Lesson - Chapter 8
Intro
- Review: When we see the world as it truly is, we can either numb ourselves or we can
embrace it by looking at death with wisdom. Which helps us fight greed, be patient, be
slow to anger, and fight the pull of nostalgia by looking to the paradise that is to come.
- The chapter starts off in Vs. 1-2 with a call to remember that wisdom is of value though it
is limited. It brightens the face and makes one more gentle. Wisdom provides
understanding, and makes one glad and gentle in disposition. Why might that be?
- The rest of the chapter has three sections with similar groundings that are a reflection of
what we have already seen in the book, followed by a summary in vs 16-17.
- Simply put, you don’t know the future. But you know the age to come.
- The thrust of his arguments is that we cannot know what results our actions will bring at
any given moment, and so he draws out 3 ways we should live in light of that.
Body
1. Obey the King (Vs. 2-9)
- God has placed the authorities that are over you. It is a good thing to obey them.
You belong to the Lord and if you follow him then obey the King. Ultimately that is
God, but he places authorities over you. He tells you not to run from them. Don’t
obey evil commands, a wise person will discern the proper times. Why do we do
this, because a king will do as he pleases and no one knows what results will
come. You can obey a king when it is not sinful even if you disagree because you
who cannot restrain the wind or have power over death, won’t have the ability to
know what is to come. Though it might be tough at times.
- Illustration: Living on a beach free from The Man is a sinful response. Owning
your own business is a good endeavor, but is it a response to being annoying
with someone telling you what to do?
- Q. Do you struggle to listen and keep the instruction of the authorities over you?
Are you full of dissidence because you feel like you know better? How does the
ground here help us to act wisely as Solomon tells us?
- Further still, Romans 13 fleshes this out more. It is for your good to obey,
because it is from God. You are free to obey lesser authorities because it is not
for you to know what will come.
2. Fear God and it will be well (vs. 10-13)
- We see here in this passage that those who are wicked are help up and praised
even in holy places. Maybe it is tempting for you to seek this kind of attention and
praise from man. Jesus says that they have received their reward. When they
have sinned and are not punished their heart is hardened, as an aside let that be
a warning to you not let children sin and correction linger to come. So increase in
sin and maybe even prolong life, but what happens in the end? They die and are
buried. It is not well with them. Who is it well with? Those who fear God. Even a
prolonged life is a vapor and though the wicked can prosper, you don’t know what
this life has in store for you, but it is plain what is in store for the age to come,
destruction for those who don’t fear God and wellness for those who do.
- Illustration: Ravi was held up in honor, but he was wicked and no matter what
good things he got in this life, what is his eternity is plain to all Christians.
- Q. Who are you tempted to envy? Or hold up as praiseworthy? Describe how you
fear God?
3. Be Joyful (Vs. 14-15)
- Find joy in life. The great distortion of the world as a result of the fall is that good
and bad things happen to all. Normally the unrighteous have worldly good. Can
you know whether a thing you do will bring good or evil upon you or another? Do
what is right and find joy in your everyday life. God has given gifts to you for you
to enjoy. It is your righteousness to enjoy them.
- Illustration: If you watch crime shows you see that the rich can get that way
through corruption and then have money to lawyer up and prevent justice.
Compare that to the Martyr of Liu Haitong.
- Q. Is your life marked by joy? Why or why not? What in the future fixates you? In
what ways might our knowledge of the age to come strengthen us to find joy
(specifically)?
Wrap up
- Vs. 16-17. Though man works so very hard 24/7, he cannot know what God is doing. But
he is working, so trust in what he has said, don’t seek answers for what he hasn’t.
