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Ecclesiastes Lesson Fifteen

Ecclesiastes Lesson Fifteen: Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 – Wealth, Authorities, and Inequities

Who is like the wise person, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed. 

2 Keep the king’s command because of your oath made before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry; leave his presence, and don’t persist in a bad cause, since he will do whatever he wants. 4 For the king’s word is authoritative, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 The one who keeps a command will not experience anything harmful, and a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. 6 For every activity there is a right time and procedure, even though man’s troubles are heavy on him. 7 Yet no one knows what will happen because who can tell him what will happen? 8 No one has authority over the wind to restrain it, and there is no authority over the day of death; there is no furlough in battle, and wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape. 9 All this I have seen, applying my mind to all the work that is done under the sun, at a time when one man has authority over another to his harm. (HCSB)

The author now switches to discussing leaders and how their decisions, good or bad, affect those around them. Now, let’s dig deeper into this passage.

  • Verse one acts as a transition from the previous section to this one.
    • If we remember, the previous section led one to believe that chasing after wisdom was a futile exercise.
      • Verses 7:23-24 brought out this concept.
      • Now, at the beginning of chapter eight, the author hints that attaining some wisdom is possible and can lead to advantages.
    • The attainment of some wisdom can lead to influencing those who are in some type of authority position.
    • Let’s consider some biblical examples of this.
      • Joseph, contained in Genesis 41:37-45.
      • Daniel, contained in Daniel 5:29-63.
      • The Holy Spirit will fill the believer with wisdom and the right words to say.
        • Luke 12:11-12.
        • Acts 24:25.
  • Verses two to six talk about dealings with a king. A present-day interpretation/application is understanding interactions with those in positions of authority.
    • Verse two talks about following the commands and laws of government or those placed in an authority position over us.
      • Why are we supposed to do this?
        • The words “oath made before God” indicate a relationship between government and God.
        • All governments, regardless of their good or evil, have been installed because of God’s sovereign plan. Often, we don’t understand why, but there is a purpose behind it.
        • Our obedience to the secular authority verifies obedience to God.
          • Romans 13:1-7 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities,  for there is no authority except from God,  and those that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience.  6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks.  7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes,  tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect,  and honor to those you owe honor.
          • Mark 12:17 Then Jesus told them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.
          • 1 Peter 2:13-17 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 As God’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood.  Fear God. Honor the Emperor. 
        • This begs the question, “What should you do when the situation you find yourself in directly conflicts with Scripture?” Let’s consider some examples.
          • You work for a magazine company that begins to print pornography. The simple solution is to look for a job elsewhere, even if it causes financial hardship. 
          • The government over you, at whatever level, has decided to pass a law that endorses same-sex marriage. In this case, peaceful protesting would be allowed. The key here is that it remains peaceful and doesn’t attack the individual. Attacking another person for sinful behavior is being judgmental. Speak out against the sin, but don’t make it personal.
          • A church or denomination endorses gay or lesbian leadership. Speak out peacefully against this practice and leave the church for one that follows Scripture if it doesn’t change.
    • Let’s consider verses three to six together.
      • When we find ourselves in a situation similar to the above, we must ensure we aren’t too hasty in leaving it.
        • As long as we are “in it,” we may find opportunities to influence or change bad decisions.
        • When we remove ourselves from the situation, we may find we no longer have as much, or maybe no, influence on it.
        • Each situation is different, and we must consider how our actions could change or influence them.
        • We also need to remember that we ultimately work for God and not for the person appointed over us.
          • Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.
          • Once, I was an elder in a church, and I disagreed with how the church was being led. We weren’t doing anything against Scripture; it’s just that the lead pastor wasn’t interested in doing anything outside of our Sunday morning service. The pastor was full-time and drawing a healthy salary with additional perks. On two occasions, I seriously considered stepping down. Ultimately, the above passage and the realization that I could still be a voice to encourage additional ministry activities kept me from resigning.
      • If we remove ourselves from a position of influence, we may find that we can no longer impact the situation.
      • The author makes that point clear in verses 5-6.
        • A wise heart knows the right time and procedure.
        • For every activity, there is a right time and procedure, even though man’s troubles are heavy on him.
        • When we consider these two verses, we see that even though the situation may be unpleasant or troubling, there will be a time to speak or act against it.
        • However, we must be wise in our words, actions, and timing.
        • Being impulsive and letting our emotions control us will only worsen the situation.
        • Let’s consider four examples from Scripture.
          • Joseph didn’t reveal his identity to his brothers too soon. He wanted to make sure their hearts were right with their father and with God. Once he heard them confess their sins, he knew it was time to reveal his identity.
          • Nehemiah was burdened to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. But he wasn’t sure how the king would react to that request. So, he waited, watched, and prayed until the right time. The king granted Nehemiah’s request.
          • Daniel was a prisoner of war in a Gentile land. He refused to eat the unclean food he was given but didn’t make a scene out of it. Instead, he was gentle in his request to let the Jews experiment with a different diet. Daniel’s plan worked; he and his friends were able to stay ceremonially clean, and they were promoted to the king’s court.
          • The apostles exercised restraint when they were arrested and persecuted in Acts 4-5. They showed respect toward the authority of the religious leaders even though they had acted illegally and with prejudice.
  • Verses 7-8 act as a transition and a contrast.
    • The transition and contrast are between the powers who govern us. On the human level, it is the king, but on a higher level, it is God.
    • The “wind” in 8a represents the power of God.
    • The “day of death” in 8b is ultimately in the power of God.
    • The phrase “no furlough in battle” is under the king’s control.
    • The phrase “wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape” should be understood to mean that no amount of scheming or cunning can save someone from the control of the governing powers.
  • Verse nine forms a bridge between the previous eight verses and what follows.
    • The author has been referring to the power of rulers.
    • He now introduces the following theme: the injustices of life by those who abuse their power.
    • We’ve previously looked at the phrase “under the sun” as being those actions under mankind’s dominion.
    • In the next section, the author will dive deeper into the idea of a human leader causing harm to those under their rule.

Applications

  • Follow the rules and laws of the land where you live. God has placed the governing authorities in place for a purpose, often a purpose we may never understand. When laws or rules we disagree with are in place, we don’t have to support them, but if we protest against them, it must be done peacefully and God-honoring. An example would be legal abortion clinics. We have an obligation to speak out against them and protest peacefully. However, physically attacking doctors or clinic workers or damaging/destroying the building is not a God-honoring solution.
  • The principle applies to our workplace. In this situation, we have the added option of leaving employment if necessary. However, a key point to consider is whether we’d have more chance of influencing matters by staying in an uncomfortable situation instead of quitting.
  • If you choose to act in either of the above situations, make sure you exercise wise restraint and even wiser timing. Don’t act on emotions. Go to God in prayer to determine the right time and method when you protest or speak out against ungodly actions, rules, or laws. Sometimes, we can do more harm than good to our Christian witness when we act inappropriately.