The Potentate of Time

Summary: The transcript is from a sermon on the book of Ecclesiastes, specifically chapters 6 and 7. The speaker discusses the challenges and questions posed by the book and emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical context of when it was written. The speaker highlights the themes of God's sovereignty and ownership over all things, including man, and offers practical advice for living a godly life. The speaker also focuses on the idea that the day of death is better than the day of birth, as it presents an opportunity to die well and glorify God. The sermon encourages listeners to continue studying Ecclesiastes and to embrace the longing for more, as it is a sign of the Holy Spirit's work in their lives. Scripture. We continue in our study in Ecclesiastes, and so today we are in chapter 6, verse 10, and we'll finish up through chapter 7, verse 14. Ecclesiastes is a challenging book, there's no doubt about it. God's Word challenging us throughout his pages, but yet we push forward and we study this day. So Ecclesiastes, chapter 6, verse 10, through chapter 7, verse 14. And this is God's Word. It is better to go to a house of mourning than go to a house of feasting. For death is the destiny of every man. The living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart. The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the laugh of fools. Do not say, why were the old days better than these? For it is not wise to ask those questions. Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter, as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this, that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor. Consider what God has done. Who could straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy, but when times are bad, consider God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Please be seated. Man, some challenging wisdom today from the words of Solomon. As we study this passage, we'll study the text in this way, and we're in part of chapter 6 and part of chapter 7. So verses 10 through 12 of chapter 6, we see that the Creator is also the sovereign. And then in chapter 7, verses 1 through 12, we see, and God really owns all things. And then in verses 13 and 14 at the end, so consider God's will in all circumstances. And then at the end of the text, we'll see Jesus in Ecclesiastes. We've come to the end of chapter 6 and the beginning of chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes, and we've followed along with Solomon as he is looking at the world and trying to make sense of it all. Let's recall when Solomon appears in history. It's important for us to understand this and remember this. Let's recall that Solomon is riding on the other side of the cross, right? He is riding before the cross. In the history of redemption, redemption in Solomon's day and for Solomon's audience is yet a promise, but it's not an accomplished fact. Solomon's writing to an audience that only has and that only knows part of the story. The full weight of the impact of the fall is certainly being felt, but the redemption from the fall is yet to come. So as we study Ecclesiastes, it seems that Solomon has a lot of questions, but he doesn't have a lot of answers. And if it seems that way, it's because this is precisely what is going on. We have earlier noted the words of the writer of Hebrews when he considers the Old Testament saints. Recall that Hebrews chapter 11, the writer of Hebrews says this. He says, all these people, speaking of the Old Testament saints, he says, all these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised. They only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. Solomon asks a lot of questions. Solomon doesn't have many answers. And the answers Solomon has may seem to us weak and incomplete. And this is because he cannot possibly know or communicate anything more. Yes, this is God's Word. Yes, it is the truth. But we know that Solomon doesn't have the full story. Solomon is leaning on the limit of revelation that God has given him. He cannot communicate anything more. Solomon couldn't tell us about death of Jesus on the cross if he wanted to. Not only did it not occur, but he doesn't know anything about that. It hasn't been revealed yet. So he can't communicate anything more than what he's been given. And through it all, Solomon has expressed confusion and expressed incomprehension. Life must make sense. And so he endeavors to make sense of it all. He's looking at life. He's looking at the world. And he says, it has to make sense. It must make sense. Recall that Job, in the end of his book, confesses his weakness. Job 42. Job says, surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. And we remember that Solomon's father, David, in similar words, expressed such frustration. Remember Psalm 139. David says such knowledge, the knowledge of God, he says such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. So if you've come this far in our study of Ecclesiastes, perhaps you're willing to make the rest of the journey. And if you're struggling with the information or the lack of information presented by Solomon, know that you are in good company. Job and David wrestled with this same question. And so today, if you're thinking somewhere along the lines of there just has to be more. There just has to be more. If you're thinking that way, if you're struggling with that, then know that you are on the right track. In fact, if this is you, if you're studying this book, you're studying Ecclesiastes, and you know there's more going on to the story, if that's you, then I have some good news for you. If you are frustrated by Solomon, and you're frustrated by the words of Ecclesiastes, and you long for more, well, here's the good news. That longing, that longing can only come from one place. That longing only comes from one source. Now, for dramatic effect, I'm supposed to save what I'm about to save for the end of the sermon. You know, the sermon with the big show, and the disco ball, and the light show, and the fog machine, and all that stuff. I'm supposed to save the dramatic statement for the end of the sermon. But this is too good. We can't wait for another 20 minutes or so to get this out, and hopefully, you know, we don't have time to waste, so we've got to say this. So here it is. The frustration that you sense, and the longing that you sense for Solomon to communicate something more in Ecclesiastes, that frustration and that longing, that is the work of God's Holy Spirit in your life, and in your heart, and on your mind. Now, God is speaking to you, and He is working within you, and He's doing so by His Spirit. Now, for a Presbyterian to say this, you know it's got to be a big deal. We've got to be serious. We never joke around about this stuff, and we don't throw it around flippantly. So for a Presbyterian to say this, hold your horses. This has got to be a big deal. You hear Solomon's words. You know there has to be more, and the Spirit of God is telling you, yes, there is more. So I would encourage you today, you can't quit now. Don't put this thing down. Hang in there, and together, let's figure out where Solomon is going. With that, let's turn to chapter 6 and verse 10 of Ecclesiastes, our text for today. Notice in this verse, Solomon revisits the theme of the sovereignty of God, the truth that God Almighty rules and reigns over all things. Notice the last line in verse 10. It says this, no man can contend with one who is stronger than he. You and I and everyone who has ever lived and lives today and will yet live, each possesses and maintains the same status in the creator-creature relationship. There's a relationship between the creator and the creature, and there's only one creator, and everybody else is the creature, and that includes you and me. We're in that category. God is God, and we are not. God is omnipotent. Omnipotence is one of what we refer to as God's attributes. God possesses and He displays certain qualities, and His possession of and His display of these certain qualities enable us to see and enable us to comprehend that God is God. These are the attributes of God, and one of those attributes is a big long word called omnipotence. It's the truth and the fact that God is all-powerful. We sung about it earlier in today when we sang, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, and we sang about the omnipotence of God in the third verse. At the end of the verse we sang, only thou art holy, there is none beside thee, perfect in power, in love, in purity. God is the one who is omnipotent. God is the one who is all-powerful. No one else occupies that. It's an attribute, but it's an incommunicable attribute. That means that we can't possibly know and work within this gifting, this attribute, God is God and we are not. If God were not omnipotent, it would cause us to argue that God would not be God, because we understand that for God to be God, omnipotence has to be there. And so if we run into someone who is not omnipotent, I know my English is not right there and I apologize, but if we run into someone who is not, then we have to say, well, that can't be God, because God by His nature must be omnipotent. For example, consider creation, the universe and everything within it. How does it all possibly exist? Because God made it. Now, let's just be clear, there's nobody else who can make it. There's nobody else who could have done that. Only God could have done so. Therefore, we see that God does that, He's omnipotent and He's the only one who possesses that power. No one else, nothing else could have done that. How does it all possibly exist? Because God made it. And here in verse 10, we see that God lays claim to it all. So not only does God make everything, but He lays claim to everything. Notice the first phrase in verse 10. What does it say? It says this, whatever exists has already been named. Whatever exists has already been named. In other words, God owns the naming rights. God owns the naming rights. FedEx or the Bank of America or AT&T might purchase the rights, the naming rights to a stadium or a particular sports or entertainment event, but there's a little bigger category when it comes to whatever exists, which is bigger than any sporting event or any entertainment facility we can find. When it comes to whatever exists, God already owns the naming rights. He owns it. The one who created all things also possesses the right to name all things. So whoever tries to tell you the Bible never claims God created all things. Certainly you could point to them in Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1, but you could follow it up with Ecclesiastes chapter 6 and verse 10. God made all things and God possesses the right therefore to name all things. And then further, Solomon takes one element of creation and he attributes the rule and reign of God over it also. Notice the second part of verse 10. And what man is has been known. What is man? Man is a creature made by God with certain creaturely limitations. Recall God's question before Job, where were you when I laid the foundations of the world? God is the one who has made man. God is the one who has further described man. The properties of man cannot be changed despite man's efforts to do so. Any changes in the heart of man or the mind of man or the body of man come about because the Creator who is God will bring them about. Nothing else changes because God has made known man. God brings about any changes that go on in our heart or in our mind. And here in Ecclesiastes we certainly see the certainty of this truth. What does it say? It says this, no man can contend with one who is stronger than he. My friends, please do not get into an argument with God and definitely do not think that you can eventually ultimately win that argument. Don't do it. You won't. You won't win. Why? Because no man can contend with the one who is stronger than he. In fact, we notice in any argument with God is clearly futile. The next verse tells us so, verse 11, the more the words the less the meaning and how does that profit anyone? You can't win an argument with God. We do it all the time. We can argue with Him all the time, but you're not going to win. Recall back at the beginning of chapter five that Solomon has already counseled us to let our words be few when we go to the house of God. Why? Because you're not going to win the argument. Now certainly we're called to be a praying people. God's word instructs us to do so. In fact, we're to pray without ceasing. Yes, we are, certainly, absolutely. But let us remember this truth about prayer. God already knows what we need and He knows what will be beneficial to us. Notice verse 12, for who knows what is good for a man in life? And this, of course, is a rhetorical question because God knows what is good for us. We suspect that when people contemplate the sovereignty of God, especially as it relates to man, most people think of God's judgment or God's condemnation and those things are certainly true, but that's not what the word is describing here. God also knows what is good for each person. And further, we know that God offers and extends what is good for each person. Nine hundred plus years into the future and the Apostle James will declare these words. He says, every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. So my friends, it is wisdom that is under the sun, wisdom which seeks to exist outside of the sovereignty of God, that holds that the existence of man amounts to nothing more than the few and meaningless days in which man passeth through like a shadow. And so therefore man feels quite justified to smugly ask who can tell him what will happen under the sun if he is gone. But it's wisdom under heaven, wisdom which rests and thrives under the sovereignty of God, that confidently reports that it is God who made all things and God who possesses all things and it is God who made man, the God who knows and who has determined what is good for man and has also determined and therefore knows what will happen in the future. The Creator is also the Sovereign, the One who declared all things into existence is the only One who can and will declare what is to come. Now we come to chapter 7. And we continue in the knowledge of God and His ownership of all things and His rule and reign over all things and Solomon does indeed mean all things. From verse 1 through verse 12 Solomon gives us a litany of some of his famous Proverbs and really the rest of Ecclesiastes will read like a list of Proverbs. It will sound very similar to the book of Proverbs. Solomon wrote that one as well and this book for the rest of the time sounds very much like that, a list of Proverbs. And this section here verses 1 through 12 reads like a list or a litany of Solomon's Proverbs. The subject matter here is varied. Solomon considers some of the things we regard as the lesser things of life. He considers in this portion of the text things like death and mourning, sorrow, arrogance, theft, pride, anger, dissatisfaction. Solomon offers them here as he argues that even these things, these lesser things, these unpleasant things, even these things belong to God. These things also belong to God. God's sovereignty extends over them. God's judgment will one day render justice concerning them. God's rule and reign includes them. So what follows here in the text, verses 1 through 12, is practical advice. This is godly wisdom, godly direction so that we might live our lives as children of God. And yes, it's all God's word, so wisdom from the Old Testament and wisdom from, carries equal weight as wisdom from the New Testament. We understand where it fits in the history of redemption, but wisdom from the Old Testament, wisdom from the New Testament, both relevant for us and for our lives. Looking at this text, verses 1 through 12, let's just pick one of the points in here and let's consider it. Solomon reminds the audience of a universal truth and it says here in the text that death is the destiny of every man. So how should the living take this truth to heart? That's the question that Solomon poses. How should the living take this truth to heart? Here's how. By remembering and recognizing that, in Solomon's words, the day of death is better than the day of birth and it is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting. And we might hear that and we say, wait a second, how could these things possibly be true? How can we say that the day of death is better than the day of birth? Or that it's better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting? Why would that even possibly be true? Well, here's how. During the time surrounding the days following your birth, I realize for some of you that's a lot longer than others away, and some of you probably don't remember much of what happened during the days of your birth. I certainly don't remember what happened the days of my birth. However, what were you able to do during the days of your birth? Well, not much, really. You cried and you slept and your folks took turns changing your shorts and then you were passed around a lot for a lot of photos. That's probably what happened around the days of your birth. So a lot of activity going on and there's nothing wrong with any of that. We celebrate that. I can't wait. I've got another grandson coming in October and I can't wait to go down and see this little guy because I'm just excited about this. There's nothing wrong with any of that list of things that I said, cried and slept and changing the shorts and passed around. That's what babies do. That's what newborns do. That's the deal. Now contrast this with the days leading up to your death. What could happen in the days leading up to your death? Well, you could spend these days cussing and spitting and kicking, angry and bitter and antagonistic, hating life and hating everyone around and hating God. And sadly, some people spend their last days just that way. And sadly, you may know someone who spent their last days that way. But now let's consider the day of death, the last days or weeks or months of the life of the believer. What should it look like? Well the believer, of course, is called what? To do what? And commanded to do what? Glorify God in all things. And certainly wants to do so, the believer would want to do so. So the believer spends his or her last days how? In a manner loving and compassionate and gracious and merciful, encouraging those who come to visit to do what? What are you going to say to your folks in the last couple of days when your kids, your grandkids, your great grandkids come to visit? What are you going to tell them? You're going to tell them to place their faith and trust in Jesus. That's what you're going to tell them. I remember in the O.R., in the E.R. on the day of my stroke and you're out of it in the middle of a stroke. And there I was and I had a couple of people who came and visited me that morning. And I rambled and I wasn't sure what I rambled about, but some of the things I rambled about was place your faith and trust in Jesus. Do it. Now, my record is not that strong. Don't think that I am quick to do that all the time. Nevertheless, I did that day. In other words, in other words, are you going to die well or are you going to die ugly? Are you going to die well or are you going to die ugly? This is the option. This is what's before us. This is why the day of death is better than the day of birth. Because you have an opportunity to die well. You have an opportunity to die glorifying God. You have an opportunity to go out pointing people to Jesus. Are you going to die well or are you going to die ugly? And here I would say this, please die well. Don't make me lie about you at your funeral. I've always wanted to sneak that into a sermon somewhere. And the parallel phrase is also true. What happens at the house of feasting? Well, you get a great meal, that's true, but maybe there's too much drinking and then there's the family arguments that inevitably pop up when some people are together in the same room for more than five minutes. You have those cousins that can't stand each other and five minutes later they're battling with each other. I know what it's like on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a difficult day. As I'm sure we all know, the house of feasting can be a difficult place. But at least at the house of mourning, while the scene is challenging and heart-wrenching, most people there are attending to the loved one for this life will soon be over and the loved one gets to enjoy the company of the family and friends. The day of feasting? No, the day of the house of mourning is better than the house of feasting. Yes, my friends, God really owns all things. He is sovereign over the struggles and the challenges of life. He even rules and reigns over your death and my death. In all these things, let us endeavor to live our lives in obedience to God, always glorifying God in all things. So we come to the end of today's passage. Chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. And as the consideration of God is sovereign over all things, if that concept was difficult to accept, well, this one might prove to be pretty close to impossible, but here it is. It's not just that He owns all things, but also that He has shaped and directed all things. Look at verse 13. Look at what verse 13 says. This is a tremendous statement about God and His sovereignty over all things. Look at verse 13. Consider what God has done. Consider what God has done. Who can straighten what He has made crooked? God made things crooked? Yes. According to God's Word. According to Solomon. God's the one who made things crooked. And we're going to consider what God has done. He's taken the things and He's made them crooked. God's Word here attributes the crooked things to God. God's Word here claims them for God. God owns the crooked things. They belong to God. Now, the crooked things. What are the crooked things? Well, you and I and everyone has them. We all carry them around with us. And within us, the crooked things. They're all there. What are the crooked things that Solomon speaks of when he speaks of the crooked things? Well, we previously made use of the list drawn from the first portion of chapter 7. Look at some of the crooked things that Solomon has mentioned. Death and mourning. Sorrow. Arrogance. Theft. Pride. Anger. Dissatisfaction. Certainly there is more. More than what Solomon mentioned. Disease. Injury. Loss of income. Failure of a marriage. Broken relationships. You and I have a house full of crooked things. We have a heart full of crooked things. But then we ask, did God present to us the crooked things? Did God give us the crooked things? Did God present to us the crooked things? Let's further consider God's Word. Look at verse 14. Sober wisdom from Solomon. When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, consider God has made the one as well as the other. That's because of this truth that Solomon has offered this conclusion found at the end of verse 14. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. So my friends, what does that mean? What does it mean when a man cannot discover anything about his future? Looking at the crooked things of life. Can you discover anything about your future? Well, my friends, don't go reading the tea leaves trying to guess where you are in God's favor. Don't assume the best when times are good or the worst when times are difficult. Do not look at your life and say, my life is good and God has blessed me so therefore I must be right. Or look at what I've done wrong and so therefore God must not love me. And look at the bad things that have happened. We do that all too often, don't we? We do that all too often. We take the circumstances and the situations and the activities going on in our life. And if we see good things, we think God is blessing me. And if we see bad things, God must be cursing me or God must be angry with me. Don't go there. Don't read the tea leaves in that way. Don't do it. A person cannot determine the course of his or her future by attempting to project forward divine blessing or divine judgment. Don't do that. Do not think about your life in that way. Consider rather that God has created one as well as the other because he owns it all and he oversees it all and his hand is upon it all and he is sovereign over all. Consider God's will in all circumstances. Understand that everything that comes to the child of God passes through the hands of God. And everything that comes to the child of God is mitigated and tempered by the hands of God. Think about that one. You know that God restrains the enemy in our midst. This is the Westminster Shorter Catechism. How does Jesus fulfill the office of a king? And the last statement in the catechism is that he restrains and conquers all his and our enemies. So God, Jesus works as a restraint for us. Everything that comes to us, all the bad stuff that comes our way, all the rotten stuff and the evil stuff and the stupid stuff and the stupid things we do pass yet through the hands of God and they're mitigated, they're restrained. We don't get the full force of those things and I'm glad we don't get the full force of those things and I'm glad I have a God whose hands are upon me and is filtering out the things that go on in my life so that I don't have to deal with the full force of my own sin or the full force of the garbage going on in this world because God restrains it and he mitigates it. Everything that comes to the child of God passes through the hands of God. And everything that comes to the child of God is mitigated and tempered by the hands of God. So we don't know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future. So let's finish up with considering Jesus in Ecclesiastes. We know that the crooked things exist. Solomon confirms this and we know this in our lives. We carry that all around with us. But Solomon cannot give us any resolution concerning them. He doesn't have an answer. They're there, but that's where it ends. Solomon doesn't give us any sort of resolution. So in Solomon's day and in Solomon's mind, the crooked things are there and they remain. We fast forward 900 plus years and we read a text where the Apostle Paul also considers the crooked things. He takes a look at the same crooked things. Listen to what Paul writes. He wrote this to the church at Rome. And this is in chapter 8. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, or hardship, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Those are all the crooked things. As it is written, for your sake we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But no, in all these things, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced, Paul says, that neither crooked things, death, nor life, nor angels, nor demons, nor the present, nor the future, nor any powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul's consideration of the crooked things. Solomon could not have described a resolution of the crooked things, but the Apostle Paul could. And he finds that that resolution comes to us in Jesus. And so we can and we must trust Christ with the crooked things. Not pretending that they don't exist. Rather, we're going to trust Him with them. Are you dragging around a trunk full of crooked things? Do you have a heart, a heart heavy still, with crooked things? If so, put your trust in Jesus and allow Him to work on and own the crooked things in your life. Solomon began today's passage by describing the omnipotent God, the One who is all-powerful. Now we know that Solomon was describing Jesus. He didn't know it. He didn't understand it. It hadn't been revealed to him, but yet he was describing Jesus. One of our old hymns that we sing, we sing about Jesus being the potentate of time. Remember that line, crowned with many crowns? And we sing about Jesus being the potentate of time. He's the One who proves Himself to be all-powerful. Now you might say, well that's all well and good. Why Jesus though? Why do I trust Jesus with the crooked things? Why Jesus? What did He do? What did He accomplish? Well, let's go back to the Apostles, Paul's words. This is the church in Rome. We looked at these verses earlier, but let's look at a few verses before that and let's see how Paul makes the case that Jesus is the One who is trusted with the crooked things. This is back in Romans chapter 8. Paul writes, What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Okay, that's wonderful, but why Jesus? What makes Him so special? And here it is, verse 32. He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also along with Him graciously give us all things? My friends, Jesus, Jesus obediently went to the cross on our behalf and He did so to deal with the crooked things. Bring your crooked things to the cross because that's where Jesus has dealt with them. You can bring your crooked things. What's the crooked things in your heart? What's the crooked thing in your mind? What's the crooked baggage you just can't shake it off? It's hanging on you because you can't get rid of it. My friend, bring the crooked thing to the cross and give it to Jesus. Amen. Let's bow our heads and pray, shall we? Heavenly Father, we're thankful that Solomon understood that he must, by inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, write the words that he has written. And even though he didn't have the full revelation, we're thankful that this is God's Word and He's given us truth. But we're also thankful, Father, that You have sent us Jesus who demonstrates Himself to be the fulfillment of all the things that Solomon had talked about, the promises and the prophecies of the Old Testament all fulfilled in Christ. We thank You, Father, that You have sent us Your Son. You didn't spare Him, but You sent Him. And when You sent Him, He was obedient to die on the cross. So we thank You, Father, that we have a place to lay the crooked things. We all have them. We're longing for the day when there's no more crooked things. We're longing for the day when there will be no more crying or pain or sorrow for the former things will have passed away. They will pass away because Jesus has conquered the crooked things. Thank You, Father, for this truth. May it land in our hearts. May it take root. May we grow in our faith, trusting in Jesus with all the circumstances of our life. We praise You and give You glory in Jesus' name. Amen.