My long deceased Uncle Jerry had a couple sayings I
always liked, one was: ÒBetter than downtown.Ó The other was: ÒIt donÕt get any gooder than this!Ó In the
context that they were used, they always gave one the wisdom of what was really
important, and in most cases it wasnÕt what the majority of people thought was
a successful life.
In the Bible the Book of Ecclesiastes is a book with some of that same wisdom. In
most of my Bibles, its pages take up less than one tenth of one percent of the
Good Book, but if everyone in the world understood the wisdom of the words of
the preacher, the world would be drastically different. ÒVanity of vanities,Ó
says the Preacher; ÒVanity of vanities, all is vanityÓ (Chapter 1:2) Throughout
its pages you find the work of man compared to chasing after the wind and other
similar statements. The book ends with the famous passage in Chapter 12:13,14:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his
commandments, For this is manÕs all. For God will bring into judgement,
Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
As I mentioned some time ago, I received a Bible on
cassette for Christmas. When you listen to these words, attributed to Solomon,
from beginning to end with out pause for interpretation, or commentary, you are
definitely left somewhat depressed. All the pleasures and works of this life
end up ending as some sort of ego trip, or given to someone who didnÕt earn it,
or destroyed by other means. The man who had it all, saw the futility of his
life, the work that he performed, and the nation which he led. Even the closing
of the book quoted above, in context seems as a dead duty or obligation, rather
than something of eternal merit.
I find it amazing that this is the religion that most of
the church, especially the evangelical church seems to be promoting today. The
vanity of this life, or the successful Christian life is promoted as the ideal.
Do this, and that, and blessings will come to you, (how ever you might define
those parameters.) ÒIÕm OK, itÕs just life. ThatÕs all there is, drudgery and
vanity. Glory comes in the sweet by and by.Ó
As we have progressed through this series, we began with
the creation of the world and its witness to mankind, as to the power of God.
Last week we looked at the rule of law as it pertains to separating the
nations, common and religious, from each other and the maintenance of civil
order within those constraints. In the context of both of those witnesses, the
Book of Ecclesiastes tells it like it is, ÒThis is better than downtown, and it
donÕt get any gooder than this.Ó The truth is, if this is all the church has to
offer, we are no better than Solomon in all his splendor. Perhaps that is the
reason we try to promote that type of opulence. We have lost the gospel
message, so to keep the bills paid, and the complements flowing, we promote a
prosperity no different from the natural world.
But the Book is not finished. In the New Testament we
have a new covenant. A covenant not based upon works of law at all, but upon
the grace of God. We in the church age have the whole story, but while we like
to talk about it, we do actually very little when it comes to living it. Ecclesiastes is depressing because in
the true context of the whole Bible, it has to be, because if it wasnÕt, then
the New Testament would not be needed. If the Messiah, the God-man, Jesus
Christ did not come into the world to offer his life in propitiation for the
sins of man, and if that sacrifice were not accepted, then, being the cool dude
named Solomon would be as good as it gets.
ÒYo, now that dude Solomon, man, he had it all. Gold,
power and the chicks, man. That guy had three hundred wives and seven hundred
concubines. Sex when ever he wanted it, and with no hassles with the old lady,
man what a life. Pass me another brew, bro!Ó
Sounds like a commercial during the XFL, or actually the
commentary during the game. DoesnÕt any one realize that by appealing to the
lowest common denominator, the denominator keeps falling.
But if Jesus Christ did come to die and was resurrected
from the dead, then worldliness is not all there is, in fact it really is not a
starting point. Vanity of vanity, all is vanity -- except not by keeping the
commandments of the religious, -- but living the life in which your were called
out from the world. Not by the power of any god, of stone, or wood, or manÕs
imagination, nor were you called out to be a holy natural nation, amongst the
nations of this world, ruled by laws and doctrines, superior to those nations
surrounding you. No, the New Testament, calls, elects, redeems, and sanctifies,
individuals (men and women) from all the nations of the world. They come from
every tribe and nation, every rule of law. It is the true gospel message.
This is truly a God created nation, where the law does
not rule, but a nation where the Ruler of the law reigns. It is not a nation
where he who has the gold, makes the rules, but a nation where He who makes the
gold, also makes the rules, and is the rule.
So why is that witness not present in the church today?
If Christ is not risen, then we are still in our sins.
But if Christ is risen, then our sins are no more, and we are adopted as
children of the living God. But the love of God is such that if we do not seek
that fullness supplied in the redemption, we truly have little witness to the
world. Because our perceived desires are based upon the same national
revelation that promotes common diversity.
But God given diversity is different for those who seek
after it. It makes brothers and sisters from all tribes, cultures, and nations.
If you have not experienced that family heritage, then your life and your
witness, is poorer than God desires for you. And your confessed shallowness is
a result of sin. In Christ the church has a diverse culture, in which everyone
is truly unique, with an unique purpose for this life and the life to come.
Death no longer has its sting, because Christ is risen, and this life is meant
to be a type of grammar school, for the continuing life of eternity. But to the extent that we pursue the
vanity, that Solomon describes, to that extent we will share his depression at
the end of our natural days.
Therefore it remains for all who believe in the
redemption offered in Jesus Christ alone, a wisdom beyond the vanity seen by
Solomon. It comes by the filling of the void in mankind caused by original sin. Lost fellowship with God
is restored through the cross, and eternal purpose and enterprise, free from
the constraints of selfish vanity, is available by walking forward in Christ,
as a member of His body. We have that not, because we do not seek it with the
passion and the love for which it has been given to us as a free, priceless
gift.
The solution is quite simple, get of your well padded
duff, and do something. If you begin just doing something for God that you can
accomplish, that is a start. But eventually, you must, step beyond your self
into a mode where only God can act and you truly become a child of the most
High God. If you truly seek a life Òbetter than downtown,Ó or one that ÒdonÕt get any gooder than
this,Óyou must walk in that unique purpose for which you were created. It is
available to all who turn from their own selfish desires and seek the true and
living God, who separates His people for His good pleasure.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: It is
through the proclamation of the gospel message that the restoration of GodÕs
eternal plan will be accomplished. From that eternal Good, proceeds the eternal
fruit free of our personal vanity. It truly is a life worth living. A hundred
fold increase on the best of our fallen dreams.
I returned Saturday from Eastern Washington. My mother
returned to her place in the nursing home last Tuesday. When I went to see her
Wednesday, she seemed very tired, but there was a nurturing young nurse who
tried to encourage me. I went out to see my mom again on Saturday morning,, and
I told her that I was her son and she said, ÒHe was here yesterday with the
good looking girl.Ó I really thought that my mom was beyond that type of
recognition. We had a good visit even though I was not too sure what the
conversation was about. In any event, it was really GodÕs work at hand, for
less than a week earlier, I was told she had been given up for dead.
Seeds for Prayer
After my mom was doing so well, I drove up to Colville to
look at a property I had seen in literature from a real estate flier. It turned
out to be even better than I could have imagined. It will truly be one of those
things in which God will have to be in it ,for it is quite beyond my capacity.
But there were many things that pointed to me that this was the way to proceed.
This included a potential means of making the mortgage payments from the
listing agent and his encouragement that what I had described to him in secular
terms would be a great benefit to the area. I am going this week to see if any
of my connections will be able to help put the project together. I would also
solicit your prayers that the people and the finances required to put this
whole project together for the glory of God, would be done GodÕs way. Current
finances also continue to be a problem, so continue to intercede for those
provisions as well.