Ecclesiastes 8 : On The Mystery of Wisdom

              

The mystery of wisdom!  Just when you think that you have become a little wiser, it escapes you, yet again! And yet, it is undeniable that wisdom can be acquired. There are people who by learning, observation, experience, by keeping company with the wise (Prov. 13:20) have become wiser. In this regard I wish to pay my tribute to Dr. Jay Adams (January 30, 1929 - November 14, 2020), the father of the modern biblical counselling movement. He went home to his eternal reward yesterday. He was a wise man, saturated in the Scriptures, and I thank God for his help and influence at a time in my seminary studies, when I needed it so much.

In the book of Proverbs Solomon encourages his son “to make his ear attentive to wisdom” (Prov.2:2). The pursuit of wisdom was Solomon’s great passion. As a fallen man, he did not possess it perfectly. We observe this in his marital and family relationships. But in other ways he was profoundly wise. Remember that he had asked God in particular for wisdom when he became king (1 Kings 3:12). The subject of wisdom remains a prominent theme in all of Solomon’s writings. As we now survey Ecclesiastes 8 we take note that the subject of wisdom  starts (8:1) and ends (8:17) Solomon’s conversation.

8:1 “Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.“

The wisdom Solomon has in mind is a rare gift (see 7:25–28). He speaks of godly wisdom. It is possessed by God fearing people[1]. God fearing people are those that know the Word of God and they know themselves, and they know what to do in the light of these two truths.  The wise person is not just a person who is intellectually wise. Their wisdom comes out of a spiritual fountain which is from God. They act in line with biblical principles. A wise person possesses the ability to interpret a matter, and its resulting calm assurance produces a shining or radiant face (8:1b). Wisdom softens one’s face.  Wisdom is a reflection of the softened heart and mind that is instructed by God.  It is given to them that ask God (Jas.1:5)

The wise heart is a discerning heart. This heart does not merely know the difference between right and wrong, but it also knows the difference between right and almost right. Such discernment is needed by anyone aspiring to the office of an elder.

A wise person lives in the presence of God and reflects the character of God. One of God’s chief attributes is His love. The love of God is one of the communicable attributes of God. God expects us to love.

David Powlison (1949-2019),  another noted  Biblical Counselor  spoke  about  the blessing of  being in the presence of  ‘God saturated, wise love’[2]: “Wise love  makes a huge difference in other people’s lives… genuine care, a searching question, sympathy and understanding, a timely and true word of God, practical aid, patience in the process- these are life giving.”

Pray that God would be pleased to raise up many such people among us in these needy days! Pray for this gift in yourselves and seek it in and from God in the Scriptures and by prayer.

The last verse of our chapter  in 8:17 however brings us back to earth: [16] When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, [17] then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.

Here Solomon confesses the frustration of the wise person who says, “I know,” but as soon as they say that, they also know that they cannot possibly understand everything about the work of God. No one, except our Triune God possesses it perfectly, completely and without limit. 

Therefore there will be aspects of theology and of our human experience that will remain mysterious and elusive. There will be times when we look back and see how much we have grown in knowledge and wisdom, but there are also times when we have to confess that we have no wisdom or words. Job’s situation comes to mind. None of those wise and theologically articulate friends of Job possessed sufficient wisdom to understand the true nature of Job’s suffering.  They thought that what happened to him was simply the result of his sin. We learn however that the key to Job’s suffering was with God.

At times the reason for our suffering is plain, particularly when our own stupidity and hardheadedness has been the cause of our suffering (1 Pet. 4:15).  But there are times when it does have a divine origin (1Pet. 4:16).  Pastor- elders need to possess this kind of wisdom when shepherding their flock.

And so Solomon reflects upon various matters that  would require wisdom that can be acquired through knowing God and His will, whilst admitting that at other times  that conventional wisdom will  simply not be enough. Let’s follow Solomon’s thought processes:

 

1.      8:2-6  Wisdom  In Dealing With Our Political Leaders

(i)                 V.2: Know your place with respect to the political rulers that God has placed above you. Here we learn that submission to authority finds its basis in “the oath of God”. According to the Bible, kings occupy their offices by God’s decree. [That also implies that kings must know that they are accountable to God].  In submitting to our rulers we are in fact obedient to God, who is above every earthly king (Rom. 13:1-7).

(ii)                V.3a: Respect to the king/ president of a country is indicated in 8:3, “Be not hasty to go from his presence.“  We call it, ‘observing protocol’.  He tells you when to go. 

(iii)             V.3b: Citizens must beware of getting involved in an ‘evil cause’.  The king is called by God to deal with evil.[3] That is one of the functions of good government: keeping law and order. A particular form of that will be addressed in 8:11.

If the king promotes evil in any way that would contradict the authority of the Word of God, then God will hand that government over. Handing over means, self- destruction, since all sin is, in essence, self- destructive. Sadly, this always causes hardship for a country’s citizens. That is why we need to take the prayer of 1 Timothy 2:1-2  seriously!   

(iv)              V.4 warns about demanding an explanation for  the king’s decisions. The statement, “who may say to him,‘What are you doing?’” needs some common sense explanation.  When the nation appoints a president, it expects him to rule in the interest of the whole nation. That means that I cannot just step up to him and say, “What are you doing?”, when he does not act quite according to my liking. He has, after all a nation to govern! He cannot listen to everyone’s protests. So, as a citizen I must observe the required protocol. I can certainly appeal through proper channels,  particularly if the president is in danger of making  a wrong moral choice.

(v)               V.5: “Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.” The mention of a ‘proper time’ introduces further issues involving timing (vv.6–8) in terms of  dealing  with matters  of  sin and evil and all of man’s troubles. “For there is a time and a way for everything” (v.6). We have seen this already in 3:1 ff. The rest of v.6 clarifies the thought, “For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies  heavy upon him”.  All our problems, all our lack of wisdom ultimately originates from our sinfulness (see Eccl 7:29), and this makes governing a nation (and church) very challenging.  Pray for your governing authorities!

To summarize:  To be a wise citizen means to be obedient to the governing authorities; in so doing we obey God. We need to understand and respect the demands of high office. We must not make the governance of the country difficult by doing evil. We must not be tempted to challenge the king in improper ways.  We must be possessed by the wisdom of proper timing in terms of addressing issues, and we must understand the  wickedness of our own hearts. Pray for wisdom to be a positive citizen of our country!

 

2.      8:7-9 Wisdom  In  Accepting Our Inability To Control Life’s Circumstances

(i)                 V.7 It is wisdom to accept that we cannot know the future.  Only God has the ability to declare what  the future holds  (see Isa 46:10–11).

(ii)               In v. 8, Solomon offers four examples of an individual’s lack of control over life:

a.       No one can restrain the spirit  [ruach Hebr.], speaking  of inability to prevent death. 

b.       No one can control the day of their death. Only God knows the day or hour. 

c.        No one can discharge himself in time of war. If there is war, you have a moral duty to defend your country from evil. Citizens do not choose war, yet war happens in this fallen world. We cannot control it.  

d.      No wicked person will survive their wickedness.  God will ultimately stop them!

What are we learning here? What is written here to promote our wisdom? Mankind cannot ultimately control or change the decrees of God.  Many people find this very limiting and perplexing, but ultimately it is wisdom to accept God’s sovereignty over all aspects of your life. Pray for the wisdom of humility  and submission  to  your sovereign God!

 

3.      8:10-17 The Wisdom To Know That Those Who Fear God Will Do Well! 

Again, Solomon reflects upon what he has seen (vv.9, 10… All this I observed… then I saw…”)

(i)                 V.10: [4] He observed wicked people being buried. These wicked people were known to have entered the “holy place” (the Temple) where they were praised, even while everybody knew that they were wicked. This unfortunately happens all too often in the church, where the wicked are allowed to  undermine the holiness of the church,  even receiving praise, when  they should have been removed. “This also is vanity“, says Solomon. It  takes  wisdom and courage to deal with such matters, particularly when evil is deeply entrenched in the church.  Pray for the purity of the church! 

(ii)               V.11 Here is an important insight! When the law does not deal with evil swiftly and decisively, the law loses its power.[5]  We are familiar with this in Namibia. Delayed justice is justice denied.  It is a terrible evil, and it will require wisdom and courage to address this problem.  Pray that our judicial system understands this! 

(iii)             V.12 Solomon observes that an evil person might commit evil a 100 times and still live a long time. And in the light of v. 11, it may appear that Solomon attributes to God the same delay in justice that is so evident in human courts of law. But remember that God’s delayed justice is not because of His forgetfulness or inefficiency or inability to control evildoers. It is because of his patience and mercy with mankind!  And so Solomon confidently declares, “still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.” This truth he holds to by faith. Pray that you may have the wisdom to know that evil cannot ultimately triumph! 

(iv)             V.13 The truth is that while a sinner “may prolong his life” (v.12),  v.13  categorically affirms  that the wicked “will not lengthen his days”, particularly when we  think of life in the light of eternity.  Many sexual perverts and child molesters may live to a ripe old age, but be sure that their sins will find them out before the throne of God.   Pray for wisdom to know  that justice will certainly be done  when Jesus returns!  

 

4.      8: 14-17 No Person  Can Ultimately Know God’s Ways 

Here is the climax of wisdom’s mystery.

(i)                 It is expressed in v.14.  Wicked people prosper and live healthily, and righteous people seem burdened and suffer.  It all seems so unfair!  This does not make sense. What wisdom does Solomon have in response to this enigma? 

(ii)               V.15 reveals the answer. Enjoy your God given pleasures while you can!  This is the third time that Solomon gives this advice (see 2:24–26; 5:18–20).  His point is that we should not waste our God-given joys by constantly worrying whether life is fair or not!  Worrying about what’s fair or not brings us no joy, no peace, no rest, and no solution.  No one can understand the ultimate reasons for what happens, because even the wisest person is but a fool by comparison to God. It is important to understand that God’s wise providence rules all that happens “under the sun”. Pray that you may have the wisdom to see this!

And so, Solomon reviews his pursuit of wisdom in vv. 16–17. In his search for wisdom he could eliminate sleep and still not succeed (v.16). The fact remains that we are incapable of discovering all of God’s work “under the sun.”  There comes a time when we will have to say, “This is wisdom’s mystery!   Paul’s conclusion, after he has written to the Romans concerning the electing grace and mercy of God, finishes his thoughts with these words in Romans 11:33–36. “How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

Chapter 8’s conclusion reverberates in the words of 1 Corinthians 1:20–25.

Human wisdom (influenced so strongly by our sinful nature) and unaided by God cannot help us.  We need God’s wisdom for life! God displays His wisdom in the person of the person and work of Jesus Christ. 

Solomon’s words prepare our hearts for the necessity of the Gospel. No one possesses more wisdom than those that have met Jesus and walk with Jesus. They know the way home. 

And that is the only wisdom that ultimately matters.

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[1] The Fear of God in Ecclesiastes: 3:1; 5:7; 8:12,13; 12:13

[2] Quoted in “The  Biblical  Counselling Movement after Adams” by  Heath Lambert, p.16

[3] cf. Prov.  14:35; 24:21–22).

[4] Some commentators  consider verse 10 the most difficult verse in  Ecclesiastes

[5] See also Habakkuk  1:4

 

2 KINGS 22&23 : “The Bible, God’s Primary Tool For An Effective Reformation“

 

Martin Luther was  born in 1483 in Eisleben, Germany.  During a Thunderstorm in July 1505, lightning had almost struck him. He was a Catholic man, and in typical Roman catholic fashion he cried out not to the Lord Jesus, but to St. Anne (whoever she was),  because  she was superstitiously believed to be the patron saint  of miners. Luther cried, “St. Anne, help me! I will become a monk.”  Luther subsequently   became a monk in the Augustinian order.

Martin Luther was always terrified by the thought of the holy.  He was terrified at the thought that he could never meet God’s holy standards.  He once said, “I was myself more than once driven to the very abyss of despair so that I wished I had never been created. Love God? I hated Him!”[1]  “I hated Him!” He now believed  that he had blasphemed God with that thought! This despair continued for many years.

With this burdened mind and heart he set out to learn and expound the Scriptures. Being a promising student he was asked by his mentor Johann von Staupitz, to prepare for his Doctorate and to teach at the local university. In August 1513 he commenced his lectures on the Psalms. In 1515 he was lecturing on Paul’s epistle to the Romans and in 1516-1517 he taught on Paul’s epistle to the Galatians. These studies proved to be the Damascus road experience for Luther. Listen to his testimony:

“I greatly longed to understand Paul's epistle to the Romans, and nothing stood in the way but that one expression, "the justice of God," because I took it to mean that justice whereby God is just and deals justly in punishing the unjust. My situation was that … I stood before God as a sinner troubled in conscience, and I had no confidence that my good works would satisfy him. Therefore I did not love a just and angry God, but rather hated and murmured against him. Yet I clung to the dear Paul and had a great yearning to know that he meant.

Night and day I pondered, until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that "the just shall live by his faith."[2] Then I understood that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereafter I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas before   the “justice of God” had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love.  This passage  of Paul became to me a gate of heaven … If you  have a true faith  that  Christ is your Saviour, then at once you have a gracious God, for faith  leads you in,  and opens  God’s heart and will, that  you should see pure grace and overflowing love …”[3]

Luther now was born again. The wind of the Spirit had swept through his soul[4]. He now had a new view of God, a new view of Christ, and a new view on the work of the Holy Spirit. He now understood that the cross on which Jesus had died was the key to solving the problem of the just wrath of God on the one hand, and the mercy of God on the other hand. Paul had helped him to reconcile the justice and the forgiveness of God.

Jesus set him free through His Word, and from that time onwards, God used him to begin a mighty work of the Holy Spirit – the 16^th Century Reformation. The official date of the start of the Reformation is the 31^st October 1517. On that day he nailed his so called “95 Theses” to the church door in Wittenberg. They were protests against a corrupt Roman Catholic system and her popes. They were a strong appeal to the authority of the Holy Bible. In September 1522 he published the German New Testament.[5] This really got the Reformation going. A spiritual revival began, the effects of which are felt to this very day, 503 years later! And it all began when Luther studied and taught and translated the Bible, in which he discovered the grace of God.

 In the Bible we find the greatest example of a revival in the Bible in the book of Acts, and particularly in Acts 2. Revival there began after the Holy Spirit had appeared blessing the Word that Peter had preached, after which more than 3000 were converted on one day. All these were baptized and they became the early church.  

I also want to show you that even in the OT there were such occasions where God sovereignly revived and reformed a worn out (OT) church by means of His word.  In 2 Kings 22 we find a biblical example of such a Reformation.

 BACKGROUND TO 2 KINGS 22

Josiah was only 8 years old when he became king. His father, king Amon had been assassinated by his servants after only 2 years in office (2 Ki. 21:23). Before that, Josiah’s grandfather, king Manasseh had been probably the most wicked king in Judah ever (2 Ki. 2:1-18).   What a sad legacy!

But this young man Josiah was different.  He, by contrast to his father and grandfather was one of the best kings in Judah. He joins 7 other kings ‘who do what is right in God’s eyes‘[6]. He shares a particular honour with two of those kings[7]  by way of a favorable comparison with David - the standard by whom all kings were compared. 

Josiah’s steadfastness is described in 2 Ki 22:2: “He did not turn aside to the right or to the left.”  This was also said of great men like Moses and Joshua.

But this good king is currently walking by the legacy of the idol worship of his fathers (see 23:4-20). He can only do what he knows. At this stage he has presumably never seen a copy of the Law of Moses. That is strange because God in Deut. 17:14-20  had explicitly commanded that  the first duty of  any new   king was to be  that, “he shall write for himself in a book a copy  of  this law, approved by the Levitical  priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God…” Clearly, this habit had ceased long ago!

When he was 26 years old  (22:3), Josiah  sent his secretary Shaphan to the temple  with a few instructions  to check on the repairs being done there, and while  Shaphan  is there the  high priest Hilkiah says to him, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord” (22:8). Shaphan takes it to King Josiah and reads it to him (22:10). What happens now is fascinating. “When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes“ (22:11). The king then orders a 5 man commission to go and obtain prophetic confirmation and light on this matter.  The prophetess Huldah is consulted (22:14).  Please note, that Josiah already has the ‘law word’. What he seeks in addition now is the ‘prophetic word’.  The prophetic question is this, “What will God do to us, having neglected  the  Book of the Law?” Huldah’s prophecy (22:15-20) makes 2 points:

(i) There is no hope: (see 22:16-17). God   is determined to bring disaster.

(ii)  But there is some mercy:  (see 22:18-20) there will be peace in Josiah’s time.

So they learn that judgment is certain, but judgment is delayed.   Righteous, God fearing leaders that lead God’s people into the discovery of God’s Word are a blessing to any community. For their sake God will not destroy that community where sin is so rife!  (Gen.18:22ff). Men, like Abraham who know the promises of God’s Word will know that God is gracious and kind and slow to anger. He hears the prayer of the righteous. He is even kind to the unrighteous for their sake!

Though God’s righteous wrath will certainly come upon all unrighteousness (and by the way, you need no further prophetic word on this, since Jesus and the apostles have said that this must happen e.g. Matt. 24/25; Romans 1:18ff), the obedience of just men and women in our day will hold back the wrath of God in our generation. So, dear congregation, answer the question: Are there steadfast men and women of God in our community, faithfully proclaiming the gospel to this nation and praying for our nation? Does God have people to listen to because they obey Him and because they pray? And will He withhold His certain   judgement on this nation for their sake of their pleading?

Listen! Judgment is certain, and it will be terrible for those that are not reconciled to God through Christ the Saviour! Jesus has announced the judgement. It is coming, but He is currently withholding His wrath on account of those that are like Abraham, pleading for God’s mercy upon sinners - pleading that God will withhold His wrath for  yet a while. Faith holds back  God’s wrath  on all your unconverted families! When the Son of man comes will he find faith on earth? (Lk. 18:8).

 The Word of the Lord to Luther and Paul and Josiah brought the fear of God back into their respective societies. When that happens we call that a Reformation  and a Revival.  People repent  of their sin in large numbers  and they start listening attentively  to God. The Bible  listened to transforms  a peoples  thoughts and actions, and the more  people listen to the Word of God, the greater the effect upon our society.

The first thing that Josiah did was  to  destroy and remove  the false gods and idols and the false priests. Note that Baal and Asherah were controlling the temple worship (23:4ff).  The sex cult (male cult prostitutes) was abolished (23:7). Child sacrifice to the idol god Molech was abolished (23:10). False altars (23:15) were torn down and destroyed.  The Passover was restored (23:21). Witches, mediums, necromancers, the household gods, the idols … were abolished (23:24)

No wonder  that it was said of Josiah  in 23:25,  “Before him  there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul  and with all his might, according  to all the law of Moses, nor  did any  like him arise after him.”

How would this translate into a modern Reformation?

Essentially the same issues need to be addressed

1.    The church needs to be stripped of its false views of God:  Our self - centeredness, consumer Christianity, our lukewarmness in worship.  God is holy. He will not be served in any way we please. Repent and return to the Lord of our covenant. (23:3)

2.      The church needs to be delivered from false priests and pastors (23:5) who are holding  the  hearts  of people  captive  with false doctrine  and no gospel! These are  the ones  that  remove the gospel  of Jesus’  death for sin out of the church, substituting  it  with a  false gospel (which is no gospel at all! – Gal. 1:7).

3.      The sex cult needs to be taken captive (23:7). This is destroying the heart of our men and women. Pornography destroys the dignity of biblical intimacy.  Our nation suffers from HIV/Aids, broken marriages, fatherless children, teenage pregnancies because unsanctified  sex has become an obsession among us. 

4.      Child sacrifice needs to stop. (23:10) We may not sacrifice and burn children in the fire to the god Molech, but we abort them by the millions for the sake of our god of convenience   and pleasure!

5.      Satanic manifestations must stop (23:24). A society in which the Bible is no longer respected will find itself another religion: Satanism, witchcraft , esoteric religions.

We need another Reformation. But where shall we begin?  

We must begin with the Word of God. 

We must preach it and insist that it be obeyed. Luther, Paul and Josiah did that, and they took no prisoners in their proclamation of this fact. You either obey God, or you face His wrath. Look at the extensive reforms brought to Germany and Europe under Luther and Calvin. They brought the Bible back into the pulpits of the lands. The Bible purged the church from its idolatry and false priests and sexual offenders. Many priests and popes had  illegitimate children! Many  lived  under the terror of witches and superstition  while the Roman church  did nothing to help them!  See what effect the reforms of Josiah had. See how wide ranging the effects of the Reformation were.  

Can God do a similar work in the world today?  

Lord have mercy upon this generation!  

Revive your church. Hear the prayers of your children. Give wings to your Word. Amen.

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[1]  Here  I stand : Martin Luther,  Roland  Bainton, p. 59

[2] Rom 1:16,17 quoted from Habakkuk 2:3

[3] Ibid,p.65

[4] John 3:1-8

[5] The publication of the complete German Bible only happened in 1534.

[6] Asa  (1 Ki 15:11) ; Jehoshaphat  (22:43) ; Joash (2 Ki. 12:2) ; Amaziah (14:3)  Azariah (or Uzziah) 15:3 ; Jotham (15:34)  and Hezekiah (18:3)

[7]  Asa & Hezekiah