Ecclesiastes 3:9-4:3

stuff, but we are almost there. So Ecclesiastes chapter three. So great to have you today. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. It's so good to have you today. This is where every day we get together. We get into God's Word and we grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year, 2021, we'll make it through all the wisdom literature. Lord willing, of course. Well, why don't we have some coffee? We'll pray and we'll get into Ecclesiastes chapter three. Let's pray.
Oh, Father, we thank you so much for this day. It's a day that you've given us. It's a day to think upon you. You've given us much good work to do already this morning, and there's much good work to do this afternoon and evening. Lord, we pray that we would do it to your glory. But now, Father, we pray that we would sit. Sit at your feet and learn from you in Jesus's name. Amen. All right, here we go. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 beginning at verse 9.
What prophet has a worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of his labor. It is the gift of God. I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it and nothing can be taken from it. God does it that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been and that which has already been. And God requires an account of what is past. See, what is this saying?
It's saying we don't know the full mind of God. None of us can go to the beginning of creation and ask God, why did you make things like this? And none of us know the multitude of ways or the reasons by which God is or for which God is doing all things. See, it's the Lord. It's the Lord who's doing all things and making things come to pass, but we weren't there at the creation. We weren't there when he decreed these things to come to pass. And so what is our solace in life? What does the preacher say here, right?
It is also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor. It is the gift of God. Sometimes the reality, the simple wisdom is you work hard. And you enjoy the good things God's given you. I know it sounds crazy, but contentment comes with resigning ourselves. Saying, Lord, I trust. I trust what you have for me. I trust what you have given to me and that it's good for me. It's difficult to do. It's really difficult to do. And yet this is a good thing from God when he rewards us for our work. Let's go ahead and keep going.
The preacher is going to move towards a different direction now and talk about justice. Moreover, I saw under the sun in the place of judgment, wickedness was there. In the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time there for every purpose and every work. He's saying the same thing that the prophets have said time and time again. What's he saying? He's saying that there are places of judgment And instead of the righteous being extolled, they're being punished. And the wicked are getting off scot-free. This isn't how it's supposed to be.
And this is exactly what the book of Hebrews is getting at. When in Hebrews chapter 10, it says, for it is appointed for every man to die once, but after this, the judgment. God is going to make things right. He is going to judge with perfect equity. And that's what Coalethus is driving us towards. That's what the preacher is getting us to. Let's keep going.
I said in my heart concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them that they may see that they themselves are like animals. For what happens to the sons of men also happens to the animals. One thing befalls them. As one dies, so does the other. Surely they all have one breath. Man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all return to dust.
Who knows the spirit of the sons of men which goes upward and the spirit of the animal which goes down to the earth? So I perceive that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? What's he saying? Once again, he's he's bringing us to this point that, hey, look. We're no better than the animals. Newsflash for you. This may be a shocker. Someday you're going to die. Someday, I am going to die. I'm not going to live forever upon this earth in this body that I now have all every one of us will end up going to the grave, just like the animals. Every one of us will eventually die.
And so what's he saying here? Enjoy the good things that God has given you now. Don't be worrying yourself about gaining the whole world. It's not going to matter at the end of the day. But be satisfied in what God has given you. Enjoy the good things that God has placed in your lap. Be content with what he's given you. This is really simple wisdom, but he's just driving home this point again and again and again. We're all going to die. And the wise man knows that and prioritizes what's right.
Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun. And look, the tears of the oppressed, but they have no comforter. On the side of their oppressors, there is power, but they have no comforter. Therefore, I praise the dead who were already dead more than living who are still alive. Yet better than both is he who has never existed, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun."
That's a hard place to end, but what's he saying? It's just the reality of life. There's evil in this world. There are people who are in charge who have power, and there are the oppressed who won't be listened to. There are those who are taken advantage of, and it seems like no one will stand up for them. And this is where Colaleth is leaving us, where the preacher is leaving us, where Solomon is leaving us and saying, you know, when you look at all of it, if all you have in this world I'd probably be better if you just weren't born.
That's the reality of what he's saying. He's saying, look, if I just look at the world, why not commit suicide? That's the existential crisis of today. As materialism reigns in our culture? As individualism reigns in our culture with the absolute materialism and secular humanism that just pervades every area of our culture seems to reign? As one honest philosopher asks, the only serious question left is why not commit suicide? If all that is, is what is here? What's the point? Well, this is why the Christian has hope.
Because we know that it's not going to end this way. We know that Jesus Christ is going to return. We know that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is going to come back and judge with equity. And we know that death is not the final dull ring. But we know that even though we might die, we do immediately pass into glory, but our bodies, still being united to Christ, rest in their grave, not forever, but until the resurrection.
See, the Christian has hope. We're able to enjoy the good things that God has given us, because if he has not spared his own son, how will he not also freely give us all things? He works all things together for our good, because he loves us, and we know that we're gonna be with him forever.
I pray that you carry this hope in your soul, even as you live in a dark and cloudy world. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for the hope we have in Jesus Christ. We thank you that in the seemingly meaninglessness, vanity of this world, you shined a light into the world. You've given our hearts hope. You've given us faith in the God and man Jesus Christ.
We pray that we would rest in Him and trust in your goodness. Lord, we will wait that great day where you'll come back again to judge the living and the dead. Give us comfort, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, may you cling to Jesus Christ today. May you have peace for your soul. And I'll see you next time. Bye.