Day #6: Man vs God

I also know that whatever God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it. God has made it this way, so that men will fear him. Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been; for God will seek to do again what has occurred in the past. (Ec 3:14-15)

Now Solomon takes us on a trip beyond the sun.  Up until this point we have remained under the sun, and we have been talking about mankind.  Now we consider God.  The contrast is striking.  With man, his efforts are futile, not so with God.  Man's efforts are easily swept away; God's works are eternal.  Man makes no lasting impact; God's sovereignty is supreme.  No-one can change God's will; we cannot add to it or take away from it.  When man compares himself to God, he sees his weakness and God's power- his futility and God's eternal plan.  Furthermore, God has created us.  We are weak because God has made us so. We should bow in humble contrition before Him.  When we see our frailty and His strength, we should fear Him- hold him in awesome reverence. 

 

Unfortunately, not all men respond this way.  "The same sun that melts butter hardens clay". People either respond to God or run from Him.  Atheists and agnostics try to erase God from their minds and hearts- to no avail.  Deists attempt to take away God's personal nature and replace it with rules and regulations.  They would say He is merely a big watchmaker who has created the world and set it in motion to run on its own.  Despite man's best efforts to take God out of the equation, they will one day kneel before Him.

 

For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. ”Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Ro 14:11-12)

 

In conclusion, Solomon returns to a refrain we saw previously.

 

What exists now is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing truly new on earth. (Ec 1:9)

 

Modern man has trouble wrapping his mind around this thought- that nothing is truly new.  It seems that we see newness all around us.  But we should consider this more deeply.  We often think that modern societies have advanced far beyond those of the past.  Archeologists discover aspects of ancient civilizations that defy the imagination.  And Jesus told us that "just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man" (Lk 17:26).  Human society before the Noahic Flood was much as it will be at the end of the age.  I suppose as God looks at the world of men, he sees things repeating themselves.  I think we can say that He is unimpressed with our toys and trinkets and looks at the fundamentals of life.  In that regard, "there is nothing new under the sun."  Maybe modern man needs a dose of humility. 

Questions to consider:

 

  1. When the Bible says that there’s nothing new under the sun (Ec 1:9), how can that inform our perspective of current events?
  2. How can that comfort us as we think about our future?
  3. Have you seen any lasting change in your personal life?  How?

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