Transcript Slide 1

ECCL. 8: 1 - 9

THERE’S A RIGHT TIME AND RIGHT
PROCEDURE
1

WHEN OVERWHELMED BY STORMS AND
CLOUDS… AND YOU DON’T KNOW WHICH
DIRECTION IS UP

FLY BY INSTRUMENTS… NOT BY
FEELINGS
Eccl. 8:1
2
ANYONE RECOGNIZE THIS
GUY?
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RECOGNIZE?
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•
THEY DIED DUE TO PILOTS:
–SPATIAL DISORIENTATION
ON FRIDAY JULY 16, 1999
OFF MARTHA’S VINEYARD
ACCIDENT REPORT
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NEVER TRAINED ON INSTRUMENT
FLYING
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DON’T KNOW WHICH WAY IS UP….
 IF WE FOCUS ON OUR CIRCUMSTANCES,
WE END UP CHUCKING ALL REASON AND
FLY STRAIGHT INTO THE GROUND
 WHEN WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING
ON… WE HAVE TO FLY BY THE
INSTRUMENT’S (THY WORD IS TRUTH)
 YOU DON’T ABANDON YOUR FAITH
BECAUSE YOU CAN’T FIGURE IT OUT

ENVELOPED IN SUFFERING
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– PROVERBS 3: 5-6
“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART
AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN
UNDERSTANDING”…
(SEEMS RIGHT TO ME, FEELS RIGHT, SOUNDS O.K. TO
ME, I DON’T SEE ANYTHING WRONG…..)
“BUT (IN CONTRAST) IN ALL THY WAYS
ACKNOWLEDGE HIM (TRUST AND OBEY HIS
WORD), AND HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATH”
*
SCRIPTURAL INSTRUCTION
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

SOLOMON, LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO:
PAUL
2 YEARS IN JAIL IN CAESAREA, PLUS
2 + YEARS IN HOUSE ARREST IN ROME
»WHAT WAS GOD DOING? PAUL COULD HAVE
PERHAPS “WON” 300+ PEOPLE TO THE LORD… AND MAYBE
FOUNDED A FEW MORE CHURCHES……
»INSTEAD, ALL HE DID WAS WRITE FOUR
LETTERS (WHILE IN JAIL) TO HIS FRIENDS….
»Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon
»BLESSED AND EDIFIED MILLIONS…..
»DID PAUL UNDERSTAND what GOD INTENDED?
SO WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?
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
SOLOMON IN ECCL 8:1 SAYS THOSE
THAT KEEP GOD’S WORD AS PRIMARY
“INSTRUMENT”… ARE WISE, AND THIS
WISDOM (OF GOD’S WORD) MAKES
THEIR FACE TO SHINE.. (REMEMBER
MOSES ON MT. SINAI) …
to EVEN
“SOFTENING” THE COUNTENANCE.
PAUL CONDUCTED HIS LIFE AND
PERSPECTIVE ON “TRUTH” (INSTRUMENTS)
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◦ ECCL. 8: 2-9

CAN YOU TRUST THE GOVERNMENT?

SHOULD YOU? WHY?

WHAT IF IT IS CORRUPT?
NOW SOLOMON CHANGES TOPICS
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WE HAVE HAD KNOCK DOWN
ARGUMENTS BETWEEN TWO GROUPS OF
AUTHORITY WITH DIFFERING
IDEOLOGIES AND OPINIONS OF WHAT
CAUSES OUR ANXIETIES AS A NATION
 CONTRASTING VISIONS BETWEEN THESE
TWO POLITICAL PARTIES IS ULTIMATELY
THEOLOGICAL AND
ANTHROPOLOGICAL

EVER SINCE AMERICA FORMED
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
CONSTRAINED

UNCONSTRAINED
TWO VIEWS
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
SEES HUMANS AS BASICALLY SELFISH
AND SINFUL, AND THOSE HOLDING
THIS POSITION PLACE THEIR HOPE
IN CONSTRAINING OUR SIN
THROUGH THE LAWS OF THE LAND.
(GENERALLY THESE COULD BE CALLED
“REPUBLICAN”)
CONSTRAINED VIEW
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
PLACE THEIR HOPE, SPEND THEIR
MONEY, TIME AND RESOURCES TO
ENSURE THAT OUR MILITARY CAN
PROTECT OUR BORDER, THE POLICE CAN
PATROL OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THAT
OUR LAWS REFLECT A PUNISHMENT FOR
THOSE WHO WILL NOT FOLLOW AFTER
THEM. JAILS SHOULD BE BUILT TO
PUNISH LAW BREAKERS.. NOT TO
REHABILITATE THEM.
REPUBLICANS
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DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO THE
CONSTRAINED VIEW…
 BUT PERCEIVES THE HUMAN
CONDITION OPTIMISTICALLY. SEE’S
MAN’S NATURE AS “BASICALLY
GOOD”, AND CAPABLE OF POTENTIAL
PERFECTION IN THIS LIFE.
 THESE WOULD BE CONSIDERED
DEMOCRATS.

UNCONSTRAINED VIEW
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
MONEY, HOPE, TIME AND RESOURCES
ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS VAST SOCIAL
INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS PUBLIC
EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT
PROGRAMS, AND GOVERNMENT
SOCIAL SERVICES… INCLUDING
HEALTH SERVICES DESIGNED TO
PREVENT OR CURE THE ILLS OF OUR
WORLD.
WITHIN THIS VIEW
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
GOD DECLARES HIS VIEW OF MAN. WE
ARE TAUGHT THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES
THAT THE PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE IN
AUTHORITY AND THE WITH THE
WORLD AROUND US… ARE THE
PROBLEMS WITHIN US, NAMELY OUR
SINFULNESS.
GOD’S WORD
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

TO PROTECT US FROM THE ACTIONS OF SINFUL
PEOPLE AND PROTECT US FROM TYRANTS AND
OPPRESSORS.
WE ALSO NEED AGENCIES TO HELP BATTERED
WOMEN, HOMELESS CHILDREN AND THOSE IN
NEED. But OFTEN THESE AGENCIES AND
INSTITUTIONS ARE DEEPLY FLAWED, OFTEN
UNRIGHTEOUS AND EVEN OPPRESSIVE BECAUSE
THEY ARE LED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO
SELFISH SINNERS.
WHY IS GOVERNMENT NEEDED?
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
THINKING GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO
SOLVE MANKINDS PROBLEMS
◦ IT WON’T
 MANY LOOK FOR A HERO (ONE IS COMING… THAT THE
WHOLE WORLD WILL DESIRE)
◦WHAT THE WORLD DESIRES IS FOR THINGS TO
CHANGE EXTERNALLY WHILE THEY (THE
INDIVIDUAL) REMAIN THE SAME INTERNALLY.
I.E. THEY WANT SALVATION ON THEIR TERMS,
NOT GOD’S
WE MAKE A BIG MISTAKE
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SOLOMON SPEAKS
 HE IS NOT TALKING HERE ABOUT A
VS
2-9
HITLER, SUDDAM HUSSEIN, CEASAR’S OR
THE LIKE… BUT ACKNOWLEDGES THE
OCCASSIONAL INJUSTICES IN GOV’T …
NEVERTHELESS THERE ARE PROPER
POWERS THAT GOVERNMENT WIELDS
 HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
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SOLOMON SUGGESTS FOUR ALTERNATIVES TO ORDERS GIVEN
BY THOSE IN AUTHORITY (THAT THE INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT
 1.TO
DISOBEDIENCE…
WANT
DO)
◦ SOLOMON SAYS “KEEP THE KINGS
COMMAND” (vs2) .. NOTE THIS COULD
APPLY TO YOUR BOSS AT WORK.
◦ A.) THE INDIVIDUAL MUST BE LOYAL TO
AUTHORITY… AND TO GOD. SERIOUS
CONSEQUENCES.
◦ B.) Those in authority have more power than
the word of a “servant”
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•
C. . AVOID PUNISHMENT .. IN SOME
CULTURES COULD BE DEATH
– PAUL IN ROMANS 13:3-4 SAID “WE ALL HAVE
ENOUGH MISERY, WHY ADD TO IT”
•
REMEMBER, HOWEVER, IF THE ORDER
VIOLATES GOD’S INSTRUCTION… THEN
DISOBEY
– DANIEL
– APOSTLES
DISOBEDIENCE (CON’T)
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ALTERNATIVE 2
 VS 3:a DON’T LEAVE YOUR BOSSES
“DESERTION”
OFFICE IN DISGUST.. IT MAY BE YOUR
LAST VISIT (BOSS MAY BE OFFENDED)
 UNLESS IT INVOLVES INTEGRITY..
 I.E. HUMBLY STATE YOUR FEELINGS THEN
DROP IT.
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ALTERNATIVE 3
 VS 3b “DO NOT STAND UP FOR A BAD
“DEFIANCE”


CAUSE” (COULD MEAN: DON’T PROMOTE
THE KING’S EVIL PLAN, OR DON’T GET
INVOLVED IN A PLAN TO OVER-THROW THE
KING /BOSS)
Probably the later is best interpretation.
However, when it comes to matters of
conscience and the importance of standing
up for what is right (Acts 5:29 says: “We
ought to obey God rather than man”.
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ALTERNATIVE 4
 VS 5b – 6
“DISCERNMENT”
SOLOMON SUGGESTS THE WISE ONE
DISCERNS THE RIGHT TIME AND
PROCEDURE.
 BECAUSE IT TAKES DISCERNMENT TO
KNOW THE RIGHT PROCEDURE FOR
THE RIGHT TIME.

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
Joseph: Did not impulsively reveal to his
brothers who he was, because he wanted
to be sure their hearts were right with
their father and their GOD. Once he
heard them confess their sins, Joseph
knew it was the right time to identify
himself. His handling of this delicate
matter was a masterpiece of wisdom…
FOR EXAMPLE
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
Nehemiah was burdened to rebuild the
walls of Jerusalem, but he was not sure
the king would release him for the task
(Neh. 1-2). He waited and watched and
prayed, knowing that GOD would one day
open the way for him. When the
opportune hour came, Nehemiah was
ready and the king granted him his
request. Nehemiah knew how to discern
“time and procedure”
another
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
A prisoner of war in the Gentile land, DANIEL
refused to eat the unclean food set before
him, but he didn’t make a big scene about it.
Instead, he exercised gentleness and wisdom
by suggesting that the guards permit the
Jews to experiment with a different diet. The
plan worked and DANIEL and his friends not
only kept themselves ceremonially clean, but
they were promoted in the king’s court. (Dan.
1)
And another

The apostles exercised spiritual
discernment when they were arrested and
persecuted (Acts 4-5). They showed
respect toward those in authority even
though the religious leaders were
prejudiced and acted illegally. The
apostles were even willing to suffer for
their faith and the Lord honored them.
And finally
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Solomon says we have the 4 options concerning
our Gov’t and/or our boss, of disobeying, running
away, defying orders and even fighting back OR
USE DISCERNMENT. THUS before we act:
◦ FIRST EXERCISE WISDOM AND SEEK TO
DISCERN THE RIGHT TIME AND THE RIGHT
PROCEDURE.
◦ IT IS NOT EAST TO BE A CONSISTENT Christian
in this complicated evil world, but we can ask
for the wisdom of God and receive it by faith
(James 1:5; 3:17-18)
Options

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Vs.6b “though the misery of man increases
greatly”
HAVE YOU EVEN HEARD A FOOTBALL
ANNOUNCER SAY “HE’S PLAYING HURT”?
 GOD WANTS YOU AND ME TO KEEP
TRUSTING AND OBEYING GOD’S
WORD AND SERVING HIM … EVEN THO
WE MAY BE “PLAYING HURT” IN LIFE
APPLICATION: WISDOM ENDURES
EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T
UNDERSTAND
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•
•
•
Vs. 7 For he does not know what will happen,
so who can tell him when it will occur?”
Joseph 13 yrs, Abraham 25, Jacob 20 ….
- Ray Stedman, former pastor of Peninsula
Bible Fellowship.. Author of many books:
“Body Life” .. And of course, a book on Eccl.
During WW2 wanted to obey the
Government.
• As a sailor, he joined the Navigator work in Pearl
Harbor (my fathers Uncle, Harold DeGroff), joined in
teaching Bible Studies
• (Grandma Armstrong was greatly loved cook)
• After the war, GI Bill paid for his Seminary education.
And what about the future?
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•
Vs. 8 “No one has power over the wind to
restrain the wind, and no one has power in
the day of death, there is not release from
that war, and wickedness will not deliver
those who are given to it.”
– Death is wholly in God’s hand… None has authority
to choose the day of his death
– No one is discharged in time of war .. Requires
commitment
– Does not condone military irresponsibility…
inappropriate violence
Future may be risky
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•
Vs 9 “All this I saw, as I applied my mind to
everything done under the sun. There is a
time when a man lords it over others to his
own hurt”
– All governments do evil… He does not mean
Government is evil… (Government comes from
God) … the problem is EVIL in fallen men in
authority, living in a fallen world
• King of Egypt, Ahab, Neb, …. Stalin, Ceausescu,
Mao…
– Two flagrant examples will be covered next
week…
Government sometimes
oversteps
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