10. God’s Gift for the Redeemed Man
Hymns: 352 All the Way My Savior Leads Me 353 God Will Take Care of You 355 Day by Day
Study of the Book of Ecclesiastes
(Remember Now Thy Creator)
– God’s Gift to the Redeemed Man
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. 13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
OUTLINE
- Joy (v12a)
- Goodness – the ability to do good (v12b)
- Enjoy the Fruit of Our Labour (v13)
INTRODUCTION
The existence of man on earth can be most profitable when he remembers his Creator, the giver of all good gifts. Man’s life finds its fullness with God. Not any other god, but the living and true God, the Creator of the heavens and earth. This is the perspective that Solomon is leading his readers to see as he testifies of life in its final analysis.
When we have God, we have everything. Without Him, nothing.
Jesus gives the formula for spiritual progress and prosperity in life when He told His disciples in John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
This truth, a man finds when He understood the truth by faith that Jesus Christ is the living and true God!
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 1:10-12 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
When we have Jesus Christ in our lives, our life is blessed of God.
John 15:7-11 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Such incomprehensible blessings are our lot in Christ! What privilege we have in Christ. Our prayers answered, our ability to love others, our ability to have the fullness of joy.
But you may say, is there no pain and suffering and tears and sorrow in this life for any man on earth? This is overcome in Jesus Christ!
Jesus gave these words of encouragement to His disciples before He went to the cross that He shall sustain them through the future days even whilst He is not with them physically, He is with them by His Almighty overcoming power.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 is the record of the last words of our Lord’s last sermon to His disciples. The discourse began in John 13:31 after Judas had left the group to betray Jesus. The Lord was in the Upper Room with the disciples before He went to the cross. And He gave His disciples these comforting words of assurance of His abiding presence with them. Just as His Father’s presence was with Him without let-up, so too they would find rest in Jesus’ abiding presence even though severe trial and testing comes in life.
- His abiding peace resting with us and
- Our enduring courage to live for Jesus
- Trusting in Him to see us through hard days
When we have the Lord with us, remembering our Creator in the days of our strength, He gives:
- Joy (v12a)
- Goodness – the ability to do good (v12b)
- Enjoy the Fruit of Our Labour (v13)
(1) Joy (v12a)
– 12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice,…
When we know that God is in sovereign control over our lives, He makes all things beautiful in His time. We can trust His good hand leading us through life.
All the way my Savior leads me
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who thru life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whatever befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.
For I know, whatever befall me,
Jesus doth all things well.
All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Tho my weary steps may falter
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo, a spring of joy I see.
A man cannot see any good under the sun when God is not in the perspective of life. But when He is there is joy!
This joy is God’s gift to His children. Biblical joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, of a heavenly nature and power.
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
When one receives Jesus Christ into his life through repentance and faith towards God through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells such a one. In the sight of God, he is righteousness, the divide before him and God has been bridged by Jesus Christ’s atonement on the cross. He receives eternal life. His spiritual eyes are opened to understand spiritual things through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. He is now a child of the kingdom of God.
Jesus taught in Matthew 4:4 …It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The spiritual man ought to esteem the spiritual more than the physical things of life. Satan tempted Jesus after His 40 days and 40 nights wilderness trial to turn stone to bread.
William MacDonald said well, “Our Lord’s example teaches that we don’t have to live, but we do have to obey God! Getting bread is not the most important thing in life. Obedience to every word of God is. Since Jesus had received no instructions from the Father to turn stones into bread, He would not act on His own and thus obey Satan, no matter how intense His hunger.”
The Apostle Paul says to the believers in Rome to obey God by refraining from judging one another concerning the physical aspects of life like their eating habits. Rather cultivate spiritual virtues of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. The Apostle Paul delineates for us these spiritual virtues in Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
This fruit of the Spirit in contrast with the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21).
(a) It is of the new nature – “in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free” (Gal. 5:1a, 16a)
(b) It is not of the old nature – “be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1b, 16b).
The believers are encouraged to Galatians 5:16-17 …Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
To walk is to make spiritual progress. Regulate one’s life and conduct one’s self. It is a command – It appeals to the will! Do our part! Do so continuously, all the time without letting up. Let us take the step of walking with God!
1 Thessalonians 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
Realize that “joy” comes as a gift of the Holy Spirit when the old nature is put away by the believer. It comes when the believer chooses to say “no” to the flesh at each temptation that comes his way.
When he finds “forgiveness, eternal life, grace, hope, life beyond the grave, a reason to go on – regardless”.[1]
Whatever the seasons of life, he finds joy in trusting God through life.
(2) Goodness – the ability to do good (v12b)
– 12 … and to do good in his life.
I’ve termed it as goodness because the goodness of God comes to abide with us and it is reflected in our interaction with others. He gives us to do good to others even though they may be ungrateful, knowing that God is our ultimate rewarder or reward.
Jesus says to you:
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
We have experienced truly God’s love in our lives, we are willing to impart that love to others through good works. We do so even when others will not do us good in return.[2] That love that Christ impart to us is unconditional and sacrificial. It is God’s gift!
And we know that there will come a time when we can no longer do good when God brings us to our eternal home. That is the time we rest from our labours and enjoy the reward of His goodness to us through eternity in our heavenly mansion!
Now is the time to do good.
Matthew 25:34-40 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
May we do good for God’s glory and honour, receiving His commendation.
Good Deeds Done In Secret
I did a favour yesterday,
A kindly little deed,
And then I called to all the world
To stop and look and heed.
They stopped and looked and flattered me
In words I could not trust,
And when the world had gone away
My good deed turned to dust.
A very tiny courtesy
I found to do today;
‘Twas quickly done with none to see
And then I ran away.
But someone must have witnessed it,
For—truly—I declare—
As I sped back the stony path
Roses were blooming there.
(Cf: Matthew 6:3-4)[3]
Bridges said well, “The man not only rejoices, but he does good all his days. And what an increase of happiness; that our God and Saviour should have indulged us with the privilege of this promoting His glory… We might have been seduced and.. occupied with selfish contemplation of our own happiness; and never have had our hearts enlarged with the joyous privilege of doing good. Whereas now He has made us not only the recipients, but the almoners, of grace; not only “enriched” with all blessings in our own souls, but “unto all bountifulness” (2 Cor. 9:11), to supply the wants of others. Thus the happiness of every member of the body is increased by contributing to the welfare of the body…We are chosen of God, that, by doing His work, we may be a blessing to man. To enjoy our own blessings is the stimulus to communicate them.”[4]
(3) Enjoy the Fruit of our Labour (v13)
– 13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
The ability to enjoy food, the gift of appetite is a gift from God. Just as the gift of a restful sleep in the night is by God’s good hand. There are those with riches untold of this world’s goods and yet unhappy and unable to enjoy a simple meal of food and drink.
The Bible’s teaching is that man can enjoy the fruit of his labour. It is given to him by God who has enabled him to work (Deut. 8:18). And there is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This is from the hand of God. (Eccl. 2:24) And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. (Eccl. 3:13; 5:19)
Vincent Van Gogh, The Potato Eaters, 1885 – Van Gogh said he wanted to depict peasants as they really were. He deliberately chose coarse and ugly models, thinking that they would be natural and unspoiled in his finished work: “You see, I really have wanted to make it so that people get the idea that these folk, who are eating their potatoes by the light of their little lamp, have tilled the earth themselves with these hands they are putting in the dish, and so it speaks of manual labor and — that they have thus honestly earned their food. I wanted it to give the idea of a wholly different way of life from ours — civilized people. So I certainly don’t want everyone just to admire it or approve of it without knowing why.”[5]
CONCLUSION
What a privilege to enjoy the untold, unnumbered, unfathamable blessings of God as His children. May we live life to the fullest for His glory. Amen.
[1] Charles R. Swindoll, Living on the Ragged Edge, W Publishing Group, 2004, 76.
[2] Ibid., 75.
[3] Matthew 6:3-4 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. [Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.]
[4] Charles Bridges, Ecclesiastes, Banner of Truth Trust, 1992, 70.
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Potato_Eaters