Fearing God
Fearing God in Uncertainty
William Cowper was an amazing poet and hymn writer. He published hundreds of hymns, including “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” written and published in a book co-authored by John Newton, and “Amazing Grace.” He was a gifted, yet troubled soul. He battled with deep mental anguish most of his life. He experienced long seasons of darkness and despair. And from that darkness came his best writing. One of the last hymns he ever wrote is a beautiful display of God’s sovereignty and goodness that has sustained struggling saints throughout history. Originally titled “Light Shining Out of Darkness,” this hymn, which you may know under another name, frames how God shines in the midst of the darkness.
“God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.”
It is a beautiful hymn that helps us trust that God is at work, despite what we see. “His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.” God is his own interpreter, and he will make it plain…eventually.
The preacher of Ecclesiastes challenges his readers to be wise even in times of uncertainty. We will not be able to fully find out a matter under the sun, but the One who rules over the sun will show that behind every frowning providence he hides his smiling face. We can live in wisdom in the face of uncertainty. Regardless of what uncertainty we face, we must live in the fear of God. Ecclesiastes 8:1 declares,
“Who is like the wise?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,
and the hardness of his face is changed.”
There are benefits to wisdom. Wisdom helps you interpret life through spiritual eyes. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:14–16,
[14] “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. [15] The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. [16] “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
We have the mind of Christ and, therefore, must approach all of life with spiritual eyes. We cannot be deceived by worldly philosophy and fall for the schemes of the devil. We must live in the fear of God even amidst uncertainty. For man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. Wisdom changes you from the inside out. It should even be shown on your face. Psalm 34:5 says, “Those who look to him are radiant, and their face shall never be ashamed.” I pray that you will heed wisdom and face life in the fear of God, so the world will see a glimpse of God’s glory when they see your face.
Fearing God in the Uncertainty of Authority
Each week as I have come to Ecclesiastes, I have been surprised on how timely the passage is for this season of life. I know the Word of God is always relevant, and I should not be surprised, but each week Solomon seems to be offering us wisdom for today. Ecclesiastes 8:2–5 states,
[2] “I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him. [3] Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. [4] For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” [5] Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.”
In Israel the king was placed by divine appointment. The line of kings in Israel started with Saul, who was given to the people because they had rejected God as their king (1 Samuel 10). The Israelites wanted a king like the other nations and focused on the external appearance of the man. God did not look at the outside of the man, but rather the inside, as he anointed King David to take the throne. The king in Israel ruled as God representative, which is Solomon’s argument in why the people should obey his laws. “Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him.”
We are not under a theocracy, but the Bible still testifies that our government has been instituted, and is overseen, by the hand of God. Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 are two key passages in the New Testament that teach this principle as well:
[1] “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. [2] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [3] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, [4] for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. [5] Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. [6] For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. [7] Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Romans 13:1–7).
[13] “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, [14] or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. [15] For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. [16] Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. [17] Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:13–17).
Christians should desire to be subject to governing authorities as a good witness for the gospel. We are to live at peace and to avoid punishment from violating the law.
Solomon says, “Be not hasty to go from his presence.” To leave a king’s presence quickly and defiantly would have been received as an act of disrespect. It could have put someone in jeopardy of receiving punishment. It would be wise for us in our day to hear that word from Solomon again, “Be not hasty.” It is the consistent teaching of scripture, from both the Old and New Testaments, that we are to be subject to those in authority. The natural bent of the human heart is not to listen and follow authority. This is because fallen humanity lives in Adam. Adam and Eve rejected God’s authority, bringing death and destruction into the world. We, as Christians who have submitted our lives to God, now follow Christ. He submitted himself to the governing authorities even when it led to his false conviction and death on a Roman cross. Jesus is not only our Lord and Savior but also our example. He did what was right, suffering for it. Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”
Solomon’s admonition is not to be hasty to disobey and disrespect the king. The reason for this is that he wants us to avoid punishment from going against the authorities. “Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.” It is wise to obey the laws of the land so that you will not be arrested and have more trouble in this life. And yet, the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way of when to obey, or disobey, the governing authorities. We give to God what is God’s and to Caesar what is Caesar’s (Mark 12:17). To obey or not to obey? That is the question.
There is tension in living life under the sun. We must live for God and God’s glory as we await our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, we submit to the governing authorities for the glory and honor of the Lord. And how and when we choose not to submit to the governing authorities is for the glory and honor of the Lord also. Whatever decision you make, you have to do it with humility, for we do not know if we are making the right decision in the moment. This is why life under the sun is heavy on us. Ecclesiastes 8:6–9 reminds us,
[6] “For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. [7] For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? [8] No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. [9] All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt.”
We do not know what is to be, for who can tell us what is to come. The world needs a little dose of humility. It is good to have a reminder of our human limitations.
As I was praying over this passage and our congregation relating to what is facing our world, I knew this was a word that we needed to hear. Some of you need to be rebuked for how you are not submitting to authority. Some of you need to be rebuked for following authority into sin. Some of you need to be rebuked for judging others for how they are, or are not, following authority. Some of us need to be rebuked for our pride in thinking that our decisions are better than others. Beloved, these are uncertain times. We do not know how many people will die from COVID-19. We do not truly know if wearing masks will stop the spread of the virus. We do not truly know if not wearing masks will continue to spread the virus. We do not know because we are not God.
Beloved, be not hasty to disobey those in authority. And yet, be wise and courageous when you must obey. We give to God what is God’s and to Caesar what is Caesar’s. For the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way for both. Let us pray for humility and for God to give his wisdom to us generously in the present moment.
Fearing God in the Uncertainty of Injustice
One of the challenges in submitting to authority is that those who are in authority are too often not defenders of righteousness but portrayers of wickedness. Solomon alludes to injustice in authority as he observed life under sun in verse 9, “when man had power over man to his hurt.” He starts a new observation along a similar theme in verse 10. Ecclesiastes 8:10–11 says,
[10] “Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. [11] Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.”
Solomon sees a wicked person buried and praised. He saw how this wicked person would go in and out of the temple of God while continuing in his wickedness. Solomon notices that even in the household of faith sin is tolerated.
On August 28, 1955, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam forced a young Emmett Till into their car in the early morning hours because Till allegedly attempted to flirt with Bryant’s wife (which she later confessed that Till had never touched, threatened or harassed her). Till was found dead three days later, brutally beaten and so disfigured that it was almost impossible to recognize him. It was a savage and brutal act of extreme wickedness. Bryant and Milam stood trial on September 23rd, being declared not guilty in less than an hour. Although there were many in the nation who were outraged, there was no justice. There will always be injustice in the world. There was injustice during the days of Solomon and the days of Christ. There is injustice now, and there will be injustice when we are gone. When there is no justice, people will continue in their injustice. Solomon would say, “Where justice is denied, the heart of man will be set to do evil.”
Societies that do not punish wickedness will have citizens who are wicked. Parents that do not discipline their children will have children who continue in their disobedience. Churches who do not deal with sin will have members who continue as sinners. A little yeast leavens the whole lump. Beloved, we grieve for wickedness and injustice in our nation, but we will never be able to root out injustice and wickedness in society. The goal of the church has never been to change the culture but to be a different culture. When the Holy Spirit convicted us of our sins and we repented and trusted in Christ, we were born again and brought into a new kingdom. Jesus changed our hearts so that we no longer want to sin but live for his glory. Our mission is not to bring heaven to earth but to bring those on earth to heaven. We are an embassy of God’s kingdom calling people out of darkness, out of the world, out of wickedness to Christ and to Christ’s people. Of course, we want to be salt and light, loving our neighbors and being good citizens. Our main aim, however, is to make disciples of Christ, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching those disciples to observe all that the Lord has commanded us. The Spirit blows where he wills. He changes hearts and nations according to his good purposes.
We cannot ultimately change the culture, but we can show a different culture. We can’t redeem the community, but we can be a redeemed community. We can love one another, bear with one another, serve one another, sacrifice for one another, forgive one another, pray for one another and exhort one another. We do this so that Christ will be exalted in us and that the world will see our love for one another. We want them to know that we are his disciples. A diverse, unified church is one of the greatest tools in God’s arsenal to show his goodness to the world. We must continue to fear God and trust in Christ, despite what we see in society. We are not living for the “here and now” but the “there and then.” Our aim is eternity. Ecclesiastes 8:12–13 says,
[12] “Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. [13] But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.”
It will be well with those who fear God. It will not be well for the wicked.
Friend, if you are not a follower of Jesus, have you considered the end of those who do not fear God? All Christians have come to this conclusion. We know that we all have not feared God and are not righteous. We know that we deserve God’s justice. God’s justice is perfect and always right. He has to punish all sin and every evil deed. If he doesn’t punish sin, he is no longer just. True justice always punishes evil and every evil doer. The Bible teaches that all humans are evil doers in that we all have done things that are evil. We have lied, slandered, stolen, cheated, lusted in the flesh or in our heart. Therefore, we deserve justice. The great riddle of the Bible is “How can God punish evil and, at the same time, forgive sin?” How can it go well for anyone in the end? The answer is the gospel. God sent Jesus Christ to be the just and justifier. Jesus Christ lived a perfect, righteous life. He was just. And he willingly submitted himself to injustice on the cross and died in the place of all who would turn from their sin and fear God. After his death, he was raised from the dead on the third day, conquering the grave and opening a way for sinners to be made righteous through faith.
So now you can be just because Jesus is just. Justice against sin ultimately happens in only two ways: either you answer for your crimes or someone else does. Either you will face God’s justice for your sin or you will allow Jesus to be your justifier. Which will you choose?
Fearing God in the Uncertainty of Providence
Solomon again makes the point that we cannot find out all the things God is doing in this life. We do not know why the deeds of the wicked go unpunished under the sun or that righteous people experience hardship. But even though we cannot understand, we can still trust God. Ecclesiastes 8:14–17 states,
[14] “There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. [15] And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
[16] When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, [17] then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.”
Beloved, we must fight for joy as we face the uncertainty of life. We do not know what will come tomorrow, but we can enjoy today. We can rejoice in the heat of the sun, the fellowship of friends, and the food on our table, receiving all as God’s gifts to us.
How can we persevere in the face of uncertainty? We stand in the fear of God, knowing he is in control and is working for our good. Isaiah 55:8–9 declares,
[8] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
[9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (ESV)
God is in control. We have to train our minds and hearts to trust him even when we do not understand his providence. Many of you are experiencing dark clouds, but take courage. Remember, God moves in mysterious ways,
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
John Newton gave William Cowper’s funeral sermon in May 1800 and said of his troubled friend,
“The Lord had set his seal upon him and, though he had not seen him, he was given the grace to love him. He was one of those who came out of great tribulation. He suffered much here for twenty-seven years, but eternity is long enough to make amends for all. For what is all he
endured in this life, when compared with that rest which remaineth for the children of
God?”
We can trust God in uncertainty for however long our trials in this life may be. Eternity is long enough to make amends for them all. These light and momentary afflictions will turn into an eternal weight of glory. Because of the glorious death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can face the bitter taste of sinful authority and injustice, for we know that one day this bud that has bitter taste will be sweet as a flower. We know that it will be well with those who fear the Lord and trust in Christ.
“Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In eternal blessings on your head.”