Ecc 6

Why cannot everybody find such rest in God?

Context: Ecc 5:19 asserted that God himself is the giver of joy. Why then is not everyone happy? Is God unjust to not grant the same joy to everyone, and in equal measure? Chapter 6 contemplates why not everyone is ready to partake in God’s redemptive work and be blessed by finding rest in God and its joy: Sadly, from the self-righteous, God must withhold that gift. There is no other cure from self righteousness than to experience its curse, until we hear and believe God’s word as proclaimed by His people where he dwells, namely: Redemption is by faith in Christ alone. By contrast, the law-abiding, self-sacrificial works of the self-righteous are the root of the pride from which faith needs to save us.

1) How do different political ideologies in our culture ‘explain’ why not everybody is blissfully happy and content?

• Who will first blame a lack of effort, i.e. that we do not work harder with ‘two hands full of toil’ (Ecc 4:6)?
• Who tends to blame circumstances, and that ‘the system’ must change, instead of reforming ourselves and how we each conduct our work (‘both hands folded’ types)?

2) Did Kohelet agree with either of these views? Why not?

• Discuss: What did he teach instead in v2?=>
• What makes this idea that God does not grant equal joy to everyone so disturbing?
  • If God, and not man himself, holds this in his hand, why do we suspect Him of being unjust? cf Ro 9:8-14
• What is the justice in God’s dealing?
  • cf Lk 16:25 – Was the rich man in this parable not also given much?
  • What exactly was he given? Only material blessings? Was this in accord with, or against what the rich man himself desired?
• Anyone who welcomes temporal blessing but hates the everlasting spiritual ones of following Jesus as Lord, how can they accuse God of injustice when temporal blessing is all they ever receive?

3) Read again Ecc 6:2. If this state of affairs is God’s own just judgment, why did Kohelet call it a ‘grievous evil’ (ESV; lit. an evil/grievous sickness/grief/affliction)?

• Hint: Who desires to find that joy which Eccl 4:6 described as ‘resting in God’, and who does not, Ecc 6:2?
• Who grieves about this the most, together with Kohelet? cf Mt 23:37; 1Tim 2:4
• Why is this painful “evil” necessary nonetheless, despite its apparent injustice?
  • Read Ecc 3:18. How does God prove the deluded as mistaken who consider themselves to be “gods” and don’t need him as their redeemer?
  • Hint: How does the experience of our own spiritual bankruptcy and emptiness help us to repent of our confidence in ourselves and to rightly desire God rather than merely his gifts? cf Ro 2:4; 2Pet 3:9

4) Take a closer look at who is the rich man described in Eccl 6: Why is he pitied more than even a stillborn child, v3?

• What did it mean for an Israelite if he was denied a burial (v3)?
  • Read Jer 8:2 => If it depicts God’s judgment of idolatrous apostate leaders, why does God still pity them in Eccl 6 more than anyone else does?*

5) vv7-12: v8 asks (again): Compared to material blessings, is there not even in wisdom any advantage at all?

• v9: What advantage of being wise is described here? [lit. ‘Pleasing is wisdom (the sight of the eyes) even to wandering appetites; but this (casual and unsteady interest) is also vanity, a chasing after wind’.]
• vv10-12: Why is this advantage still of no use to the ‘rich fool’?**
  

6) What is man up against that he is so hemmed in with no way to help himself? Who is the strong man mentioned by vv9-10 ? cf Ro 9:20; Ps 139:5 [i.e. not the same as in Mt 12:29]

• Given what Kohelet said before, do you think his question in v12 is that of an agnostic? Why or why not?
  • Or did he convey an insightful opinion as a question?
  • Why in the form of a question? cf e.g. Lk 20:40-43; Jn 10:36

7) Personal & application

• When asked to give an account of your faith in Jesus and the gospel, do you find it more helpful to know all the answers, or to ask the right questions? Why?
• Do you find Eccl 6 helpful to answer any questions about ‘predestination’? Why or why not?
  • When discussing the case of the poor rich man who is not granted to find lasting joy in all his wealth, Kohelet seemed to be full of empathy (as one who apparently had been there himself): How can you emulate this attitude?
• Can you yourself identify in any way with this rich man? If so, where does this chapter point you to get help?
• Do you know anyone as unreceptive towards God’s grace as this poor rich man who then got genuinely converted to follow Jesus? How did that happen?

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* They are in for disappointment, because to draw them near, God cannot spare them the frustration of first becoming dissatisfied with their own emptiness, Lk 18:24

** Although eye sight (i.e. wisdom) is better than wandering cravings (=restlessness, lack of self-control), it still cannot fix our crookedness (Ecc 1:15-17) and therefore remains vain in and of itself. Only reconciliation and friendship with God can. By contrast, man in his own wisdom turning against God to reason against Him is stuck because he is arguing against the only one who could help him, v12