The Wisdom of Civil Submission – Part 1
Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 (1-6)
September 12, 2021
We are now in the second half of the book of Ecclesiastes where the preacher is revealing to us what we have called “The Noble Pursuit”
After exposing the futile pursuits of the world and how empty they are, the preacher would now begin to push us down the path we are intended to walk.
If we were to simplify it even more we would say that
The preacher is pushing us to pursue wisdom.
Namely that which begins with the fear of the LORD.
It is a constant message throughout the second half of this book.
Fear God and obtain wisdom.
• Don’t live like the world…
• Don’t think like the world…
• Don’t pursue what the world pursues…
• Be different.
We’ve heard him talk about
The importance in life of things like mourning or rebuke or patience or faith.
They may not be things that we initially enjoy
But they do help produce the wisdom which we need
So such things should be valued over the foolish pursuits of the world.
Last time we heard the preacher talk about having a wise perspective when examining what is perceived to be injustice.
He talked about the reality that sometimes righteous men suffer
And they suffer worse than wicked men.
It is a confusing reality.
So the preacher carried us through a theological understanding behind such realities
And we learned that from God’s perspective
There is no man who does good…ever.
THEREFORE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE
There is no such thing as a righteous man suffering that which he does not deserve or to a degree that he does not deserve.
God made all men straight but they sought out many devices.
Therefore all of our suffering is deserved,
It is the mercy we receive that we do not deserve.
And based upon that understanding the preacher gave us wise advice.
Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 “Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.”
To remind again:
“ruin” there doesn’t speak of physical ruin, but rather it is a Hebrew word that means “to be appalled” or “to be stunned”
The idea was that
• You should not assume that your righteous life will insulate you from hardship
or pain or suffering.
• If that is your assumption you are going to be shocked in life and likely
disillusioned.
So don’t assume that your pursuit of righteousness
Will insulate you from suffering, it won’t.
But at the same time, don’t get so discouraged with this reality that you just throw your hands up and say, “Well fine, then I’ll just be wicked!”
That is not wise either, for then you might incite God to kill you sooner.
Instead, the preacher reminded us of wisdom.
The preacher taught us what a God-fearing man does.
“It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.”
That is to say,
• The wise man does not embrace righteousness because he thinks it will
save him from suffering,
• And at the same time he does not abandon righteousness thinking it to
have no value.
The man who fears God pursues righteousness,
But is not surprised when suffering comes anyway.
That is wisdom, that is the fear of the LORD.
But as you will notice,
The preacher still isn’t quite ready to abandon the subject altogether.
In fact, in chapter 8, he addresses it again.
(14) “There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.”
There it is again.
• Even though he now knows that there are none righteous…
• Even though he knows that he should pursue righteousness anyway…
• Even though he knows that righteousness will not insulate him from hardship…
You can tell he still struggles with it.
In fact, last week we saw that, he told us that even though
He knew the proper response, he still struggled with understanding.
Ecclesiastes 7:23-24 “I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it?”
Wisdom taught him to pursue righteousness even though it will not stop hardship, but he still admitted that he didn’t understand it all.
And I would point out that the obeying without understanding
Is the very essence of Godly wisdom and of genuine faith.
BUT THERE ARE THINGS HE STILL DOESN’T UNDERSTAND
And chapter 8 returns to it again.
It is still a bother to him that righteous men suffer as if they are wicked
And wicked men are rewarded as though they are righteous.
The DIFFERENCE between the discussion of chapter 7 and chapter 8
• Is that where chapter 7 was sort of a philosophical approach to understand this perceived injustice,
• Chapter 8 represents a practical approach regarding how to live in such a world.
In Ch. 8 the preacher identifies the problem
As to why righteous men suffer and why wicked men are rewarded
And the problem according to the preacher is corrupt leaders.
The problem is best revealed in verse 11
“Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.”
There is a failure amongst the civil government
To do a good job enforcing righteousness and punishing evil
And the result has been a corrupt society.
So the issue of chapter 8 is simply this.
• How do you live in a world where fear of God is lacking?
• How do you live under a king who encourages corruption?
And the answer is the same:
With faith and with the fear of the LORD.
This morning we learn about the wisdom of civil submission.
And it just so happens that we live in a day where
Just saying those words can put a foul taste in our mouths.
Listen, I have no interest in being political, but I also have no problem calling out corruption.
• When a leader encourages civil unrest and violence
• When a leader supports the death of the unborn
• When a leader deals hypocritically and dishonestly with his people
• When a leader abandons those he is sworn to protect
• When a leader deals in bribes and corruption
There is no sense pretending like they he is a good leader.
President Biden is not a godly man, he is not an honest man, he is not a moral man, and he is not a fit man to lead a nation. And this doesn’t even bring into account whether he is a mentally competent man or not.
He is NOT a good president.
BUT HE IS THE PRESIDENT.
And to make matters even more interesting,
There is substantial reason to question whether or not he is even legitimately the president since there is in fact widespread evidence of a rigged election.
BUT HE IS THE PRESIDENT.
One could argue that as president he does more for the encouragement of evil than he does for the encouragement of righteousness.
BUT HE IS THE PRESIDENT.
THE QUESTION IS how does a wise and God fearing man live in such a setting?
• What does wisdom look like when you live in a culture that is not wise?
• What does fearing God look like when you live in a culture that does not fear God?
• How is a man who pursues righteousness supposed to live in a world where those who pursue righteousness are treated as though they are wicked and those who pursue wickedness are treated as though they are righteous?
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
Well that is the issue that the preacher addresses here in chapter 8.
(And it is full of practical wisdom)
There are 5 points to the chapter but we’ll only get through part of them this morning.
#1 HIS WISDOM
Ecclesiastes 8:1
Here is sort of the OPENING THOUGHT of the chapter.
“Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter?”
That is another way of asking, “Who knows what we should do?”
Or “The wise man knows how to live in such times.”
And then the preacher says:
“A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.”
That is a neat statement, and one that is helpful.
A “stern face” is a grim face or a frowning face or a frustrated face.
• It is a man who wears a glare.
• He is not happy with the way things are going.
I think that would accurately represent the way
The righteous often feel while living in such a corrupt world.
Every day I am hit with more information
That only seems to cause me more frustration.
(Isn’t that what the preacher said would happen in the last chapter if we had an expectation that our righteousness should insulate us from suffering?)
But none the less, what the preacher is trying to show is
How wisdom will help you turn from a “stern face” to a smiling face.
He is showing those who are frustrated with the corruption of life,
And particularly the corruption of the governing authorities,
How to move from frustration to contentment and satisfaction.
Well that is certainly interesting.
What do you suggest preacher?
#2 HIS ADVICE
Ecclesiastes 8:2-4
Well, that may not have been the advice you were expecting.
The wisdom of this world says
• If you aren’t happy then do something about it!
• Take control of the situation and force it into a situation that pleases you.
Our world can’t find a single situation
In which submission would be the fitting response.
But if you’ve read the Bible,
YOU KNOW THAT GOD CALLS FOR IT CONTINUOUSLY
And that is exactly what the preacher calls for here.
(2) “I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God.”
Now, I do think it is important to note
• That while the chapter DOES speak of corruption and a refusal to punish evil or
reward good and the effect of such corruption is a wicked society;
• The preacher DOES NOT indicate that the man of God is being commanded to
disobey God.
The book of Daniel as well as the apostles in the book of Acts give us ample examples of what biblical civil disobedience looks like when the child of God is being commanded to disobey the commands of God.
• We saw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego respectfully refusing to
participate in idolatry…
• We saw Daniel quietly refusing to stop praying to God…
• We saw the apostles respectfully announcing that they must obey God rather
than men…
THE PREACHER HERE DOES NOT ADDRESS THAT SCENARIO.
SO IT’S BEST TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE AT HAND
Is not a king commanding you to disobey God,
Rather it’s just a king who himself doesn’t fear God
And who does not lead the nation to do so either.
Perhaps the Christian would wonder if
It would not be better to rebel and overthrow such a ruler.
But the command of the preacher is clear.
“Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God.”
The implication here is that as the people of God
We have taken an oath of obedience to God as the One in authority.
This oath certainly trickles down to any whom God puts in authority.
And so the king is to be obeyed
Because he is endowed with the authority of God.
You know this well from the New Testament.
Romans 13:1-2 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”
I’m not saying it is an easy pill to swallow,
But it is Biblical none the less.
“there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”
• We can spit and cry and dislike a president all we want…
• We can claim illegitimacy and corrupt elections…
But the fact remains that Joe Biden would not be president
If God had not determined it to be so.
• Think back throughout the Old Testament and all the kings who ascended to the thrown through assassinating their predecessor.
• Consider all the evil and corruption that took place in the Roman empire.
But the Bible reminds that God is the force behind it all.
He remains the ultimate sovereign.
The only way a man becomes a ruler is if God determines it.
This DOES NOT MEAN that every ruler He places in power is pleasing or godly or even saved, in fact most of the time that proves not to be the case.
BUT THEY ARE THERE BY GOD’S DESIGN NONE THE LESS.
And the preacher here builds on that same reality.
How can you claim to be in submission to God if you refuse to submit to the one He places in authority?
The preacher’s advice continues.
(3) “Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.”
• “Do not be in a hurry to leave him” – that is to rebel against him.
• “Do not join in an evil matter” – that is to join a revolution.
• “for he will do whatever he pleases” – because the king has power and authority from God that you do not have.
We remember all the stories of DAVID, especially as he fled from SAUL.
• God had already promised to remove Saul as king.
• Samuel had already anointed David as the rightful king.
• But Saul was on the throne and David was on the run.
TWICE David had the opportunity to kill Saul but David was convinced that he did not have the right to kill the LORD’S anointed.
And do you remember David’s response when the man arrived claiming to have killed Saul?
2 Samuel 1:11-16 “Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.” Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?” And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died. David said to him, “Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the LORD’S anointed.’”
AND THIS WAS A MAN WHO had tried to destroy David.
THIS WAS A MAN WHO had offended God with his disobedience.
But you see the respect there that David has, not for Saul as a man,
But for Saul as God’s anointed.
You don’t just rebel against the sovereign prerogative of God
And think it will all go well.
And the preacher continues.
(4) “Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?”
In other words, Who are you to question him?
Now I know
• That flies in the face of our individualism here in America,
• Certainly it flies in the face of our social media and talk radio and notions that somehow complaining is patriotic,
But if we listen to the word of God we see a different notion.
The preacher here doesn’t call for REBELLION or REVOLUTION
Or even REBUKE of the king,
The preacher calls for obedience and submission to the king.
1 Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”
And I would remind you again that the king Peter was calling his followers to honor was none less than Nero who was perhaps the most ruthless Roman ruler the early church ever encountered.
And Peter, as the preacher here, said to “submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution.”
I’ll be the first to admit that
• Such commands are not easy…
• Such commands are not pleasant…
• I am not a great example for you here as I am called to be…
But the preacher is discussing wisdom and the fear or God
And the SIMPLE TRUTH thus far is that the wise man who fears God
Obeys the king simply because God has placed him there.
Romans 13:5-7 “Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
His Wisdom, His Advice
#3 HIS EXPLANATION
Ecclesiastes 8:5-8
The apostle Paul does not quote the preacher here verbatim,
But one must wonder if Paul did not have this passage in mind
When he wrote Romans 13, for their argument is the same.
The preacher here says:
“He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble…”
And Paul says:
Romans 13:3-4 “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”
That is Paul’s point precisely.
• “Do what is good and you will have praise…”
• “But if you do what is evil, be afraid…”
That is what the preacher said:
“He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble…”
And again, we AREN’T talking about when a royal command
Transgresses the Law of God, we know that.
But there are many commands a king can enforce upon you
Which do not force us to transgress the Law of God,
And if you want to stay out of trouble, then you obey them.
And get this, it is so important:
“for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.”
What does that mean?
It is again a reference to the common theme
That God is sovereign over all times and events.
The preacher leans heavily on that in this whole book.
That God appoints all things in their time. (chapter 3)
And the preacher here uses that now to his advantage.
• You may not like the royal command,
• And you may not like the king who gives it,
• BUT KEEP IT WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING;
• That there is a sovereign purpose behind this time and this procedure.
God is at work behind the scenes here.
• His timing is perfect…
• His plan is perfect…
This is a time which God has appointed.
We might also throw in there an understanding of hope which I think is also implied which would be to say, “THIS TOO SHALL PASS”
A wise heart knows who is really in control
And a wise heart understands that evil men and corruption
Won’t last forever.
He goes on:
(6) “For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man’s trouble is heavy upon him.”
That is to say, even though it is hard, you’d do good to understand that God is sovereign over all things, including these times in which we live.
And we can easily bring that home HERE TODAY.
• We may not like the direction of our country…
• We may rightly deduce that we are on a godless trend…
• We may see corruption and injustice on the rise…
Are we to assume then that God has been dethroned and that Satan is now calling the shots?
Are we to assume that God has somehow gone on vacation and is not aware of all that is occurring?
Are we to assume that God is just an fan in the stands who is merely watching the “Free Will” decisions of man and waiting to see how it all plays out?
OF COURSE NOT!
God is sovereign and even over current trials and struggles.
We don’t have time certainly this morning,
But go and read the book of Daniel.
The book of Daniel has the overarching theme of the sovereignty of God.
The book of Daniel picks up the history of Israel at a time
• When a foreign army had invaded the Promised Land
• Destroyed Jerusalem
• Looted and burned God’s temple
• And deported Israel’s survivors to a foreign land.
If there was ever a time where outward circumstances made it appear
That God was not in control that would have been the time.
BUT READ THE BOOK.
• It starts with Babylon and then carries you into the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians.
• It even takes a prophetic look at the coming kingdom of Greece.
And do you know what you see throughout the book?
You see God in charge of it all.
• Read how God confronts and humbles Nebuchadnezzar…
• Read how God confronts and judges Belshazzar…
• Read how God confronts and corrects Darius the Mede…
• Read how God lays out the entire plan of the Greek rise to power…
It is obvious who is in charge over all of it.
And even though it was notably tough for God’s people,
That did not mean that God was not sovereignly orchestrating
All of this for His purposes.
Granted part of the purpose was the discipline and purification of His people who had fallen into idolatry, but God was still at work.
“For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man’s trouble is heavy upon him.”
Just because it is unpleasant does not mean that God is not in control.
Could it be that God has appointed such a time in our nation for the discipline and purification of His church?
Could it be that we groan and languish now and God is using it to turn our dependence back to Him?
If that is the case, then can you see HOW FOOLISH IT WOULD BE
To try and rebel or form a revolution to overthrow a king
Who is merely accomplishing God’s purpose?
CONSIDER ISRAEL.
• God had told them that because of their idolatry He was going to send them into exile in a foreign land for 70 years.
• The agent of that punishment would be the godless and pagan king known as Nebuchadnezzar.
Jeremiah 27:1-8 “In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying— thus says the LORD to me—“Make for yourself bonds and yokes and put them on your neck, and send word to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the sons of Ammon, to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. “Command them to go to their masters, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters, “I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight. “Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. “All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant. “It will be, that the nation or the kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine and with pestilence,” declares the LORD, “until I have destroyed it by his hand.”
That man was not a righteous man, (nor a wise man)
But he was God’s appointed and anointed ruler.
To rebel against him was futile.
In fact, listen to God’s command to Zedekiah.
Jeremiah 27:12-13 “I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live! “Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, famine and pestilence, as the LORD has spoken to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon?”
Then, to the people who had already been exiled to Babylon and who were desperately hoping for some sort of supernatural overthrow, Jeremiah wrote a letter.
Jeremiah 29:4-7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. ‘Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. ‘Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’”
Now you should know that Zedekiah ignored the counsel of Jeremiah and instead sent to Egypt for help in overthrowing Babylon.
TURN TO: EZEKIEL 17:11-24
Do you see that this was all part of the plan of God?
Even though it was hard that didn’t mean the plan was to revolt or rebel.
TURN TO: HABAKKUK
(Read chapter 1)
• You can see how Habakkuk is distressed by the godlessness of his nation.
• He asks God to do something about it.
• God says, “I am raising up the Chaldeans”
• Habakkuk balks because in his mind the Chaldeans are worse than Israel.
But God answers in chapter 2 that He is doing it
Not because the Chaldeans are acceptable but because
They are His chosen instrument of punishment on the sin of Israel.
And thus, to rebel would be useless.
In fact look at:
Habakkuk 2:2-3 “Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.”
Rebellion is not prescribed, nor will it be effective.
This is God’s appointed time and God’s appointed plan.
All Habakkuk could then do was wait on such a disaster
And trust God in the middle of it.
Habakkuk 3:16-19 “I heard and my inward parts trembled, At the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.”
This same mentality is what the preacher is referring to here.
• So you live in a wicked and corrupt time.
• So the leader is less than stellar.
• So he produces more evil and more corruption.
What does a wise man do?
• The wise man looks beyond the actual ruler to the God who sits sovereignly behind him
• And understands that God has a sovereign purpose and plan even for the evil and troublesome day.
God is using it for His own sovereign purposes.
He has not asked you to seek to stop it,
But rather to submit yourself to it.
We don’t have time this morning, but as you will see NEXT TIME.
There is so much about what is going on here
That you and I do not know.
We don’t know God’s timing
And we don’t know the future.
But the preacher is confident that one thing we do know is that (8) “evil will not deliver those who practice it.”
In other words
• if you dislike your current circumstances…
• If you dislike the current administration…
• If you are frustrated with the current direction of the nation…
Well committing the evil of revolting against God’s sovereign authority
Is not the wise move.
No man ever brought deliverance to himself
By doing expressly that which God forbids.
NOW,
• We have only begun to understand the preacher’s point this morning,
• And indeed we have yet to see precisely how this is supposed to end up removing our frown and putting a smile on our face.
We’ll get to that next time.
THIS MORNING we are simply called to use wisdom and the fear of God
And to trust Him that He is in control and to do what He commands.
And we must be careful that we do not justify rebellion
Simply because our will is not being done.
There is more to say,
But it is only fitting to leave again with the ultimate example of
A confusing situation which was anointed by God which turned out to be better than we could have ever imagined.
Acts 2:22-24 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
Our God knows what He is doing.
