Welcome back, my dear friends. I know my last lesson was not very hopeful for those looking for life’s answers. However, it was written to specifically demonstrate that following Satan’s human wisdom leads only to a life of meaninglessness and despair.
Let me pause here and explain a phrase that King Solomon uses twenty-eight times throughout Ecclesiastes. The phrase is “under the sun.” What exactly does he mean by this? King Solomon is saying that human wisdom resides here on earth under the sun. This is Satan’s domain, so it is where human wisdom belongs constantly under his earthly influence.
To seek Godly wisdom from the Lord God of the Universe you must go above the sun where He resides in Heaven. Under the sun is human wisdom; above the sun is where you’ll find Godly wisdom.
In 1959, songwriter Pete Seeger wrote a song entitled “Turn, Turn, Turn.” The song itself was created by the leader of American folk music using lyrics that dated back more than 2,000 years.
In 1965, the music group, The Byrds, recorded the song and it became a hit. It starts out like this:
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven.
Where did he find these 2,000-year-old lyrics for this song?
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)
A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary explains Ecclesiastes 3 this way.
By the Laws of God. 3:1-15. All of life, including human activity, is part of a determined cycle. Although man longs for something more, he can do nothing about it. He must be content to get what little happiness he can while engaging in this endless round of events.
To everything there is time. Everything in nature and in human life is under a set scheme, There is a season (an appointed time) and a time (a predetermined occurrence) for all that takes place under the sun. Seemingly chance events are all part of a huge plan.
God’s Word tells us:
“11 All things are done according to God\’s plan and decision; and God chose us to be his own people in union with Christ because of his own purpose, based on what he had decided from the very beginning.” Ephesians 1:11
6O Lord God of our ancestors, you rule in heaven over all the nations of the world. You are powerful and mighty, and no one can oppose you. 2 Chronicles 20:6
This, my friend, is the reality we live in. God is in total control, Sovereignly and Providentially. His plans cannot be thwarted by man or Satan.
All human existence, when lived apart from God, is frustrating and unsatisfactory. All the pleasures and material things of life, when sought for their own sake, bring nothing but unhappiness and a sense of futility.
Therefore, Solomon’s quest to find meaning and happiness in his life “under the sun” through Satan’s human wisdom doesn’t really turn up anything of value. From this human point of view, the Teacher has summed up everything quite well. Life lived apart from God comes to only one end — meaninglessness and despair. The unbelieving world is faced with a life that will ultimately end and become irrelevant.
If there is no God, and no Salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, then not only is there no point to life, but also no purpose or direction to it. The world “under the sun,” apart from God is frustrating, cruel, unfair, brief, and “utterly meaningless.”
The unbelieving world run by Satan continues to reinforce the belief that we, not God, are in control of our own destiny. “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.” But the realization is that the unbelievers cannot alter what God has prescribed, even if they want to.
Everything is appropriate in its own time. Ecclesiastes 3:11(TLB)
Since God has designed each happening to fit perfectly into its appropriate setting, the unbelieving world is confused and refuses to accept whatever circumstances God sends them. The world interprets “under the sun” as just bad luck, and thinks hang in there, things will get better or just try harder next time.
Why is this so hard for the unbelieving world to understand and accept?
Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelieving world; they have no concept of the Sovereignty and Providence of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Corinthians 4:4 (KJV)
Some may say that the unbeliever simply must read the Bible to find out what God is up to. However, there is a small glitch to that way of thinking.
14 But the man who isn’t a Christian can’t understand and can’t accept these thoughts from God, which the Holy Spirit teaches us. They sound foolish to him because only those who have the Holy Spirit within them can understand what the Holy Spirit means. Others just can’t take it in. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (TLB)
Because of their blindness, God’s Will cannot play into their thinking process. Satan and his “under the sun” philosophies have taught them that great things are caused by their own abilities, chance, or luck.
They don’t understand that the curse placed on the earth after Adam’s sin is why everything goes wrong in our world and why life is such a fight all the time. Humanity must always run uphill to accomplish anything. (Genesis 3:17-19)
They don’t understand that the Common Grace God has shown to everyone is the reason for any success they have. This is God’s compassion and kindness shown to everyone.
9 The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:9 (NIV)
35 He is kind to those who are not thankful and to those who are full of sin. Luke 6:35 (NLV)
So, for the unbeliever, after a life of meaninglessness, what will be the final chapter to their story?
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15 (NKJV)
For the unbeliever, reading this disastrous life scenario and the end that awaits you, my prayer is that this series has truly opened your eyes, your heart and mind. Do not waste your life only to satisfy Satan’s desires. Seek the Lord and change your eternal destiny. We’ll talk more at the end of this lesson.
Godly Wisdom
Now sets up the battle between earthly wisdom and Godly wisdom. Up to this point, King Solomon has been looking at life from a worldly, horizontal, under-the-sun perspective, and the conclusion that seems inescapable —life is short, so live for today. Enjoy whatever your sinful nature wants to because you don’t have much time. He found that everything was a temporary diversion, and that without God, there was no purpose or longevity.
With the final chapter, Ecclesiastes 12, comes a shift in viewpoint and a recognition that life is highly significant when God is enthroned in a human life. The conclusion of the matter: “Taking everything into consideration, the experiences and the mental turmoil through which King Solomon has gone, the highest good in life is a proper reverence of God in all life.” This is where we will find true meaning, satisfaction, and the key to existence in this sinful world we live in.
Ray Stedman states.
God uses eleven chapters in Ecclesiastes to illuminate the folly of worldly thinking. He wants us to realize, whenever we see or hear people who live on the basis of “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die,” this is all that the world has to offer, apart from God. This is the logical conclusion of a life that has erased God from the picture.
My dear friend, you need to realize the Lord God of the Universe has already planned out your life even before you were born.
16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book! Psalm 139:16 (TLB)
24 The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? Proverbs 20:24
Here is the meaning of life. If you understand the Sovereignty and Providence of God and truly see it from His perspective, your life will take on great meaning and purpose, “eat … drink … rejoice … do good … live joyfully … fear God … and keep His commandments!” My friend, if you follow this path, skepticism and despair will melt away. View your life as a daily gift from God. So, live within His parameters of one day at a time.
In this fallen world, the believer must turn to God and ask, \”Lord,” what would you have me do today? I know my life has an eternal purpose. I desire to understand how all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). Each day when the believer wakes up, there should be joy and anticipation in their heart of what God has in store for them today.
What is anticipation? It is an emotion involving pleasure or anxiety in considering or awaiting an expected event.
Dr. David Jeremiah in his book, “Revealing the Mysteries of Heaven,” describes anticipation this way.
“Psychologists tell us that anticipation, which is the opposite of surprise, is an emotion with marvelous healing powers. Can you imagine a world without anticipation? Welcome to the unbelievers’ world. Without Christ, there’s no ultimate anticipation. There may be momentary prospects and incremental excitement, but lasting expectancy is missing. Everything is different for believers! Our best days are ahead of us, and we can anticipate all the glories of eternity. That should motivate our daily faithfulness as we await His return.”
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13 (NKJ)
With Christ, our earthly lives are but a shadow of the glories to come in a heaven that is only accessible through Him. “Life is but a shadow of the glories to come in heaven.” My friends, think about this statement. All of our joyfulness, satisfaction, pleasure and exhilaration that we find today in Jesus Christ is but a small taste of what awaits us in Heaven when we behold Him face to face.
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV)
Ultimately, every disappointment and vanity described in Ecclesiastes has its remedy in Christ, the wisdom of God and the only true meaning to be found in life.
Ray Stedman summarizes Ecclesiastes this way.
The author recommends sensible and rational pleasure. Satisfy your heart’s desires, he says, but remember that God has certain requirements for living, and that he punishes excess and abuse of his will.
The foundation of life is fear of God, that is, reverence toward him, a proper acknowledgment of who he is, and what he demands of men in everyday life (Prov 15: 33).
If we fear God and keep His commandments, then we have finally found meaning. All is no longer “vanity of vanities,” no longer meaningless. Life is vibrant, exciting, exhilarating. This is the meaning we were meant to build our lives upon. In knowing Him, we find wholeness. In serving Him, we are doing what we were created to do. In receiving eternal life, we find true satisfaction. The secret of living is to enthrone God in our lives. The sooner we learn this truth, the richer our lives will be. That is why chapter 12 emphasizes the importance of obeying God “in the days of your youth.” Thinking back on my own youth, I feel a great sympathy for young people today. They don’t want to waste their lives; they want their lives to count for something, to have meaning. That’s why the book of Ecclesiastes is such an important book for young people to understand. It knocks all the false props out from under us, then points the way to true significance and satisfaction in life. I can testify that the Teacher’s conclusion is true: Everything is indeed vanity and meaninglessness—apart from God. But if you place God at the center of your life, you will discover all that God designed you to be. The person who truly walks with God will never have lived in vain. All of life and even death itself will have meaning. Trust Him, worship Him, follow Him, love Him, and you will rejoice all the days of your life.
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV)
How do you do this? You must focus each day on one priority only. Day in and day out, make your relationship with God your number one focus. As you go through life, seek after God in everything you do. If you take care of that one thing, God will take care of everything else. Love the Lord God of the Universe with all your heart, mind, body, soul and spirit. Then do whatever you want.
Your Very Personal Invitation
As I said earlier, I now want to talk to those who haven’t yet made a decision to follow Jesus. I feel sorry for those who have gone before us and neglected to make this decision. The scriptures clearly tell us that they are in Hell, spending eternity separated from their creator, God, our Heavenly Father.
I hope you’ve learned by now how futile a life you’re leading without Christ. It’s utterly meaningless. You may think that you are in control of your life, but you are not. Who’s in control? Satan. He is leading you around on a leash with the ring of sin in your nose. Like a trained puppy, you are following him wagging your tail straight to hell.
Right now, as you are reading this, I can assure you that Satan and his demonic minions are at work beside and in you trying to keep you from reading further. The phone will start ringing, someone will call out to you, the baby just woke up, the dog is barking at something outside, or you just remembered that television show you’ve been waiting all week to watch is about to come on.
I ask you to read on and to focus on you and God, blocking out everything else. Please understand that;
- God created you and filled you with wonderful things and abilities; He deeply loves you and wants to be with you.
- Satan stepped in and placed a wall of separation (sin) between you and God, and now you are physically and spiritually separated from Him.
- Jesus Christ came to earth to destroy once and for all that wall of separation and to restore your broken relationship with God. He died for you and your sinful nature so that you could be redeemed with your Heavenly Father who is waiting for you.
- The Holy Spirit of God is waiting to come and live inside of you. He will unlock God’s Word to you, and He will help you build your new life and see all of the wonderful things God has hidden inside of you — things you can’t see because of your sinful nature.
Friend, this is your moment. Don’t let Satan interfere because he doesn’t care at all about you, and neither does this world we live in. His only goal is to destroy everything God wants for you and to keep you in Hell along with all the others that walked away at this moment.
Prepare your heart by reading what God has written in Romans 10:9-13
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (NLT)
Ephesians 2:8-9
“ 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (NKJV)
This is the first step of faith the Bible talks about — God’s gift to you, no strings attached. You can take it, accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Below is a sample prayer that you can use to guide you through your confusion of faith. Remember, your prayer must come from your heart, not your mind:
Dear God, I realize I am a sinner in need of salvation. I know that all my own good works and religious rituals can never save me. Only Jesus can save me. I believe that Jesus, my Savior, came to earth for me and that he died on the cross for my sins. I believe that He was buried and on the third day rose and now sits at your right hand as my advocate. Jesus, I am asking You to forgive my sins and to come into my life now and be my Lord and Savior now and forever more. Thank you for accepting me and giving me eternal life.\”
If you prayed this prayer with your heart and believe that Jesus Christ is now your Lord and Savior, except for your birth, this is the most exciting day of your life. You are now redeemed with God, your Father. You have now secured your place in eternity with Him. The Bible tells us that right now the angels of God in Heaven are rejoicing (Luke 15:10). Can you hear them?
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this ends, “The Anatomy of Sin.” I hope it’s been as much a blessing to you as it has been to me to write it. I am genuinely excited for the next series of lessons I am now preparing for you. This has been a burden on my heart for several years to write about. Now is the time. Join me as I launch the next series entitled,
“The God-Man”
a conversation about Christ Jesus.
Until next time, my friend, may His mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.
The Anatomy of Sin
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