12th March 2024

12th March 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ecclesiastes 7v15-24)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


In Solomon’s life he was confident that he had seen everything including the death of the righteous and the long life of the wicked (v15). This strikes us as deeply unfair. Why should the righteous man be struck down in his prime whilst the wicked man lives until he is old and grey? After the end of the Second World War there was an active hunt for Adolf Hitler. There was a rumour that he had escaped Berlin and was now living happily in South America. I don’t believe this rumour was actually true, but I fully understand why so many sought to bring Hitler to justice. In an ideal world the wicked would get their comeuppance whilst the righteous would receive a letter from the King on their one hundredth birthday.


Nevertheless, life is not perfect and the one who follows Jesus is not guaranteed sunshine and rainbows. How should we respond this harsh reality? Solomon’s counsel is quite surprising. We should not seek to be overly righteous, too wise, overly wicked or a fool (v16-17). Did Solomon lose his mind? Did the supposedly wise King urge God’s people to avoid a life of righteousness? No.


Let me paraphrase Solomon’s wisdom in this way…the most righteous man in the world is still a sinner saved by grace (v20), he should never believe that his righteousness will spare him from life’s difficulties and so he should realise that striving for an imaginary unobtainable perfect righteousness and wisdom is no protection from life’s troubles. In the same manner a life of wickedness is the life of a fool and is not a valid response to life’s harsh realities. Therefore Solomon urges us to avoid the extreme position of believing we can manipulate God with our hard worked super-righteousness. The one who thinks “I’m so righteous no bad thing will ever strike me.” will be proved misguided.


In the same manner there can be no room for the one who says “God is blind to the wicked. I’ll live however I want because the wicked are never punished.” This too is vanity for God will certainly judge the wicked both in this life and the next.


If life seems unfair we are to take hold of Solomon’s God given wisdom by replacing extreme positions with the fear of God (v18). The one who seeks to honour the Lord will be rescued from a life of “fingers-crossed works” or a life of “who-cares wickedness”. God’s wisdom is of more use to us than the might of ten kings in a city (v19) and it is this wisdom which cultivates the fear of God and helps us to have a sober opinion of ourselves.


The one who has trusted Christ is at the same time justified and sinful (simul justus et peculator). The Christian will fall into sin on this side of heaven (v20). Therefore the wise believer doesn’t take to heart what people whisper about them (v21). It isn’t pleasant when someone speaks behind our back but we would be hypocritical if we tried to say that we have never done the same (v22). Brothers and sisters, who you are the last day will show, so do not concern yourself with the whispers of others.


We cannot fathom why the righteous struggle while the wicked seem to go unpunished but it is good to wrestle with these issues. Nevertheless, although we can seek wisdom and say “I will be wise” (v23) we must realise that answers may never come. Brothers and sisters, learn to become comfortable with mystery and remind yourself that God alone is God. The answers you seek are “deep, very deep” (v24) but take heart for the deep things belong to the Lord (Deuteronomy 29v29) and He is very, very good.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q91 How do the Sacraments become effectual means of salvation? The Sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them.
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