Word of Salvation – Vol.23 No.31 – May 1977

 

Safe Despite Everything

 

Sermon by J. J. Van Wageningen on Ecclesiastes 10:8,9 & Romans 8:28a

Scripture Readings: Ecclesiastes 10:1-11; Romans 8:18-30.

 

The Preacher seems to be a hopeless pessimist.  He writes about the vanity of life, the vanity of what happens in this world, and he does not say that there is SOME vanity in it, no, ALL is vanity.  “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!”  All that occurs is a monotonous repetition.  It happens over and over again.  And what is the result?  Man may work and put every possible effort into it, he may labour all his life, but it is all in vain, for the end is death.

Indeed, the Preacher seems to be a sombre pessimist.  But there is more to it than only this.  And therefore I say, he SEEMS to be a pessimist.  For the Preacher is not a depressed, disillusioned man, who looks at things through dark-coloured glasses, seeing only the dark side.  No, not at all..!  He wants to see and understand the reality of human life and human activity and of the world of men.  But he knows, there is more.  This world is GOD’s world, and he speaks about wisdom and foolishness in connection with God: wisdom as the fear of God, and foolishness as the neglect of God.  The Preacher sees the misery of life without God, the misery of this world without God.  But he points also to the responsibility and the calling of man, namely to fear God.

We must not isolate the content of this book from the rest of the Bible.  Ecclesiastes is an essential part of God’s Word.  It is true the Messiah, the Christ, the Redeemer is not mentioned in the book of the Preacher, but it is also true that only against the background of the Gospel do we understand something of its deep meaning: it is a loud cry for the Christ, for the Redeemer; without Him all is vain.

As sinful men we live in a sinful world, a world full of puzzling events, full of riddles, full of question marks.  However we may live by faith in Christ, we may know God, we may live in the light of His Word.  This does not mean that we get all the answers to all the questions.  Surely we do not.  But we know the answer which God gives in and through Christ, His death, His resurrection.

In our text the Preacher states, that our life is constantly threatened; there is risk in everything we do.

We see this against the background of Romans 8: as believers in Christ we can be sure of God’s fatherly love and care.

“He who digs a pit will fall into it”.  This first line of our text is exactly the same as Proverbs 26:27: “He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back upon him who starts it rolling.”  The meaning of this proverb is clear: You fall into your own pit; you meant it to be a trap for somebody else, but you are struck by the evil yourself.

Although the wording is the same, the meaning of the Preacher’s saying is quite different.  The Preacher thinks of the dangers which threaten a man who is doing his work.  When somebody digs a pit, then there is the possibility of falling into it.  It happens time and again.  On the construction site for example.  There is a lot of activity, a hustle and bustle of workers, and all of a sudden an accident happens; somebody falls and has to be taken to hospital.  He who digs a pit may fall into it.  That is the idea.

Another example is given by the Preacher: “A serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.”  There is no need to think of a burglar who tries to break into a house.  No, there is just a man who has to make an opening in a wall.  Realize that such a wall was not made by a bricklayer, neat rows of bricks with cement in between; just a wall of rough stones is meant, and it often happened that a little snake was hidden in a hole between the stones.  And so a man who breaks some of the stones out of the wall, can easily be bitten by such a startled snake.  “A serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.”

The Preacher goes on, “He who quarries stones may be hurt by them”.  We know what a quarry is.  Well, people who work in a quarry may be struck by falling rocks.

And finally, “He who splits logs is endangered by them”.  One can hurt oneself with the axe, or sharp pieces of wood may strike somebody.

There are so many possibilities, so many accidents occur.  In this way the Preacher shows us something we know, namely that our life is constantly threatened.  He gives four examples, he mentions the one possibility after the other, to make it clear that it is not a rare, exceptional case, but a common phenomenon.  Every man is exposed to danger.  There is the risk of being struck by an accident in the life of everybody, grown-ups and children.  Dangers threaten us always and everywhere.  There are the enormous dangers of catastrophes of nature, the calamities of floods and bushfires, of epidemics and earthquakes, when thousands of people are threatened.  It happens also on a much smaller scale, in the individual sphere, when you quietly do your work, or when you are on holidays.  All of us know of terrible accidents, when all of a sudden holiday-pleasure turned into a horrible disaster.  And then the questions arise.  How is it that this world is just like a minefield?  At any moment a mine may explode.  Is it not strange?  God, who is holy and good, created this world, and He made it good – a splendid cosmos.  And now there is something chaotic; there is a disturbing element; there are many threats, many dangers; now here, then there man is struck; there is the destruction, great or small, the explosion, the revolt, the upheaval, the breakdown, and man is maimed or crushed.

Of course there is in our text the implied warning that we must be careful.  We are not allowed to endanger wilfully our own life or that of others.  And this is indeed very important, especially in the present time.  Man is often so selfish and ruthless.  Our carefulness however cannot neutralize all threats; we cannot expel all dangers, nor prevent all accidents.  Man, sinful man, is not able to subdue this world, to control all evil and destructive powers, to lead an undisturbed life of peace and harmony.  In Genesis 3 we read that after Adam fell into sin, God cursed the ground.  “Cursed is the ground because of you.”  Man has a struggle, a hard service upon earth.  He has to fight against hostile powers.  His life is threatened in so many ways.  Even the whole creation is subjected to futility, it is in bondage to decay and it is groaning in travail.  The apostle Paul writes this in Romans 8 and then he points to the future of the glorious liberty of God’s children, in which glorious liberty the whole creation will share.  But now there is still disharmony, discord, suffering, misery.  This is the reality which we see and experience; and although there is a link between the condition of mankind, the condition of this world, and the sin and guilt of mankind, generally speaking, yet we cannot reason it out.

On the contrary, when we think about it, then there are many more questions.  There are dangers everywhere.  But not all threats are realized.  You may do your work for a long time and nothing goes wrong.  Then all of a sudden it happens; the fall into a pit, the biting serpent, an accident, the ambulance, the hospital.

Why did it happen just then and there?  Why did it happen to me and not to somebody else?  Sometimes people work or travel together and one of them is struck and the others escape.  Why?  One bus, or train, or plane crashes, others arrive safely at the place of their destination.  Why?  Do you know the answer?  Is there any man in the whole world who knows the answer?

The friends of Job thought they knew the answer.  They accused the miserable sufferer on the dung-heap, of terrible sins.  “Job, you must have committed something awful, otherwise God would not punish you.  Your suffering is a clear evidence of specific sin and guilt.”  God was angry with these friends, because they condemned God’s servant Job, even in the name of God; because they judged Job in a self-righteous manner, making his sufferings the heavier.  They did not understand a thing of it.

We know how the Lord Jesus answered when some people told Him of the Galileans who were murdered by Pilate: “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus?  I tell you, No!  But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

And then our Saviour emphasizes again how necessary it is that we ourselves confess our sins and repent.  He mentions another example, a terrible accident; A tower in Siloam fell down – 18 people were killed.

Then Jesus puts the same question, “Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem?”  The same answer follows: “I tell you, No! but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13).

If it comes to judgment, we have to judge ourselves, to humble ourselves before God; we are no better than others.

We know that sometimes God leads His children in very difficult ways to try their faith, to deepen their spiritual life.  We mentioned Job already.  We think of what Peter writes in his first letter, chapter 1, “You may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith may be found.”

God may call a halt to the sinner and lead him to conversion in a way of suffering and distress.  We know it from God’s Word, and we see it happen in actual practice; it is true, but these truths don’t provide us with ready answers as keys which fit every lock.

No, the questions remain, just because we believe in God and His Word.  If you do not believe, if you reject the truth of God’s Word, well, then you talk about good luck or bad luck; it is just a matter of coincidence, a blind fate rules; you are a victim of the circumstances, etc.  Then the questions have lost their sharp sting, not because they are solved, answered, but because such false solutions of unbelief deny and obscure the real problem.

For this is the real problem, that God, the Almighty Creator, is good, holy, righteous; that God is love; that God rules over all and everything with perfect wisdom, AND – WHAT DO WE SEE OF IT?  “He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.”  The answer to this problem is not some cheap, self-made solution.  No, we must accept this problem, these unanswered questions.  For what does it mean to believe?  It does not mean that God explains everything to us; that we have all the answers.  Not at all, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

We believe, not because we see and understand everything, but in spite of the fact that we do not see, that we do not know the answers.

We believe in God, we trust His Word.

We believe in God, who reveals Himself, His love, His righteousness, in Christ, His only Son.  God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, He did not spare Him; He gave Him up for us all.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins.

God’s perfect love, God’s perfect righteousness is revealed at Golgotha.  His only Son died for us while we were yet enemies.  He bore the punishment we deserve, the anger of God, hellish agony, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”  that we might be accepted of God, and nevermore be forsaken of Him!  Here we look into the infinite depths of God’s righteousness and of God’s love.

And it must fill our heart with wonder, that we may share in God’s love, that we may know Him as our God and our Father in Christ.  Amazing grace!

This is a matter of Faith.  We are called to believe, that is, that through God’s Word and Spirit, we see the reality of our own sin and guilt, and we are sorry, we repent and give ourselves up to Christ; we trust in Him, and in His perfect sacrifice; we know Him and love Him and serve Him, our living Lord.  And in all circumstances we cling to God’s Word, we stick to His promises, which find their “Yes” in Christ, and we say “Amen”, the Amen of faith, through Him, to the glory of God. (2Cor.1:20).

God’s Word, God’s promises are clear, a light in the darkness, comfort in sorrow, strength in weakness.

The Lord Jesus says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7).

“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.”  We know it with the knowledge of faith.   “And he who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” (1Peter 2:6).

The questions, the awful problems are still there.  Life is threatened.  We do not know what may happen.  We know many things which did happen.  But it does not make us desperate or careless.

We live by faith in hope and love, and look up to Christ, our crucified and risen Lord.

The whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now, but Christ makes His Kingdom come.

And we, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Yes, we look forward to that great day, when the creation will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the glorious liberty of God’s children.

We do not see it yet, but we believe.

We hope for what we do not see, and therefore we wait for it with patience.

Amen.