"Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that is will be well with those who fear God (NKJV)....There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless." (NIV)
Ecclesiastes begins with the declaration, "Vanity of vanities/meaningless...." It appears again in today's text. The word translated, "vanity/meaningless," is translated elsewhere as, "vapor, delusion, emptiness, nothing." The Holy Spirit is not telling us that we cannot "attain" wisdom, understanding, knowledge. What He is telling us, I believe, is that no matter how smart, insightful, perceptive, no one should ever think of him/herself as the "leader of the pack." Solomon, who was praised by so many, realized that he was not.
You get the sense as you read through Ecclesiastes that Solomon came to realize "answers" were not quite as easy as he once thought. Our Lord Jesus refers to, "the wisdom of Solomon," which he did have and shared with his contemporaries, and with us. We must be careful, however, to come to a conclusion that because a person has great wisdom, he necessarily has everything "figured out." Solomon did not, e.g., "This too, I say, is meaningless, vapor."
There are two points in our text. First, people who think that their sin, their deception has been "working" for them in life because nothing but "good" has come from such a life style, should consider the following verse. "Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God...." Notice, "....It will go better with those who fear God." It is pathetic that people who live the delusion that wickedness brings more, "....will go better...," than, "....fear God." I could pull the "Great White Throne Judgement," and that should put the fear in the hearts of all. But notice that the contrast here is even in this life. Fearing God is always, "it will go better," than living in sin.
Second, "....the righteous...get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked...what the righteous deserve." Of course, this all assumes that we know what we all, "deserve." At any rate, you have observed this as well as Solomon. For instance, a person loves Jesus, prays, honors His Words, is a fisher of men, gives to the poor, etc., etc. But what has happened to some of them? David Brainerd died at the age of 29; Bonhoeffer at the age of 39; Spurgeon at 57. Moreover, we all know those who have seemingly died an "untimely death." O, yes, then there was Bertrand Russel, who called himself at times an agnostic and at other times an atheist. He died at 98. There is no answer.
"....Yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him." This had better be your, "surely know," and my, "surely know." Without this, "surely know," you and I are in grave danger, yes, even lost. Solomon had great wisdom, it is true. But Solomon had great, shall we say at least, misgivings about what he observed. He simply did not "know it all." We keep our lives surrendered to Jesus Christ and His "Law/Word," or we keep ourselves in total darkness of life. It is okay to not "understand" everything, to have unanswered questions. But this we must absolutely know, "....that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that I always live this. Amen.
***********************
So far, we have $1400.00 towards our October/November Mission.
Ecclesiastes begins with the declaration, "Vanity of vanities/meaningless...." It appears again in today's text. The word translated, "vanity/meaningless," is translated elsewhere as, "vapor, delusion, emptiness, nothing." The Holy Spirit is not telling us that we cannot "attain" wisdom, understanding, knowledge. What He is telling us, I believe, is that no matter how smart, insightful, perceptive, no one should ever think of him/herself as the "leader of the pack." Solomon, who was praised by so many, realized that he was not.
You get the sense as you read through Ecclesiastes that Solomon came to realize "answers" were not quite as easy as he once thought. Our Lord Jesus refers to, "the wisdom of Solomon," which he did have and shared with his contemporaries, and with us. We must be careful, however, to come to a conclusion that because a person has great wisdom, he necessarily has everything "figured out." Solomon did not, e.g., "This too, I say, is meaningless, vapor."
There are two points in our text. First, people who think that their sin, their deception has been "working" for them in life because nothing but "good" has come from such a life style, should consider the following verse. "Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God...." Notice, "....It will go better with those who fear God." It is pathetic that people who live the delusion that wickedness brings more, "....will go better...," than, "....fear God." I could pull the "Great White Throne Judgement," and that should put the fear in the hearts of all. But notice that the contrast here is even in this life. Fearing God is always, "it will go better," than living in sin.
Second, "....the righteous...get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked...what the righteous deserve." Of course, this all assumes that we know what we all, "deserve." At any rate, you have observed this as well as Solomon. For instance, a person loves Jesus, prays, honors His Words, is a fisher of men, gives to the poor, etc., etc. But what has happened to some of them? David Brainerd died at the age of 29; Bonhoeffer at the age of 39; Spurgeon at 57. Moreover, we all know those who have seemingly died an "untimely death." O, yes, then there was Bertrand Russel, who called himself at times an agnostic and at other times an atheist. He died at 98. There is no answer.
"....Yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him." This had better be your, "surely know," and my, "surely know." Without this, "surely know," you and I are in grave danger, yes, even lost. Solomon had great wisdom, it is true. But Solomon had great, shall we say at least, misgivings about what he observed. He simply did not "know it all." We keep our lives surrendered to Jesus Christ and His "Law/Word," or we keep ourselves in total darkness of life. It is okay to not "understand" everything, to have unanswered questions. But this we must absolutely know, "....that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that I always live this. Amen.
***********************
So far, we have $1400.00 towards our October/November Mission.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
