28. Cultivating Patience

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Hymns: RHC 376 O to Be Like Thee, 30 When This Passing World Is Done, 378 More About Jesus

Study of the Book of Ecclesiastes

(Remember Now Thy Creator)

– Cultivating Patience

Ecclesiastes 7:7-10

 Ecclesiastes 7:7-10 (KJV) 7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

 

OUTLINE

  • Adversity and Prosperity (v7)
  • Ending and Humility (v8)
  • Not Hasty Nor Easily Angry (v9)
  • Dwelling in the Past and Disatisfied with the Present (v10)

 

INTRODUCTION

The discourse of Solomon brings us to the topic of cultivating patience as a spiritual virtue in a fallen world. He provides for us various senarios where the cultivation of patience and endurance saves the man of God.

 

(1) Adversity and Prosperity (v7)

7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

 He tells us that adversity has a way of destabilising a person citing the example of persecution or oppression. The epistles (letters to the churches and individuals in the churches) have many examples that teach the believer to endure difficult people. It teaches us whatever the trial never to be despondent!

For example, James[1], servant of God, to the scattered church, wrote his letter to help believers understand the marks of true faith in Christ. How does a true Christian go through life’s journey victoriously? How to live a victorious transformed life? The Christians in James’s time were facing severe social isolation and persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ. He provided them practical advice what to do. True faith is practical, functional, solves life’s problems. But it involves yielding our will to God’s will. Our wisdom to God’s wisdom!

James began by zooming in on meeting his readers’ needs – how to go through the trials in life? He brings them, down to earth, “feet on the ground”, informing that trials are inevitable. Expect trials in your Christian life. What are trials? They are the testing, burdens, afflictions, hardship, difficulty, setback, hard knocks, adversity, suffering, distress, problem, worry in life. Unwelcome, unsought and unexpected happenings in a person’s life!

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

  • With Joy (v2)
  • With Patience (v3-4)
  • With Prayer (v5)

Not only James, Peter exhorted believers to rejoice during the trial of their faith.

1 Peter 1:7-8 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Paul commanded the Christians in Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” This is not only a command to yield your will to God’s will, to choose to be joyful, but we are to do so continually without let up. Make it a habit in your life, a part of your life. Cultivate this rejoicing. You are to go through trials with pleasure!

Oppression can cause a person to behave in an unchristian manner – tit for tat, having suffered much.

Also, there is the test of prosperity. Take these bribes and you will not have any more financial worries though they are unlawful. The counsel is that we are to be willing to trust God to feed us as we labour for Him. The impatient will fall into such financial pitfalls.

 

(2) Ending and Humility (v8)

8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

 Solomon brings us at the beginning of the chapter to the vigil service at the funeral scene to help us to see the end of man. It is there that a man’s life is evaluated as a historical record, exploits and disappointments. A sober assessment can be made. Whether a person is in the Lord, his name is written in the Lamb’s book, is the crux of the matter. God reveals this truth more fully to the Apostle John.

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.

Solomon was given this same insight when he said there is a coming judgment at the end of life – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Swindoll said well, “When we reach the end of a novel or film, the whole story often makes sense. Even the seemingly fragmented pieces of the Bible’s story come together in Christ and are summed up at the end of historu. The same is true in our own lives. Grand plans and idealistic dreams may abound at the beginning, but the actual course of our lives only becomes evident at the end. As we step into eternity and catch a glimpse of God’s perspective, our joys, pains, struggles, and triumphs will begin to take shape as a miraculous work of God…our journey from birth to death and beyond, one of God’s purposes is to transfom us into the likeness of Christ, replacing our pride with humility.”[2]

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

 Micah confined his prophetic interest to problems arising from the social injustices that plagued the small landowners, farmers and peasants. Micah was clearly aware of the injustices and avarice of the rich. The societal sins that Micah rebuked are against the common man. The injustices of the rich and powerful were vividly described as coveting fields and taking them by violence, oppressing a man and his house because of the power that is in their hands (Micah 2:1-2). He made strong indictment upon those who wrongfully deprived others of their possessions, warning that God will drastically punish these leaders the “heads of Jacob” and “princes of the house of Israel” (Micah 3:1-4) and the false prophets (Micah 3:5-8) and the dishonest business practices (Micah 3:11, 6:11, 7:3).

Harrison observed, “Micah had at heart the interest of the lonely peasants in the Judean country countryside. Life as he had experienced it was very much like that which Amos had seen in the northern kingdom, for in the south the rich were also oppressing the poor reducing the poor and reducing the peasant classes to most impoverished of living conditions (Micah 2:1)”.[3]

The people of Judah and Israel have forsaken the commandments of God, living a life of carnality where might is right rather than right is might. The moral strength of the people is at its weakest beginning at the leaders. Micah had to plead with the people in Micah 6:8 to come back to God. They had violated the “basic tenets of the Mosaic Covenant failing to practice justice or covenant loyalty love and their ardent pursuit of idolatry revealed their failure to walk humbly before God”.[4] It is in this setting that Micah preached a climatic message in Micah 6:1-8 to bring the people back to God. He offered a solution to the moral and spiritual problems of society. The first is to “do good”. God wanted his people to yield to the requirements of true religion, summed up well in Micah 6:8 to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. God made the link between ethics and piety, the duty toward man with the duty toward God, emphasising the responsibility of the erring people to not neglect their responsibility.

 

(3) Not Hasty Nor Easily Angry (v9)

9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

 “He who has no self-control is like a dilapidated city” is a good paraphrase of this proverb (Timothy Tow, Pearls of Great Wisdom – A Study of the Book of Proverbs). Self-control is the spiritual quality or virtue that enables a Christian to have the power to keep himself/herself in check against the sin of the flesh and the spirit.

A Christian writer apt says, “In the supremacy of self-control consists one of the perfections of the ideal man. Not to be impulsive – not to be spurred hither and thither by each desire that in turn comes uppermost – but to be self-restrained, self-balanced, governed by the joint decision of the feelings in the council assembled, before whom every action shall have been debated and calmly determined – that it is which education, moral education at least, strive to produce.”

Self-control is only courage under another form. It may be almost regarded as the primary essence of character. Self-control is the root of all virtues. The man who gives up to his impulses and passions yields his moral freedom. The passage in Romans 6:1-2, 6-18 describes the battle of the human heart between the law of the flesh and the law of the Spirit. The Christian by self-control distinguish himself/herself from being a servant to righteousness than a servant to sin.

 

(a) Uncontrolled Anger, Jealousy and Envy.

The first outbreak of anger tends to the first murder in the Bible.

(i) Remember the account of Cain and Abel.

Genesis 4:5-8 “But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.”

The outbreak of anger tends to murder.

(ii) Recall the jealousy in the heart of King Saul led him to kill David, not sparing even his own son.

1 Samuel 20:30-33 “Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.”

There was the true testimony of a couple who took turns to go on business trips. Work gave to wife fulfilment in life! She liked the high life of dining in the sales. The husband is very short tempered. They can be out together for breakfast on Saturday morning together and because of some unhappiness, he would go away and sit on another table leaving his wife to have breakfast alone. There are many occasions due to the stress of work. He took out his frustrations on his son. The son is beaten up for the smallest provocation. Their family life is like a “dilapidated city”, ruined. His uncontrolled anger had caused the family much anguish – He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls. (Proverbs 25:28)

The spiritual virtue is patience or longsuffering. Longsuffering is the Greek word “μακροθυμία” transliterated as “makrothuméō”. It is defined a state of emotional quietness in the face of unfavorable circumstances. In this context, it describes the believer as exhibiting patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs inflicted by others (Thayer Lexicon). It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is not a natural action of man but a supernatural action of the Holy Spirit working in the believer. It is an attribute of God (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15; Jeremiah 15:15; Romans 2:4; 9:22; 1Peter 3:20; 2Peter 3:9, 15. It is a communicable attribute that believers possess as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), says Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 1:11; 3:12; 1Timothy 1:16; 2 Timothy 3:10; 4:2).

 

(4) Dwelling in the Past and Dissatisfied with the Present (v10)

10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

 Solomon warns against dwelling on the past so much that we become dissatisfied with the present. The tendency to compare the present with the past and lament, to put aside our present blessings and be filled with a dissatisfied spirit!

When Naomi returned to Israel after straying to Moab for ten years was full of bitterness.

“Return” is a key word in Ruth. Hebrew forms of this word are used several times in this first chapter. Here is an apt illustration of repentance. Naomi reversed the direction she and her husband had taken. She turned away from Moab and the errors of the past. She turned her back on the tragic graves of her loved ones and headed back to Judah, her homeland.”[5]

To where was Naomi returning or turning back to? It was to Israel, to her God and to her people. This was the beginning of salvation. Just like the prodigal son who came to himself.

 Luke 15:17-24 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

 

CONCLUSION

May God grant us the strength to walk with Him daily! Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Who was James? There are several men in the New Testament by that name. We know that this James was not the apostle James, brother of John, because he was martyred in A.D. 44, too early for this epistle. The vast majority of scholars agree that the author of James was the half-brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55). He became the leader of the church in Jerusalem in the years following the Day of Pentecost (Gal. 2:9; Acts 15:13-29; 21:17-25). He became known as “James the Just” (or, “Righteous”) because of his well-known holiness. [Steve Cole, A Radical Approach to Trials]

[2] Charles R. Swindoll, Living On the Ragged Edge Workbook, W Publishing Group, 2005, 136.

[3] R.K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament, (Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985), 920.

[4] Charles Dyer and Eugene Merrill, (Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001), 780.

[5] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible knowledge commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.