February 18, 2015
Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon
I Ecclesliastes 1:1-12:13
II Song of Solomon 1:1-8:14
(Eutropius had fallen into disgrace. As the highest-ranking official in the Byzantine Empire (late fourth century), he served as the closest adviser to the emperor Arcadius, who was ruling in Constantinople, at the time. But Eutropius abused his imperial power and aroused the anger of the Empress, Eudoxia, who orchestrated a campaign against him that resulted in a sentence of death.
Desperate to save his life, Eutropius slipped away from the palace and ran to the Hagia Sophia ( which was a beautiful, Greek Orthodox Basasilica, whose name means the Holy Wisdom of God; it later became a Muslim Mosque; and today is museum).
(Eutropius had fallen into disgrace. As the highest-ranking official in the Byzantine Empire (late fourth century), he served as the closest adviser to the emperor Arcadius, who was ruling in Constantinople, at the time. But Eutropius abused his imperial power and aroused the anger of the Empress, Eudoxia, who orchestrated a campaign against him that resulted in a sentence of death.
Desperate to save his life, Eutropius slipped away from the palace and ran to the Hagia Sophia ( which was a beautiful, Greek Orthodox Basasilica, whose name means the Holy Wisdom of God; it later became a Muslim Mosque; and today is museum).
Eutropius clung to the altar and claimed sanctuary. Soon an angry mob of soldiers surrounded the great church, denouncing Eutropius and demanding his execution. Eventually, the crowds dispersed, but the next day was Sunday, and so they returned the following morning to see whether the pastor would give in to their demands for the execution of Eutropius.
The pastor was John Chrysostom, the famous preacher, who served as the Bishop of Constantinople. As he mounted his pulpit, Chrysostom could see a church crowded with worshipers and thrill-seekers. They, in turn, could see Eutropius groveling at the altar. The great man had become a pitiable spectacle, with his teeth chattering and hopeless terror in his eyes.
The dramatic sermon Chrysostom preached that day may have been the finest he ever preached. For his text Chrysostom took Ecclesiastes 1:2 ("Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity"), and for his primary illustration he used the decline and fall of Eutropius.
Here was a man, Chrysostom noted, who had lost everything--position, wealth, freedom, safety. Only days before, he had been the second most powerful man in the world. But it was all vanity, as events had proven, for now Eutropius had become "more wretched than a chained convict, more pitiable than a menial slave, more indigent than a beggar wasting away with hunger." "Though I should try my very best," Chrysostom said, "I could never convey to you in words the agony he must be suffering, from hour to hour expecting to be butchered."
Chrysostom did not stop there, however. His purpose was not to condemn Eutropius but to save him, and also to give his listeners the gospel. So, he went on to challenge his listeners to recognize the vanity of their own existence. Whether rich or poor, one day they would all have to leave their possessions behind. They too would face a day of judgment--the judgment of a holy God. Their only hope then would be the hope that they should offer to Eutropius now—mercy, at the table of Christ.
The sermon must have hit its mark, for as the great preacher, Chrysostom, came to a close, he could see tears of pity streaming down people's faces.
The dramatic sermon Chrysostom preached that day may have been the finest he ever preached. For his text Chrysostom took Ecclesiastes 1:2 ("Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity"), and for his primary illustration he used the decline and fall of Eutropius.
Here was a man, Chrysostom noted, who had lost everything--position, wealth, freedom, safety. Only days before, he had been the second most powerful man in the world. But it was all vanity, as events had proven, for now Eutropius had become "more wretched than a chained convict, more pitiable than a menial slave, more indigent than a beggar wasting away with hunger." "Though I should try my very best," Chrysostom said, "I could never convey to you in words the agony he must be suffering, from hour to hour expecting to be butchered."
Chrysostom did not stop there, however. His purpose was not to condemn Eutropius but to save him, and also to give his listeners the gospel. So, he went on to challenge his listeners to recognize the vanity of their own existence. Whether rich or poor, one day they would all have to leave their possessions behind. They too would face a day of judgment--the judgment of a holy God. Their only hope then would be the hope that they should offer to Eutropius now—mercy, at the table of Christ.
The sermon must have hit its mark, for as the great preacher, Chrysostom, came to a close, he could see tears of pity streaming down people's faces.
Eutropius was spared--a life saved, by a sermon from the book of Ecclesiastes.
And because Ecclesiastes is the Word of the living God, it can have the same impact in our lives, today. The world hasn’t changed….and God’s word hasn’t changed-----Ecclesiastes still teaches us that there is more to life than what we can see with our eyes. Ecclesiastes warns us to live our lives… in light of eternity. and Ecclesiastes teaches us how to live a meaningful life.
And because Ecclesiastes is the Word of the living God, it can have the same impact in our lives, today. The world hasn’t changed….and God’s word hasn’t changed-----Ecclesiastes still teaches us that there is more to life than what we can see with our eyes. Ecclesiastes warns us to live our lives… in light of eternity. and Ecclesiastes teaches us how to live a meaningful life.
I Ecclesiastes
The book of Ecclesiastes, or "the Preacher," is unique in scripture. There is no other book like it, because it is the only book in the Bible which reflects a human point of view, instead of a divine one.. It is a book, according to Ray Stedman, the author of our study book and commentary, which is filled with error, while at the same time it is wholly inspired, by the Holy Spirit.
This may confuse some people, because most of us feel like if its in the scripture, then it is a guarantee of truth. But the truth is, if it is God's point of view it will always be true; but if it’s man's or satan’s it may or may not be true. And, only the Holy Spirit can give us the discernment to recognize and understand the difference…and Ecclesiasres is full of man’s interpretation of what life is….and it’s all wrong.
So, there is truth and error at the same time---- Whenever false views of men are quoted or set forth, or whenever Satan speaks…. most of the time, lies are being spoken, and even the truth that is used, can be twisted and distorted, which makes it unreliable. But, thankfully, the Bible always points out the error, which is presented and makes it clear that it is error, as it does in Ecclesiastes. And that makes it totally true….
Because of its remarkable and unusual character, Ecclesiastes is the most misused book of the Bible. This is the favorite book of atheists and agnostics. And many cults love to quote this book's erroneous viewpoints and give the impression that these are scriptural, divine words of God concerning life.
But right away, in its introduction, this book is very careful to point out, that what it records, is not divine truth. It presents only the human view of lif…… throughout the whole course of Ecclesiastes, one phrase is repeated again and again: "under the sun," "under the sun." Everything is evaluated according to appearances alone-- this is man's point of view of reality, and it leaves God out entirely. Which enables us to see and discern that Ecclesiastes very accurately summarizes only what man thinks.
Ecclesiastes is not atheistic….. to be atheistic is to be unrealistic, and the Bible is never unrealistic. An atheist is one who has convinced himself, by long argument that there is no God, even though every inward testimony of his conscience and the structure of the universe around him are constant witnesses to the fact that there is a God. For the most part, only the educated man is an atheist. Or, the man who does not desire to face life's realities, because he wants to convince himself that there is no God to whom he must answer. But this book is not atheistic, even though it is written from a humanistic point of view.
Ecclesiastes views God, as men, in general, view God – like a not very vital concern of life. sort of like a high-calorie dessert, which we can take or leave---- not the sovereign Savior, who has all authority in heaven and earth, that we are blessed to have a personal relationship with.
The book opens with this introduction:
The words of the Preacher... (Ecclesiastes 1:1a RSV) which In Hebrew, means debater or arguer… and as we read this book, we can see that it is a series of arguments set forth by Solomon, as the representative of all men,,, as he views the world around him.
Solomon was in an unusual position to undertake the experiments and investigations reflected in this book, because, during the forty years of his reign, there was total peace in the kingdom of Judah and Israel. There were no tribes around stirring up warfare or strife. And since he didn’t have to bother himself with military life, he had all the time he needed……and since he was the wealthiest man on earth, he had all the wealth he needed, and since he was the wisest man on earth, he was blessed with a keen, logical, discerning mind. So, he had all that he needed, with way too much time on his hands, so, he set out to discover what life is all about. Which in the long run, serves to prove to us that there is God; there has always been God; and there will always be God…..and also, anytime we have a conversation with someone who expresses to us their reasons for hopelessness, the arguments in this book, provide the opportunity to turn the conversation back to the Gospel…
As you read through the book you'll notice that it all centers on verse 2, “Vanity of vanities, says the Debater, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1:2 RSV)
Unfortunately, that word "vanity" doesn't mean today what it used to, we seldom use it in quite the same sense. To us, "vanity" is conceit over personal looks. We think that a woman or a man, who spends a half hour primping before a mirror every time they go by a mirror…. is a victim of vanity ----- And of course that’s true. (There’s the story of the woman who said to her pastor one day, "I must confess to you, pastor, that I am suffering from a terrible sin. I suffer from the sin of vanity. Every morning before I leave, I admire myself in the mirror for half an hour." He said, "My dear lady, it is not the sin of vanity you are suffering from, it is the sin of imagination.") "Vanity", here in Ecclesiastes, means emptiness, futility, meaninglessness. The debater had completed his survey of life, and he gave his conclusion, at the beginning of the book. His conclusion said everything is futile, empty, and meaningless – nothing makes any sense.
He supported his conclusion with a series of arguments that he had gleaned after sifting through the philosophies of life. And perhaps the most interesting thing about this book….. is that all the philosophies that men have ever attempted to live by, are gathered together here, in these few chapters…
There is nothing new under the sun, the book says -- and how true that is. Here we are, almost thirty centuries removed from the time of the writing of this book, and nothing more has been produced in the world or in the ideas of men than what is reflected right here.
As Solomon sets forth his arguments….
1.) Science
First, there is the scientific outlook…. This outlook sees the universe as nothing but a great, grinding machine, and the Debater in his investigation of it, is lost in the monotonous repetition of nature's processes. And yet, in many ways, this is a most remarkable passage. Some revelations here are of scientific import and were written long before men of science ever discovered these things. Notice, for instance, the circuit of the wind:
The wind blows to the south,
and goes round to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns. (Ecclesiastes 1:6 RSV)
and goes round to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns. (Ecclesiastes 1:6 RSV)
Men didn't discover the circuit of the wind until centuries after this was written. And then there is the evaporation cycle of circulating waters:
All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again. (Ecclesiastes 1:7 RSV)
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again. (Ecclesiastes 1:7 RSV)
That is, the rivers run down to the sea, evaporate, come back up to the mountains again as rainfall, and run down to the sea again.
The writer has discovered this in his observation of nature, and he says all this is vanity, it’s empty. He feels the utter weariness of this endless circuit.
So in his outlook…. life goes on and we are lost in the meaninglessness of the universe. Nothing is to be heard but the clanking of gears, and the end of it, is emptiness This philosophy is very common today….our world asks the questio ... “What is man in the midst of a universe like that?” And our world answers…we are just tiny specks, with no meaning or significance at all.”
2.) Pleasure
In chapter 2 the writer examines the philosophy of hedonism –which is the pursuit of pleasure, as the chief end of life. What gives life meaning? Well, millions today say, "Just enjoy yourself! Have a good time, live it up, do as you like, seek pleasure. That's the purpose of living. That's why we are here!" But the Debater said:
I said to myself, "Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity. (Ecclesiastes 2:1 RSV)
Then he proceeded to itemize pleasure. He says that first,… he tried pleasure in the form of laughter, or mirth. Thinking, that, that, is what is needed to make life thoroughly enjoyable. So he sought out opportunities to give himself to genial, gracious, laughing, happy company. But he said that over time, even laughter yielded to a weariness of spirit.
Then he said, that he tried to acquire possessions; he was thinking that maybe, meaning of life, comes from wealth:
3.) Wealth
Ecclesiastes 2:9-10 says…
“So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; “
So, he gave himself to the accumulation of wealth and possessions. (How many of us are living on that level today? Thinking that money can buy us peace and joy and satisfaction….. ) but , in the long run, he said that that was empty of spirit too and it did nothing to satisfy the longing in his heart….
4.) Wisdom and Folly
Then he considered wisdom and madness and folly---he was comparing opposite….. for what can the man do who comes after the king? (Ecclesiastes 2:12a RSV)
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. (Ecclesiastes 2:13a RSV)
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. (Ecclesiastes 2:13a RSV)
He says, "This is better, at least. Here is something that is interesting: pursuing all these various ideas about life. Ah, but," he says. "I found that it comes out at the same place." The fool and the wise man alike die. And as far as their lives are concerned, one is as utterly insignificant as the other. It doesn't make any difference.
Then, he comes to a terrible conclusion: (Ecclesiastes 2:17 RSV)
“So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind. “
Here is a man who has given himself to pleasure, to possessions, and to the pursuit of wisdom in the realm of ideas, and he says, "I hated life. I hated all my toil. I turned about and gave my heart up to despair."
5.) Existentialism
Then in chapter 3 he views life from what we might call the existential viewpoint.
Webster’s Dictionary says that Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. It is the view that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. It focuses on the question of human existence, and the feeling that there is no purpose or explanation at the core of existence. It holds that, as there is no God or any other transcendent force, and the only way to counter this nothingness (and hence to find meaning in life) is by embracing existence. Existentialism believes that individuals are entirely free and must take personal responsibility for themselves (although with this responsibility comes angst, a profound anguish or dread). It therefore emphasizes action, freedom and decision as fundamental, and holds that the only way to rise above the essentially absurd condition of humanity (which is characterized by suffering and inevitable death) is by exercising our personal freedom and choice.
This is a popular term today. It is fashionable to believe in existentialism and it is, of course, thought to be something new on the stage of world ideas. But it is nothing new at all. It is as old as the thinking of man. Actually, we might call this viewpoint fatalism, because there is always a fatalistic element in existentialism.
We in America can hardly realize why existential thinking has so powerfully gripped the minds of people in our world. The popularity of existentialism was born at the end of World War II, when Europe was left in shambles. The great cities of Europe were in ruins, and all that men had previously pinned their hopes on -- in government and religion, as they knew it -- had been powerless to arrest the catastrophe and terrible chaos of World War II. At the end of it, men were left with utterly shattered hopes concerning what they had believed in. They asked one another, "What can we trust? We can't trust religion. It did nothing to stem the awful tide of tyranny under Hitler. And we can't trust government, because it is the very tool of such power. So what can we trust?" And somebody suggested that the only thing that we can trust is our own reactions to life as we live through things. We experience feelings and reactions to events, and even though no two of us may have the same reaction, at least each person's reaction is real to him. So they said, "All we can really trust is our own reaction to events, to existence." And that is existentialism.
Solomon said, that he had discovered, that life was a series of reactions to events, which are inescapable experiences, in every person’s life." He wrote that there is:
“a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep ..........[and so on.]” (Ecclesiastes 3:2-8 RSV)
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep ..........[and so on.]” (Ecclesiastes 3:2-8 RSV)
Solomon saw that all these events come upon us. And he saw also, that man has a desire for something deeper, for finding significance, for finding meaning in these things and in life:
He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man's mind, (Ecclesiastes 3:11a RSV)
In other words, man can never rest with simply external explanations of things. He has to look deeper. Eternity is in his heart.
So, Solomon said that he saw all this. He saw that events of life are inescapable and are experienced by all men -- but he saw, also, in a fatalistic way. that all men go to one place when it is all over, the same place that animals go to…. They all turn to dust.
“Therefore, the only thing man really has to enjoy is his work. because that’s why he’s here, because no one will bring us back from life after death to enjoy life after we die.. “(Ecclesiastes 3:22b RSV)
He sees futility and hopelessness. He asked the question,” What's the use?”
6.) Capitalism
In chapter 4 he turns to capitalism, of all things. Here he sets forth the competitive enterprise of life. When we Americans hear the word "capitalism" …….we think it is a wonderful word. We think it describes the vigorous young insurance executive out to join the million-dollars-a-month club, or some high-powered executive in business who is building his own empire. We admire this. We say. "Capital is the answer."
Remember, though, that the word of God always ultimately looks at life as it really is. And capitalism is not a final answer to things. It is certainly a better answer than socialism or communism…… but Solomon said he tried the competitive-enterprise approach, and saw that it resulted in injustices and oppression. And he discovered that selfish motivation lay behind a lot of it, which resulted in huge socioeconomic inequities. So, he said it all came down to the same thing:
He said in 4:13, “Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who will no longer take advice, “(Ecclesiastes 4:13 RSV) His question is, What good does it do to get to the top of the heap when a young man at the bottom with nothing but a few smart ideas can surge ahead of you? What's the difference? What is the good of it all?
7) Religion
Then in chapter 5 he tries religion -- religion which recognizes that God exists -- and he tries to do good and to be good. And yet he points out that there is no practical value in it. Religious people can do very unethical things and oppress the poor. Plus, he couldn’t see that there was any power in empty, dead, religious formalism, to stop wrongs or change inequities. He decided that religion of that sort doesn't work either. It comes down to the exact same thing -- emptiness and vanity.
8/) Materialism
Chapter 6 sets forth his experiments along the line of materialism -- the philosophy of "the good life." His conclusion is that even though a man has everything,…….he has nothing.
He said in 6:3, “If a man begets a hundred children [children are wealth to the Hebrew], and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but he does not enjoy life's good things, and also has no burial, I say that an untimely birth is better off than he.” (Ecclesiastes 6:3 RSV)
If you have everything, but in trying to satisfy yourself you discover that there is still a craving that these things can't meet, then you are no better off than if you had never been born. It all comes out to the same thing
9.) Moderation
In chapter 7 Solomon approaches life from the standpoint of stoicism -- a cultivated indifference to events -- and his conclusion is that in order to view life this way, aim for a happy medium. Be moderate in all things:
He said in 7:16-17 “In my vain life I have seen everything; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness [righteousness doesn't always pay], and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evil-doing [wickedness sometimes does pay, judging by evidence "under the sun"]. (Ecclesiastes 7:15 RSV)
So, he said:
“Be not righteous overmuch, and do not make yourself over wise; why should you destroy yourself? Be not wicked overmuch, neither be a fool; why should you die before your time?” (Ecclesiastes 7:16-17 RSV)
That is, aim for a happy medium. How many times have we heard these verses quoted as exactly, reflecting what the Bible teaches? But, in reality, they are the words of a man, looking at life who says the best policy is "Moderation in all things" -- avoid extremes as much as possible, don't volunteer for anything, try just to get through. That is his viewpoint.
10.) Common Sense
Chapters 8 through 10 and the first eight verses of chapter 11 are a connected discourse examining what might be referred to as the wisdom of the world, or the common-sense view of life. In chapter 8, Solomon said that anyone approaching life, from this point of view, Is exhorted to master the power structures of the world in which he lives and align himself with them… He said, "Try to understand who is an authority and who isn't, and do your best to be on the right side at the right time." That is his philosophy. We recognize that, don't we? Here is his conclusion
In:8:17 he said..“...then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out; even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.” (Ecclesiastes 8:17 RSV)
Basically his philosophy was "I don't offer you much hope along this line, but if you get on the right side and get in good with the powers that be, you will at least get along pretty well, but you won't find any answers to life. It's all futility, don't you see?"
Then in chapter 9 he examines the world's value judgments and points out again that they all come to the same thing:
In 9:11 he said, “Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11 RSV) There are some very foolish rich people, in the world and some very wise poor ones.." And in the end, death comes to each one the same way.:
In 9:12 he says, “For man does not know his time. life fish which are taken in an evil net, and like birds which are caught in a snare [suddenly, unexpectedly] so the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.”
What difference, then, do worldly values matter?
In chapter 10 he exhorts us to maintain discretion in life -- be temperate, diligent, cautious, accommodating -- try to get by as best you can. But this is only an enlightened expression of selfishness, which is the motive underlying it all. We read in chapter 11 that success is simply a matter of diligence -- in order to get something out of life, you need to work and apply yourself:
In 11:6 he says, “In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” In 9:12 he says, “
But then he concludes:In 11:8
‘For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.”
It seems like he’s proved his case…. All the way through its been the same thing. Life lived apart from God, all comes out to the same thing….nothing…..
Then, at this point in his discourse, came the change in viewpoint, the recognition that life is meaningful and significant when God is enthroned in it. This is Solomon's true conclusion to all of his findings, and it begins this way:
In 11:9 he said, “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
That doesn't mean punishment. It means examination: God will bring you into an examination of your life. But "Rejoice!" (That is Solomon's very word!) The Debater's final conclusion is directly opposite his previous conclusion. In his first conclusion, The only thing he had to say to the man who approached life without a genuine commitment to God, was this: "Eat. drink and be merry. for tomorrow you must die."
Practical isn't it? And devilish. Do you see? When you hear people talking this way today, when you see worldly man thinking and acting on the basis of "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die," don't blame him. What else can he say? This is the inevitable conclusion of any approach to life that erases God from the picture. And there is nothing more descriptive of utterly blind pessimism than those words. Think of it. Eat, drink and be merry. In other words, live like an animal. This denies the glory of manliness and manhood. It reduces man to the level of the animal. It is the most hopeless statement one can ever make. "What is life? Nothing at all. Utterly insignificant. Without any meaning. Utterly futile. All that we can do, therefore, is to make the best of it. Eat, drink and be merry. Life goes out like a candle flame in the end." Utter pessimism rules in a life that is lived without God.
Now contrast that with what Solomon really believed and said in the last chapter:
12:1 says, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth,
And after a beautifully poetic passage, where youth gave way to aging and aging gave way to death,,,,and then, Solomon taught his final conclusion:
In 12:13 he said, The end of the matter; all has been heard.
Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ray Stedman, our commentator, says that in this verse, the Hebrew bible leaves out the word duty and that the verse just says…
“Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man”.
This is what makes man whole. The secret is to enthrone God in the days of our youth. If we want to find the secret of living, so that our hearts are satisfied and our spirit is enriched, then we have to enthrone God in the center of our lives and we will discover all that God has intended our lives to be. And then, we will be able to rejoice all the days of our lives.
I think we can probably all remember well, when were teenagers, and we wondered whether the training we were being given as Christians, was right, because sometimes, we felt allured and enticed by other ways of thinking. And we would feel the awful uncertainty, of not knowing which one was right, and what, if anything, was the answer to life's questions…. (For me , it was when I was !5, and I couldn’t sleep at night, cause I was afraid the world would end, or my granddaddy would die of a heart attack, or was I really saved, or would there ever be any thing I could do that would make an impact on somebody else.) Looking back upon that time I have great sympathy for young people; I see their deep inner desire, just as I felt it then, not to waste their lives but to live significantly. But, all these many years later, after walking with the Lord from the wonderful perspective of more than forty years, I can say that God in His grace has taught me to trust and believe and commit myself, as it says
in Proverbs 3:5-6……
“Trust in the Lord with all my heart,
and do not rely on my own understanding
In all my ways acknowledge him,
and he will make my paths.straight” .
and do not rely on my own understanding
In all my ways acknowledge him,
and he will make my paths.straight” .
I’ve always loved the 2nd verse of Amazing Grace…"Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come, "Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home." I can testify to the fact that Solomon’s original conclusion is true, without God in the center of our lives…everything is vanity….and that makes , the final conclusion correct…. life is worth living, only when God is enthroned in the center of an individual's life and that individual acts in obedience to his sovereign rule..
My prayer is for us to say thank you, to the Father for these words of wisdom, and for having recorded them for us in this ancient book so that in our hunger for fulfillment and the meaning to life…. we don’t have to go down all these paths ourselves……and to say thank you to Him that we can trust His word to be genuine and accurate, so that we can build our lives upon it. And to pray that we will have the courage to believe and trust His word enough, to act upon it –and to enthrone Him as the Lord of our lives, so that we can live them in grace and strength and beauty.
II The Song of Solomon
Jeffrey Archer's 1994 book Beyond Reasonable Doubt, will make you weep. Admittedly, the story is a little melodramatic. The main character is a lawyer named David Metcalfe, who has been accused of murdering his wife, and successfully defends himself in court.
Then, in flashbacks, the story reveals that his wife actually died of an overdose of medication which he administered, at her request, to save her from excruciating pain in the final weeks of death by cancer. It is during these flashbacks that we see the extraordinary intimacy and tenderness between the two of them, the absence of which makes David's life without her almost unbearable.
It is the amazing intimacy, I think, that causes the reader to want to weep. It is heart-breaking to think of a human being experiencing that intimacy, and then being deprived of it.
Francine Klagsbrun, in her book Married People, discusses the nature of intimacy and enumerates several key factors present in it. First, intimacy requires a complete acceptance of the other person just as he or she is, so that each person is unafraid to be open and honest with the other. Second, it implies that each person feels important to the other. Third, it means the creation of an environment in which secrets can be shared with complete confidence.
Fourth, it accepts the fact that there will be periods of distancing as well as closeness, and that the distancing will not destroy the relationship. And Fifth, intimacy means truly communicating, listening with sensitivity, and assuring the other that he or she is safe in the exchange.
Every human being longs to have intimacy with someone else -- to be open and loving and safe together.
Then, in flashbacks, the story reveals that his wife actually died of an overdose of medication which he administered, at her request, to save her from excruciating pain in the final weeks of death by cancer. It is during these flashbacks that we see the extraordinary intimacy and tenderness between the two of them, the absence of which makes David's life without her almost unbearable.
It is the amazing intimacy, I think, that causes the reader to want to weep. It is heart-breaking to think of a human being experiencing that intimacy, and then being deprived of it.
Francine Klagsbrun, in her book Married People, discusses the nature of intimacy and enumerates several key factors present in it. First, intimacy requires a complete acceptance of the other person just as he or she is, so that each person is unafraid to be open and honest with the other. Second, it implies that each person feels important to the other. Third, it means the creation of an environment in which secrets can be shared with complete confidence.
Fourth, it accepts the fact that there will be periods of distancing as well as closeness, and that the distancing will not destroy the relationship. And Fifth, intimacy means truly communicating, listening with sensitivity, and assuring the other that he or she is safe in the exchange.
Every human being longs to have intimacy with someone else -- to be open and loving and safe together.
Which makes us ask the question,,,,Is it possible to be intimate with God as well? To be able to have have an open, sensitive, creative relationship with the eternal One who presides over our destinies?
The Bible says that we can,,,,that intimacy, communication, and a sense of well-being together -- is entirely possible. The psalms often breathe an air of intimacy. The Song of Solomon 2:8-17, read at a spiritual level, suggests it. The prophet Hosea glories in it. Jesus obviously experienced it -- and Paul and John and other New Testament figures did too
The Bible says that we can,,,,that intimacy, communication, and a sense of well-being together -- is entirely possible. The psalms often breathe an air of intimacy. The Song of Solomon 2:8-17, read at a spiritual level, suggests it. The prophet Hosea glories in it. Jesus obviously experienced it -- and Paul and John and other New Testament figures did too
Here are some suggestions as to how we can achieve a sense of intimacy with God ….,,,
I. Get to Know God's Story.
This is always a first step toward intimacy. In any romantic encounter, or in the beginning of any friendship…… there is the sharing of information----a quick flurry of questions, trying to get to know the other person’s story, and endeavoring to make a connection, on some level, that will serve as foundation for an intimate relationship with that person..
God has a story. His history is in the Bible, and in the books of church history and the books about other people's experiences with Him. In fact, God's story is probably better documented than that of any other figure we know. It is woven in and out of all the history books, all the philosophy books, all the books of religious experience ever written.
It amazes and frightens me to think how few people today seem to be interested in discovering as much of God's story as they can.,,,, even believers, have better things to do , most of the time They are busy reading and talking about everything else in the world, from computers to music to sports, even doing good works in the Lord’s name,,,,but they don't seem to be motivated to learn about God, Himself.
Remember the book Brave New World that we read in high school English class? It's almost as if we live, for the most part, in the "brave new world" described by Aldous Huxley, in which the Bible and Shakespeare and all the books about God, are locked up in a safe so people can't read them; only in our society, they don't have to be locked up because most people don't even realize that they need to read them.
How can we be intimate with a God whose history we don't know? We can’t….. we should all be constantly reading and listening and learning about God; then we will have taken the first step toward intimacy with Him.
How can we be intimate with a God whose history we don't know? We can’t….. we should all be constantly reading and listening and learning about God; then we will have taken the first step toward intimacy with Him.
II. Spend Time With God.
You can't have intimacy with anyone you don't spend time with.
You can even lose intimacy, after you've had it, with someone you have stopped spending time with.
I have seen it often with married acquaintances. They go to the counselor, complaining that they don't feel good about each other anymore. Pretty soon, it comes out in the open. "You're hardly ever home anymore," she says, "and when you are you've got your eyes glued to the TV, or the computer"
"Oh, yeah?" he says. "Well, you're always on the phone to the children and your friends, or you're running off to some meeting at the church!" In the end, they realize that if they want their marriage to work, if they want intimacy to return, they have to give it time to come back.
You can't have intimacy with anyone you don't spend time with.
You can even lose intimacy, after you've had it, with someone you have stopped spending time with.
I have seen it often with married acquaintances. They go to the counselor, complaining that they don't feel good about each other anymore. Pretty soon, it comes out in the open. "You're hardly ever home anymore," she says, "and when you are you've got your eyes glued to the TV, or the computer"
"Oh, yeah?" he says. "Well, you're always on the phone to the children and your friends, or you're running off to some meeting at the church!" In the end, they realize that if they want their marriage to work, if they want intimacy to return, they have to give it time to come back.
They have to value the time that they have together. Sometimes, they have to struggle to create time when their schedules say there isn’t any, Intimacy can’t develop and grow if you don’t spend time together.
It is the same with God.
Study the life of any great saint, from Augustine to Mother Teresa. The story never varies. They are people who have time for God, who make time for God. Mother Teresa, as busy as she was, working fifteen-hour days, always began her day with Mass. She began with God. Then everything else she did became an act of worship
When we learn to do this, we will miss God if we have have to skip time with Him.
The great concern pianist, Paderewski, said, "If I don't practice for a month, my audiences notice it. If I don't practice for a week, my friends notice it. If I don't practice for a day, I notice it."
That is the way it is with spending time with God. When we miss doing it, if we are accustomed to it, we feel the lack of it and we long for it and we will do anything we can to get it back.
It is the same with God.
Study the life of any great saint, from Augustine to Mother Teresa. The story never varies. They are people who have time for God, who make time for God. Mother Teresa, as busy as she was, working fifteen-hour days, always began her day with Mass. She began with God. Then everything else she did became an act of worship
When we learn to do this, we will miss God if we have have to skip time with Him.
The great concern pianist, Paderewski, said, "If I don't practice for a month, my audiences notice it. If I don't practice for a week, my friends notice it. If I don't practice for a day, I notice it."
That is the way it is with spending time with God. When we miss doing it, if we are accustomed to it, we feel the lack of it and we long for it and we will do anything we can to get it back.
We need spend time with God, and get to know His story……then, we need to………
III. Seek to Please God
That's what we would do next in a human relationship, we would try to do something that would bring the other person pleasure……
We buy flowers and candy, and we make special meals and we get tickets to plays and sporting events and movies and we woo and court each other.
And it doesn't stop when two people get married. It is an essential ingredient of intimacy throughout the relationship.
A few months ago, one of our friends arranged a special birthday celebration for her husband. She took him on a trip that was a series of surprises for him. They drove to a lovely bed-and-breakfast Inn, somewhere in South Carolina. They had a special dinner. After an early breakfast the next morning, she took him down to the beach, where at low tide they could walk across to a close-by island, and have a picnic that had been prepared for them in advance….
The husband nor the wife have stopped talking about it----I’ve heard about it from each of them, at least 3 times…hahaha….
It’s clear that this served to deepen the intimacy that they share with each other…
The husband nor the wife have stopped talking about it----I’ve heard about it from each of them, at least 3 times…hahaha….
It’s clear that this served to deepen the intimacy that they share with each other…
Now, what can do to please God that would deepen our intimacy with him….?
There are many things.
You can undertake a program of personal change and reform.
You can make a pilgrimage to some special place of faith.
You can make a significant donation to a church or charity.
You can establish a relationship with a needy person and help that person back to solid ground in his or her life.
You can offer your services to a church or a charitable agency.
There are countless things that we can do…..
There are many things.
You can undertake a program of personal change and reform.
You can make a pilgrimage to some special place of faith.
You can make a significant donation to a church or charity.
You can establish a relationship with a needy person and help that person back to solid ground in his or her life.
You can offer your services to a church or a charitable agency.
There are countless things that we can do…..
But, as in the case of my frien who arranged the beach picnic for her husband, the best gifts that we can give to God are designed in our own imaginations. We should challenge ourselves to think, "What can I give the Creator of the world who has shown Hdis love to you and me, by giving us the Lord Jesus Chriist, and all that that involves….
Without a doubt, it will carry you along the road to intimacy.
IV. Reflect on What Your Life is Becoming With God
Finally, when you have learned God's story and spent time with God and tried regularly to please God, I recommend that you pause occasionally to reflect on what your life is becoming with God -- on how being related to God is changing your existence -- and then surrender to the flow of this alteration.
We do this with any new discipline or influence in our lives. When we are undertaking an exercise program, we reassess our progress and adjust the strenuousness of the exercises. When we engage in a course of study, we pause to think about what we have learned and how that impinges upon everything else we know.
When we consider our relationship to God and what it is doing in our lives, we can only give thanks and receive inspiration to intensify the relationship.
I think about a friend in this congregation who has been a Christian for only a few years. It has been exciting, in the last couple of years, to hear him speak self-consciously of what is occurring on his pilgrimage. Some time ago, he was visiting with a former partner in business. She observed that he seemed always to be going to church these days. He said he took the opportunity to tell her about what a difference God has made in his life. She replied that she would like to go to church sometime. Afterward, he reflected on the conversation and realized that he was now witnessing to his faith. He could see his own growth occurring. It was an exciting moment.
I don't mean that we should spend our time feeling our pulses to see how we're doing. But there should be times of introspection when we think about the journey we're making, how far we've come, and what we ought to do to facilitate our future progress.
When I taught courses on prayer in the divinity school, I asked my students to keep journals of their experiences during the semester. Each day, they would write about their prayer lives and other things that impinged upon their spiritual formation. In the years since, I have often had a former student say to me, either in a letter or in person, "I am so glad you had us keep a journal. It began a practice I have never given up, and it still rewards me when I look back and see the distance I have come."
May I summarize for you? First, learn God's story. Second, spend time with God. Third, seek to please God. And, fourth, reflect on what your life is becoming with God.
Do these things and you will find yourself growing in intimacy with God.
Maybe you saw the movie A Field of Dreams. It is a beautiful, whimsical story about a young farmer who hears a voice in the cornfield say to him, "If you will build it, he will come." Build what, he wants to know. A ball park, he learns. Who will come? Shoeless Joe Jackson, the great star of the Chicago White Sox. So the farmer plows under his corn and builds a ball diamond. And sure enough, one day Shoeless Joe Jackson walks out of the cornfield and begins to play ball. So do seven other White Sox players, and then some old New York Giants. It is a lilting, tender story, and it probably sounds crazy if you haven't seen it, but it almost invariably gives people's spirits a lift.
"If you will build it, he will come."
That's the promise we are dealing with too, isn't it? If we will create the right conditions in our lives, God will come and dwell in them. God doesn't make the intimacy. We do. But God never fails to reveal Himself intimately to those who make the overtures, those who take the simple steps of preparing for His presence.
Build your life in these ways and He will come.
Without a doubt, it will carry you along the road to intimacy.
IV. Reflect on What Your Life is Becoming With God
Finally, when you have learned God's story and spent time with God and tried regularly to please God, I recommend that you pause occasionally to reflect on what your life is becoming with God -- on how being related to God is changing your existence -- and then surrender to the flow of this alteration.
We do this with any new discipline or influence in our lives. When we are undertaking an exercise program, we reassess our progress and adjust the strenuousness of the exercises. When we engage in a course of study, we pause to think about what we have learned and how that impinges upon everything else we know.
When we consider our relationship to God and what it is doing in our lives, we can only give thanks and receive inspiration to intensify the relationship.
I think about a friend in this congregation who has been a Christian for only a few years. It has been exciting, in the last couple of years, to hear him speak self-consciously of what is occurring on his pilgrimage. Some time ago, he was visiting with a former partner in business. She observed that he seemed always to be going to church these days. He said he took the opportunity to tell her about what a difference God has made in his life. She replied that she would like to go to church sometime. Afterward, he reflected on the conversation and realized that he was now witnessing to his faith. He could see his own growth occurring. It was an exciting moment.
I don't mean that we should spend our time feeling our pulses to see how we're doing. But there should be times of introspection when we think about the journey we're making, how far we've come, and what we ought to do to facilitate our future progress.
When I taught courses on prayer in the divinity school, I asked my students to keep journals of their experiences during the semester. Each day, they would write about their prayer lives and other things that impinged upon their spiritual formation. In the years since, I have often had a former student say to me, either in a letter or in person, "I am so glad you had us keep a journal. It began a practice I have never given up, and it still rewards me when I look back and see the distance I have come."
May I summarize for you? First, learn God's story. Second, spend time with God. Third, seek to please God. And, fourth, reflect on what your life is becoming with God.
Do these things and you will find yourself growing in intimacy with God.
Maybe you saw the movie A Field of Dreams. It is a beautiful, whimsical story about a young farmer who hears a voice in the cornfield say to him, "If you will build it, he will come." Build what, he wants to know. A ball park, he learns. Who will come? Shoeless Joe Jackson, the great star of the Chicago White Sox. So the farmer plows under his corn and builds a ball diamond. And sure enough, one day Shoeless Joe Jackson walks out of the cornfield and begins to play ball. So do seven other White Sox players, and then some old New York Giants. It is a lilting, tender story, and it probably sounds crazy if you haven't seen it, but it almost invariably gives people's spirits a lift.
"If you will build it, he will come."
That's the promise we are dealing with too, isn't it? If we will create the right conditions in our lives, God will come and dwell in them. God doesn't make the intimacy. We do. But God never fails to reveal Himself intimately to those who make the overtures, those who take the simple steps of preparing for His presence.
Build your life in these ways and He will come.
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