Now let's turn in our Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and we're going to read from verse 12 to verse 26.
And today we're going to think about how the teacher of Ecclesiastes helps us to begin to topple some of our idols.
So Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and at verse 12.
Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom and also madness and folly.
What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done?
I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.
The wise have eyes in their heads while the fool walks in the darkness.
But I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.
Then I said to myself, the fate of the fool will also overtake me.
What then do I gain by being wise?
I said to myself, this too is meaningless.
For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered.
The days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die.
So I hated life.
Because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.
All of it is meaningless.
A chasing after the wind.
I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun.
Because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.
And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish.
Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil,
into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun.
This too is meaningless.
So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.
For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge, and skill.
And then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it.
This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.
What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?
All their days their work is grief and pain.
Even at night their minds do not rest.
This too is meaningless.
A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil.
This too, I see, is from the hand of God.
For without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness.
But to the sinner, he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth
to hand it over to the one who pleases God.
This too is meaningless.
A chasing after the wind.
Amen.
I wonder if we are familiar with the idea of achievement addiction.
I was reading a short article from an employment counselor this week,
and she was talking about that idea,
and she was arguing that achievement is the alcohol of our time.
So she works with high-level business folks,
and she says these days the best people don't abuse alcohol,
they abuse their lives.
Everything else is sacrificed for the sake of achievement
in their particular field.
And again, she argued that an achievement addict
is no different from any other kind of addict.
And so how this looks in business and in the workplace
is that you find people,
and perhaps we recognize this in ourselves,
we're living for the high of a completed project or a big sale,
and you can live off that for a while,
but after a time, that feeling wears off,
and what happens, you're chasing after it again,
but not just the same level.
You want something bigger, something more significant.
An achievement addict is no different from any other kind of addict.
Two realms where this achievement addiction can be a big issue
are addressed here by our teacher.
Education and employment.
In our city of Edinburgh,
education and employment,
two avenues where people can look for their significance.
And so it's good for us that, again,
our teacher returns to focus on these two topics.
Because wisdom and work
can become idols to us.
What do we mean when we talk about idols and idolatry?
Well, if something provides our sense of security
and satisfaction,
and it's not God,
then that thing has become an idol to us.
If we are looking to our wisdom
or our work to create a sense of pride,
an inflated view of ourself,
where we're thinking,
well, I am somebody because I have this level,
and we look down on others
because they haven't reached that level,
then our wisdom or our work is an idol to us.
If when we measure our lives,
we say,
I am someone,
I have value
because of what I know or what I do,
or the other way around,
I have no significance
and I have no value
because I feel like my job is worth nothing,
then, again,
it's a sign that we're looking to
something
to give to us
what God is
only able to give.
Our sense of identity
and worth and significance
are supposed to come from
our relationship with God.
And when we look to find our sense of self
from a created thing,
that has become
an idol to us.
So our teacher here,
we've seen him,
he's on a search for gain,
he's on a search for
ultimate happiness.
In some ways,
he sounds like that child
who's always asking the question,
but why,
but why?
He returns again
to wisdom
and to work
to ask the question,
is that where we can find
ultimate gain
and significance?
Or should we look
somewhere else?
as a wise king,
he claims to give us
the final word.
And that final word
that we have in this section
is that since all worldly efforts
are futile
in giving eternal happiness,
we should find our joy in God
and in his everyday gifts.
gifts.
Let's see how he gets us there.
Beginning with the reality
that there is no gain
from wisdom
or folly.
So this is the first section,
verse 12
to 16.
He's returning
in his thoughts
to consider wisdom.
He's already taken us there
in chapter 1,
verses 13
and 17.
Asking the question,
can wisdom
or can folly
answer the search
for something final,
something absolute?
Look at what he says
in verse 12.
He says,
I turn my thoughts
to consider wisdom
and madness and folly.
What more can the king's
successor do
than what has already
been done?
What's he trying to say there?
He's trying to say,
if anyone should know
the answer to this,
it's me.
Because Solomon
was a king
who was famous
for his wisdom.
His wisdom was given
to him by God.
We know the queen
of Sheba
travelled many hundreds
of miles
because Solomon's wisdom
was world famous.
And as he searches
deeply
and as he probes
these questions,
he is confident
that he is able
to provide a better answer
than anyone
following him.
And to help
in this question
of do wisdom
or folly
provide ultimate meaning,
he takes two different
points of view
for us.
One point of view,
just daily life,
a day in the life,
but the other point of view
is from a gravesite.
So in verses 13 and 14,
he's considering
wisdom and folly
from a relative
point of view.
And from that point of view,
he can say,
I saw that wisdom
is better than folly,
just as light
is better
than darkness.
So wisdom
is like light,
folly
is like darkness.
It's better
to have eyes
that can see
rather than be blind
so that you are
alert to danger
so that you can choose
the right direction.
Moral instruction
is good
to listen to.
King Solomon
would tell us,
relatively speaking,
wisdom is better
than folly.
But then,
ultimately,
end of verse 14,
I came to realize
that the same fate
overtakes them both.
Verse 16,
the wise,
like the fool,
will not be long remembered.
The days have already come
when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool,
the wise, too,
must die.
So when we think
about our ultimate destiny
and when we realize
we all share
that same fate,
whether we are wise
or foolish,
in a worldly setting,
when we will die
and be forgotten,
when you can't take
wisdom with you
or you can't use
that wisdom
you value
in the grave,
we can see why
the teacher says,
well, actually,
in the end,
it makes no difference.
Death is like
that trump card
that's played over
every pleasure,
that's played over
the value of wisdom.
There was a minister
by the name
of Haddon Robinson
who's also written
a good few books
and he spoke about
conducting a funeral service
for a man
who had a working knowledge
of 34 different languages
when he died.
Now, I don't know about you,
but that, to me,
seems mind-boggling.
That is an incredible achievement,
but
no eternal game.
We can be dazzled
by wisdom
and knowledge,
but without God,
it doesn't lead
to eternal gain.
In this search
for happiness,
death brings
that sudden stop.
And so,
our teacher will say,
wisdom is meaningless
or vanity.
It's like that morning mist.
It's short-lived.
You cannot hold on to it.
And most of all,
it cannot save us
in the end.
And so,
the wisdom of our teacher
makes us reflect.
Am I basing
my sense of self,
my sense of security,
on my knowledge
and wisdom?
Or does my hope
lie in the fact
that I know
my God?
Am I consuming
the information
and the knowledge
of this age,
but ignoring
the wisdom
of God?
We have an invitation
in our own lives
to follow the example
of this teacher,
assess our lives
on the basis
of our day-to-day,
think about the wisdom
that we live by,
but also
go to the day
of your death.
Are we wise
towards God?
Do we know God?
That's the only wisdom
that counts in the end.
So our teacher
can say
there's no gain
from wisdom
or folly.
And then he turns
in verse 17
to 23
to say there's no gain
from work.
Verse 17,
So I hated life
because the work
that is done
under the sun
was grievous to me.
All of it
is meaningless.
A chasing
after the wind.
So our teacher
King,
he knows
the toil
of work.
Of course,
his situation
is different
than ours,
thoroughly different
than ours.
We do not exercise
a kingly role.
We are not
controlling
a nation.
But he too
in that
elevated position
felt the burden
of work.
The Bible
teaches us
that God
gave
to Adam
and Eve
to humanity
work as a good
gift.
But since
in Genesis
chapter 3
we read about this
Adam and Eve
turned away
from God
and his word
choosing
their own path
the earth
was cursed.
there were
those thorns
and thistles
which means
for us
work comes
with exhaustion
and frustration.
It comes
with pain
attached.
So we were
made for it
but now
it's been
spoiled
by the fall.
And so
our teacher
who knows
that
then leads
us to the
conclusion
well in that
case work
is the wrong
place to look
for your
ultimate sense
of meaning
and significance.
And again
because it's
all done
under the sun.
Verse 18
I hated
all the
things
I had
toiled
for
under
the sun
because I
must leave
them to the
one who
comes after
me.
That under
the sun
repetition
in Ecclesiastes
becomes something
of a time
marker
reminding us
of eternity
beyond death.
So again
to help us
to follow
his conclusion
he considers
both working
life
and the
end of
life
in these
few verses.
We'll think
about
first of all
how he speaks
about the
nine to five
in verses
22 and
23.
What language
does he use
to describe
work?
Just listen
to it again.
What do
people get
for all
the toil
and anxious
striving
with which
they labor
under the sun?
All their
days their
work is
grief and
pain.
Even at
night their
minds do
not rest.
I wonder
if we can
relate to
that.
Maybe it's
the anxiety
of having
an uncertain
job future
or uncertain
finances.
Perhaps we
know in our
workplace the
pressure of
being under
staffed or
under
resourced for
our role.
Perhaps we
have known
grief and
pain from
our colleagues
or grief and
pain because
we've been
asked to do
unethical
things in
the workplace.
Have you
found your
work making
it difficult
for you to
sleep?
Your work
making it
difficult to
leave it at
the office so
you come home
and you're
distracted and
unable to
fully engage
with the
people in
your life
because of
the consuming
burden of
work.
Our work is
a gift from
God and it
causes us to
groan.
Both those
things are
true and
both these are
recognized by
our teacher.
So that's in the
context of the
nine to five but
again he takes us
to our destiny
verses 18 to
21.
From the point
of view of the
day of our
death what does
he say there?
Verse 18
again I hated
all the things I
toiled for under
the sun because I
must leave them to
the one who comes
after me and who
knows whether that
person will be
wise or foolish.
Just as we
cannot take our
possessions with us
we cannot take our
work with us it
will at some
point be handed
over to somebody
else and the
other person may
do a brilliant
job of it or
may wreck it
all.
And actually we
just need to
think about King
Solomon's own
life to realize
this happening.
So King
Solomon would
pass his
kingdom on to
his son
Rehoboam and
Rehoboam through
his folly would
lose ten of
the twelve
tribes.
I think if we
think even in
terms of retirement
we begin to get a
glimpse into the
wisdom of our
teacher.
For some
retirement has
already happened
for others it's
approaching.
You come to
retirement and you
may get the gold
watch, the nice
pen, the lump
sum payout.
But there are
lots of losses
also.
Someone else
will come and
will take over
your work and
they will likely
change your
systems.
They will do
things their own
way.
They will take
over your desk,
your office,
they may take
over your
company.
And that is for
better or for
worse.
And either way
we have no
control over
that.
And that's just
retirement.
It's much more
final when we
think about our
day.
And so the
teacher wants to
remind us again
of, in that
sense, the curse
associated worth
with work.
There is too
much strain for
too little
gain.
To help us to
see that we
need more than
work to give
us ultimate
significance and
happiness.
As our
teacher has
been thinking
about wisdom
and folly
has been
thinking about
work, did you
notice in verse
17 and 18 the
language of
hate.
A strong
language, very
striking language
in the middle
of this section.
And what's
happening there
is that our
teacher is
hating what
has become
of Eden.
The world
as God
intended it
to be.
This isn't
cynicism or
blind despair.
This is the
lament of a
wise king.
When he says
in verse 17,
so I hated
life because
the work that's
done under the
sun was grievous
to me.
This is an
ache for the
way in which
the world is
broken and for
the way that
that impacts us
in so many
ways.
So let's just
turn our minds
for a moment
back to the
Garden of Eden
to think about
what wisdom
and work
looked like
then.
Wisdom in the
Garden of Eden
for Adam and
Eve was knowing
and enjoying
life with
their God.
Gladly submitting
to and
obeying their
God.
Enjoying the
privilege of
being made in
the image of
God and
ruling under
God for
him and
enjoying his
presence.
And work in
that setting
was gift.
And work in
that setting
was also an
act of worship.
It was duty
but it was
also delight.
But here
our teacher is
coming from a
different perspective.
He's coming
from the
under the sun
perspective.
Coming from
the imagine
if you think
there is no
God and you
live without
God in your
life perspective
and then when
you face death
there's real
sadness because
of all these
losses.
All that we
do not take
with us.
Losses because
we are east
of Eden.
We've seen
it a few
times the
sense of
discontent
that is
present.
To remind us
again of
chapter 3
in verse 11.
God has
made everything
beautiful in
its time.
He has also
set eternity
in the human
heart yet no
one can fathom
what God has
done from
beginning to
end.
We are
longing for,
we are made
for permanence
and stability.
But when we
look for that
sense of
permanence and
stability in
what we know
and in what
we do we
will only be
disappointed.
Death comes as
the ultimate
game over.
And our
teacher is
trying to
show us
this.
We strive
for wisdom,
we strive for
work but they
do not in
the end
save us.
And so he
wants to
show that
sense of
discontent but
he also
wants to
let God's
light in.
verses 24
to 26.
It's the
first break
in our
book,
first major
section
completed,
first time
the light
of God
really breaks
in for
us.
Sometimes
reading
Ecclesiastes
you can feel
like you're
in the
darkness.
I don't
know if
you've ever
been caving
or potholing
but if you
find yourself
caving you
will find
yourself
underground
for hours
at a time
and confined
spaces,
it can be
painful,
it can be
exhausting
and after
a while
you're just
desperate to
see even
just a
glimpse of
natural light
well here
is light
in Ecclesiastes
and why is
there light
all of a
sudden?
Because we're
reminded of
the reality
of God
because God
is introduced
because now
we're being
pointed away
from these
small idols
of work and
wisdom to
the one
true God
now we're
being directed
beyond life
just under
the sun
thinking on
the horizontal
to lift our
eyes to
remember the
one who
created and
is above
the sun
and he's
leading us
to walk
in the
light of
faith
so as we
look at this
little section
three wisdom
choices
to make
in the light
of this
text
one
we are
invited
to choose
to enjoy
God's
ordinary
gifts
today
to live
for today
to enjoy
God's
gifts
today
verse 24
and verse
25
a person
can do
nothing
better
than to
eat
and drink
and find
satisfaction
in their
own
toil
this too
I see
is from
the hand
of God
for without
him who
can eat
or find
enjoyment
work
is not
a God
to serve
but work
is a
gift from
God to
enjoy
so is
food
so is
drink
one
one of
the
American
presidents
Roosevelt
said
far and
away
the
best
prize
that
life
offers
is
the
chance
to
work
hard
at work
worth
doing
now as
Christians
we would
say that
the greatest
thing is to
know God
through faith
in Jesus
but we
recognize
that God
has given
work
as
a
gift
it's
important
that we
understand
why we
work
and how
we work
we're not
working to
establish a
sense of
self
we are not
invited to
work to
boost our
pride
we are not
invited to
work simply
to pay
our bills
rather
we work
with an
awareness
of God
we work
with a
sense of
thankfulness
that God
has given
me this
work
this task
to do
whether our
work is
paid or
unpaid
it is an
opportunity
for us
to be
faithful
to our
God
to be a
blessing
to others
in the
way that
we serve
and if
we're paid
in the
money that
we get
that we
can bless
others
God's
word gives
us a
new lens
through which
to view
our work
reminding
us that
we go
to work
with
God
and we
go to
work
for
God
I think
Paul put
it really
helpfully
in
Colossians
3
verse 23
and 24
whatever
you do
work at
it with
all your
heart
as working
for the
Lord
not for
human
masters
since you
know that
you will
receive an
inheritance
from a
Lord as
a reward
it is a
Lord
Christ
you are
serving
so the
author
the teacher
of Ecclesiastes
says work
is a gift
food and
drink are
a gift
so practically
speaking I
imagine for
many of us
we we grew
up and we
practice the
saying of
grace before
our meals and
that's a good
thing it
reminds us
God gave us
these things
God gave us
the resources
to have
these things
do we
say grace
for our
work
too
do we
go to
our
workplaces
or do we
sit at
our desk
with a
sense of
thankfulness
for being
able to
serve God
and to
serve
others
in the
way that
he has
called
us to
we need
to choose
to enjoy
the everyday
gifts of
God
in the
way that
God
intended
and we
can go
wrong in
that
I enjoy
a game
of tennis
and I
enjoy
oranges
when you
think about
tennis and
oranges you're
supposed to
have them
as a
wee half
time
refreshment
but if you
choose to
make an
orange a
tennis ball
it will
not go
well
you will
end up
with a
mess
we are
supposed to
use God's
gifts
properly
not to
make them
into
God's
for us
food
and drink
and work
are good
gifts
and we
should take
real pleasure
in them
but the
problem for
us comes
that often
we hunger
for more
from them
than they
were ever
designed
to give
it's that
problem of
idolatry
that keeps
creeping
in
again to
help us
to remember
1st
Corinthians
10 31
whether you
eat or
drink or
whatever you
do
do it
all for
the glory
of
God
not
sell
now we
thought a
number of
times about
Matthew chapter
6 where
Jesus says
don't store
up treasures
on earth
but treasures
in heaven
for where your
treasure is
your heart
will be
also
have that
perspective
the wisdom
that we
find in
Ecclesiastes
holds two
realities
together
all of
life is
like a
mist
life is
short
compared to
eternity
and
even as we
recognize life
is like a
mist and
sometimes that's
really difficult
and confusing
joy is
possible
and good
as Dickens
would say
it is both
the best of
times
and the
worst of
times
second
wisdom
choice
choose
to honor
God
today
verse 26
to the
person who
pleases him
God gives
wisdom
knowledge
and happiness
but to the
sinner he gives
the task of
gathering and
storing up wealth
to hand it
over to the
one who
pleases God
there is the
contrast here of
the two ways
to live
person one
lives to
please God
chooses to
live under
the mercy
of God
chooses to
honor God
pleasing God
in faith
and trust
and worship
and enjoying
God's gift
and the
result
God gives
wisdom
knowledge
and happiness
that happiness
which is not
just temporary
but is
eternal
when we're in
right relationship
with God
but then there's
the other way
to live
the way of
the sinner
who chooses
to live
without God
God is not
the solid rock
that life
is built on
Jesus is not
the center
around which
our life
orbits
and the result
is loss
and no gain
just as Jesus
said in that
parable in Luke
19
to everyone who
has more
will be given
but as for the
one who has
nothing even
what they have
will be taken
away
our teacher
reminds us
of total
loss
that we
might by
God's grace
topple those
idols that
would seek
to replace
God in
our hearts
so that we
would serve
and worship
him only
which takes
us to our
last piece
of wisdom
wisdom choice
three
choose to
rest in
the wisdom
and work
of Jesus
because ultimately
that's the one
work we all
need
it's the work
of Jesus
John chapter
four verse
thirty four
Jesus said
my food
is to do
the will
of him
who sent
me
and to
finish
his work
Jesus came
to do
the work
of God
Jesus came
to perform
the work
of the
suffering
servant
read the
gospels
and you
discover
Jesus
toiling
under the
sun
you discover
Jesus tears
under the
sun
as he
came to
a world
of poverty
as he
was not
believed in
by many
as he was
rejected
by many
as ultimately
he would go
to the cross
to be punished
for us
to be pierced
for our
transgressions
to be crushed
for our
iniquities
that his
father made
him a sin
offering
that was his
work
the work
that he
completed
those
toil
toils
and tears
of Jesus
would then
on the third
day give way
to triumph
in his
resurrection
the work
of Jesus
the work
of salvation
is a
completed
work
and because
of that
Jesus says
there's only
one work
that we
need
the one
work
that we
need
is to
believe
in Jesus
to have
our faith
in Jesus
to ask
him to
forgive
our sin
to be
our Lord
and Savior
the one
wisdom
we need
is the
wisdom
of God
who is
Jesus
1 Corinthians
1 and 2
Paul is
full of
that language
he says
that Jesus
is for
us
wisdom
from God
that is
our
righteousness
holiness
and
redemption
Jesus
Christ
crucified
is
God's
wisdom
for
our
salvation
it's not
the wisdom
of the
world
but it's
the wisdom
of God
the only
way for
us to
be saved
and knowing
that truth
knowing
this
Jesus
that's
what
frees
our
hearts
from
captivity
to
those
idols
where
we're
not
thinking
that
our
wisdom
and
our
work
is
all
that
we
need
it's
knowing
Jesus
and
his
finished
work
and
the
wisdom
of
God
that's
what
gives
us
the
lasting
eternal
happiness
that we're
seeking
so the
teacher in
Ecclesiastes
he's trying to
help rescue
us from
an achievement
addiction
which we can
all suffer
from
thinking that
our meaning
significance
and worth
comes from
what we
know
or what
we do
he says
to us
remember
that doesn't
last
and it
doesn't
save
and we're
invited in
God's
word to
look instead
to Jesus
the great
teacher
to his
great
work
his
great
wisdom
to
trust
in
his
achievement
and
bringing
salvation
and
eternal
life
understanding
that
is the
only
place
it's
the
right
place
and the
only
place
to
find
our
identity
so
let's
pray
in
light
of
that
Lord
God
we
recognize
how
easy
it is
to want
to build
our life
on what
we know
or what
we do
that we
can
find
our sense
of value
and self
worth
from our
degrees
or from
our
job
from our
responsibilities
Lord help
us to
understand
that while
those are
good things
they are not
ultimate
things
help us
to live
in light
of our
own
death
and in
light
of
eternity
and help
us to
trust in
and rest
in the
work
and the
wisdom
of the
Lord
Jesus
that we
be so
grateful
that on
the cross
he cried
out
it is
finished
everything
necessary
for our
salvation
had been
done
and all
we need
to do
is to
ask him
to be
our
Lord
and
saviour
and so
we pray
that he'd
help each
one of
us
to be
looking
to
him
as
saviour
so
then we'd
be able
to
approach
each day
in the
right way
to enjoy
our food
and drink
and our
family
and our
work
as good
gifts
to be
thankful
and to
use
them
well
we pray
for your
wisdom
and your
help
and we
pray in
Jesus
name
amen
now we'll
finish
with
the hymn
that comes
from the
book of
revelation
but I
think in
many ways
helps us
to reflect
on some
of the
brokenness
that we
keep returning
to in
Ecclesiastes
is he
worthy
so let's
stand
and let's
sing
together
there
do