The Essence of Law


There is a question I have been pondering, "How do we reconcile Ecclesiastes with Culture as being Redemptive?"

By now you know this ministry, Living Above the Sun, is founded and rooted in the wisdom of Ecclesiastes. Since 2012 I have given my life to studying this book in all it's wise sayings. Also, in studying culture and theology, the more I am provoked to ask questions and study deeper. The book of Ecclesiastes is one of philosophy, law, and theology. Reading the book by itself alone will be depressing, but read it with the rest of the Bible and it's stanzas reverberate through the Old Testament Cannon, and into the New Testament! In just 12 chapters, King Solomon captures life and asks, "Does it matter?" Life does matter, and what we do with it under this big sun matters. What do we value? What do we worship? Who is our King? In the depression of vanity, nothing worthy of life under the sun, what could be the contrast? The sandpaper that goes against the void of life?

King Solomon had it all. He is in the birthline of Jesus, David's Son...status. Women, all the raging harp players of the day, and lyre players who could shred some tunes at a party! He had servants, he had riches, a nice camel XL edition, horses, every animal that could cover every sin for a sacrifice!! His heart still tugged, and kept him up at night. I love what my friend Grace sent me as we were discussing this thought,
"Ecclesiastes describes the world pre-Jesus, pre-redemption. If there was not any Savior, then eat, drink, and be merry makes sense, because we die tomorrow. Lots of people, even within the church, live that way because they see the uselessness Solomon describes in his search for wisdom. Without Jesus, there is no mercy. Without the Father, there is no justice or wisdom. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no joy. Solomon went as far as he could go trying to figure out what life was about, but he only had a slight conception of what the Messiah would be like, so not all the information was present. In the same way, not all the information is present for today's folks who think that life is meaningless if they don't have a clear conception of Jesus."
Solomon's conclusion to his seeking God in the matters of this life is to "Fear God, and do what what He tells you. Keep His commandments, and He will be the judge of this World." (Ecclesiastes 12) This is how we are the contrast in our culture, that as we obey God, and keep His commandments we are proclaiming and promoting through word and deed a better way to live. God is the same God in the book of Law that He is today. He hasn't changed. We believe the same God for miracles, but don't keep His commandments that lead to the miracle. Even further, commandments come with a promise of a prolonged life.

God warns to be careful of idolatry in Deuteronomy 4:40, "You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” Solomon echos this truth in Ecclesiastes, learning and repenting himself of the idols he had looked to other than God. The greatest Commandment is to fill your heart with God's love, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart." (Deuteronomy 6:4-6) The love of God is peace that will reign in your heart and fill the eternity carved in every heart. Love God more than everything your hands can hold in this world. Love Him more that your TV, love Him more than Facebook, love Him more than anything that distracts you from Him, or tries to fill the hole in your heart.

We could not exist without law.
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? 14 Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. 15 The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. 16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. 21 He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude." (Deuteronomy 10)
I've been reading Saint Augustine's City of God a classic in the literature of philosophy, law, theology, and culture. It is one of the most influential documents in the development of Christianity. In his 20th book and 4th chapter, Augustine references Solomon and the book of Ecclesiastes concerning the Fear of the Lord, in keeping His commandments because there is a judgement day coming. He states: "Could he [Solomon] have made any statement, shorter, truer, more salutary than this? .... For anyone who is assuredly anything is this - a keeper, I mean, of God's commandments - since anyone who is not this is nothing, because he remains in the likeness of vanity, which is nothingness..." What does the law do? What does obeying God and keeping His commandments benefit? It gives us fellowship, and relationship with "the Shepherd." Why else are we here?! Especially when Angels exist. Who fulfilled the law? Jesus. Who is our life? Jesus. The law was given to show a freed people how to live in relationship with a VERY Holy God.
That brings us to the last point and commandment to Walk with God, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you, But to do justly, To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8) In the ordinary of life, God is waiting to make it even better. What can look like ho-hum under the sun living, God seeks to restore, bringing new life through the work of the Holy Spirit. Bringing healing; redemption to right standing relationships in the Spiritual and Physical realm. As we walk with God here on Earth there is a foretaste of glory divine! A leading straight to the Kingdom, above the sun.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elliot

Image
Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this? The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. -Isaiah 53:1-6 The verses above have stuck out in my mind surrounding this Easter Season and in the midst of this plague. Jesus wasn't afraid of disease or death or anything deemed to b
Read more

Hupomone -- A Patient Endurance

Image
I can remember the first time I heard this Greek word, Hupomone (noun). (pronounced hoop-om-on-ay') It literally means remaining under the Divine Presence while being tested. I was sitting in the church my dad was pastoring at the time, a rural church in North Carolina. It's been well over 10 years ago. I was sitting on a pew with my friend Sarah, kinda toward the front. I don't remember anything about the sermon that day, just the word Hupomone. Sarah and I looked at each other and giggled like girls do, and Sarah blurted out, "What's humopone?!" My dad, the gracious man he is, answered her interruption. For the next few months Sarah and I would run around randomly saying, "Hupomone!" several times in a row. It really is a fun word to say. Looking back on it, what a great thing to do. What if there were people running around yelling Greek words at you to remind you, Endure! Endure! Endure! Endure! Endure! People probably thought we
Read more

That You May Believe

Image
  We see the word, "believe" a lot in our culture.  We are encouraged by wooden frames, and art to "believe in ourselves."  In all actuality that is idolatry telling you to place your faith in yourself.  I don't know about you, but I have no idea how to direct my life other than to trouble.  Do we really want to lift ourselves higher than God?  That we are worthy within ourselves to reject God and trust ourselves instead?  I guess we have all walked that path at one time or another.  My existence outside of Jesus Christ and His Spirit in me amounts to nothing.  It begins and ends.  I live for myself, doing whatever I please, going wherever.  It may be attractive for a season, but in the end my life it isn't hinged on any meaning. In throwing the word, "believe" around so much it looses it's meaning almost like when we tell people we love them without thinking or feeling.  Believe is a key word to the Bible, especially the book of John.  Belief
Read more