WISE LIVING: CROOKED THINGS
Ecclesiastes 7:1-29
#wiseliving2022
READ ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 7:1-29 [person from congregation]
INTRODUCTION… Crooked Tree Story, english-for-students.com/The-Crooked-Tree.html
[ADAPTED]
I read an old English story this week that I thought was interesting. It seems a lot to me like the ugly duckling, but it is a little bit different:
Once upon a time, there was a huge forest where every tree was tall, upright, and had huge branches. Each tree was a perfect specimen of its kind. Now in that forest, there was one particular crooked tree. Its trunk was oddly shaped. Its roots stuck out in an ugly manner and all of its branches were twisted and sagged to the ground. Again, all the other trees around it were upright and reached to the sky and the crooked tree stood out. Why did it stick out? Because it was crooked.
The crooked tree looked around at them and thought, "How fine and straight they are!" Then it added in a very sad leafy voice, which sounded a lot like a bark, "I am so unlucky. Why should I alone, in this entire forest, be crooked and ugly? God, would you reach down Your Divine Creator Hand and make me tall and upright so I can reach to the sky like all the other trees?”
God heard the crooked tree and sent an angel with a message: “Consider the work of God: who can make straight what He has made crooked?”
One day a burly woodcutter came with a big axe to the forest looking for good timber. He looked at all the tall straight trees and saw dollar signs with all that he would be able to cut. He looked at the crooked tree and said to himself and aloud to no one in particular, 'This tree is absolutely useless for me.’ He selected all the fine upright trees and cut every single one of them down.
After that day, standing tall as the only tree in the entirely chopped down forest, the crooked tree had no more complaints and saw purpose from the Hand of God because it survived.
Now that story is not one I wrote, but I did fiddle with it a little bit for our purposes this morning. We are reading through Ecclesiastes 7 and the Teacher King who is writing to us, Solomon, uses a word that is only used 26 times in the whole Bible. Solomon uses the word 15/26 (58%) of the times it is used in the Bible. He uses it twice in Ecclesiastes and 13 times in Proverbs. He likes this word a lot.
The word is ‘crooked.’
The word we translate as ‘crooked’ in the Old Testament here in Ecclesiastes 1 and 7 means ‘to be bent.’ Not a complicated word. It means what it means. The first time the word is used in Ecclesiastes is chapter 1.
READ ECCLESIASTES 1:13-15 (ESV)
“And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.”
Solomon says that he looks over life and sees the same thing over and over. In this passage, the words ‘unhappy business,’ ‘everything done under the sun,’ ‘vanity,’ ‘striving after the wind,’ ‘crooked,’ and even the word ‘lacking’ are all parallel words. Those words present to us a view of life that is pessimistic with a dash of anger and frustration. Life is at times all kinds of crooked. I am pretty sure we all would agree with that.
We have been these 7 weeks in a series of sermons on Wise Living in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Depending on your English translation the word: vanity, meaningless, pointless, futility, fleeting makes its appearance often. Much of life is temporary, perishable, unsatisfying, and mundane and in verse 15 Solomon says also ‘crooked.’ We are meant to think that life gets crooked because of things we do, but also life in general is not fair and ends up crooked. Crooked things are allowed to happen and we hate that because it is completely unfair.
Now this week we are in Ecclesiastes 7 and Solomon again uses the word ‘crooked.’
RE-READ ECCLESIASTES 7:13-15 (ESV)
Consider the work of God: who can make straight what He has made crooked? 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. 15 In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.
Solomon in chapter 7 is presenting his thoughts as he is spiraling in the uselessness in life. Remember, Solomon presents these depressive, lost, hurting thoughts and conclusions for 12 chapters until the end of chapter 12 where he has a final God-centered thought.
As we look at this passage in general:
* Solomon observes that in life there are things that are straight and easy and there are things that are crooked and difficult. God allows them both.
* Solomon observes that in life there are days of joy and there are days of adversity. God allows them both.
* Solomon observes that in life there is righteousness and good-doing and there is wickedness and evildoing. God allows them both.
Let’s look at this passage not just in general, but drill down more specifically:
I. HUMAN LIFE IS CROOKED
King Solomon says that human life is made up of crooked things. We all experience events and people and circumstances and illness and accidents that create in our lives crookedness. These trials and problems make for a life that is lacking and hurtful. A relationship trial is crookedness. Disappointments in our job is crookedness. Difficult people who are permanently part of our lives are crookedness. Illnesses that we have that are chronic and do not go away is crookedness. Pervasive mental illness is crookedness. We all deal with something that is crooked. No one’s life is without drawbacks no matter what their social media looks like or what their church mask looks like.
The Bible shares with us the lives of people who dealt with the straight and easy and the crooked and difficult. They dealt with days of joy and days of adversity. Their lives were filled with righteousness and also wickedness.
ABRAM AND SARAI: GENESIS 15
I think of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 15.
READ GENESIS 15:1-3 (ESV)
“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”
God had promised Abraham children and blessing and Abraham didn’t see it. Abram waited and waited and nothing happened. He doubted. He was frustrated that God promised one thing and yet his life was no different for no children had been born. His heir was a trusted servant. Abraham was completely frustrated with God and His lack of action. That’s crooked.
NAAMAN IN 2 KINGS 5
I think about Naaman in 2 Kings 5. I often think of Naaman because I clearly remember my favorite Bible storybook when I was a little kid and it was the story of Naaman.
READ 2 KINGS 5:1 (ESV)
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
Naaman is an interesting person because the Bible says clearly that the man was not of the people of Israel and yet God gave him victory for his king. God was with him. He was an awesome warrior, but he had leprosy. That disease had stopped life it its tracks. God gave him military victory, but also allowed illness. That’s crooked.
APOSTLE PAUL IN 2 CORINTHIANS 12
I most definitely think about the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul was the sent messenger of Jesus about the Gospel and if anyone’s life should be good and smooth and normal or upright or a straight path it should be his. Actually, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12 that because he had such a close relationship with God and his knowledge of theology was so far beyond any other living people… his life was given crookedness and God refused to take it away.
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10 (ESV)
“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
That is all kinds of crooked.
II. THE HUMAN RESPONSE TO CROOKEDNESS
I know that I am primarily talking to folks today who are believers in Jesus Christ. Not everyone, but most. We are people of faith so we view our lives with God as a key part of our existence. We believe God loves us unconditionally. We believe God is only good. We believe God is holy and righteous and there is nothing that God does that is evil. We believe what the Bible says about God. For example…
READ DEUTERONOMY 32:4 (ESV)
“The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.”
These truths create deep important tensions in us… like it did for King Solomon… because life is crooked and bent and difficult and on the most basic level of our thoughts God should undo all of that is lacking in our lives. He is the Solid Rock and the Perfect Deliverer and Savior who is always just. He is the Way Maker and Compassionate All Powerful God Who makes all things new. He is always faithful. He is always upright.
We believe all that and yet God still allows crookedness in our lives. It seems a bit unfair. In Solomon’s disillusionment he says that God makes crooked things. He does not, but He certainly does allow them, so in that sense He makes them.
The tension that we feel when life is lacking and crooked and difficult leads us to ask questions:
* Following God means a constant flow of blessings from Heaven… doesn’t it?
* Following God means we get what we want from God when we ask… doesn’t it?
* Following God means I get a good life and people without God get the suffering… doesn’t it?
Those questions lead to some other questions:
* Who is to blame when life is crooked?
* What is our reaction when life is lacking and God isn’t doing what we think He should?
* When does the unfairness of life end and we get to have a life without issues or complications?
* Why do we have to suffer?
* How do we feel when crookedness comes into our lives?
The human response to this kind of tension is to have all kinds of emotions and attitudes that center on us questioning God and feeling let down by Him. Not always, but sometimes. The human response at times is to doubt that God is Who He says He is or perhaps if God even exists. Fear can creep into our lives because we do not feel protected by God Who promises to love us and never leave us.
Solomon observes in 7:13 that in life there are things that are straight and easy and there are things that are crooked and difficult. God allows them both. We don’t want crooked things in our lives and it seems fair that part of the benefit of believing in God is that God always makes life better the way we want.
Solomon observes in 7:14 that in life there are days of joy and there are days of adversity. God allows them both in our lives. God disappoints us when He allows adversity in our lives because we associate joy with God and rightly so! He is supposed to be our hedge of protection against all the garbage of the world and give us joy. When joy is absent, we wonder.
Solomon observes in 7:15 that in life there is righteousness and good-doing and there is wickedness and evildoing. God allows them both into our lives. We can feel let down by life or by God when bad things happen to us, not because of anything we have done, but because of the sinful mistakes of other people. If we are honest with ourselves, we expect hardship or trial or discipline from God when we sin, but we do not expect hardship or crookedness or a sense of lack when we have been faithful and trusting and walking with Him.
The normal human response to this perceived unfair crookedness is feeling let down, anger, doubt, a feeling of being lost, feeling weak, apathy, anxiety, and perhaps some other emotions and attitudes I haven’t even thought of.
TRANSITION
We are people of faith so we view our lives with God as a key part of our existence. We believe God loves us unconditionally. We believe God is only good. We believe God is holy and righteous and there is nothing that God does that is evil. This creates deep important tension in us… like it did for King Solomon… because life is crooked and bent and difficult and God should undo all of that is lacking in our lives. He is the Deliverer and Savior and Way Maker and Compassionate All Powerful God Who makes all things new.
What should be our proper response?
III. THE PROPER RESPONSE TO CROOKEDNESS
What do we do with this? What is the proper response to all the crooked things in life? Just as a preview, it is in Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12 (which we have already read) and in Ecclesiastes 12:13 (which we come back to every week) that we find our answers and right thinking and correct beliefs when it comes to the crooked things of life.
ILLUSTRATION… Dallas Willard Quote, https://dwillard.org/about
Before we get there, I’d like to share a thought that impacted me this past week as I was thinking about all of this and praying and reading. For the past couple of weeks, I have been reading and listening to ‘Renewing the Christian Mind’ by Dallas Willard. Dallas Willard (1935-2013) was a Christian author and speaker and author. I have appreciated his books on spiritual disciplines myself.
After graduating college and his ordination as a Southern Baptist minister, Dallas knew there was much more to learn. He considered himself "abysmally ignorant" about God and the soul, and a “hazard” to those who listened to him preach. So he decided to attend graduate school and study the “big ideas” of philosophy, knowing that Jesus and his teachings were addressing the same questions philosophers have been wrestling with throughout human history.
It was at this time that God gave Dallas a prophetic message: “If you stay in the churches, the university will be closed to you; but if you stay in the university, the churches will be open to you." Dallas allowed God to direct his steps into academia and was offered an Associate Professorship at the University of Southern California in 1965 without even applying for the job. He taught at USC until 2012… that’s 47 years. I tell you all that to say that this gentleman can be trusted. His belief in Jesus Christ did not waver one inch in all his years teaching and preaching and writing and speaking.
He said something in his book ‘Renewing the Christian Mind’ which is important for us today. He said: ‘Faith in God is not just believing that He exists. Faith in God is believing that He is right.’
Let me let you sit with that very true thought for a moment: “Faith in God is not just believing that He exists. Faith in God is believing that He is right.” In order for us to process life properly when it is crooked and lacking and futile and useless and temporary and all the other adjectives that King Solomon uses in Ecclesiastes, we must have a fundamental faith that God is right and what He does is right.
Solomon observes in 7:13 that in life there are things that are straight and easy and there are things that are crooked and difficult. God allows them both and when He allows the crooked He is right to do so for our benefit because He knows what will benefit us. Solomon observes in 7:14 that in life there are days of joy and there are days of adversity. God allows them both in our lives and He is right to allow adversity into our lives because He knows what is eternally best for us. Solomon observes in 7:15 that in life there is righteousness and there is also wickedness and evildoing. God allows them both into our lives and when God allows someone to sin against us He is right to do so because He is right and at some point will make it right.
What I am saying to you today is very difficult. Difficult and true. Difficult and helpful. Difficult and pressing you to grow up in faith. Faith in God is not just believing that He exists. Faith in God is believing that He is right.
This thought bears out in what the Apostle Paul has already told us in 2 Corinthians 12.
RE-READ 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10 (ESV)
“9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Paul says that God is right. Paul sees that in his weakness Jesus is made powerful in his life in ways that would not be present if he did not struggle. He believes God is right and he perseveres in faith to be content and relies on God in his weakness. That is the proper response to crookedness.
This thought bears out in what Solomon says at the end of the Book of Ecclesiastes.
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 unless you and I have a God-given perspective about life. Crooked things happen. 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. That is not just believing that He exists. A proper relationship with God means we believe He is right and works for our good and is compassionate and loving even as He allows crooked no good bad things into our lives. God does not do evil, but He does allow it. God is Who He is and in faith we must accept His will. His good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2… it is good and pleasing and perfect… for HIM).
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.
CONCLUSION… Crooked Tree Story, english-for-students.com/The-Crooked-Tree.html
[ADAPTED]
Once upon a time, there was a huge forest where every tree was tall, upright, and had huge branches. Each tree was a perfect specimen of its kind. Now in that forest, there was one particular crooked tree. Its trunk was oddly shaped. Its roots stuck out in an ugly manner and all of its branches were twisted and sagged to the ground. Again, all the other trees around it were upright and reached to the sky and the crooked tree stood out. Why did it stick out? Because it was crooked.
The crooked tree looked around at them and thought, "How fine and straight they are!" Then it added in a very sad leafy voice, which sounded a lot like a bark, "I am so unlucky. Why should I alone, in this entire forest, be crooked and ugly? God, would you reach down Your Divine Creator Hand and make me tall and upright so I can reach to the sky like all the other trees?”
God heard the crooked tree and sent an angel with a message: “Consider the work of God: who can make straight what He has made crooked?”
One day a burly woodcutter came with a big axe to the forest looking for good timber. He looked at all the tall straight trees and saw dollar signs with all that he would be able to cut. He looked at the crooked tree and said to himself and aloud to no one in particular, 'This tree is absolutely useless for me.’ He selected all the fine upright trees and cut every single one of them down.
After that day, standing tall as the only tree in the entirely chopped down forest, the crooked tree had no more complaints and saw purpose from the Hand of God because it survived.
CONCLUSION IN PRAYER
INVITATION
