______________________
______________________
Solomon shows us what wisdom looks like in the Book of Ecclesiastes. He tells us that loving and obeying God is the only basis for a satisfying life.
But if that were the end of the story, it would actually be pretty discouraging. I don't know about you, but I don't always remember the wisdom of God. And even if I remember it, I don't always do it. If I believed that it was all up to me to do it right, then reading Ecclesiastes would be a huge downer.
For the Book of Ecclesiastes to offer any real hope, we must have the power to actually put its wisdom into practice. Fortunately, through His life and death, Jesus Christ gives us the ability to love and obey God.
Jesus is the personification of the wisdom that Solomon describes in Ecclesiastes. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory” (John 1:14). A person who lives out Solomon's wisdom will look like Jesus. So let's review some of the key points and see how Jesus's life reveals the wisdom of God.
Jesus was familiar with suffering. He endured a life of poverty and in many ways was an outcast from His community and family. He was falsely accused and tortured by evil men. His friends abandoned Him in His hour of need. Finally, even though He was the only innocent man who ever lived, He bore the full wrath of God against sin.
But in the midst of His suffering, Jesus knew who was in control. We see this when He says, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). Even in His moment of agony, Jesus recognized that ultimately His sufferings were sifted through the kind hands of God. That's why He could then say, “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).
If we want to live out the wisdom of Solomon and Christ, we need to remember that all things come from the hand of God. His promise is that we will find our life when we lose it, and losing our life means that we have to suffer.
In all the suffering that Jesus endured, He never grumbled against God. Even in His greatest hour of struggle, His words to His Father show respect: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39).
Jesus knew that everything that happened was ultimately for His and our good. The author of Hebrews says that Jesus was motivated by joy and hope: Jesus, “for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). So even though Jesus endured the ultimate “injustice” and evil, God turned it into the ultimate good—our salvation. And Jesus knew He would.
In the same way, when we aren't certain of what God is doing, we can still be sure that what He is doing is for our ultimate good. Even when we have desperate questions and feel that there is no hope, we can respond in faith, knowing that if God can redeem the suffering of Christ, then He can redeem ours as well. Our comfort is in God's character, not answers.
Theologians debate the exact extent of Jesus's knowledge while He was on earth. But it is clear from Scripture that in His humanity, there were some things about the future that Jesus chose not to know (He limited His knowledge).
Yet Jesus walked forward confidently into the future. He was absolutely certain of the Father's love. He knew that He loved the Father with His whole heart. So He followed His desires and let the chips fall where they may.
In the same way, we ought not to be paralyzed by fear of the future. We know that God cares for us. If we are seeking to love Him, we ought to follow our dreams and step out in faith to serve Him.
Jesus had more faith than anyone. His relationship with the Father was one of perfect dependence and trust. Yet Jesus had bad things happen to Him.
The world has been broken by sin, and bad things happen just because we live in a broken world. When Jesus entered our world, He knew He would have to endure hunger, thirst, betrayal, fatigue, sadness, and grief. His faith did not mean that He got to live a suffering-free life.
The same is true for us. Trusting God doesn't mean that we're exempt from suffering; it simply means that we realize our suffering has an ultimate purpose. Anyone who claims that faith can make all our problems disappear has never read Ecclesiastes or seriously considered the example of Christ.
Jesus' active ministry lasted approximately three years. The New Testament verses record events that happened during only fifty-two days out of the life of Christ. During those fifty-two days, He was accused six times of eating and drinking with outcasts or of having too much fun. Jesus had a pure enjoyment of people and life.
Jesus didn't care very much for man-made rules and regulations. He knew that life is a blessing and that He should enjoy every moment. That's why He focused on the things He thought were important—building relationships and loving people and bringing them back to God. When He was asked why His disciples were having so much fun—why they didn't fast like John's disciples—He basically answered that since He was there, it wasn't time for fasting but rather for partying.
If you're not a Christian, there is a sense in which you can't fully enjoy anything. As mentioned in previous chapters, if you don't know God, you don't fully know or enjoy anything in His creation. You can't fully savor what life offers since you don't know who gave these gifts to you or why.
For instance, people who think that great sex will make them happy can't really enjoy sex. Sex wasn't meant to make you happy by itself; it was meant to be enjoyed in the context of a growing relationship with Christ and your spouse.
Jesus had fun because His life overflowed from His relationship with the Father. Find something fun to do and give yourself to it with your whole heart, knowing that it is a gift from God.
Jesus was courageous in the face of difficulty. He walked by faith in His Father and didn't let circumstances dictate His actions. When Satan tempted Him with “Turn these stones to bread,” “Cast yourself down and let the angels catch you,” and “Worship me and receive the kingdoms,” He answered, “No. I will obey God.”
Even though His loyalty brought pain, Jesus maintained His faithful pursuit of pleasing God. He knew that obedience doesn't always bring immediate happiness, but He never wavered in faith. Even in His final moments of physical and spiritual torture, He turned to His Father—“Into Thy hands I commit My spirit.”
God will determine the outcome. It's our job to walk faithfully with Him along the way.
Jesus lived and died by the Bible. From the earliest stories of His life, we see a commitment to and fascination with the Word of God. In the New Testament, there are 1,934 verses that quote the words of Jesus. Almost ten percent of these contain an Old Testament quotation or allusion. Jesus knew the Word of God.
How committed are you to the Word of God? How often do you find yourself thinking or speaking Scripture? Are you actively applying God's Word to your life?
Jesus used Scripture to defeat Satan and overcome temptation. He used Scripture to comfort Himself in suffering. He used Scripture to answer kings and others in authority. He knew that the Bible was a reliable source of truth to which we can entrust our lives.
If you will devote yourself to Scripture, you will become more like Christ. You'll be a well-driven nail and a master of the collection who stays strong through the storms of life. In a world that redefines truth every day, God's Word provides a foundation that cannot be shaken. It's a great place to build a life.
So be like Jesus and follow the wisdom of Solomon. Enjoy life. Trust God. And live for His glory.