Lesson 9

Is It Worth It To Be A Christian?

Ecclesiastes 8:1-17

We are working our way through the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes. We have come to chapter 8. I have found this to be a fascinating book, poetic and philosophical at the same time. It is a book that asks some hard questions about the real meaning and nature of life. Cynical Solomon systematically traveled down one road, one avenue, one endeavor after another in search of fulfillment. Along the way, he made some important discoveries and observations about life that are passed on to us through this book. Which road is the right road? Is life a dead-end street? Is life nothing more than a gigantic circle where nothing really ever changes?

Why is pleasure only momentary and leave one feeling empty? Why does work not seem to bring any lasting satisfaction? What about this thing called "time"? What about money? Looking around, Solomon sees oppression and insensitivity, greed and laziness, loneliness and fickleness and family problems. There is just a lot of futility to life.

Is it any better for believers? Is it really worth it to be a Christian, to try to do what is right? Frankly, it sometimes seems that God's people are worse off than those who give no thought to God! Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever feel that you get taken advantage of just because you are a Christian? Say, at work because you are a Christian, you are more compliant and so the boss takes advantage of you giving you the worst jobs? Or perhaps you observe people seemingly getting away with wrongdoing - the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering - and you wonder if it is really worth it to be a Christian. Or maybe, life seems so complicated and mysterious at times, there are some many questions that don't have any answers, you lay awake at night, unable to sleep, wrestling with questions that don't seem to have any right answers. You wonder, "Wouldn't it be easier if I didn't even try to serve the Lord? Is it really worth it to be a Christian?"

That is the theme of Ecclesiastes 8. The answer to that question is in this chapter. But before looking at the answer, Solomon raises some hard questions concerning some tough issues which Christians have to wrestle with.

This is not an easy chapter to figure out. Chapters like this sometimes make me question the value of being a verse-by-verse preacher. It would be easy to skip over some chapters and verses in the Bible and preach from familiar texts that are relatively easy to interpret. But, it is all God's inspired word, it is my duty to teach the whole counsel of God and every verse is profitable, so I must wrestle with understanding and explaining it all to you. So here goes ...

The Issue Of Life's Authority, 8:1-9.

The first nine verses of chapter 8 are about the proper response toward authority. All of us have some connection with authority. We either have authority ourselves or else we have an authority over us. It is not always easy to know our Christian responsibility toward authority. Being a Christian can seem to cloud this issue somewhat. Being a believer makes bosses susceptible to being taken advantage of by those under our charge. But being a Christian also makes a worker susceptible to being taken advantage of by despotic leaders. At times it might appear to be easier to make no pretence at serving God when it comes to authority. You wouldn't have to be so compliant if you weren't a Christian. You might not get taken advantage of so much. So we are left wondering, Is being a Christian really worth all the hassle that comes with authority?

Solomon has some good observations on this subject. Of course, as a king, he held a position of absolute authority. No doubt, he observed a variety of responses to his rulings. Here are some of his conclusions:

Some characteristics of the wise, v. 1. When it comes to proper response to authority, two things stand out - a clear head and cheerful heart, one's discernment and one's disposition. The wise man "knows the interpretation of a thing", that's discernment or having a clear head. He can analyze and understand well. Notice vs. 5b-6. To every purpose there is both time and judgment and a wise man's heart discerneth both. A wise person is discerning both about the right thing to do and about the right timing for doing it. Joseph showed this in revealing himself to his brethren. Nehemiah waited for just the moment to ask his king to release him so that he could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls. Daniel used wisdom in approaching his authority about eating the required king's diet. He was not defiant. He offered a workable alternative. But wisdom also "makes his fact to shine and the boldness (sternness) of his face is changed" that's having a cheerful heart and a pleasant disposition. Being a Christian need not make you a sour puss. I know that Christians are engaged in the serious issues of life, death, heaven and hell, but there is still a need for a cheerful heart. Prov. 15:13-14 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

Some choices of the worker, vs. 2-3a. I use the word "worker" here to refer to anyone who is under authority. You have some choices to make. You can choose disobedience. You can choose desertion. You can choose defiance. Verses 2-3, speak to all three of those possibilities. Is it right to disobey? Solomon says, "I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God (in other words - as you have vowed your allegiance and loyalty to the king)." The New Testament tells us to submit to those who rule over us. See I Peter 2:13-18. The only time a Christian should disobey the orders of an authority is when that authority is ordering you to disobey God. "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). What about just quitting, deserting, walking away from the person in authority? Verse 3 says, "Be not hasty to go out of his sight." So desertion is not a legitimate choice for a believer either. What about participating in an attempt to overthrow this leader? Verse 3 goes on to say, "Stand not in an evil thing." (Do not stand up for an evil cause). Don't desert, don't defy, and don't disobey.

This advice is followed by a list of reasons. First, the boss does whatever he wants to do, v. 3c. He has authority and power behind his words because of his position, v.4a. Therefore, you do not have the right to question his commandments, v. 4b. Keeping the king's commandments will keep you out of trouble, v. 5a. We cannot predict the future or accurately tell the king what will happen down the road (v. 7) so who are we to second guess his decisions? Can anyone accurately predict exactly when his spirit will depart from his body or what will be the day of his death? (v. 8a). Can a soldier decide that he just doesn't want to be in the army any more during the middle of a battle? Will he be released? (v. 8b). These facts all make the point that our responsibility is to submit to those who are in a position of authority in our life.

For sure, being a Christian makes us more vulnerable in some ways to being taking advantage of but it is still the right thing to do. According to v. 9, there comes a time when those who are in authority will answer for their actions. Is it worth it being a Christian when it comes to the matters of authority? That's the first hard question.

The Issue Of Life's Inequities, 8:10-14.

There is a second tough question to face. It is this - Often there seems to be great injustice, unfairness, and inequities in life. It's enough to make you wonder, "Is it really worth it to be a Christian?" Verse 14 says that there are righteous men that seem to get what the wicked deserve and wicked men who seem to get what the righteous deserve. Why do the righteous seem to suffer and the wicked seem to prosper? There is a lot more injustice than we would like to admit. Famous defense attorney F. Lee Bailey said, "An acquittal doesn't mean that you are innocent; it only means you beat the rap." Robert Frost once described a jury as "twelve persons chosen to decide who has the best lawyer." We Christians often wrestle with the injustices of life.

Solomon went to the funeral of a hypocrite, a wicked man who often attended the temple and realized that such people are soon forgotten, v. 10. By forgetting wicked people, we forget the importance of swift justice. There needs to be justice and it needs to be carried out swiftly. Without swift justice men think that they can get away with wickedness, v. 11. This is indeed a great problem in our society. I heard on the news this week that Ohio restated the death penalty in 1981 but there has yet to be anyone put to death in the state of Ohio. There are 131 criminals on death row. However, they are, under the current law, able to delay their death by appealing one what of their conviction at a time. There is a proposal in the state of Ohio currently under consideration which would require all eggs to be put into one basket, that is, requiring every possible point of appeal to be considered at one time. According to v. 11, swift justice is a deterrent to crime but v. 12a reminds us that it doesn't always happen like that. There are people who repeat the same evil a hundred times and yet their days are prolonged. It makes you wonder if being a Christian is worth it, all this injustice.

The Issue Of Life's Mysteries, 8:15-17.

The last three verses bring up another hard question that sometimes causes us to wonder if it is really worth it being a Christian. That is, the mysteries of life. The seemingly unanswerable questions. Christians are suppose to have answers. But sometimes we don't! Some matters just don't seem to have a right answer. This in not the first time that this subject has come up on this book, see 3:11; 7:24. There are some things that remain unanswerable, v. 17. All that pondering about such things seems to do is keep you awake at night, v. 16. For the fourth time in this book, Solomon urges his audience to enjoy life and delight in the fruit of your labor, v.15, 2:24; 3:12-15; 5:18-20. This is not a hedonistic, eat, drink, and be merry, philosophy. Rather, it is the "faith outlook" of God's children who understand that life is a gift from God and that He was given us "richly all things to enjoy" (I Tim. 6:17).

So what is the answer to the question? There are some hard questions and tough issues in life. It isn't always easy to know how to respond to someone who has authority over you. If being a Christian makes you vulnerable to being taken advantage of, is it really worth it to be a Christian? And just because you are a Christian doesn't mean that there is always going to be justice and equity in this life. If being a Christian means that you have to put up with injustices in this life and wait for justice in eternity, is it really worth it to be a Christian? Sometimes we want justice now! And then there are just so many things that cannot be figured out. People are coming to us for answers and we don't always have all the answers! If life is a mystery full or unknowns, is it really worth it to be a Christian? The answer is in verses 12b-13. "yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God." In spite of life's authorities and life's inequities and life's mysteries, the Christian life is the very best life there is. Those who have no regard nor respect for God are living but a shadow of real life. Those who fear God (regard and respect for God) have the best quality of life ("it shall be well with them") and the greatest quantity of life ("prolonged days"), actually eternal life. Yes, Rebecca, it really is worth it, in the long run to be a Christian.

So Christian, take hope. Be encouraged. "Your labor is not in vain in the Lord." "Be not weary in well-doing for in due season you shall reap if you faint not."

And unbeliever, be warned. For "it shall not be well with the wicked." Now is the time and today is the opportunity for you to come to God. We come to God through Jesus Christ who said, "I am the way ... no man cometh unto the Father except through me." Let us introduce you to Christ today.