The Way of Wisdom, Part 2

If you've got your Bible, turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 7, Ecclesiastes chapter 7, and we're looking at the way of wisdom. We began this last Wednesday, and we'll conclude it next Wednesday, and we'll finish chapter 7 next week, but we're still going to be in the first 14 verses this evening, looking at what it means to see things from God's perspective, to understand God's point of view on life's events.

Chapter 7 is a turning point in the life of Solomon. He begins to talk about wisdom. In fact, 35 times from chapter 7 to the end, he speaks about wisdom. Interesting that in the book of Proverbs, 125 times he uses the word wise or wisdom. So when you come to chapter 7, you know that Solomon's life is beginning to turn. He's looking to see things from God's perspective instead of his own human perspective. Because in the book of Proverbs, everything was about wisdom and the value of wisdom. In fact, turn with me to Proverbs chapter 2 for a moment.

We'll be in chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes, but Proverbs chapter 2, I'm sorry, Proverbs chapter 1. This is how it begins. The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice, and equity, to give prudence to the naive, to the youth, knowledge, and discretion. A wise man will hear instruction and increase in learning. A man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, to understand a proverb in a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. When Solomon was writing to his son and trying to explain to him the way of life, trying to impart wisdom to him, he wanted his son to come to know more than just a bunch of facts about his God. There are a lot of people who know a lot of things about God, but they don't have wisdom. They can have a great doctrinal statement because they know about God, but it doesn't mean they actually know the true and living God.

Wisdom tells you you know the true and living God. Wisdom says, I'm going to apply what God says to my life, and I'm going to live it out.

That's what wisdom does. In fact, he would go on to say in chapter 2, verse 1, these words, My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding. For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding. If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. In other words, you're going to come to know God because you're seeking wisdom, you're searching for wisdom.

And wisdom means that God is in such an intricate part of your way that you live the way he lived. You see things from his point of view. Solomon goes on to say in chapter 2, verse number 7, he stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and he preserves the way of his godly ones. Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you to deliver you from the way of evil from the man who speaks perverse things. He wanted his son to be delivered from evil. He wanted his son to walk in a way that was upright and holy and true. He wanted his son to understand what it meant to see things from God's perspective and live in light of that. That's what wisdom is. The Apostle Paul was a master of the Old Testament, and so he picks up on this in the fifth chapter of Ephesians, and he wants the church at Ephesus to be able to walk in a way that's pleasing to the Lord.

So in chapter 4 he talks about what it means to walk worthy of the Lord, and then he goes on to say a little further in chapter 4, verse number 17, you need to walk separately and uniquely and distinctly from the world. He says in chapter 5, verse number 1, you need to walk lovingly. He says in verse 8 of chapter 5, you need to walk brightly, you need to walk as children of the light. And then he says in Ephesians 5, verse number 15, these words, therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise.

Walk wisely. If you're going to walk worthy of the Lord, you have to walk in wisdom. And then he says this, making the most of your time because the days are evil. Redeem the time. Buy back each moment for the sake of eternity. So many times we blow off the moments instead of buying back the moments. But every moment's crucial. And if you walk wisely, you'll buy back every moment for the sake of eternity. So let's illustrate that. You've decided to buy back this moment for the sake of eternity. That's why you're here.

You're walking wisely. You're redeeming the time. You could be at home watching reruns. You could be home watching basketball. You could be home doing a myriad of things, but instead you've chosen wisely to redeem the time, to buy it back for the sake of eternity because you want to understand what it means to walk in wisdom. This is so important because every moment of every day is a time that needs to be bought back for the sake of eternity. And that's what it means to walk wisely, walk in wisdom.

In fact, this would be Paul's prayer over in the book of Colossians, the first chapter. He says in verse number nine, for this reason also since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Paul's prayer for the church of Colossae that they would have spiritual wisdom. Well, how does that manifest itself? It says, to please the Lord in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthen with all power according to his glorious might for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience, joyously giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in inheritance of the saints in light.

So Paul's prayer is that Christians would walk wisely, walk in wisdom, learning to buy back moments of each day for the sake of eternity, for the glory of his name. And that's exactly what Solomon is saying in Ecclesiastes chapter seven. He's not saying redeem the time, but he's talking about different points in time, different aspects of your life so that you can walk wisely, so you can have the wisdom of God, so you know how to respond in life's circumstances and life's events. It's that's what he does in the first fourteen verses of Ecclesiastes chapter seven.

And because he begins to write in parables in chapter seven, you know that he's finally beginning to turn the corner in his life.

He's finally being able to see things beyond the sun instead of standing and living below the sun. That's why the phrase under the sun is not readily used in the latter half of the book. It's because he's turned the corner. And he wants us to be able to see things. This preacher, this man on a journey, wants to be able to instruct us in the ways of God that we might learn to walk in wisdom. So chapter seven is all about the way of wisdom. And so there are seven points that we need to cover. We're only going to cover the first three tonight, but it's all about the way of wisdom.

Wisdom's evaluation, wisdom's recognition, and wisdom's consolation. So important to understand these things. We began last week by looking at wisdom's evaluation. Wisdom evaluates life and its circumstances and its situations from God's perspective. It sees things from the divine point of view. And what he lists are different events and times and things that happen in our life to help us understand what God thinks about them versus what man thinks about them. That's why he says a good name is better than a good ointment.

Character overrides cologne every time. Why? Because your cologne, your perfume, it wears off. You've got to keep putting it on, putting it on. But character lasts forever. A good name is greater than great riches, Solomon would tell us in the book of Proverbs. We talked about that last week. What does it mean to have a good name? How do you develop a good name so that it lasts forever? But then he goes on to say this in the first four verses of Ecclesiastes chapter seven.

He says, And the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting. What? What do you mean? He says, Because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter. Who believes that? For when a face is sad, a heart may be happy. The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure. Now if you've been to any memorial service or funeral that I've done, you know that I read those first four verses every time there's a memorial service.

I don't miss. Why? Because people need to understand life and the reality of life. And so when you realize that hurts in life and sorrow in life are better than pleasure and laughter in life, you begin to see things from God's perspective. Because you see, we don't view it that way. We love to laugh. I love to laugh. Right? Laughing is a good thing. But sorrow is better than laughter. The day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth. And we don't believe that. We have a hard time swallowing that.

But let me give you an example. We're not saved because of Jesus' birthday. We're saved because of His death day. Jesus was born. Jesus lived. We're not even saved by His life. We're only saved by His death. We're not even saved by His death. That's when redemption was paid. Right? That's why He could cry, It is finished. Why? Because His death day was better than His birthday. So when you see it from a divine perspective, you look at things differently.

Charles Bridges, in his commentary on Ecclesiastes, says this. He says, Is it not the day that will deliver us from sin and sorrow far better than the day that brought us into them? True. That's what they are. When you were born, you were born into sin. When you were born, you were born into sorrow. When you were born, you were born into turmoil. When you were born, you were born into all kinds of difficulty. But there's a day that takes you out of all that. That's the day you go home to be with the Lord.

That's a very important point to understand. Paul would say the same thing over in the book of Philippians. Philippians chapter 1, he says this. He says, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live, live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me, and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better. That's what Solomon says. Your death day is better than your birthday.

Then he says this, Yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. You see, Paul knew that the joyful and delightful kind that will happen when he dies is so much better than the stressful and difficult times of his life. He knows that. But Paul had wisdom. He saw things from a divine perspective. He saw things for what they really are. In fact, when Solomon says that sorrow is better than laughter, we have a hard time with that, because we love to laugh. And Solomon is going to talk more about this in a minute, but he wants you to understand that during times of sorrow, great things can happen.

Peter says that, way back in 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 6, where he says, In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And though you have not seen Him, you love Him. And though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Peter says the same thing that Paul says. Paul says the same thing that Solomon says. Why? Because when you see things from a divine perspective, you know that your death day is better than your birthday, and that sorrow is better than laughter. Solomon says it's better to be in the house of mourning than the house of feasting. And we're thinking, why would I do that? Because that is the end of every man, he says. In other words, that's reality. I've told people at funerals that if you want to have reality TV, you bring the TV cameras into a funeral service.

That's reality TV. The stuff they have on TV is not real. But a funeral service is real, because that is the end of every man. The mind of the wise, he says, is in the house of mourning. But the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure. Why is that? Why is that? What do the living take to heart? Why, why, or what's better about death, mourning, and sorrow as opposed to birth, laughter, and pleasure? What could possibly be better than that? And that's Stalin's point. Why? Because in the house of mourning you learn about the brevity of life.

It's but a vapor. It's here today and gone tomorrow. In the house of mourning you learn about the reality of death. It's the point of the man who wants to die after death of judgment. In the house of mourning you learn about the iniquity of man. It's because of man's iniquity that man dies. So you learn about the fact that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It's in the house of mourning where you learn about the sovereignty of God, because God's in control of all those things.

Deuteronomy 32 says, I'm the one who gives life, I'm the one who gives death. Revelation 1, 17 and 18, I hold the keys to death and Hades. So the house of mourning is much better than the house of pleasure, because you learn about the sovereignty of God, the iniquity of man, the reality of death, the brevity of life. You also learn about the certainty of resurrection. Jesus said in John 5, all those who are in the grave will one day hear my voice and all will be raised. Some to a resurrection of life, others to a resurrection of damnation, but everybody will be raised.

And therefore you learn about the necessity of salvation. You've got to be born again, so you can be raised to newness of life. You also learn about the exclusivity of heaven. Heaven's not for everybody. If it was, everybody would go there. But read Revelation 21, Revelation 22, Ephesians chapter 5, Galatians chapter 5, 1 Corinthians chapter 6. There are some that are excluded from heaven, those who practice the sins of fornication and immorality and sorcery and idolatry, and the list goes on and on about those who will not be in heaven, because heaven's a very exclusive place.

The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, because he learns about the exclusivity of heaven. He learns about the eternality of the soul. It lasts forever. That's why Solomon said earlier in Ecclesiastes 3.11 that God has set eternity in the heart of a man. You also learn about the tranquility of Scripture, because without Scripture there is no calm. That's why in Genesis 15, God promised Abraham that when you die, you'll die in peace. When you come to Genesis chapter 25, Abraham dies satisfied and dies in peace.

Why? Because God's word was true to Abraham, and therefore the word of God tells you how you can learn to be calm during times of great turmoil. So important. In 1996, Linda Ellis wrote this poem. It's been quoted many times by the former football coach at the University of Alabama, Gene Stallings. In fact, he quoted it at his son's death. His son died at 46. He died of Down syndrome, and therefore at his funeral, Gene Stallings quoted this poem. It goes this way. I read where a man stood to speak at a funeral of a friend.

He made mention of the tombstone with the date from beginning to end. At first he mentioned the date of the birth.

The latter date he mentioned with tears. But what matters most of all, he said, is the dash between the years. The dash represents all the time this man was alive upon this earth. And those of us who know him well know what the dash is worth. It matters not how much you own, your house, your car, your cash, what matters most of all in the end is how you live your dash. To serve others from our heart, to more often wear a smile, makes a lot more sense in light of the fact that the dash only lasts for a while.

So as your eulogy is being read, and your life is being rehashed, will you be pleased to present to God the way you lived your dash? You ever walk through a cemetery? Look at the tombstones, the gravestones?

They have the birthday and the death day. And in between those dates is that little dash. That's their life. It's brief. It lasts only for a moment. And you have that amount of time to give your life to Christ. To have a good name. To make sure that when your life is over, you end up in glory, in the presence of the living God. So Solomon says, I want you to have the mind of the wise. Because there in the house of mourning is where it resides. The house of, the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

They love to laugh. They hate sorrow. They hate death. Ever ask yourself why we hate death so much? Why? Have you ever studied death? It's called the study of thanatology. 924 times the word death is used in the Old Testament. 435 times it's used in the New Testament. That means over 1300 times death is mentioned in the Bible. It's the end of every man. And yet we don't like to talk about death. But the Bible speaks voluminously about death. Because that's the end of every man. And the Bible says in Philippians 4.8 that we are to think on the things that are true.

Death is so true. But we want to refrain from talking about death. We'd rather be in the house of pleasure. Laughing our heads off. Having a great time. Instead of living in the realities of life. Understanding wisdom and what it says. Wisdom evaluates birth and death from God's perspective. Sorrow and laughter from God's perspective. The house of mourning and the house of pleasure from God's perspective. How does God see it? Because that's the way of wisdom. This is wisdom's evaluation. But read on with me.

It goes like this. In verse number 5. It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man than for one to listen to the song of fools. For as the cracking of a thorn bush is under a pot so is the laughter of the fool and this to its utility. For oppression makes a wise man mad and a bribe corrupts the heart. He says you know the wise man listens to rebuke. The wise man loves to be corrected. You know we like to surround ourselves with people that speak well of us. We like to surround ourselves with people who will always give us strokes and do nice things for us.

But that's not the wise man. The wise man listens to rebuke because he wants to grow. He listens to instruction because he wants to become wiser. In fact he compares it to the crackling pot of thorns or the crackling thorns under a pot. Down in the southern part of the land of Israel they collect these thorns. They are very dry and they ignite very rapidly. But they only last for a brief moment and they can't really give you the warmth that you need because they don't last very long. Solomon says that's the laughter of the fool.

That's the laughter of the fool. You want to laugh it lasts for a minute. It doesn't last very long. It comes and it goes. But he says it's important to realize that the song of the fool. What's the song of the fool? Well the fool in the Old Testament is an unbeliever. It's the song of the unbeliever. That's the song of the fool. And we listen to those songs. Sometimes you listen to those songs to pump us up. Sometimes we listen to those songs because we want to feel good. Sometimes we listen to the songs of the fool because we want to cry.

Sometimes we listen to the beach boys because we're going to the beach. Sometimes we like to listen to the old bands. Right? And Solomon very wisely says that it's better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man than for one to listen to the song of a fool. But we'd rather listen to upbeat music than be rebuked. Unless of course you're the wise man. In fact look at what Solomon says in Proverbs chapter 15.

Oh before that Psalm 141 verse number 5. Solomon said let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me. It is oil upon my head. Do not let my head refuse it. That should be our attitude. Proverbs 15 verse number 32. He who neglects discipline despises himself. But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. If you don't listen to discipline and rebuke Solomon says you despise yourself. Those who are rebuked are sometimes they want to despise the one who rebuked them. But in reality you really despise yourself because you don't want to grow.

You don't want to get better. And then he says over in chapter 25 verse number 12 these words. Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. Gold at its best is worn by the listening ear that hears a rebuke. And then he says over in chapter 27 verse number 5. Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. Solomon wants you to understand that wisdom evaluates things from God's perspective.

While we in our humanity love to listen to the songs of a fool. We the wise man listens to rebuke because he wants to get better. Look at verse 8.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning. Who believes that? The end of a matter is better than its beginning. Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. Do not be eager in your heart to be angry for anger resides in the bosom of fools. Do not say why is it that the former days were better than these? For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. How many times have we said boy I tell you the good old days. You should have been with me 30 years ago, 20 years ago. Oh the good old days.

We love to look backwards but the wise man looks forward not backwards. Why? Because the end of a thing is better than its beginning. But we don't believe that either. But the wise man does. Think of it this way. Think of the world. The end of a matter, the end of the world is better than its beginning. And that would be true. But at the beginning everything God created was perfect. It was good. That's what he said. It was all good. But sin entered the world. Now it became bad. It became rotten. In fact he destroyed the world in Genesis 6.

Right? 6, 7, and 8. With the flood. Started over again. But the end of the matter, the end of the world, the new heavens and the new earth and the glory of the Lord where every knee has already bowed and confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The end of a matter is better than its beginning. Think about your marriage. The end of your marriage is better than its beginning. We've been lucky to have or blessed to have John and Rose with us. They've been married 59 years.

Soon to be 60. And they'll testify that the end of their marriage is better than its beginning. Because they've grown together. And they've seen the fruit of their labor. Think of Wanda and Don Slaven. They've been married over 60 years. And Don said to me just about 6 months ago, he says, my life today and my marriage today is better than it's ever been before. Leaving out what Solomon said, the end of a matter is better than its beginning. Think about it this way. You have a child. Right? The child's born.

They're sweet. They're kind. They're loving. Then they start to cry. And they cry all night. And they keep you awake. And you wonder if they're ever going to stop crying. And you wonder. Then they become two. And they begin to run around. And you discipline them. And you constantly discipline them over and over and over. And nothing seems to change. But remember what Solomon said. The end of a matter is better than its beginning. Very important to understand that. Because when they grow and you've disciplined them and you've trained them and you've brought them up in the nurtured admonition of the Lord, then you're able to see the fruit of your labor.

Right? Sure. That's why he says these words in the book of Ecclesiastes. He says, patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. Why? Because in between the beginning of a matter and the end of a matter, you must be patient. You must wait. You must trust. You must learn to lean on God. Wait upon God. Why? You don't want to become angry, haughty in spirit. In fact, he goes on to say these words. He says in verse number nine, do not be eager in your heart to be angry for anger resides in the bosom of fools.

So how do you know that you're patient of spirit in between the end and the beginning and the end of a thing? You're not angry. You don't blow up. You don't explode. Why? That means you know you're being patient in spirit from the beginning of a matter to the end of a matter. But if you're being angry with loud outbursts and frustration because things don't go your way, Solomon says that's just a prideful spirit trying to control the events of life that you cannot control. And Solomon says a lot about that as well in the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs chapter 14, verse number 17, he says these words. He who is slow to anger has great . . . I'm sorry, this is Proverbs 14, verse number 29. He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick tempered exalts folly. Chapter 15, verse number 18, a hot tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute. Chapter 16, Solomon says in verse 32, he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules the spirit than he who captures the city. Chapter 17, verse number 14, the beginning of strife is like letting out of water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.

Solomon says that the end of a matter is better than its beginning, so be patient in spirit, not haughty in spirit. Why? Because if you're not patient you're going to become angry, and that anger doesn't help you. So many times you have to be patient to wait through the events, to tread the water, to wait for God to work, so he can show himself faithful over and over again. That's what the wise man does. He evaluates everything from God's perspective. He knows when a matter begins, he doesn't know when it's going to end, but he knows that when it ends it's going to be better than when it began.

That's why the Bible says we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose, right?

How do we know that? Because Solomon said the end of a matter, the product of a matter, the result of a matter is better than its beginning. Think about your Christian walk. You began walking with the Lord when you were saved and born again, and you begin to walk with Christ. But as you move on, you walk with the Lord, you begin to pray, you begin to study your Bible, you begin to learn about God and grow, and you walk with God and serve the body of Christ. The end of a matter is better than its beginning.

But you've got to be patient, right? You've got to be patient. It takes time. It's like when you want to go to the gym and you're really, really skinny, but you want to bulk up. You can't just go in and lift weights one day and come out looking like me. It's not going to happen that way. You've got to be in the gym. You've got to work day and night hard to bulk up. It takes time. That's why the end of a matter is better than the beginning of a matter. You've got to be patient. But we get impatient.

We get angry. We get frustrated. And we show that our spirit's very, very arrogant and haughty. So therefore, we look forward, not backward. That's what Paul said. Forgetting what lies behind and pressing on toward the upward call in Christ Jesus, my Lord. Looking backward did him no good. Looking forward to the end of a matter did him all so much better, because he was a wise man. That's wisdom's evaluation. Let's move to wisdom's recognition. That's in verse number 11 and 12. Wisdom along with an inheritance is good and an advantage to those who see the sun.

In other words, those who are still alive. For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessor. Wisdom recognizes that material possessions, although they are good to some degree, and although they provide a measure of protection, as wisdom provides protection, it still only provides a temporary protection, not an eternal protection. This is wisdom's recognition. Obtaining an inheritance is good. It's not bad. Why?

Because money in and of itself is not bad. It's not evil. How you deal with it can determine whether or not it becomes an effect upon your life. But money can become a protection for you. If your car breaks down, you got money to fix it. That's a protection. Your house burns down, you got money to replace your house, right? Your clothes are destroyed, you got money to replace your clothes. So it provides a little bit of protection, but it's only temporary. It's not forever. Wisdom though is forever.

And it lasts forever. It protects you forever. That's wisdom's recognition. But so many times we begin to trust in our riches and trust in those things that we can grab a hold of. And we've shared with you before what Job says about that and what Solomon has already said about that in the book of Proverbs of trusting in the riches instead of trusting in the Lord God of Israel. But the wise man is thankful for the riches that he has, if he has any at all. But he knows that wisdom is a supreme advantage because it lasts forever.

And it leads me into eternity. And then comes wisdom's consolation. Wisdom's consolation. It's almost like it's a crescendo. It builds up to these next two verses. He says this, consider the work of God for who is able to straighten what he has bent. In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider. God has made the one as well as the other, so that man will not discover anything that will be after him. Now, if you recall, back in chapter 1, Solomon says something very similar.

But he says it from the perspective below the sun. Now he says it from the perspective beyond the sun. He says back in chapter 1, verse number 15, these words, what is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking can not be counted. He's very pessimistic in chapter 1. He's on his journey to go through life and to figure out all that's happening in life. And he realizes that, you know what, if something's crooked you can't straighten it out. There's nothing you can do about it. But now he says, I want you to consider the work of God, because God's in the business of making things crooked and making things straight.

And so in the day of prosperity I want you to be happy, but in the day of adversity I want you to consider the work of God. He made one as well as the other. And he did it for a purpose. So he's turned the corner. He says, look, in the day of adversity, death day, day of prosperity, birthday, consider the work of God. If the end of a matter is better than the beginning of a matter, then in between there are crooked things and straight things that take place in your life. So make sure you consider, that you calculate, that you sit down and ponder the work of God.

Why? One, because you can't change the past. Two, you can't control the present. And three, you can't comprehend the future. You can't change the past. You can't control the present. And you will not comprehend the future. He's already said, the end of a matter is better than the beginning of a matter. But you're not going to be able to figure it out because you're not at the end of the matter yet. So you need to rest in what God himself is doing and how God does what he does. Job said something very similar.

Remember this? Job chapter 23. He said this. He, God, is unique and who can turn him? Who can change him? And what his soul desires, that he does. For he performs what is appointed for me and many such decrees are with him. Therefore I would be dismayed at his presence when I consider I am terrified of him. I fear him. He says, look, I'm in the midst of adversity, not prosperity. There was a time when I lived in prosperity, but right now I'm living in adversity. Right now things are crooked. They used to be straight, but now they're bent and they're haywire.

But he knows the way that I take and nobody can turn him because his soul does what he desires. And he says, I'm terrified of him. Verse 16 of Job 23. It is God who has made my heart faint in the almighty who has dismayed me. In other words, I'm overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed by his power. I'm overwhelmed by his presence because of what he is doing in my life. I do not get it. I do not understand it, but he does what his soul desires. This is Job in the midst of his suffering. He says in verse 17, but I am not silenced by the darkness nor deep gloom, which covers me.

As bad as things are, I'm not silenced by them. Because I know that some way, somehow God is doing this. God's at work. And therefore I trust him to accomplish his purposes. You cannot change the past. You cannot control the present. Nebuchadnezzar says something similar. Daniel chapter 4, when Daniel explained to him his vision, he said, you will be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever he wishes.

Because of your own pride and because of your own arrogance, God's going to take you down. And for seven periods of time, seven years, he was taken down. At the end of that period, verse 34, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored him who lives forever. For his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing but he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and no one can ward off his hand or say to him, what have you done?

No one can turn him. No one can change him. No one can control him. He says this in verse 37. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven for all his works are true and his ways are just. Those crooked ways are just. Those days of adversity are just. Nebuchadnezzar said it. Job said it. Psalm 115, verse number 3, our Lord is in the heavens. He does whatever he wishes, whatever he pleases. He does what he pleases. He does what he pleases. The Bible says in Psalm 33, these words, Psalm 33, I'm sorry, wrong Psalm, Psalm 37, do not fret, verse 1.

Verse 7, do not fret. Verse 8, do not fret. It only leads to evil doing, he says. Don't be anxious. Don't get upset. Don't fret. Instead, trust the Lord, verse 3, do good, dwell in the land, feed on his faithfulness, delight yourself in the Lord, commit your way to the Lord, trust in the Lord, rest in the Lord, verse 7, wait patiently for him, verse 8, cease from anger, forsake wrath, just stop fretting. Can't control the evil man, the evil works of the evil man. That's all under God's dominion, God's hand.

You can't change the past and you can't control the present. When times are good, rejoice. In the day of prosperity, be happy. And we are. We are. We should be. In the day of adversity, today consider that God made the prosperous day as much as he made the adverse day. That's why Isaiah 45, verse 7, God says, I am the one who creates calamity.

Isaiah 45, 7. And then he goes on to say, woe to the man who argues with his maker, the one who creates calamity. Amos 3, verse number 9, if there's calamity in the city, it is I, the Lord says, who did it. See, we don't like to admit that. But it's true. God in his sovereignty creates or permits everything that happens. Because he's in charge. He's in control of everything or he's in control of nothing. And he's in control of everything. Because he's sovereign. So Solomon, with this crescendo, begins to lead toward verses 13 and 14 to let you know that you need to consider the work of God.

And in the day of prosperity, you've got to be happy. In the day of adversity, you've got to consider that God has made the one as well as the other. Why? Because you can't change the past, you can't control the present, and you'll never comprehend the future. So he says, he says, God has made the one as well as the other, so that man will not discover anything that will be after him. He'll never understand the future. Why? Because it's not your place to know the future. It's God who controls the future.

He just wants you to rest in him. That's what the wise man does. The wise man just rests in God. This is wisdom's consolation. This is where your comfort comes from. You can't change the past, you can't control the present, and you're never going to comprehend the future. So live in obedience, trusting him between the beginning of a matter and the end of a matter. Be patient. Don't get angry. Trust the Lord to accomplish his purposes. Over in Isaiah chapter 43, the Lord says these words to Israel, but now thus says the Lord, verse 1, your creator, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel, do not fear.

I've redeemed you. I've called you by name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Verse 5, do not fear, for I am with you. Verse 13, even from eternity I am he, and there is none who can deliver out of my hand. I act, and who can reverse it? Answer, nobody, because only God's in charge.

And then earlier he says in Isaiah 41, these words, verse 10, do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. I will help you. Verse 13, for I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, who says to you, do not fear, I will help you. Verse 14, do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel, I will help you. Three times he says, do not fear. Three times he says, because I will help you. I will. I love what Charles Spurgeon says, fear not.

If there were an ant at the door of the greenery asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat, and thou art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of my all-sufficiency, and I will help you. O my soul, is not this enough? Dost thou need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Dost thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifested in the influences of the Spirit? Bring hither thine empty pitcher, surely this well will fill it.

Haste, gather up thy wants, and bring them there, thine emptiness, thy woes, thy needs, behold, this river of God is full for thy supply, what canst thou desire besides? Go forth, my soul, in this thy might, the eternal God says, fear not, I will help thee.

Remember that song, How Firm a Foundation? I will help you. I will help you. Verse number two, which reads, fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I will still give thee aid.

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand. That's the God who consoles you. This is wisdom's consolation. This is wisdom's comfort. This is wisdom's tranquility. This is wisdom's peace. Your God will help you. He will guide you. He will protect you. Between the beginning of a matter and the end of a matter, He will be there. Because you can't change what has happened, and you certainly can't control what is happening, and you're never going to comprehend the future anyway.

So let Him uphold you. Let Him help you. Let Him take you through those times. Be patient of spirit. Don't become angry. Don't become prideful. Take your matters into your own hand. This is the way of wisdom. Wisdom's evaluation. Wisdom's recognition. Wisdom's consolation. Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Lord, for your word. We thank you, Lord, that we can trust in you. I pray for everyone tonight that, Lord, you do a mighty work. They have bought back this moment for eternity's sake. They have spent this moment wisely, learning about the way of wisdom.

They're here because they want to walk wisely. They don't want to walk foolishly. They want to see things from your perspective. They want to see birth and death from your perspective. The house of the wise versus the house of mourning versus the house of pleasure from your perspective. They want to know that the end of the matter is better than the beginning of a matter, and that everything in between is under your control. And, Lord, I pray that you'd help us all to digest the things we've learned, that we would grow deeper in our walk with the Lord.

So I pray for everyone here tonight. Just do a mighty work in their hearts. And as they trust you and believe in you and long to walk wisely, not foolishly, may they buy back the moments of each day for the glory of your kingdom. Until you come again, as you most surely will, in Jesus' name, amen.