{"id":893,"date":"2009-01-05T20:44:52","date_gmt":"2009-01-05T20:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2009\/01\/ecclesiastes_8_-_authority_joy.shtml"},"modified":"2021-05-29T02:44:45","modified_gmt":"2021-05-29T02:44:45","slug":"ecclesiastes_8_-_authority_joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2009\/01\/ecclesiastes_8_-_authority_joy.shtml","title":{"rendered":"Ecclesiastes 8 – Authority & Joy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ecclesiastes 8:4 – “For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?”<\/em>” Solomon, as king would know. I wonder if this is only part sound advice on dealing with those in authority, particularly absolute authority. I wonder if it is part a lament that no one wold approach him as king and challenge him honestly on his sin. I know I appreciate those who confront me when I need it and frankly I’m certain that I need it more than I get it. How much Solomon must have felt alone as king when very few felt comfortable saying what needed to be said.
\nEcclesiastes 8:10-13 – Solomon saw that in life when a sentence against evil is not delivered quickly, the people have no fear of authority and are inclined to evil and applied it to man’s relationship with God. If men fear God, they obey Him and ultimately it goes well with them. Fear of those in power, be it the King or God, produces respect which delivers the people under them. It’s tempting to be the nice, unoffensive leader, but acting with authority and conviction is good for those being led.
\nEcclesiastes 8:15 – “… man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful…<\/em>” Why is this so hard? We eat and drink, but we even are frequently unhappy about that. Solomon says just be joyful, period. But we listen to the world that tells us we need a newer car, a bigger house, a faster computer, more stylish clothes, or to be thinner or stronger or less gray haired or have more hair or whatever and we buy it and are never happy, let alone joyful. Solomon had everything that could be had in his day and his response was there was nothing better than to eat, drink and be joyful.
\nEcclesiastes 8:16-17 – No matter how much we learn about the world, there are more and more mysteries as to how it works – or rather, how God is working in it. I remember when I was in High School physics, protons, neutrons and electrons were the smallest building blocks of matter. Then bigger microscopes came along, and quarks and I don’t know what else were discovered. Science knows exponentially more than in Solomon’s day, but we still can’t explain where we came from or where we’re going or how life really works after all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ecclesiastes 8:4 – “For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?”” Solomon, as king would know. 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To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quiet Time Journal"","block_context":{"text":"Quiet Time Journal","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/quiet-time-journal"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":897,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2009\/01\/ecclesiastes_11-12_-_fear_and_follow.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":893,"position":1},"title":"Ecclesiastes 11-12 – Fear and Follow","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"January 19, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.Ecclesiastes 11:4 Interesting observation. I am frequently caught in the 'paralysis of analysis', ever searching for the right or best answer. 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I have to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "God and Church"","block_context":{"text":"God and Church","link":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/god-and-church"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":889,"url":"https:\/\/salguod.net\/blog\/2008\/12\/ecclesiastes_6_-_better_stillborn.shtml","url_meta":{"origin":893,"position":5},"title":"Ecclesiastes 6 – Better Stillborn?","author":"Doug Schaefer","date":"December 12, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Ecclesiastes 6 is a scant 12 verses, and a bit of a downer. Better a still born child than a man not satisfied with life's good things, Solomon says. That's on the face of it, however. 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