The Limits Of Wisdom And Knowledge | Ecclesiastes 1: 12-18 | Voddie Baucham

[Music] amen if you have your Bibles with you please open them to the Book of Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes chapter 1 we still in Ecclesiastes chapter one title of message this morning is the limits of wisdom and knowledge the limits of wisdom and knowledge as I I thought about this and we're just beginning in the book of we're still introducing this book it's it's a rather unpopular book in the Bible I don't think I've ever met anyone who's said that their favorite book in the Bible was Ecclesiastes um but there are many people who don't like the Book of Ecclesiastes and they don't like like it for a number of reasons and we've tried to help you understand those as we begin this series but I would explain one of those reasons this way we don't like the Book of Ecclesiastes because we've learned to read wisdom as law and reading wisdom as law is a great error and Ecclesiastes exposes that error let me give you an example of what I mean Proverbs 22:6 train up a child and the way should go and when he is old he will not depart from it now Proverbs is wisdom literature it's not law that's not a law that that's wisdom that's a principle it's a it's a principle about being wise in the way that we raise up children but because we read wisdom as law we do something like this train up a child in the way he should go when he's old he will not depart from it a child raises up right becomes becomes an adult um a and then you know goes off and and and lives a life that is completely counter to anything that we wanted or anything that we desired or anything that we tried to put into that child well because we read wisdom as law here's how we explain that number one I must have done something wrong because if it's a law train up a child the way he should go when he's old he would not depart If the child departed then I must not have done what raise them in the way he should go right or even worse we say that God is somehow not able to keep his promises and really what has happened is we have read wisdom as law wisdom literature is just that it's wisdom literature it gives us principles that explain in general how the world works it does not give us a series of laws that promise US the good life if we just do the steps that that's not wisdom literature and and you don't have to take my word for it all you have to do is read the book of Ecclesiastes because the person who gave us Proverbs also gave us Ecclesiastes and at the end of chapter one he talks about the vanity of wisdom and knowledge he strikes a blow at anyone who wants to read The Book of Proverbs like it's a series of laws when I think of this I always think of job's friends you know job is an upright man God himself refers to him as a man who is upright and perfect Satan's going to and fro God says have you considered my servant job God gives Satan permission to wreak havoc in job's life horrible things happened to job then after he loses everything that he has Satan comes back God's you know and he says yeah you that's just cuz you didn't let me touch his body then there are the terrible boils and everything else and when job's friends show up if you pay attention what they're doing is they're going going through Proverbs and they're saying You must have done something wrong because people who live rightly don't experience what you've experienced so confess tell us what you did because they have that mentality that many of us have when we read wisdom as law as though somehow the Bible lines itself out and says if you do ABC you are guaranteed XYZ and nothing could be further from the truth M and bewe died unexpectedly just a few short weeks ago and some of you are still trying to figure out where to pin the blame like the disciples when the man who was blind from birth what did they ask Jesus who sinned this man or his parents because it can't just be that this happened because the world must work in this way you do ABC you will get XYZ and the Book of Ecclesiastes is here to say that is not so it is not the way the world works stop looking for hidden sins every time something goes wrong not to say that there are never hidden sins but stop it stop looking for curses every time something goes wrong instead learn to think biblically there's a second thing that we have to do if we want to understand Ecclesiastes rightly you got to learn how to read it backwards and I mean read it backwards in two ways first read all of Ecclesiastes from the standpoint of the final thought he goes through 11 chapters giving us these truths that he's learned and then in chapter 12 he gets to his point listen to this in Ecclesiastes 12 13 14 the end of the matter all has been heard so he's saying I'm finished right the end of the matter all has been heard fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man for God will bring every deed into judgment with every secret thing whether good or evil that's the end he doesn't say throw up your hands cuz nothing matters he says fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man in other words God is Sovereign God is in control not you you don't control your circumstances you don't control your future and he makes that point over and over and over again and he makes that point point in our text this morning Ecclesiastes chapter 1 beginning in verse 12 by the way that second way remember I say two ways that we read it backwards right first we read it backwards in terms of keeping in mind Ecclesiastes 12 but also keeping in mind the truth of the rest of God's revelation we can't read Ecclesiastes as though the rest of the Bible never came amen we have to read it in that context Ecclesiastes 1 beginning verse 12 I the preacher have been King over Israel in Jerusalem and I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under Heaven it is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with I have seen everything that is done under the sun and behold all is Vanity and striving after the wind what is crooked cannot be made straight what is lacking cannot be counted I said to my heart I have acquired great wisdom surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge and I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know Madness and Folly I perceive that this also is but a striving after wind for in much wisdom is much vexation and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow again for us as Christians we are not used to this amen for us as Christians we don't think like this we don't talk like this in fact we try to stay away from people who talk like this if there if you had a friend who started speaking like Solomon speaks in Ecclesiastes you'd find excuses not to be around them you can't say Amen you ought to say ouch you would not want to be around this person what what what what terrible things to say it sounds hopeless unless you understand the book in its entirety unless you keep the end in mind then he's not talking about about hopelessness he's talking about the limits of wisdom and knowledge it's amazing you know I think as I thought about this text I thought about things from the perspective of my grandparents Miss Bridget sent me a a story that she found the other day somebody was thinking about stuff that their kids you know wouldn't believe and I was thinking about life from the perspective of my grandparents and there are just things that my grandparents um I'm I'm 55 next month there are things that my grandparents would just never have been able to wrap their heads around for example a phone that has about as much computing power in your hand as they had when they put a man on the moon your your phone is as powerful as the most powerful computers back then and you hold it in your hand my my grandparents would not have been able to Fathom that or driving in a city or a neighborhood that they'd never been in before and finding their way around without a paper map or an [Music] atlas amen some of the young people are in here going what is a paper map or email were going through some things at the house the other day and uh pulled out a a a box with some some letters in it listen to this young people people used to sit down with pen and paper write letters fold them put them in an envelope put a stamp on them and then mail them to each other and then you would wait and the mail would come and you would open it and would be a letter from a loved one telling you how much they love you how much they miss you not in an email not on WhatsApp not on social media there was a time when in order to find out how someone's vacation went you had to wait until they got back amen and then when they got back they opened up a pile of actual photographs and they would show you photographs one by one by one there was a time before that when in order to see the photographs you had to wait until they took them in to get them developed and then got them back so that they could show you the photographs I say all this to say technology has advanced tremendously amen I mean we could go on and on and on but technology has advanced tremendously a and wisdom and knowledge have grown immensely and yet there is still so much that we do not know there are a couple of errors that people make when they think about wisdom and knowledge on the one side is anti-christian intellectualism the the idea that the pursuit of knowledge is antithetical to the pursuit of Christ on the other end there is anti-intellectual Christianity anti-intellectual Christianity finds itself to be more spiritual to the degree that it stays away from all of those Technologies all of those new things that are out there in fact there are some sects of people in different parts of the world who who won't use an automobile who won't have a television who won't use a telephone because those Technologies are worldly Technologies and there is a ditch on both sides of the road there is a proper way for us to think about wisdom and knowledge and it starts with knowing and understanding the limits of wisdom and knowledge from our text first acquiring knowledge and wisdom is good and necessary look at verses 12 and 13 I the preacher have been King over Israel in Jerusalem and I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under Heaven it is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with now the language that he uses there poetic language right he applied his heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven in other words he wanted to know everything that he could possibly know he says it it's an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man let's let's forget the unhappy business part for a moment but he says a a business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with God intends for people to seek wisdom and knowledge God does not intend for his people to be anti-intellectual so regardless of what we find here and regardless of what he's saying about you know striving after the wind and so on and so forth he's not saying that it's wrong to seek wisdom and knowledge in fact Solomon was famous for his knowledge look at First Kings chapter 10 First Kings chapter 10 now the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord she came to test him with hard questions she came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she told him all that was on her mind and Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing hidden from the King that he could not explain to her now often times we we we Air at this point and at this point we say that what was happening with Solomon and the reason that people were coming from all over the world to meet with Solomon and to talk with Solomon is because Solomon was just endowed with Supernatural intellect well when you read Ecclesiastes what does he say he devoted his heart to searching out everything was wise and knowledgeable because he was a relentless L [Music] student he was relentless in studying everything he could get his hands on architecture agriculture science math medicine everything he could get his hands on that's why people came not because he just fell out of the womb quoting algebra equations verse four and when the Queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food of his table the seating of his officials and the attendance of his servants their clothing his cup bearers and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord there was no more breath in her and she said to the king the report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it and behold the half was not told to me your wisdom and your Prosperity surpass the reports that I heard happy are your men happy are your servants who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom blessed be the Lord your God who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel because the Lord loved Israel forever he has made you King that you may execute Justice and righteousness so this is the business that God has given to the children of man to seek out wisdom to seek out knowledge don't let this text fool you into believing that we're being called to somehow be anti-intellectual because we're talking about the limits of wisdom and knowledge the Bible speaks favorably about acquiring knowledge Psalm 191 and2 the heavens declare the glory of God the sky above proclaims his handiwork day to-day pours out speech and night to night Reveals His knowledge there is knowledge in creation that we are called to pursue it's interesting you know children are always asking questions you know why why do I have to do this why do I have to do that and you know why why do I have to go to school and why do I have to study this and why do I have to study that Psalm 191 and two the heavens are declaring the glory of God why do you need math and science you need math and science because God reveals himself in two books he reveals himself in the book of scripture but he also reveals himself in the book of nature he reveals himself in his handiwork and so we pursue a greater knowledge of the world that God has created so that we can know the God who created the world proverbs 4 and 5 get wisdom get insight do not forget and do not turn away from the words of my mouth Proverbs 4:7 the beginning of wisdom is this get wisdom and whatever you get get insight Proverbs 16:16 how much better to get wisdom than gold to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver it is a good thing to pursue wisdom and knowledge Christians Have Always by the way LED the way in the pursuit of of of uh wisdom and knowledge listen to this and growth's book Christian apologetics as part of a long and fascinating research Pro project concerning the relationship of Christian monotheism to Western history sociologist Rodney Stark claims that the medieval Christian worldview provided a Wellspring of intellectual resources for the development of science technology and commerce he argues that the later achievements of the Scientific Revolution were not the result of an eruption of secular thinking but were the culmination of many centuries of systematic progress by medieval Scholastics sustained by that uniquely Christian 12th century invention the university yes my friends Christians invented universities not Muslims not secular atheist Christians invented universities we are not and have never been anti-intellectual failure to pursue knowledge in scripture is viewed as Folly Proverbs 1:22 how long oh simple ones will you love being simple how long will scoffers Delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge Proverbs 18:15 an intelligent heart acquires knowledge and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge far from running from knowledge we ought to be running to it we ought to pursue it in fact that ought to be known what we're known for that ought to be what we're known for and what we're known by as individuals who seek truth beauty and goodness to the glory of God and for its sake alone but remember this is about the limits of wisdom and knowledge wisdom and knowledge alone can lead to despair verses 14 and 15 in our text I have seen everything that is done under the sun and behold all is Vanity and striving after wind what is crooked cannot be made straight what is lacking cannot be counted he recognizes that wisdom and knowledge have their limits he's tried but he's failed to be fulfilled by wisdom and knowledge alone because no one can ever be fulfilled by wisdom and knowledge alone this is the mistake that the atheist makes the atheist argues that there is no God and that that's okay because we have everything we need through wisdom and knowledge and and scientific discovery but we cannot solve every problem that's what the author means when he says what is crooked cannot be made straight and what is lacking cannot be counted no matter how smart we are we always come up against problems that we cannot solve and Utopia is not coming with all of our wisdom and with all of our gadgets and with all of our technology this generation is among the most miserable that the world has ever known it amazes me that children and ages gone by had none of the gadgets that children today have and yet they found ways to entertain themselves and children today are constantly saying I am bored amen somebody they've got everything all the gadgets you can imagine and they say I am bored I can I can remember some of the people in the room can remember when television meant you sit down and you watch what's on Amen and you watch what was on two or three channels that's all now there are streaming services that literally have thousands upon thousands of things that you can watch and we sit down in front of them and we say nothing's on this is his point this is his point by itself self wisdom and knowledge just lead to despair because there are limits to human wisdom and knowledge we learned that a couple of years ago all it took was a little microscopic bug and it derailed the global economy amen we didn't know what to do with ourselves we were running around scared afraid because of a little microscopic bug by the way the microscopic bug is still around and it's not going anywhere why because in all of our sophisticated wisdom and knowledge we still don't know how to get rid of a virus what is crooked cannot be made straight what is lacking cannot be counted there are limits to human wisdom and knowledge 1 Corinthians 3:1 18-20 one of my favorite passages of scripture let no one deceive himself If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age let him become a fool that he may become wise for the wisdom of this world is folly with God for it is written he catches the wise in their craftiness and again the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are feudal that's why it leads to despair Jesus was not speaking particularly about wisdom or knowledge in Matthew chapter 8 but his words his words ring true even here for whoever would save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul for what can a man give in return for his soul he's speaking there we know about money but you can also apply that to wisdom and knowledge you will never be wise enough to defeat death you will never have enough knowledge to defeat death thirdly knowledge is insufficient without the knowledge of God knowledge is insufficient without the knowledge of God and it will always be insufficient without the knowledge of God which is why knowledge alone leads to despair look at verses 16-8 I said in my heart I have acquired great wisdom surpassing all who who were over Jerusalem before me and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge and I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know Madness and Folly I perceived that this also is but striving after wind for in much wisdom is much vexation and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow in much wisdom is vexation and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow is this not true the more we learn the more we realize we don't know you know it's it's it's one thing for for example um a person to to die when we have no idea what is going on with them or no idea how to help them but but it bothers medical professionals when someone comes in and with all of their training and with all of their experience and with all of their knowledge they do and we hear it right we did everything we could and yet it wasn't enough this is Solomon's thesis and Proverbs the idea that knowledge is insufficient without the knowledge of God Proverbs 1:7 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge fools despise wisdom and instruction amen fools despise wisdom and instruction there's also clearly in scripture the idea that there is wisdom that is wicked there's wisdom that is wicked it's amazing that we split the atom and on the one hand we split the atam and it has given us an amazing abundant clean clean almost endless source of energy known as nuclear energy it's the cleanest most abundant energy that there is and yet in splitting the atom we also got the most destructive weapon that the world has ever seen knowledge doesn't just come in a vacuum James 3:13 to18 who is wise in understanding among you by his Good Conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom but if you have bitter jealousy selfish ambition in your hearts do not boast and be false to the truth this is not wisdom that comes down from above but it's Earthly unspiritual demonic for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there will be disorder in every vile practice but the wisdom from above is first pure then Peaceable gentle open to reason full of mercy and good fruits impartial and sincere and the Harvest of righteousness is sown in Peace by those who make peace there is wisdom from above but there is also Earthly wisdom there is also as James says demonic wisdom that is why our wisdom and our knowledge are always insufficient apart from the knowledge of God and at the end of the day that knowledge of God is more specific and that it is the knowledge of his son Jesus Christ Paul says it this way in Colossians 1-3 Colossians 2 1-3 for I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at lead deia and for all who have not seen me face to face that their hearts may be encouraged being knit together in love to reach all the riches of full Assurance of understanding and knowledge of God's mystery which is Christ in whom are hidden all the treas Treasures of wisdom and knowledge all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ why wouldn't they be why wouldn't they be he he is indeed the God man who spoke the world into existence he is indeed the savior of the the world he is indeed wisdom from God the wisdom of God the very word of God is who Christ is how could we ever hope to have any true wisdom apart from Christ in whom all wisdom is hidden no wonder our knowledge and our wisdom are limited this is why at the end of the day we absolutely pursue wisdom and knowledge but we pursue wisdom and knowledge to the glory of God recognizing that apart from God our wisdom and our knowledge will lead us to despair because all it will ever teach us is that we can't know enough we can't be wise enough we can't be smart enough we can't invent enough we can't discover enough cuz what is crooked will never be made straight and what is lacking will never be counted and in our quest to have all knowledge when we realize that we can't we are left with despair unless and until we recognize that the true end end of knowledge is the knowledge of God through the person and work of Jesus Christ it is only then that our knowledge is sufficient it is only then that our knowledge and our wisdom are put to proper use and toward right ends and it is only then then we can ever find satisfaction only in Christ are you walking in despair because things are not working the way you think they ought to work or are you walking in despair because you turned wisdom literature into law and you're living your life as though there's some guarantee that if you do ABC you will be guaranteed XYZ and it hasn't worked out and you're shaking your fists at God or you're looking inwardly to find out what you did wrong because you didn't get what you expected that is Despair and it is the despair that always comes when you turn wisdom into law instead of recognizing that the fullness of wisdom is found only in Christ only in Christ see if I turn wisdom into law and I do what I'm supposed to do and I don't get the right result I don't have an answer I don't know what went wrong but if Christ is the end of all witness wisdom and if God is The Sovereign lord of the Universe I pursue wisdom and knowledge to the glory of God and it becomes an end in itself not a means to an end and I'm satisfied in God and in the wisdom that I've pursued so that even when things don't go the way I desire for them to go I still know that God is on his throne and that he is enough and there's the key are you pursuing wisdom so that you can get stuff or are you pursuing wisdom so that you can know God one of those will never satisfy you one of those will never fail to satisfy you let's pray a good and gracious God God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ the God of all wisdom of all knowledge The God Who created the world and everything in it for his glory before you we bow to you we offer thanks to you we offer our praise to you we as ascribe glory and majesty and strength and power thank you for reminding us today of the limits of wisdom and knowledge and in doing so reminding us of the glory of wisdom and knowledge when put to proper use and that proper use is knowing and serving you the true and living God grant by your grace that we might find our wisdom in Christ and that in doing so we might be found in him satisfied in him for this we pray in his name and for his sake amen

Channel: Hillview Baptist Church - Lusaka

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Length: 41min 42sec (2502 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 18 2024