Senseless Laughter
“Of laughter, I said, ‘It is senseless,’ and of joy, “What is there to do?” I surveyed my heart to restore my flesh with wine (my heart was still leading me with wisdom) and laid hold of stupidity until I saw that which is good for the sons of man — what they should do under heaven in the number of the days of their life.”
(Ecclesiastes 2:2-3)
First of all, some may be tempted to say, “What’s wrong with laughter? It’s not senseless.” No, laughter is not senseless if understood rightly. Many studies have been done that suggests people who laugh a lot are healthier and live longer than those who do not. As a pastor, I have also oftentimes used laughter to take the tension off of a difficult situation before people exploded at each other. Also, for people who have anxiety issues, my counsel has often been to “take a deep breath and smile as you let it out — laugh even.” And, often it works.
But this is not the kind of laughter of which Solomon speaks. Here he is focused on laughter for the state of laughter. The term that he uses here, שְׂחוֹק (sechoq), implies a level of derision. It is a laughter that laughs at the expense of another…and that, dear friends, is senseless.
And so he essentially goes on to ask, “What is there left to do to find joy?” He turns next to wine, to (literally) “lay hold of stupidity.” That indeed is the end of man when it comes to much drink. It matters not whether you have very little education or a great deal of it, whether you are a young man or an old one, or whether you are rich or poor. The stupidity that accompanies drunkenness is one and the same.
What I find particularly interesting about this statement is that Solomon insists that he is operating in wisdom when he experiments as he does. He wants us to know that even in the context of seeking fleshly gratification he has not left or abandoned the wisdom he had. It is a reminder to us that the whole man is always engaged in the things we do. Thus, if you have studied to gain wisdom, that wisdom is still present no matter how strongly you seek to suppress it. And for Solomon, it can be sure that his wisdom was not happy with his actions the “night before” given his likely hangover in the morning.
We live in a culture that always feels like it needs to reinvent the wheel. Parents tell their children, “Don’t do this it is a bad idea,” and children do it anyway. Not to mention breaking the Fifth Commandment, it is foolishness, for how can I build upon what someone else has learned if I need to relive their every mistake? A large part of growing in wisdom is learning to listen to those around you who have made mistakes and then to apply that counsel to similar situations in your own life. May we listen to and learn from Solomon, our guide…no…our preacher…Qoheleth.
Joy and Good
“I spoke to my heart, ‘Come now, let us try out joy and see what is good.’ And I beheld that this was also vanity.”
(Ecclesiastes 2:1)
Solomon continues this little dialogue with himself. Note that chapter and verse divisions are artificial and external additions to the text to make passages easier to identify and find and thus easier to reference and to study, so do not draw a hard and fast line between the end of chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2. In many ways, Solomon is continuing the train of thought that began in the previous chapter.
Having explored wisdom and finds that to be folly, now he seeks out a life of pleasure and the verses that follow are once again the earthly things in which Solomon seeks to find satisfaction. We will explore each in turn, but recognize that what follows is all tied back to this initial statement.
The Targum translates the word נסה (nasah) as “to experiment,” reflecting on Solomon’s seemingly “scientific” approach to discerning how to find meaning in life. He tries this and then eliminates it, then he moves on and tries that — he experiments with such things. I have simply rendered it, “try out,” which again captures the notion of testing a hypothesis but reminds us as well that Solomon is committed to the experiment personally, not as an outside observer. All I can say is what it must have been like to dwell in Solomon’s court, we cannot tell, but I imagine from the text here, that we would all marvel and cringe at the same time.
It also seems that the majority of the English translators prefer to translate שִׂמְחָה (simchah) as “pleasure.” Yet, the more commonly found usage of this term has to do with joy and there is a difference. Indeed, joy does have the power to create pleasure (while the reverse is not necessarily the case). In fact, this word is often used to communicate the joy we have as we worship God.
That leaves us really with one of two ways to understand this reference. It may be seen as a stand-alone statement referring to worship for the sake of worship and being utterly disconnected the things or cares of this life. Indeed, as we have already stated, finding pleasure in eternal things is far better than finding pleasure in temporal things. At the same time, we cannot ignore or escape this temporal world — we have a mission in it to make disciples of the nations. So, just as some go too far and lose themselves in worldly pleasures, it is just as much a danger to go too far and lose yourself in eternal ones.
While the above interpretation is an acceptable option, I prefer an alternative interpretation, as I mentioned before, that views this as a kind of blanket statement that prefaces what will be said next and joins with the language in verse 15, when Solomon again addresses his heart with the conclusion that comes from seeking after joy in its various earthly forms.
And, what is Solomon’s conclusion? Well, a little later on in the chapter he will give a fuller explanation, but for now, let us summarize the answer the way he does here. It is vanity — it is empty or without any substance. And such is the discovery that every man or woman makes when they pursue the wealth of the world apart from pursing God.
The Increase of Knowledge and Suffering
“I spoke to my heart, saying, ‘Behold! I have become great and I have surpassed the wisdom of all of those who are before me in Jerusalem and my heart has observed much wisdom and knowledge.’ I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and foolishness. And I know that this too is what exasperates the spirit. For with an abundance of wisdom, there comes an abundance of grief and with an increase in knowledge comes an increase of suffering.”
(Ecclesiastes 1:16-18)
There is much to be said for the simple life. The Rabbi’s imply that Solomon relied too much on his supernatural gift of wisdom in ruling over Jerusalem rather than relying on the wisdom that comes from daily petitions in prayer. Is that not the trap that all of us tend to fall into? The more knowledge and understanding we amass, the more wisdom we are given, the more we feel as if we can live life on our own strength. Yet, God only gave a day’s worth of Manna in the wilderness and our Lord teaches us to pray for our “daily bread.” As believers, we must be a people committed to a daily reliance of the Lord’s wisdom and strength that comes through prayer and meditation upon the Word.
And so, Solomon spoke to his heart…in other words, he reflected and pondered an idea…and said, “Look, I am wiser and more knowledgeable than everyone else in Jerusalem…I have even surpassed those who have gone before me — the wise men of old — but I am still not satisfied.” He recognized that his pursued of wisdom and knowledge for the sake of wisdom and knowledge simply exasperates his spirit — it vexes his soul. Why? The answer is that our world was created by an infinite God, so there is a near-infinite body of knowledge to learn. Further, as more is discovered, we only discover how much more there is to know.
When I began seminary, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the Bible — I had been preaching as a layman for five years and I could hold my own in conversations with most of the pastors that I knew. Then, in my first semester of seminary, I was trounced in a debate with a second-year student. It was a that point, I realized that I had come to the right place for Biblical training. And so, I became like a sponge and absorbed everything that my professors could offer to me. Yet, by the end of my seminary experience, I came to terms with the reality that I had only scratched the surface. At this stage in my life, not only have I graduated from seminary, but I have spent twelve years in full-time ministry, I have taught Bible and theology on both a High School and a seminary level, and have been a conference speaker on several occasions. I have written a handful of books and have begun doctoral studies and most people look to me as an authority on that which I speak. But the more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to know and the less I feel like an “expert” (whatever that is).
If the pursuit of knowledge were an end in this life, life would be exasperating. We would be overwhelmed by the immensity of the task and the impossibility of completing said task. Most would give up in despair. That is the heart of what Solomon is getting at with these words. Yet, knowledge and wisdom are not an end in and of themselves…in fact, they are not an end at all. They are a means to an end. The end is to know God — to know Christ and Him crucified, as Paul writes to the Corinthian church. So, if your pursuit of knowledge and wisdom simply leads you into a deeper love and appreciation for Christ, then the endlessness of the task is a blessing and a joy because it reminds you that you will never in this life (or in the life hereafter) exhaust the means of knowing and loving God better. And this we ought to celebrate. Yet, if we are bound by the earthly pursuit and it points us nowhere beyond nature, then we will just become more and more aware of suffering and grief in our midst — a depressing end for those who reject God.
Exasperating the Spirit
“I have seen all the work that is done under the sun and, behold, all is vanity and exasperates the spirit.”
(Ecclesiastes 1:14)
In another place, Solomon writes:
“The one who walks with the wise will be wise and the friend of the stupid will do evil.”
(Proverbs 13:20)
Who is wiser says the old sage? The one who learns from his own mistakes or the one who can learn from the mistakes of others? Solomon has seen the folly of his own errors and offers it to us as a great gift, worthy of our cherishing it and holding it up high. As we have noted before, this is not so much a book that espouses a kind of nihilism, but one of great hope…so long as we learn from the lessons of this ancient king who has gone before us. If we lose sight of that reality, we will miss the point of these words. The Jewish Midrash describes the reader at a crossroads with Solomon standing before him saying, “Do not take this path.” Shall we not rejoice in such counsel?
The first portion of this verse is fairly straight-forward. Solomon, as king of Israel has the opportunity and the means to see all sorts of works done “under the sun” and to consider them vanity. But, let us also not forget the perspective of the author. As king watching the labors of his people, he is not unlike a man watching the labors or a colony of bees constructing a hive. The bees come and go, assembling the hive and then filling its combs with honey, only to have the honey extracted by an animal or man. And, if we take that at face value, it is a vain labor. Yet, from another perspective entirely, this is what God has designed bees to do and their labors not only are such that they preserve the colony, but they also provide enduring food for man and beast alike (and indeed, who does not cherish the sweetness of the honey!).
Now, apply this to the labors of men. If men just labor to labor, it is meaningless. Yet, if this is what a man were designed to do (we would word this, “what he was called to do” — vocation) and his labors provide food and shelter for his family, then are his labors truly meaningless? Indeed, not. There was a point in seminary, to provide for my wife and newborn son at home, I worked five part-time jobs while carrying a full-time course load. It was not always pleasant and most of the jobs I was working were menial labor — I turned rugs in an oriental rug store and mowed lawns, for example, neither of which required much brainpower. And, at times, I was tempted to be discouraged. At the same time, I had a wife and child that were relying on me to put food on the table, pay the rent, and keep the electric bill paid.
Meaning is found in the reason that hard work is engaged it — to fulfill your calling, to provide for your family, to minister to others, etc… Have you ever considered what a great ministry your trash collector provides to you and to your family? Often they get looked down on by society because they have a dirty job. But, where would we be without them? While I suppose that those of us who live in the countryside would simply burn our trash, what of those who live in the cities? This may seem an empty job, done thanklessly week in and week out, but is it not a job for which we are grateful? This is the distinction we must make and is the question of perspective that we must have as we read these verses.
There is a little debate as to how to translate the final clause to this verse. The Hebrew word רוּחַ (ruach) can either mean “spirit” or “wind” depending on the context. Most of the time, our English translations parallel this passage with Hosea 12:1 and thus speak about “striving after the wind…” In other words, even if you could catch the wind, it is intangible, so you could not grab ahold of it — it is vanity. Instead, I prefer to render this as “soul” along with some of the Rabbinic interpreters. The overall implication is the same — work for the sake of work does nothing but exasperate the soul of man — it is vanity. Yet, the use of the idea of “soul” here over “wind” preserves the heart of Solomon’s wisdom, that indeed, if you work only for the sake of work, you do nothing to feed your soul. But if your work has meaning and purpose, then your soul will be satisfied in your labors.
Paul the Apostle will write:
“And when you do all things, in word or in action, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
(Colossians 3:17)
Here is the heart of the doctrine of vocation. If we do all things (great and small, important and mundane) to the glory of Christ, they will not be vanity. We were created for good works (Ephesians 2:10), let us glorify God with them and in them.
What is and What Will Be
“What has been is what will be. And what has been done, it will be done. There is nothing all new under the sun. There is a word that says, ‘See this! It is new!’ But it has already been forever. It is what has been before us. There is no mention of the first things. Also, of the last things there will be no mention of amongst that which is at the end.”
(Ecclesiastes 1:9-11)
Indeed, there is nothing new under the sun. This is one of the most powerful pieces of wisdom that is uttered in this book. How often we look around us and say, “this generation is rebelling against God!” And, while indeed that is true, it has been true of every generation throughout the history of mankind. As a pastor, it is easy to lament that people aren’t reading their Bibles as much as they ought to be or that they are not attending church as faithfully as they should be, but is this a new conundrum? One of the things that I appreciate about reading theologians from ages past is that they complain about the same kinds of things as we do. J.C. Ryle, for example, complained that in the age of technology people had grown Biblically illiterate — how true that is of our age. Yet, Ryle was writing this 150 years ago.
One might tend to find that discouraging — we have not made much headway in reforming the corporate soul of man over the past 150 years or more, and perhaps that is so. But I take it as a word of encouragement that the problems I face within my own congregation are not new and unique to me, but they have been engaged by ministers in every generation that has gone before me. And, if the problem is much the same, and the nature of man’s sinful heart is much the same, the solution, too, needs be much the same. And the phrase, “there is nothing new under the sun,” reminds me that I need not invent a solution that is unique to my day and time, but must faithfully labor with the Truth as my forebears did.
Our problem as church leaders is that we are often poor historians and we do not know the solutions with which our forebears labored. Every time a new challenge raises its ugly head or a new heresy raises itself up in the church a slew of new books get written to address said matters. And while I do not object to new books, I often say to myself, “Wasn’t this heresy addressed in the Council of Nicea or by Irenaeus or another?” In most cases, the heresies have been refuted for more than a thousand years, but they keep on raising their heads because we don pay attention to the words of those who have come before us. How often there is no mention of first things. As others before me have written, “We must drink from the fountainhead if we are to nourish our souls and reform our lives.”
So, yes, we will face challenges due to sin in our lives and sin in the life of our society. And, as technology advances, it will be used to promote and facilitate the sin of man’s heart. But be encouraged, there is nothing new under the sun. The Gospel is still as relevant today as it has ever been and the word of God will still cut men’s souls to the quick. And the faithfulness of a man shepherding God’s flock is still measured not by attendance but by his faithfulness to the Word of God — despite what some “church growth” mentors might happen to say. Church worship is not a gimmick, it is the place where God’s people gather together to draw near to God in accordance to His Word. Anything apart from that or in addition to that becomes a show. So, be of good cheer weary pastor or weary Christian, Christ has overcome this world where there is nothing new “under the sun.”
Generations Come and Go
“A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever. The sun rises and the sun comes, but to the place from which it rises it presses on there. It goes to the south and again around to the north, around and around the wind goes, overall its surroundings the wind returns. Every river goes to the sea but the sea is not full. To the place from which the river goes, to there they return. All words are wearisome and a man is not able to speak them; the eye is not satisfied with seeing and the ear cannot be filled by hearing.”
(Ecclesiastes 1:4-8)
How often we simply read words like this with a tone of despair — a kind of fatalism wherein all things are futility. Yet, to do so would be to miss what it is that Solomon is addressing to us. Essentially, these words are an expansion of verse 3: earthly things done for earthly reasons, it is that they avail you nothing. But, if you are using these earthly things to store up treasure for yourself in heaven, then we are talking about an entirely different conversation.
What you have here is a mention of cycles. One generation goes (as a pastor, I officiate far more funerals than I would like to!) but with the departure of one generation comes another (in most years of my ministry, I have been privileged to conduct more baptisms than funerals!). And so, in the cycle there is a continuation in which we can find joy and hope. The sun rises and it sets (with amazing regularity!). And so, even though one day is ending, there is yet a new day on the horizon and perhaps we will be able to accomplish in that day those things that were not accomplished in this one. The wind blows with amazing irregularity (see how Jesus applies this idea in John 3:8), but it blows consistently. The water rushes to the sea in the streams and rivers, but then evaporates into the air and is deposited back on the mountaintops through rain and snow.
If one looks at these elements in nature and in life as a burden, then these words of Solomon will seem dreadful…yes, another day, another year, another season, etc… Yet, if we see them as resources in which to be used for the glory of God, they are something to be celebrated. I heard a preacher once say that “Sundays come around with amazing regularity.” So, preacher — pastor — church member, if Sunday morning worship is something you do as a matter of duty, yes, what a drag that can be. But if Sunday is a day of worship and rest from your weariness, what a wonderful thing it is! So, friends, for you, which is it?
Verse 8 is often treated as a new paragraph, but it really continues the thought of those verses before it. We are people who live by words. We use language not only to communicate with others, but even our thoughts are constructed with words and phrases. And once again, we cannot speak all of the words that run through our lives, and if you leave that idea there, you will be dragged down into despair. But if you realize that all our words (thought or spoken) are an offering to God as a sacrifice of praise, then is it not wonderful that we are so filled with such words that we cannot get them all out? Like the cycle of the water, our words flow from us in an unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and still more come to us as we are so led by the Holy Spirit to pray (Romans 8:26) and there is no end to the communion we have with our great maker.
We must recognize that we also use our words with one another and that the words of others can weary us at times. Sometimes we think, “Oh, if I could just have a moment of peace and silence from the endless complaining of the people around me!” Yet, when people find themselves stranded alone and without people to talk to, or they find themselves placed in solitary confinement in a prison, people tend to go mad. How indeed we desperately need the words of others and even the wearying ones are a blessing from God when you realize the damage that comes from being deprived of them.
Finally, there is the language of the ear and the eye and them not being filled with that they hear or see. Again, this is sometimes seen as a negative statement, but truly it is not. And this is the problem with scientific empiricism, which states that the only things you can know are those things that can be plainly demonstrated to the senses. This, friends, could not be further from the truth because we need our reason and our language to describe those things we see and hear. Furthermore, God has made us in his image, so when we observe something take place with our senses, we are compelled to think about those events and draw conclusions about them (the basis of scientific inquiry!). And again, this is a truly wonderful thing to do and experience. Sadly, oftentimes learning is restricted to a classroom, but how much more meaningful learning is when it is discovered! Discovery happens because the eye or the ear is not satisfied with a simple observation without conclusions.
In the end, though, this more optimistic mindset only makes sense if there is an overarching meaning and purpose to life — a purpose that is drawn from something that is eternal. So the resources of the natural world are meaningless if your only end is to serve yourself (because you, too, will die). But they are of great meaning if you are using them to glorify God and build his Kingdom. In the same way, words can weigh us down — countless study can be a burden to our souls — but endless study of God’s word when one realizes that this word draws us closer to God and teaches us more about the God we adore, that is a refreshing promise indeed! I have often told my children that in any job — any vocation — there will be things you dread. But you do those things you don’t like so that you can do the things you are most passionate about. If the spiritual things of life (prayer, Bible study, Christian worship, etc…), then no matter how mundane and dull your vocational responsibilities, if they enable you to do the spiritual things, then purpose can be found even in these matters. Even as a pastor, one can easily fall into a trap. For me, the teaching and preaching aspects of the ministry are the things for which I live — conflict counseling, administrative tasks, etc… not so much. But if you recognize that these “things that go with the territory as a pastor” are tools to enable you to better preach and teach due to the relationships they build, then meaning is found, not dread. This principle applies to all of our lives, regardless of our vocation.
All of Man’s Troubles
“What advantage is it to man, with all of his troubles with which he troubles himself under the sun.”
(Ecclesiastes 1:3)
Solomon to set before us the overarching theme of this book with these words and to do so, he sets before us a rhetorical question: “Of what advantage is it to man?” But of whom is Solomon speaking when he speaks this way? Is he speaking of an individual or is he speaking of mankind as a collective? The term that he chooses, אָדָם (adam), is generally used in the collective sense and the word carries with it the definite article, so you might translate this as “What advantage is it to the mankind…”.
Some rabbinic scholars will argue that this ought to be translated as “What advantage is it to man himself….” Essentially, the point that is being argued for is that Solomon observes that the individual often does not gain from his endless toil, but society still does. Bridges and towers and roads and other kinds of infrastructure that was often achieved at great cost, does benefit the whole, and that is true, on a level. So, the argument, the rabbi’s suggest, addresses the question on a more personal level.
Yet, while the rabbi’s make an important point, I think that Solomon’s observations go deeper than that, for Solomon recognizes in his old age that any benefits given to society by the labors of our hands are fleeting (and such is emphasized in the following verses) and that if we wish to benefit society as a whole, it will not be by the physical things we build, but by the spiritual model we set for others — and most significantly, by our families.
Think about it, let us imagine that the things you create benefit a thousand people in a direct and tangible way, yet you are so consumed by your work that you fail to lead your family in matters of faithfulness to God. Which has longer-lasting consequences? Your failure to lead your children in faith will affect the way your children lead their families and the way your grandchildren lead their families. Given the exponential growth of the family, one can easily see how the negative effects of the one will in time outweigh the positive effects of the other. Further, if Solomon’s life demonstrates one thing, it demonstrates that he focused far more on his earthly accomplishments than on teaching his son, Rehoboam, to walk in wisdom…which had longer lasting consequences indeed! Paul writes that the one who does not provide for his family has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8) — what is the most important provision that a father can give to his children? The knowledge of the things of God. He who would compromise this is worse than an infidel no matter how much he accomplishes in an earthly sense.
The phrase “under the sun” is a repeated phrase within Solomon’s work here. Rashi, the Hebrew commentator, suggests that it should be read as, “instead of the sun,” but I prefer the more standard reading of under. God made the sun to rule the day (Genesis 1:16) and thus the phrase is being used by Solomon to create a contrast between those worldly things that pass away and the eternal things of God.
So of what value is the laboring and toil for the worldly things done during the domain of the day? They will not last and so, while they may benefit society for a season, if they are done to the exclusion of spiritual things they are vanity and nothing more than vanity.
Heidelberg Catechism, question 91, asks the question, “What are good works?” It offers three criteria: they must be done out of true faith, they must be consistent with the Law of God, and they must be done for the glory of God alone. If all three of these criteria are not met, no matter what benefit there is to society, your labors cannot be called “good works,” but are labors done in vain. How often we settle for vanity instead of pursuing what the works for which we were created (Ephesians 2:10).
All is Vanity
“‘Vanity of vanities,’ said the Preacher. ‘Vanity of vanities; it all is vanity.’”
(Ecclesiastes 1:2)
The phrase, “vanity of vanities” becomes the tagline for this entire book, though again, if one just looks at bits and pieces and sections of the book, one misses the point. For, while the book begins with the phrase “vanity of vanities” it ends with the words: “this is the whole duty of man…” In other words, there is a transformation that takes place as one reads through this book from beginning to end — a structure that says, “Yes, there is meaning to life, but you will not find meaning in the things of this world; meaning is found in the intersection where the ordinary things of this world meet and find their meaning in the eternal matters, so fear God and obey his commandments.” Yet, to arrive at that conclusion in a meaningful way, Solomon must take us step by step through the ideas and worldviews that filled his life for many years — ideas and worldviews that remain today, thus making this journey a productive one.
So, let’s come back to this verse and its significance. What is vanity? The Hebrew word that is used in this context is הֶבֶל (hevel), a word used 86 times in the Old Testament. It is used to refer to breath (something that has no substance), to idols, to vain ideas and practices, and even to Abel (he would not survive to be the child of promise, that honor went to Seth). It refers to anything that truly has no substance or depth of its own — that has no lasting value.
And how Solomon’s words should speak to us here. We build homes, we build churches and other monuments. We also build collections of things, seek to accumulate wealth and prestige. We seek to make names for ourselves so that we will not be forgotten after we are gone from this world. Yet, these things are all fleeting in the eternal scope of things.
As a pastor, it weighs on my soul that when someone dies, a life lived well across sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, or even a hundred years is summed up in a single column in the newspaper. Further more, it is abbreviated again for the tombstone. In our church’s cemetery, there are tombstones tracing back to the founding of our church almost two-hundred years ago. But what is remembered about most of those founders? Little more than the date of their birth and the date of their death. And that, too, in time will be forgotten as the stones weather away and eventually crumble. It is enough to depress even the most optimistic person.
And that is exactly Solomon’s point. Here is one of the most successful kings of Israel (in human terms) and his accomplishments are summed up in only a handful of chapters in the Bible. We know he built a the Temple and massive palace structures, we know he was wise and have many of his proverbs along with an erotic love poem, and we know he was foolish enough to follow his many wives into their pagan practices. More is told about Solomon, but most of us skim over those chapters of the Bible and move on to “more interesting things.” And think about it, compared to many others in the Bible, we know a great deal about this man.
The point of this phrase is to help us keep perspective. It is easy to get caught up in the urgent needs of the present, but these are vain in the grand scheme of things. Whether the dishes always get done, or the house is perfectly vacuumed, or whether or not the lawn is always mowed just right, or whether we have the best job or work our way up the corporate ladder — whatever that may look like in your life, all of these things are passing. The only thing that is lasting is God himself and if you want to make a lasting contribution to this world, you will only do so by building his kingdom and not your own. Yes, your name will most likely be forgotten within a few generations, but if Christ’s name is not forgotten because of the commitments of your life, your labors will not be in vain. Otherwise we say with Solomon, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
The Words of the Preacher
“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, King in Jerusalem.”
(Ecclesiastes 1:1)
The book of Ecclesiastes is one of those interesting little books in the Old Testament that is often quoted but rarely studied closely. Some turn away from this book as it seems to have a quite pessimistic view on life (vanity of vanities!) and others often gravitate to this book because it speaks to them in the midst of their vain attempts at self-satisfaction. It stands as relevant today as it was when Solomon first put pen to paper and while not commonly quoted in the New Testament, the ideas it contains provide an important foundation for the Gospel.
In the Hebrew Bible, this book is called קהלח (Qoheleth) or “the Preacher” or sometimes “the Convener.” Ecclesiastes is taken from the Greek translation of this, drawn from ἐκκλησιαστής (ekklesiastes), referring to a member (or convener) of the church. It is part fo the third section of the Hebrew Bible, known as “The Writings” or sometimes as “The Psalms” and is one of the traditional readings during the festival of the Tabernacles. Since Tabernacles carries with it Messianic overtones, we must not neglect the Messianic nature of this book.
Traditionally this book is attributed to Solomon due to the words of this verse (along with verse 12 below). He identifies himself both as a “son of David” and “King in Jerusalem.” Verse 12 expands on that and identifies him as “King over Israel in Jerusalem.” While this first verse limits the playing field, verse 12 narrows the playing field down to two. We must recognize that in the Hebrew usage, “son of” can extend back generations…thus even Jesus was referred to as “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1; 9:27; 21:9).
Thus, recognizing that a number of kings who ruled from Jerusalem can claim to be “sons of David” we need verse 12, because with the advent of Solomon’s death and the rise of his son, Rehoboam, the northern kingdom of Israel split away and the kings in Jerusalem only ruled over Judah. That leaves just two candidates: Solomon and Absolom. Given the brevity of Absolom’s reign and his violent death, it seems unlikely that he would have written a book like this. That leaves us with Solomon, arguably in his old age, looking back at his folly. Furthermore, references to building projects and wealth are found in chapter 2, which again belong to Solomon’s reign and not to Absolom’s.
And thus we begin an exploration into Solomon’s reflections on life. This book is meant to be sobering, but also to point us to the vanity of our secular humanism and all of the other things that we put into the place of God. And, in a world where people are constantly “redefining” themselves based on the restlessness of their hearts, this book sends a clear message that no matter how we “self-identify” we will never find satisfaction apart from living our our lives as God designed us to do. Again, these words are as relevant today as they were 3,000 years when he wrote them — perhaps even more relevant.
Praise Yahweh!
“The ones who are raised up from the dust are the poor;
from the garbage heap, he lifts high the oppressed
to make them sit with noblemen;
with the noblemen of his people.
Making the barren woman dwell in a house—
a joyful mother of sons.
Praise Yahweh!”
(Psalm 113:7-9)
The last three verses of this psalm are a direct allusion to the prayer of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:8), Hannah praising God for his providential grace in opening her womb and in giving her a son. Indeed, in Hannah’s case, she would not only go from being a barren woman with an empty house to being the mother of Samuel, the last Judge of Israel, but she would bear an additional three sons after Samuel as well as two daughters (1 Samuel 2:21). What grace that God showed to this humble woman, and that grace is a sign of the wonderful care that God takes in lifting the poor and broken-hearted out of their sorry estates and raising them on the heights of joy on eagles wings. Indeed, not only does God have a heart for ministering to the downtrodden, but should it be such a surprise that God commands our worship to also be one that is focused on the care of the poor, the orphan, and the widow (Isaiah 1:17; James 1:17)? Richard Sibbes, the great Puritan writer, once wrote that God has two heavens: one that is glorious and high above and the second is the broken heart, which is a place that you just can’t keep God out of. Indeed, how we must too be about our father’s work.
The question, though, that we must also dwell upon, is why, when God chooses to elevate some from the depths of their despair and barrenness, why does God not choose others who desire and pray earnestly that they might be given children? Certainly, the obvious answer is that God is sovereign and does not need the council of men, but how do we see God comforting one for whom it is not in his plan to bring children? There are several answers that we must give. First, we must learn to trust in God’s providence. God is sufficient in himself to bring joy even to the most wounded and broken heart. Certainly that requires us to trust him to bring us such contentment, but he is more than able to bring contentment even to the most downtrodden soul. Oh, how we fall prey to the lies of this world that our contentment can be found in other gods—even the god of family. How we see being surrounded by family as the only solution to the loneliness that we often feel, whether it be children or a spouse that you long for or whether it be family that has been separated from you (by distance or death) that you miss. Beloved, let it be God who brings solace to your troubled heart; let it be God that you surround yourself with during the day; let it be God that brings you rest; and let it be God who fills your home—none will fill your life more richly or more fully than he.
Second, we must ask ourselves, how is God is using these events, as deeply as they may grieve our souls, for the good of his glory. God has promised us that he will work all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28), but we must always understand events by God’s standard of good, and not our own. We often define good as that which is comfortable or easy; God defines good as that which reflects his character and brings him glory. Beloved, how different a mindset that is than the mindset by which we usually operate. Oh, how we should praise God even for the great trials of faith that we face, for these trials draw us closer to God and draw us deeper into his abundant mercies. We may not understand the purpose behind the events of God here in this life, for which of us who are fallen and finite humans, can acts as a counselor to God, but we can be assured that God has good purposes in all his actions.
Loved ones, rejoice in God’s good providence, even if it does not unfold in your life the way that you think it ought. Trust God and cling to his mercies that all that takes place in your life takes place in such a way that it honors him and brings him glory—and that it does so in such a way that men and women—unbelievers—are drawn to faith through you. Remember that these psalms of praise that we know as the Hallel psalms carry with them evangelistic overtones. Yet there is one other piece of the puzzle we must remember. Not only are these psalms given for the purpose of evangelizing the nations—that the nations might see God’s goodness to his people and be drawn to praise (Psalm 117)—but they are also given for the purpose of evangelizing our children. How our children need to see in us the joy that we feel in our God. If they don’t see God being gloriously and magnificently gracious to us, then what will attract them to Christ?
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O Praise Him! Allelulia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in one!
O Praise Him! O praise Him!
Allelulia! Allelulia! Allelulia!
-St. Francis of Assisi
Who is Like our God?
“Who is like Yahweh, our God,
Who makes a high place to dwell;
Who upon the lowly ones will look—
Those in the heavens and the earth.”
(Psalm 113:5-6)
The psalmist poses a challenge to adherents of all other religions: “Who is like Yahweh, our God?” In other words, he is saying, “Go, look at your gods; bring them to bear in comparison with our God. Either your god is puny and bound upon the earth (or even bound to the heavens), or your view of God is that he is so transcendent that he cannot communicate to his believers.” Our God, though, is unlike all of these false gods. Our God is great and mighty and transcendent and created not only the heavens and the earth—but everything in the heavens and the earth as well! Why worship the sun or the moon when our God put the sun and the moon into their orbits? Why worship the animals when our God made the very animals in all of their majesty and variety? Yet, as high and mighty as our God is—and there is none who is mightier—our God condescends to have a relationship with us as his people. What an amazing God we have! What a God we worship! He is God above all other gods, and he alone should be worshipped!
Friends, have you ever stopped and thought about just how wonderful it is that we have a God that, though he is almighty, he comes down and forms a relationship with us. And, beloved, do not let the world fool you, that relationship is initiated, formed, and empowered by God’s sovereign work—not because you or I pursued God in just the right way. We have a God that pursued us because he chose, in his wonderful grace, to reveal himself to us and to have a relationship with us. Oh, loved ones, do you not know that we could know nothing of the infinite God if he had not designed to reveal himself to us? Do you not know that we could never have gazed upon his beauty had he not revealed that beauty to us, nor could we have known the wonder of salvation had Christ not come to earth to bear the guilt of our sins and had God not inspired the prophets and apostles to write for us the words of truth and life that we know as the Holy Scriptures.
Beloved, do not take this privilege and gift lightly, it was given at a great cost of Jesus, God’s son, himself. For had Christ not chosen to bear our iniquity, we would know nothing of our God apart from the wrath of his judgment. How often we take for granted the wonder of the God we have. How often we take lightly our own sin and the price that our sin caused our God to pay. How often, in our conceit and arrogance, we think that we know all things about God when the fact that we can even apprehend God is a marvelous gift given to us—yet, how can the finite begin to comprehend the infinite—we simply cannot. Cherish this remarkable privilege and gift, and rejoice in the one who has given such a gift to you—who has chosen to condescend and to have a relationship with you even in this lowly world.
Let Yahweh be Exalted!
“Exalted over all the peoples is Yahweh;
Above the heavens is His glory!”
(Psalm 113:4)
Oh, beloved, how great is our Lord and how worthy he is to be praised. He is higher than the heavens—as far as we can see, we cannot see beyond him. If we extend our technology to fathom the breadth and depth of the great sea of space we call the universe, we cannot exceed Him or escape his power. God’s glory is demonstrated in all of his creation and as we gaze upon that creation we should simply stare in awe at what our God has done, and that awe should drive us to worship. Yet, what is more, God’s glory not only eclipses the glory of the universe, God is to be praised by all the peoples of the earth. Everywhere that mankind has left his mark; God is to be exalted.
Yet, dear friends, how can that happen if God is not made known. These psalms carry with them a missionary call. God is commanding all of the peoples of the earth to proclaim His excellencies, thus, it falls upon our shoulders, as those who do know His excellencies, to share the truth with those who don’t. That means the neighbor down the street who is living apart from faith, the coworker who is living in sin, the sister or cousin who has rejected God, and the people from far away nations where the Gospel ministry has been suppressed, oppressed, or otherwise barred from reaching. Loved ones, you who know the wonderful and sacrificial love of Christ, how we must tell the world of the marvelous sufficiency of our God. Oh, how we are given a call to tell the nations—beginning with those nations that live in the house next door.
We’ve a story to tell the nations,
That shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy,
A story of peace and light,
A story of peace and light.
For the darkness will turn to dawning,
And the dawning to noonday bright;
And Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth,
The kingdom of live and light.
-Henry Ernest Nichol
Praise the Lord All the Day!
“From the sun’s rising to its setting;
Let the name of Yahweh be praised.”
(Psalm 113:3)
When God speaks to Joshua, he tells him to take the writings of Moses (scripture) and to study them day and night so that he may walk faithfully before the Lord (Joshua 1:8). There is an old story of a young rabbi who wanted to go study Greek philosophy. His elder rabbi cited this verse from Joshua and told him to “go and find the hour that is neither day nor night and in that hour you may study Greek philosophy.” In other words, if God thought that it was essential that Joshua, a man of great faith and integrity, keep the Scriptures before his eyes at all time so that he may walk faithfully, ought not we consider it of the same importance in our own lives?
Though the psalmist is speaking about praise and not specifically the study of God’s word, the principle expressed in both of these passages holds true. How essential it is for us to give our lives to the praising of our Great God and King. How essential it is for us to live out our lives in a deliberate way so as to bring glory and honor to the King of Kings! How our lives need to be characterized by the praise of our God! What a wonderful thing it is to worship our God, what a necessary thing it is to our well-being, but what a neglected thing it is for the people of God—especially if you only understand worship in terms of that which you do Sunday morning.
Beloved, worship of God is for all of life. The psalmist says nothing of the Sabbath in this verse. The psalmist says nothing of being in the gathering of the saints in this verse. The psalmist simply says, from the sun’s rising to its setting—all of your waking hours—let your life praise the name of Yahweh. How good it is for us, loved ones, to nurture this practice and mindset within our lives. How important it is, if we are going to stay faithful to God, that we seek to live out our praise in all of life. Beloved, be deliberate in seeking ways in which your daily, waking, activities can be used in the praise of our Great and infinitely praiseworthy, God and King.
Let the Name of Yahweh be Blessed!
“Let the name of Yahweh be blessed;
From now until eternity!”
(Psalm 113:2)
Oh, beloved, how the psalmist continues with his words of praise! It is as if the psalmist has been so taken in delight as he sets forth to praise our God and King that he simply cannot contain it in a single verse, but continues on, elevating his praise to a new and more wonderful level. And here he sets forth a wonderful command: let the very name of Yahweh be praised, and let it be praised now and forever! What a wonderful statement. It is as if the psalmist is speaking to us through the generations and saying, you who fear the Lord, do not forget to honor and praise the name of our God in all you do whenever you do what you do. What a statement it is that he sets before us.
When God gave us the Ten Commandments, the third commandment was to not take the Lord’s name in vain. Usually, in modern times, we understand this in terms of slang and vulgarity, and certainly it is quite inappropriate to use our God’s name in such a way. At the same time, the Hebrews understood this commandment to mean so much more. They understood this commandment to also speak of using God’s name for empty or vain purposes—don’t take an oath in God’s name if you never intend to fulfill your part of the bargain, for example. The word “vain” in Hebrew refers to something that is empty or insubstantial, and God commanded that in every use of his name, we are to do so in a substantial way. Now, historically, the Hebrews eventually became so superstitious about not using his name properly, they stopped using his name at all. Yet, here, the psalmist is teaching us how to use the name of Yahweh in a way that is not vain or empty—we are to praise it. Just as God is holy, everything associated with him is holy and righteous and wonderful, and so, too, his name is worthy of our praise. And, indeed, to take this principle to its logical end, we must look to Jesus, who was given the name which is above all other names, for he is God (Philippians 2:9).
Sometimes, loved ones, we struggle with this. Sometimes we have a bad tendency to use God’s name in such a way that it is meant to gain us advantage. Sometimes we simply tell people that we are Christians because we think that is what they want to hear. Sometimes we do what is worse, and we use, if even accidentally in a slip-up, we use God’s name in a dirty, vain, and vulgar way—or we allow others in our presence to do so without telling them how offensive it is to us. Beloved, the psalmist is reminding us that there is only one good and proper way to use God’s name, and that is to praise it! Oh, loved ones, let us set our hearts and lives to doing just that, and let us speak truth into the lives of others to encourage them to do the same. Let us honor the name of our God by lifting it up in praise and honor.
Jesus! The name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
‘Tis life, and health, and peace.
-Charles Wesley
Praise Yahweh!
“Praise Yahweh, praise him you servants of Yahweh!
Praise the name of Yahweh!”
(Psalm 113:1)
Oh, beloved, how good it is to praise the name of Yahweh! It nourishes the soul, it strengthens the resolve, and it guides the man or woman of faith in all decisions that they make. We are a people of praise, set apart for the praise of God! Praise defines who we are and it shapes our relationship not only with God but with other believers who come alongside of us to praise God’s holy name. And God is praise-worthy! He is true, he is righteous, he is holy, he is infinite and perfect in all of his attributes, he knows all, he can do all that is righteous and holy, and he is at all places all of the time. He is more praiseworthy than the sun, the moon, the stars, the creation of human hands, the imagination of the human mind, or of anything else in the created order. He is God, thus, he is to be praised.
The sad thing is that as wonderful as it is to praise God for who he is, there are many in our world today that do not praise God for who he is or even for what he has done. Some of these would praise God for these things if they knew the truth about God, yet no one has come to them with the message of the good news. Some have chosen to reject the message of the good news that has been presented to them and which pervades their culture. And some fail to praise God because they think that they are praising God, but have just fallen into a ritualistic routine, and since they are sitting in a church week in and week out and since they do some good deeds, they comfortably think of themselves as believers, yet do not have a relationship with the one in whom they profess belief. And to these, Jesus will say, “I never knew you” and cast out into utter darkness and torment (Matthew 7:21-23).
One thing that these Hallel psalms constantly set before us is the importance of genuinely praising God for who he is and for what he has done. In addition, they are a reminder that we are to labor to help others to understand the importance and the wonder of praise. The praise of our God is praise for the whole world, for even the unbeliever owes God praise for all of the blessings that are found in this life (food, family, friendships, etc…). Does not God bring rain on the just and unjust in this world (Matthew 5:45)? Indeed, for the unbeliever to fail to worship God is an offense of the greatest degree. How much greater, then, for the ones who know the truth?
Beloved, you are servants of Yahweh; praise his holy name. Praise him with the words of your lips and with the actions of your life. Praise him in your waking hours and praise him when you rest. Praise him in your private hours and praise him in the congregation of the faithful, and call others to praise him as well! Let your life be a life that sings forth praise and let that praise draw others to our great and praiseworthy Lord and High King as well.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy Name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
In His arms He carries them all day long:
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of his excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Ever in Joyful Song!
-Fanny Crosby
I Will Praise You Forever
“I will praise you forever, because of your work;
I will hope in your name, because it is good in the presence of your saints.”
(Psalm 52:11 [verse 9 in English translations])
And here, David, in the midst of the grief and sorrow of loss turns his heart to praise. What a remarkable statement and model for our lives we have in the character in this great king over Israel. How often we find ourselves stuck or absorbed by our grief that we can never find ourselves being pulled out of it; David says that even in the midst of this sorrow, he will give God praise because God has preserved his life and has promised to judge the wicked who have done these horrible things. Loved ones, God will avenge and will make right every wicked act that is done against the lives of his people; may we always follow David’s example and model that in our lives as we praise God in the midst of our crises.
A note should be made here in terms of the word “saints” in translation. Literally, the word that David uses is חָסִיד (chasiyd), which is derived from the word, חֶסֶד (chesed). The word חֶסֶד (chesed), as we have discussed above, refers to God’s covenant faithfulness to us despite our lack of faithfulness in return. Similarly, then חָסִיד (chasiyd) refers to those who are the object or recipients of God’s חֶסֶד (chesed). In the New Testament, the term ἅγιος (hagios — literally, “holy ones”) is rendered as “saints,” yet it seems that the sentiment being communicated is rather similar, for indeed, just as there are none of us who are deserving of God’s faithfulness apart from His divine grace, so too, there are none of us who are holy, but instead we are made holy by God’s divine grace through the completed work of his Son, Jesus Christ.
And it is we, the saints, who have faith in the name of God almighty. Notice that the language referring to “the name” of God is singular. God has many names that are applied to him in scripture, but in a very real sense, these names are just aspects of his one true and Triune name: Yahweh — “I am.” When Jesus gives the disciples what we now know as the “Great Commission,” we find him using the same language once again in the context of baptism: “you shall baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19b). Notice that it does not say, “in the names” (plural), but “in the name” (singular). God may be three persons, but he is one in name. And hope is one of those funny little things. It does not exist in and of its own right, but hope must rest on something (a promise, a coming reality, the character of another, etc…). For the believer, we hope in the name of God for we know that he will not forsake his character or his promises to those who are his holy ones.
Beloved, it is in that hope that we can draw confidence and know that God is our fortress and our protector. He will allow us to grow up strong within his gates. He will defend us against our foes. And he will be the one who will avenge us of the wickedness that the ungodly do against us because of His name. Trust Him to that end.
A Luxuriant Olive Tree
“Yet I am like a luxuriant olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the chesed of God, eternally and forever.”
(Psalm 52:10 [verse 8 in English])
The choice of an olive tree is more significant than just that olives were a staple fruit of David’s day and in the region of Israel. While mature olive trees are fairly sturdy plants, when olive trees begin their growth they are rather weak saplings which typically need to begin their growth alongside of a sturdy fence or support. They need to be protected if they are going to grow in a healthy way. So it is with the believer. We need to grow healthy and strong within the stronghold of our mighty God and in his Word. All too often Christians believe that they can live in the world and grow strong on their own and with their own ideas. And then they wonder why it is that they have such a distorted view of the providence of God and of his grace. Loved ones, to grow healthy as believers, we must grow within the bounds and the confines of the walls of God’s word…it is our very life and breath.
The word “luxuriant” is a word that we don’t use much today, but it is yet a wonderful word; even the sound of it carries with it the feel of grace and fullness and health. A “luxuriant” olive tree is one that bears an abundance of large, ripe, olives; a luxuriant Christian is one whose life bears the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in abundance. It is strong and healthy and those who interact with the “luxuriant Christian” are attracted to Christ because of the life lived in the Spirit. How different this world would look if all confessing Christians would live lives so marked by God’s fruit — growing in God’s courts.
There is one characteristic of a “luxuriant” life that must be noted here as well, and that is the trusting in the chesed of God. This Hebrew term is rendered in quite a few ways, depending on the English translation, but it conveys the idea of God’s covenantal faithfulness to us as his people despite our covenantal unfaithfulness in return. When we get a handle on God’s chesed, it will drive us to our knees in thanksgiving and humble prayer. The saint, David reminds us, trusts in this chesed of God and even when the believer does not see God’s hand at work around him, he trusts that God is yet being faithful and will yet continue to be so. Such is the mark that leads one to luxuriant living in Christ Jesus.
See and Fear
“The righteous shall see and fear, and they will mock. ‘Look at the mighty one who would not have God as his refuge and trusted in his abundance and riches! He found strength in his own destruction!”
(Psalm 52:8-9 [verses 6-7 in English translations])
It seems kind of odd to picture believers mocking the downfall of anyone. We are so used to the language of loving and forgiving our enemies, it seems that we have trouble reconciling the two. Of course, scripture doesn’t seem to see any disharmony in this. Yes, the psalmist is mocking those who have chosen to flee from God’s rule and into the means of their own destruction, but at the same time, repeatedly God’s word has called those outside of the faith to repent of their wicked ways and come to God for forgiveness. When one refuses the counsel of wisdom being offered is rejected and the person continues to choose folly, there is a sense that they are getting what they deserve.
The language of the “mighty one” ought to be seen as sarcastic. Usually the term refers to a heroic warrior on the battlefield, but remember the one being spoken of in the immediate context is Doeg the Edomite, servant of Saul, who slew a family of priests…hardly something that would be marked as a glorious battle or achievement. Doeg trusted in his own status and the wealth of Saul, not taking counsel even from Saul’s other soldiers that attacking priests was just not to be done. How drastically sin and greed blind.
The final statement is the most significant of these two verses: “he found strength in his destruction.” In other words, the things that would destroy him are the things that he sought to magnify and revel in. Such is the pathway of sin. Paul writes in Romans 1 that part of God’s judgment is to withdraw his hand of restraint and allow you to pursue sin and wickedness to your own end. We bury ourselves in our sin, reveling in those things that undo us. How good the grace of God is that delivers us from this end, but how wicked we are in pursuing that end. Beloved, do not find strength in the things that will destroy you; find strength in God alone and you will live.
Loving Words of Confusion
“You love all of the words of confusion on a tongue of trickery.
But God will tear you down forever,
He will take you and drag you from your tent;
He will repeatedly uproot you from the land of the living.
Selah!
(Psalm 52:6-7 {verses 4-5 in English Translations})
Here we transition and David proclaims the judgment of God against those whose words are filled with deceit, whose ends are their own stomachs, and whose love is to confuse (some translations render this word as “devour” as it shares a root with the word that means “to swallow,” yet in context, “confuse” seems to be a more accurate choice given the word’s range of meaning). Though the wicked love words of trickery (that double-tongue, speaking out of both sides of their mouth), God loves words of truth and will punish those whose ends differ from his own. God will tear them down, he will drag them from their homes, and over and over, he will uproot them from the land of the living. He will lay bare their generation.
How liberating it is to know that we have a God who will bring those who tear us down and destroy us into judgment — a God who will frustrate the plans of the wicked and establish the righteous in places of security. Your initial response might be, “But wait a minute, in the world we live in it seems like the wicked prosper and the righteous get beaten down.” Indeed, that was David’s experience as he was writing this psalm. At the same time, while David did not see the whole of the big picture, he did stand in the confidence of knowing that God does see the big picture and his hand controls every step we take. All too often, when we are in the midst of trials, we cannot see what it is that God is doing, or, we get focused on how we would like God to work out his plan for his church and not on how God is working out his plan for his church. And we are HIS church, by the way…
Ultimately life and blessing and judgment is about God and not about me. It is his will and his design and we can find our comfort in knowing that once everything is said and done, and we are finally able to understand the plan and design of God for our lives from His perspective, our words of response will be, “Blessed is the Name of the Lord, Amen!”
Loving Evil over Good
“You love evil over good;
A lie over speaking righteousness.
Selah!”
(Psalm 52:5 {verse 3 in English Translations})
Selah! Indeed, Selah! We arrive at the first stanza break and we begin to ready ourselves for the affirmation that God’s name will be vindicated; David is moving from despair over what has taken place to reminding his soul that God is just and the wicked will be utterly destroyed. If there is a sense of pity here, it is because the wicked know that they will receive the judgment of God, yet pursue their evil schemes in spite of that knowledge.
As we have noted in discussions of other psalms, we do not know what the word “selah” means. Most suggest it is a liturgical term long lost to history, but exactly what that term indicated is anyone’s best guess. Some suggest that it indicates a key change, others suggest that it is a musical interlude. Others have suggested that it is a place where the singer would raise his voice. It comes from the verb that means to “throw or hurl something away from you.” Perhaps it could be a reminder that these verses are being sung not simply to one another, but lifted up toward God and hurled in his direction as a prayer. The only thing that we can be absolutely sure of is that no one is absolutely sure of what they mean.
Regardless of the meaning of “selah,” the meaning of the rest of the verse is clear. The wicked have set their hearts on evil instead of good and they are committed to lying over speaking words of truth, justice, and righteousness. How sad it is that we live in a world where we are surrounded by those who would choose wickedness over righteousness. Yet, it ought to grieve our hearts further that we live in a world where so many who profess faith in Christ choose to treat lying (one of the things that God considers evil) so casually. “It won’t hurt anyone” or “it is just a ‘little-white-lie’” people profess. Because God is truth, a lie either great or small, is a departure from living out God’s character in our lives — more importantly, as Satan is the Father of Lies (John 8:44), it reflects that we cannot discern the difference between God and Satan in whose character we are seeking to live out.
There was a time when the Christian’s word was considered his bond and assurance. No longer in our culture is that so. Today, many professing Christians live out their lives in ways that are little different than the pagans around them and then turn around and wonder why the non-believing world has such a low view of the church. If we wish to see our culture change, the culture of the Christian church will need to lead the way. Seeking the goodness — the character of God — in our lives needs to be the pillars on which our lives are supported both individually and corporately as the body of Christ. It is a transformation that can take place in a generation, the question is whether or not we are willing to commit ourselves to making that transformation.
Planning Destruction
“Destructions are planned by your tongue;
As a sharpened razor, you work treachery.”
(Psalm 52:4 [verse 2 in English translations])
Normally, we are not used to seeing the word “destruction in the plural.” Destruction is more or less total and the idea of repeating a destruction over and over seems rather redundant. At the same time, as David writes these words, he is communicating a great and deep truth when dealing with wicked people: wickedness feeds on itself. The wicked do not simply find their satisfaction in tearing you down once, but repeatedly they delight in kicking you down as you try and stand up. The question does not so much lie in whether they will be there with a boot to kick you in the head, but whether you are going to continue trying to stand as they continue trying to beat you down. Jesus said:
If the world hates you, know that it hated me before you. If you were from the world, the world would love as one in the same. But because you are not from the world—rather I chose you from the world—for this, the world hates you. Remember the word which I spoke to you—a slave is not greater than his lord. If they drove me out, they will also drive you out. If they treasure my word, they will also treasure yours.
(John 15:18-20)
To drive the word-picture home, David continues by speaking of the tongue’s work of planning destruction as being like a sharpened razor, slicing away all that it touches and being the tool of treachery. The word that we render as “treachery” comes from the Hebrew root hAm∂r (ramah), which means “to abandon” or “to betray.” Of course, the ultimate betrayal of all time is that of Judas betraying our Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, how often the actions of the world are marked by betrayal when dealing with believers in Christ Jesus.
More importantly, the contrast between the world’s oppression and the faithfulness of God should be made. While the world seeks destruction and betrayal, God builds up his own and promises never to leave or abandon us. It is sad that so often when people desire to be nurtured and treasured they turn only to those places that will betray and destroy. Of course, it is also sad that often the Christian church follows the world’s lead and betrays its own rather than demonstrating the love and faithfulness of Christ even when such things are difficult. Jesus said that the world will know that we are his disciples on the basis of our love for one another — when we choose not to live out that love in fellowship, what does it say about the quality of our witness?
Praise to Evil?
“Why is it that you offer praise to evil, oh great one?
The steadfast love of God lasts for all the day.”
(Psalm 52:3 [verse 1 in English translations])
Remember the context, it has just been reported to David that Doeg the Edomite has turned in the family of Achimelek for aiding David. All but Abiathar are murdered at Saul’s command as a result. Thus, the “great one” or “mighty one” in the text is Saul, with David raising the question, “Why do you praise evil works? They are short lived, yet God’s grace endures and will fill you throughout the day.
One of the marvelous aspects of the Psalms, though, is that they are written not just by David for the situation that David happens to find himself in. Instead, David writes them to express his struggle and prayer to God and then gives them to the church — to you and to me — as tools so that we can express our own struggles when similar situations arise. Fortunately, if we reside in America, the chance of someone coming and murdering our whole family because we supported “the other candidate” for leadership in the community is not likely. At the same time, if we live out our faith and challenge the wickedness around us, opposition will arise and there will be times of frustration and grief that will cause you to throw your hands up in the air and your face to the ground seeking deliverance from those who seek to do you ill. For those times, David gives us these psalms to teach us how to express our heart in a way that is honoring to God. Though the situations themselves may vary, the anguish of our heart remains the same. God has provided for our needs in psalms like this.
David, Doeg, and a Maskil
“To the director of music: a Maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite came and declared to Saul, saying to him: ‘David has come to the house of Achimelek.”
(Psalm 52:1-2 [Superscript in English Translations])
Though this psalm can be sung and prayed in many contexts, those with superscripts like this one give us a great deal of help in understanding the context within which the psalm was written. At this point in history, David is still on the run from Saul; he and his men are weary and hungry, and he goes to the priests at Nob (where the Tabernacle was at the time) and received the shewbread as well as Goliath’s sword (1 Samuel 21). Jesus himself refers to this event when he teaches that the Pharisaical restrictions on the Sabbath day did not apply to him or to his disciples (Mark 2:23-28).
What follows is disturbing to say the least. Doeg the Edomite tells Saul that Achimelek (whose name interestingly means: “Brother to the King”) has collaborated with David. While Saul’s own men refuse to strike down the priest of God; Doeg does not share that reservation, takes his men, and slays Achimelek and his family — 85 persons in all. Only Abiathar (whose name means: “My Father Gives Generously”) escapes to warn David (1 Samuel 22).
Thus in his time of distress and righteous anger (for the priests of God were slain), David turns to prayer and writes this psalm. We don’t know whether he wrote it immediately as his response to the news that Abiathar brings or later as he recalls this event, either way, these words reflect his heart’s response in the face of such tragedy.
It raises the question as to how our hearts respond to tragedy as well. Do we resort to prayer? Do we lift our hands in frustration and anger? Or, can we stand with David in utter astonishment at the brazen acts of sinful men and proclaim that we will wait patiently for God to vindicate his name. This does not mean that there is not a time to act, David did often, but often we get confused between the expression of our own difficulties and standing for the honor of our God and King. Also, are the words that come from our mouth in times of trial like these characterized by slander or worship? David’s words have guided the worship of God’s people for generations; can we say the same about our own words uttered at such times?
The Lord of Armies is with Us
“Yahweh Tsabaoth is with us;
A high stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah!
(Psalm 46:12 {verse 11 in English })
And the psalmist closes with the refrain, repeated from verse 8 (verse 7 in English versions). Though the world might come to an end, the God of Armies is with us. He is our guard and our shelter from the storms of life and the enemies that would seek to do us harm. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. He is the Lord of Hosts. And he is with us.
If we believe these words, why do we struggle so when it comes to engaging the world with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Why do we fear that which cannot threaten or harm us? I, like many, suffer from a fear of heights. Even in a glass elevator, where I am perfectly safe and protected as I am lifted upwards, the fear causes my pulse to rise and my grip on the railing in the elevator to grow very tight. Why? Phobias are irrational fears, and though they affect us in real ways, when you look honestly at them, they are kind of foolish. Why should I fear riding high in the air in a glass elevator? Nothing will harm me! Yet my knees grow weak. It seems that many Christians, while not necessarily suffering from a phobia of heights, suffer from a phobia of sharing their faith. Some jokingly refer to this as “witnessophobia,” but let us speak honestly — it is an irrational fear that stems from a sinful heart and a fear of rejection. Friends, don’t fall into this trap, our God is the Lord of Armies and a high stronghold and he has not given us a spirit of fear but one of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). Why hesitate; go, share the love and truth of Christ Jesus with a friend or neighbor that does not know him so that they too may find refuge in the Lord of all Refuge…Selah!
Let Go…
“Let go and know that I am God;
I will be exalted amongst the peoples;
I will be exalted on the earth.”
(Psalm 46:11 {verse 10 in English})
This is one of those wonderful passages of scripture that is given to focus and comfort us at every turn in our lives. It is a passage that I have often quoted as I have counseled people struggling with hurt, loss, and anxiety and it is a passage that I have often quoted to myself as I have gone through struggles of my own. Much like a loving parent, God is saying to us, “Relax, don’t get so wound up in this or that, learn to trust my providence for my grace is sufficient for you.”
Typically, we see the first line rendered, “Be still and know that I am God.” Literally, the Hebrew word used here means to let go of something. It is a picture of God telling us to let go of all of those things that we are trying to control by our own efforts and he is saying, “Trust me, I will work things through.” Certainly that does not mean we are to sit back and never do anything because God uses us as tools to do his work in this world. But it does mean that we should not get so uptight about the process for God is in control. Jesus himself cautioned us not to feel anxious about tomorrow (Matthew 6:25-34). We have a God who has ordered all things according to the counsel of his own will (Ephesians 1:11) and that God loves us, so why waste our days fretting and worrying about what might happen or about what might have happened. We can only live in the present; God says, “Let go and know that I am God.”
I suppose that letting go is one of the hardest things for us to do. Our struggle with doing so goes back to the Fall of Adam and Eve, each wanting to do their own thing rather than trusting a loving God to order their days. How much we have yet to learn as we go through the process…
But do not miss the rest of this verse in the context of the psalm as a whole. Paul writes in Philippians that there will come a time when every tongue will confess and every knee will bow that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). When will it be that God is properly lifted up amongst the nations and throughout the earth? It will take place when justice rolls down the mountains like rain upon the wicked and they are finally and eternally brought into submission to the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. So why be still? Because the God we worship wins in the end…hands down and with no qualifications. And if we are trusting in him, then who can stand against us? Why should we fear the world when we serve the one who has overcome the world on our behalf? Beloved, this is the call and command of God, let go and know in the very depths of your being that our God reigns and he cannot be moved from the designs he has set forth.
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