Pastor Bobby and Jane are away this week, so just pray that they'll have a refreshing and encouraging time, and we'll see them again soon. Before we turn to the word, let me pray once again. Holy God, please empower me to speak this word. Empower the people today to hear it, to heed it, and to know the blessing of it in their lives. In Jesus' name, amen. If you looked at the bulletin, you saw the title for the sermon today. It is, Keep Calm and Carry On. And you've probably heard this phrase before. It's popular. It appears on various merchandise that we see today, mugs, t-shirts, decorations. The phrase is also frequently parodied on social media. Some examples I've seen and enjoy include, instead of keep calm, carry on, keep calm and have a cuppa. Or, keep calm and call Batman. Or, freak out and call Mom. I was surprised, though, to learn the background of this phrase, keep calm and carry on. It originally was part of a war propaganda poster created by the British Ministry of Information in June of 1939, just months before World War II began. The poster was designed to be displayed publicly if and when war began with Nazi Germany and British cities ended up being bombed or gassed. The idea was to strengthen the morale of the British people as they dealt with what could be extreme wartime devastation. But though 2.5 million copies of this poster were produced, most were never used, and they were instead recycled. A few posters that did end up being used didn't have any positive impact. In other words, the posters were a total failure in their time. However, in the year 2000, two British store owners found a surviving copy of this poster. They liked it, and they displayed it in their shop as a framed decoration. Many of their patrons also liked the poster and requested to buy copies of it. The item became more and more popular, and the poster design and its motto began to appear on other commercial products, just as we see today. Why is it that this phrase has caught on so well so many years after its first failed creation? probably none of us can fully know or explain, though I submit that our primary reason is that people recognize wisdom in this message from the past. I think we can see the message contained in those few words. Life is hard. It is full of pleasant and unpleasant surprises, but don't give in to rage or despair, nor naively assume that all will go well. You'll be happier and find more success if you stay cool and apply yourself to whatever's in front of you. Keep calm and carry on. Now, as I explain that philosophy to you, does it sound familiar? If you've been with us, this is another example of when Solomon says there's nothing new under the sun. This is just the wisdom of Ecclesiastes packaged in another modern form. This phrase, keep calm and carry on, it's actually a good summary of what Solomon is going to teach us next in the book of Ecclesiastes. That's why I used it as the sermon title today. Last time, when we were in the book of Ecclesiastes, we saw how the poem that introduced the second half of Ecclesiastes reminded us of wisdom's narrow way, the wisdom of God's narrow way. God's wisdom can indeed help you live well in this fallen world, in a world that is sin-cursed, death-dominated, and essentially a vapor of vapors. Wisdom, therefore, is a priceless treasure. It is a great help to you in life. But even God's wisdom has purposely designed limits as to what it can do for you right now. This is something we have to understand because otherwise, what will you do when God's wisdom seems to fail? when you do everything right in this situation, but you still experience frustration, persecution, and heartbreak? Also, how will you respond to others when they fail you, when they fail to act in godly wisdom as they ought? Solomon is going to teach us today how to respond out of recognition of God's good but ultimately inscrutable sovereignty, when life doesn't seem to work as it should. Don't get angry. Don't give up. Fear God. Keep calm and carry on. Let's see how Solomon explains this valuable truth. Please take your Bibles and open to our passage. Ecclesiastes 7, verses 15 to 22. Ecclesiastes 7, verses 15 to 22. If you're comfortable using the Pew Bible, it's on page 674. Ecclesiastes 7. Actually, just looking ahead a bit. Ecclesiastes 7, 15 to chapter 8, verse 15. We're going to see several sections of true wisdom's nuanced application to life. It's going to show us what wisdom looks like. Not overvaluing wisdom, but actually showing its benefit in a number of specific situations. And we're dealing with the first of those sections of specific application today. Ecclesiastes 7, 15 to 22. Let's hear the very word and breath of God. I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility. There's a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there's a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other, for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them. Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than 10 rulers who are in a city. Indeed, there's not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others. New American Standard breaks down this passage into two paragraphs, and for good reason. This text breaks down into two main ideas. Both have to do with correcting a naive and overconfident application of God's wisdom. Here's the main idea. In Ecclesiastes 7, 15 to 22, Solomon gives two humbling exhortations to help you keep calm and carry on well in a fallen world. Two humbling exhortations to help you keep calm and carry on well in a fallen world. Let's look at the first in verses 15 to 18. Number one, avoid proud extremes. Number one, avoid proud extremes. This is the more difficult exhortation of the two, so it's where we're gonna spend most of our time today. Go back to verse 15. Solomon says, I've seen everything during my lifetime of futility. There's a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there's a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. Solomon does many times in Ecclesiastes, He opens this section with a startling personal observation of life. I've seen everything, Solomon says, during my lifetime of futility. Now, he's not literally seen everything. It's not like he ever knew what donuts were or what the stock market was. But he's seen every kind of thing. The essence of life, he's seen it all. He says this is during his lifetime of futility. The word futility is one we've seen before. It's the Hebrew word havel, meaning vapor, breath, or vanity. Understand Solomon's not saying that his life was meaningless or worthless, but that even his otherwise long and accomplished life, it is like everything else in this world, and even the life of a humble peasant. It is a vapor. Lacking substance, passing quickly, too difficult to fully understand. Now Solomon wants to bring to our attention two specific situations that he's observed in his quickly passing life. He wants to bring these to our attention. He says, I've seen a righteous man die in his righteousness, and I've seen a wicked man lengthen his life in his wickedness. Now note that the Old Testament primarily uses the terms righteousness and wickedness to refer to characteristic behavior, not simply salvation, standing before God. We might be thinking of how the New Testament talks about justification, that righteousness that is imputed to us and not really because we've lived that way. The Old Testament often uses these terms to talk about your actual behavior. So when Solomon says, I've seen a righteous man die in his righteousness, he's saying, I've seen good and just men die young. And I've also seen evil and corrupt men live long and prosper. Does that seem right to us? Is that the way the world should work? If we have any sense of true justice in our hearts, we should be crying out, no, that's not the way it should be. Good men deserve reward and blessing. Bad men deserve punishment and curse. And indeed, this is what we expect will happen in life. If you do good and act wisely, and those are really the same thing, to do what is right is to be wise. If you do that, then you can expect reward. You can expect a good outcome, but if you do evil and act foolishly, you can expect painful consequences and judgment. And there is biblical warrant for this kind of thinking, thinking which theologians sometimes call retribution theology. You will reap what you will sow. Example, Deuteronomy 440. Deuteronomy 440, Moses says to Israel, So you shall keep his statutes, that is, God's, and his commandments, which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the Lord, that is, Yahweh your God, is giving you for all time. In other words, you want to be blessed even with earthly rewards? Keep the commands of God. Or we can go to Proverbs. Proverbs 10.27. Proverbs 10.27 says, The fear of Yahweh prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. Length of your life, Solomon says from Proverbs, will depend on whether you live in the fear of God or not. Want to live long? walk according to the fear of God. We could also go to Psalm 1, which lays out these two pathways. Go to many other Bible verses to support a retribution theology. And we could point to biblical persons who are examples of it in their own lives. Look at Abraham. Look at David. Look at even Solomon. These men followed God and were blessed. On the flip side, look at Balaam, look at Saul, look at Jezebel. These people didn't follow God. They turned from God and they were cursed. Now Solomon tells us here in Ecclesiastes, hey, that's all true. But I've seen that life doesn't always work this way. Sometimes the righteous are the ones who experience ruin and death. And sometimes the wicked are the ones who experience life and prosperity. Is that true? Is Solomon right? He is. And it's plainly evident even from the Bible. We can look at people who had exactly these things that Solomon's describing happen to them. Just go back to the beginning. Look at Cain and Abel. Abel was the righteous one. Cain was the wicked one. But Abel died young. While his murderer, Cain, lived long, got married, and had kids. Or how about Uriah the Hittite? Righteous man, faithful friend and warrior of David. How did Uriah's life turn out? David betrayed him. David stole his wife Bathsheba. And David killed Uriah by the hand of foreign enemies. Or just look at the Old Testament prophets. Though these were faithful spokesmen of God, they did mighty miracles in his name. They were just trying to get their people, their brethren, to come back to God. And for this they were scorned. They were in constant danger of death. And they're often killed by wicked kings who lived in luxury. And that's not even adding the New Testament examples. We could look at Stephen, we could look at James, we could look at all the apostles, and we could look at the Lord himself. Righteousness doesn't always lead to earthly blessing, and wickedness doesn't always lead to earthly cursing. But how can this be? The problem of why the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper is one raised throughout the Old Testament. I won't read them all to you, but I'll give you two examples for the sake of time. Jeremiah 12, 1. Jeremiah 12, 1. Jeremiah says to God, righteous are you, O Yahweh, that I would plead my case with you. Indeed, I would discuss matters of justice with you. Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease? Or go to Habakkuk. Habakkuk 1.13. Habakkuk 1.13. Habakkuk says to God, Your eyes are too pure to approve evil. And you cannot look on wickedness with favor. Why do you look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are you silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they? We could also go to Job 21, Psalm 10, Psalm 73, different righteous persons grappling with this reality before God. If such is indeed the case in life, and I think we can verify it even today that this is the case, The righteous sometimes suffer and the wicked sometimes prosper. If this is the case, then is God really just? For why would a righteous and good God ordain this outcome that seems totally unjust? God doesn't give us a full answer in the Bible. But he does remind us in various places, as he even reminded these ones who brought the question before him, like Jeremiah and like Habakkuk. Children, I don't owe you an explanation. I have the right to act as I see fit. Know that I am always doing what is right, wise, and good for you and for myself and my glory. You will see it in the end. But for now, you must humble yourself and trust me. Still though, there is the question of whether wisdom right now is worth it. If the righteous can still die and the wicked can still prosper, is following God's way of wisdom worth it? To keep us from responding wrongly in either of two extreme ways, we have verses 16 and 17 here. And at first glance, these verses are incredibly problematic. They seem to be Solomon advocating a life of a little bit of righteousness, a little bit of wickedness too. But on closer examination, we'll see that this is not the case. Look at verse 16. Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? Know that the first two phrases in this verse, they are parallel, and they have nearly the same meaning. To be excessively righteous is to be overly wise. But what does it mean to be excessively righteous? Well, it doesn't mean to be really righteous in the sense of actually conforming to God's character. After all, God commanded Israel in Leviticus 19.2, Leviticus 19.2, you shall be holy for I, Yahweh your God, am holy. Has any one of us reached God's standard of righteousness? Have any of us exceeded God in his godliness? Certainly not. Yet those who love the Lord Jesus, they will continue to seek to be more like him. So though none of us can actually have an excessive righteousness, there is a sense in which we can seek to be more righteous even than God. How so? By exalting a standard which God never actually commanded. And this is one of the problems we see in the Bible, isn't it? Especially with the Pharisees. God commanded Israel to do certain things, and the Pharisees added a whole bunch of other rules to it. They said, no, no, no, this is how you're righteous. God commanded Israel not to work on the Sabbath, but the Pharisees added many new Sabbath prohibitions. Oh, no, no, no, you can't go that far on the Sabbath. Oh, no, no, no, you can't do that on the Sabbath. Even though God didn't say it, this is what the really righteous people do. God committed Israel not to eat certain unclean foods. But then the Pharisees and the tradition of the elders came along and said, oh, but you have to have these ritual washings before you eat. Got to do this elaborate thing with your bowls and pitchers and your hands. That's what the really righteous people do. What's behind this penchant for adding extra righteous rules and even man's wisdom to God's prescribed way? Not just a prideful design to earn salvation and eternal life by good works. The Bible has a lot to say about that. But also, and this is key for our particular text, another thing behind this attitude and way of living is the belief that you can have the life of perfect blessing now if you're good enough. And really, this is the first proud, extreme way that we can respond to the fact that the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper. We can double down on righteousness and insist that the reason it didn't work out for those other folks is because they really weren't righteous enough. This was the approach Job's friends took with Job, if you remember. Eliphaz says to Job in Job 4, verses 7 to 8, Job 4, 7 to 8, Remember now, whoever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed? According to what I've seen, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble harvest it. In other words, Job, if bad things happen to you, it's just proof that you aren't righteous enough. But repent, truly seek God the way that we do, and everything will work out. And don't we hear the same kind of talk today? God didn't answer your prayer for that good thing. It's because you didn't have enough faith. You weren't righteous enough. Your kids grew up and turned out not to be Christian? It's because you weren't strict enough in raising them. You let them get too close to the world. That was the problem. You weren't righteous enough. You're not experiencing a life of total blessing and prosperity? It's because you only have a basic righteousness. If you become super righteous like us, though, if you embrace our super wisdom, then your life will be perfect. Then God will have to give you everything you want. Consider how many best-selling religious books, sad to say, so-called Christian books, they offer some version of follow this wise way and you'll get guaranteed results. Here's how to have a successful and growing church. Here's how to have a great marriage. Here's how to raise godly kids. Here's how to make a lot of money. Here's how to write your ticket with God. The authors claim that they've figured out the secret. They have discovered the way to the good life. And that way could be yours for just five easy payments of $19.99. Now, we see that. That's out there. And perhaps we say, oh, that's ridiculous. But let's be honest, brothers and sisters, there is the temptation within all of us to believe that if we're good enough, if we learn enough, if we're wise enough, God will owe us. He will have to give us what we want because we've earned it. If we do the proper works and rituals, If we punch in the proper formula, if we go above and beyond, we will be in control. And really, not God. God will have to do what we want. But what actually is the outcome of pursuing this kind of mastery over life by super wisdom, super righteousness? According to Solomon, it's not bliss. It's not prosperity. It's not security. It's ruin. It's ruin. Solomon asks, why should you arrogantly pursue righteousness and wisdom and ruin yourself? Why does pursuing super righteousness result in ruin? Solomon doesn't tell us. He just leaves us to think about it. So let's think about it. Why does pursuing excessive righteousness and wisdom result in ruin? Why does it tend to do that? Give you a few moments. I think it's something worthy to continue thinking about even today. But I'll offer a few ways that come to my mind. Ways that pursuing righteousness in this way results in ruin. It results in increasingly desperate and unhealthy ways to obtain control over God and life. Oh, that didn't work. I got to amp it up. I got to try this. I got to try that. Oh, that wasn't extreme enough. I got to do more. It results in greater alienation from those around you who do not subscribe to your same way. No, no, no, this is the way to righteousness. Oh, look at you, you sinner. Look at you, you fool. You're not embracing the same way. I don't have time for you anymore. And just isolate yourself from other people more and more and more. It results in the ascetic rejection of more and more good gifts that God has given us to enjoy in this life. Oh, no, no. I don't have time to enjoy that. I don't have time to rest. I'm working. I'm working out my super righteousness. I haven't done enough yet. I gotta do more. I have to get rid of that thing. I gotta get rid of that thing. I gotta get rid of that thing. Because I am gonna be holy. Become increasing ascetics. But perhaps most serious of all, and all those things I've just mentioned are ruinous, but perhaps the most serious of all is that when super-righteousness inevitably fails to give you your desired outcome, it results in disillusionment and even apostasy from God. Have you ever heard someone say, I tried Christianity and it didn't work? I followed the Bible, but it didn't save my marriage. I prayed, but God didn't give me what I prayed for. I was a good little Christian. I did everything God required and more, but then God took away the life of my spouse. And then I was involved in an accident and paralyzed from the waist down. And then I had a child with a severe birth defect. I'm done with God. Christianity doesn't work. When such a one departs in this way, not only will his life be filled with bitterness and misery, but his soul will perish forever in hell. There's no life outside of God. There's no life outside of Christ. If you leave him, where else will you go? All of this is a tragic misunderstanding of how practical righteousness and wisdom actually work. doing what's right, and following God's wisdom, it does tend to result in blessing, even blessing now on the earth. Wisdom, therefore, is very valuable. It's worth seeking. But it is not a guarantee of experiencing earthly good, ultimately in your life and in particular situations. God may have his reasons for causing you to suffer even when you do everything right. Now hearing this, someone may then turn to the opposite conclusion of what I just discussed. If righteousness and wisdom can't guarantee ease and blessing, then why not just live as I want? Why not just give myself over to sin? Maybe I can find security and fulfillment in scheming and wickedness. If righteousness can't do it for me, maybe wickedness can. But Solomon heads off this second proud and extreme reaction in verse 17. So let's look at that. Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? You can see that the form of this verse is very much like the one before. We have two parallel statements and then a reason supplied in the form of a question. Note, as before, to be excessively wicked is tantamount to living and acting as a fool or a stupid one. You could translate it that way, too. Why does Solomon say, though, do not be excessively wicked? Shouldn't he just say, do not be wicked at all? Well, if you did, then Solomon would be suggesting that we can and should be perfectly righteous. Don't be wicked. Ever. Well, none of us can keep that advice. Solomon just told us this basically in verse 16 and he will tell us again in verse 20. There is though a way of living that consists of continual, proud, high-handed, unrepentant sin. This is the way that Solomon deems excessive wickedness. And he also calls it folly. He says, don't, don't do that. Don't go that way. Now notice the end of verse 17, we have this phrase, why should you die before your time? And this might give us a little bit of conflict if we have a good understanding of God's sovereignty. If God is sovereign and all times and circumstances are in his hand, then really it's not possible for me to die before my appointed time. Even if I act wickedly, God's in control. I'm going to die exactly when He says. And some could even use this as a justification for pursuing sin and folly. Doesn't matter. I can live any old way I want. I'm still not going to die before God says I'm going to die. So, what's the big deal? But while in one sense it is true you cannot alter your decreed end, It's also true that those who persist in high-handed and unrepentant sin, they tend to die early. They tend to die early. That is, they die before they reach the normally expected lifespan for a person. Or we even say as a common phrase today, he died before his time. Now, why is this? Is this due to God's judgment or is this due to the natural consequences of sin? I think the biblical answer is yes. The arrogant pursuit of sin tends to bring natural consequences of pain and destruction and also provoke the judgment of God. What are examples of this kind of sinful living? Go to the book of Proverbs. They frequently link murder and robbery with an early death and a destroyed life. But those aren't the only sins. Also, adultery and laziness are linked with death. You want to die early? Just let yourself do any of those things. But I'm sure those aren't the only sins. Really, any unrepentant sin, even if it's secret or considered respectable by some, These sins provoke God's judgment. They have deadly consequences, and they could result in your actual death. Even as a Christian, say, oh no, God would never do that. Look at the New Testament. Acts chapter 5, Ananias and Sapphira. 1 Corinthians 11, the people not taking the Lord's Supper seriously. Revelation 2 and 3, people are unrepentant immorality in the church of God. Jesus threatened them all with death and actually took out some of them. So Solomon asks us, why? Why continue in high-handed sin when such a probable fate hangs over you? It's true. Some people seemingly, temporarily get away with sin. They die and you never saw the big consequences of their sin. It's true that happens. But many don't have this outcome. Probably even most don't have that outcome. Most wicked, many wicked, they are destroyed early. Certainly none will get away with their sin in the final judgment. So the question is from Solomon, why then will you choose to live foolishly? Why provoke God with your sin and die before your time? The proper course of life, Solomon says, is to avoid these proud extremes, as he begins to describe in verse 18. He says, it is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other, for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them. If you really want what's good, Solomon says, take hold of both the truths I just spoke to you. Don't treat wisdom like it's the way to mastery and control of life, but also don't treat wisdom like it's useless and no better than folly. Wisdom and righteousness are not guarantees to earthly prosperity, but they are the best way to live life. They tend to result in great blessing. If you act rightly and do not reap an immediate reward, do not get angry or do not despair. Also, do not idolize the treasures of the earth, the blessings of the earth. Don't treat them as ultimate gain. Solomon has already dealt with that problem. Remember, wisdom has its limits. God is doing something you do not fully understand, but you will understand later when you see him. regardless of whatever injustices you experience now, and some of them are very, very hard. Remember, God will set those right in his kingdom. There will be a reward and vindication in the world to come. But above all, remember that God is God, and you are not. If you want to be content, if you want to have peace in your heart, let him do what he has the right to do. Fear God, keep calm, and carry on. So we've seen the first humbling exhortation from Solomon. It is to avoid proud extremes. Let's now look at the second humbling exhortation in verses 19 to 22. An exhortation to help us keep calm and carry on well in our fallen world. Number two, remember common weakness. Remember common weakness. Look at verse 19, please. Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than 10 rulers who are in a city. Here's another assertion of the great benefit of wisdom. Wisdom gives to the one who possesses her great strength. Strength for what? Strength to do what's right, strength to overcome obstacles, strength to endure trials. Wisdom can help you in those things. Solomon says the power of wisdom is greater even than the power of 10 city rulers. 10 is a number often used in the Bible to emphasize completeness. Think of the 10 commandments, 10 plagues on Egypt. But even a large and complete group of 10 leading men in a city with all their wealth, all their servants, all their influence, they do not have as much power as one man or one woman who has wisdom. We have the saying in English, knowledge is power. Solomon agrees. Those who have God's knowledge on how to live wisely, they have power. That's exciting, right? All the possibilities of wisdom. Before you get too excited, verse 20, verse 20. Indeed, there's not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. Wait a second, what does verse 20 have to do with verse 19? Some think verse 19 is its own standalone thought, but there's a transition word at the beginning of verse 20 which argues otherwise. Indeed, the new American standard says, or we could also translate this Hebrew word, still or even, but. Though the statement of verse 19 is true, Solomon says there's a contrasting thought you need to keep in mind. What's that thought? That no one is perfect. No one's perfect. Even the righteous, and by using that term, Solomon acknowledges that such people do exist. There are people who are marked by good and just behavior. Even these righteous, Solomon says, they still sin. They are not perfectly good all the time. Really, this is a statement of total depravity. As Romans 3.10 and Romans 3.23 say, No one, no one on the earth, even the nice people you know, no one is perfectly good. Even the righteous still sin and fall short of the glory of God. Which is why we all need a Savior. Because God's standard is perfection. But keeping along with what Solomon's teaching us here in this passage, Let's frame the statement of Solomon in verse 20 in terms of wisdom. Solomon had already showed us that righteousness and wisdom are linked. We saw that earlier in the passage. Verse 19 was just speaking about the strength of wisdom for a person. So what does verse 20 have to say to us in terms of wisdom? Well, the answer is, even the wise are not wise all the time. Even the wise still sin. They still act in ignorance. They still make foolish choices. And Solomon already prepared us for this statement in Ecclesiastes 7-7, right? Oppression makes a wise man mad and a bribe corrupts the heart. Wise people are not perfect. And who is included in this group of wise people? People who have wisdom but don't act in wisdom all the time. You? Me? Our brethren, our neighbors, we have a certain degree of wisdom, especially if we're in Christ. But we're not perfect. We're not wise all the time. Even though wisdom gives great strength, we all fail to act in the power of wisdom at times. Wisdom offers us your strength. God offers us the strength of wisdom when we say, no, no, no, no, no. I know a better way. I got this. And we proceed forward instead in foolish weakness. And we harm ourselves and we harm others. So how should this admission of common weakness affect us? Well, fundamentally, It should humble us along with so many other things we've seen so far in Ecclesiastes, right? You got to be humble before God. Fear God. Remember the difference between him and you. Remembering your common weakness should humble you and it should cause you to be more patient with others who are beset with the same weakness. In verse 21 and 22, Solomon provides an example and an application regarding humanity's common weakness. So let's look at those verses again. Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others. Solomon describes here a situation which is very common to life. That is where one person badmouths another. See the word cursing here? That is a true translation of the Hebrew verb. But understand that this word need not refer to actual formal cursing. I doubt that's what we're thinking anytime we badmouth a person. God cursed so-and-so. May he be cursed forever. No, it doesn't have to require that level of formal curse. The literal meaning of this verb is to designate as too lightweight. Designate as too lightweight. It's just to speak about somebody in a contemptible way. As if that person's name or person had no importance, no goodness, no weightiness to it. You could just throw that name around. It's to speak disrespectfully. It's the bad mouth. And is there anyone in this room who has never spoken this way? In case we want to protest, verse 22 is pretty emphatic. So Solomon is showing us, look, none of us walk in perfect wisdom. We've all spoken badly of others when we shouldn't have, when it really wasn't justified. And this fact should change the way you regard others, especially when they badmouth you. Solomon says, don't take all words seriously. Don't take it to heart. Don't let it get to you. Understand that no matter who you are, no matter how good you are, people will still complain about you. They'll blame you. They'll wish bad on you. And it's not necessarily because you did anything wrong. It's just that people like you sometimes walk in pride and foolishness. And so they say these things. And we've done the same things ourselves. We've complained about people when they didn't deserve it. We just were angry, wanted to air our dissatisfaction. Other people do the same. Don't take it too seriously. Don't become outraged. Don't become vindictive. Don't start plotting how you're gonna get back at that person. Oh, I'll teach him to speak that way about me. Now certain heinous and ongoing sins need to be confronted in love. But you can't chase down every errant word. A lot of times, You're just gonna have to overlook some of the things that people say. You just gotta let it go. But remember too, sometimes people's negative words about you have some basis. I'm not saying that complaining or gossip is justified before God. These are sins. But when you hear people say this or that bad thing about you, you need to be willing to admit at times that, you know what? They're right. I really did mishandle that situation. I really do need to change or grow in that area. There's some basis to what they're saying. I think some of us are so afraid of hearing complaints and criticism. And I sympathize because I feel like I used to be one of those people. We naturally want to believe that we're doing everything rightly and that everyone approves, but we secretly fear that we are not doing everything rightly and that people are actually talking bad about us behind our backs. So kind of like Solomon describes here at the end of verse 21, we can fall into this pattern of eavesdropping on conversations about us. Oh, they're talking about me. I need to find out what they're saying. We also overanalyze the words of others. Oh, was there a criticism of me in that statement? We do this because we hope we can confirm a positive view of ourselves, but we're also sure at the same time that if we cannot, we just won't be able to go on. Oh, if I really did make a great mistake. Oh, I'm ruined. But if we're thinking this way, it is to set ourselves up for great disappointment. Continual frustration and actual ruin. Because the truth is, you're going to make mistakes. Even you Christians who have the wisdom of God, you're still gonna make mistakes. That's not to excuse them. That's not to justify them. It's just to be real. We're beset by weakness. We love our Lord and yet we, like Peter, can sometimes deny our Lord. We're gonna sin. We're going to act foolishly at times. And in response, some people are going to badmouth us for it. But you know what? It's okay. You'll survive. You'll survive. All of us are imperfect. Don't set up a standard for yourself that will be impossible to reach and will demoralize you when you can't reach it. Accept that you're going to be imperfect. Be willing, of course, to learn from your mistakes. Be willing to set relationships right. Be willing to follow through with fruits of repentance when you realize you have done wrong. But more importantly, you need to trust in the God who is bigger than your failures and who's able to take care of you despite your mistakes. That's the fear, right? Oh, if I act foolishly one time or enough times, that's it for me, I'm toast. God's a good father. He knows how to take care of his children. He will discipline us as we need, but he's bigger than our sins, folly, and mistakes. So then in a surprising way, we're learning here from the second part of our passage that one of the most important steps on the narrow path of wisdom is the realization that people, ourselves included, are not wise all the time. You want to be wise? Realize that you're not always going to act in wisdom. That'll help you. Along with avoiding proud extremes, point number one, let us also remember, point number two, our common weakness as humans so that we are not inordinately shaken by our own failures or the failures of others. Do not get angry. Do not despair. Fear God. Keep calm and carry on. In sum, Solomon has shown us once again today, by the Spirit of God, the way to the happiest, wisest, most blessed path of life in a fallen world. But you won't be able to take this way, nor would it really matter if you did, if you don't also embrace a greater kind of wisdom, the wisdom of the gospel. the salvation message of Him who is wisdom incarnate, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. This wisdom I've been talking about for most of today, this regular wisdom of God, it is good, but it's limited. It's limited in what it can do for you right now. It cannot deliver you from death. It cannot deliver you from the wrath of God that is due your sin. Because let's face it, if Solomon doesn't emphasize it in our passage, there is a holy penalty for our folly and imperfections. even every careless word that we speak. You say, oh, but why would God care about that little bit of gossip or that little mean thing that I said? He's a holy God. And Jesus says explicitly in the New Testament that if you merely get angry with somebody and call him a name, dummy, empty head, Jesus says, you know what the penalty for that is? Eternal fire under the wrath of God in hell. That's the just penalty. A holy God cannot endure that kind of speech. He says, you will be judged for every careless word that you have spoken. By your words, you'll be acquitted, and by your words, you'll be condemned. That's terrible news! Because even if we know how to live wisely and not take words too seriously, we still have to deal with the fact that our words condemn us. But that's why the wisdom of the gospel is even more necessary for you than God's wisdom in how to live life. Because God made a way of escape from the wrath that is due your sin. And it is Jesus Christ. It is his perfect life, death, and resurrection. By repentance and faith, by you turning from your foolish way, from you Exalting yourself and living your own way to turning to God and saying, no, God, whatever you want, I give up these sins, please. I want, I want Jesus Christ. I want you, God. I want the salvation that you offer only in Jesus. I will give up my sin. I'll give up the treasures of the world. I'll even give up my insistence that I must be blessed now. I'll give all that up and say, God, I just want you. If you do that, then not only can you learn and know how to live wisely now, but you will know how to live wisely forever. Because this life is passing by quickly, right? Solomon says, it's a vaporous life for me. It's gonna be a vaporous life for you. How many more days do you have? I don't know. You don't know. It's not that many. It's good for you to learn how to live wisely now, but it's better and more important that you learn how to live wisely for eternity. The wisdom for that is available in the gospel. And the scriptures say, now's the day to embrace that wisdom. Now's the day of salvation. Don't just say, okay, yeah, no, that sounds good. I'll think about it later. You might not have it later. Come now. Find the way of blessing now. find the way of blessing and life forever in Jesus Christ. Let's close in prayer. Lord, your wisdom is very great. We thank you for the book of Ecclesiastes and the words of Solomon, because he tells us what we need to hear. Indeed, as we saw last time, rebuke is better than revelry. Some of these truths are not ones that we would like to hear. They make us uncomfortable. They humble us, but it's for our good. Lord, it is difficult when we don't see justice administered the way we would expect for this life. Why is it that the good sometimes suffer? Why is it that the bad sometimes prosper? but you know what you're doing. You have a perfect purpose in each moment. I thank the Lord for the dear persons here today who may be going through some very difficult suffering, and they don't know why. It's not because of sin. They can't find any sin in their lives. Why have you afflicted them, God? You know. You know. And you're accomplishing a good purpose in it. So God, I pray for them and I pray for all of us because we're all gonna face situations like that, God, that we would remain in the fear of you so that we are not destabilized, so that our peace and our contentment and our hope may remain intact. God, you do all things well. You will show us that in the end, but in the meanwhile, we will trust you. We will humble ourselves before you and trust you. That is the way of blessing. Thank you for showing us that way. Enable us by your spirit to follow it and not stray from it. But thank you, God, whatever happens in this life, there is life in the world to come that is sure. There's no uncertainty about that. There's no mystery there. If there's any who do not yet know that reality, I pray that they'd repent and believe in today, God, by your spirit. In Jesus' name, amen.