Samson encounters and manhandles a lion, killing it. He keeps this a secret from his parents and his new wife. On his way back home, he passes by the lion again and finds honey inside of it and eats it. He tells no one of this either.

At the bridal party for this ill-fated marriage, Samson addresses his 30 wedding companions with a riddle, the answer to which is the lion he killed: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” Of course his 30 wedding companions cannot answer this because no one knows about the lion he killed whose carcass contained the honeycomb.

Samson’s 30 companions implore Samson’s wife to get him to tell her the answer so that she can tell them and they can guess right. There were 30 sets of new clothes riding on the outcome of this riddle. If they could get it right, Samson would have to get them each a new set of clothes. If they could not guess the riddle, they would have to get Samson 30 sets of new clothes. The unnamed wife gets the answer out of Samson and she tells the companions. They tell Samson the answer and he is angry that they have guessed it. He then kills 30 Philistines and gives his companions their clothes. Think about that for a minute. What should have been gifts associated with a wedding feast are clothes from corpses.

Samson knows that his wife told them the answer and he leaves his wife with her family. When he does this, his wife is given to his best man.

After a time, Samson returns to his wife’s father’s house to retrieve her and he is denied. Instead the father offers Samson one of his other daughters. Samson then, quite angry, catches 300 foxes and uses them to burn the Philistine’s fields, vineyards and olive groves. The Philistines come after him but he slaughters them and goes into hiding.

The Philistines do come to find him and his own people in Judah have to intervene so that they can deliver him to the Philistines. He is bound in new ropes and given to the Philistines. When they ultimately begin to threaten Samson, the spirit of the Lord comes upon Samson and he kills a thousand of them with the jawbone of a donkey. He then asks God for help and God gives him water to drink.

Later, Samson goes to Gaza, also in Philistia, meets with a harlot, and news of his presence causes many men to lie in wait for him to kill him. Shrewd as he appears to be, Samson leaves the place at midnight, takes the city gates with him and leaves them at the top of a hill.

Samson then meets Delilah. She will ultimately be his downfall as she gradually coaxes information from him on how to reduce his great strength. When he tells her that he is a Nazirite and that his strength will leave if his hair is shaved, she lulls him to sleep and has a man cut off his hair. Thus is he caught by the Philistines in concert with Delilah. He is blinded and sent to prison to grind grain.

One day the lords of the Philistines are sacrificing to a false god and they call for Samson to come to the temple to have him perform. We could suppose that this “performance” would involve some feats of strength. Instead of a performance, he gives them a demonstration as he pushes on the main pillars supporting the temple and he and about three thousand Philistine men and women die. He is buried by his brothers in his father’s tomb. He had judged Israel twenty years.

One thing, could you imagine being the guy whose idea it was to bring Samson into the temple so that he could “perform” for them? Wow.

Now a couple of questions:

• Would you follow Samson? Why or why not?
• Why do we get the feeling that Samson could have been a good leader?

Samson and women

Both of the women in Samson’s life got what they wanted out of him by accusing him of not loving them. Now, we could focus on the women here and get into that, but that is not the focus. The focus is Samson and his failures to lead. He had many opportunities to do the right thing and make a difference, but time and again, bad decisions that sprout from flaws in his character are to blame.

It works out much, much better for Samson in the long run if he tells neither of these secrets to his first wife or to Delilah. Deep down, he must have known this because he resisted telling both women the information they were seeking. But in both cases, he relents when they accuse him of not loving them. I think they knew where he was weakest and he let himself give in. He lacked the confidence to let their accusations fade.

If Samson had been of stronger character, perhaps more secure in his love for these women, or less dependent on their emotional security, he could have said that he doesn’t need to tell them that information to prove his love. And that would have been that. Instead, Samson made a decision that was based on his emotions, and you rarely see good or great leaders doing that. Sure, emotion can play a part in a leader’s choices and actions, but wise judgment and deep consideration need to be the prime components to decision-making for a leader.

Samson’s lost potential

Samson had it all, but he his choices put him in a weak position. Although his physical strength was very great, his will was weak.

You could easily and safely say that Samson was not a leader. He did not make good choices and he was not always righteous.

• Did Samson fear God?
• But did God use Samson?
• What does this say about us?

I fear God and you fear God. We may not all be natural leaders, but only if we make good choices, any of us could become good leaders. Samson might not have been a “natural” leader, but he had other qualities that drew others to him and that could have inspired others to follow him had he only been living righteously. It is the same with us. Not all of us are a Teddy Roosevelt or an Oprah Winfrey, but simply by living for God without fear we become leaders in our own way. Within this framework, we can all be leaders.

Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. Remember this phrase and it will help you to remember what the book of Ecclesiastes is all about. You may recall how early on in our study of Ecclesiastes, we talked about the concept of hyperbole, or obvious and intentional exaggeration. Hyperbole is used to make a point, a point that can be missed but is often too big or too important to miss. Ecclesiastes makes many statements that are hyperbolic,  and are meant to drive the point home that the reason that any of this exists is to serve our Almighty Creator. Here is a sample of some we have seen:

• 2:11: Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.
• 2:17: Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
• 6:3: If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he—
• 7:1: …And the day of death [is better] than the day of one’s birth

These ideas coalesce into an expression that life is meaningless. But the underlying meaning of it all is crystalized in the last two verses of the book:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

There are portions of the book that talk about the randomness in the earth and the lack of true order that exists. Amidst all of the confusion, the wisdom of Solomon compels us to hold onto the only that does not change: God.

Verses 1-8

Seek God when you are young, when passion for Him yet remains. Solomon brings home his previous theme of eternity by describing how our earthly homes – our bodies – will crumble, fade and waste away. Even the ways we perceive the world will deteriorate. Let us look at some of the descriptions in this passage and their meanings:

• v. 2: Losing sight and the enjoyment of it
• v. 3: The skeletal frame weakens and becomes feeble; teeth fall out; vision fades
• v. 4: The sense of hearing is lost; the embrace of sleep is thin
• v. 5: Everyday traversing becomes dangerous and fear results; hair turns white; sexual desire vanishes
• v. 6: Images representative of death

These occurrences with our earthly body actually pre-empt our departure for this life, prepare and in a sense, motivate us for it. Who wants to live in a house that is falling apart? The final verse in this passage echoes the refrain, “Vanity of vanities…All is vanity.”

Because of this, we need to establish and build up our relationship with God early in life. If we establish these concepts early, it will make the span of our life more rewarding and easier. This is due to our perspective, and this book is all about managing our perspective to the most accurate we can. If we follow Solomon’s God-given advice, we will perceive life’s values more accurately than if we were chasing money, a career, or something else equally worldly and worthless when compared to an eternity spent in heaven or hell.

Verses 9-14

The final passage of this chapter and book sum up the ideas with a master stroke. The wisdom of Solomon comes full-bore as we realize that all of the statements, whether wholly understood by the reader or not, have been leading up to this single message. Solomon (referring to himself once again as the Preacher), looks back on the message of the book and recognizes that he has been honest and has done the best to apply his God-given wisdom to these words. These words are meant to spur us on to be greater than we are. There are countless other books in the world that are meant to be beneficial, but the words of this book are much more beneficial than others.

If we are not serving God in our efforts, they are a waste of time. As far as concluding this chapter and book, I could do no better than the remaining two verses. Remember this conclusion and return to it often:

The penultimate chapter of Ecclesiastes gives us more valuable insights and wisdom. There are some practical truths mentioned that we can keep in mind throughout all stages of life. The ideas can be used by the young or the old.

Verses 1-6:

The first two verses value both saving and generosity with our earthly goods and our money. “Cast your bread upon the waters” communicates the idea of saving money. Whether investing or under the mattress, saving and not spending is a virtue. In tandem with saving is the idea of giving. Notice that the generosity mentions giving to seven and eight, not just two or three. The fact that we do not know what disastrous conditions could enter our lives should compel us to be wise and save and share our money.

The next group of verses (3-6) uses examples from the natural world to tell us to work diligently and consistently, independent of factors that are beyond our control. Why worry about which way a tree will fall (my land or my neighbor’s) and who will get the wood? Why worry and wait upon the wind and the rain when these things are beyond our control? True, these are important factors in agriculture, but they are ultimately uncontrollable factors.

It is understandable to be concerned with factors that affect our work and our lives, but the message here is to not waste time worrying over things that are beyond our control. This is certainly an easy concept to grasp, yet a difficult concept to regularly and consistently practice.

In the absence of worrying and trying to control the uncontrollable, the wise king Solomon urges us to trust in God:

“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

Verses 7-10:

These last verses do not pull any punches. In life there will be both good and bad. Surely, as we live long and look back on our lives, we will remember the good times the most and they will be treasures in our memories. However, in this practice we are cautioned to remember death in the midst of it all because death is inevitable and it is coming. Remember the refrain of this book: vanity. In this life, we live and have joy and trouble, but what matters most is how we obey God. Regardless of how sweet our memories and relationships are, they will be surprisingly meaningless when we stand before God on judgment day.

It serves us very well to come back to this wise truth regularly throughout our lives. It is easy to forget and there are so many distractions that convince us otherwise. The challenge is that we need to live effectively, but think eternally.

As the last two verses of this chapter encourage, all should endeavor to follow and obey God in their youth. Creating and maintaining godly habits and creating a relationship with Him is so very important to our lifelong spiritual health and even more important to where we will spend eternity.

In youth, as in life, we remember the encouragement in this book to enjoy life and enjoy all of the richest blessings that God has to offer. But we need to do so with a spiritual and ethical intelligence that reminds us that we will pay for those choices we make that go against the will of God.

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity.”

This chapter is riddled with statements that differentiate wisdom and foolishness. There are descriptions of what wisdom and foolishness are, and what they look like when they are in action out in the world. I think that we can easily understand the truths presented, but I do not think that the average reader would come to many of these conclusions on their own. It is a reminder that the wisdom is from God, coming through a king that God has chosen to bless.

Verses 1-10

One who is wise will suffer greatly if they give themselves over to just a little foolishness. To one that is widely reputable, a small offense can tarnish all he has. Suddenly all of his good deeds are suspect in light of one small foolish mistake. This is a warning to those of us that spend any time in the spotlight.

Fools make it evident to the world through their actions.

We should comply when we are subject to the mercy of those in power, so as not to worsen whatever situation we find ourselves in. If we yield, we can pacify.

The world is not often as it seems, and things can appear upside down at times. The text tells us that the mighty can present themselves as lowly and the foolish can demand that others recognize their greatness. In the midst of such confusion, which is true? Solomon calls these inconsistencies evil.

The wise should be aware of the cause and effect of actions. Sometimes taking great action is required and will accomplish much, while other times it will only bring greater trouble. If we are wise enough to know how to use the tools at our disposal properly, they can help us greatly, but a tool used improperly can work against us. In the example of the dull axe, an improperly prepared or understood tool requires greater strength than is necessary.

Verses 11-20

The biting serpent is to demonstrate to us that if we do not know what we are doing with a task, we can hurt ourselves.

The speech of the wise and foolish are compared here. The words of the wise are giving and they offer strength, kindness and value to the hearer. But the words of the foolish are a doom unto himself, tying him into knots and painting him into corners. The key to this concept is intent. The fool probably intends to impress people with his many words about himself or his exploits, whereas the wise intends to assist and help others with his speech. The irony is that, more often than not, the fool actually turns people off with his unreliable speech and the wise attracts himself to others because of his thoughtfulness. This too, includes the component that the wise must act and speak with positive intent for their wisdom to be of optimal value.

A foolish man can work for an unclear or even an unknown purpose.

The state of a kingdom can flourish or falter based on its leadership. It is better for there to be a young and inexperienced king than a king that clouds his judgment with drink and impropriety. Guiding the young with proper advice, example and wisdom is a great blessing whether or not they turn out to have power.

We have to be diligent to take care of our valuable possessions. Those living in wealth and foolishness may spend their time carousing and partying while their possessions are squandered. Money is useful in that it can buy us the things we need, but money in and of itself is useless. The wealthy can exhibit folly when they say in their heart that money can fix all of their troubles.

One of the greatest nuggets of wisdom in this chapter us found in the last verse. We are instructed to speak ill of those in power even when we are in private. It is certain that any word we speak could get back to that one of which we have spoken ill. Also, it is not spiritually healthy to speak ill of those in power, especially in light of the guidance we have from chapter 8 that instructs us to submit to authority. Even more convincing to this point, and adding more to how we speak of not just kings but brothers and sisters in the faith can be found in Romans 14:8-13:

“For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”

Solomon’s treatise on wisdom under the sun continues in this chapter. In all of the statements made, Solomon is valuing wisdom over foolishness. It is interesting to read because the examples used to bear out how wisdom and foolishness manifest are engaging.

This chapter contains many more pearls of wisdom, profound truths of God as given to the wise King Solomon.

1-12: Living dog > Dead lion

God is in control of it all. Even the outcome of the good and the wicked alike is under His control. When in verse 1 it says, “people know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them,” it means that people cannot tell God’s favor or rejection at the hands of men, good or evil. Sometimes God will bless the works of the wicked and make futile the works of the righteous – all of which contribute to His grand plan, the scope of which is usually unknowable by man. Hearing these truths leads us to the undeniable fact that God is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient.

• Omnipotent: Infinite in power
• Omnipresent: Present everywhere at the same time
• Omniscient: having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things

The statements that follow make the point that good and ill affect the righteous and the wicked alike. This same point was also made by Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount: “. . . for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” Matthew 5:45

The phrase, “a living dog is better than a dead lion” shows that it is better to live humbly with hope than to die gallantly in great fashion without hope. The lion is one that has lived and not done the will of God. Although it was great, in its death it exists no more and its grandeur fades to nothing. But the dog, while still alive, has hope. If it has not yet obeyed God, it still can because it has time to do so while it lives. It is an encouragement that we need to do good for our Creator while we still can, because if we do not, one day our lives will run out and make our lives meaningless.

A similar statement is made in the New Testament by the apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16

Once we have done the will of God, we are given the freedom to enjoy life as it will last. See verses 7-8: “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil.” White garments and oil are symbols of joy and purity, so enjoying the blessings of God in a righteous manner is what is encouraged here; sinful carousing and revelry are not.

The final passage of this section tells us to be content with what we have, realizing that the life we live is in subject to God. The ebb and flow of our successes and failures will oftentimes be inexplicable to us as we live our lives according to God’s will and not our own. All men are subject to the effects of time and of chance, and are unable to know the time and manner of their own death. We only know that it is coming, and that is why it is so important to do the right thing now, without waiting.

13-18: Wisdom is better than strength. Humility is preferable to greatness.

The anecdote in 13-15 is merely a way to see that humility is better to have than great strength. God has fashioned reality in such a way: the strong are seen in the world as great and the humble are seen in world as weak. But in actuality, in the structure of reality that God has made and that each of us live in, things are often not what they seem. Humility equals great strength and great strength of pride leads to crippling weakness.

And although this is the reality that we live in, people are fooled generation after generation by the appearance of great strength rather than the actual presence of great strength. And the wise counsel of fools is what rules the day as sinners dismantle the good in the earth through the choices they make.

What sort of choices are you making tonight?

1-9: Obey the rules

The opening ideas of this passage (leftover from the end of chapter 7) suggest that wisdom can change our appearance. When we act using wisdom, our reputation, attitude, perspective and approach all change. The benefits of wisdom then, are not only beneficial to us, but are also evident to others as our influence hopefully serves as an example.

It works to our own good benefit when we are in subjection to the earthly powers that rule over us. The insinuation to take from verses 4-8 is that God has given the powerful their power, and it is His will that they rule as they do, to perform whatever functions on the earth that the divine will desires. If we follow the command of the established rule of law in the land and that of the voice of the ruler, no harm will come to us. We are admonished to maintain the perspective of time on God’s terms; justice, retribution and punishment are His to direct and not ours to carry out. Those powers have been relegated to the proper authorities on earth and we are best served when we leave it to them. We have to resist the temptation to feel impatient and ungrateful and rather rest and grow in the knowledge that God will take vengeance on wrongdoers. This is true in every situation: “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” Romans 12:19

Although it is good to realize that God will take vengeance, the Word of God goes further and also tells us how to act: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:14-21

Also, in this same vein, the apostle Paul elaborates on the idea of submitting to the authorities in the book of Romans 13:1-7: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.”

Even though e may criticize those in power, God reminds us that they are there to keep things in order. We ought to be sincere in our belief that the power they use is granted by God and that all things will unfold in due time in accordance with the will of God.

There are the broad lessons we can take from verses 1-5 of Ecclesiastes 8. Verses 6-9 go deeper into the spiritual dilemma of exposing oneself to the question of fate; of who will be judged how and what the outcome will be or should be. We are told once again to remember who we are: we are not in control and our power is not formidable relative to the powerful on the earth and much less so relative to the power of God. Trying to make headway in situations that we do not have control over will relinquish our spirit to wickedness. Providing balance to the subject, verse 9 ends with a warning of sorts to those in power: “There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.”

10-17: Enjoyment is commended

These verses have some very unique and nuanced meanings that we would do well to remember. Recall how we talked in chapter 7 about how Solomon was revealing strong foundational ideas of wisdom and that we should think on those ideas and build upon them to shape our own wisdom. The ideas in this passage fall into this same category. Let us look at them one by one:

• The wicked of the world will naturally continue to practice wickedness because they do not often experience immediate consequences
• The life of the wicked one can be very long, even though he practices wickedness for much of his life
• Those who fear God will have a positive outcome
• Good things will happen to bad people
• Bad things will happen to good people
• In the midst of the work and the anguish of life, celebrating can often be the only respite, so we should enjoy life
  • Notice the qualifier of this statement, “under the sun” in verse 15, meaning that the glory of heaven in the life hereafter supersedes
• No single man can be wise enough to know it all

These are abstract truths, the building blocks of wisdom when laid as a foundation for how we think, live and behave. Solomon, bequeathed with wisdom from Almighty God, has written down these divinely inspired words for the benefit of all mankind.

I encourage you to ingest these truths and make them part of your thinking. When we know these ideas as the revealed truths of God, they temper our perspective on reality and help us to make better decisions for our lives.

God bless you tonight. My prayer is that all who read this will remember the profound and often surprising truths in the book of Ecclesiastes.