WISE LIVING: JUSTICE IS BROKEN
Ecclesiastes 3:1-22
#wiseliving2022
READ ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 3:1-22 [Person from the Congregation]
INTRODUCTION… Roller Coasters (p)
I was trying to think back this week to the first roller coaster I ever went on. Strange thought, I know. I remember going to Six Flags over Georgia with my church youth group when I was in Junior High, but I spent the whole day in the arcade and spent all the money my parents gave me on arcade games. No Mindbender or Ninja for me. I didn’t even have money to eat at the end of the day and the youth minister had to pay for me. Needless to say that wasn’t a pleasant conversation when I got home. I didn’t ride roller coasters then I don’t think.
I could be wrong, but I believe the first roller coaster I ever went on was Space Mountain in Disney World on a family trip. I remember going with my dad. I remember he lost his sun glasses that were tucked into his shirt. Space Mountain is a wonderful ride. You jerk and twist into the inky blackness as a futuristic soundtrack echoes all around you. The ride has space and stars and all kinds of stuff fly by. I am sure by now it has been updated some since the late 1980s.
Roller coasters give us a sense of fun and thrill in all of the ups and downs even while being on a set track. I was thinking about roller coasters because as we make our way through Ecclesiastes 3 today, I think roller coasters will help us understand God’s Word.
ILLUSTRATION… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn!_Turn!_Turn!
"Turn! Turn! Turn!" is a song written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s and first recorded in 1959. The lyrics – except for the title, which is repeated throughout the song, and the final two lines – consist of the first eight verses of the third chapter of the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. The song was originally released in 1962 as "To Everything There Is a Season" on folk group the Limeliters' album Folk Matinee, and then some months later on Seeger's own The Bitter and the Sweet.
The song became an international hit in late 1965 when it was adapted by the American folk rock group the Byrds. The single entered the U.S. chart at number 80 on October 23, 1965, before reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 4, 1965. In Canada, it reached number 3 on November 29, 1965, and also peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also number 1 in New Zealand, #8 in Germany, and #15 in the Netherlands. The Byrds' 1965 recording of the song holds the distinction in the U.S. of being the number 1 hit with the oldest lyrics.
In a 2002 interview with Acoustic Guitar magazine, Pete Seeger said, "All around the world, songs are being written that use old public domain material, and I think it's only fair that some of the money from the songs go to the country or place of origin, even though the composer may be long dead or unknown. With 'Turn, Turn, Turn' I wanted to send 45 percent. I was going to send it to London, where I am sure the committee that oversees the use of the King James version exists, and they probably could use a little cash. But then I realized, why not send it to where the words were originally written?" Seeger arranged for 45% of the songwriting royalties for "Turn! Turn! Turn!" to be donated to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
Interesting.
When people think about the Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3… at least the beginning of chapter 3… is probably a passage that most people recognize. The chapter feels like a chapter that has different sections to it, but in reality, chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes has one message.
THE SITUATION: GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL (verses 1-14)
Verse 1 begins by laying out the thought that everything that happens in the world happens for a reason and even the things that are opposites happen under the watchful eye of God. We are meant to remember that at the end of chapter 2, we have the clear understanding that wisdom and health and success and even happiness are empty and meaningless unless they come from the Hand of God. That stuff is not in our control; it is under His control.
Chapter 3 is no different. Everything that happens around us and to us happens as God is sovereign over everything. In Hebrew manuscripts, verses 2-8 are written in two columns so we not only read the contrasting nature of the items, but we see it in how the words are written down. The Teacher King in Jerusalem named Solomon sees that no matter what happens, God is sovereign.
Each of the fourteen pairs are meant to cover, I think, pretty much every season of life and pretty much anything that happens to anyone:
Birth and death happen, for example, and there is a time for each of those. (verse 2)
Tearing something down and building up have their seasons. (verse 3)
There are times to weep and there are times to laugh. (verse 4)
Searching and giving up happen and there is time for each. (verse 6).
There are times to be silent and times to speak up. (verse 7)
The message from these contrasting verses is that each of us goes through life and we in one season or another deal with the same issues. At some point something will get torn up and at some point you will need to mend it (verse 7). Pick an issue and understand that many times those seasons and those events and those trials and joys have little to do with anything that we can control.
So the inevitable question is… Who is in charge of such things? If most of these things are out of our control, then who is in control? Solomon says God is absolutely in charge. He is sovereign over every blade of grass and every speck of sadness. He is in control… that is what sovereign means… over every time of joy and knows where all the lost things lie.
Verse 11: God makes everything beautiful in its time.
Verse 11: God is in charge of eternity.
Verse 11: God is at the beginning of things and at the end.
Verse 13: God gives gifts to humans.
Verse 14: God does what is eternal.
Verse 14: God’s will has nothing added to it and nothing taken away from it.
Solomon looks out at the world and notices that everything that goes on is under the watchful eye and control of God. If they had roller coasters in Solomon’s day, he might have said life is a bit like a roller coaster.
ILLUSTRATION… preaching.com/sermon-illustrations/lack-of-control/ [adapted part 1]
Life can be a roller coaster. There are ups, downs, curves, and all sorts of twists and turns you do not control. However, the roller coaster is still headed to its designed end because the designer made the roller coaster to do what it does. We like having a sense of control in our own lives, but control is often an illusion. It certainly is on a roller coaster.
All it takes is one bad doctor report, a rebellious child, a car wreck, a pandemic, a misfiled report, or a downturn in the job market to reveal how little control we have over our lives. We don’t have control on the roller coaster, but God the Designer knows every up and every down and each curve.
THE COMPLICATION: JUSTICE IS BROKEN (verses 15-21)
There is a complication in all of this ‘God is in control’ talk. Solomon brings this up in a huge way in verse 15. He brings up the complication again in a huge way in verse 16. He just piles on the complications.
In verse 15, Solomon repeats a sentiment from chapter 1 that there is nothing new in life and it just repeats and repeats. History repeats itself and God is in charge of history. If that is true and God is in charge of history, why isn’t life getting any better? Why do we have to deal with the same old garbage? If God is in control, why isn’t He using that control to make life better? This leaves us with complicated questions.
In verse 16, Solomon brings up the fact that justice is broken. In the place of justice and righteousness, there seems to be injustice and wickedness. Justice and what is right is broken. The obvious solution to the problem is that God will make things right and bring all that into judgement (verse 17), but we don’t always see that happen. If it is true that God is just and good and righteous and holy, why then does so much in life seem to be broken? Can’t He do something about that? This leaves us with even more complicated questions.
ILLUSTRATION… preaching.com/sermon-illustrations/lack-of-control/ [adapted part 2]
Let’s go back to the ‘life can be a roller coaster’ thought. There are ups, downs, curves, and all sorts of twists and turns you do not control… you can’t control. However, the roller coaster is still headed to its designed end because the designer made the roller coaster to do what it does. Are roller coasters safe? I mean… they are designed rides for amusement… are these designed rides for amusement safe and sound and completely controlled?
The answer if you didn’t know it is… no.
ILLUSTRATION… bmwlawgroup.com/amusement-park-injury-statistics/
In 2004, a man was thrown from the Superman: Ride of Steel roller coaster in Six Flags New England.
In 2008, two nine-year-old boys were injured on a motorcycle kiddie ride at the Carroll County Fair Grounds.
In 2013, a woman died when she fell from the Texas Giant roller coaster in Six Flags Over Texas.
In 2014, the Ninja ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles derailed when a tree branch fell on the tracks. Four people were injured.
In 2016, a 3-year old boy died when he hell off from the Rollo Coaster in Idlewild and Soak Zone near Pittsburgh.
In 2016 a 10-year-old boy suffered a fatal neck injury at a water slide in Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City.
In 2016 in Greenville, Mississippi a 6-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury when a Ferris wheel at the Greene County Fair malfunctioned.
In 2016 at the Frederick County Fairgrounds in Virginia, a woman fell 40 feet when the cables at the Super Shot ride snapped.
In 2016, a kiddie roller coaster at the Bartow County Fair in Cartersville, Georgia collapsed. No injuries were reported.
In July 2017 a person died when the Fire Ball ride at the Ohio State Fair malfunctioned, seven people were also injured.
In 2019 a girl was thrown from the Xtreme Super Sizzler ride at the Harvest Festival in New Jersey, she suffered fatal head and brain injuries.
On July 2021, an 11-year-old-boy died and three were injured at Adventureland Park in Iowa after a raft from the Raging River ride overturned.
The complication in all this is that we see evil in the world. We have evil done to us. We see injustice in the world. We see governments and laws and people and companies out of control. We see all of the things in life that are broken. Maybe we even feel broken. King Solomon saw all of that as well.
If God is so good, why is life so bad?
More personal for us… If God is so good, why is MY life so bad?
If God is in control, why doesn’t He prevent disasters?
If God is Who we think He is, why do many things seem out of control?
If God is sovereign, why do bad things happen to good people?
More personal… why do bad things happen to good people because I AM GOOD PEOPLE?
If God is sovereign, why do good things happen to bad people?
These are important questions that we need to deal with because if we do not, then the fear and doubt and anxiety that remains in our hearts erodes our faith. There are answers.
THE SOLUTION: TRUST IN GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY (verse 22 & 12:13)
Ecclesiastes is a book of wisdom literature, but it is not necessarily a collection of sayings like the Book of Proverbs where a saying has an issue and a solution all in the same verse. Ecclesiastes is more like the Book of Job in that a story is being told and should be read in one sitting to get the whole impact. The story of the Book of Ecclesiastes is that wise King Solomon took a journey through life and investigated much about life and found it to be pointless and meaningless and mundane. In chapter 3, he discovers that life is supremely unfair and tragic. He discovers that it is supremely unfair and tragic even under the control of God. We absolutely must remember to keep the end of Ecclesiastes in mind as we read the struggles presented in each chapter. The answer comes at the end. The conclusion very much has to do with God.
Solomon has two conclusions about this very complicated issue of God’s control and the injustice and brokenness in this crazy world. I want to summarize his conclusions and then dig into them. Solomon understands that life is unjust and out of control, but in the end understands that we must give up our need for control in our lives to our good, holy, and just God that is absolutely in control now and in the future. He will bring all things into His justice and make all things right one day in His timing. Seeking after God and having faith in Him means we give up control. Having faith in God means we faithfully and obediently follow Him through the twists and turns of life because He is right there with us. What are we to do? Trust and obey.
First, we have verse 22 where the Teacher King tells us that we must accept the fact that we are in control of nothing and the anxiety of that truth must pass through us and out of us.
RE-READ ECCLESIASTES 3:22 (ESV)
“So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?”
Solomon repeats his thought from verse 12 again in verse 22 and explains to us that we are not in control of anything. We cannot order any events as we would like. We are powerless to control the forces of nature, the cascading waves of consequences of sin in the world, and the providential will of God. We cannot control God. We have to accept that we are not in charge. We have to accept that all we can do is good that God calls us to in the midst of a world that is a crazy mess.
The lack of control is a complete stress for many people. We want to be in control. We want our plans to work out. We have an order to life and how things should go and that is the end of it. Actual control is an illusion. Worry over the future is pointless. Believe it or not, Jesus says the same thing to us in Matthew 6. He teaches us about control and plans and stress and worry and challenges us to seek God first in the midst of all the chaos.
READ MATTHEW 6:25-33 (ESV)
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Jesus says we do not have control in the daily ins and outs of life and this is something we must accept and have anxiety and worry pass through us and out of us. And! Interesting how Jesus points out Solomon. And! Don’t miss out on verse 33. In the end, it is about seeking God. Jesus commands us to seek God’s Kingdom and placing our focus on God in the midst of worry and loss of control. That thought leads us to Solomon’s concluding thought in Ecclesiastes.
Second, we have Ecclesiastes 12:13 where the Teacher King tells us the exact same thing Jesus Christ teaches us. In the midst of a world that cannot be controlled by us, we must seek God and find in Him answers and control.
WISE LIVING: ECCLESIASTES 12:13
At the end of Solomon’s deliberations about life in the Book of Ecclesiastes, he arrives in chapter 12 with a thought to end all thoughts.
READ Ecclesiastes 12:13 (ESV)
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
You see life is absolutely meaningless, pointless, futility, fleeting, a brief breath and a quick vapor and absolutely completely unjust and terrible unless you and I have a God-given perspective about life. The end of the matter for the wisest person who ever lived was that the whole duty of a human being is to live in a proper right relationship with God. God must be in the middle of our lives or we are lost.
It is the right relationship with God that brings meaning and makes everything make sense.
It is in following the commands of God that purpose and identity is given.
It is when we seek after God and His Kingdom that all the pieces of our lives fall into place.
How does Ecclesiastes 12:13 apply to chapter 3?
To help us with this, let’s go back to our roller coaster example.
ILLUSTRATION… preaching.com/sermon-illustrations/lack-of-control/ [adapted part 3]
There are ups, downs, curves, and all sorts of twists and turns we do not control… we can’t control. Where our control ends is where we find the joy of the faithfulness of God. While life may seem like a roller coaster at times, God is bringing us to His desired end.
His desired end.
His desired end.
His faithfulness will see us through the seemingly uncontrolled twists and turns of life. What we need is a strong conviction in the faithfulness of God, who is the One who is really in control. When I learn to give up my illusion of control and truly trust God, I find that I have joy and happiness and fulfillment. I do not mean that all your troubles simply fade away… because they absolutely won’t. There is a time and season for everything. I do mean that when I have a strong confidence in God bringing the ride of my life to His desired end, I can relax and have faith and joy and accept that He is in control.
Are you holding on to the safety bar of life with clinched fists?
Are you angry with God because life went left when you wanted it to go right?
Do you feel you have no control in life and it brings you anxiety?
Are you at the very top about to rush down and you are terrorized by your own lack of control?
Does the unfairness of life make you doubt God’s existence or His goodness?
Does the lack of justice bring fear and doubt?
THE CHALLENGE
The challenge for us is faith. Followers of Jesus Christ believe that God is absolutely in control of all things and we place our faith in God because He is good and right and holy always.
The challenge for us is trust. Followers of Jesus Christ place trust in God that He is leading us to where we ultimately need to be even though we cannot see the end or ourselves can control the twists and turns.
The challenge for us is obedience. Followers of Jesus Christ obey God even in the midst of chaos and trouble because His way is the best way no matter what.
Followers of Jesus Christ believe that God is absolutely in control of all things and we place our faith in God because He is good and right and holy always. Followers of Jesus Christ place trust in God that He is leading us to where we ultimately need to be even though we cannot see the end or ourselves can control the twists and turns. Followers of Jesus Christ obey God even in the midst of chaos and trouble because His way is the best way no matter what.
CONCLUSION IN PRAYER
INVITATION
I invite you today to place faith and trust and obedience in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Life is definitely unpredictable and unfair and out of our control, but Jesus is love and grace and strength and purpose and order amidst the cascading unfairness of life. He is in control. He is worthy of our trust. Accept Him today.
