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good evening to everyone welcome to Free Grace Baptist Church a warm welcome to visitors if you're out there with us this evening it's good to be in the house of the Lord just one announcement before we begin worship this evening uh well actually two first off we have uh Pastor Michael Kirkpatrick with us this evening he preached this morning as well Jim and Mike have swapped pulpits for uh for this Lord's day and so uh it's nice for us to have Pastor Kirkpatrick up here a second time opening up the word to us the fellowship meal we're having a fellowship meal next Sunday evening so after the evening service the evening service will be 4 P.M next Lord's Day evening so not five so if you're coming show up at 4 please you can show up at five but if you want to be here on time show up at four and afterwards we're having a fellowship meal and that will be a saying goodbye to to Luke Lucas Hall as he is moving out to Burnaby and will be transferring his membership to the the Surrey reform Baptist Church so let's begin our worship then if you'll turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 97. Psalm 97 as we open up with a reading of the word of the Triune God Psalm 97 the Lord Reigns let the Earth Rejoice let the multitude of Isles be glad clouds and darkness surround him righteousness and Justice are the foundation of his throne a fire goes before him and burns up his enemies round about his Lightnings light the world the Earth sees and trembles the mountains melt like Wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth the heavens declare his righteousness and all the people see his glory let all be put to shame who serve carved images who boast of Idols worship him all you Gods Zion hears and is glad and the daughters of Judah Rejoice because of your judgments O Lord For You Lord are most high above all the Earth you are exalted far above all gods you who love the Lord hate evil he preserves the soul of his Saints he delivers them out of the hand of the wicked light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart rejoice in the Lord you righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name amen well let's stand together as a church we're going to sing 219 that's 219. we'll stand together as a church and sing hymn 219. [Music] oh great Holy Spirit [Music] is your own business [Music] foreign [Music] he says [Music] foreign [Music] God is tell us [Music] let's go to our great Triune God In Prayer let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in the fact that we can gather together on a second time on this your Lord's day for a second time on this Sunday rejoicing in Father Son and Holy Spirit and truly Lord God we confess Your Majesty we confess your glory we rejoice in the fact that you are infinite Eternal and unchangeable in all of your glorious Perfections we do pray that you would help us now to hallow your name we pray that we would think a right of our God that we would acknowledge you your greatness your majesty Your Glory that we would sing your Praises as we progress through worship we pray that we would have hearts truly tuned to worship we pray that we would worship you in spirit and in truth help us not just to go through the the Motions of liturgical progression but to Lord truly Worship You To Worship You and Earnest to worship you genuinely and to worship you with great joy Lord we long to be those Saints who who truly do worship ship Our God and so we pray that you would give us that measure of your spirit to do so we pray As we sing as we read the scriptures as we as we sing the scriptures your truth and as we hear your word preach Lord God that we would be humbled before you that we would have that reverential awe and Lord God that our Savior Jesus Christ would be exalted upon the Praises of this gathered assembly we do pray Lord God that you would be with Pastor Kirkpatrick as he opens your word tonight we know as we often pray Lord God that Ministers of your gospel rests not upon their own strength and truly they do rest upon the strength that Father Son and Holy Spirit provide and we pray that he would know that strength in this Pulpit this evening and give him what he needs in order to be able to open up the word and to speech to speak with courage and and confidence and to have that that fluidity of thought and that presence of Mind and Spirit to Proclaim richly the things of our great God we do pray the same for pastor Butler in the Surrey church this evening Lord be with him as he opens up your word there be with the people we pray Lord God that they would receive well the preached word and that you would edify your Saints there and that you would Lord God save Sinners and coming back to our own context we pray the same for us help us Lord God not to have wandering thoughts here in this church tonight we pray that we would be solely and alone tuned to your worship that we would be focused that we would be attentive as those who long to hear from Spirit and word do be with us and we pray Lord God that we would be your Saints here in this place would be lifted up and encouraged by the preached word here and Lord God that Sinners would be saved that any who came in these two doors outside of Christ would leave singing the Praises of our blessed savior we do pray Lord God that you would be with those who are unable to join us for for health reasons or for whatever reasons those may be we pray that you would strengthen the ill in in our midst whether here or away from us those who are suffering with disease those who are suffering with with injury and illness we do pray that you would help them that you would heal them that you would just give them strength in their bodies Lord God and return to them that Vigor that that is appreciated by your Saints here in this lower world but in the midst of such suffering and affliction Lord we pray that you would lift them up in spirit it caused them even the mid in the midst of illness to rejoice in their Christ and to be resigned to the will of the Triune God we do pray for those who suffer spiritually as we all can Lord God as we can have our our ups our downs we can have those times where the clouds roll in where the the storms come in and the floods rise we do just pray that you'd be with each and every one of us that you would help us through these times that you would by gospel and spirit Lift us up out of these times and cause us to have that Joy of our Salvation returned unto us we do pray God for those who rule over us as we're called in the scriptures to pray for kings and for those who are in Authority we do pray Lord God that you would be with those who rule over us cause them to rule or write with righteousness it Grieves us to see the way that our rulers conduct themselves the The Madness of of those in among the ruling party Lord we do just pray that you would cast down those who oppose you who oppose the truth and we pray Lord God that you you would raise up those who would rule in righteousness and Justice we do pray Lord God for those throughout the world who are persecuted for the cause of God in truth we hear many each and every Lord's day and and on the Wednesday night bible studies of how there is such hot persecution against our Brothers and Sisters in Christ throughout the world and we do just pray that you'd be near to our dear brothers and sisters help them in the midst of tyranny in the midst of of such gross opposition we pray that you would cause them to know the confidence of Our Risen Christ we pray that in a way Lord God they would be able to look away from the violence from the madness from the persecution from the Venom of their enemies and that they could with eyes of Faith look upon the exalted Christ who takes away the sins of this world and Lord God that they would have confidence and joy in him and we do pray for those who do persecute Lord God we long to see many of those turn from The Madness of their idolatry and that colossal Folly of persecuting the the people of Christ that they might be turned from that by amazing and Victorious Grace and unto the Gospel of Jesus Christ we pray that you would do that work of amazing and Victorious Grace upon the souls of many of these and cause them to be found amongst those whom they formerly persecuted and as we often pray Lord God for those for those reprobate for those who would continue to oppose your people and to be obstinate in the hardness of their own Hearts we pray that you would cause them to wither away as the snail that they might no longer bring violence against our Brothers and Sisters in Christ so we pray now Lord God that you would be with us we thank you that we have this opportunity to gather in Freedom with full Bibles on our laps that we can that we can Avail of your word and that we can receive from the spirit that that presence of focus and worship to truly worship you are right and we pray that you would be glorified here that your Saints would be lifted up that your minister would be strengthened and Lord God that Sinners would saved and we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ Our Savior amen well let's stand and sing again as a church this time it's going to be 283 we'll stand together and sing 283. [Music] [Applause] we will [Music] Glory where our eyes [Music] foreign [Music] amazing world Jesus Christ foreign [Music] I am Glory praise [Music] you can turn in your Bibles with me for our Old Testament scripture reading this evening to the Book of Numbers we are in Numbers Chapter 12. Numbers Chapter 12. it's a it's a short chapter so we will read all of it numbers 12 beginning in verse 1 this is the word of the Triune God then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married for he had married an Ethiopian woman so they said has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses has he not spoken through us also and the Lord heard it now the man Moses was very humble more than all men who were on the face of the Earth suddenly the Lord said to Moses Aaron and Miriam come out you three to the Tabernacle of meeting so the three came out then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the Tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam and they both went forward then he said hear now my words if there is a prophet among you I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision I speak to him in a dream not so with my servant Moses he is faithful in all my house I speak with him face to face even plainly and not in dark sayings and he sees the form of the Lord why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses so the anger of the Lord was aroused against them and he departed and when the cloud departed from above the Tabernacle suddenly Miriam became leprous as white as snow then Aaron turned toward Miriam and there she was a leper so Aaron said to Moses oh my Lord please do not lay this sin on us in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned please do not let her be as one dead whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb so Moses cried out to the Lord saying please heal her o God I pray then the Lord said to Moses if her father had but spit in her face would she not be shamed seven days let her be shut out of the camp seven days and afterward she may be received again so Miriam was shot out of the camp seven days and the people did not Journey till Miriam was brought in again and afterward the people moved from hazaroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran amen oh just a couple observations first off we have this instance here where the Lord God comes down we see verse 5 then the Lord God came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the Tabernacle one of the things we need to acknowledge when we come across passages like this is that our Lord God indeed isn't moving locomotively from one place to another as if as if he is confined by his own creation the Lord God remember fills the heavens and the Earth even the heavens of Heavens cannot contain him so this is language yes of accommodation but also of the fact that God is manifesting himself in this in this manner of coming down upon the pillar of cloud and he comes down and he comes down as a judge because he calls these three before him and is truly engaging in something of a trial here against Aaron and Miriam for speaking against the Lord by virtue of of speaking against Moses they were in a sense here trying to set themselves at least on par with Moses if not trying to gain a promotion above Moses and having Moses demoted even below them we have this interesting language here that perhaps questions have Arisen in your minds before verse 3 now the man Moses was very humble more than all men who were on the face of the Earth this parenthetical insertion that we have not an insertion but this parathetical language that we have here Moses is the author of numbers and yes the question okay is Moses here engaging in some strange you know some strange Paradox of inserting how humble he is the point here is that the Lord God through the inspiration of most likely Moses in this particular case is trying to show that Moses is humble he doesn't immediately answer in some measure of reviling Aaron and Miriam's charge and in fact Moses is silent in his humility but the Lord comes to the Vindication of his servant Moses so it's to set up the fact that Moses will not answer but the Lord God in his condescension will answer the opposition brought against the Lord by virtue of the opposition brought against Moses and we see this interesting language year and there is a christological typology going on with regards to the language notice then he said that is God hear now my words this is verse six if there is a prophet among you I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision I speak to him in a dream not so with my servant Moses there is a uniqueness here between the prophets and Moses himself who yes functioned as a prophet but also in this context as a king over the kingdom of God as a faithful servant verse 7 says not so with my servant Moses he is faithful in all my house there is a christological connection here as the Lord Christ being the servant of God that servant language would be taken up and spoken about concerning David and then picked up by uh and spoken of with regards to David's greater son the servant of a house now there is a distinction with Moses in Christ Moses was the servant of God's house but Christ according to Hebrews 3 is servant over his own house being himself God the one who took upon himself flesh this is Hebrews 3 at verse 3 for this one has been counted worthy of more Glory than Moses in as much as he who built the house has more honor than the house for every house is built by someone but he who built all things is God and Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterwards but Christ as a son over his own house whose house we are If We Hold Fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the Hope firm to the end we see in the Old Testament glorious language of God defending his own servants that proclaim the word and bring the word to his people and we see that in that there is a forward pointing trajectory to the great servant the Lord Jesus Christ who came who came to give his life for his people well let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for the word of God we rejoice in your goodness to us in giving it to us we do pray that you'd help us to appreciate to glory in your truth that we would glory in the one to whom it points even Jesus Christ Our Savior we thank you for salvation by him we rejoice in in the fact that we've been called from out of Darkness to Marvelous Light by virtue of your amazing and Victorious Grace which comes to us by virtue of the Perfection of the finished work of Jesus Christ Our Savior we thank you for his life his death and his resurrection and truly we rest upon him alone as our only hope and we pray in his precious name amen our final hymn then before the preaching is to a 22 D so if you'll stand with me we'll sing Psalm 22 d as in delta [Music] over to him [Music] Lord of wars videos [Music] foreign [Music] the Lord our Lord is [Music] always foreign [Music] everyone you can turn with me in your Bibles The Book of Ecclesiastes chapter 7. the title is what is good for man we've been going through the Book of Ecclesiastes in our evening service at Surrey I call it that most depressing book but it's very encouraging in a depressing sort of way so hopefully you uh see that in Ecclesiastes seven we're going to look at verses 1 through 14 this evening but I'm going to begin reading at Chapter 5 Verse 18 to set the context for us Ecclesiastes 5 verse 18. here is what I have seen it is good and fitting for one to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him for it is his Heritage as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth and given him power to eat of it to receive his Heritage and rejoice in his labor this is the gift of God for he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart there is an evil which I've seen Under the Sun and it is common among men a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires yet God does not give him power to eat of it but a foreigner consumes it this is Vanity and it is an evil affliction if a man begets a hundred children and lives many years so that the days of his years are many but his soul is not satisfied with goodness or indeed he has no burial I say that a stillborn child is better than he for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness and its name is covered with Darkness though it has not seen the son or known anything this has more rest than that man even if he lives a thousand years twice but has not seen goodness do not all go to one place all the labor of man is for his mouth and yet the soul is not satisfied for what more has the wise than the fool what does the poor man have who knows how to walk before the living better is the sight of the eyes and the wandering of Desire this also is Vanity and grasping for the wind whatever what is he has been named already and it is known that he is man and he cannot contend with him who is mightier than he since there are many things that increase vanity how is man the better for who knows what is good for man in life all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun a good name is better than precious ointment in the day of death than the day of one's birth better to go to the house in the morning than to go to the house of feasting for that is the end of all men the living will take it to heart sorrow is better than laughter for by a sad countenance The Heart Is Made better the heart of the wise is in the house and mourning but the heart of fools is in the house of Mirth it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise and for a man to hear the song of fools for like the crackling of thorns under a pot so is the laughter of the fool this also is Vanity surely oppression destroy destroys a wise man's reason and a bribe debases the heart the end of a thing is better than its beginning the patient in spirit is better than the proud and spirit do not hasten your spirit to be angry for anger rest in the bosom of fools do not say why were the former days better than these for you do not inquire wisely concerning this wisdom is good with an inheritance and profitable to those who see the son for wisdom is a defense as money is a defense but the Excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it consider the work of God for who can make straight what he has made crooked in the day of prosperity be joyful but in the day of adversity consider surely God has appointed the one as well as the other so that man can find out nothing that will come after him amen let us pray oh Lord Our God we are thankful that you teach us what is good for us in this world thank you that you're the God who is goodness itself you are the pleased to create the world in the space of six days and give us good things even temporally for thankfully even more so oh God for your goodness and the work of the son thank you o God that we have forgiveness thank you o God that we have salvation and thank you o God that we have communion with you and as we walk this world and as we all as your people still have to deal with the perplexity but the conundrums that we face with the unfairness that we see thank you o God that you're the one who guides all things according to your purpose you are the one who is the potentate of time and so God please as we come to your word once again we pray that you give us illumination from on high to better understand these difficult sayings and may they Comfort us may they encourage us may they convict us may they lift us up oh God and may we see that we are butt man and you are the Creator and we truly can do nothing we cannot find out anything we cannot find out the work of God from the beginning to the end but thank you o God for the promises and assurances that you make everything beautiful in its time thank you for the promise and Assurance oh God that what man means for evil you mean for good thank you for the promise that says all things work together for the good for those who are called according to your purpose so may we take great comfort in these things oh God as we still wrestle and live in a present evil age thank you o God that this world is not our home and thank you that you shall guide us and lead us to that blessed Celestial City so as we make our way there oh God may you give us hope may you give us Comfort may you give us encouragement for all the difficulties we shall face so we pray oh God that you would be honored we pray that your Saints would be encouraged we pray o God that Sinners would be saved and we pray in all things you would be glorified we pray these things in the Name of Christ amen well a lot of people want to know what the good life is what is good for man in all the life in which he lives under the sun and typically in our modern conception of the good life it seems to be we must avoid pain at all costs we must do whatever feels good regardless of its supposed moral value and while those and while there are good things in this world that can be used rightly even things like riches riches is a gift that God gives and can be used rightly the problem is the pursuit of riches in and of itself only leads to emptiness and to one being unsatisfied with one's life so riches are good temporal blessings are good but they can leave one dissatisfied that seems to be the tension that the preacher is wrestling with throughout the book and one in which he's wrestling with here as well when we come to Ecclesiastes chapter 7. sometimes the reality is the things that are good for us are not always the things things that we enjoy perhaps to use New Testament type language discipline is painful for a moment and that's this typical idea that we see here in the entire Book of Ecclesiastes that's what Solomon wrestles with here in Ecclesiastes 7 verses 1 through 14. and what I think he's doing in verses 1 through 14 is answering the question that was raised in verse 12 for who knows what is good for man in the life all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow what then is good for man if it is not riches I think the entire book in the book is difficult to understand I get that you read 10 different commentators they might say 10 different things but I think the main point of the book has to be connected with Proverbs and has to be connected with job and certainly you know the beginning vanity of vanities all his vanity are perhaps better Enigma of enigmas all our Enigma life is inconsistent life is unfair there and we have to wrestle with that reality of a sinful Fallen World and typically Proverbs gives us the cause and effect type relationship you do good things you'll receive benefits you do bad things Calamity will come to you well Ecclesiastes kind of turns that on its head in a lot of ways he's wrestling with wisdom and what is the pursuit of Life what is the meaning of life well there's inconsistency in the world Ecclesiastes gives us Nuance job does this as well we don't always know why things happen in this world and God never tells job why and we simply must confess that God is God and we are man and we simply trust in him in the vain life in which we live so that's what I think is going on in this book as he pursues what is the meaning of life as he makes observations about life Under the Sun what then is good for man in the Life in which he lives and we see some better than sayings in verses 1 1-14 and I do see Proverbs in Ecclesiastes intention in these verses as well I think the problem that arises from these verses is the problem that riches can bring and typically when one is wealthy typically typically when one is Merry and having a wonderful time they usually forget things right that's the language used in the Old Testament God says to Israel you're going to go in the land things are going to be great you're going to get fat and you're going to forget me that's typically what happens when we have good things in this life we forget God and the gifts that he gives forgetfulness and frivaldi and so perhaps maybe the conclusion then is maybe it's not riches that we pursue but maybe sometimes sadness is actually better than rejoicing it kind of just breaks our hearts as we come to this book he posed the question he answers it but then he kind of destroys that conclusion that he comes to All for Our benefit and for our good to make us feel depressed and then to lift us up up as well and so I think in these verses he's answering the question what is good for man and so we'll look at seek to answer this question under three headings this evening first of all we'll see how good sorrow is verses one through four secondly we'll see how good the end is verses 5 through 12. and lastly we'll see how good God is in verses 13 and 14. so how good sorrow is how good the end is and then how good God is now there's a ton of better than sayings here I just had to lump them in somehow so we didn't have 18 points so those are my three points so let's first look at how good sorrow is in verses one through four and the reason I had us read chapter 5 verse 18 is because in 5 18 and throughout the book If we have a vain life in which we live God does say it's okay to enjoy the good things God gives temporal benefits to this world the rain falls upon the just and the unjust as long as we don't sin with them you see Solomon had a proper understanding of the doctrine of creation God is the creator we are the creature the one who has goodness itself made this world in the space of six days and calls it very good and so if God gives rain and fruitful seasons and Full Hearts should we not rejoice and be glad if God has given you a good job and money to be able to buy nice things that's okay you can thank him for those things but the pursuit of it by itself is not what not something someone ought to pursue as the meaning of life because that will just lead to vanity of vanities and one vanity that comes up in five is God gives good things but God also gives the ability to enjoy those good things one might have riches but God might not have given them the ability to enjoy those good things and that's a Darkness that's a sadness that's a a futile desire of riches and so that then leads into chapter seven so what's better than riches what was good for man in the Life in which he lives verse 1. a good name is better than precious ointment now precious ointment was considered a sign of great wealth it's used in Second Kings 20 when Hezekiah likes to show off to the Babylon envoys it talks about gold and silver and precious ointment and so what he's saying here in the pursuit of riches it's better to keep one's reputation it's better not to try and get to the top in any sort of way possible it's better to for one to keep his good name rather than squander it with high priced items rather than squander it in a unsavory type of way to pursue that well so a good name that is better than riches a good name is better than precious ointment and this squares away with Proverbs chapter 21 1 as well I won't turn there but it does square with those uh that verse then he goes on to say in verse 1 when the day of death and the day of one's birth it's kind of sad isn't it why is the day of death better than the day of one's birth now the problem of death emerges a lot in this book whether one is wise whether one is foolish we're all going to die whether one is Rich whether one is poor we're all going to die and the sad reality is is that as we live in this world as he says so often I'm sorry to hurt your feelings but it's a vain life it's a life that is but a shadow it's a life that is full of Sorrow it's a life that is full of sadness and so the day of death is better than the day of one's birth why because all the sadness ends when someone is born you're typically excited right you're excited a little baby comes wonderful that's great but you typically in that moment aren't thinking wow they have a you know years of misery ahead of them you just rejoice in the moment but you don't really want to scar them as soon as they're born but really in reality the day of death is better than the day of ones birth when you consider all of the Calamity and sorrow and inconsistency of the world in which we live in so look forward to your death the day of death then the day of one's birth and he kind of continues this kind of depressing sort of image he says in verse two better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting and perhaps it's similar to the idea of the day of death and day of birth but typically you're alive at this point still right as you typically you can either go to a place of feasting or a place of mourning which is better to go to well he says a funeral is better to go to than a wedding typically not a lot of people would say that but the preacher who I believe is Solomon says such a thing and why is that typically at the day a place of mourning it causes one to think it causes one to stop and Ponder the realities of life now it's not wrong to have a birthday party for your children it's not wrong to go to a wedding but typically at those times you're not thinking I wonder when my four-year-old's gonna die and if you do that super weird if you do that typically when you go to a wedding you're not saying boy having Wagers on when that person is going to when they're going to divorce you don't do such things right because that's a silly thing to do you rejoice it's a day of feasting it's a day of Joy it's a wonderful day and that's a proper time to Rejoice but we're not typically thinking about the day of one's death and a lot of the serious things in life so perhaps it is better to go to a funeral better to go to the house of mourning and he gives us the reason why for that is the end of all men and the living will take it to heart considering our death gives us perspective in the world in which we live in considering that we are finite gives us perspective in the world in which we live in this is what the psalmist says in Psalm 90 after he talks about considering the Eternal God who is from Everlasting to Everlasting what does he say teach us to number our days that what that we may gain a heart of wisdom and wisdom typically is taking the Law of God taking the words of God and rightly using using that in the Life in which we live what is the right path we ought to pursue in light of what God has said well the first thing is recognize you're going to die recognize you're not in control recognize that God is the one who is eternal and we are going to pass and it teaches us to in one uh application of wisdom is to recognize how finite we really are teach us to number our days that we might gain a heart of wisdom the living do well to remember this very thing death is part of life death is a reality and that's something perhaps we're not as prepared for as we probably should be so better to go to a funeral than to a house of feasting then he continues some of the sad language verses three and four sorrow is better than laughter for by a sad countenance The Heart Is Made better now the language of Sorrow carries the idea of grief the idea of vexation it's used in a negative sense in 517 there is a severe evil just as someone comes into the world so he shall go and what prophet has he who has labored for the wind all his days he eats in darkness and has much sorrow and sickness and anger there's the severe evil that riches bring but he's using it kind of in a positive way here like with death considering death is a good thing it causes us to think about our finiteness and cause us to think about the meaning of life well the same thing is true with sorrow vexation is a good thing in this moment sorrow is better than laughter he says for by a sad countenance The Heart Is Made better the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning in the heart of fools is in the house of Mirth the reason and this is where perhaps Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are in a bit of tension in Proverbs 15 13 Solomon also says a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance but by the sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken but here he says for by a sad countenance The Heart Is Made better it's difficult to determine how to reconcile that but perhaps Genesis 50 and Hebrews 12 or help us here again discipline is painful but for the moment what man means for evil God means for good and sometimes in a time of Sorrow once again it causes us to stop and Ponder and think and consider or as Pastor Butler says so often you're never Sanctified on a beach right it's in sorrow it's in hardship it's in difficulty that we learn more about how much we need our God and it is good for our souls even though we don't go pursue it so that's why wisdom is found in mourning the heart of the wise in the house of mourning the the heart of the fools is in the house of Mirth it is a great vanity one who is wise Ponders and discerns what is the way of life even if he has to go through a crooked path even if even a if someone has to walk through the valley of the shadow of death what then is the way of life and so sorrow is a good thing and perhaps it's a good thing because it's how God really awakens our attention right if you're like me typically things sometimes are going pretty well you grow fat and forgetful we forget God we forget to thank him we forget to appreciate him and sooner or later our devotions start to slip certainly our prayers start to slip certainly our church attendance starts to slip and then we something bad happens and God reminds us how much we need him day by day and he draws us back in in those difficult times mirth and abundance is a gift of God but the tension is is it makes us sleepy and forgetful I'm not saying we're masochist and we go pursue sorrow and sadness but when it comes it can be a good thing and perhaps this is similar to what James says in James 1. James it really is the New Testament book of wisdom and James 1 he says for James 1 verses 2 through 4 my brethren counted all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing it is a gift that God gives in a lot of ways it's a way in which he uses those times to awaken us and Shake us out of our Slumbers I think Henry's lengthy quote is helpful Henry's been very good on Ecclesiastes he says sorrow is better than laughter more agreeable to our present state where we are daily sinning and suffering ourselves more or less and daily seeing the sins and sufferings of others while we are in a veil of Tears we should conform to The Temper of the climate it is also more for our advantage for by the sadness that appears in the countenance The Heart Is Made better that is best for us which is best for our souls by which the Heart Is Made better though it'd be unpleasing to sense sadness is often a happy Means of seriousness and that Affliction which is impairing to the health estate and family may be improving to the mind and make such Impressions upon that as May alter its very temper very much for the better may make it humble and meek loose from the world penitent for sin and careful of Duty that's what various trials do to us it teaches us how much we need to look to our god day by day that's why sorrow is better than laughter for by a sad countenance The Heart Is Made better so that's how good sorrow is let's then look secondly how good the end is verses 5 through 12. and again it was hard to kind of piece them all together but look at verses five and six better to hear rebuke it's better to hear the rebuke of the wise and for a man to hear the song of fools for by the cackling of thorns under a pot so is the laughter of the fool this also is Vanity or an enigma now this squares away with Proverbs 13 18 15 and 17. so you're continuing the what is better sayings here and it is better to hear correction than something pleasant from Fools correction is not always easy to hear we typically don't like it when we're corrected by others but it's actually better for us in the long run rather than the laughter of Fools and the image there is the cackling of thorns would not have been a nice sound to hear and it is very much the sound of the laughter of fools the idea that's not a nice thing it makes you want to beat your head against the wall for a man for like a cackling of thorns under a pot so is the laughter of the fool that's how bad the laughter of the fool is now this is Vanity why you'd expect laughter to be good right you think laughter is the best medicine but that's not what the preacher says for us here it's better to be rebuked rather than to go through a life with no rebuke but only laughter a life only of good things a life only of of Mirth rather than never hearing rebuke in this world that's why children need to be told no that's why there's tension isn't there one day it's okay to get your child to candy that's fine when you go to the grocery store but another day might not be it's good to have wisdom on to know which day that is and which day that is the good day to say let's have a candy and one day that it is not so a little bit of both is probably good in life but in this case it's better to hear rebuke than the laughter of fools then he goes on to say in verses 7 through 10 he talks about how better the end is and I think in verse 7 he's dealing with the problem of Oppression that he's already talked about governments in chapter five he's going to talk about governments again in chapter 8 and in chapter 10. even in chapter five though he does tell us tyranny and Corruption happens verse 5 verse 8 of chapter five if you see the oppression of the poor and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province do not Marvel at the matter that's good for us isn't it there's corruption in tyranny and brother when you consider tear when you consider the history of governments guess which one's the norm tyranny is so we shouldn't be surprised when we see it dear Brethren I admit sometimes I think the last couple years I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off as though this had never happened before that's why Ecclesiastes is good this has happened before and it shouldn't be surprising that it happens he warns us of that very thing corruption even says for high official watches over high official and higher officials over them bureaucracy there's bureaucracy in the world don't be surprised by that very thing that's why the book I gotta say with everything going on has been a boon to my own soul reading this book because it teaches us the realities of life teaches us the sadness of life it teaches us that this world is inconsistent sometimes you just need someone to tell you the world's inconsistent to lift you up that's what the book does for us in so many ways and so I think in verse chapter 7 verse 7 surely oppression destroys a wise man's reason and a bribe to Bases the heart and what he's saying here Solomon is a realist even the best of men the wises of men as we saw this morning can be broken by oppression they can they can be broken down they can be beaten they can have many so uh many Mind Games Done to them they can break don't be surprised by that when you see such things oppression destroys a wise man now oppression is also mentioned in four chapter four look the tears of the oppressed but they have no comforter on the side of their oppressors There Is Power that's a sad reality isn't it on the side of the oppressors there is power and sometimes there's just nothing we can do about it sorry to say it like that but sometimes there's just nothing we can do about it except trust in the promises of God he's going to give us some lessons for how we ought to live and how we ought to act in those times but before we get there in verse 7 he also says a bribe debases the heart that's a Temptation for us all here's a big sum of money do this evil thing or don't or turn a blind eye that happens Brethren don't be surprised by that in this world surely oppression destroys a wise man's reason even the wisest man can be destroyed by these very things and a bribe debases the heart so then how shall we respond well I think he gives us four things in verses 8 through 10. the first thing is it's going to end the end of a thing is better than its beginning that is a comfort oppression will end now in the general scheme of Life suffering will end and that's a key promise for the people of God though we die we have everlasting life that awaits us we have it now we possess it now but we shall have it in full when Christ returns we don't need to fear death in this world because we have something that awaits us but there is a comfort that oppression shall end sometimes it ends in this life and it will certainly end when this life ends but it's going to come to an end sometimes the end is really better than the beginning and sometimes you know all good things come to an end but so do all bad things they shall come to an end as well so if you face oppression you face vanity it's all going to end the end of a thing is better than its beginning the second thing he teaches us how we ought to act I guess the last three are how we ought to act verse 8 the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit patience is better than Pride patience is hard isn't it especially when we have these little thing called these things called phones they don't do anything for our patients I mean come on you put it down five minutes later like I want to pick it up again you have no idea why I mean little shows today are like instead of like 20 minutes or like three minutes long I mean what's happening you know for our children you know what's going on because it can't sit for long periods of time in general I'm saying we are very impatient people just plays into our impatience and notice what's interesting about what he says patience in spirit is better than Pride and perhaps the opposite of patience is what grumbling complaining whining murmuring over one circumstances and what's interesting is Peter kind of has a similar sort of thought in First Peter 5. in First Peter 5 he says humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he might exalt you how by casting your cares upon Him and so I think what Solomon is saying and I think what Peter is saying is this when you Grumble about your circumstances your arrogant and the reason you're arrogant and prideful is because you think the life you want would be better than the one that God has placed you in that's why he says cast your cares upon Him Now thankfully you have a God who he can cast our cares upon I'm not saying we don't go to him and call upon him and seek mercy and Grace and wisdom for how to live I'm not saying we don't cry out to him but remember God ordains all things and sometimes as Calvinists we forget that we shouldn't because we're Calvinists but we forget that so often we have chicken with our head cut off syndrome right something bad happens and we run around like a chicken with our head cut off that's the second syndrome today this morning was hand foot and mouth disease the second is chicken with head cutoff syndrome and you struggle with it just like I struggle with it but we ought not to God is over all things and so it's better to be patient and even be patient in oppression then he goes on to say the third thing don't be angry that's the hardest one don't hasten in your spirit to be angry for anger rests in the bosom of fools again it's easy for us to gripe and Grumble and see then be angry government it's easy for us to gripe gripe and complain and gripe and Grumble against whoever anger and we have to remember God has put them there for a reason that's hard for us to grasp as well it's hard for us to submit to as well tyranny is the norm and God puts tyrants in office we don't always know why but God does that very thing so how are we supposed to act dear Brethren it's going to end don't be arrogant but be patient and then don't be angry because anger rests in the bosom of fools the reason being is we must be calm and cool under pressure rather than one who is hot-headed and later on in Ecclesiastes 11 he talks about the poor wise man who saved a city with his wisdom poor wise man who saved a city with his wisdom and what it says there is wisdom is better than strength and even then it's a conundrum because the poor wise man is despised and he's not listened to but Verse 18 wisdom is better than weapons of war but one sinner destroys much good so it's better to have wisdom wisdom's better than weapons but then he hurts our feelings again and shatters our dreams and ideas by saying one sinner can destroy much one sinner can destroy much but it's still better to pursue wisdom so avoid anger and then the fourth thing that gives us comfort and oppression verse 10 or how we ought to live don't have Golden Age syndrome that's the third disease we all struggle with don't inquire into the past do not say why were the former days better than these for you do not inquire wisely concerning this if only I lived if only this that era would have been great that would have been wonderful I think we think like that about the Puritan Era right there's a lot of learning we could have sat under John Bunyan and John Owen wouldn't have that been wonderful then we forget about you know the wars that happens and then we stop and forget about hygiene you know hygiene at that time you usually showered once a year you can shower you had a bath once a year if you like your baths and your showers every day every week it would be hard now you wouldn't have you know if you were born then you wouldn't actually know but you know what I'm saying would it have been better I don't know we think that there would have been much more morality right I don't know I mean Ecclesiastes does say there is nothing new Under the Sun and how often he says there's nothing new Under the Sun and how often he says you cannot find out the work of God from the beginning to the end what is is already being and what Shelby has already been so don't be surprised by what you see in the Life in which you live don't inquire into the past don't think why were the former days better this is the day that God has placed you and we must confess that and trust God and give that submit to him in that very idea now that's what I think Ecclesiastes 3 12-15 helps us with Ecclesiastes one helps us with that what he says especially sorry in verse 11 of Ecclesiastes 3 he has made everything beautiful in its time also he's put eternity in their hearts except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end and he goes on to say it's good to Rejoice it's a gift of God enjoy the benefits God gives and verse 14 I know that whatever God does it shall be forever nothing can be added to it and nothing can take it from it God does it that men should fear before him that which is has already been and what is is to be has already been I have to say to Ecclesiastes highly underutilized when it comes to doctrine of Providence excellent stuff in this very book and I think we see that here do not inquire into the past so that's why the end is good and he goes on to say in verses 11 and 12 he talks about how it's better to have wisdom and perhaps he's equating wisdom with wealth here I get again some of the wording some of the language is hard to understand uh verse 11 he says whatever is good with an inheritance and profitable to those who see the son for wisdom is a defense his money is defense but the Excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it perhaps what he is saying here is we only have so much time that even wisdom itself can offer we live in a vain life it is but a shadow and as we live in the vain life in which we live it's probably best to pursue wisdom better to have wisdom than riches now what I want us to see here in these verses is how the end and how the South sorrow cultivates wisdom a wise person does say this too shall pass now again oppression pain and sorrow is never something one pursues but again it is how God cultivates wisdom in his people teaches us to fear teaches us to consider the way of life and it is for our benefit I know that's hard sometimes when we pray for someone when they have a certain disease come upon them I'm not against praying that they would be healed dear brethren we should pray that they would be healed not in a Pentecostal sort of way you know what I'm saying that they would you get it but what we ought to pray as well is that they be sanctified that they would trust more in those moments because it's usually in the darkest Valley we realize as Davis says how Christ close how close Christ has always being the perhaps is a reason for what we're dealing with and I think Bridges helps here he says this is not there for the sentiment of a sour misanthrope it is that of one who looks beyond the momentary ebulation that is pouring out of the sorrow to the after abounding and largely compensating results what if there be a need be for the present heaviness there might be a reason dear brethren for what you're going through for the present heaviness it might be a reason to teach you to fear God and that's exactly what he says in 3 15 312 nothing can be added nothing taken from it God does it that men should fear before him isn't the end of the whole matter too fear God keep his commandments so the end is good how the end is good let's then look thoroughly and finally how good God is verses 13 and 14. verse 13 we see God's crooked path consider the work of God who can make straight what he has made crooked how unable we are to change the decree in Providence of God this is a problem in 6 10 and 11. whatever one is he has been named already for it is known that he is a man you're not God you're man sorry and he cannot contend with him who is mightier than he you can gripe you can Grumble you can complain all you want but we cannot know the work of God from the beginning from the end we cannot change it and he says there what God has made who can make straight what God has made crooked that language is used in chapter 1 verses 14 and 15 as the preacher engages in his quest start out starts out his quest he seeks to pursue wisdom the meaning of life but he says what is crooked cannot be made straight when one begins to pursue the wisdom of wisdom there's going to be a lot of sadness that they see when they pursue that wisdom and what is lacking cannot be numbered it cannot be changed and the reason is God has ordained the Crooked paths as well as the straight that's hard isn't it humanly speaking crooked paths the path that we didn't think we would go down the path of sorrow and sadness God has ordained those very days as well that's why he is the potentate of time right to everything there is a purpose uh to everything there is a season a time for every purpose under Heaven three one through nine there's a time to be born and a time to die a time to plant a time to pluck There's A Time to Kill and a time to heal a time to break down a time to build up a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to dance and a time a time to mourn and a time to dance a time to Cast Away Stones a time to gather Stones a time to embrace a time to refrain from embracing a time to gain and a time to lose a time to keep in a time to throw away a time to tear and a time to sow a time to keep silent and a time to speak a time to love and a time to hate a time of War any time of Peace he has ordained all of those times and he makes everything beautiful in its time as the preacher says in three verse 11. 3 11. Henry says who can change the nature of things from what is settled by the god of nature if he speak trouble who can make peace if he hedge up the way with thorns who can get forward if desolating judgments go forth with commission who can put a stop to them since therefore God cannot mend we cannot mend God's work we ought to make the best of that very thing and so he says how crooked God's path is or the path he makes crooked but notice we also see God's appointed days as well notice verse 14. in the day of prosperity be joyful God gives the good days and God brings the hard days so when God gives you a good day what I want you to do thank him for that good day and that's why throughout the book he says it is nothing better for man than to eat and drink and enjoy the good of his labor that God has given him in this vain life in which he lives under the sun it's a blessing it's a benefit we ought to not make a good thing a bad God we ought not to do that and we ask God to give us the ability to enjoy the good things he gives without sinning with those good things but if God gives you something good thank him for that very thing so what do you do in a day of prosperity be joyful be thankful but consider as he says but in the day of adversity consider surely God has appointed the one as well as the other so that man can find out nothing that will come after him days of adversity come as well there might be of a day of much and a day of nothing and you know what we ought to do but recognize both come from God and really what he's trying to teach us here is we're very insignificant I mean that's what he's teaching us he's teaching us we really don't know what tomorrow brings right you have no idea what tomorrow brings you have an idea of what you're going to do tomorrow you have an idea what you're going to do when you drive home today we have no idea really we have no idea what God has made crooked one cannot make straight we cannot find out anything that will come after him that's why it's good to read Matthew or Matthew 6. that's why Jesus's words in Matthew 6 don't worry about tomorrow don't worry about tomorrow don't worry about tomorrow for today has its troubles take each day at a time is good wisdom that God gives through the preacher and through our Lord now one thing I want to close with for us to consider is how comforting it is to know the God who is over all things there is the god who has to create all things that come to pass and he's bringing all things that come to pass and want special comfort of the people of God is how we can trust him what man means for evil God means for good Joseph spent 12 13 years in uh in as a slave sold at 17 rise to power at 30. right 13 years what man meant for evil God meant for good that is a great comfort for the people of God As we walk in this sinful and consistent world we cannot find out the work of God from beginning to end and another comforting thing as well is one day this world shall end one day your life shall end and why that's a benefit and a boon is because if you die before Christ comes back your souls shall be with Christ if you don't die before Christ comes back Body and Soul shall be reunited or I guess they're already United you shall be caught up with him to the new heavens and new earth the end is a good thing we long for the end brethren we long for the end of this vain life in which we live we long for the new heavens and earth we long for that very thing we long for the end or perhaps to use a more New Testament type language we have hope right we have hope of what awaits and I think this is what Peter is getting at and we will close here in First Peter 1 verses three through nine he's reminding the church of where their hope lies in verses three through five he talks about praising God who's begotten us to a Living Hope verse four or sorry verse 3 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to what an inheritance and corruptable and undefiled that does not fade away reserved in heaven for you and he goes on to say how we're kept who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time so we have something that awaits hope then he kind of talks in a very ecclesiastical type way or Ecclesiastes type way verse six in this you greatly Rejoice though now for a little while if need be you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to praise in honor and glory of the revelation of Jesus Christ whom having not seen you love though you do not see him yet believing you rejoice with joy and expressible and full of Glory receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your souls Brethren what ultimately is good for us it's that we are found in the Sun found in Christ and Brethren as you walk this vain life in which you live cling to Christ cling to the Savior believe upon him and there is mercy and forgiveness and inheritance that is unfading undefiled in the Heavenly places a great day that awaits of great hope that we have in a crooked World in which we live will let us pray oh Lord Our God thank you for the whole counsel for which we can read thank you o God even for the difficult Book of Ecclesiastes thank you for the wisdom that we see in it thank you that you're a God who is uh who is and you are the God who knows our frame that we are but dust You're The God Who is the potentate of time and overall things and we pray oh God that we would put our faith and trust in you day by day oh God we do not go looking for sorrow but thank you o God that there is a purpose and a reason for the sorrow that we endure and we're thankful o God that you teach us wisdom in it and we pray that we would see the lessons that you wish to teach us in those times and we also thank you o God for the times of prosperity the times of Joy the times of rejoicing so may we know how to rejoice as well oh God may we know how to laugh may we know how to dance and we also know how to weep and how to mourn give us wisdom for whatever is necessary in the moment oh God what is the right way to go and we know oh God we fail so often in this very Endeavor and so we thank you o God that Christ there's forgiveness in the Savior forgiveness in Christ that he is the one who has purchased for us an inheritance that is unfading undefiled in the Heavenly places and thank you for this hope that we have so we ask who God as we are still pilgrims along the way as we still live in this present evil age please walk with us day by day please never leave us nor forsake us and please give us the strength that we need as we walk in a world full of inconsistencies thank you that you are God and we are man thank you that you know what is best and thank you that you make everything beautiful in its time be with us now by your spirit we pray in the Name of Christ amen we'll close the brief time meditation when the candle's finished you are dismissed [Music]