I will soon turn to Ecclesiastes 9. And while you're turning, I want you to think with me back to the late 1940s. It's after World War II. And Winston Churchill stands up to speak at some event. And a little boy tugs his dad's pants and says, who is that old guy, dad? And the dad turns and says, that's no old guy. That is a mighty lion God used to defend our island. Now you may ask, who is this old guy who just led us in this worship service? But those of us who know, we look and we say, he's no old guy. That is a mighty lion God used to defend our church. And we praise God for Craig in the way that God has used him mightily throughout the years at Harbor Church. Let's turn to Ecclesiastes 8 and 9. I'll just read verses 9 and 10 of Ecclesiastes 9. Enjoy life with the woman whom you love. all the days of your fleeting life which he has given to you under the sun, for this is your reward in life and in the toil which you have labored under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, verily do it with all your might, for there's no planning, activity, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. Let's pray together. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are our God, our help in ages past, and our hope for years to come. We thank you, you sent your Son, and now we pray that this hour you'd send your Spirit, and may we have delight of seeing your face. In Jesus' name, amen. There's an ancient legend about a mythical land called Arcadia. where the citizens became obsessed with the quest of discovering the secret place where the sun rested at night. So they sent out toward the east a band of brave explorers who ventured to the mountain ridge on the horizon to that place from which the sun had risen the previous morning. And there that band camped all night waiting for the sun to rise up out of what they thought might be a deep hidden crevice or some hidden mineshaft. But at dawn, they saw, ha, many miles across the valley, the sun rising way over there. And so they journeyed all day, and they climbed up that hilltop, and they quietly camped at the precise spot from which they had seen the sun rise. But then at dawn, they were again foiled, seeing it rise at the next horizon ridge off to the east. And they eventually discovered themselves on the elusive and endless voyage to chase the sun. And they discovered a lot more than they had ever bargained for along the way as they just sat there on that ridge staring and thinking about this world. Well, Solomon, who wrote Ecclesiastes, Koalet, the preacher. He also, in chapter one, we see he set out on a voyage of sorts to discover the meaning of life or the hidden secret of satisfaction. And though he never actually reached his presumed destination, he learned endless volumes and a treasure trove of truth along the way, didn't he? Phil Riken says this about the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is not the kind of book we keep reading until we reach the end and get the answer. No, like a mystery. No, it's not like that. But instead, Ecclesiastes is a book in which we keep struggling with the problems of life. And as we struggle, we learn to trust God with the questions, even though we don't have all the answers. It's a struggle that we feel in Ecclesiastes. Throughout the chapters, we've seen that Kohelet, the preacher, he struggles in what I've called a desultory style. I've told you in the ancient world, a desulter was a circus entertainer who would jump from one beast to another as they would run along the way, jump from a zebra maybe to a horse. And that's kind of what the writer of Ecclesiastes does. He jumps from one mood and perspective to another, from the zebra of skepticism and cynicism to what I've called the white horse of theism and godly spirituality. And we saw there in the first two chapters of Ecclesiastes, He's on the zebra of skepticism as he travels from hilltop to hilltop. He says, vanity, vanity, everything is vanity. Wine and wealth and women, none of these things satisfy me. But then in the third chapter, he goes on to the white horse where he says, there's a time for everything under the sun, meaning there's a timekeeper. over the Son, and He is the one who determines and sovereignly rules over everything." And there's peaceful truth there. But then it goes back on to the zebra we saw even the last time we were together. In chapter 6, there's this dead end of vanity where he says, ah, life is worthless, it's better to be a miscarried baby never to have lived. Remember, we saw that last week, but then he jumps onto the white horse in chapters seven and eight A, where it comes to eternal wisdom saying in 812, look, just before our passage, he says, those who fear God, it will go well with them. So now we come to 8.14 through 9.12. We'll have three main headings, and it's gonna go this way. White horse to zebra, back to white horse. Three main headings. Let me just explain why I get these divisions. It's because either he's God-centered or he's God-less. We see in the first section, 8.14 through 9a, The name Elohim, God, is used three times in five verses. So 8.14 through 9.1 is a very theocentric, God-centered section. But then we go to 9.2 through 6, God's name is mentioned zero times in five verses, like becomes atheistic in his mindset. And then we go to 9, 7 through 12, and we see God is referenced five times in six verses. Because every time you see the word time, time, time, it's referring to the timekeeper, the sovereign God. So it's white horse, zebra, white horse, three main headings. So come on with me to the first main heading, and that is contentedness in ignorance. contentedness in ignorance, 8.14 through 9.1. And this is the white horse perspective of truth. He's surveying life. Look, it says, verse 15, under the sun. Admittedly, to see what's going on in life, it's a very perplexing thing, see what happens under the sun in life. In verse 14, he says, there is futility or vanity on the earth, because it says, look, To righteous men, it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. In other words, the righteous man doesn't get blessed. It happens to him according to the deeds of the wicked. Like Job, the most righteous man on the earth, but he gets impoverished. Or John the Baptist, this Christ-fearing man, he gets what? Beheaded. I see this under the sun. To the righteous men, it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. And on the other hand, look what he says there. To evil men, it happens to them according to the deeds of the righteous. This is futility, he's vexed. It really bothers him to see, say in the gospel account, someone like the high priest Caiaphas, who sentenced Jesus to death. Jesus goes to the cross, but Caiaphas dances along on silver slippers to live happily ever after. That is so frustrating in this life. It's a seeming contradiction to what was previously said, look there, in 812. It will be well for those who fear God. Really? Tell that to John the Baptist. He's vexed with this. He's frustrated. Derek Kidner says this. A moment ago, we were given the rule that basically the wicked digs his own grave and the righteous his own garden. But here, it's instead, well, you never know when the rain will bring down the next blow or the next windfall. It makes a difference who you are, as if there's a random and unpredictable haphazardness to life under the sun. Experience that yourself. Observe what happens in the corporate world, or even in politics, or even things locally at school. Clearly, when you look at life under the sun, You really can't discover who's God's friends and who God's enemies are according to the principle of rewards and penalties. The good guy's always blessed, right? We see that? In a sense, with Santa, it's easier. Santa, we see, if you're naughty or nice, it's really clear as it is. Making a list, checking it twice, and if in your sock you've got a black hole, you know who you are. And if in your sock you got an iPhone, we know who you are. But that's not the way it is with God under the sun. When you look at life, it's not so easy. God seems to use more complex logarithms in the way he pulls out the sock contents. He uses more eternally wise computations when he's making his list. He's checking it twice. But if we're hasty in our conclusions, we'll just say, it's just all futility. It's just all vanity. There's no one running the show here. If we would take a trip to the end of the universe to try to find out who's at the helm, who's at the steering wheel, no one's there. The wheel's just spinning up there. Or it's just an empty eye socket. There is no God. And that's what we find we can be inclined to think as we look at life under the sun. This puzzle of life gave pondering Kohelet Solomon really restless days and nights as he thought about it. Look at verse 16, look at it says, when I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the task on the earth, look at that little phrase there, though one should never sleep day or night, What he's saying is here, he found himself as he contemplated life under the sun, he would be frowning and head shaking by day, considering these things. He'd be tossing and turning by night, considering these things. And he was tempted to conclude, I mean, the right answer is, this is my father's world. Wouldn't it be? But because of these things he sees, no, this isn't my father's world. This is anarchy's playground, and there is no father at all. It's just a myth. But we see that at this point in his struggling, night and day, in trying to discover what truth is, he chose theism over atheism. He chose to believe in the time-keeping God who is sovereign over all because we see he uses the word Elohim, Elohim, Elohim, which is God, God, God. Look at verse 17a as he's declaring, Elohim rules. He is at the helm holding this steering wheel tight by his hand. Look at 17a. I saw every work of God. None of it is random, haphazard. It's all a work and activity of God. Or look at 9.1. I've taken all this to my heart and explained that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds, look at this, are in the hand of God. The word hand is the Hebrew word yod, which means hand, which means a sovereign hand who's holding the helm of the universe, steering everything. Or look at 8.15, again, he is so God-centered and theocentric in the face of his doubts. It says in 8.15, through the days of his life, which God has given, that word natan, it means to God gives, hands out, like Santa in the sock, God gives to, God has given under the sun. So what? Solomon is saying is, even though there are all these things that seem to be vanity and random haphazardous, no, God is giving all these things with great purpose and wisdom. Like it says in Psalm 103, 19, the Lord has established his throne in heaven above the sun and his sovereignty rules over all. God rules, he's saying. Again, our main head is contentedness and ignorance. God rules, but he is no Santa visiting and filling stockings. Instead, he is a sovereign stooping down and giving good things to his children. Let's give an example. Let's take Charles Spurgeon, who was a pastor who lived in late 1800s and he preached in London. Look at Spurgeon's sock or bag that God gave to him. To Spurgeon, he was given a silver tongue and a pulpit in London, because God loved him. Let's take Johnny Erickson Tata, different time, different era. She was given instead a broken neck and a wheelchair. Why? Well, that she might have a platform, just like Spurgeon did. honor and glorify God with her life. Well, seemingly the socks weren't equal, were they? But God sovereignly loved them both. But I want you just for a minute to look deeper into Charles Spurgeon's bag. Look what else is in there. Guess what else is in there? Gout, which is a withering rheumatoid arthritis disease that is very painful. You know what else he's got in his bag? Critics. The journalist of London mercilessly lampooned Spurgeon and mocked him, withering things that he had in his sock. And also, we think of those were thorns and thistles God gave to him, why? To keep him from pride and from boasting. Exactly what Johnny says, too. She claims God gave her the thing she got to keep her weak and clinging to the cross because, both of them would say, because God's power is made perfect in our weakness. So let me ask you, what's in your stocking this morning? What's in your bag? Is it victory or defeat? Is it health or brokenness? Is it romance or loneliness? Is it poverty or prosperity? What's in your bag? Last year in our family, we had two bags in November of 2018. We had two bags. We had Sarah's womb. or my daughter-in-law Sarah's womb, and we had Abby's womb, my daughter Abby, and we didn't know what was in the bag. We realized eventually we had Isaac, who lived five hours and died, and we also had Remmer, who was at our house two days ago and thrilled my heart with his giggles. And God put both in each bag. and he did it sovereignly, and he did it purposefully. James 1 says, God is the giver of every gift, and with him there is no shifting shadow. There's always good in whatever he gives. We're always basking in his light. Or it says in Psalm 145.15, the eyes of the Lord, excuse me, the eyes of all Lord look to you. And you give them their food at the proper time. Lord, you open your hand and you satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his deeds. And Job was so right to say to Mrs. Job who told him to curse God and die because you got poverty instead of prosperity. And Job said to her, foolish woman, shall we accept good from the hand of God and not calamity? He was content to trust in God. So I just say to you and I say to me, whatever we get in our bag or in our sock, we should, like it says in Philippians 4 or 1 Thessalonians 5, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice always and give thanks in what you have. It says in 8.15, look, so I commend pleasure. It's kind of like rejoicing. I commend pleasure for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and drink and be merry. That's the word samach, which can be translated joy, be joyful, rejoice. And this will stand by him in the toils through the days of his life. So whatever you have, just rejoice. Rejoice in what you have through this curse-filled life. It says in Psalm 31.1, I don't involve myself in things too difficult for me. I don't know what God's logarithms are for why he put this in my bag right now. Johnny didn't either, and neither did Spurgeon, and neither should we. I don't involve myself in things too difficult for me. I am composed, I am quieted as a weaned child against his mother. See that child there? who didn't get what he wants. The weaned child who wants the mom's breast to feed, but mom says, no, we're done with that. Spurgeon says this. To the weaned child, his mother is his comfort, though she's denied him the comfort he wants. He's contented. He no longer frets for what he thought was indispensable, even though he doesn't understand why he can't have it. He trusts his mom. And that's what we need to be able to say regarding our father. We trust him. Look what it says there in verse 17. So I concluded, man can't discover Even though he seeks laboriously, we can't discover why. We're so ignorant, we don't know why God gave us this baguette this time. Johnny can't tell everything why, and neither can Spurgeon. He will not discover. It says, and though a wise man may say, I know, I know why. He's saying, no, you can't. You can't discover why God gives and takes. Nine one says, man doesn't know what awaits him. and we're content with that. It's like our son Calvin stood at the grave site with Remmer sitting right there, alive and well, and his little boy Isaac in a box, and Calvin said, this is what God chose, and I'm okay with that. Contentedness in ignorance. Come on, secondly, second main heading. That was white horse thinking. That was truth. That's in a vexing world. But now come, secondly, godlessness with annoyance. 9, 2 through 6. Godlessness with annoyance. We're on the zebra of skepticism and cynicism here. You read these verses. Solomon's on a completely different wavelength. He's in a bad mood here. Look, there's no mention of God. And he speaks with a toxic tone. It's like in the past, like in 1.13, where he said, oh, it's a bad business. It's an evil experience God has given us under the sun, this puzzle God has given to us. It's evil. Look what it says in 9.13, or 9.3, 9.3. This is the evil done under the sun. He's referring to God having dealt him a cruel hand. Man has been dealt this ridiculous hand in life. It makes no sense. Kind of reminds us of Asaph in Psalm 73, when Asaph had envied the wicked, because he saw what happened under the sun. And Asaph said, I was senseless. I was like a beast before you. Can you ever say that? Can you ever say, I can say that? There are times in life when I'm like a beast, and I'm depressed, and I'm despairing. because of what's going on in life, maybe. I'm listening to the lies of the devil, and I can begin to think like an atheistic beast, kind of like Moses in Numbers chapter 11. You read, everybody's criticizing him, and he says to the Lord, what you've given me, all these people, it's a burden too heavy for me to bear, and if this is how you're going to treat me, just put me to death right now. He's suicidal. You ever been there? Like me? This is where Solomon is in this section. Look, it says in verse 9-2, it's the same for all, the fate of the righteous and the wicked. Or look at 9-3. and evil under the sun, one fate for all men. The hearts of men are full of evil and insanity. It's like he's throwing a mental tantrum here. It's insane what's going on in this life. And all that, and he says, look, and afterwards they go to the dead. You read these verses, it's really bleak and morbid. There's a fixation and obsession with death here. He's full of despair. One commentator talked about a certain medical student who came to his pastor, whose name was David Watson. And this medical student had been shaken after he had done his first dissecting in the lab of a cadaver. A cadaver is just a dead body that was given to science. And he had cut through the muscle and the tissue that exposed the internal organs, which were all dried out. And the medical student Went to his pastor after that and said, Pastor, if this is all we are when we're gone, then what's the point? That's the end of us. Now, I can divulge back in 1982, I was a security guard at Blodgett Medical Center, Spectrum, and I went into a lab, because you have to check out all the things, and there was a cadaver there, and it had been cut open, and I saw the sinew and the muscles in the eye socket, and I was really staggered to think, is that all there is of me? That's it? You can get the idea that man is just like dried out Kentucky fried chicken, that's all there is to us. Look at it says in verse 9-3, they go to the dead. That's our end, nothing. There's nothing to us, that's all life was. And so we can look at this world from a humanistic perspective and get shell-shocked into a pessimism regarding death, and it can make us sarcastic and cynical. Look what it says in 4B. Surely a live dog, then, is better than a dead lion. Think of that. In other words, all that matters is if you're alive, because once you're dead, nothing. Annihilation. He's kind of in the annihilation mindset. Surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. Now, I know what some of you young people say. Maybe Penelope Vonk says, what do you mean? What's wrong with a dog? Scout. Scout. Our German Shepherd is really great. It's a great. OK, but he's not talking about domestic pets whom we love now. He's speaking about in the ancient Near East, there would be scavenger dogs. who would go among the trash, you have to kick them away. Better a live lion was the noblest of all the beasts. Even now, you go to the zoo, who's the celebrity at the zoo? We want to see the lion. See, that's what it's about. Surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. Who was bold, but better, at least you're alive, because in life there's still meaning. It reminds me of a story that was told to me by a friend named Steve of mine many years ago when he was a young boy. His mom saw a man prowling out in the backyard. And the mom said to the dad, honey, maybe you should go out there and find out what he's doing. It's dusk. And you know what the dad said? He said, I'm not going out there. Better to be a living coward than a dead hero. And I thought, that is so tragic that that Steve ever heard his dad utter that. Is that really true? Better to be a living coward than a dead hero? Tell that to John the Baptist. Tell that to a warrior who died on the battlefield for the sake of his country. Tell that to Jesus who died for the sake of his people. It matters how we live in this life. Life now matters. When we think of Hebrews chapter 12, it speaks of that great cloud of witnesses. Those who died in the faith, they went before us, whether it be Whether it be Abraham, or David, or John Calvin, or John Wesley, or my dad who died, they're a cloud of witnesses. They're living now. Their heroism spurs us, their lives matter, didn't it? And they spur us on, and we're waiting for them, and they're in heaven, and they're gonna meet us, because there is life after death. This statement, surely a live dog is better than a dead lion is trash. It's a lie from the enemy. Look what it says, 9 5b. The dead don't know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. That's a lie of the enemy. Unconsciously, they cease to exist as if they make no mark left in life. The point is, we got to snap out of this beast-like insanity. Sometimes I slip into it too. And I bet you do as well, that there's no afterlife. All there is is the here and now, and all I'm gonna live for the here and now. No, no, no, no, no. We need to be able to say like, like in the silver chair in, C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia. We talked earlier about how Puddleglum is being hypnotized by the Green Lady into thinking in the underworld, there is no sun. We're in these caves and there is no sun, there is no Aslan, there is no Narnia. And what does Puddleglum say? He takes his foot, he sticks it into the fire to snap him out of the spell of what the Green Lady is lying to him. And he says, I take my stand, there is a sun! There is a Narnia, there is an Aslan. And so we need to take our stand and say, there is a Jesus, there is a judgment to come. There is a hell, there is a heaven. And I will not listen to the lies that the enemy whispers to me with all the under the sun choreography that I see in my life. This is a really helpful book. Come on to me thirdly now, thirdly. Hopelessness and confidence. Hopefulness, hopefulness and confidence. Hopefulness and confidence. Just 9, 7 through 12. Now we go from the zebra, he snapped out of it, he's back on the white horse again. Because it goes back and forth. He's struggling. And here we see God's sovereign purpose dominates these verses. Look in verse 7, there's the word Elohim. In verse 9, it says, he, there's a word natan, he has given to men, that's God's reference. And verses 11 and 12, three times is the word time, which is the word chet, which refers to God is the great timekeeper who determines every event under the sun. In other words, it's in Old Testament terminology, God quoting Romans 8.28, God causes all things to work for the good. He determines every time under the sun. This is our Father's world. So just consider before we go home now, hopefulness and confidence. And here are three mottos, three mottos before we go home. The first motto is, enjoy your life boldly. That's in 7 to 9, enjoy your life boldly. Okay, it's true we live in a cursed world. That's true. It's true we're all surely doomed to die. Didn't God say to Adam, if you eat of the fruit, you will surely die. That's true. And it's true that the grim reaper stalks us all and will one day pounce on us. Yeah, beloved, all that be true. Inevitable death. doesn't render our lives here in the meantime as meaningless. And so we're not to be wallowing in bitterness. No, no, no. This life matters and we're obligated and we're privileged to enjoy this life. Rejoice always, doesn't the Lord say? Whatever circumstance you're in, or yours or his or Whatever sock, rejoice because we have a God, we have a God in heaven, we have a Father in heaven who's taking care of what's in our socks. And he's taking care of our eternity as well. Look what it says there. Enjoy life boldly. Verse seven says this, go then. This isn't just a suggestion. This is an imperative Hebrew. It's an imperative in the Hebrew. Go, it's an urgent summons, not just advice. It says verse seven, go then, eat your bread in happiness. It's an imperative. Drink your wine, because wine makes the heart glad. It says in Psalm 104, drink your wine with a cheerful heart. Look at this. Enjoy your life with the woman you love. Because you know what these three things put together, one capsule, are? These are the God-prescribed antacid. for living in a world that gives you curse heartburn. The antacid that we take is, eat your bread, drink your wine, enjoy your wife. It gives us health. Graham Ogden has said this, The way to rob death of its hovering thievery is to enjoy good food, good wine, love your wife, and work hard. Work hard with all your might. Are there other false teachers who say, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. If you're gonna be really godly, you just deny, deny, deny everything. In 1 Timothy 4.2, they're called false teachers, aren't they? They're called liars who forbid marriage and call for the abstaining from foods. But in 6.17 of 1 Timothy it says, God richly supplies you with all things to enjoy. You hear me now? You, I'd say to you, maybe you don't need to know because we've talked about this, but for you, I even quote Brian Boardman, who says this, light up the barbecue, marinate some steaks, go ahead, use butter and sour cream, don't forget the salad, and eat it to the glory of God. The God, say, what was that? In the glory of God. Who gave us seasoning? and taste buds that we might glorify, whether we eat or drink, whatever we do, we glorify God, what a kind Heavenly Father our God is. It says, look at 7B, 7B says this. Oh, by the way, don't overeat that you would murderously vandalize the image of God that you have. We, of course, we'd say that as well. But look what it says there in 7B. For God has already, how can we be so free to enjoy such things? Look what it says. For God has already approved your works. That word approve is the Hebrew word ratzah, which means accepted or approved. It's the same word used in Leviticus 1.4 where it says, when the sacrifice is robbed, it says, the worshiper is to lay his hands on the burnt offering that it may be approved for atonement in his behalf. So you take your sin, you put it on the lamb, and the lamb is slain, and then you are approved, why? For atonement. That's very interesting where it says, for God has approved your works. Michael Eaton says this, this almost Pauline touch is the nearest Solomon came to the doctrine of justification by faith. Because he's saying, for God has already approved your works, endorsed. How? Well, we know in the sacrificial law, we can only be approved by atonement, by a lamb taking our sins. Didn't John the Baptist say, behold the lamb of God? You see, Christ is on every page in the Bible, even in the Old Testament, even in Ecclesiastes 9. For God has already approved your works. So you realize that. True God-fearing is not a life on the performance track to get approval, but the true God-fear is the one who already, like it says in 7b, has been approved by God. That's a striking thing. Look, previously in 7, remember how it said in 7, 16, don't be overly righteous. Remember we talked about that? How legalist people can be overly righteous? Because the reality is, listen, if we're in Christ, if we behold the Lamb of God who's taken away our sins, if we're in Christ, we have an assurance that we're already accepted. It's already done. And so, have you ever noticed that the most uptight people in the world are legalistic people who are so obsessed with earning God's approval that they can't rest and bask in enjoyment of God's gifts? Ever notice that? That's on a performance track. I've gotta earn, I've gotta get approved by God. But here it says, he has already approved. of your works. You ever hear of Puritan people? Puritan, people think Puritans were like the Amish. Oh, they just wore black and they never participated. That's not true. The Puritans were very stylish people. They were very, they were dashing in their styles and they would even wear color. They didn't walk around like widows just in black. Kind of reminds us of what it says, look in verse 9, 8. That your clothes be white all the time. Put oil on your parched head. You see, the Puritans, who were a gospel-saturated people, lived in contrast to the works-righteous Roman Catholics, who always believed we've got to keep denying ourselves so we can do enough good so we can get approved by God. And that's why they would have a doctrine that says that you're really going to be holy. Don't get married, because you'll pollute yourself with sex. Be a priest or a nun who's celibate. That's real holiness. That's nonsense. That's false. That's a liar. Trying to falsely earn the approval of God. The Puritans knew they were already justified by what Christ did. Do you know what they did? They enjoyed life. In fact, you'd be surprised what you read in the Puritans. Leland Ryken in his book, Worldly Saints, commented on William Gouge, as the old Puritan gouge was commenting on. Listen to this. Careful now. The joy of erotic love, as in Genesis 26.8, Isaac is shown to be caressing or fondling or sporting with Rebekah. It says in that passage, Isaiah 26.8, he says about 26.8, God says, in marriage, a play fellow is come to make our age merry, as Rebecca and Isaac sported together. Listen, the marriage bed is wonderful. It is glorious. It is blessed. Read the sequel to this book, The Son of Solomon. That is hot with glorious. Marital love, it's beautiful. It's not something that we should be ashamed of. It's glorious. Look at verse nine. Nine, it says, enjoy life with the woman you love all the days of your life. Note to Mark, don't criticize her. Enjoy her. Enjoy life. And she could say the same thing, because there's mountains of things she could criticize me for. So both sides here. Enjoy life with the woman you love all the days of your fleeting life, for this is God's reward or God's gift in life in your toil under the sun." Listen to me. Marriage is a vital ingredient in defying death's gloom. We all live in the shadow of death, don't we? But you want to defy death, gloom, marriage. Listen to this. Romance and sexual intimacy and companionship in marriage bring the most exquisite exhilaration even to the poorest man's heart. Those of you who are married, you know what I'm talking about. Marriage is the sweetest elixir that the Father has given to us in our death row cell. And listen, parents, you see. Pastor Mark, you shouldn't say these things in worship. I'm telling you, we should say it in worship. Because it says that we're to love our wife. We should tell this to our children, what true love is. True bliss is found in marriage. It's not found at the bar, hooking up one night with somebody. It's lifelong marriage with the woman God has given to us. Like God gave Eve to Adam, and they fell down in the grass, and they made love, and God smiled. We gotta tell our children where true pleasure is found. Enjoy your life boldly. But secondly, do your thing quickly, verse 10. Do your thing quickly. Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might. For there's no planning, activity, or wisdom under the sun where you're going. Just do it with all your might. God has given us The responsibility is subdue and rule. You've got a task. He's given us gifts like a wife and food, but we have tasks. You're to image me. Male and female, image me. Do what I do. I tell you, subdue and rule. Because I came to this world in Genesis chapter one, it was chaos, and I had a plan, and six days I whipped it together, and it was good, it was very good. So you wake up to a Monday morning wilderness tomorrow, you've got six days. plant it, then plow it, and plant it, and cultivate it, and harvest it. And on Saturday night, you can rest. On Sunday, it was good. It was very good. I worked hard. I worked with all my might. I'm to be like God in the tasks God has given to me. Ed Prince. You know who Ed Prince is? One of those old lions of Holland. Ed Prince established Prince Corporation, which became JCI. And Prince Corporation had factories all over Holland, and it gave men jobs, and it brought prosperity to Holland. And he died of a heart attack in 1995 at the age of 53. I still remember listening to the eulogy of Ed Prince. where a man said, I listened to my radio on a Sunday afternoon, yeah, radio, on a Sunday afternoon, and it said, the life of Ed Prince moved mountains of evil. And it said all boats rose to the tide of Ed Prince's prosperity. So he, whatever Ed did, it seemed like he did with all his might. He worked really hard. But what he did, he had to do really quickly because when he was 53, he went into an elevator, at one of his office buildings. And between floor one and three, he died of a heart attack, because when the door opened at floor three, he was dead. So whatever you do, do it with all your might, for there's no planning, activity, or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. Our mission, you got a mission to do. Do a great thing in this world, you and your sphere. Do a great thing. Don't be a man who buries his gifts like that wicked servant. If you're a one-talent man, a two-talent man, or a five-talent man, use all your talents. Do it with all your might, because life is short, and what you do, do quickly, for the glory of God. But just lastly here, Last motto, just live your life hopefully. It says, I saw under the sun, in verse 11, the race is not to the swift. Battle is not to warriors. Bread is not to the wise. Wealth is not to the cerning. Favor is not to the man of ability. For time and chance overtake them all. What I'm saying is, in this life, it's just not determined by who's the fastest they're going to win. I still remember in 1972, Jim Ryan was going to win the 1,600 meters. Everybody knew it. Then in the second lap, he stumbled on somebody's shoe and he fell on the ground. He lost. Who would have thought? Or, not only the race is not to the swift, it says the battle is not to the warrior. David and Goliath. Everybody knew who was going to win. Wrong. David won. Why? Because there's a God in heaven who upends the odds. The odds aren't determined by men. Our destinies are determined by God. So we, as we go out in life, you know what? We may stumble here. We may have a problem in an elevator there, but the point is we live hopefully and confidently because we know that whatever our Father determines, we believe it is the best for us. Matthew Henry says this, the issues of affairs is often unaccountably crossed to everyone's expectation that the highest may not presume and that the lowest may not despair. but all may live humble dependents on God. The very next verse says, a bird can be caught by a snare when it doesn't expect it. So, just in conclusion here, listen. You can be flying along in life like Superman, you think. with all your might, speed, between tall buildings, and there you're caught in the snare of kryptonite, right? And you die, like Ed Prince did, in an elevator. And you're ushered to eternity. And if that be the case, in a moment, you're just so sobering, so sobering, realize, okay, that's okay. That's my father's world. It's beyond my comprehension as to why, but I know he rules, he does all things well. And we end up being like those Arcadian people who just end up staring and pondering and being in awe of the God whose world we live in. and the God who is our maker, trusting, and our almighty Father, even though we don't understand Him fully and have all the answers, in awe, we bow down and worship Him and we trust Him. Let's close with a final hymn that praises His name. Let's stand together and sing.