Ecclesiastes Chapter Three cont... Tearing and healing.

7 “A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;”

A time to rend, and a time to sew – this speaks of seasons in one’s life; there may be a season in one’s life when they are torn but then there is a time when there is mending. This truth goes far beyond tearing of a garment and can reach to the very fabric of our being. It is very much of God, at times, to tear things away from us in order to get at something inside of us. Jacob had Joseph torn away from him for a time and a season; he bore the grief of a bereaved parent even though his beloved son was still alive. Ezekiel had his beloved wife torn away from him in order for him to be able to feel what the nation would feel when God dealt with them (Ezek 24:16-23). Christ had His reputation torn away from Him while the religious leaders of the day accused Him of being an illegitimate son.  During these rending seasons we need to seek the Lord for the grace to endure…always, always, always concluding the goodness of the Lord and being careful about the opinions we form about God.

The thought of tearing something away from us implies that it is not something we have willingly offered but rather it is something, for a season God removes in order to deal with us. But then there are also times of healing in the life; consider Naomi, here was a woman who had all peace and joy ripped away from her through famine and the death of her husband and sons. She called herself “Mara” which means bitter (Ruth 1:20-21). However, God showed her and Ruth favor and her beloved daughter in law through a marriage to Boaz became the progenitor to Christ Himself, Ruth and Naomi died full and with peace.  Has God torn something away form you? Perhaps you pine for a former time when things were different for you or you have lost something or someone dear; do not despair for our God is infinitely merciful and though he tear He will bind up again if we stay on course and surrender to His working. Hos 6:1 “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up”.

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak – Have you ever met a person who just did not know when to speak and when to keep silent; they can be odious and difficult to bear with. Proverbs states for us "discretion will preserve you" (Proverbs 2:11), this is very true where the lips are concerned. It is an art to know when to speak and when to refrain from speaking. He that is able to control the tongue has rule over his own spirit (Prov 16:32) as well as his other passions (James 3:2).  A contentious woman is as a continual dropping…argumentative and difficult; this woman is hard to bear. Also we are told it is the fool who speaks all his mind (Prov 29:11). Prov 10:32 – “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh forwardness”.

We need to learn propriety in our speech; the righteous know what appropriate speech is and what is not. Timing also is important, knowing when to speak and when to refrain from speaking. But the words of the unrighteous are intemperate words; they speak without discretion or restraint. God wants our speech to be chaste.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Three cont... Cast away unprofitable works

6    “A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;”

A time to get, and a time to lose - these are cycles that repeat themselves many times over in our life. We must fight off the temptation to place our worth or confidence in acquisitions (The world would, and does, say: “He that has the most toys in the end wins”). Substance and wealth are transitory and temporal, they are listed as one of the broken cisterns of Jeremiah 2:13 (See 9:23 for wealth listed as a broken cisterns). Two examples warning of this very thing come to mind; One is Luke 12:18-21 – “And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God”. we want to lay up treasure in heaven and be rich towards God (Matt 6:20-21 a mans heart is with his treasure). Another is Phil 4:11-12 Paul learned the lesson of how fleeting things can be and disciplined himself to be content in whatever state he was. We would do well to learn the same.

A time to keep, and a time to cast away - this, to me, addresses a very important discipline and it deals in the realm of idols. There are things God deals with each of us on and they are very personal and individual; for some He requires this and for another it is something completely different. At the core of this exercise is this question we have to ask ourselves what place does this "thing" God is asking us to give up have in our hearts. If it is small and lawful it is doubtful God will require it, however, if it has occupied a disproportionate or inordinate place in our hearts it is likely God will require us to cast it away from us. This is really at the heart of this statement Christ made Matt 18:8-9 “…if thy hand offend thee..”, Christ is not endorsing mutilation but rather is stressing in the most demonstrative ways how important it is to maintain one's heart condition and if it a member of your body that feeds that idol then it would be best to have that member removed than to go to hell over a vice.

Merry Christmas from the Anderson Home!

December 25th is the time we honor the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, although, it is highly unlikely that He was born on Dec 25^th (Scholars tell us December is not in the time frame that Shepherds watch their flocks by night) that is not important; what is important is that we take time to acknowledge the wonder of God being born of a woman and becoming man Himself. The amazing fact is that God sent His only begotten Son to be born of a woman, to suffer and die for the sins of the world to save a world that was bent on rebellion. Isaiah the prophet prophesying of the Messiah gave us this description: Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

In these verses we see that beyond the wonder that God would come down to man as a babe, we see that He was not to remain a babe; “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” He was born into this world as a child but it was not a child who was given for these sins of the world; it also would not be a babe whose increasing kingdom has no end! It was a full grown mature Son; a child was born but it was a mature Son who was given. This sounds very victorious, at first read you see a child born, mature and inherit an ever increasing kingdom but bear in mind the reality is that the only way for His kingdom to increase and have no end was for Him to die. Jesus said it best Himself when He said: John 12:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Let us consider now to the account of His birth which is what this season is all about:

Matthew 2:1-2 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” Here we read of the Magi who came to His birth (we can only assume there were three because of the three gifts): This event of their visit to the Christ child would, in reality, have been sometime after His birth; we know Jesus was born in the stable but he is not in the stable here; He is in Joseph and Mary’s house when the wise men saw Him (See Matthew 2:10). Interestingly Christ came unto His own but His own received Him not (because they did not recognize He was the Messiah); however, there were men outside Israel from the East who were absolutely convinced of Him (Because of a star and probably the writings of Daniel the prophet on the seventy weeks).

Matthew 2:3-6 “When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, and thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.” This prophecy is found in Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

Matthew 2:7 “Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.” The wise men told Herod when the star appeared but little did they know this madman Herod would use this date to put to death many innocent children in an attempt to kill Christ who they said was a king; these men could not at this point have had any idea of how weighty these words would be and what the fate of many would be based on the time the star appeared. (Jeremiah prophesied of this mournful day this way: Mat 2:17-18  “Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, in Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not”.)

Matthew 2:8-9 “And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” At this point Jesus was already born in the manger; He had already been presented at the temple and was now home again (as seen in this next verse).

Matthew 2:10-12 “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.” As this verse states, they were not in the manger scene, but in the house of Joseph and Mary when they presented their gifts and He is no longer the babe in the manger but “the young child”. It was essential that these wise princes bring to Him precious gifts because this Jesus was (and is) The Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, and The Prince of Peace of Isaiah 9:6-7 whom they were worshipping. It was essential that they bore these specific gifts because they revealed this child’s Deity and His destiny. Gold is an incorruptible metal, this precious metal speaks of His deity, that he is very God. Also, they brought gifts of frankincense; this speaks to us of faith, but also suffering because it is incense that must be burned with fire. The true virtues of frankincense are only revealed with hot fire; the hotter the fire, the sweeter the smell. Also, gifts of myrrh, this speaks to us of death. Myrrh was used specifically in the embalming process to prepare the body for burial. The message conveyed through these three gifts is this: Jesus is God who must suffer and die and so we can see through these three gifts revealed his Deity and His destiny.

Let’s consider this one thought of His destiny; Jesus was God, born as a man and destined to die as a man for the sins of man. Now ask yourself this… “What is my destiny?” As we consider the busyness of our day, all the things we need to accomplish let's be apprehended with this thought, in the mind of our Savior was no other agenda than to come, to suffer and to die according to His destiny established by Hs Fathers will. We all long for our lives to have meaning, to accomplish something, to be useful in this life. This is a noble goal for us indeed; but consider that from the very beginning Jesus’ goal was to hit the mark His Father gave Him; to suffer in this life and to die on the cross. This is the purpose for which He came. To the natural mind this seems like a strange agenda for one of whom it was said that of the increase of His government there shall be no end.

What does this event teach us? First and foremost, the number one priority in our lives should be the will of our heavenly Father. Secondly, that the way up is down (by His death He creates a kingdom that will never end). Except a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies it abides alone. The Christmas message is this: The Savior was born to suffer and die, He had no self will, no time for self ambition, simply “Not My will but thine be done.” What Jesus did in the garden before His mock trial and crucifixion was a discipline He employed all His life; He, through prayer, struggled with self will and His own ambitions and aspirations and by surrendering to His Fathers will He won the victory over His human will!

In conclusion I want to ask us all a question; do we really want to follow in the steps of our loving Savior? Here is a conversation He had with James & John which highlights what it means to follow in His footsteps: Mark 10:35-40 “And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.”

Are we looking for the increase of His kingdom in our own lives? How is the increase in us going to happen? It is going to increase by a death, suffering and dying to dear desire and self will; by falling into the ground and dying, just as our Lord. Let's live our lives with the same purpose the Savior did. We are all born with a destiny to glorify our Father through the cross God has called us to bear and through our own death (to dear desire and self will) we will see His kingdom increase in our lives and this increase will never end.

Many Blessing, from our home to yours this Christmas!!

Merry Christmas

The Anderson Family

Ecclesiastes Chapter Three cont... a time to mourn and a time to laugh!!

4    “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

“A time to weep…a time to mourn”  One problem with the world system is that their core values cause this process to be 180 degrees out of alignment from Gods, let me explain. The world weeps and mourns when their circumstances or worldly possessions are taken from them; they do not, however, weep and mourn over a sinful character. From God’s perspective He wants us to take no thought for temporal needs but rather to pay a great deal of time focusing on our character. Man’s inconsistency with God is completely across the board; if one were to compile a list starting with the things God cares about the most at the top and descending to the things He cares very little about at the bottom then compared it to the same list for man and we would find practically nothing agrees. This truth about the difference in mans values vs. Gods is actually very scriptural, for instance we have Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” and Isaiah 65:2. “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;” Before one is born again they belong to the prince of this world and like him they fall into Matt 16:23 "Thou savourest not the things of God..."

“A time to laugh… a time to dance…” One of the joyous aspects to walking with the Lord and being in the kingdom of God is that ability to laugh and to rejoice; not just when things are going right but even when things go wrong. Paul and Silas are arrested, they are brought into the jail as criminals, they are taken to solitary confinement and it is the middle of the night. Instead of being crestfallen they begin to sing and they begin to, with a full heart, rejoice at midnight! As far as circumstances go they have nothing to rejoice about, they have lost their liberty, their reputation and it is the darkest time of the night. However, there is joy in their hearts!  This joy is powerful even as we read in Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” They have a moment of total victory through joy in the midst of what many would call utter defeat.  Job also, he experienced a measure of this when he lost everything and yet he bowed and worshiped. The time to laugh and dance in this world is when all is well with your circumstance; the time to laugh and dance for the believer is when all is well in your soul…

"Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace…"

During this Christmas season I wanted to include an excerpt from my book on the Armor of God because the section on "Feet Shod With the Gospel of Peace" is appropriate to this season; it speaks to the message we as believers bear and how it is the best message in all the world:

"What is the gospel, or "Good News" of peace that we are to bear wherever we walk (work, home, schools etc.)? Is it not found on the lips of the angels themselves at the announcement of Christ’s birth? Luke 2:13-14 says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” The message we bear is the greatest message in the entire world! Some people have a negative impression of Christianity, that it is a lot of do’s and don’ts; however, we are to proclaim that there is good news, that God has a good will toward mankind through Christ. He, if man will let Him, will bring true peace into their souls."

Let us use this Christmas season to spread the best message the world has ever know; that God has goodwill towards mankind, He seeks to bring them peace. There are a lot of messages that are hard for people to hear... "Taxes are going up..."; I am sorry, we have done all we can for them..."; "Your job has been eliminated..." and the list goes on, but we as believers have the best message in the world, let's take time to share it. First, God so loved the world and secondly He has a goodwill towards them through Jesus Christ!

Merry Christmas!!

Ecclesiastes Three cont... out with the old in with the new

3    “A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;”

"A time to kill, and a time to heal..." How shall we apply this? There is indeed a time to kill (the old man, Rom 6:6) and to heal (our wrong ways, Hosea 14:4). We are born with the Adamic nature (that rebellious nature injected into us after the fall of Adam and Eve) and once we accept Christ as our Savior there is a work that begins; it is a work of putting to death the former lifestyle and desires (that Adamic nature). There is also a work of healing our wrong ways; these wrong ways are ways that eventually cause the people of God to backslide if they are not dealt with. We must be diligent in this pursuit; it is the desire of the Blessed Holy Spirit to guide us through this process. We have chapters in the Bible such as Colossians 3 which speak of this process; it is called “Mortification”. We can include Romans 8:13 (Mortification through the Spirit). God wants to put to death the works of the old man and bring us forth in newness of life (Gal 2:20)

"... a time to break down, and a time to build up;" This reminds us very much of Jeremiah 1:10 “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” and Jeremiah 31:28. “And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD”. These verses list the various stages of the restoration process which were to occur in the nation of Israel. God had anointed the prophet and had given him authority to deal with the sin of the nation. They had fallen by their iniquities and were not walking in His ways. These stages can be broken up into two categories; the first one is the tearing down of the existing form (which is contrary to God) and the building up a new one (that God approves of). This section of verse three flows with the first section above, God tears down the former nature (First Adam) and build sup the new nature (Second Adam – See 1 Cor 15:45)

Ecclesiastes Three cont... a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing

5    “A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;”

Stones - stones can represent that which is of the old and that which is of the new. This truth is represented in Josh 4; when crossing Jordan 12 old stones were buried in the river speaking of the old life being buried and 12 new stones were taken out of the river speaking of rising in newness of life. The New Testament counterpart of this experience is Rom 6:6, the old man being crucified with Christ and Gal 2:20, the new life in Christ after the old man has been crucified. The following thoughts also come to mind concerning this verse:

• A Time To Cast Away Stones - cast away hardness of heart, breaking up hard areas making them soft and pliable. Hardness of heart always destroys faith and causes one to miss the will of God for their lives (Mark 16:14).

• A Time To Gather Stones Together – This reminds us that we must build altars in our lives for the Lord, a place of sacrifice and worship. An altar of remembrance, a place where we remember how the Lord met with us at certain times.

• A Time To Embrace - The vision God has given you and those who are on the right path, those who also embrace the same vision. Those who we choose to walk with will affect us greatly. It can energize us to do right or impede our walk and cause us to fall short.

• A Time To Refrain From Embracing - As you go on in God you will say hello to many new friends and embrace them. You will also inevitably feel the sting of those you must say goodbye to. Not because they have departed from this world but because they have departed from the faith or the vision God has called you to.

Ecclesiastes Three cont... tearing down and building up.

3    “A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;”

"A time to kill, and a time to heal..." There is indeed a time to kill (the old man Rom 6:6) and to heal (our wrong ways Hosea 14:4) in each of our lives; "... a time to break down, and a time to build up;" This reminds us very much of Jeremiah 1:10 “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” and Jeremiah 31:28. “And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD”. These verses list the various stages of the restoration process which were to occur in the nation of Israel. God had anointed the prophet and had given him authority to deal with sin in the nation. They had fallen by their iniquities and were not walking in His ways. These stages can be broken up into two categories; the first one is the tearing down of the existing form (which is contrary to God) and the building up a new one (that God approves of)

4    “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

The problem with the world system is that their core values cause this process to be 180 degrees out of alignment from Gods, let me explain. The world weeps and morns when their worldly possessions are taken from them but they do not weep and mourn over a sinful character. God wants us to take no thought for temporal needs but to pay a great deal of time focusing on our character. And it is like this completely across the board. If one were to compile a list starting with the things God cares about the most at the top and descending to the things He cares very little about at the bottom then compared it to the same list for man you would find practically nothing agreed upon in the columns. This statement about the difference in mans values vs. Gods is actually very scriptural (See Isa 55:8-9; Isa 65:2). Before one is born again they belong to the prince of this world and this is what is said of him Matt 16:23 "Thou savourest not the things of God..."

Ecclesiastes Chapter Three...everything in its time!

Ecclesiastes 3:1    “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

One of the secrets to life is to know the times and seasons God has put into His hands. Jesus said in Luke 19:44 you did not know the hour (the season) of your visitation. There are also these verses in Isaiah 49:8 “…In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee” and Isaiah 61:2 “…To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD”. Just as these seasons were to the nation of Israel, there too are seasons in one's life; these seasons are based upon Gods calendar. Happy are we when we flow with His calendar.

2    “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;”

Contained within this one verse from this backsliden king is the secret to holiness and living a holy life:  

A Time To Be Born - This speaks of three distinct events one should pass through:

• Earthly birth, being born physically.
• Spiritual birth, being born again of the Spirit of God.
• Being awakened to the deeper things of God, the trumpet sounds in our life and we are compelled to break away from the shore and go on in God

A Time To Die - to dear desire and self will. Death should be applied to the old man and the old nature; this is the spirit of Romans 6:6; Gal 2:20. Col 3:5 - these verses speak of mortification; a process of putting the old man to death.

A Time To Plant - the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness and temperance

A Time To Pluck Up That Which Is Planted - the works of the flesh are Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two cont.... Are we good in His sight?

26    For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

“For God giveth” - this is a statement that describes the magnificence of our God; He has a tremendous giving nature. But what does God give? We know from John 3:16 that He gave His only begotten Son for us all, this reveals that He gives to man the best. What God “gives” is more than adequate to meet the need we have (Christ is the epitome of giving since we view that gift in light of Rom 5:8 that the Son was given to us when we were still Gods enemy). But God also gives virtues (the fruits of the Spirit, the armor of God, Righteousness Peace and Joy, etc.) We discover that He gives an abundant life to those who please Him (John 10:10), this too is the gift of God as we shall see in this verse.

“...to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy...” To a man that is good in His sight! Wouldn't we all like to know what “good in His sight” is? First and foremost it is one who has accepted the gift of His Son Jesus Christ and therefore has allowed the virtues of Jesus Christ to be worked out in them. We are specifically told in Micah 6:8 that there are thing required of us, we are to be just, to be merciful and one of humility. O' what keys these are to the abundant life God can give!  From this verse in Ecclesiastes 2:26 we also learn that God has the ability to withhold a fulfilled life from those who are sinners. “...but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God”. 

Solomon concludes “...This also is vanity and vexation of spirit”. This statement is very telling because it is not vanity and vexation if you are good in His sight! Solomon is in effect implicating himself in this verse as a sinner and he was certainly a sinner at this point. The more Solomon speaks the more he reveals his own heart. He has been depressed and consumed by the supposition that he will leave all his wealth and substance to someone else and he is vexed by it but a righteous man would have peace and joy knowing he is leaving an inheritance to his children. Solomon was becoming depressed, bitter and self absorbed, and many times we grieve for this man “if only he had continued in the Proverbs what a different man he would have become!” But alas, Solomon played with sinful activities; multiplied wives indulged in idolatry and contaminated his walk to the point where he was left without hope in grief and despair.  This verse teaches us that an abundant life begins with accepting the gift of God, Jesus Christ His Son. Also, the life of Solomon warns, with his failure, every child of God to guard your heart! Deal with sin before it devastates you and leaves you in despair. Always remember what God gives to a man who is good in His sight...the merciful, upright and humble, wisdom, knowledge and joy!

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two cont... One's appetites can lead to despair!

25    For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

Who can enjoy eating and drinking more than me? Solomon had a passion for eating and drinking, in fact we learn about him that in every area of his life his appetites were completely out of control. With women (1 Kings 11:1-4 one thousand wives); food, wine, wild living (Eccl 2:1-3); acquisitions (Eccl 2:10 whatsoever my heart desired I held it not back).  This made Solomon empty and brought him into despair. One who does not know how to exercise restraint will slip into despair because their excess will take them over and they will be powerless to stop it. When one can have whatever they want without any hesitation, as did Solomon, then every weakness is manifested. Solomon had become completely unbridled and it was his undoing. There is a power in sin that can grip a person and will not let them go. Christians who think they can play with sin and also walk with the Lord will find themselves under sins power and unable to survive, eventually they sink into despair over their life and they leave the path altogether. We must deal with the appetites and cry out for mercy in any area that is un-tempered.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two cont... Are your priorities straight?

23    For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

This is the testimony of a backslidden king who is laboring for the wrong things. Solomon was an empty man whose experience was centered around the fleeting and temporal. He did not make it his mission in life to serve the Lord with his whole heart. He was not being faithful to the light given him (the light which he manifested so brightly in Proverbs).  The verses that best sum up Solomon's condition and why he was so depressed are: Matt 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” and Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh”. These verses lay the issue bare; Solomon made earthly treasures his focus and was not rich towards God. This meant that he would speak from his lips not of the greatness of the Almighty but of the vanity of the earthly treasures. Solomon would never rise above the temporal; the tragedy here is that once he was a spiritual man with an eternal focus but since he would not deal with his own foxes...they spoiled his vine. A condition from which he would never recover.

24    There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

This verse as well as Eccl 5:19 tells us what is the gift of God; it is to be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor. It should be understood though that no one has the power to enjoy the fruits of their labor more abundantly than the child of God who is sold out to the purposes of God. Ecclesiastes gives us the opportunity to ask ourselves this question; what are our goals in life, what are we striving for? Where one's treasure is there their heart will be also; and so we should ask ourselves is our treasure temporal or eternal. Certain men in the Word of God were completely sold out to the Fathers will.  David for instance, he said “One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord and inquire in His temple” (Ps 27:4). The tangible result of desire is seeking after what we desire; David said one thing I desire and that one thing I seek after, it was to dwell in Gods house. Christ, the greatest example of all said, “My mete is to do the will of Him who sent me...” (John 4:34). Make Gods will your mission in life so you may have joy of all your labors and fill your appointed lot in eternity (Dan 12:13).

Ecclesiasties Chapter Two cont... Pursue the right things and make others rich.

21    For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

I am not sure Solomon was entitled to even have such an opinion, after all, everything he received he received without laboring for. He received his wisdom because God freely gave him something he didn't labor for. O' how sometimes people formulate harsh opinions of others but fail to realize what state they themselves are in, that they themselves do not rise above the level of their critique. If God adopted this opinion towards Solomon then he Solomon himself would never have achieved his great wisdom. How different from Gods perspective this is; the Lord generously gave to the unworthy making Himself poor and despised so that others may be rich. This mindset of Solomon does not take into account that everything he had had been given to him and the gift he received was not his own but was a direct result of God making him rich.

22   For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

If one is striving and laboring for the right things then the answer to this question is man will have much for all his labor! Again, this manifests that Solomon was laboring for the wrong things. In his uncircumcised heart he labored for wealth, to be famous and for acquisitions. All of these turned out to be broken cisterns which could hold no water; for him life became vain and unfulfilling (Jeremiah 2:13). This should be instructive to us today; we should strive for the right things, things that pertain to the kingdom of heaven. We should not be in pursuit of things that offer temporary satisfaction but are temporal for in the end they will leave us unsatisfied (Col 3:1-2)

Ecclesiastes Two cont.... It is not about our own kingdom.

19    And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

Solomon fails to realize one serious point here and it is the same area where Nebuchadnezzer fell; it was not his great kingdom, which he had wrought by his majesty (Daniel 4:30)! He would have nothing at all if God had not given him his giftings. There is an unsettling pride here, well did Job say “the Lord gave and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). What a horrible tragedy it was for Solomon to be consumed by his kingdom and yet pay very little attention to the commandments and issues such as righteousness and godliness. If one really desires a legacy worth having then they should embrace issues that deal with one's own character and God will give them a sure house !

20    Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

What a horrible thing for Solomon to do, he was so vexed over who would take care of his fortunes that he fell into depression. Riches do carry with them many hurtful cares. If one does not have the right perspective then riches can be bondage and steal away righteousness peace and joy. There is a secret to wealth that actually builds one up, it works weather you apply it naturally or spiritually and it is this: use your wealth to build others up! Strengthen others by your wealth and your legacy will be all it needs to be.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two cont... the fruit of hypocrisy is vexation.

17    Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Solomon was a miserable man, he had no peace and he had no joy. He had God’s wisdom (his gift) but he did not possess the restraint and character that gives one a free life. His gift (wisdom) should have produced joy in his life. He declared in Proverbs that Wisdom is the principal thing, get it and your life is preserved from pits and snares others will fall into (Proverbs 4:7-9). His wisdom should have eased his burdens (See Proverbs 3:13; Proverbs 8:11). But we learn a very important lesson from Solomon; we learn that only sanctified living and not gift’s produce peace and joy.

We must understand that it was not Solomon’s wisdom that produced his depression; it was how he interpreted what he saw by wisdom. Solomon did not use his wisdom to plunge into the depths of holiness but rather used it to explore the depths of madness and folly. His heart's desires were unholy and his gift did not change this. One's gifting or anointing does not change one's character, only true brokenness and the fear of the Lord will. Don't be too impressed with one's gift until you see their character.

18    Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

This seems to be a queer thing for Solomon to say since he was the one who said in Proverbs 13:22 “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children…” Perhaps Solomon was beginning to discover he was not that “good man”, perhaps he began to see what kind of sons he was raising and grew concerned. Ironically, Solomon made it clear where raising children are concerned, as parents we must “teach them the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6) and “spare not for their crying” (Proverbs 19:18); parents should uphold the discipline of Christianity in their home. You cannot guarantee everyone in your home will serve the Lord but if one neglects teaching the children the right way one can almost guarantee they will not serve the Lord. Also, one must live uprightly before the children as an example; children very quickly detect and resent hypocrisy.

Proverbs 23:2-7 KJV: HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE ANDERSON FAMILY

Here is a link to my daughter Rebecca's blog she speaks for us all in this post... Happy Thanksgiving!


Proverbs 23:2-7 KJV: HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE ANDERSON FAMILY: "~ Happy Thanksgiving ~ Today is one of my favorite holidays and yet it is a Holiday that is so very ignored :( Thanksgiving is a day whe..."

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two continued... Death and how are we remembered.

15    Then said I in my heart, as it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

This not a true statement, once again he measures the wise and foolish strictly on the basis that we all die. Every one shall die, the wise and the fool; therefore, he concludes that he is no different than the fool. It is very wrong to assess life this way; there are many other measures of ones life that greatly separates the wise from the foolish (How much of the Fear of the Lord they walk in; How much of God they know; the impact they make on others; the life they lead whether righteous or wicked etc…) One who fears the Lord and walks in His judgments and statutes will wake up from his death satisfied and alive whilst the fool wakes up from his death only to suffer eternal damnation. The fact that the fool and the wise both die is not the measure of a man. As a sidebar observation, let us be careful what we meditate on; let us be even more careful about the conclusions we draw. Life and God are good; if we are continually assessing things in the negative then something is wrong. There are, of course, highs and lows in everyone's life but over all we should be impressed with the goodness of God.

16    For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

Here we see on display a motivating force in Solomon's life and it is the inspiration for his massive building projects... Solomon wants to be known. This thought of being remembered is very important to Solomon, however, he somehow fails to realize two things: Firstly, one who is a world leader with powerful influence, such as his, is always remembered and Secondly, one must take care how they are remembered; live in the fear of the Lord so that the remembrance of ones name causes the upright to rejoice! The memory Solomon left to the world was that of great wisdom but he reveals also that he was a backslidden man who was greatly conflicted with his own mixture of heart, loving the Lord but also loving other gods of pleasure and vice.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two continued... realizing truth from a backsliders perspective.

13    Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

“...wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.” Solomon did come to the right conclusion (again) on the fruits of both wisdom and folly (see comments of previous verse, these questions were already answered for him once), however, he realizes this truth now from the perspective of a backslider, one who has been ensnared by vice and the fruits of an intemperate life (“trying all things” Songs 2:3) where it can do him no good.

What is the wisdom Solomon observed? He saw wisdom linked to the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10); wisdom that is pure (Ps 19:9; James 3:17); wisdom that keeps one free from bondages and curses in their lives (bondages which resulted from opening the door to them through evil works). He saw folly as an activity that will lead one astray (See Proverbs 5:23) into pits and snares. However, in his condition he cannot get free from the yokes he has forged through his lifestyle. You who are more mature beg the young to seek the Lord for wisdom, plead with them because it will keep them from the pits and snares that can negate their testimony, their call and all God has for them! O' how we need the wisdom of God, O' how we need to make wise and right choices; we should cry out continually, “Lord, fill me with your fear that I might learn to walk in wisdom and avoid detours and bondages that slay so many!”

14    The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

“The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness...” This verse is an application of Eccl 2:13; here we see what Solomon was talking about “light vs. darkness”. In other words, the wise mans eyes are opened to see the right and good way whereas the fool is walking blindly into peril. This comparison reminds me of Proverbs 22:3

“...I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.” What is the one event that happeneth to all? It is death (Eccl 2:16). Solomon begins to get mixed up at this point and because he himself is not living right will begin to make some erroneous statements, he says in V:16 that the wise man dies the same as the fool when nothing can be further than the truth! Solomon’s statement fails to bring eternity into the equation and sees only the activity of dying but let us remember 1 Corinthians 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”, we are not only to look at this life only but also the life to come. Here is where the distinction is made; this is where death takes on two separate meanings for the wise and the foolish. The fool’s burden gets heavier whereas the wise enters into the joy of the Lord!

Ecclesiastes Chapter Two... Questions once resolved now unanswered.

12    And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

“And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly...” Solomon begins to contemplate the differences between wisdom and madness and folly. Put this statement into context and you will see there is a problem is Solomon’s life; did he not already at this point publish his 3000 (1 Kings 4:30-34) proverbs extolling the merits of wisdom, understanding and knowledge? Why then is he going backwards to revisit questions that at this point should have been obvious? It was because Solomon did not sanctify (set apart) the Lord in his heart and secondly he did not guard his heart with all diligence against vice. When one fails to do these two things then instead of becoming clearer and clearer over time they begin to be filled with doubt. These questions should have been settled a long time ago for Solomon.

“…for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.” Solomon also begins to ask this question: What can the next king do that I haven't done? This is how ambitious Solomon was, his building projects would put many rich men today to shame. And yet he did not establish a lasting kingdom of righteousness and peace. Solomon did indeed put Jerusalem “on the map” with prestige and opulence but he did not establish a kingdom of righteousness.

Ecclesiastes Two Cont... There is only one fountain of living waters!

10    And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

“And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them...” Following whatsoever the eyes desire, this is the recipe for disaster. It is no wonder this man was a backslider; he had no restraint.  “ ...I withheld not my heart from any joy...” Solomon has taken on the nature of a spoiled child; he must have it all. Unfortunately, he has all the money to do whatever his heart desired and he has all the power. It is no wonder he becomes a depressed man; his lack of restraint would have brought him in great bondage. He is a cesspool of sinful activities! Solomon wasted his life on excess and extravagance instead of seeking the Lord and walking in His commands. This is a sure fire way to come into bondage.

“...for my heart rejoiced in all my labour...” His “great works” of verses four to verse eight had become his idol to him and he found his pleasure in them and rejoiced in all his labors... However, these idols could never truly satisfy and in the end led Solomon into despair. Idols can bring temporary joy, temporary satisfaction but they are as Jeremiah stated in Jeremiah 2:13 are “leaky cisterns” in which the water will eventually leak out. Their ability to satisfy is short lived before one is left empty and dry. Unfortunately, we never read in this book that Solomon rejoiced in the Lord his fountain of living water.

11    Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Then there came a certain day when Solomon, who had engaged in many busy activities to “build great works”, looked over all the works of his hands and instead of immense joy and satisfaction he began to despise it all and he fell into despair (because he forsook the Lord who is fountain of real joy). The reason for both joy and despair rarely has anything to do with external things but is more of a reflection of the condition of inner man (See Luke 12:15-21 “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God”). Solomon was left in despair because these great works were broken cisterns (See note on previous verse) they were not what he was called to, they were the busy plans of his own selfish ambition. Solomon was called to seek the Lord and to establish righteousness and peace in the land. There are many today making the same tragic mistakes as Solomon, building great works after their egos instead of doing what the Lord has called them to do and sadly they too, like Solomon, will find it empty and dry.