Wisdom for Work from Ecclesiastes
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Ben Kreps:
Hey everyone, and welcome to the Mark Prater podcast, where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace Churches through our Executive Director. Mark, as we were talking right before I hit record, you were describing how you've been doing devotions as you read through the Bible. A wonderful process, actually. Why don't you tell us about that?
Mark Prater:
Yeah. Probably for the last two or three years, I really don't remember exactly when I started. I'm reading one chapter in the Old Testament and one chapter in the New Testament, and then using a commentary to supplement that reading of a particular text. And I've read a commentary for every book of the Old Testament and a commentary for every book of the New Testament. Now I'm starting back over in the Old Testament. I think I started back in the Psalms as I jump back into my reading plan. And that's just been very edifying in a number of ways. And not only has it increased my love for the word of God, that really is living and active, but it's affected my relationship with God and deepened my devotion to him.
Right now, I'm in Ecclesiastes. I'm reading a wonderful commentary that I haven't read before, a commentary written by Craig Bartholomew. And I got that recommendation from the Pastors College website. Just to remind our listeners; Jeff has a comprehensive bibliography in the resources tab on the PC website. And he lists the top commentaries for every book in the Bible. And Bartholomew was highly recommended by our own Jeff Purswell. And so I wanted to read it this time through. It's been wonderful. Ben, you said, when we were talking before we recorded, you've preached through Ecclesiastes, so you know that there's irony and there's contrast. In Ecclesiastes there's the "all is vanity" approach that is somewhat challenging to get your head around and understand, but when you do, it's a wonderful, wonderful truth.
Ben Kreps:
Yeah. Certainly grateful for that bibliography. Highly recommend if guys aren't aware of it or have forgotten about it. For the past couple of sermon series, including Ecclesiastes last year, and the Gospel of John, that's what we're in right now, that's one of the first things I do is go to that bibliography and receive helpful recommendations and descriptions of each commentary from Jeff. So thank you, Jeff, for that bibliography. Ecclesiastes, what a crazy book. It's it's wonderful. It's wonderful to preach. You get to say all kinds of stuff that you don't get to say other places in scripture. Like, there's a divine sanction for a bucket list and I talked about it in a sermon. But what has been affecting you recently in your study of Ecclesiastes?
Mark Prater:
Well, a number of things, but what I really wanted to share on this podcast has to do with our work. And that's a theme that the author of Ecclesiastes hits a few times. And I'm sharing it because we, the pastors that are listening, we have people that are in the workplace each and every day, and they're facing different challenges each and every day. And it's good for us to equip them with the biblical vision for work and to help them and equip them for the challenges that they face. So in Ecclesiastes chapter 2, for example, you see this contrast. So in Ecclesiastes 2:18-23, he's talking about the vanity of toil, the vanity of work. And essentially what he's saying there is, you work hard your whole life and the results of your work, you might enjoy a little bit, but you really leave them to people after you die who didn't really work for what you worked for.
So there's a vanity in that. And so, man, why is that in there? Is it just, you know, <laugh> yeah, a bummer. Just a dark truth. And really what he's getting at there is that there is a wisdom to be found if you keep death in view. That's really what he's saying there. And that's a reminder for all of us because we want to kind of forget about death. And we must remember death. So then the verses right after that: 24-26, there's a real contrast. He's saying there's nothing better for a person than he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in all his toil.
Yeah. So it's just like, man, is he schizophrenic? He's saying toil is vanity. And then he is saying, Oh man, enjoy your work. And really what he's doing with that contrast of the first part we just mentioned, that there is wisdom found when we keep death in view, and that informs your view of work, but also in your work, you should enjoy it because he's talking really about creation theology there. And that's sort of the theological theme of verses 24-26, the creation mandate to be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth and have dominion over it. That brings perspective to your work and broader vision to your work. And there's a wonderful quote again, this is how to benefit from a commentary just in your own soul, but also to serve others. Bartholomew writes this, "Our truest and profoundest religious experience may be the simple unmasking pleasure in the existence of other creatures that is possible to humans. Our responsibility then as stewards, responsibility that inescapably goes with our dominion over the creatures, according to Revelation 4:11, is to safeguard God's pleasure in his work. And we can do that, I think, by safeguarding our own pleasure in his work and our pleasure in our own work."
And so it's a reminder that God in creation created things each and every day. And he said, "This is good". He took pleasure in work, and then he gives us this sort of stewardship of creation to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over it. And that's a good work that we are continuing on God's behalf. And because he found joy in work and pleasure and work, we can do the same. So there's real wisdom in that, in equipping folks, because work is hard. It's been affected by the fall. We have to recognize that. And creation theology will then help you to have a bigger vision for your work and can equip you somewhat for the challenges that you face each and every day, that we face every day, in our workplace. So just a reminder to benefit from good commentaries that are on our PC bibliography. And how to keep in view how to pastor folks who are working each and every day, laboring hard in their workplace to provide for their families.
Ben Kreps:
Yeah. That's excellent. Certainly. That kind of biblical wisdom, and guys who haven't thought of doing it or maybe are intimidated by Ecclesiastes, it's certainly worth considering preaching through. You get to help folks in your church understand the role of work. So a word to the workaholics who idolize work, it's gonna be over soon. That is not where significance is found primarily, and then to the apathetic, to embrace work as a good gift from God and opportunity to glorify him, even the mundane activities of daily work. So that's a good word, Mark. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. And thank you everyone for watching or reading. We'll see you here, Lord willing, next week. Bye for now.