InPerspective

Harry Reeder: First, justice is ultimately in the hands of God. And secondly, because of the curse of sin under the sun, everybody dies. God made us from the dust and to the dust we return. Death is inevitable. But God has declared your eternity, and if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, your destiny of everlasting life is secure.

Stay with us now as Dr. Reeder takes us to Ecclesiastes 3. For today's teaching, the second half of his message, for everything there is a season, part two.

Here's what he says in the next section. What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of men to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live. Also, that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil, that is God's gift to man.

You see the text? God has put eternity in the heart of a man. Look at that statement. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. So here, here is the sovereign statement that where you're living under the sun, that's not all there is. Why is it that men and women are not settled? Why is it that they can't get out of their mind eternity?

In my youth, there were three key moments that I think God used later in my conversion. One was, I lived at 2120 Shenandoah Avenue. It was that marvelous part of the night of the gloaming, and as the gloaming was leading to the night, and the darkness was spreading, I was laying out in the backyard looking up. In fact, many times I have ridden by that house and wondered, I wonder if he would let me come at nighttime and lay in that backyard to see if the stars are still in the same place. Because I remember looking and all I could sense was the expansiveness of the heavens. And as I thought of that, my next thought is eternity. The God who made that made me for eternity.

And then I thought, there's coming a day, I'm going to die. And then I thought, what do I do between now and then? And then I thought, what do I do after that day when I die? I had that same thought again when we moved from 2120 Shenandoah Avenue to 1342 Tarrington Avenue. Down in my little bedroom that I have, I would go to sleep at night, I would sleep with about 14 blankets and the windows open. Don't you love to sleep like that, just freezing cold with all the blankets on top of you? That's just a wonderful way to sleep. And that's the way I would sleep, but one night I couldn't sleep.

I could hear the wind. It was quiet. And the wind was blowing, and I was laying on my side, and I felt my heart beating. And it struck me, there is a day it won't. There is a beat that will be my last one. What day will that be? What should I do until that day? What will happen after that day? I had that one more time. And this time it was 402 Scott Dorm, East Carolina University. I will not tell you the condition I was in this time when I was thinking through it. I was at the point of dissipation in my rebellion against God. And my emptiness had almost hit the bottom. I could almost hear Peggy Lee's song, is that all there is?

Which I think is basically a diver's attempt to put Ecclesiastes into music. And then as I was laying there thinking about it, the emptiness, I actually got up out of my bed, I put on scantily just a few clothes and walked outside and just stood and looked up. And I remember thinking of just how empty everything is. And that eternity is not far away from me. What is it and how is it that I will meet that day? Do you know why this is true? When you talk with people, they all have their religion, they all worship, they all try and answer this eternity that's in their heart.

And the reason why we're restless here, and the reason why we sense the vanity is not only because of the curse of sin here. We know we weren't made just for this here. We were made for something else. We were made not for this world in its present condition. We have been born again for another world. It's called the New Heavens and the New Earth. And it is with unfettered intimacy with the Lord who came to save us at the cross from our vanity and our sins.

Now, the third thing that he says, go just a little bit further with me. The third thing he says is this. That you cannot find out what God has done from the end. I perceive that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live, so that they should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil, that God's gift to him. So, there's something better coming for those who fear God, and when you fear God and know there's something better coming because of the one who made the sun, that's above the sun. Then when you're under the sun, all that you're experiencing in those 14 lyrics can be beautiful for his glory when you are enjoying him in it. So whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do. You do all to the glory of God.

But you can't know everything. So he's telling you there's beauty in the seasons and the toil that God has given. God's made you for something more than this. God sovereignly designed you for more than this. And then God is with you so that while you're in this, the vanity doesn't dissipate, but the vitality begins to overtake it as you enjoy not the toil, not the seasons, but you enjoy the Lord of the seasons and the toil in the midst of it. And that's why the toil is embraced. That's why the seasons are embraced.

You sense, God is sovereign. God has a design. God has designed me. God has designed me for something more than this, so now I can do this in anticipation of that. That God has a purpose and God has a plan. I don't know who the script writer was, if I did, I would give him the credit, but suffice it to say, it's not me. I didn't come up with this. But I remember when I read it in a commentary. I remember as I encountered it and what the implications were. We are asking ourselves. What is my place in the grand scheme of things? What is my purpose in the grand scheme of things? But under the sun, you've got this question. Is there a grand scheme of things? But when you know the God of glory. You know it's not a scheme. It's a purpose and a plan to his praise and your joy in him.

So I thank God for Westminster Shorter Catechism question number one. What is man's chief end? To glorify God under the sun. To trust him under the sun. And I can't know everything. I want to know everything, but I can't know everything. In fact, I can't know unless God reveals to me what I need to know. And when God reveals to me what I need to know, I will never know everything and I will never know God exhaustively. I can know him intimately. I can know him personally. I can know him accurately. As he reveals himself in his creation and as he reveals himself in his word, but I can't know him exhaustively. But I can know him. And my frustration is not that I can't know everything. What I want to know is him. And I don't want to make my place under the sun. I want to embrace the place he's made for me under the sun. The one who created the sun.

But he doesn't stop there. Go with me further. Go with me further. I perceived that whatever God does endures forever, nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it so that people fear before him. Do you see, he can't wait to chapter 12. He's already getting the fear of the Lord as the answer to all of this. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And then he's saying that whatever you do, you're not adding to God. You say, well, I can live to the glory of God. You can only live to the glory of God with the ability he's given you. You reflect his glory. You don't add to his glory. And that becomes your great joy. And then you can take that which he has given to you, not to add to him, nor to take away from him.

Folks, be careful of your language and I know y'all may feel I'm a little picky-wicky on this stuff. But I cringe every time I hear somebody say, well, we're in trouble in our culture because we've kicked God out of the classroom. You don't kick God anywhere. You may punish people who speak of God. You may try to ignore him. You may try to marginalize people who love him. Listen, God can show up wherever he wants to, however he wants to. Besides that, as I often said, as long as there are algebra tests, there'll be prayer in the public school system. I can promise you that. But you don't kick God. Listen, that's terrible theology. That's kind of like. God votes for you, Satan votes for you, you cast the deciding vote. Listen, when God votes and Satan votes, it's no tie. You got to get a right picture of God, and a right picture of God is you're made in his image. He's not made in yours. You don't add to him, and you can't take away from him. You may sin against him and bear his judgment, but believe me, his glory will be supreme now and into eternity.

And then he says this, he says, God has done it so that people will fear him. That which is, already has been. Did Jesus die on the cross 2000 years ago? This is not a trick question. Did Jesus die on the cross 2000 years ago? You can say amen to that one. By the way, anytime you want to lay prostrate on the floor in a Presbyterian church, you can do that. Now, unlike a Pentecostal church, in a Presbyterian church, if you do that, somebody's probably going to come and help you up. Pentecostal church, they just come wave over you a little bit and cool you down. That's fine, you can do that.

Brothers and sisters, listen, this God of glory, this God of might, this God who is majestic. You can speak out when I ask that question. Did he die for you 2000 years ago? Yeah, I just said it this morning, historic event. Do you know what else? He died before the foundation of the world. And the sovereign appointment for God, what was done in time had already been decreed by the wisdom and sovereign hand of God. So that what has been, has already been, and that which is to be, already has been, and God seeks what has been driven away. Moreover, I saw that under the sun, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them, that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beast is the same, as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beast, for all is vanity. All go to one place, all are from the dust, to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? There's so much more to say to this. It opens up in chapter 4. What is he saying? Two things he's saying in this last part. Number one is, ultimately, justice is in the hands of God. Does that mean that we should not be concerned about justice? Absolutely. Absolutely. Does that mean that God hasn't set government up as an instrument for justice, to punish evildoers and to reward those who do what's good? Absolutely.

But ultimately, the answer to oppression and the answer to poverty and the answer to justice is only ultimately, finally in the hands of God. And while in these days, we honor him with justice, everything will be settled on that day. When all men stand before him, and men will bear the responsibility of the thoughts and intentions of their hearts. Before the Lord God Almighty. I believe that we ought to strive for a just society and we ought to be about justice. Sanctity of life, the sanctity of humanity made in the image of God, we say no to racism, no to oppression. We seek to have a society where people are properly rewarded when they work. We say no to oppression. We say no to all of those things. And we ask God to give us increasingly a just society. What does a God require of you, oh man? But to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.

So we do justice. But ultimately, man will not bring the final verdict of justice. But God will. The second thing he's saying is this. You look at a man, you look at a woman, you look at the beast of the field. Because of the curse of sin under the sun, everybody dies. God made us from the dust, to the dust we return. Now, the writer of Ecclesiastes saying, I don't know all the details. I do know you have a spirit. I mean, we're going to get to chapter 11 and 12 is going to say where the spirit of a man goes. And that death is not the end of things. But what he's telling you is this, is that when you look out in this society under the curse of sin, everything living dies. Now, how God handles all that, I do not know. I do not know. I know this, when you take your last breath and your spirit leaves your body, there's two things I know. Number one, is you go to be with the Lord spiritually, and number two, he's not through with that body. He's going to bring it back together and raise it with a new body for a New Heavens and a New Earth. I know all of that. But I don't know the details of it. You don't know the details of it, because we are dependent upon God's word to reveal those things to us and God has not chosen to reveal the details of how it's done.

So what happens to the spirit of the beast, not the soul, it doesn't have one. What happens to the spirit of the beast? What happens to the spirit of man? And what happens to the soul of man? He says, those things rest in the wisdom of God, and that dust to dust is the curse of sin in this world, and that's not going to change until God comes and brings all things to a consummation. So in the meantime, what should you do? Rejoice in that labor. That takes place in the seasons of God. Rejoice and don't try to do away with the vanity by your own remedies to the sin that brings meaninglessness in society. Death is inevitable. God's declared your eternity. By the way, God doesn't always just solve justice on the last day, he does it sometimes in these days. I have a dear friend. His name is Joel Belz. And you know Joel, when I went to Covenant College and we've benefited from his leadership if you've ever enjoyed World Magazine. That was his heart desire. And I thank the Lord for him. He's also a fine churchman. I was talking with him about a situation that he was involved in one time.

One pastor said he said this, the other pastor said he said that. There were no witnesses. This pastor said, well, he said this. This pastor said, no, he said that. And then they were both passionate about it. They were both vehement about it. And then Joel said this to them. He said, my friends, we've done all that we can do. I can't come to a verdict. I got, he said, he said. He said he did, he said he didn't. He said he didn't, he said he did. And we have no way to determine. And in the ecclesiastical courts, we don't use lie detector tests. We have no other witnesses. He said, so this day, I say to you as a minister of the gospel, God will bring the solution and the justice of this situation to light. In the last day. But I want you to know, I'm praying he will bring justice in these days before the last day for the sake of his church. It was very interesting. Within three years, one of those pastors has prospered to see men and women come to Christ and grow in their ministry. The other is out of the ministry. The other is even questioning his faith. God will bring justice on the last day, and God can bring justice before the last day. God can make the verdicts clear. But ultimately it is God who is the one who brings justice. Which is why our courts have said, God save this court. God, you bring the wisdom. We're grateful for the judge, but we don't put the trust in the judge. We're grateful for the jury, but we don't put the trust in the jury. We put all the systems in place, but God alone is righteous and just.

Death inevitable. Me, you, beast. I will name some people for you. Oh, I'm out of time. But I'll name him quick. Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Babe Ruth, Abraham Lincoln. Well, that's enough. What do all those people have in common? They died. They died. They all died. And if Jesus doesn't come back, guess what you're going to do? You're going to die. Now, between now and that day when dust returns to dust. Will you try to make a name for yourself, or will you fear God and exalt his name and enjoy him in all the toil you do in the seasons he's ordained for you? That's the wisdom the preacher is calling us to. All of vanity will not disappear on this side of eternity. But the vitality of walking in the joy of the Lord and the fear of the Lord can be expressed even in the midst of the emptiness of a world under the curse of sin. Dust to dust. But for the believer, dust to glory.

Voiceover: You are listening to In Perspective featuring the teaching of Dr. Harry L. Reeder. Our sermon series from Vanity to Vitality. Ecclesiastes in biblical perspective. The family unit in our culture today finds itself in a major breakdown. Unfortunately, that breakdown has infiltrated the church and Christian families. Our In Perspective gift offer is Dr. Reeder's series, Seven Essentials for the Christian Family. And it's our free gift to you when you call 1-800-488-1888.

Like the Apostle Paul, In Perspective presents Christ crucified to an unbelieving world. Knowing that while many may scoff, others will respond. Would you come alongside of us in prayer and financial support for Dr. Reeder's ministry of the Word? You can make a single contribution or become a monthly donor by visiting our website at inperspective.org. You can also give by calling 1-800-488-1888. And our mailing address is 600 Eden Road, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 17601. In Perspective is a broadcast ministry of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, proclaiming biblical doctrine to foster a Reformed awakening in today's church. Connect with our online publishing, broadcast and event platforms at inperspective.org. And once again, if you would like to receive our free gift offer, the series, Seven Essentials for the Christian Family, ask for by name when you call 1-800-488-1888.

Join us again next time as Dr. Reeder explains how Jesus Christ is the only answer to the isolation we experience under the sun in a broken, sin-cursed world. That's next time, as we turn back to the scriptures to put life in biblical perspective.