What The Wise Man Learned

Introduction

I often begin my lessons with a question. And the point of that question is to first of all get your attention, but also to lead you into the thoughts that I want to talk about in that particular lesson. And so, are you ready for this morning’s question? I think it’s an easy question, but maybe one you’d feel uncomfortable in answering. And the question is, how smart are you? Now you may chuckle at that question. You may really chuckle at someone else answering that question. This is certainly a time in which I miss Greg. He would have been a perfect illustration to use in this morning’s lesson. But think about how smart you are. Or maybe think of it this way. Are you smarter than you used to be?

And I think most of us would say yes. At least we would say, I hope so. And I think we’d be amazed that the most humble among us would have to admit if they really honestly thought about that, it’s amazing at how much you know. Maybe think of it this way get a pen and paper and just write down everything you know. That would be, again, for the most humblest among us, that would be an overwhelming, impossible task. We’re smarter many times than we give ourselves credit for. We’ve learned a lot. And I’d like for us to think in the introduction to this lesson think of three ways that you got that smart. Three ways that you’ve gained information. Way number one is you learn certain things yourself.

You’re self-taught in a lot of ways. You learn something just by your own experiences, your own investigation. There are certain things that you know because you learn them. Secondly, there are things that somebody else taught you. And we could break that down into separate categories, couldn’t we? One is they taught you by example. You watch somebody do something and you learn from that. Or they just instructed you. They told you how to do something, or imparted some certain knowledge to you and you learned it that way. We could break it down another way, negatively and positively. You learn from other people negatively. You see somebody make a mistake and you go, I don’t want to do that. And you learn something. Or somebody either instructs you or gives you an example of a positive instruction, and you say, I want to remember that.

That’s a good thing to know. But certainly I want to add a third category. We learn ourselves. We learn from our fellow man. But we learn from God. God has instructed us. This morning I’d like for you to turn with me to the book of Ecclesiastes. We’ll be spending the bulk of our time in the book of Ecclesiastes, and we want to talk about a man, Solomon, who learned a lot. And he used all three of those avenues of gaining wisdom. Solomon was a keen observer of life. He learned things through his own observations and experiences. He learned by watching others. And he also learned by inspiration. And so it would do us well to turn to the pages of a book like Ecclesiastes and let the wisest man who ever lived tell us what he learned.

1. There Is So Much Injustice in the World

And I want us to add that to our bank of knowledge this morning. And it may already be things you already know. You already learned them in one of those three means. But let’s reinforce and remind ourselves of these lessons this morning. Turn with me in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3. Let’s start there in chapter 3 this morning. And we start making a list, and it’s just a partial list, you understand, but a list of some of the things that the wise man learned through experience, through observation of others, and by inspiration. One thing that Solomon tells us is that he learned that there is so much injustice in the world.

And he’s looking back upon this experiment that we call life and saying, here’s what I’ve learned. Learn from me. And much of what we learn from Solomon is certainly by inspiration of the words that God gave him, but also much of what we learn from Solomon is that negative example. Solomon is honest with us and pulls back the shades of his house and says, look at the mistakes I made. And learn from that. Turn with me again. Ecclesiastes chapter 3, verse 16. And notice one of the things that Solomon learned. He says, Moreover, I saw under the sun. In the place of judgment, wickedness was there. And in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. Solomon said, You want to know something that I’ve seen, that I’ve learned in life?

Life ain’t fair. In the place of judgment, wickedness was there. Let’s start with that principle. In our limited, or at least my limited experience of the judicial system, I could probably tell you of people that, in my opinion, at least, innocent people that are in jail. Or maybe even innocent people who have been put to death for the crimes that they didn’t commit. In the place of just wickedness was there. But we could also turn the tables slightly and say there’s guilty people who got away with it. That maybe they gained the system or the system is flawed in such a way, and they should have gone to jail, but they’re walking the streets today. They should have gone the way of the persecutor, but they’re walking the streets today.

And Solomon says, I’ve learned that. In the place of judgment, wickedness is there. In the place of righteousness, iniquity is there. In the place where there ought to be goodness and wholesomeness and righteousness, Solomon says, too many times at least we see wickedness. Solomon says, I’m an old man. And you want to know what I’ve seen. Life ain’t fair. Turn over to chapter 9 of the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes chapter 9, verses 11 and 12. Just not just in the places of power and of judgment, but just in the normal course of life. Life doesn’t always work out the way it should, or at least the way we think it should. Look in Ecclesiastes 9. Look at verses 11 and 12. I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill.

But time and chance happened to them all. For man also does not know his time. Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time when it suddenly falls upon them. Solomon says that in a race, the fastest runner should always win. But he doesn’t.

And the shyster and the flim flam artist should always fail. But it doesn’t work that way. And if we tried to manipulate life in the way that we think it should work out fairly, our loved ones would never suffer.

A long exit in the hospital. And wicked people wouldn’t prosper. But Solomon says that’s not life under the sun. What Solomon learned is, and maybe he had to learn this by inspiration rather than observation, but what Solomon learned is that what we observe in this life under the sun should not be viewed as the reckoning and the evening of all scores. He came to believe that God is still in control. Although God may not control every facet of our lives, because if he did, everything would be fair. If God ruled our lives with an iron fist and removed our free will, this life would be fair. But Solomon recognized that God will bring justice in his time. Look with me in Ecclesiastes chapter 3. Ecclesiastes chapter 3.

We read verse 16 earlier that talked about the inequity of life in the place of judgment, wickedness was there, in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. That’s the observation that Solomon, and by the way, without the wisdom of Solomon, we’ve made that observation as well, haven’t we? But look at the next verse, verse 17. I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked. And for there shall be a time for every purpose and for every work. Solomon in his wisdom said, you know, I look at this life and it’s not fair. But I said in my heart that God will judge the wicked. That’s a difficult talking about learning lessons, that’s a difficult lesson to learn. In a word, patience to recognize that God will control, God’s will will win out, and God will judge.

2. Bad Things Often Happen to Good People

In his time, we just sang. And that’s a song that we not only need to sing from time to time, that’s a refrain, at least, that needs to echo in our ears and in our heart constantly when we see unfairness and we see things in life that aggravate and anger us. Hear the chorus in his time. Something else that Solomon learned, talking about unfairness, is that bad things often happen to good people. And that added to his frustration. Look over in chapter 1 of the book of Ecclesiastes. Chapter 1 and verse 14. He says, I have seen all the works that are done under the sun. And indeed all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Solomon saw that this life is full of unfairness. It’s full of frustration.

It’s full of vanity. Now turn to chapter 7. And look, one of the greatest examples of that vanity is in Ecclesiastes chapter 7 and in verse 15, he says, I have seen all things in my days of vanity. Ecclesiastes 7, verse 15. There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, and there’s a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. That is a one verse summation of the book of Job, isn’t it? There is a wicked man, a just man who perishes in his righteousness. The wicked man who prolongs his life in wickedness. We need to come to the realization and maybe to the acceptance of the fact that many times bad things will happen to good people. And maybe we need to come to accept an even more difficult fact.

And that is that many times bad things will happen because you’re a good person. That if you lived your life in unrighteousness and wickedness, that you might find an easier course through life under the sun. But Paul would remind Timothy and us that, yea, all that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. And so not only will just because time and chance happens to them all, will bad things happen to good people, but some things will, bad things will happen to good people because they’re good people. Because the world may be fighting against you, and don’t underestimate this element of it, that if you’re living your life in godliness and in righteousness and in holiness, there is one individual who is out to get you, and that’s Satan himself.

3. This Earthly Life Is Temporary

If you were ungodly, and on his side, he might leave you alone. But Solomon said, I’ve learned that bad things happen to good people. Now we’ve been negative up until this point, but now we’re going to begin to turn the page to some positive things that Solomon learned. And this one may look like a negative at first glance, but trust me, it’s a positive. Solomon says, I learned that this earthly life is temporary. Now again, you may say, that’s a negative. I want to live forever. Not here, you don’t. And maybe those first two lessons that Solomon learned, and we’ve learned in our own experience, leads us to that conclusion. I don’t want to live here forever. And maybe it helps me to refocus and understand that this world is not my home.

I don’t want it to be my home. I want something better than this. Look with me in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 9. And in verse 23. Excuse me, not 9, verse 23. Ecclesiastes chapter 9. And verse 13, beginning. This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with a few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, and great snares around it. Now there was found in that a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city, yet no one remembered that same poor man. Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless, the poor man’s wisdom is despised, his words are not heard. Words of the wise spoken quietly should be heard rather than the shout of the ruler of fools.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys as much as good. Wisdom is not always appreciated. The wisdom and the understanding and of the knowing of the things and understanding that there’s unjustice in this world and that bad things happen to good people, and this life is temporary. That wisdom is not always going to be appreciated in this life. But we need to understand that this life is not all that there is. And that wisdom that should be appreciated, not appreciated by the world, but should be appreciated by the people of God leads us to the conclusion that Solomon is led to. That life under the sun should not be our focus. Hold your finger there in the book of Ecclesiastes and go to the New Testament.

And look what another wise man there said in 1 John chapter 2. In 1 John chapter 2. We recognize the shortcomings of this life. And so we put our hope and our vision and our trust somewhere else. 1 John chapter 2, beginning in verse 15. You’ll remember this text. 1 John 2, verse 15, do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that’s in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of this world. We read those verses over and over again and make applications in sermons. But look at the next verse.

After talking about this world and all that’s in this world and how it is set in opposition to the Father, verse 17 says, and the world is passing away and the lust of it. But he who does the will of God abides forever. We with Solomon understood because of the inequities and the unfairness and just the meanness of this world. We said, I don’t want to live here forever. But the child of God wants to live forever. But not here in this world. And in the lust of this world.

4. In the Approach to This Life, Happiness Is Best

And now go back with me to the book of Ecclesiastes and let’s look at the last lesson we want to talk about this morning. What Solomon learned. That because this life is so full of injustice and bad things that may frustrate, anger us, and if we’re honest, at times may tempt us to lose our faith. And because this life and the inequities of this life are but temporary. That one lesson we need to learn is that in the approach to this life, happiness is the best approach. Look with me in Ecclesiastes chapter 3, beginning. Ecclesiastes chapter 3, and in verse 22. What’s interesting is that as Solomon, in the first several chapters of this book, in the book of Ecclesiastes, though he speaks of all the frustrations, the inequities, and the injustices of this world, that sprinkled in with all of that bad news is still the wise man saying, but make the best of it.

Enjoy this life. As flawed and sin-filled as it might be, still enjoy it. Ecclesiastes chapter 3, look at verse 22. So I perceived there’s nothing better than 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? Solomon has just said, everything you work for, you’re going to die and leave it to somebody else. Everything you’re doing, you’re going to have to keep doing and keep doing. This life is a never-ending cycle of just doing and doing and accumulating and spending and accumulating and spending. And so what does Solomon say? Does Solomon say, look at all of that and just get so angry and frustrated and depressed and rail at the world?

Solomon says, no, just understand that’s life and make the best of it. Go to work. Be glad you have a job. Cash that paycheck and enjoy it. Life, even a life that’s not perfect, is meant to be enjoyed, Solomon said. Look over in chapter 5 and in verse 18. He says, Here’s what I’ve seen. It’s good and it’s fitting for one to eat and to drink and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun, all the days of his life, which God gives him for it is his heritage. Is life fair? No. Is life full of frustrations and injustices and inequities? Absolutely. But Solomon says, make the best of it. Solomon wasn’t quite as corny as we are, but he’s telling us if life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Make the best of it. Now I understand that there are struggles. There are even physical and mental handicaps that may cause the greater struggle in all of this, but Solomon’s wisdom still rings true. That for most of us, happiness is a choice, and it’s a choice that we need to be making.

Conclusion

And remember this. Turn over to the last chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon would ultimately say that we can choose happiness. We can make the best of this life. Not because this life has in it the best, and all of the greatest sources for happiness and contentment in our life. But we can make the best of the even the garbage of this life. Because we know it’s temporary. And there’s a better life to come. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. He closes out the book, Ecclesiastes 12, verse 13. Fear God, keep his commandments. This is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.

He’ll take care of all of the iniquities and all of that which was just a fleeting injustice will be reconciled at the final judgment stand of God. And so we can be happy because, yes, I see inequities here, but I know the story’s not over. I see the unfairness and the difficulties in my life and in your life, but I know the story has not yet been finally written. And so I can choose a positive and happy approach to this life, knowing that it’s not the only life that I will live. We thank you for joining us as we worship together this morning. And we want to reemphasize that if there is something that we can do to help you, something in your journey through this life, something in your journey and understanding that this life is not all there is, but preparing for that eternity, preparing for that judgment.

That we want to help you. If you need to render obedience to the gospel, reach out to us. Contact us, and we will make a way. For you, based upon your faith, repentance, and confession, to be baptized for the remission of your sins. If you need some other help, reach out to us. We’ll pray with you. We’ll study with you through all the blessings of technology that we have right now. Reach out to us and we’ll reach back. Thank you for joining us, and may God bless you.