The Book of Ecclesiastes - Part 13

Well, greetings, everybody! Good to see you again. I wasn't originally scheduled to speak today, but I was fine with doing it because I have an ongoing series that I need to get done. So that's good for me, good for you, that we could get through this more quickly. I do want to try to push through so we can get close to the end. We won't finish today, but we'll be much closer, I think, if I can get us through this. And again, I'll try to keep the extraneous comments down to a minimum so that we can move through this. I just want to mention where we are again. We are in Ecclesiastes 11 right now, and in this chapter we are in the last of four sections of the book, but we're in the middle section of that last section, and this middle section is very long. It has started back around chapter 9, verse 10, about all that you do with your might and with diligence. And so now we get to this section here toward the end of that, and we're talking about diversify your efforts and don't procrastinate, which is what I've titled this section, and we haven't really talked about the procrastination aspect so much yet.

But diversifying your efforts, we saw that in just looking at this again. Let's read the verses again, just to re-familiarize ourselves where we are, because it's... I should have turned here already. It's only six verses here, this little segment that we're in right now, but there's a lot packed into this little segment, just like there is in everything else in this book.

I keep skipping by it. Let me see if I can get back to it. There we are. Okay, so in Ecclesiastes 11, verses 1-6, cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days, give a serving or portion to seven and also to eight, for you don't know what evil will be on the earth, what calamity will happen. And we saw that this has to do with diversifying your investments for one, ship your grain across the sea, basically, to gain a return, is what's being talked about here. But, and do give a portion to seven and also to eight, meaning to various efforts that you're going to do. Now, some apply this only to business and commercial transactions. Some think this is only talking about charity, that we're talking about giving to people and having this come back to us. But really what it's talking about is every aspect of life. It certainly is a commercial principle that's being talked about here. But it applies to everything that we do. It applies to all our endeavors that we're to... some will succeed, some won't. So we need to put ourselves out there and spread ourselves around. As I mentioned before, not too thinly, but enough so that we can expect some return on whatever we're putting our efforts into. Some things are just not going to make it, but others will. And, you know, Mr. Barnett was kind enough to tell me about a principle with that last time. There's actually a business principle about that, that you make so many investments and you're going to expect a return on some. So this... I think he mentioned 10 and then there was... you're going to gain a few. I don't remember what the number was. But here it's talking about give to 7 and also to 8. But 7, of course, is completion and 8 means and then some, and even more. So in other words, we're really talking about just putting yourself out into many, many things. It's really not specified to these numbers, that these numbers are poetic figures. They're not meant to be literal that you... well, I've got to do 7, no, 8. That doesn't even make sense because is it 7 or 8? No, it's... this is just a way of speaking poetically to say get yourself out there into many different things. And then so we're going to continue on where we left off, which was in verse 3, and we'll go ahead and read the rest of this section.

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth. And if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. What's that talking about? We'll see. Who, he who observes the wind, will not sow, and he who regards the clouds, will not reap. As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child. Which sounds like a different subject, but it really isn't, we'll see. So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning, so you're saved, and in the evening do not withhold your hand. For you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good. So this is, and then we're going to, then after this it moves into a different topic. So we'll just stop reading right there, and we'll consider this now. So we're in the same theme, verses 3 through 4, as preaching the word commentary says, warn us what will happen. If we do not obey the commands of verses 1 through 2, that is, if we don't, you know, put ourselves out there and start spreading ourselves around into various things. Showing that we need to go ahead and act, verses 3 through 4 state, we just saw, If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.

Again, he who observes the wind will not sow, he who regards the clouds will not reap. Expositor's notes on these verses, We often have to act before we can foresee all we would like to know about the future. The farmer who waits till he is completely certain of perfect weather conditions will never reap anything at all. We don't know what will happen if we act, but we do know what will happen if we do nothing. We'll gain nothing. Walter Kaiser, who we've been following his commentary, and some others, see the matter of the tree falling north or south as concerning whose property it lands on, and thus who gains the use of it, such as for firewood. However, it seems more likely that the concern is what harm a falling tree might do, depending on which way that it falls. Perhaps on a building or a portion of a field where crops could be damaged, and making for a lot of extra work, if that happens. The point would be that we don't know whether or which way a tree is going to fall to do harm or not. Similarly, looking to clouds to rain when full could represent waiting for needed rain, but might instead refer to torrential downpours that would wash away topsoil. In fact, if we consider the clouds together with a falling tree and the wind in verse 4, the description here seems to be of severe thunderstorms. Despite the possibility of crop damage, the farmer must still sow to reap. New American commentary says verse 3 speaks of a storm, and means that it is inevitable that disasters sometimes will occur, and as storms for agriculture, but storms in life, is what we're talking about. This is still the commentary. If clouds are full, means that when the time for such a calamity comes, it cannot be avoided. The proverb about trees falling simply means that whatever will happen, that is the inevitable, will happen. Eventually, it's going to storm. In the weather and in life, we can't prevent that, nor can we accurately forecast when it will come, or what the results will be. Whichever way a tree falls is whichever way it falls. That's how this life is. So much is unpredictable. We have to wait until it happens to know. It's like the 1950 song lyrics. We were just listening to this the other night, and we were traveling from Dallas.

K serah serah, whatever will be will be, the future is not ours to see. As with so much of life's wisdom, Solomon said it a lot earlier. Now, regarding the problem of observing and regarding the wind and the clouds in verse 4, it's not wrong to look at the weather or any conditions relevant to our lives and plan accordingly, making needed adjustments as necessary. In fact, it's wise to be prudent to avoid danger. We see that in Proverbs 22 and Proverbs 27 and 12. It's as if the wise take precautions. They know there's danger, and they avoid it.

Kaiser rightly notes about Ecclesiastes 11.4, The Tyndale Commentary says the warning is against procrastination.

The process of sowing to reaping indicates the totality of life. The New America 4 says that one cannot use the possibility of misfortune as an excuse for inactivity. Someone who is forever afraid of storms will never get around to working his field. The teacher in effect says, That's what it's telling us. This, of course, fits with the overall subsection theme of working with all one's might, with wisdom and diligence. Remember, that was our theme for this section that we started out with there back in verse 10. Part of wisdom is being reasonably cautious, yes, but we can only prepare for so much.

Time is fleeting. When it's time to plant, it tells us in the poem in Ecclesiastes 3.2, we had best get out and plant if we want to reap. As with 11.1-2 here, this applies in business and in all areas of life. Verse 5 reminds us, again, what does it say? It says, It reminds us that God is the one working everything out. And as we've seen before, He does not let us know all that He has in mind. The specific wording is intriguing here. You don't know the way of the wind or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child. So you don't know the works of God who makes everything.

Some think that, as in the King James Version, the word ruach here should be translated spirit and not wind. That's a word here that's used, especially with the reference to a child in the womb. But this word was just a rendered wind in the previous verse, and we're probably talking about a storm there. And it's likely it still means that here, but it could be an overlap with the wind of God as His spirit moving in the womb to produce a child.

That's a possibility. Concerning the way of the wind, some think, as Expositor says, that, quote, it's likely that Jesus Christ has this verse in mind when He told Nicodemus, the wind blows wherever it wishes.

You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it's going. And that that was an allusion to this statement about the way of the wind, which is in the control of God, basically. The Greek word numa there in John 3.8, where that's used, also has the meaning of both wind and spirit. Of course, Jesus said this in discussing being born anew through a spiritual process, yet likening this to the process of physical birth.

In either case, all that God does in producing a child, you know, a physical child or a spiritual child, is not revealed to us. It remains beyond us. Kaiser says, no one can penetrate the wholeness or the specific details of His life. And in the book of Psalm 55, it shows how all this fits into the context of verses 1-6, speaking of the works of God. Notice, who makes everything? Who makes everything? Solomon is analogizing God's hidden and intricate masterful working in the womb to form a child to His hidden and intricate masterful working in our lives and the world around us to make us all into what He wants us to be and what He wants the whole world to be.

He makes everything. He's doing this awesome thing. The calamity or adversity of verse 2, remember it said in verse 2, we don't know what calamity will come, that causes ventures to fail. The storms and the tree falling in verse 3. God brings things to pass, or He allows them for a reason. The great plan. He is working out for all of us. We saw this back in chapter 7, verses 13-14, noting that adversity is not always bad and prosperity is not always good. In our thinking, we want the good stuff, but that may not be the best thing.

And the bad stuff that we don't want may be the best thing. God is making something, making everything, and we just have to trust that He knows what He's doing. Thus we act, stepping out in faith, knowing that whether our ventures succeed or fail, we remain ever and always in the hand of God. We are not ultimately subject to the elements or random forces. We are subject to God and His will, which thankfully includes His love and care for us and His desire to accomplish His ultimate purpose in us and in the world at large.

We'll see more about this application of Ecclesiastes 5 in relation to the next verse here, verse 6. And this next verse, verse 6, draws the unit that began in verse 1 to a close, summing up by telling us to go ahead and sew, to work and invest, as already mentioned. Verse 6 also closes the lengthy middle subsection that began at 9-10, you know, do everything with your might and diligence and wisdom, because the next verse, verse 7 here, enters into a new theme and begins a new subject, as we'll see.

So verse 6 begins with telling us to sew our seed in the morning and in the evening not to withhold our hand. Morning and evening here give us the sense of daily work, and also with the merism of opposites. We talked about that word merism before, where you use two opposites, like, you know, to indicate the extreme ends of something as well as everything in between.

So we talk about morning and evening. We're talking about the whole day's worth. And really, all of life is what we're really talking about here. Denoting all in between, the sense of being active all through our waking hours. Leading rendered, do not withhold your hand literally means do not let down your hand. That is, don't stop working. Keep at it. That doesn't mean everything you do has to be some hard work.

I mean, recreation is part of our efforts we should be doing to everything we do. Verse 1 spoke of casting bread on the waters. Here in verse 6, we have a parallel image of casting seed on the land. So first we're telling the waters here, we're telling cast your seed on the land. Some might see verse 1 as broader ventures, and verse 6 as routine toil, because it seems like normal work, as opposed to the others, some major investing. However, verse 6 still gives us the sense of diversifying our efforts through casting forth a lot of seeds to increase the odds of a better yield overall.

You don't know which will prosper or not, the verse goes on to say. Expositor's notes on verse 6, because the future is unknown, we must accept calculated risks and believe that though some of our ventures may fail, a sufficient number of them will succeed. In quote, and again, this is true in business and in all areas of life. When facing all that might happen, we must not shrink back and do nothing.

Rather, we must do more. That's the answer. It's not, oh no, this might fail. So you don't just do nothing, you do more. As Kidner notes, pointing out a parallel with our spiritual lives, a quote from his book, The Message of Ecclesiastes, page 98, the true response to uncertainty is a redoubling of effort, making the most of our time, as the Bible says, being urgent in season and out of season, expressed by Coeleth, or Solomon here, in terms of the farmer and his work, and by Paul in terms of the spiritual harvest, from the good seed of the gospel and works of mercy.

And there's verses here, Ephesians 5, 16, 2 Timothy 4, 2, 2 Corinthians 8, 2, and 9, 6, all these metaphors about sowing and reaping in the field. Yes, we have to do what we can, but this is with the understanding that as the previous verse in verse 5 brought out, all is in the hands of God, in whom we must have faith. Look, verse 5 twice said, you do not know. See that there in verse 5? It says, for you do not know.

It says it twice. There is, there the way of the wind or the works of God, the wind itself being subject to Him. The point is that we don't know what's going to happen, as that's in God's purview alone. Yet verse 6 says that we must invest in labor toward positive objectives anyway, for again, you do not know. See here it says again, you do not know which will prosper in that case. Again, whether it prospers or not is up to God, whose work you do not know. Kaiser says it's enough to know as far as the progress and results of our work are concerned that God is also at work. And when you're working, you're not by yourself. There's somebody else working that's more important. So we do what we can, and we look to God to oversee that and everything we can do nothing about. Seeing the picture in verse 5 of a child being formed in the womb as bearing on verse 6 in terms of business entrepreneurship, New American commentary says, quote, Just as in pregnancy, a couple can only trust God that all will turn out well. Even so, in business enterprises, one can only leave the outcome to God. Pregnancy is the supreme example of a human endeavor, the results of which are out of human control. Again, however, the lack of certainty in financial investments indicates the wisdom of diligence and diversification. End quote there. So once more, though, this application extends far beyond business. It concerns using our time, energies, and resources in every area of life. We must, in everything, strive with our might in various ways while looking to God to see us through. That's what we're being told here. Some see no spiritual meaning here. You know, they think this is only about business, maybe. But why would the exhortation to sow in verse 6 not concern the most important sowing we'll ever do? As the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 6, 8, For he who sows to his flesh, that is, just trying to satisfy fleshly desires, will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. So we might expect that the admonition to sow bears on the life of God's spiritual people. As Kidner noted above, we must do everything that we can in every way possible to fulfill the calling that God has given us, both collectively and individually. For instance, God's Church is trying all manner of ways to proclaim the truth to the world, sowing the seed of the Gospel. And we must all of us invest our resources in that. Paul, in a verse that was cited earlier by Kidner, said that, this is in St. Corinthians 9-6, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Moreover, we must strive to do all the good that we can in righteous living, in our own spiritual study, in serving others. As Paul said in Galatians 6-9, let us not grow weary while doing good. And notice why. For in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

So always remember that. While we exert ourselves in human efforts of planting and sowing in the various ventures of life, including our spiritual work, it is, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3-7, it is God who gives the increase. So we do all our work, but we remember it is God who gives the increase. 1 Corinthians 3-7. Ecclesiastes 11, 5-6 tells us the same. So putting it all together then, in the face of life's uncertainties, we do what we can to succeed.

Striving with all of our might and wisdom and diligence through many avenues, looking to God all the while, trusting the final results to Him in whose hands it is. As a popular saying advises, work as if everything depends on you, and pray as if everything depends on God. Both things are needed. So the preaching the word commentary summarizes verses 1-6 here. I like the way it words it.

We'll move into the next section now. This is chapter 11 verses 7-10. I've titled this, Enjoy this life while it lasts, removing upset and harm. We now come to the third subsection of the last major section of Ecclesiastes that began in 816. 816 was the beginning of this last, whole, big fourth major section of the book, which concerns removing discouragement and applying God's plan to the lives of believers, according to Dr.

Walter Kaiser's outline that we're following in his book, Ecclesiastes Total Life. This third subsection, the final subsection before the book's conclusion, tells us to remember our Creator in the days of our youth. We see that in chapter 12 verse 1. Tempering enjoyment of the present with reflection on future death and divine judgment. In the words of Kaiser's outline, quote, The daily reminder of our imminent death and the prospect of facing our Creator and Judge should infect or impact all our God-given joy and activity. He put the end of the subsection at chapter 12 in verse 8, a vanity of vanity statement, the final one in the book. But he also sees 12.8 as transitional to starting the book's final conclusion.

We're not going to get to that today, but maybe next time we will. I think we will. But there's an obvious break after this verse, as we will see, after verse 8 of chapter 12. Now, recall that we've been reading a long stretch of Proverbs that began in chapter 9 and verse 16. Really, from 916 to the end of the book is almost all Proverbs just arranged in a certain way.

It's pretty remarkable how this has been done to create this lesson that's being laid out here. Interrupted briefly by an observation of Solomon in chapter 10 verses 5 through 7. That was a few verses that were kind of a break in that Proverbs chain. With an apparent thematic transition in chapter 10 and verse 1. So there was a chapter change there. That was, even though these were still just ongoing Proverbs, it's like all of a sudden we kind of changed what we're talking about. Same thing happens in chapter 10 verse 4. And in chapter 11 verse 1, so we just got to the previous section we were on.

And the series of Proverbs now continues. But as previously noted, there is again a thematic transition in verse 7 here, where we are now, of chapter 11. We can see the unity of the new subsection, chapter 11, 7 through 12, 8. So 11, 7 through 12, 8 is all really one subsection here. In the recurrent subject matter and related construction of three segments, each ending with vanity. Let's go ahead and read these verses here from chapter 11 verses 7 through 10.

We'll note that. Truly the light is sweet and it's pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun. But if a man lives many years and rejoices in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that is coming is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.

Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart and put away evil from your flesh. For childhood and youth are vanity. And if you continue on in chapter 12, you'll see that it's time to remember your creator in the day, kind of poetic description of breaking down of your body in old age and things coming upon you.

And that section ends with dying. And of course, it ends with verse 8, vanity of vanity says the preacher all is vanity. So notice, just looking at it here, chapter 11, verse 7 through 8, those two verses ends with all that's coming is vanity. Verses 9 through 10 ends with childhood and youth are vanity. And 12, 1 through 8 ends with vanity of vanity is always vanity. So this all is tied together, these little three segments here. So again, the first segment starts with 7 through 8 starts with rejoicing and living many years, but says we need to remember the dark days ahead.

Ending with a declaration that what's coming in this life is vanity. And the second segment, verses 9 and 10, tells the young to rejoice in their youth but avoid problems, being mindful of coming judgment, ending with a declaration that young life is vanity. And the third segment, again, 12, 1 through 8, says to remember our creator in youth before the coming difficult days of getting older and dying, ending with the declaration that all is vanity, as at the opening of the book. That actually is a repeat of the opening of the book. And we may note that there was no use of the term vanity in the previous lengthy subsection, all the way from chapter 9, 10, and 11, all the way up through 11, 6, the last mention of vanity, having been amid the refrain at the end of the subsection prior to that in chapter 9, verse 9.

So in chapter 9, verse 9, was the last mention of vanity. So we kind of come a long way with no mention of that again, but now it's back. We're going to hammer it again. Through this current subsection, chapter 11, verse 7 through 12, verse 8, Solomon is describing growing old, and it seems likely that he was experiencing this himself. Perhaps writing Ecclesiastes near the end of his life, following its hope, coming to his senses after his wayward years.

We can imagine him speaking to his younger self in what's stated here. If only he had kept his Creator in mind as he grew older. Was it too late for him? Well, for enjoying all the blessings of remaining faithful over the years. Yes, he was too late. But for finding joy in God upon repentance, it is never too late, as long as one is still willing to repent. We must all remember that. But, oh, what wasted years!

What a terrible tragedy was Solomon's life. It's even possible that Ecclesiastes was written earlier before his life went into depravity, and that he never came to repentance, which would be an even greater tragedy. But again, we would hope that he did at last come to repent. With Ecclesiastes representing the wisdom, he had come to the hard way. With him now counseling the young as a father and a teacher.

Like he says, My son, you see there in verse 12, and further, My son, you'll be admonished, it says there. So now counseling the young to learn from the words of the wise and to not have to go through what he did. So that's important to remember.

Something else to take note of here is the mention in chapter 11, verses 7 through 8, of rejoicing in one's years, and the encouragement to rejoice in one's youth in verse 9, and remove sorrow in verse 10, all in light of the repeated refrain of the book about finding enjoyment in life. We've seen that many times, finding enjoyment in life. The last occurrence of the refrain was at the end of the first subsection of this final major section, in chapter 9, verses 7 through 10. That was the last time we saw the refrain. There was no occurrence of the refrain at 11.6, the end of the last subsection, ending that that was the ending of the second subsection of the major section. So one might think that verses 7 through 10 should actually come at the end of that subsection as a new and final occurrence of the refrain. Though in a much different form, with a qualification to remember coming death and judgment, as we've also seen in the book to an extent. That's been mentioned. However, verses 7 through 10 do not seem directly related to the verses that come before, that we just read at the beginning of the message here. Except, perhaps, to say that in whatever venture one enters into, he must keep this thought in mind. Again, God will bring everything we do into judgment. And as we do whatever we do, we still are to be seeking enjoyment and trying to enjoy this life that God's given. Moreover, verses 7 through 10 quite clearly go with what follows about growing old and dying in chapter 12, verses 1 through 7.

We just saw that. Still, these verses 11, 7 through 10 do seem to be related to the recurring refrain about finding enjoyment in life. Perhaps the wording here is meant as a warning qualification about applying the refrain instances given so far. That in rejoicing, as the refrain says, we must be mindful of coming judgment. It's even possible that the entire final subsection here, chapter 11, 7, all the way through 12, 8, is itself a final occurrence of the refrain with a needed lengthy qualification. In other words, he's saying, look, I keep saying, enjoy what you've given. Find enjoyment. Remember this as you're doing that. This is important.

Further qualification and summary in the final conclusion of chapter 12, verses 8 through 14. In any case, the final subsection here and the summary conclusion that follow there at the very end of the book, that follows definitely helped to put the book's repeated calls for enjoyment into a much needed and even vital perspective. So in other words, yes, enjoy, but enjoy in this context that we need to make sure that we leave with, and it certainly does very powerfully. Now, going through the individual proverbial statements here, Ecclesiastes, because remember, these are still a series of proverbs, Ecclesiastes 11, 7 through 8 starts out on quite a high with positive upbeat affirmation before plunging into unpleasantness.

Yet that unpleasantness serves as a very valuable reminder intended for positive results. The passage begins, "...truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun." It's in verse 7. Now, this could mean, as we saw earlier in chapter 9, verse 4, that it's good to be alive. In other words, it said it there, you know, a live dog is better than a dead lion. It's better. It's good to be alive, even with all the problems in life. And even in chapter 6, verse 4, it mentions the phrase that a stillborn child has not seen the sun. So it's good to see the sun to be alive. Alternatively, beholding the sun in 11, verse 7 might be a reference to experiencing the good days. Like, it might be a metaphor, the light being the good days, before having to endure the dark days to come. As that follows in the verses here, though it's not clear if the dark times refers to worsening life or to being dead. That's very dark. But the former seems more likely to the worsening times of life, as we'll see. Now, we may note two things are referred to as sweet and ecclesiastes. The sleep of laborers, in chapter 5, verse 12, it says that the sleep of those who labor is sweet. And the morning light here in 11, verse 7 is sweet, waking to a new day. These two things go together, because if you are laboring and you're being rewarded for your work, you're tired, you go to sleep, and you wake up to a new day, and life is still good. Recall the beginning of the book, where one could experience boredom with the monotony of the sun rising each day. In chapter 1, verse 5, the sun rises, the sun sets. Oh, it goes on and on. It just keeps going. But that thinking is gone here, with the recurring light of the sun now presented as a wonderful thing. We might also note, as the New American commentary points out, that a number of scholars compare the beginning of 11-7 with the 5th century BC glee playwright Euripides in his play, Iphigenia in Aulus. Commentator Gourd- because it says, for the light is so sweet. He actually used that phrase. Commentator Gourdus aptly comments, there's no real likelihood of borrowing merely a coincidence in the work of two great writers. However, it is possible that there was some borrowing, whether by Euripides from Solomon, that's possible. We don't think of that, but that is possible. Or Euripides from traditional wisdom that started with Solomon, or by both Euripides and Solomon from an even older tradition, that there was some borrowing possibly. After mentioning the pleasantness of sunlight in verse 7, the beginning of verse 8 continues on the high note.

It says, But if a man lives many years and rejoices in them all, Now, we have to pause for a moment and consider what Solomon has just said here. Again, let's look at that. You know, if a man lives many years and rejoices in them all.

Now, contrast these words with those who think that this book is dour, and that it says, All of life is a big downer, presenting it as nothing but misery. How, then, could this verse make any sense?

Of course, the verse is not saying that every moment is joyful. It's simply saying that it's possible to rejoice in the years of this life taken as a whole, and maybe to be joyful while going through the years. You know, we can remember in chapter 9, verse 9, where Solomon said to live joyfully with the wife of one's youth. He says, we live joyfully with one's wife, quote, he said, All the days of your vain life which God has given you under the sun. He said, Rejoice all the days. And we should remember this point from 11.8, that it's possible to enjoy one's whole life as we continue into Solomon's discussion of growing old. It's still sweet to be alive, to enjoy one's whole life. One is able to rejoice in all his many years, even in the problems that old age eventually brings. That's what we're being told, and it's important. But then comes the low note, here in this verse, Yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that is coming is vanity. The expositor's Bible commentary notes on verses 7-8, it's usual to refer to the days of darkness only to death. But there's no real reason to include death at all in view of the use of darkness to describe the effects of old age in chapter 12, verses 2-3.

And the reference there will see being either to darkening clouds for hard times or to the eyes growing dim with age. So there's a darkening in that sense. Darkness was used of a bad condition in this life in 517, but also of death in 6-4. So I mean, they're both there. And the passage about getting old ends with death and the Spirit returning to God in 12-7. So there's both, getting old and death.

In any case, after speaking of rejoicing of this life, chapter 11, verse 8 in its low note brings an important perspective to keep in mind. That we must enjoy this life while we can, considering that there will be hard times to endure and that this life will end. We earlier saw that it's wise to contemplate our immortality. We saw that in chapter 7, verses 2-4. This is something we need to think about. The statement at the end of 11-8, that all that's coming is vanity, is as previously noted, paralleled by the vanity declarations at the end of the next two segments in the subsection here.

In chapter 11, verse 10, we see vanity. In chapter 12, verse 8, we receive vanity. The vanity or frustration of 11-8 could conceivably refer, again, to years of being dead. Because they will be many. The years, there will be many. But it most likely concerns troubles that lie ahead in this life as one gets older. In either case, it does not deny, and I want us to know this, it does not deny the possibility of a happy life in a future resurrection, which the book implicitly acknowledges in stating trust in a good outcome for the righteous. Remember back in chapter 8, verses 12-13, he said, it's going to be good for the righteous, and it's not going to be good for the wicked.

And that only really fits with all that he's been saying, if there is a future life to come, which there will be. Now, the next verse here, 11-9, further adds to this perspective. It commands rejoicing in one's youth and being cheerful as the repeated refrain of the book has shown.

And this may be yet another form of the refrain, as already mentioned. But the verse then says that God will bring judgment for what is done. And we've seen this previously in the book in chapter 3, verse 17, it mentioned that. And we will see it again in the book's conclusion. Chapter 12, verse 14, In reading Ecclesiastes 11-9, it might seem Solomon has broken from his chain of proverbs to now address the young directly.

See that in 11-9. Rejoice, O young man in your youth, and let your heart cheer you the days of your youth. But the words here could have been a stand-alone proverb generally applicable to the young. Just as many of the sayings in the book of Proverbs are addressed to you, yet meaning no one in particular, just whomever fits what's being said. That could have just been a saying that existed. Maybe he made up the saying Solomon might have made up the saying, we don't know. Or if he was just using a saying, it was a common saying, but it's very proverbial, the way all of these things are worded.

Let's also note a few more specifics about Ecclesiastes 11-9. On the directive to let your heart cheer you, it may be observed that Proverbs 15-13 says that a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. While Ecclesiastes earlier associated a merry heart with eating and drinking in the book's repeated refrain, we saw that in 8-15 and in 9-7 and in 10-19 we saw this idea that eating and drinking makes merry in that sense.

So here it's saying to be cheerful, and of course a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, we just saw in Proverbs. So the sentence in 11-9 seems to be that of enjoying oneself and having a good time, which is in that many times, particularly when it's paired with in the days of your youth, as with rejoicing in one's youth mentioned in parallel just before. However, the word translated cheer here more broadly means to do one good, which could also fit here. Jesus several times said to be of good cheer, though the sense in that case is to be of good courage, to be encouraged or heartened, as God told Joshua.

You know, back in Joshua 1, 6-7, be of good courage. That was really what Jesus was saying too, be of good cheer in a heartened sense. Yet that might come within the broader sense of letting your heart do you good before, you know, while you're young, before difficult times come. Remember in John 16.33, the passover, John 16.33, Jesus told his disciples, in the world you will have tribulation or trial, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

That's an attitude we must carry beyond youth to endure. Now, while the exhortation in verse 9 here in Ecclesiastes 11 seems primarily to mean, enjoy being young and live life to the full, that probably includes maintaining a sense of youthful optimism. And we also see in verse 10, having so much life left to live and so much still to live for. It doesn't mean everything's over when you're young, it's done, but you've got to keep that attitude as you get older. As already pointed out, the same verse ends with saying that youthful exuberance and escapades must be tempered with awareness of having to give account for the choices we make.

That's the context for understanding the words in the middle of the verse that parallel those given before about enjoying oneself while you're young. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, it says. Kaiser notes that some wrongly take this as a direct contradiction of Numbers 1539. And Numbers 1539 says, you shall not follow after your own heart and your own eyes. And after which you played the harlot, it says.

That's again Deuteronomy 2919. We see the same thing in Job 31.7. You're not to do that. Verse 9, though, is not a contradiction to Numbers 1539 or these other verses, or an invitation to live centrally in central pleasure. Rather, Kaiser notes, the verse is an invitation to youth to get all the cheer and joy they can out of innocent happiness. Yes, enjoy whatever you see or desire, but mark it down well, and in the midst of your enjoyment, remember that God will review even the quality of your pleasures and the manner in which you enjoy yourself. Verse 9 is, no carte blanche or open season in which anything goes, just as with all the repeated calls for enjoyment throughout the book. Therefore, do not abuse this blessing, Kaiser says, with evil comforts and pleasures that offer no real joy. Real but innocent and pure pleasures are recommended. Life must be lived with eternity's values in view." The apostle Paul would later warn against indiscriminately indulging youthful desires. He told the young evangelist Timothy to instead flee also youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. That's in 2 Timothy 2, 22. Again, that always applies. There is also some interesting historical context for the end of Ecclesiastes 11 here. The NIV Cultural Background Study Bible notes on, Follow the Ways of Your Heart, that wording in verse 9. It says, The exhortation that we should be happy in the context of facing the reality of death is similar to the message of the Egyptian Harper songs. For example, the song from the tomb of King Intef, after mourning the fact that those who built monuments before us are now silent in their crumbling tombs, urges the audience, hence rejoice in your heart, forgetfulness profits you, follow your heart as long as you live. Similar teaching is found in the instruction of Tahhotep from the Middle Kingdom period of Egypt. It says, Follow your heart as long as you live, do no more than is required, do not shorten the time of follow the heart. Keep following your heart, is what it's saying.

The similarity of the Egyptian and Biblical exhortations to be happy and follow the heart is striking. Although, and this is still the note from that Bible, the Bible is distinctive for linking this concept to a fear of God. We are reminded that Solomon gathered wisdom from the international world around him.

He did. He gathered proverbs and things from everywhere. But God inspired him to select and shape what he gathered to fit within a proper Biblical worldview, at least in terms of what became part of Scripture. So these Egyptian things, they have some similar wording, but they're not the same. That's what the Bible actually says here. Now, the reminder in verse 9 that God will bring what we do into judgment does not present God as some grim, condemning ogre, as some might imagine.

For God's, it's clear throughout the book that God's desire is to bless us and wants us to find enjoyment in life. In fact, his law is the path to true happiness. That's what it says in Psalm 1121, Psalm 119.1, Proverbs 29.18. God's way is the way of true happiness. And his reminding us of judgment is to help us stay on this path, as with any loving parent. Realize, too, that judgment is given for good and evil. We're told in Ecclesiastes 12.14. And that while evil brings consequences, good brings rewards. And even evil can be forgiven upon repentance, allowing us to look ahead in hope.

Kaiser notes that verses 7 through 9 here show that, quote, true happiness consists in simultaneously enjoying the present and looking forward to the future. Moreover, in contemplating that God will judge based on his law that brings happiness, this is very interesting. God will judge based on his law that brings happiness. So we should consider that part of what he commands, and thus of what stands under judgment, is that we properly enjoy ourselves as he gives us the means to do so.

Expositor says that Raab, a Jewish teacher of the 3rd century AD, commented this, Man will have to give account for all that he saw and did not enjoy. Think about that. So God gives all this stuff, and we're going to have to give account. When God commands us to enjoy what he gives, if we don't, that's something that we could find ourselves being judged for. And that really puts a different light on this whole passage about God bringing judgment.

Now, adding to the admonition of verse 9, verse 10 states, as the New King James renders it, Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh. For childhood and youth are vanity. Now, here are negatives that prevent the commended enjoyment of life. Problems we need to strive to be rid of. Instead of sorrow, some translate the original Hebrew word here as care, and they take the wording to mean that we should be carefree in a hedonistic sense of doing what we want without fear of consequences.

Yet that directly contradicts what was just said in the previous verses, and the book as a whole. Given in the Tyndale Old Testament commentaries is the meaning vexation. The Hebrew kas, it says, refers to that which angers, grieves, or irritates, used elsewhere of the sin of man which vexes God, Deuteronomy 32.19, or the provocation of a woman by a jealous rival in 1 Samuel 1.6. In Ecclesiastes, it refers to the perplexity in 1.18, the grief in 2.23 and 7.3, or the irritation in 7.9 caused by sheer experience of life.

So the point here is to stop letting things get you down and upset. That's what it's really saying. Stop letting things get you down and upset, leading to disillusionment and cynicism. The New American commentary in a footnote on verses 9-10 says the meaning is to cast away grief from yourself over the human condition. That being what the whole book is about. The whole book is examining the human condition and being upset about it. He's saying, get rid of that. Cast away your vexation and grief over all this negativity and bad that you see.

Yes, there's things to contemplate it more and it'd be sorrowful for, but you need to not be sunk down in that. Now, so the directive here is really to cheer up in line with the previous verse. Despite the problems of this life, there is much to be happy and hopeful about. Of course, God wants us to sigh and cry over the terrible things of this world. We're told that in Ezekiel 9-4. And we already saw in Ecclesiastes 7, verses 2-4 that there is value in mourning.

It's important to have times of mourning, but this should not be constant to where we're continually moping and depressed. Ecclesiastes recommends enjoyment far more than it does mourning. Consider that Jesus himself, you were told in Isaiah 53, verse 3, read this, the Passover, Jesus himself was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. But sometimes we think that's all we might think about Jesus.

But actually, it says in Psalm 45 and verse 7, and it's mentioned again in Hebrews 1-9, that he was also, it says, anointed with the oil of gladness more than his companions. He was anointed with the oil of gladness more than anybody actually Jesus was. He was the happiest man who ever lived. Doesn't it make sense since happiness is the way of life, since God's law is what brings true happiness? Despite life's sorrows, we must not despair, but must continue to rejoice in the precious gifts of life that God has given us.

One way to remove vexation and sorrow is to stop doing wrong and racking our lives with problems and guilt. Ecclesiastes 11-9 had said to enjoy life while keeping the future in mind, problems arise when we fail to do this, forgetting the joyful rewards ahead and despairing, and forgetting the consequences for misdeeds, giving in the temptations to sin, leading eventually to get further despair when we do think about the consequences. Expositor says, Obviously young people face strong temptations, and vanity and frustration are as much a part of adolescence as vitality. So youth must say no as well as yes, and must discard whatever damages mind or body.

The second line of verse 10 seems to speak of the need to stop sinning in the New King James wording. It says, The meaning of this verse is actually disputed. The NIV has cast off the troubles of your body, as the evil here can just mean bad or harm. And the reference to the flesh can refer to either how one uses one's body or to what happens to one's body. Now, some other versions say that the wording here means to remove pain from your body. You'll see that in various versions. It says, remove pain. The preach in the word commentary sees in verse 10 the removal of discouragement of the mind in the first line, and removing damage to our bodies in the second line. So some people see both things here, thus taking care of mental and physical health. Certainly we should try to remain psychologically and physically healthy, and avoid harm to our bodies to better experience the joys of this life. Yet, as the Tyndale commentary states, the reference to flesh, quote, portrays man in his weakness both physical weariness and moral frailty. And it fits quite well in the context to see putting away evil or harm from one's flesh as a reference to avoiding sin. Now, a note in the preach in the word commentary contends that since flesh, the word ordinarily refers to the human body, not to moral weakness, as in the New Testament, that the evil the preacher has in mind is physical pain. Just mention that. But reference to flesh can certainly apply in moral terms. You know, prior to Noah's flood, God saw that, quote, all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth, end quote, in Genesis 6, 12.

Earlier in Ecclesiastes, Solomon said in chapter 2 verse 3, "...I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine," end quote, which clearly has moral implications. And even more to the point is what Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes chapter 5 verse 6, which is cited by Tyndale, quote, "...Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin." Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin. The evil to remove from the flesh could well be sin. And in sin is the greater bad to avoid than bodily harm than pain. Physical detriment may be unavoidable, and sometimes it's even the preferred course. Consider suffering at the hands of others for righteousness' sake, as Jesus and many biblical heroes of faith had to do. But we should always avoid sin. Of course, we should take care of our physical bodies as we are reasonably able to. In fact, being intentionally careless regarding our bodily health is itself sin. For we are to be faithful stewards of our bodies, which along with our whole selves actually belong to God. We're told that in Psalm 24.1 and, of course, 1 Corinthians 6.12-20. Glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's. They belong to Him. Now, the final line of verse 10, For childhood and youth are vanity, or frustration, is again parallel to the other vanity declarations ending the segments of this subsection. The wording here in 11.10 could be understood in context of the preceding statements about making the most of one's youth while it lasts. The frustration being that youth is passing or fleeting. Or it's possible that the vanity or frustration is the fact that youth is beset with many unwise choices and sins, requiring the counteraction just mentioned in verses 9-10 of focus on the future and removal of problems so as to rightly enjoy the time of one's youth. Here's a modern proverb. You probably know it. It says, Youth is wasted on the young. That is, youth is often spent foolishly. So by the time one is wise enough to properly appreciate and use the opportunities and abilities of youth, youth is over. You know what I'm talking about. Of course, there is still life to live, and youth, even when misspent to some extent, will have hopefully taught us many lessons. Sadly, young people often look on themselves and their peers as far wiser than they are, and sometimes more so than they regard as old and foolish and trapped in the past. While a younger person can be wiser than those who are older, we see that in this book in chapter 4.13 about the younger king and the older king who wouldn't listen. That isn't typically the case that the younger would be wiser, and most young people come to see this as they get older themselves. Yet some still refuse to grow up. Another vanity or frustration is the obsession of many to hold on to youth in various ways. Some, while growing older, want to seem and to see themselves as much younger than they are, perhaps by their dress, their immature living, their associations, their interests, and now medical treatments like cosmetic surgery. We should enjoy youth, but not try vainly to hold on to it at all costs. Derek Kidner writes in his message of Ecclesiastes, To idolize the state of youth and to dread the loss of it is disastrous. It spoils the gift even while we have it. To see it instead as a passing phase, beautiful in its time, but not beyond it, is to be free from its frustrations. Now, and I'll end with this. What if you are an older person, reading Ecclesiastes 11, 9-10, and the next verse that we'll see, 12-1, about remembering your Creator while you're young, remember your Creator while you're young before the hard times and all that. You might think that these verses do not really apply to you, but recognize that however old you are now, you are still younger than you will yet grow to be.

Will you not? The admonition to enjoy life and have good cheer is still meant for you. Recall that 11-8, which began this subsection, said that it's possible to rejoice in all the years that one has. But with the call to rejoicing, the reminder of coming difficulties, death, and judgment also applies, as does the instruction to remove vexation and harmful elements from your life, including sin. All of us need to learn and live by these vital principles as long as we have life yet to live, however long that might be. And for those of you who are younger, don't assume you have all the time in the world. You may not have as much time left as it seems. Something can happen to take your life suddenly. And the end of this age is swiftly approaching. So all of us, of whatever age, need to maintain a sense of urgency about life and living, as God tells us to. While we still have life and breath, this life won't last forever. And even if there are still many years left, the years go by quickly. I'll leave that. I'll leave the rest for next time.