Series: Ecclesiastes
Sermon #14: Joie de Vivre as the Gift of God
Ecclesiastes
5:18-20
[Audio file from Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/Ecclesiastes518-20.]
18 Behold that which I have
seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to
enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of
his life, which God giveth him: for it is
his portion. 19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and
wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and
to rejoice in his labour; this is the
gift of God. 20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life;
because God answereth him in the joy
of his heart.
Outline:
I. The Right Way of Living a Life (5:18)
II. The Divine Source of Good in Life (5:19)
III. The Beneficial Answer of God in Life (5:20)
Transition:
The three ad interim conclusions[1]
are 2:24-26; 5:18-20; and 8:15; followed by that of the fourth and final
section which also serves as the conclusion or epilogue of the entire book,
12:8-14.[2]
The conclusions of the four major sections
of Ecclesiastes are as follows:
2:24-26 — 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. 25 For who can eat, or who
else can hasten hereunto, more than
I? 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.
5:18-20 — 18 Behold that which I have seen: it is
good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to
enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of
his life, which God giveth him: for it is
his portion. 19 Every man also to whom God hath given
riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his
portion, and to
rejoice in his labour; this is the
gift of God. 20 For he shall not much remember the days
of his life; because God answereth him
in the joy of his heart.
8:15 — Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than
to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his
labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
12:8-14 — 8 Vanity
of vanities, saith the preacher; all is
vanity. 9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still
taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10
The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was
upright, even words of truth. 11
The words of the wise are as
goads, and as nails fastened by the
masters of assemblies, which are
given from one shepherd. 12 And further, by these, my son, be
admonished: of making many books there is
no end; and much study is a weariness
of the flesh. 13 Let us hear
the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God
shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
I. The Right Way of Living a Life (5:18)
Behold that which I have
seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to
enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of
his life, which God giveth him: for it is
his portion.
The significance of comely:
fitting
(NASB, ESV), appropriate (HCSB, NIV),
beautiful (YLT)
“The same word translated in 3:11 “beautiful.””
— John MacArthur, John MacArthur, MacArthur Study Bible, rev. ed.
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), pg. 932, note.
See NASB note, “Lit., beautiful.”
1 Tim. 6:17 (cp. 6-8) — Charge them that are rich in this world,
that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living
God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
Existence is not an end in itself.
“if God has no relationship to our experience,
if God is not in your experience, then
experience is always an end in itself … a dead end.”
— Christian Wiman, My Bright
Abyss (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2013), pg. 58; reprinted in
SEEN (Christians in the Visual Arts) 13:2 (2013), pg. 8; cited by
Philip G. Ryken, Why Everything Matters:
The Gospel in Ecclesiastes (Fearn, Ross-Shire, Scotland: Christian Focus,
2015), pg. 97.
II. The Divine Source of Good in Life (5:19)
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath
given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his
labour; this is the gift of God.
1 Chron. 1:11-12 — 11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in
thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of
thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and
knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made
thee king: 12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee
riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have
been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.
“The
Moneylender and his Wife” (1514)
This painting was referred to by Philip G. Ryken, Why Everything Matters: The Gospel in
Ecclesiastes (Fearn, Ross-Shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2015), pp. 87-88,
and 98-99.[3] Ryken comments, “…Massys saw how easily money
can pull our souls away from the worship of God.”[4]
III. The Beneficial Answer of God in Life (5:20)
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God
answereth him in the joy of his
heart.
The significance of answereth:
God keeps him
occupied (NASB, ESV, HCSB)
God keeps them
occupied (NIV)
God keeps such people
so busy enjoying life (NLT)
“I have met some very godly and truly
contented people who were poor and some who were wealthy. I have met some who were
neither contented nor truly godly in the biblical sense, some of whom were poor,
as well as some of whom were wealthy. I have no doubt that the wealthy ones who
were godly would have been just as contented if they had been poor. Likewise, I
am sure the poor ones who were not contented would have been just as discontented
if they had won the lottery.”
— John G. Reisinger, Studies in
Ecclesiastes (Frederick, MD: New Covenant Media, 2008), pp. 224-225.
Conclusion:
When
God at first made man,
Having
a glasse of blessings standing by;
Let
us (said he) poure on him all we can:
Let
the worlds riches, which dispersed lie,
Contract
into a span.
So
strength first made a way;
Then
beautie flow’d, then wisdome, honour, pleasure:
When
almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving
that alone of all his treasure
Rest
in the bottome lay.
For
if I should (said he)
Bestow
this jewell also on my creature,
He
would adore my gifts in stead of me,
And
rest in Nature, not the God of Nature:
So
both should losers be.
Yet
let him keep the rest,
But
keep them with repining restlesnesse:
Let
him be rich and wearie, that at least,
If
goodnesse leade him not, yet wearinesse
May
tosse him to my breast.
|
George Herbert, “The Pulley,” from The
Temple (1633); on Christian
Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/h/herbert/temple/Pulley.html
[accessed 16 JAN 2016]; cited by Philip G. Ryken, Why Everything Matters: The Gospel in Ecclesiastes (Fearn,
Ross-Shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2015), pp. 97-98.
[Sermon preached 17 JAN 2016 by Pastor John T. “Jack”
Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]
Complete Outline:
I. The Right Way of Living a Life (5:18)
II. The Divine Source of Good in Life (5:19)
III. The Beneficial Answer of God in Life (5:20)
Select Sources on Ecclesiastes:
J. Sidlow Baxter,
Explore The Book: A Basic and Broadly
Interpretive Course of Bible Study from Genesis to Revelation, 6 vols. in 1
ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d., 1960 printing).
William D.
Barrick, Ecclesiastes: The Philippians of
the Old Testament, Focus on the Bible series (Fearn, Ross-Shire, Scotland:
Christian Focus, 2012).
C. Hassell
Bullock, An Introduction to the Old
Testament Poetic Books: The Wisdom and Songs of Israel (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1979)/
Michael A. Eaton,
Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and
Commentary, Vol. 16, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL:
Inter-Varsity, 1983).
F. Delitzsch,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon,
trans. M. G. Easton, Vol. VI in C. F. Kiel and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten
Volumes, trans. James Martin (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, n.d., 1975 reprint).
Duane A. Garrett,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs,
Vol. 14, New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman, 1993).
Donald R. Glenn,
“Ecclesiastes,” in The Bible Knowledge
Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. J. F. Walvoord, and R. B.
Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1985).
William Henry
Green, “Scope and Plan of the Book of Ecclesiastes,” Biblical Reparatory and Princeton Review 29 (1857), pp. 419-40; on Gordon Faculty Online at http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/OTeSources/21-Ecclesiastes/Text/Articles/Green-ScopeofEccl-1857.pdf [accessed 7 NOV 2015].
Walter C. Kaiser,
Jr., Ecclesiastes: Total Life, in
Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979).
Walter C. Kaiser,
Jr., Coping With Change: Ecclesiastes
(Fearn, Roth-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2013).
H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Ecclesiastes (Grand
Rapids: Baker, 1952).
Tremper Longman
III, The Book of Ecclesiastes, New
International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997).
John MacArthur, MacArthur Study Bible, rev. ed.
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997).
Roland Edmund
Murphy, Ecclesiastes, Vol. 23A, Word
Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, 1992).
Philip Graham
Ryken, Ecclesiastes: Why Everything
Matters, in Preaching the Word, gen. ed. R. Kent Hughes (Wheaton: Crossway,
2010).
Philip G. Ryken, Why Everything Matters: The Gospel in
Ecclesiastes (Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications,
Ltd., 2015).
J. Stafford
Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in Psalms-Song of
Songs, Vol. 5, Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991).
Notes:
[1] As indicated in previous sermons it was J. Sidlow Baxter who referred to the first three as ad interim conclusions. See his Explore The Book: A Basic and Broadly
Interpretive Course of Bible Study from Genesis to Revelation, 6 vols. in 1 ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d.,
1960 printing), 3:148.
[2] “The most satisfactory division is,
in our judgment, that into four parts, which was proposed by Vaihinger in the,
“Studien und Kritiken,” for 1848, and
has since been adopted by Keil and others. It is a modification of
that of Ewald, (whom Heiligstedt
follows,) which is itself an improvement upon that of J Koster, all of whom
assume the same number of sections. "His scheme is the following, viz.
I. i. 2-ii.
26.
II. iii.
1-v. 20.
III. vi.
1-viii. 15.
IV. viii.
16-xii. 14.”
— William Henry Green,
“Scope and Plan of the Book of Ecclesiastes,” Biblical Reparatory and Princeton Review 29 (1857), pp. 419-40; on Gordon Faculty Online at http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/OTeSources/21-Ecclesiastes/Text/Articles/Green-ScopeofEccl-1857.pdf [accessed 7 NOV 2015]. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.
inexplicably refers to this as an “unsigned article” on at least two occasions
in his commentary despite the facts that: 1) William Henry Green is clearly
indicated as the author under the title on the first page of the article (pg.
419), and 2) one of his own faculty members (Ted Hildebrandt) has posted the
article on the school’s web site where Kaiser has served as both a faculty
member and as President. See: Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Ecclesiastes: Total Life, in Everyman’s
Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979); and Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Coping
With Change: Ecclesiastes (Fearn, Roth-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus,
2013).
[3] Ryken spells the artist’s surname as “Massys.” Ibid. See also Philip Graham Ryken, Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters, in
Preaching the Word, gen. ed. R. Kent Hughes (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), s.v. Ch. 12, “Satisfaction Sold Separately
(Ecclesiastes 5:8-20).” For more on “The Moneylender and his
Wife” see Louvre at http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/moneylender-and-his-wife
[accessed 16 JAN 2016]; and Web Gallery
of Art at http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/m/massys/quentin/2/moneylen.html
[accessed 16 JAN 2016].
[4] On
that point Ryken cites James Snyder, Larry Silver and Henry Luttikhuizen, Northern Renaissance Art, 2nd ed. (Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2005), pg. 42. Ryken, op. cit., pg. 88, note 1. In that same footnote Ryken adds, “Wheaton
College art historian Matt Milliner says that this point is made even more obviously
in Marinus van Reymerswaele’s 1539 version of Massy’s image.”
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