23. Children and Long Life

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Hymns: RHC 175 For All My Sin 311 Does Jesus Care? 315 Walk in the Light

Study of the Book of Ecclesiastes

(Remember Now Thy Creator)

– Children and Long Life

Ecclesiastes 6:3-7

3 If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he. 4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness. 5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other. 6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place? 7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

 

OUTLINE

(1) Children and Long Life is Vanity Without God

 

INTRODUCTION

Man cannot find true satisfaction in life without God even if he has an abundance of possessions, wealth, children and long life. We have spoken at length concerning the snare of riches and material possessions. They give limited satisfaction to the possessor in the final analysis.

Rather, sinful man should seek to be reconciled with God. In doing so, he finds peace and joy in his soul. Such a man is filled with the goodness of God. He understood his purpose for life on earth. And lives his life purposefully with eternal blessings awaiting him in heaven.

Having the blessed endowment of many children and long life brings no true satisfaction to such a life.

 

(1) Children and Long Life is Vanity without God

3 If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he. 4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

Solomon tells us the case of a man who has a hundred children and lived to a ripe old age but he does not know God. He tells us that his soul is not filled with good, the goodness of life with God. This is not a good life.

Solomon speaks of the possibility that he may not have a good burial even though one may have many children. Although his children are responsible to give their father a good burial, this is not always the case.

The Bible provides for us the example of Saul, Israel’s first king, who was pursued by the Philistines in battle (1 Samuel 31). He asked his armour bearer to thrust him with the sword. His three sons fell with him that day. The Philistines cut their heads and stripped their armour, paraded their heads around the land of Philistine and hung their bodies on the wall of the city of Beth-shan. The valiant men took their bodies from the wall and burnt them and buried them under a tree at Jabesh and fasted seven days. Improper treatment of the corpose brings dishonour to the person. There are examples of those who die cursed death.[1]

There is the example of Jeroboam whom God cursed with a terrible death for the evil that he did in his life-time in leading Israel away from God.

1 Kings 14:10-11 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. 11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath spoken it.

 Truly the souls of these were not filled with good and they have no proper burial (v3). Solomon observed perhaps it is better that such a person be not born than to end their life in such tragedy – 4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

A man who does not know God departs into a frightening future of judgment. Our Lord Jesus gave two men’s final destiny – a beggar named Lazarus and an unnamed rich man. The rich man did not know God. When he died he was consigned to the torments of hell fire. Hell indeed is a place of terrible darkness whereas Lazarus was brought to the bliss of paradise in heaven.

Luke 16:20-31 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Recall we mentioned this in our weekly newsletter Lord’s Day, Vol. 4 No. 03 on 17 January 2016.

 

The Doctrine of Hell 

(A) The Nature of Hell

  • Hell is a place of unquenchable fire. (Matt. 3:12, 42; Mk. 9:43)
  • Hell is a place of memory and remorse. (Lu. 16:19-31)
  • Hell is a place of thirst. (Lu. 16:19-31)
  • Hell is a place of misery and pain. (Rev. 14:10-11)
  • Hell is a place of frustration of anger. (Matt. 13:42; 24:51)
  • Hell is a place of separation. (Lu. 16:26; Rev. 2:11; Rev. 20:6, 15)
  • Hell is a place of undiluted divine wrath. (Rev. 14:10)
  • Hell is a place prepared for Satan and his hosts. (Matt. 25:41)
  • Hell is a place created for all eternity. (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; Jude 1:7) 

(B) The Occupants of Hell

  • Satan (Rom. 16:20; Rev. 20:10)
  • Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:8)
  • False Prophet (Rev. 19:20)
  • Fallen Angels (2 Pet. 2:4)
  • All unsaved people (Rev. 21:8)

 

The Doctrine of Heaven 

In the Bible, we read of three heavens. The “First Heaven” comprises the sky that we see, the home of the clouds (Jer. 4:25; Dan. 4:12; Matt. 6:26; 8:20).

The “Second Heaven” comprises the home of the sun, moon and stars (Gen. 22:17; Ps. 19:1). The “Third Heaven” is the home of God (2 Cor. 12:2; 1 King 8:27, 30; John 14:2-3; Heb. 11:10, 16, 12:22; Rev. 21:2).

(A) The Characteristic of Heaven (The New Jerusalem)

  • The shape of the city – a cube (Rev. 21:16).
  • The size of the city – 1400 miles long, high and wide (Rev. 21:16b). Our earth has approximately 120 million square miles of water surface and 60 million square miles of land surface. If one multiple 1400 by 1400 by 1400, the cubic miles of the city, it is a staggering figure of 2 billion and 700 million cubic miles, which is some 15 times the combined surface of the entire earth, including both land and water area. It has been estimated that 40 billion people lived on our planet since the creation of Adam. Of this number, over 5 billion are living today. Density studies of city population assure us that every single one of these 40 billion could easily be accommodated upon just the first “foundational floor” of this marvelous 1400- layered metropolis.

(B) The Inhabitants of the City

(1) Holy and elect Angels (Heb. 12:22; Rev. 5:11)

(2) 24 Elders (Rev. 4:4)

(3) Church (Heb. 12:22-23; Rev. 19:1, 7-8, 21:1, 9-11)

(4) Saved Israel

(5) God the Father (Rev. 4:2-3; Daniel 7:9)

(6) God the Son (Rev. 5:6)

(7) God the Holy Spirit (Rev. 14:13, 22:17)

(C) The Foundation of the City

The City rests on 12 layers of foundation stones with each layer being inlaid with a different precious gem (Rev. 21:14).

(D) The Walls of the City 

The walls of the New Jerusalem are some 216 feet high and made of jasper (Rev. 21:17-18). The walls are not for protection but for design and beauty. A 216 feet wall all around a 1400-mile high city is like an inch curb around the Empire State Building.

(E) Gates of the City

There are 12 gates to this city, three gates on each side. On each gate is the name of one of the tribes of children of Israel. Each gate is of a beautiful white pearl (Rev. 21:12-13, 21a).

(F) Main Street of this City

The central boulevard of the New Jerusalem is of pure transparent gold (Rev. 21:21b). 

(G) The Throne within the City

Rev. 4:2,3,6a “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald…And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal...”

(H) River of Life in this City

Rev. 22:1 “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

(I) Tree of Life in this City

Rev. 22:2 “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

(J) Resurrected Bodies in this Heavenly City

All resurrected bodies will reside in the heavenly city.

(K) Activities of the Redeemed in this City

(1) Heaven will be a place of praise, singing and worship (Isa. 44:23; Heb. 2:12; Rev. 14:3, 15:3).

(2) Heaven will be a place of fellowship.

(3) Heaven will be a place of service (Rev. 7:15, 22:3).

(4) Heaven will be a place of learning the plan of God, the power of God and the person of God (1 Cor. 13:9, 10).

(5) Heaven will be a place without tears, sorrows, crying, pain (Rev. 21:4).

[Summarized and adapted from Willmington’s Guide to the Bible, page 681-690]

May this short write-up on the doctrine of hell and heaven help us in our sharing of the gospel to compel men to turn to Christ in repentance for salvation, and thereby escape the ravages of hell and experience the eternal blessing of heaven! Amen.

Having children and long life indeed is no advantage for anyone without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.

Solomon speaks of the inevitability of a judgment to come – “do not all go to one place?” 

The Apostle John was given a glimpse of this one place of judgment – Revelation 20:11-15 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Indeed, it is an eye-opener to behold the judgment to come for the unbelieving. It behooves us to be up and about sharing the gospel especially with our love ones still outside Christ.

6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place? 7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

Having long life without living it in the realm of God’s purpose is pointless even for a thousand years. His life finds no true satisfaction.

On the other hand, we find the example of Noah who lived a purposeful life together with his wife and three sons and daughters-in-law preparing the Ark that God instructed them to do so to escape the global flood the destroyed the known world at that time.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 

Noah took God at His Word, built the ark and preach to warn the people in the world in his time of the judgment to come.

For us too, we know that a time of judgment will come when Christ returns as the world heads towards the formation of the Antichrist kingdom. The ark of Christ is the only safety for a burning earth – the only escape is up when Christ comes to bring the church to heaven at the rapture. May we be ready.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

 

CONCLUSION

May God help us to live a purposeful life for His glory in these last days before our Lord returns! Amen.

 

[1] http://drbarrick.org/files//studynotes/Ecclesiastes/Ecclesiastes06PBC.pdf