Book of Ecclesiasties

Trusting the Word of God

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Wisdom Remembers God’s Word

Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapters 11 and 12

In this last lesson in the Book of Ecclesiastes, we will see how the Holy Spirit describes us in our youth and then in our elder years.

When we were young, it was the years of our greatest strength. We didn’t even think about how we would be as we got older.

Most of us can remember the energy and the drive we had then, compared to how we feel today as we have aged.

The Holy Spirit tells us that we should have made the most in our productive years because, as we age, we lose the ability and the strength to do the things we should have done while we were young.

We will reap in our old age what we sowed in our youth.

The laws of sowing and reaping will always hold true.

Whatever we sow, we will reap!

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

We all would have been much wiser to think about how things would be when we got older and worked harder to put back when we were young enough to do it.

*Ecc 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
Ecc 11:2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

Though there are many interpretations of this verse, the most logical is that of Charity.

Give our bread to anyone who needs it.

It can also mean to diversify our assets.

To the farmer, do not sow all your seeds in one field or plant all your seed at one time.

One bad season could wipe you out.

That old saying, “do not put all your eggs in one basket,” is true even when it comes to investments.

We should help others as much as we can, not thinking of gratitude or return but only of our duty as God’s children.

If we can help those who seem to be utterly lost, it may not be recognized by them, but God knows.

The true meaning is that we first have to invest to have a result.

We should do our best to invest in the Lord’s work because we will always get a great return from the Lord.

Jesus Christ again is our greatest example as He invested His life that we might have life and have it abundantly.

Jhn_10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jhn_20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Our own retirement could be better if we invested in it while we could earn an income, which goes away with age.

It’s the same with witnessing; the more time we invest in witnessing greater the opportunity to win souls to the Lord.

It’s the same for the farmer. He must take the grain out of the barn so it can be invested by sowing it back into the earth.

All these things require faith in the only One who can provide results, Our Heavenly Father.

*Ecc 11:3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

We should be very clear; God will judge this earth because of sin!

This world is filled with those who say a loving God will never judge the people He created so harshly, but they are wrong because they ignore the Word of God, He has given to us.

2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Many think God is just too good to cause such harm to the sinner:

Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Rom 3:5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
Rom 3:6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
Rom 3:7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
Rom 3:8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

Many think they will escape the judgment of God:

Rom 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
Rom 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

God will judge many before the end but all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ will be judged!

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Just as dark clouds bring rain, God’s judgment will fall upon all who reject the Word of God.

We will reap what we sow.

Just as sure as the time that the Holy Spirit decides that He is wasting His time on some sinner, they are cut off from the source of life, the Lord Jesus Christ.

A tree that has lost its nourishment from the soil will die and fall and remain where it lies until it rots away.

*Ecc 11:4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
Ecc 11:5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

Many people wait to plant their garden until the conditions are ideal, and that garden is not as productive as it could have been because they waited too long.

We cannot just sit around with our arms crossed, afraid to take that first step in any situation, because of possibilities or impossibilities.

There are no perfect times to do important things, and after the first step, the second step is easier.

We know that the future is not guaranteed except for the Christian, but the day that we go home to be with the Lord, we do not know.

We do not even know what will happen tomorrow!

We just cannot know what God is going to do day by day.

We cannot predict; we cannot understand or fully know what the Lord will do, nor when He will do it!

If we are going to sow the Gospel seed, we do not need to first look at the forecast for the day.

That is just hunting for an excuse not to do it.

*Ecc 11:6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

When we have a job, we get up in the morning and go to work, and work till the end of the day.

We do our job no matter what the conditions of that day are.

It is the same with the work given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.

We should get up that morning and go to those fields white with harvest and stay till the end of the day, no matter what the conditions are.

We have found that the life of a Christian will seldom be in ideal conditions, and much of the time, we will be unproductive.

2Ti_4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Heb_6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Another thing that is sure when we meet Jesus is: 1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

*Ecc 11:7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
Ecc 11:8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

As Christians, we should enjoy all the years of our lives because every stage of life offers pleasures that cannot be relived.

Every day we wake up to the sun is a good day.

When we compare those days to the dark days of the grave, when our eyes are closed and we cannot open them.

The good days of our life will not be as many as we would like, and the sorrowful days will be more than we would like.

There is no comparison between the years of old age to our youthful years when we thought we could take on the world.

The days of our youth were sweet compared to these days in our aged bodies.

No matter our age, we are to enjoy the life God has given to us!

In our elder years, we may not feel the joy as we did in our younger years, but we still have those memories to keep going.

If we wait till we are old before we seek our purpose in life, we will be disappointed as we realize we have waited too long to do something for God.

He will still use us, but we are limited by our remaining strength.

We may not find satisfaction in what we accomplished in our younger days, and little time and little strength to make things better.

We must understand that life without God is truly meaningless.

My worst day as a Christian is still far better than my best days being without God!

Psa 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

*Ecc 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Ecc 11:10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

We are commanded to rejoice and be happy while we are young.

But “a huge but”, as long as we find our strength in the Almighty God.

What are the “impulses of his heart”? Psa 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

Our heart is the center of our life! Job 31:7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

Our eyes are the instruments of our heart!

Our faith is the key to what we see. What we are looking at and the way we are looking at something is determined by our faith!

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

2Sa 11:2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

Joy is the purpose of life, but to have good joy, we have to verify it by being aware of the judgment of God.

For our joy to be real, God must be involved in it.

What young people do not realize is that they have very little time to be young.

The young people do not realize that almost every aged person still has the spirit of a young person within them, but it is trapped and imprisoned by the jail of age.

God provides things for our enjoyment, but before we act upon those things, before we follow the desires of our hearts and what our eyes see, we must know that God will judge us for our behavior.

We can enjoy what life has to offer, but only according to the written Word of God.

The key to these things is our faith: Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

We have responsibilities as children of God!

Our young people have responsibilities as the saved of God!

We must know that our joy will be overcome by a sense of judgment if we are disobedient to God!

1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

We must remember the words of our Creator.
This is where Adam and Eve failed, and it was this action that brought sin into the world to begin with.

*Ecc 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Ecc 12:2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

As I got older, I realized that my younger days were over before I knew it.

We know that the Theory of Evolution is completely false, and now most of those same people are trying to convince us our world was built for us by aliens from distant planets.

We have a Creator, and we are created beings, and our Creator is entitled to have authority and control over our lives, and we will answer to Him.

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

God will judge us for what we have done in our lives.

God asks us to believe Him and live according to the truth of His Word, and things will go well with us.

It is the unbeliever who is doomed to Hell!

When we were young, we thought we had the world by the tail, yet when we get old, we do not have so many joyous days.

Most of us are ready to go home to be with our Heavenly Father, so our pains will go away.

The joy we have remaining comes from knowing our children and grandchildren are living according to the Word of God and will join us one day in Heaven.

We all should thank God every day that He gives us to enjoy.

The clouds of rain come in the storm, but after the storm is over, the clouds leave, and the sun returns.

The storms of old age stay with us until the day God calls us home.

When one storm passes, another storm is already forming.

*Ecc 12:3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
Ecc 12:4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
Ecc 12:5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

The keepers of our bodies are the hands and the arms, which are our best instruments to defend our body, which begin to tremble as we age.

The strong men are our thighs and legs, which give us strength in our bodies.

The grinders are our teeth because they grind the food we eat.

Our eyes look out the windows of our eyelids through which we see.

These are the watchmen of this house that the Lord has given to us, but as we age, they can no longer defend and care for our house.

The doors on the street represent the ears and the lips.

We need these things to communicate with our loved ones, but it becomes more difficult as we age.

The sound of the grinding mill is low because we have very little interest in what is going on in our world.

We get up with the birds because we just do not sleep well anymore.

The daughters of song are our vocal cords, and our voices are not as strong as they used to be; people can hardly hear us.

We are afraid of the high places, we hate the stairs, and we stay off the ladder because of our fear of falling.

If we go out walking, we are always watching the traffic because we are afraid that we cannot get out of the way of that stray car that is not paying attention.

The almond tree blossoms refer to our hair if it is gray or white or even exists anymore.

We are like grasshoppers that can no longer jump but drag their body along.

We know that our day to go home to our Heavenly Father is close, and our bodies will be put away.

Our family will mourn us, but will they learn the lessons of salvation?

We will go to our eternal home if we have prepared with our Savior.

We remember we live in a house of clay, but we are moving into a permanent dwelling.

2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
2Co 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

How valuable are we to our families?

To God, we know our souls are the most valuable part of us, and He will claim that soul for Himself to live with Him forever in a new body.

*Ecc 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecc 12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

Life is very precious to us all, but these bodies we live in are very fragile.

We can say that the silver cord is the thread of life because life is so fragile that it is certainly just hanging by a thread.

We must understand we have no life without the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Just as our Heavenly Father is the fountain of life: Psa 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

So has His Son life: Joh 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Apart from God, everything else is dependent upon the Lord Jesus Christ for life and existence.

Life does not exist in its own right!

Life is not even spoken of as “made by” or “through the Word of God” but as we only exist through Jesus.

Jesus will only give true life to those who believe in Him.

Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John the Apostle wrote: Joh 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Our life is like that gold-colored bowl suspended by a thread that is slowly becoming rotten by this sinful world, and will one day snap, dropping that bowl to the ground, and because it is only a gold-colored bowl, it will shatter as it hits the ground, and the light of life will end.

Life is only gold colored and not true gold until it accepts the truth of the Gospel, and then life becomes a valuable jewel that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sustainer of life, and life cannot exist without Him!

Once that golden bowl shatters, it returns to the dust it was made from, but that soul returns to our Creator who gave it.

That spirit of life is the soul, which was God breathed into each one of us.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

The body without the God breathed spirit of life, the soul, is then dead!

That body will return to the dust of the earth from which it was made.

Job 34:14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
Job 34:15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

The body without the spirit is dead.

Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

For those who are saved, the Holy Spirit will also return to Heaven because He promised never to leave us.

The pitcher at the fountain, when it is broken, can no longer provide that life-giving nourishment, and the broken wheel at the cistern can no longer bring up that life-giving nourishment.

That body is dead, that short life is over, and Solomon says that life has meant nothing; it is vain.

If we do not accept the purpose of life that God has given to us, then we have wasted the life that God has given to us, and that soul will suffer everlasting judgment.

Death is empty and meaningless without God, our Creator, and His Son, Jesus!

*Ecc 12:9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
Ecc 12:10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
Ecc 12:11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
Ecc 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

No doubt that King Solomon was the wisest man to have ever lived besides Jesus Himself, but Solomon did go through much of the same foolishness that we all have.

Solomon never completely gave his heart to God.

1Ki_11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Solomon became the writer of this book to impart some of that knowledge to us.

Of course, he was guided by the Holy Spirit, as was all the Word of God.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

King Solomon knew he was a sinner like us all, and as a parent, he wanted us all to avoid the pitfalls of life he had fallen into.

There are many principles of life in these books that carry the name of King Solomon that are good for all people to learn.

These words of Solomon are true because the Holy Spirit will not allow false words into the preserved Word of God.

These words are inspired by God.

There is only one true Shepherd because there is only One True God.

There are millions and millions of books out there today, but there is no greater knowledge than the Books of the Bible.

Mankind will never come up with anything that can take the place of the Bible.

The Word of God is the only source of complete truth.

Only the Word of God can be perfectly and wholly trusted in this world and the world that is to come.

We will be blessed if we study the Word of God and carry it forever in our hearts!

Amen

The Importance of Life

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Wisdom Recognizes What is Important

Book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 7

From the earliest times, the name given to a child was supposed to indicate some characteristic of that child.

Today, we mostly set a nickname on them, and sometimes it sticks for life.

We should ask ourselves; do we have a good name?

The Lord Jesus says that we can get a new name: Rev_2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

We know we are all appointed to a day of death, which really means life to the Christian, but dying with a good name is far better than being born into prosperity.

Death is appointed to every person.
Death is a matter we all need to take seriously.

We know that after our salvation, the most important factor for being successful in this life is wisdom, but only that wisdom that comes by the “Fear of the Lord”.

King Solomon was better known for his wisdom than he was his riches.

It is more important today to live wisely than it was in the day of Solomon.

The Holy Spirit has given us this collection of simple, practical sayings that we can live by.

We must live wisely day by day.

Every day we live is good or bad according to the choices we make that day!

*Ecc 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

We already know that the most important decision we will make in this life is that decision to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in salvation.

So, we have to learn what matters in this life. The world will offer nothing but confusion!

We must learn to discern between the good and the bad; Php 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Php 1:10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Php 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Precious ointment in the day of Solomon was so valuable that only the rich could afford it.

Average people could seldom afford to waste what little money they had on such things as perfume.

This ointment cost nearly a year’s wages; Joh 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
Joh 12:4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him,
Joh 12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

The Holy Spirit is teaching us that if we have to choose between a good name and a lifestyle of the rich and famous, it would be best for us to choose the good name.

Many of us will question whether the day of our death is more important than the day of our birth.

If we had not been born, how could we ever die that death? This is a promotion for the Christian.

If the Lord Jesus Christ had not been born as a human, how could He ever die for our sins?

To me, the difference is that the Lord Jesus had a miraculous birth, but we are all born in sin.

The time we have between the time of our birth and the time of our death is the time that we get to make the right choice about the Gospel.

For the Christian, the time of our death is a promotion to the glory world.

Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Php 1:22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Php 1:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

I feel a whole lot like the Apostle Paul felt about this thing.

I do not want to stay one more day upon this earth than is necessary, but I know for some in my family it is better for me to stay here for as long as God will allow me.

The truth for the Christian is: 2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

For the unbeliever, these things are not true because they do not have the promise of eternal life; they live every day with the promise of eternal death.

*Ecc 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

We should understand that the day of a person’s death is better than a joyful feast is only true if Jesus Christ is not involved!

We who love Jesus Christ know that to depart this world is very much better.

Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Any reasonable person will admit that going to a festival is more enjoyable than a funeral.

No one gets excited about attending a funeral of a family member or a friend.

For me, death hits me right in the heart because in Vietnam, I saw death, and it is terrible, and I would rather not be around death because it brings back memories I would love to forget.

I accept this scripture because I know the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.

To those who do not know the Lord Jesus as their Savior, it is better to go to the house of mourning because death is something that every living soul needs to take seriously.

There is death coming to this body of flesh we live in!

Most of us will reflect on our own mortality at a funeral.

In many cases, God the Holy Spirit will go to work at funerals, and in their conscience and thoughts, they will begin to feel that there can be some kind of life after death.

We must take the time to think about what we can do to prepare for our death and help others to prepare for their death.

Ecc_12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Even if you do not believe in God, our Creator, you should wonder why we do not live longer in this great world of technology.

Heb_2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

It is a Holy God who holds the power of life and death in His hands.

God is not saying to avoid the right causes for celebrating because God gives much to celebrate.

If we wait till the day of our death, we will have missed out on God’s promise of life.

*Ecc 7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Ecc 7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

We can feel sorrow or sadness for many reasons!

Our emotions depend upon the cause of our distress.

We cannot wish that death would simply go away.

There will never be a life-giving serum that will overcome death.

This was God’s purpose for sending His Son to death.

There is no life in pleasure because pleasure is short-term.

Sorrow brings benefits to life that pleasure cannot.

Sorrow causes us to release our emotions and draw closer to others.

The world looks at life on the animal plane, while the child of God looks at life on the Spiritual plane.

Life is not hopeless if we look through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Those who take the “leap of faith” into the truth of the Gospel will not be in despair because of hopelessness.

Solomon says life is in vain, while Jehovah says true life is in our future after this short life we live today.

We must allow sorrow to do its work in our lives while thinking about the sorrow that our Lord Jesus Christ endured both on and off the cross, then we can see the impact it had on His life, which is our life.

Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

It is a fool who rejects the truth of Jehovah God!

*Ecc 7:5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecc 7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
Ecc 7:7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

None of us likes to be corrected.

None of us like to be scolded.

None of us like to be criticized.

People just prefer flattery and compliments.

The fool is blind to Spiritual things.

If we want to be serious about God’s plan for our lives, we have to deal with wise people who will help us live our lives.

Those who have the “fear of the Lord” cannot take away all our grief or solve all our problems, but they can show how to deal with them.

A fool has nothing to offer to those with a broken heart!

A fire for cooking will not last very long if it is built out of thorns and has no effect on the cooking pot.

It is foolish to see if the pot is boiling.

Thorns do not even make the pot warm.

It is a fool who thinks he will not see death at any time.

It is a fool who seeks only laughter but is blind to the essentials of life.

In reality, humans are poor judges of what is real and of lasting value unless we know the truth of the Gospel!

A gift intended as a bribe might cause us to act differently from our understanding of the truth if we allow it.

There are two ways to make a wise man mad.

1) By suffering oppression from other so-called wise men.
2) By being offered a bribe to oppress others.

This is the vanity of worldly wisdom that causes corruption and loss to those who cannot afford any loss.

*Ecc 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

At the beginning of a matter, it is not clear how it will develop, but only at the end of a matter.

It can only be determined if it is useful information and important if we wait until the end to form our judgment.

It is the same in Spiritual matters as it is in practical living.

Sometimes our lives are like unfinished projects. They start good, but we run out of steam before we can finish them.

It is better to finish something we have started than to start something new in almost every case.

To the righteous man, we must realize that the important things in life are not quickly completed.

The things that really matter require commitment, determination, and discipline.

It is not always easy to live the Christian life!

Again, the Lord Jesus is our example: Joh 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

We may not think of it, but it is a great thing to come to the end of our lives knowing that we have completed the thing that God had planned for us to accomplish.

We need patience to continue in the plan of God for our lives and see it to the end.

Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Life is too short, and our opportunities are limited for us to make a name that is good as our days come to an end.

God does not lead us to begin something that He will not give us time to finish!

*Ecc 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

People who can hold their temper are wise for many reasons.

Pride is the reason for those who cannot and lack patience.

Many people get mad at God when something tragic happens in their lives or the life of a family member.

Many people get mad at God when it does not seem that God will answer their prayers.

These people will get mad at other people for these same reasons!

The Word of God stresses the importance of controlling our anger.

Jas 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

We can be eaten away with anger.

Any sin of the flesh can be conquered by following the Word of God.

1) We must know that a quick temper is a sin.
2) We must realize that we are wearing the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
3) We must listen to the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
4) We must die to ourselves, allowing Jesus Christ to live through us.
5) We must be prepared to battle the temptation to become angry by memorizing and recalling Scripture when it is needed.

Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

*Ecc 7:10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

When we talk about the good old days, the Lord Jesus teaches us, we are not thinking right.

It is not profitable to live in the past!

When we think back, we tend to think of only happy days, and we forget that our past had its bad days, too.

The world is always changing, so expecting things to stay the same is unrealistic.

This world we live in is in constant deterioration, not progressing into a better world.

We are to focus on today and not tomorrow.

God will be just as faithful tomorrow as He is today.

Listen to the Apostle Paul:

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

*Ecc 7:11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
Ecc 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Ecc 7:13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
Ecc 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

Wisdom is a source of wealth and is precious, and is to be used wisely.
Wisdom is greatly desired.
Wisdom is one of the gifts we can get from God just by asking Him for it.
Wisdom is gained from those who have gone on before us.

If we receive an inheritance, it is something that was earned through the efforts of those who went before us.
It is the same with wisdom.

Wisdom is somewhat like money. It can be used wisely, or it can be thrown away.
Wisdom will retain its value unless we foolishly forsake it.

Jehovah God is the source of perfect wisdom, and He will share it with all His children.

There is no other knowledge that gives life like the knowledge of God the Father and God the Son, the Gospel.

No one can change anything God has done or what He says He will do!

The more we dispute God, the less we will understand!

We must remember one most important thing!

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Why would we want to change anything God has already done when He did those things for His children’s betterment?

God brings prosperity and adversity to our lives, and He has His reasons.

When we are on the mountain, we need to enjoy it to the fullest because it will not be very long before we are in a valley.

Listen and learn from Job:

Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Job 1:22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

God’s wisdom helps us accept that we cannot know what tomorrow will bring, but we do know what our ending will be.

Our faith must stay steady.

God is not committed to our short-term happiness.
God is committed to our salvation and our character after salvation!

We cannot go through this life wondering, “What if I had done things differently”?

It is our Heavenly Father who is in control of the years, the months, the days, the hours, the minutes, and the seconds of our lives.

We are to learn from the things we go through and be better because we went through them!

God knows what is best for us!

*Ecc 7:15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
Ecc 7:16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Ecc 7:17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Ecc 7:18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

Many times we as Christians are miserable because we see wickedness prosper while Christians suffer.

1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

It seems the ungodly prosper in this world and no one cares if they do it illegally.

It is only when we know the truth that we begin to understand.

Psa 73:17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
Psa 73:18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
Psa 73:19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

I do not think we realize until we get old just how fragile these bodies we live in are.

We should be amazed that these bodies last into the seventy years that are mentioned in the Scriptures.

Why do bad things happen to good people, and why do the wicked prosper in their wicked lives?

When we look over the things in this world, we see that life is far different from what we expect.

God does not always reward the righteous, and God does not always punish the wicked.

Some people believe that only the good die young.

The truth is that there are no guarantees in life.

There is no formula for a long, prosperous, trouble-free existence.

The truth is it is a sin to elevate ourselves over others in our judgment!

We must never elevate ourselves to the place of God.

It is a sin to think we are wiser than God!

It is a sin to assume that living righteously places God under some obligation to us.

God will keep every promise He has made to us in His own time and in His own place of choosing.

We are not to become Pharisees and make salvation a works doctrine.

1Pe 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

We must never think we can commit a wicked deed and prosper as the wicked did when doing that same deed.

A life of excessive sin will most times lead to premature death.

We see this every day in the news.

Our world is becoming worse just as the Lord has said.

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

The only answer we need to the things we see is for us to continue our walk in the name of Jesus Christ.

We must walk daily in the “fear of the Lord”.

As long as we are on this earth, we will have to learn to deal with the brutal reality that we live in a sinful and wicked world.

Our Heavenly Father is never unjust, and He never makes a mistake.

We should understand that death is our friend and not our enemy.

The Lord is always working out things for the good of us: Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

What happens here on earth is not our final outcome!

There is ultimate condemnation coming to the wicked!

Psa 37:1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Psa 37:2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

*Ecc 7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
Ecc 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

There is great strength that comes from the wisdom of the Lord!

It is by the wisdom of God that this world could conquer sin, if this world wanted to conquer sin.

We know that the world is too involved in sin to want sin eradicated.

We will face temptations all day in this world.

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

This world is the domain of the Devil.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Sin will rob us of our effectiveness in this world.

Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

We must face sin and deal with it according to the Word of God.

Our penalty for sin has already been paid at Mount Calvary.

We know that God is always right.

God’s wisdom warns us of the dangers that lie ahead of us until He takes us home.

Amen

Staying Focused on the Word of God

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Wisdom’s Observation of Vanity and Vexation of Spirit

Book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 4

What is the providence of God? It is a continuous and progressive revelation of Jehovah God, whose never-failing providence orders all things both in Heaven and Earth.

Belief in Providence stands or falls with belief in a personal God.

The Lord Jesus has taught us that the laws of nature are the established methods of His Heavenly Father’s workings and that they fulfill and reveal His Will.

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 

Mat 6:26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Mat 10:29  Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 

Mat 10:30  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

Mat 10:31  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 

Mat 10:32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

As humans, we like to ignore the problems that exist around us because they trouble us and rob us of our happiness.

We just do not want to be a part of the difficulties and crises around us.

The truth is that life is full of problems.

Every day, we see people who are the victims of the circumstances of wickedness and the sin in our world.

Did God cause these things? Certainly, He did not.

Does God cause our pain and sorrows? Absolutely not.

I should say in chastisement, we could have some pain, but we must be one of God’s children to receive chastisement.

These are the things the “god of this world” causes; 2Co_4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Great men and many politicians stand up and tell us how they are going to make this world a better place, but they all fail.

Today, there are some rich men who want to leave this world and establish another place because they see that there is nothing that can make this world better.

They are all wrong because only God has a plan for this world that will work!

1Co_1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

This world must turn to the Almighty God and have faith in His providence, and it begins with faith.

1Jn_4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1Jn_5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

We must keep our eyes focused upon the God of the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ!

King Solomon saw all these things in His wisdom, and He came to the same conclusion.

*****Ecc 4:1  So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. 

Ecc 4:2  Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. 

Ecc 4:3  Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. 

Why did Solomon write this verse?

Ecc 3:16  And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. 

Ecc 3:17  I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

The world is full of injustice, yet the world goes about trying to solve minute problems that cannot be solved without first stopping injustice.

Much sorrow in this world comes from injustice!

The true power in our world is in the hands of oppressors.

God solved this problem with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isa_19:20  And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

As wise as King Solomon was and with his great wealth, he could do nothing about this oppression, this injustice, or this inequality.

In fact, he was part of it. We know the children of Israel suffered under his high taxes.

Solomon became frustrated, and he should have.

The politics of America is at a stalemate, and the politicians are frustrated because they cannot do anything about it as they are seeking worldly answers to avoid a Spiritual truth.

Unless America turns back to the God of the Bible, we will remain divided, and we see that those who are pushing communism are showing strength when they should be ignored.

We should understand that power always lies with the oppressors because power is the breeding ground of oppression.

Power corrupts, as we have seen in the last twenty years of our own nation.

When reformers take over power, they turn into tyrants, which will not solve the problems.

When the Lord Jesus saw this in Jerusalem, what did He do? Jesus wept.

Then He was crucified.

Psa 69:20  Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. 

Solomon’s only conclusion was that the dead are better off than the living.

God says those who choose His Savior are far better off than the dead.

Jhn_11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Solomon said even the stillborn and aborted are better off than those who experience life in this world.

They will not see the evil activity of the oppressors, nor the grief of the oppressed.

Solomon is right about one thing. These stillborn children and all the aborted children are already in Heaven, and they will certainly miss out on the wickedness of this world.

As far as we who believe, all these things should drive us closer to God!

As Christians, we are not to become so self-consumed that we are blind to those who are oppressed.

We have the answers to the world’s problems, and it is in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is no other answer to the world’s problems!

*****Ecc 4:4  Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

The truth is that in most workplaces, each worker constantly lives in a state of competition with other workers.

Those bosses are always looking at who shines the brightest.

Because we all want to be successful, we get caught up in these things.

Envy and jealousy in the workplace cause all sorts of problems.

It causes problems in the workplace, and it causes problems in the home.

Remember Joseph; Gen 37:4  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. 

Remember the brother of the prodigal son;

Luk 15:25  Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 

Luk 15:26  And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 

Luk 15:27  And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 

Luk 15:28  And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

The desire to succeed becomes meaningless when envy rules the heart.

Envy robs people of satisfaction and the true purpose behind achievement.

What is God’s answer? Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 

Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 

*****Ecc 4:5  The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 

Here we see the fool who has seen what hard work is accomplished by others, and many of them do not get a fair return for their labor.

This fool folds his hands and only works hard enough to get paid.

He will never amount to much, and his reputation will follow him.

We already know that to be lazy is a sin.

We already know that God says those who are lazy should not eat.

So, in reality, this fool is destroying himself, and he can blame no one but himself, though he will not accept it is his fault and blame it upon his circumstances.

Isa 9:20  And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm: 

God expects us all to have a good work ethic.

Col 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

*****Ecc 4:6  Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. 

We have seen people who are obsessed with working to outdo those around them, which caused some to be envious of them.

Then we have seen those people too lazy to work at all and destroy themselves.

Now we see people who are zealous because they are greedy and covetous and can never get enough.

The one who has worked enough with one hand to satisfy his family and, on the other hand, spends time with his family, lives in peace.

The person who works to have both hands full is still not satisfied, is full of turmoil, and is restless.

Those who are filled with the wisdom of God and have the necessities of life can experience peace.

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 

When we are full of the wisdom of God, we can face less stress and lie our heads at night in peace!

Those who can never get enough to satisfy them never have peace of mind.

We must do our best to be good stewards of the things God allows us to have.

1Co 7:17  But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 

*****Ecc 4:7  Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. 

Ecc 4:8  There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. 

Ecc 4:9  Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 

Ecc 4:10  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 

Ecc 4:11  Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 

Ecc 4:12  And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 

What is loneliness?

Loneliness is considered an epidemic by the Surgeon General of the United States.

It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.

God always knows what He is talking about!

It is said that there are far too many lonely people on this earth.

Many work hard and earn a lot, but have no one to share those things with.

Loneliness is the emptiness of the human soul.

Some people let work be their family, and it just does not work out in their favor.

We need some relationships in our lives.

We have to do things to change this situation if we are suffering from loneliness.

We do need people around us to share our lives with.

We must understand that people whom we can share our lives are much more important than material things we can possess.

We need to love and feel loved.

We need companionship that comes from others.

We need our emotional needs met.

We need those around us who bring meaning to our lives.

We need the joy that others can provide us.

We have that feeling of satisfaction that we receive from being a companion to others.

Two people can do things that one cannot.

With two, there is always someone to help in certain situations.

In the days of Solomon, people had to walk everywhere they went, and the same desert that brought heat during the day brought cold at night.

Two people traveling together could better fend off the cold.

Two people can defend themselves better than one who is alone.

In fact, three would be better than two in this situation.

There are three characteristics in the lives of each child of God.

1Co_13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

We could also say that the three persons of the Holy Trinity are why our bond with our Lord Jesus Christ cannot be broken.

Jhn_10:29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

Joh 10:30  I and my Father are one. 

We as Christians should reach out to those who are alone.

Many who need the Lord Jesus Christ could end their loneliness: Psa 142:4  I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. 

Psa 142:5  I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. 

*****Ecc 4:13  Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. 

Ecc 4:14  For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. 

Ecc 4:15  I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead. 

Ecc 4:16  There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit. 

If the word wise means having the wisdom of God, then it is far better to be a poor but wise young man than a rich and foolish old king who rejects the Word of God.

That old king will still reap what he sows and be held accountable for it.

Power has caused many good people to become wicked.

Solomon is a great example of these things. He was a godly young man, and God allowed him wisdom far greater than any man, and yet he allowed his wicked wives to change him, and his kingship suffered because of it.

He had the power and the wealth to do anything he chose to do, and he chose wickedness over godliness.

People are fickle; we should remember the same people who shouted “Hosanna” when our Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem a few days later said, “Crucify Him”.

We live in the same world today where the minds of people are changed by the politics of our world.

Everything changes because nothing but the Word of God lasts forever!

We cannot please everyone, but we must do our best to trust the wisdom of God and serve Him.

He is our King forever!

When we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, we find that the rich and the poor have changed places.

The children of God inherit the riches of Heaven, while the rich old kings become poor in this world, and their riches become meaningless.

It is those who are lost in this world who are caught in the chains of the Devil, who, after giving their heart to the Lord Jesus, become the kings and priests of the Kingdom of God.

Rev_1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev_5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Many believe that this passage is written in the thought of Joseph, who was made second only to Pharaoh.

Gen 41:39  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 

Gen 41:40  Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 

Gen 41:41  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 

Gen 41:42  And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 

Gen 41:43  And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

It is the same for the Christian during the Millennial Kingdom, when God’s people will be rulers who will be second to King Jesus.

Rev_3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

One day in the future, the Lord Jesus Christ will sit as King of this world for one thousand years, but He will rule with a rod of iron.

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Every one of us has the desire to be respected and liked by others, and we have it in our power to make this so.

If we live according to the Word of God, God’s people will treat us as a brother or a sister.

Most of the world will show us hatred because they hate the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our identity must be found in our value to our Heavenly Father and who we are in Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ died so we could be saved, and He arose from that death to show us who He is.

This is what truly matters in our lives!

This is what makes us family to the Almighty God, and nothing upon this earth can change this.

Those who trust in their popularity and in what others think about them will never be satisfied.

They will fail to please the Lord, and they will die in their sin.

Gal 1:10  For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 

Amen

Applying God’s Wisdom

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Applying God’s Wisdom To Life

Ecclesiastes 11-12

Making application in theology, is the act by which the truths of Jesus Christ are transferred to mankind, for his justification.

The pure fact is, that any life that omits the Lord Jesus Christ will indeed be a life that is meaningless!

To deny that Christ Jesus is not God is to reject all the Scriptures!

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

Jesus was the Messiah sent from God, this is a fact!

Christ means Messiah.

Messiah means the God-Man.

1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

You cannot become a child of God if you reject Jesus Christ as God!

1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus “is the Christ” is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Who are the deceivers in our world?

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, “who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist”.

All those that deny Jesus Christ are denying God!

Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, “and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ”.

God tells us all these things so we can know the truth.

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; “that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God”.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the wisdom of God and we must apply this wisdom to our lives for our lives to have meaning!

*****Ecc 11:7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
Ecc 11:8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

As believers we have the ability to enjoy all the years of our lives.

Every stage of life from young to old offers pleasures that cannot be relived!

The sun rises and then the sun sets everyday and as long as we can see the sun we know we are alive because our eyes are closed at death and there is only darkness.

Even in these days of sunlight we will still have some dark days:

Job 3:20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;
Job 3:21 Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

To most of us, we remember the days we were young as the daytime of our years compared to now, since we are old and see these day as the night time of our years.

The truth is, that once we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we really have no excuse not to enjoy every day that we live, even on those dark days.

The truth is, the younger we begin our relationship with the Lord, the more pleasant our memories will be as we grow older.

These things are only meaningless to those who do not know the Lord!

As Solomon was searching the true meaning of life, he discovered the truth of God!

What ever path we choose, to know the Lord as our Savior is a choice, and at the end of every life we will come the judgment of God!

*****Ecc 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Ecc 11:10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

In reality, we should have only one thought as we live this life that God has given to us and it is the fact that we all will face God in judgment.

This does not limit rejoicing at any age as some surmise.

Young people have very little time and very few opportunities to enjoy many things while they still have the strength to do them.

Believe me when I say, that in every older person there is the spirit of a young person, who knows that there are so many things that we are not physically able to do, that we wish we had done while we were still young.

We end up remembering all the mistakes we made rather then the joys we could have had!

It is true, that even after salvation we have a tendency to place restrictions on ourselves, that God has never placed on us!

The truth is, God richly provides many things for our enjoyment:

1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

God just expects us to make wise choices and we already know that true wisdom can only come from a close personal relationship with the Lord.

God expects us all to banish sorrow and worry and to put away sadness from our bodies and our minds.

Judgement is not a thing to bring sorrow.

We should look forward to the judgment of God knowing that to know the Lord on a personal basis is to gain the reward of eternal life and the opportunity to earn even other rewards.

There are great benefits in serving the Lord!

The truth is, we will never enjoy a life without Jesus Christ!

If we try to enjoy the pleasures of sin, which can only last a short time, we will be handicapped by the knowledge of the coming judgment.

Job 20:4 Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
Job 20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

We should never allow the cares of this world, to rob us of the life that God intends for us to have!

If we begin to live a holy life in our young days, we will not have anything to worry about in our old age!

1Ti 4:11 These things command and teach.
1Ti 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

The truth of the Bible is, that if we cannot accept the truth of the Book of Genesis, we will never know the truth of our Creator!

*****Ecc 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

What is the most important thing for our youth today?

Our youth need to reject all the teachings of evolution which are all lies, and remember that we have a Creator!

When we realize that we are created, we will also realize we were created with a Divine purpose.

When we realize that our Creator has now become our Savior, it will change our life forever!

Once we accept Christ as our Savior, the Spirit of God will actually live within our bodies!

This means, that no matter where we are, we will always have God’s presence to guide us!

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

A true Creator can make things out of nothing. God made us out of nothing.

By the right of creation, God is entitled to have authority and control over our lives.

In today’s language, we would say that God owns the patent on our lives as human beings, and God will never sell us out.

As humans we will all answer to our Creator!

We have only One Creator, who then is our only Judge, who will judge our lives, our words, our thoughts, and all our deeds.

Those that reject these things are doomed to Hell and later the “Burning Lake of Fire”.

AND, we must not listen to false religions, who say that there is no Hell because this place certainly exist!

If we will live with the awareness of God throughout our younger years, while we have the desire and energy, we can still enjoy life and the things that life has to offer!

Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”.

Knowing Christ is knowing the truth of life!

It is a fact and most all of us up in years, will concede that most of our time is now spent trying to hold onto the life that we have.

There is not much fun in growing old, but that does not mean that there is no joy even in the aged life.

Every age of life will have it’s particular joys!

We should all realize, that God is saying it is not much fun getting old!

Solomon will now describe what it is like getting old.

*****Ecc 12:2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

For most of us in our latter years, there will be more days of no light and no joy and the good.

More days that grow dark from clouds of problems and the pain of growing old!

As we get older, we have pains and afflictions that just do not go away.

We know that when dark heavy clouds pass by and drop their rain, they will then roll on by and the Sun will then come out.

BUT, this is not the case with the storm clouds of old age!

As we get older, we may find some relief from the aches and pains of the body but it will only be temporary and the aches and pains will always return.

It is best to remember God while we are still young, while we can still avoid some of our foolishness that will be the cause of many of our aches and pains of our old age!

*****Ecc 12:3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
Ecc 12:4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
Ecc 12:5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

Watch how Solomon describes the decay which creeps into the body as we get older.

While we are young, we need to learn to walk faithfully with the Lord because a day is coming when we will not be able to serve God as we would like to.

We see that this passage refers to our body as an aging house that is beginning to fall apart.

The keepers of the house are the hands and the arms.

The strong men are the legs.

The grinders are the teeth.

And those windows are the eyes.

We need to remember our Creator before the arms begin to tremble and we cannot protect our homes, our bodies.

We need to remember our Creator before our bodies begin to stoop over.

We need to remember our Creator before our teeth start falling out.

We need to remember our Creator before our eyesight starts failing.

None of us will be like Moses who at 120 years old, his eyes were not dim nor his natural force was abated!

Verse 4 adds, we need to remember our Creator before our legs become to weak to walk outside.

As we know, many of our aged brothers and sisters our house bound or in nursing homes due to bodily weakness and can no longer get out the doors into the streets.

They have difficulty in hearing.

Difficulty in speaking.

Difficulty in singing.

Along with difficulty in sleeping, because even the pleasant chirping of the birds is a distraction on most days.

Verse 5 adds the the fear of falling from heights or the fear of falling from ladders or even falling down the stairs.

It is that fear that limits the things that we used to do with ease!

But there is also the fear of just being in the way while others are productive!

As we get older, sometimes we just feel that we just get in the way so we just don’t offer to help.

We need to remember our Creator before our hair turns gray as the almond blossoms.

We need to remember our Creator before even the chirping of the insects is bothersome and as our hearing fades, we hear that ringing in our ears or the jungle in our ears, even when it is quiet and their are no sounds.

We need to remember our Creator before all our desires fail, especially that desire to serve our Lord which we can no longer do because our bodies have become so feeble.

We must remember our Creator before we are placed in that long home and death has over come us, and all life goes out!

The truth is, one day we will move out of our earthly house of clay, and will move into a permanent dwelling in either Heaven or Hell.

That move to Heaven will be the most glorious of our accomplishments, especially if we have remembered our Creator in the time of our youth.

That move to Hell will be a move to everlasting torments if we have rejected our Creator!

We are all just one step away from eternity at all times!

David while he was still young and before he was King of Israel, said these words:

1Sa 20:3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, “there is but a step between me and death”.

David did not forget his Creator while he was still young!

The truth is, a person is alive one day and full of life and the next day they have been overcome by death!

Solomon had already gotten old, before he realized the same things his father knew when he was very young.

The truth is, if we sow the seeds of sin while we are young, we will painfully reap what we have sown in our old age!

Solomon realized his mistakes and returned to the Lord before his death!

It can be said that Solomon broke all ten of the moral laws of God and most probably all of the 613 commands of the Jewish Law and it is certain that Solomon broke God’s commandments given to all the kings of Israel.

We would be wiser than Solomon if we remembered our Creator while we are still young!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

If for no other reason, we need to remember our Creator because in reality life is certainly fragile!

*****Ecc 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Ecc 12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

There are many ways of interpreting this silver cord, by if we keep with the theme of the body, that silver cord represents the marrow of the spine, which is white and precious as silver, to our wellbeing and the strength in our back.

That golden bowl of the lamp, then answers to the skull which is full of all the wisdom we have obtained in our life time and much of it is very valuable.

In the days of Solomon, many a lamp was suspended from the ceiling of the homes to provide light.

Over time that cord would decay to a point when it would snap and that golden bowl would fall to the ground and that light would be out.

Solomon’s point was, that our life can snap or give way at any time because life is fragile and the light of our life will be put out.

When the pitcher is broken you can draw no water from the pool, even though the pool is full.

When the crank is broken at the well, you can draw no water at the well even though the well is not dry.

At our death, it is too late to depend on God unless we have remembered our Creator while we are young.

We cannot draw from the wisdom of God after we have met death!

Life is fragile and death can come at any moment!

Then at that very moment, the physical body will return the the dust from which is was made.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

God created man from the dust of the ground and man became a living soul when God who is Spirit, “breathed the breath of life into man”.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

And that spirit which was breathed into man’s nostrils will return to the Creator who made it!

Even in death we see that God keeps His promise to every human being!

It is what God does with the that “Spirit of Life” after death that has the most importance and that is a decision that God did not make but that we make ourselves!

The molecules of the body disintegrate back to it’s basic elements.

Job 20:11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

God’s life giving spirit does not ever die!

Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isa 57:16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

All those who are part of the Church, those with their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, will return to the Lord.

Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Those who do not have their name written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, will begin their life of torment!

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

These are the facts of life and we all need to realize we have a Creator while we are still young!

Vanity is nothing.

Vanity is meaningless.

All those that do not know the Lord as their personal Savior are less than nothing, less than meaningless, in the eyes of God.

Psa 62:9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: “to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity”.

We need to take the time to know our Creator!

Psa 39:4 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

We must listen to the words of those who preach the truth!

*****Ecc 12:9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

As Solomon brings this book to an end, he lists several facts that we all need to listen to.

Solomon had asked God for wisdom and God had answered that prayer and Solomon became the wisest man to have ever lived.

So this great Book of the Bible was written in part to share that wisdom with all those that study the Word of God.

Solomon also realized that he had stumbled greatly in serving the Lord and he wrote this book so we could avoid the same pitfalls of life that he had fallen prey to.

Solomon did not realize until he was close to death, that lasting fulfillment and satisfaction in this life, can only come from the the giver of all life who is our Lord.

Solomon realized if our youth could see the mistakes that he had made, then maybe they could be saved from making the same mistakes.

We must also remember these words of Solomon were also inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore they are all true.

*****Ecc 12:10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

We can trust the words Solomon has written for as being true and upright.

“Upright” means that the Holy Spirit has approved these words as being right and correct.

“True” means with certainty and trustworthiness.

These words that Solomon has written, are things that happen in life.

We can trust all the Word of God to be the truth.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

We should study the Book of Ecclesiastes because these words are like goads.

*****Ecc 12:11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

A goad was a pointed instrument that was used to cause an animal such as an ox to move a little faster and in the right direction.

We should study the Book of Ecclesiastes because these words “are like nails” which are used to bind things together.

The Word of God is designed to guide us to the proper place in life and when we get there God’s Word will nail us in place for safe keeping.

Jesus was nailed to the cross because that was the one place where He could bring salvation to us all!

This “ones shepherd was not Solomon there is only one true Shepherd and that is the Lord Jesus Christ!

The entire Word of God contains the goads and the nails to bind us all to our true Shepherd!

Solomon is saying “don’t take my word for it, because God gave me these words and they are true”!

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

We now have the complete Word of God, so we can see the importance of the Book of Ecclesiastes.

The meaning of true life is found in God, through His Son, Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ is the answer to all life’s questions.

In fact Jesus is the answer to every question that we have!

Once we know the answer to every question of life (Jesus), then we can have His joy also!

*****Ecc 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

It has surprised historians to find so many books that were written at the time of Solomon, before him and just after.

But God adds a strong warning to all of us.

Beware of reading endless books in the place of God’s Word!

Beware of wasting needed time and energy on to much study of other books!

God’s says this:

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Again we must realize that God takes full responsibility for His Words!

When we rightly divide the Word of God, we are not responsible for the actions of those that hear it! These things are in the hand of God!

No other book explains life better than the complete Word of God!

After all, if you bought a new car you would expect to get an owners manual for that car.

God made us all and He has given us all His owners manual!

So we can come to only one conclusion!

*****Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

The most important thing we can remember in this life that will provide true and eternal life, is to “Fear God” and “Keep His Commandments”.

Nothing in life is as important as these two things!

All who keep the commandments of God do so because we all revere God for who He is!

Duty means that we are bound to God by His truth!

But we should also fear God and keep His commandments because God’s “judgment” is coming.

Our every deed will be judged, good or bad.

Our every secret thing will be judged, good or bad.

It is impossible that we can keep anything from the all-knowing God!

This world may deny Him but the fact remains that God sees every thing that goes on in this world.

Pro 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

To know the truth means, that the coming judgment of God is also a source of great comfort to those that know the Lord Jesus Christ.

The great truth of the Bible is this:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

If the Lord is not the center of our life, then we are missing out on joy and satisfaction.

If we do not have a personal relationship with the Lord, we have not made peace with God.

If we are not obeying the commandments of God, there are some areas in our life that are suffering because of it.

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

How To Make Wise Choices

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Knowing How To Make Wise Choices

Ecclesiastes 5-10

The one thing that gets us all in the most trouble is the choices we make in life.

God gave us all the gift of a freewill!

God gave us all the ability to choose.

God does not want a bunch of robot Christians!

Freewill is the power to direct our own actions without restraint.

The greatest choice we all have to make concerns life after death.

God first explained this to Israel:

Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: “therefore choose life”, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Deu 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

We all have to make this choice!

Again God had to explain this to Israel through Joshua:

Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, “choose you this day whom ye will serve”; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Jesus also presented this choice to the apostles and even Peter knew the choice that had to be made and most all of us can relate to Peter:

Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? “thou hast the words of eternal life”.
Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

It is only Jesus Christ who has the words of eternal life!

We should consider that no person knows what lies ahead but those who know the truth and are wise and are in God’s hands.

Once we know the truth then our eyes are open to the truth!

We also know that to the human, death is the most horrible of tragedies.

Death is the fate of everyone.
Death is the end for all those who live in the world.
Death is the end of all hope.

And we know that life is uncertain and totally unpredictable!

Let’s begin at Chapter 9 verse 11:

*****Ecc 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

The truth of this world is, that the outcome of a person’s life is unpredictable!

Abilities are not a guarantee of success!

Things just do not turn out like we expect them to!

The results of things are most always determined by unforseen circumstances.

Success is never guaranteed!

Most things are determined by being in the right place at the right time, in others words by chance.

Many things are just a matter of timing.

Timing is something we have a limited control over!

Chance refers to those things that cannot be prepared for, or unseen factors over which we have no control.

For instance an unexpected death can affect our success.

*****Ecc 9:12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

No matter how hard we may work, or how close we are to finishing a project, death can suddenly and unexpectedly bring things to an unforeseen end!

Death is like a net that catches a fish against it’s will.

Death is like the trap that seizes a bird in it’s clutches unaware.

Unexpected and catastrophic events can effect our success.

Trips, falls, accidents, cancer, heart attacks, or some other illness can stop things that looked like they were about to be finished.

Only while there is life, do we have the opportunity of preparing for our death, since death is certain.

It takes wisdom to make the best possible use of life while it lasts!

*****Ecc 9:13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
Ecc 9:14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Ecc 9:15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

We see that the wisdom, this world has to offer, has no guarantee of success!

It seems that Solomon may be relating this statement to an actual event in history of his own lifetime.

This event concerns a poor but a very wise man.

A small city was under attack by a mighty king. This city had a wall but other than that, it had no real means to defend itself.

This city was helpless against this mighty army.

Living in that city was a very wise but poor man who suggested a great military solution that worked, and the city was saved.

One would think that this man would at least be rewarded for his wisdom, but that was not the case and this man was soon forgotten.

God would not give us this lesson if we were not to learn from it!

It is a fact that the world we live in, is but a small thing to an awesome and a mighty God.

One day soon an angry God will inflict judgment on this world.

God demands justice on each sinner!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the answer to this dilemma.

Jesus Christ offered Himself as the innocent Lamb of God, and by His sacrifice this little city, which in “type” represents the Church is now made safe.

Today we see that many in the Church have forgotten the Savior and His sacrifice is no longer remembered by far too many, who call themselves Christians.

*****Ecc 9:16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

In our story, this poor man’s wisdom was more powerful than that of the mighty kings army.

In our world today, we know that the “Grace” of God is more powerful than the wrath of God!

Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

In our story, this poor man was despised because he was wiser than all others in this city.

In our world, the Lord Jesus Christ is despised, because He has made salvation such a simple thing that the world rejects it as not possible and His words are not heard!

The truth is, in this world we live in, wisdom and accomplishments can be despised and go unrewarded because of self-centered and prideful people.

Our world finds it humiliating, to admit that they are in need of a Savior!

The truth is, wise words spoken quietly are much more powerful than the loud words of all those who are foolish!

*****Ecc 9:17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

When this little city was about to be over run, no doubt there were many who proclaimed to know the answers, but it was only the poor wise man who calmly knew the truth.

We must all realize it is the wisdom of God that will prevail in our lives at all times.

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

The truth is, God’s wisdom is much better than any weapon of war, but it is also true that one sinner can destroy much good!

*****Ecc 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

The truth is, that life offers no guarantees.

Abilities and knowledge do not always lead to success!

AND, Doing something that is great for others does not guarantee gratitude!

It is the unforeseen future things that happen, that can change all our plans, which includes our death!

Most of us buy insurance for the unexpected events in our life.

The greatest insurance we can have, is a close and a personal relationship with the Lord and it is free!

The Lord said He would never leave us nor forsake us, but the Lord also warned us that we walked among wolves and even walked among some wolves in sheep’s clothing.

We cannot trust that tomorrow will come!

We cannot rely on anything except the fact, that God loves us and we are on the winning side.

God’s plan and God’s power will lead us to victory!

We are only wise when we depend on the Word of God for our answers!

We are only wise when we are in daily contact with our Savior!

Life is unpredictable!

Death is certain!

True happiness is only found, when we appreciate the people and the things that God has placed in our lives!

Psa 144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

Happiness is the result of making wise decisions and then living life wisely!

We must also realize that foolish behavior is dangerous.

*****Ecc 10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

We must realize that even very little foolish behavior is dangerous to us.

Remember Noah who found “Grace” in the eyes of the Lord but when the flood was over, Noah relaxed with the wine. Noah lived 350 more years but we never hear of any more good things from him.

We should remember Moses, who struck the rock and did not get to go into the promise land with the others.

Even one transgression can have serious consequences, just as one piece of bad fruit can ruin the whole bushel.

Solomon says, you could have the most expensive perfume that money can buy, but if flies get into the bottle and die and float to the top, suddenly that perfume is worthless.

One senseless impulsive mistake, can ruin the testimony of the Christian and his ability to witness, and render us of little use to the Lord.

The truth is foolish behavior exposes a corrupt heart!

*****Ecc 10:2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.

The Bible is specific, a person’s heart determines their actions and their words!

Luk 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Our words are actually commentaries of our wills. To be in the will of God is to keep our soul and our body under control to do whatsoever God wills us to be doing.

This verse has no reflection on the right handed or left handed people, but as we lefties know most of our world is right handed.

The right hand, in the Word of God, refers to the hand of strength and dexterity and the left hand is seen as the weaker hand.

The Scripture means a wise man will lean toward his strengths and not his weaknesses.

It can also means that the wise man will strengthen his reputation rather than cause dishonor to his reputation!

A corrupt heart shows a lack of good sense!

*****Ecc 10:3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

As Christians we must always be concerned about our testimony!

Not only will we worthless in the work of the Lord if we ruin our testimony, but we must also remember that we will one day stand before the Lord and give an account of our actions!

We know that Noah and Moses were still used by the Lord, but they had lost their effectiveness.

These men are great heroes of the Bible, but just like Samson their light grew dim.

Jesus said:

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

These heroes of the Bible could have shined even brighter, just as we all can!

Remember they to must stand before the Lord and give an account of themselves!

We must be filled with the Holy Spirit daily!

We must put on the armor of God daily!

We must pick up our own cross and follow the Lord daily!

We must speak with the “sword of the spirit” which is the Word of God in all our conversations.

Remember it is God who is responsible for His own words and we our responsible for our own words.

It’s best to speak with God’s Words as much as possible, rightly divided!

*****Ecc 10:4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

It seems that the the biggest problem we have with our youth of today is their lack of respecting authority.

It begins at the home and proceeds into the world.

Today as we speak there are many movements against our police officers.

Solomon gives us some advice on dealing with authority.

The first thing we must do is respond when those in authority become angry with us.

1) First we must not quit and run. (leave not thy place)

If our boss gets angry at something we have done we should not just forfeit our position.

We must not base our response on hurt feelings, or embarrassment, or because we are angry.

Even if we feel like we have been wronged, we should not do anything foolish.

2) We must remain calm and if possible correct our mistake. (for yielding pacifieth)

We must not be fueled by our emotions!

We as humans find it very hard to admit we are wrong!

Words spoken out of anger and emotion are often irresponsible, and they cannot be recalled.

God says:

Pro 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

We should not run away from an irate boss but ride out his anger.

Just the same, children, especially teenagers, should not run away or lose respect for a parent because of harsh words or lost tempers.

That husband or that wife should not let heated arguments come between them!

Remember, as God forgives us, we should forgive those who cause us hurt.

Now no one should be expected to stay in an abusive relationship!

Nor should someone with a bad temper just be excused for their actions!

God says:

Ecc 8:6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

We should not retaliate for bad behavior.

We also, should not walk away from our responsibilities.

We are to patiently wait for the right time to address the issues that caused the problem to begin with!

We must remember that we are all sinners saved only by the “Grace” of God!

Here again we know that Jesus Christ set the perfect example:

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

What is God’s command in such situations?

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

As it is soon time to vote again for a new president, let’s look at God’s advice on choosing the right people to be our leaders.

*****Ecc 10:5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
Ecc 10:6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
Ecc 10:7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

There is a great danger in having unqualified people in positions of authority!

In my opinion, this is exactly what we have in America today, to many people who are unqualified as leaders and our nation is suffering because of it.

When a leader is unqualified or on a specific and harmful agenda, they will also appoint or give authority to people who have no proven ability who think the way that they do.

Favoritism, is no way to choose a secure working government nor to run any company, and surely not in the family.

Today our politicians make so many promises, not so much to the people as to their backers and to the lobbyist and then offer them positions for their support.

Disastrous decisions at any level, can cause real problems for everyone!

In fact some leaders will allow the unqualified to rule, while those who are qualified become servants to them.

This is where our military finds itself today.

This is where we find our judicial system today.

And as is true in our nation and in our government, we can also see this happening in many of the churches today as the gay movement is allowed into leadership positions in the church.

For this very reason God gives us strict guidelines and qualifications for church leaders:

1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1Ti 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
1Ti 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
1Ti 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
1Ti 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1Ti 3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

And

Tit 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
Tit 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
Tit 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Tit 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Tit 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

And even the deacons of the church:

1Ti 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
1Ti 3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
1Ti 3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
1Ti 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
1Ti 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
1Ti 3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

We see:

1) They were to be men of good reputation.
2) They were to be men full of the Holy Spirit.
3) They were to be men who displayed wisdom.

There is reason for all these things!

The Church would not be having the problems that it has today, if these guidelines were strictly followed as God commands!

We have become careless in choosing church leaders.

We have become careless in choosing national leaders.

We have become careless with the Word of God!

*****Ecc 10:8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

God used Solomon to give us some good advice.

When digging a hole there is always the danger of falling into it!

If we are wise, we will use caution when working around holes and place some barriers for our own protection and a means of escape.

Upon completion the next danger is forgetting where we dug that hole.

In Solomon’s case, this hole was probably to trap an animal so the entrance would be camouflaged.

1) Our lesson is, that we must keep good records on the things that are important in this life!

When knocking down walls there also great dangers to avoid.

Danger hides in places we cannot see.

We must always be aware of what is going on around us.

2) Our lesson is, that we must always pay close attention to our surroundings and expect the unexpected!

We must plan our work for the best results.

*****Ecc 10:9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

If you are a stone worker, you must be aware of the dangers of lifting heavy stones and the danger working with them.

If you are a woodsman, you must be aware of the danger of felling trees and making lumber.

Honest labor can have it’s own misfortunes!

Honest labor also has it’s own rewards.

We must remember that even Jesus Christ was known as a carpenter for probably 20 years.

3) Our lesson is, that honest labor that is well planned, brings more in rewards than in does in hazards.

Wise planning also includes the care of the equipment that is needed to perform our task.

Proper equipment that is well maintained can aid us in our labors.

*****Ecc 10:10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

We have already established that this lesson is about the choices we make in life.

This verse teaches us, that we must choose to work smarter, and not harder.

This verse refers to an axe.

When we work with a dull axe, the work will be much harder than with a sharp axe.

We see also that an axe may even work even better with a coat of oil.

We all know, we need put oil on a bit when drilling in hard metal or the bit will over heat and get dull.

We all know, that if we are cutting masonry we need a wet saw and not a dry saw.

If we choose the right tools and those tools are well prepared, then we are working smart and maybe we won’t be so harsh on our bodies and even have a little less stress in our lives.

Another thing we should do, is to avoid taking short cuts.

Most short cuts mean being unsafe in the things we do, therefore taking a chance with our lives.

*****Ecc 10:11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

Snake charming was a popular form of entertainment in the days of Solomon and it still is today.

In an effort to collect as much money as possible, some snake charmers would sometimes rush their shows and they would get bitten because the snake was not fully charmed.

This was dangerous and most times was even deadly.

Our lesson is, that while it is wise to accomplish our task rapidly as possible, it is dangerous to take short cuts to try to make a greater gain.

The snake needs to be fully charmed, before it has a chance to strike out at the charmer, which is “the babbler” in our verse.

Another lesson is, that we need to resolve every dangerous condition before it can cause us harm.

The truth is, God gives us these principles of work because we are to be God’s laborers.

1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

We are to take these principles of work and not only apply them in our daily life to meet our own needs, but we are to apply these principles to the work that God has given us all to do.

1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. “But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon”.

1) We must work cautiously and be prepared for the risks that comes with God’s work.

We are no threat to the Devil when we are idle, but he will attack all those busy in the work of the Lord.

2) We need our best tools and a good work ethic to be witnesses for the Lord.

Our message will always be the same but we may have to change our methods.

3) God gives us all certain Spiritual gifts that we need to develop and sharpen our skills.

4) We must realize that of all the work that we do, the work of the Lord is the most important.

We must give our best to it!

1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

We know that those who are wise, are those that know the Lord and if we need advice it is best to get it from those who know the Lord as their personal Savior.

*****Ecc 10:12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Ecc 10:13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Ecc 10:14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

Most people are identified as wise or foolish by the words they speak!

The words of those that know the Lord are gracious because of God’s “Grace”!

The words of a fool, who are all those that reject the Word of God, will only bring destruction to him and to all those that are influenced by his words!

The words of a fool are like a weapon that can only cause harm!

A fool’s words may start out as harmless but in the end they are full of evil.

A fool will only lead others away from God and bring their own destruction.

A fool will boast about knowledge that he does not have, such as Evolution, or Climate Change.

We already know that only God can tell us what tomorrow will bring, their are no true prophets today.

Jas 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

And one can only watch the work of the fool to know that a fool cannot know the facts of life!

*****Ecc 10:15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

A fool will simply wear himself out on a simple project and everyone that follows him, while producing very little results.

A fool will always have the right answer.

A fool will always no everything.

A fool will always be an expert on every subject.

But a fool cannot even go to town and back without having all sort of problems!

We must not be people who speak foolishly.

We must let our words be more like those of Jesus, (gracious).

Col 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Eph 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

We must not allow ourselves to be led by someone who is foolish!

And we must not become distracted in the work of the Lord, by those that slander and downgrade God’s people!

We must remember the truth of the Scriptures!

Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

We must remember that when we are using God’s Words, that God takes full responsibility for the results.

And finally we must be aware of false prophets.

2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

We actually don’t have a lot of time to do the work of the Lord, we must make that time count!

The choices we make are very important to the Lord!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

The Vanities Of Life

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Experiencing The Vanities Of Life

Ecclesiastes 1-4

As we begin these few lesson in the Book of Ecclesiastes we are going to consider that this Book was written by Solomon, the son of King David.

There is good reason to believe that Solomon wrote this book, probably in his old age as he looked back on his life regretting his tragic failures.

Most all of us will reach this point in our life where we regret so many things that we did in our younger days.

The theme of this book seems to be, to convince younger people of the dangers of a worldly lifestyle.

Many wonder at what place in the Bible to begin to teach our young.

I believe that after the Book of Genesis, the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Ecclesiastes are good choices.

BUT this Book of the Bible is also a warning to all readers.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

This Book of the Bible is also a treasure on how to live as a Christian.

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

What Solomon realized before his death, is the same thing that we must also learn during our lifetime.

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

We have only one duty as the true children of God and that is to have a personal relationship with our Savior we must obey the Word of God!

The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches us that we have a great need for Jesus Christ!

We finished last week with a lesson on addictions.

People are subject to addictions because people are always searching for something or someone to bring meaning and fulfillment and a lasting satisfaction into their hearts!

The truth is, we can never find the answer in the natural world, satisfaction can only be found in the spiritual world!

So let’s begin:

*****Ecc 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

We have three titles, Preacher, son of David, and King in Jerusalem and it is these three things that lead us to believe that this is Solomon, son of David.

Solomon calls himself “the Preacher” seven times in this book.

This gives us the thought that Solomon had learned from all the mistakes he had made in his life and in his search for satisfaction.

By saying he was the son of David, he links himself to to the most respected King of Israel.

Even today the flag of Israel carries the Star of David.

By saying he was king in Jerusalem, he is saying he was in a position where he could experience anything this world had to offer.

As Christians, we are to show our “New Life” our “Born Again” life and share what God has done for us, as we now walk in the path of Jesus Christ.

*****Ecc 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

“Vanity” describes something that has no real value!

Vain things are those things that seem to be valuable but their value fades quickly and leave behind only emptiness.

Idols, made from man’s hands, are vain things.

Pagan worship is a vain thing.

“Vanity of vanities” means the greatest vanity of all.

Solomon discovered that even with all his riches and all his wisdom, there is absolutely nothing of this world that can bring a lasting satisfaction nor contentment!

Solomon discovered that though he had spent most of his life in search of some form of gratification, all the things he found on this earth were temporary and short lived and soon passed away.

We only have a short lifetime on this earth. We can waste it on the vain things of this world or we can seek the eternal things of God.

We must realize that our lives really do have meaning.

Our lives do have a fulfilling purpose.

We can actually live our lives in satisfaction!

As we read and study this Book of Ecclesiastes we will see that Solomon will lead us to the only place where true meaning in life can be found!

This is the purpose and this is what the entire Word of God does.

All 66 books put together will lead us to the truth and each individual book will lead us to the truth because they all mesh into one truth!

Solomon begins buy asking us to answer one simple question.

*****Ecc 1:3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

The Hebrew word used for the English word “labor” means to work to a point of exhaustion, yet still have no fulfillment in what you have done.

“Under the Sun” means on this Earth. Things on this earth as opposed to things that are eternal.

The truth is, when our conclusions are drawn only from a worldly viewpoint, we will never understand the truth of life!

SO, What’s the truth of a worldly viewpoint?

*****Ecc 1:4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

It is only God who tells us that we are only pilgrims on this Earth.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

The world says we live and then we die, while the Earth basically remains the same, the generations of man are ever changing!

Anything that we thought we possessed will certainly be passed to someone else!

What is the truth of God?

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
And Solomon continues:

*****Ecc 1:5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

While we think we see many changes in our lifetime we should consider, we see the same Sun that Solomon saw and in fact we see the same Sun that Adam saw.

We all know that the Earth is in orbit around the Sun but even modern astronomers and those who forecast the weather, speak of Sunup and Sundown, even so the biblical writers have done the same.

Solomon understood science as much as anyone in his day and maybe as much as anyone today.

What Solomon is saying is, that people simply do not last like the Earth does.

Even the stars are the same stars that that the Lord pointed out to Abraham as an illustration of his descendants to come.

Exo 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

People simply do not last like the cycles of the Earth.

We can be certain that the cycles of the Earth will continue until God stops them!

Psa 74:16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
Psa 74:17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.

Do we need to worry about climate change? God says:

Gen 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

I believe what God says and reject these things of man.

Our climate has constantly changed since it’s beginning and will continue to do so until the Lord completes His work.

*****Ecc 1:6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

It has only been in modern times that climate scientist have observed the the world’s great wind circuits in the global circulation and and some of the affects it has on our atmosphere.

This science is still relatively new and no one understands the things that God has put in place.

The wind moves in a continuous circuit across the face of the earth and across our globe as it travels.

Man cannot understand this, so how can man predict climate change?

BUT, Solomon’s point is that people do not last like the wind currents!

People do not last like the wind currents that never cease in their circuits!

Jesus said:

Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Jesus compared these things to being born again into a new life.

*****Ecc 1:7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

For many years it was believed that rain waters came only by evaporation of local lakes and streams.

Meteorologist have now proven by extensive upper-air research, that the rains actually come from the evaporation of the oceans.

God new this all along because He caused it to happen!

It took a Master Creator to design the Earth’s hydrological cycle.

But the Life of man is not as lasting as the Sun rises and the Sunsets!

The life of man is not as consistent as the wind in it’s circuits!

The life of man does not last as the endless flow of rivers and the constant evaporation of the seas!

We know that evaporation causes clouds and those clouds are carried by those circuits of the winds and then those clouds drop their moisture upon the earth through rain, through snow, and hail.

The many dry and wet weather creeks carry this water to our river systems which will eventually flow back into the oceans again and this cycle is continuous.

BUT, The life of man is nowhere indeed as consistent as these things!

Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Life on this earth just wears us all out.

AND, This is not what God intended!

*****Ecc 1:8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

We all know that the things we do just wear us out.

In fact as we have gotten older we simply do not have the strength that we once had.

It is not much fun getting old!

When we are focused on the things of this world, we sometimes do not see the point of all that hard work.

Those that focus on the things of this world will most always be frustrated with life!

We see this more and more everyday and more and more in the youth of today.

Solomon gave some of the reasons.

1) The eye and the ear are never satisfied.

No matter what we see we want to see more.

No matter what we hear we want to hear something new.

These are good things, only when we seek to improve on what we have learned as we mature and grow older.

BUT, No matter how much we experience in this world this world cannot bring a lasting satisfaction.

What is God’s answer?

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Solomon had more money than he could spend.

Solomon had more wisdom than anyone who came before him and anyone who has come after him, except the Lord Jesus.

Solomon had more power than most all world leaders of today.

AND, Solomon found that sin never satisfies, sin always leads to more sin.

The things of this world can never satisfy the soul!

AND, God says it’s only going to get worse!

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

We all have seen this truth in our own lifetime!

2)*****Ecc 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

To most people it is only the new things in life that bring that bring any satisfaction but in the end they find that there is never really anything that is new.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer!

It is only the people that change!

All things are just repeated from one generation to the next.

Knowledge may increase but life truly becomes only a dull routine!

We rise from sleep, wash, dress, eat, go to work, return home, have some family time, and go to sleep and this repeated over and over again until we die.

There is really nothing new in our world because the creation of new things is beyond man’s ability.

God created things out of nothing.

God spoke and all things were made.

Today man can only take things that God has already made, and reshape it into something they call new, but it was only made from things that God had already made and therefore is not really new at all!

*****Ecc 1:10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

The excitement of things man says he has made last only for a short time.

SORT OF, like a new coat of paint!

This is the experience of all those that who live for this world and not for God!

Humanism teaches, we live and then we die so what happens in between those times have little importance.

That’s the dash in between the numbers on a tombstone!

*****Ecc 1:11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

Very few of us make contributions to society that are remembered after we have gone on to be with the Lord!

Most people never become famous!

Even those who do become famous gain nothing in their death!

Alexander Bell invented the telephone but most all those that have a personal phone with them at all times do not even know his name!

The person who focuses on the things of this life, in the end dies the same way they were born, with nothing.

Ecc 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

When we focus on this world we will always be restless and unsatisfied!

We will feel empty and unfulfilled!

We will feel lacking and incomplete!

The truth is, all human beings were made for God!

SO, The only answer for the restless soul is Jesus Christ!

It is only the Lord Jesus Christ that can bring with Him, God’s eternal peace and the joy of the Lord!

We should realize that Solomon was the wisest man to have ever lived, but even Solomon spent most of his life as a fool.

Jesus said:

Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

We can have a heavenly reward only if we invest our lives in the things of God!

We must guard against just allowing our lives to became a dull routine!

If we allow God to mold us and shape us for the work that He has for each of us, we will find that blessings truly come to those who serve the Lord.

The work of the Lord is seen in the changed lives of those who receive the Lord and joy in all those who had a part in that change.

Isa 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Human achievements always fail to fully satisfy the human heart!

*****Ecc 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

Even our own president, who leads the greatest nation of this earth, is now striving to be president of the United Nations.

Power has that effect on most all people!

Solomon was king of the greatest nation of his day which was Israel!

BUT, Solomon wasted most of his life in search for fulfillment in this life.

*****Ecc 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

As King, he had power.

As King, he had the resources.

As King, Solomon was already the greatest man in his nation!

Solomon had the mightiest army in the world in his day!

Israel had the greatest economy of that day!

The Temple and other structures built by Solomon were the greatest structures of that day!

None of these things brought fulfillment to Solomon, so he began to search in all the evils of this world to find satisfaction.

Solomon was much like a private eye in search of the truth, which he already had but was rejecting at this time!

Solomon realized that the desire to achieve, is actually a gift of God but it is also a burden if we try to bear that burden alone.

This is the burden that Adam brought upon himself when he ate of the forbidden fruit!

Solomon saw labor as punishment inflicted on the human race!

AND, Like Adam, Solomon began to blame God!

We already know that “all things work together for good to them that love God”.

It is true that God cursed the ground and Adam had to labor that produced sweat, where he had not done so before.

BUT, Work itself is not part of the curse, work is a gift from God.

Man was not created to be idle!

Man was also not created for a life time of recreation and leisure!

God created man to produce!

God has given us all certain responsibilities!

JUST AS He had before the curse.

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

In fact, God said our work week could be as much as six days a week where today most people work a 40 hour work week.

Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

Even in the New Testament we are taught to work.

Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: “but rather let him labour”, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

God did not design a socialist society, God designed a society to prosper on the rewards of hard work!

All socialist and communist nations go against the Word of God!

Throughout the Scriptures God praises and makes a use of the work of His people!

It was not an accident that Jesus Christ was born into a carpenter’s family!

Carpenters are makers and God is the Supreme Maker!

We to are all to be makers!

SO, Solomon began to see his failures.

*****Ecc 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

This Scripture defines “humanism”.

Again Solomon had the greatest wealth, the greatest wisdom, the greatest power, and he had access to all the greatest pleasures and the greatest comforts this world had to offer.

YET, all these things were worldly, “under the sun”.

Vexation of spirit means “feeding upon air” or “chasing after the wind” which are vain things!

When people try to catch the things of this world, which cannot be caught, or have no real substance, or cannot be held in the hand, they are living in vanity and will have a meaningless life.

Our work can be satisfying and joy can truly be found in honest labor!

Man is made in God’s image and when God looked upon His created work at the beginning, He said all His work was good in fact God said it was “very good”.

God says the work of our hands will fill our mouths and our bellies and provide some comfort but it will never satisfy our soul!

Ecc 6:7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

In fact, many today get so caught up in these things that they actually hate life just as Solomon began to do.

Ecc 2:17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

True satisfaction in this life can only be found in a personal relationship with God!

*****Ecc 1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

By our own efforts, we will never be able to make this world a better place!

Many things already in place cannot be changed!

Many other things already in place are beyond human control!

SO, No one human can right every wrong!

Solomon was absolute Monarch of Israel and he found all these things to be true.

Solomon realized no matter how hard he worked, he could not solve all the problems in his kingdom.

Solomon realized no matter how much trade and construction he brought to Israel, he could not meet every person’s needs.

Even when we look out over our own families, we see work that we just do not have the power to make right.

We too can become discouraged by all that needs to be done.

The important thing to remember is that God has not called us to solve the worlds problems!

BUT, we can also take note that every problem we solve, every person we help, and every need we meet, does make a difference in this world!

AND, only Jesus Christ has what we need to satisfy the soul!

Psa 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

The world says possessions, power, prestige and position define our success.

God says success can only be found in the Word of God!

Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Success is finding the will of God and then doing it!

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

SO, Solomon had to take a look at himself in life’s mirror.

*****Ecc 1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecc 1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Solomon was given the gift of wisdom by God.

Solomon then took that wisdom and educated himself in all the wisdom of the world.

Remember “wisdom” is the ability and good sense to discern and apply knowledge that is gained.

Solomon became wiser that any other ruler.

Solomon became the smartest man in the world in his day!

Solomon then struggled to separate wisdom from foolishness.

Many of man’s ideas are truly foolish!

Many results of the human way of thinking are ridiculous and lack common sense.

Many human inventions lack any real purpose.

Most humans spend much to much time on foolishness!

Solomon even realized that being the smartest man in the world actually had no real meaning!

Satan promised Eve increased knowledge, if she would reject the Word of God and listen to him.

Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

In the end Adam and Eve gained knowledge, but it was knowledge that they and the human race would have been better off without!

We live in the end times and God told Daniel that knowledge would increase during this time.

Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

In truth, much of this knowledge is knowledge that this world would be better off without!

Solomon found that that these things just cause “vexation of the spirit”.

It is the knowledge of all life’s problems, that are beyond our control, that will lead us to the Lord!

Happiness is not found in knowledge or higher education!

Nothing on or in this world can replace our yearning for the knowledge of God!

Yet most of our world still deny God and the clear evidence of His existence and worldly knowledge will only drive them further from God!

*****Ecc 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

The more we know about humanity the greater will be our grief over human affairs.

Men have sought solutions to man’s problems throughout the centuries but the truth is, because of our sin nature, we humans continue making the same mistakes over and over again.

Until we have a reverent fear of the Lord, we will always lack in true wisdom!

Until we depart from all evil, we will never understand the truth on mankind!

Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

None of these things can happen until we invite the Lord Jesus Christ into our heart and then be filled with the Holy Spirit, who will be our guide in this life!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!