Ecclesiastes Part 7
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration 6th October 1997
Ecclesiastes Part 7
Web page: http://www.eternitymag.com/etinsp.htm
(after this we will take a break from Ecclesiastes, we can always
return to it later..)
Our Need For Revelation
(Ecclesiastes 3:12-22 NIV) I know that there is nothing better for
men than to be happy and do good while they live. {13} That everyone
may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the
gift of God. {14} I know that everything God does will endure
forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God
does it so that men will revere him. ... {17} I thought in my heart,
"God will bring to judgement both the righteous and the wicked, for
there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed." {18}
I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that
they are like the animals. {19} Man's fate is like that of the
animals;... {20} All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to
dust all return. {21} Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and
if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?" {22} So I saw
that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work,
because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will
happen after him?
Unaided reason can lead us to certain likely conclusions about God
and morality. For Solomon these conclusions included universal
judgement of the righteous and the wicked and that the works of God
are enduring. These are impressive conclusions for logic to make
however they only led him to further despair and the question in
verse 21 "Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the
spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"
The gospel is revealed. The death and resurrection of Christ and the
hope of the believer are not things we can naturally deduce. We
cannot logically work out whether or not "the spirit of man rises
upward". Revelation is needed to supply the answer that those who
put their trust in Jesus will certainly have eternal life. (John 3:16
NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
To be kind to Solomon he wrote in the 10th century BC well before
Isaiah and Daniel and the other great prophets of the resurrection.
However nearly 3000 years later we are in a different position and
can confidently know the answer to His question and have no need of
despair. We have the revelation of Christ as recorded in the
Scriptures. Therefore we must heed it.
Solomon asks a second question in verse 22 "For who can bring him to
see what will happen after him?". Who else but God through the
indwelling Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is explicitly given that we
might know what God has done and will do (future tense) for us. (1
Corinthians 2:9-12 NIV) However, as it is written: "No eye has seen,
no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for
those who love him"-- {10} but God has revealed it to us by his
Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
{11} For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's
spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God
except the Spirit of God. {12} We have not received the spirit of the
world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God
has freely given us.
The Holy Spirit illumines the heart and mind of the believer and
gives us some knowledge of what the future holds. Not times nor
dates but the main things such as receiving a resurrection body and
going to Heaven. We receive the assurance about what will happen to
us after death via the Holy Spirit. His indwelling power reassures us
of the goodness and love of God and testifies that we are sons of God
and have eternal life. We cannot reach conclusions such as these
through unaided reason alone. We need revelation. Once we receive the
revelation then reason can dig deeply into it.
Some Christians write off reason as an obstacle to faith. That is not
so. Reason works out what faith receives. Faith accepts the
revelation, reason then works out what it means and how to operate
within it. Take the Great Commission. Faith receives the revealed
command that we are to take the gospel to all nations. Reason then
says "we will need a boat to do that..". or "these nations are not
reached yet, what can be done about it?". Reason helps us interpret
Scriptures, prepare sermons and administer God's church wisely.
Reason is good but reason alone in never enough. We need God's
revelation in Christ.
Prayer:
Lord grant that we may love You with all our minds. Create a thirst
in us to know, believe and understand Your revelation in Christ
Jesus. Enable us to know the right boundaries of our reason and not
to be proud yet to vigorously exercise our reason in the cause of
Christ and for the glory of God. Amen
---------------------------------------------------------------
This devotional may be freely distributed for ministry purposes
Questions and comments may be sent to:
[email protected]
(not to the list please)
John Edmiston ([email protected])
Editor - Eternity Online Magazine http://www.eternitymag.com/
A Biblical Corner of The Internet
Eternity Inspiration - Free daily devotionals
http://www.eternitymag.com/etinsp.htm
Tell your friends to subscribe!