16th March 2024

16th March 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ecclesiastes 8v1-5)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


You can’t read Ecclesiastes without realising how highly Solomon valued wisdom. He could have asked anything from the Lord but knew that he was going to need wisdom to survive as Israel’s king. This isn’t to say that Solomon always made the right choice. It wasn’t a wise decision to marry seven hundred women who did not worship the Lord, but even so, Solomon did know the great value of wisdom.


As far as he was concerned there was no one like the wise man (v1). It was only the wise who could accurately interpret various issues in life (v1b). Indeed, wisdom even makes the face shine (v1c). How so? The wise individual trusts in the unchanging wisdom of God and this in turn changes their view of life’s difficulties and the hardness of their face (v1c).


Wisdom is good and of much value to the Christian in their day to day walk. Imagine for example that you are employed by a harsh boss. He is brash, loud, angry and happy to cut corners. Solomon painted a similar picture of a tyrant King (v2-5). He did whatever he pleased (v3) and was often found in “an evil cause”. How does a Christian honour God in such circumstances?


The Christian is blessed by God’s wisdom which guides us in a world that does not share our standards. If we find ourselves in a job we hate serving a boss we do not respect we are still to honour Christ. Just as the Lord has sovereignly raised up and torn down kings, so too the Lord places individuals over us. In some walks of life we are the superior and in others we are the inferior, sometimes we lead and other times we follow. Wisdom teaches us in all circumstances and certainly when our job is to follow (v2).


So what does life look like when our boss pushes us to the limit? Wisdom teaches us when we should walk away, just as wisdom teaches us when we should stay (v3a). Furthermore, wisdom reminds us that such an individual does what he wants. It’s rare that we’ll change anyone’s character but we should certainly have no part in the schemes of man (v3b). It’s not always easy or prudent to question a superior by asking “what are you doing?” (v4). Instead the wise are to do what we are told, without sinning, seeking to honour Christ as we honour even the worst superiors imaginable.


Ultimately the Lord gives us the wisdom to know when it is time to act and time to speak. As Solomon would say “the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.” (v5). This is such a comfort because we know that this world is not a perfect place. The child of God is required to live in the kingdom of man and at many times the Christian will require abundant wisdom to walk life’s highway.


What if our boss wants to involve us in a disreputable scheme? What if we believe it’s time to look for another job? What if we’re not sure we can keep quiet? How do we navigate such challenges with Christ honouring integrity? By buying wisdom and refusing to sell it (Proverbs 23v23), by bathing regularly in the living Word of God and by looking to Jesus constantly as our shepherd and guide.


This world will push you to your limit but you don’t stand alone trying to figure everything out with crossed fingers. You bear the glorious name of Jesus who is both the power and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1v24). May you meet him in those awkward staff room conversations, in the midst of office politics and with that difficult boss in the milking parlour. Surely Christ will guide us to springs of living water (Revelation 7v17).


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q95 To whom is Baptism to be administered? Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible Church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible Church are to be baptized.
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