Ecclesiastes 8: 1- 17
Who Is In Charge Here?
1 Who is like a wise man? and who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the sternness of his face is changed. 2 I say, “Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God. 3 Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.” 4 Where the word of a king is, there is power; And who may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, 6 Because for every matter there is a time and judgment, though the misery of man increases greatly. 7 For he does not know what will happen; So who can tell him when it will occur? 8 No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no one has power in the day of death. There is no release from that war, and wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it. 9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt. 10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity. 11 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. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God. 14 There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun. 16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.
One thing that I observe in others, which I now seem to notice more and more, is that people accept things to easily. One area in particularly which bothers me is that others accept words or statements without really knowing what they mean. In all seriousness, think this question through – what is wisdom? How would you best describe this word?
Wisdom is the ability to see life from God’s perspective and then to know the best course of action to take. It comes from knowing and trusting in God as Proverbs 9 verse ten teaches us, “ 10 “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
We read here that ‘wisdom’ is from fearing our Holy Lord. This word ‘fear’ means to respect and honor our Precious Holy God. – El Shadai.
The book of Ecclesiastes provides instruction in how to live an upright life. Men who have dedicated their lives in studying God’s Holy Word list these Scripture writings as ‘wisdom literature.’
These scholars have arranged these wisdom writings into two categories – proverbial and speculation wisdom books. The first one you can guess which book in the Bible describes. Yes, it is the book of Proverbs. They are short instructive sayings.
Speculation wisdom Scriptures consist of dialogues or monologues. The book of Job is an example of speculation wisdom in the form of a dialogue while the book of Ecclesiastes is an example of a monologue.
So, the next time you are at a social gathering share this information with others and they will be amazed at you knowledge and wisdom. Seriously though, from time to time at the right occasion we all get to grow in our knowledge of biblical terms. That is why when the opportunity presents itself, I will describe for you various theological terms.
1 Who is like a wise man? and who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the sternness of his face is changed.
In many cases we do not categorize individuals as having great wisdom. We just like to be around them, to hear them talk, and to take to heart some of their advice. The wise individual comes up with answers to problems that we think are almost impossible. His/her wisdom actually makes their faces shine and emanates peace and contentment, not like the discontent and worry displayed on the faces of others. This is a person who has his/her act together. They are stable in their thoughts and emotions. They do not panic. Sternness is strength. This is a person I think that we all would like to become.
Many times people give Solomon great credit in asking our Precious Holy God for wisdom. However as we look at Proverbs chapter 4 we will see that his father David constantly instructed him to seek out this great characteristic. So, when our Holy Adoni Yahweh asked him what he would like to get from Him, he responded with the right request – ‘Give me wisdom!’
1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding; 2 For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law. 3 When I was my father’s son, tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, 4 He also taught me, and said to me: “ Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. and in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.” 10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. 11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life. 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. 15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on. 16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble. 20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.
So, Solomon now having the wisdom now goes on in the next three verses to instruct us to obey the demands of a wise person in authority. This should be a no brainer. If the person who is over me gives out direction and he or she has proven their wisdom, then I should, who has less wisdom, respond correctly by obeying their directions. Do you agree with this point? Look at what Solomon writes in verses 2 through 4.
2 I say, “Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God. 3 Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.” 4 Where the word of a king is, there is power; and who may say to him, “What are you doing?”
The demands of authority are always to be obeyed because of who we are. We are God’s kids and need to be submissive to all His instructions. Are not these words of advice from our Precious Holy Spirit His direct commands? We do have a choice to agree or disagree to our Master and King, however, we are quite naïve to choose poorly. Look at some more words from our Holy God to us;
Romans 13, “ 1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.”
Another smart reason to obey a person in authority is because of their significant position over you. If they are your boss, failure to obey means you are fired. In verse 2 Solomon points out to us that we need to respect the person in authority’s position and presence, ‘3 Do not be hasty to go from his presence.’.
Solomon’s next instruction on this matter is for us not to refuse to obey their requests which he categories as evil, if we will not go as instructed, ‘Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”
Another key point of advice is for us to realize the boss’s power, ‘4 Where the word of a king is, there is power; and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” We can offer suggestions to a dumb order from the boss, but we have no right to question his or her decision. Of course, if one’s boss orders you to do something contrary to what is legal or God honoring. You can refuse and get fired but you will be better off in the long run.
This last statement is in agreement with Solomon’s thoughts, for he goes on in verses 5 through 8 to let us know that the decisions of authority need to be evaluated wisely.
5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful; And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, 6 Because for every matter there is a time and judgment, though the misery of man increases greatly. 7 For he does not know what will happen; So who can tell him when it will occur? 8 No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no one has power in the day of death. There is no release from that war, and wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it. 9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.
In all reality you and I both know that all our lives are affected by the decisions of those with positions over us. Look at these others words of good advice;
Proverbs 20, “2 The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life”
Proverbs 22,” 17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge; 18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, 19 So that your trust may be in the LORD; I have instructed you today, even you. 20 Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, 21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send to you?.”
Here in these verses are some important points that we need to take under serious conditions. Do you realize that if you give out the wrong type of advice that you wind up adding ‘misery’ to others. Solomon says in verses 6 and 9,
6 Because for every matter there is a time and judgment, though the misery of man increases greatly.
9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.
One time this man shared with me some terrible things that were occurring in his life. For my part, I just shot out some Scripture at him. I told him that all things will work for the good for him. After I told him this, his face got real red with anger. His job was with the IRS military division. So, he responded to me that if he had his gun with him, he would have shot me. I was amazed, but after some serious reflection I realized that even though I gave him correct Scripture, it wasn’t the right time. All he needed was an ear. Someone just to listen to his dismay, not to flippantly shoot off some bible verses. Without knowing it I had added misery upon his situation.
We are created in the image of God. Our Precious Adoni Elyon – The Lord Most High Is Three Holy Ones in the Godhead, Who makes Himself known to us as our Father, our Master, Lord and Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Wonderful Holy Ghost. They are One in essence, unity, and oneness. They are equal yet three Divine Perfect Ones.
Our God has given us three parts so we are made in His Image. We have body’s which can be pointed to the Holy One Who manifested Himself to us in physical form, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have soul’s which comprise of our minds, intellect, etc. These point to our Holy Father. Then we also have sprits which of course points to our Holy Spirit. Wow!
We are informed by Solomon, ‘8 No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no one has power in the day of death.’ Since our forefather Adam messed up every thing by sinning we have to deal with death. The body’s we are given must perish. The soul continues on while as you can see here, our spirit’s return back to God.
Our God, however, has promised us, who have professed our belief and love for Him, that He will resurrect our bodies and reunite our spirits with our souls and we will have eternal life with Him forever. Oh, thank you Precious Master.
A few years back I saw advertised this couple who stated that they could extend their lives. They ate tofu and other natural products along with taking certain vitamins. Now, I am all for this type of positive self care. In fact I am a Naturopathic Doctor. Yet, I am also wise enough to know that when God says your time is up, it is up no matter how well you take care of yourselves. Solomon confirms this point in verse 8 “8 No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no one has power in the day of death. There is no release from that war, and wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.”
10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity. 11 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. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God. 14 There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun. 16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night,
Solomon points out some things here that I know we all have struggled with at one time of another and this is why it seems that the wicked die without any noticeable punishment. He must have watched the movie, The Godfather. For Solomon contemplates that Vito Coreleone has this elaborate funeral with a long procession of attendees. This person’s wickedness is forgotten and ‘Respect’ is given as though he was a good guy. Solomon however will conclude that the wicked will get theirs.
I am reminded of this story. There were two brothers in this one town who were very wicked. They were evil bullies who preyed and intimidated everyone they came in contact with. One day one of the brothers died. The other brother came to the Pastor and ‘told’ him, not asked him, to do a service for his brother and that he wanted the Pastor to tell everyone in attendance that his deceased brother was a saint. So, on the day of the memorial service the Pastor spoke about the brother who had died. He informed the audience of how evil and low down he was and how he was a bully. At the end of his message he said, ‘but compared to his brother who is with us here today, he was a saint.’
If God does not judge immediately we must not assume that He does not care and allows the evil people to get away with their evil. All things will be ‘pay day some day.’ We all have to remember that those who have not accepted the forgiveness of God through the Sacrifice of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ will pay in the long run. For those people this life here is their ‘Heaven’. For us, this is the worse that it will ever get, or for us our hell. We have an eternity of Heaven waiting for us. Praise God!
Solomon now recalls the remedy for life’s unanswered questions, “15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.” He recommends that we focus on the good things of life, one day at a time. Remember, we live in a cursed world, so let us suck out of this existence as much joy and peace that we can.
17 then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.
I find here an amazing finding that I believe is missed by almost all theologians. We know that Solomon was granted ‘Wisdom’ from God that surpassed any and all wisdom that any man who ever lived could obtain. Yet even with this gift Solomon points out that it was limited. Only our Blessed Eternal Sovereign Holy Lord contains all wisdom. Solomon came across issues in life that he could not give an answer.
Put yourself in Solomon’s position. Here he thought that he had all the wisdom one would ever need. He came across some situations where he tried and tried and still could not comprehend the correct answers. This started driving him mad.
Perhaps, he did come up with the reason why he could not understand fully everything. It was because he had allowed sin to enter his life and darken his insight. This I believe is his comments in verse 26 of chapter 7 which says, “26 And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be trapped by her.”
He had allowed the three things that God had strictly told him to avoid become a cancer to his life. If you remember our Holy Father had told him to avoid horses, gold, and women. Look at this information in the book of 1 Kings chapter 11. “1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— 2 from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. 8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. 11 Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”
He had originated the theme, ‘One is too many and a 1000 is not enough’. He found out the hard way. Notice that because of his sin Solomon has bitterness towards women as he stated in chapter 7.
Solomon knows this truth because he has tried to find all the answers. It is not God that has failed but man cannot even come close to comprehend our Holy God’s ways. Even the smartest man who ever lived could not even come close to scratch the knowledge, wisdom, and power of our Everlasting Magnificent Holy God.
May His children give Him the Glory due His Holy Name. We love you our God.
