Ecclesiastes:
Pilgrims in Exile
“Fear God and keep His commandments, for
this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecc 12:13)
Pilgrims in Exile
Part 5 – God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility
Hebel – Creation subject to futility
Ecclesiastes 1 - 3
Highlights
• Ecc 1: Captivity in the “Not Yet”
• Everything “hebel”.
• Nothing new under the sun.
• Ecc 2: Solomon’s Failed Experiment in Lord Self
• All selfish pursuits – dead ends. So, “I hated life”.
• But -- God grants joy in the journey, as a gracious gift to those who please Him.
• Ecc 3: Everything in the Hands of God
• God makes everything beautiful in its own time – appropriate.
• Wickedness everywhere, but God will one day judge.
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God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Duty
Scripture
• Psalm 104:14. Divine Providence over nature.
• Psalm 139:13. God made us for His purposes.
• Isaiah 46:8-13. Actively working out His Promise-Plan.
• Acts 17:24-31. Actively governing man. Will one day judge.
God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Free Will
Alternative Views
• Humanist: Contradiction. Ability to make unbiased choices.
God won’t violate man’s free will.
• Augustine: No contradiction. Free but no moral ability. But
God -- “called, shattered my deafness, now I pant after you”.
• Edwards: No contradiction. Always act according to our
strongest inclinations. God allows, or transforms our will.
• Sproul: No contraction. Every choice is free, every choice is
self-determined. God transforms our “self” inclinations.
God’s Sovereignty and Free Will
Scripture
• Free but corrupt: “slaves to sin”. Gen 6:5; Rom 3:9-20, 5:12;
Ps 51:5.
• Born Again: Free but struggling against “old self”; “slaves to
righteousness”. Ro 6-7.
• God actively transforming: Sanctifying, Php 2:12, Hardening,
Rom 1:24-26.
• God uses man as means to His ends: Ge 12:1-7, 50:20; Jos
11:4-9; Isa 13:.
God and Uncle Sam
“Called according to His purpose” (Ro 8:28)
Where We Connect to God’s Plan
“Abide in me ….. and you will bear much fruit”
So What?
God’s Sovereignty – Man’s Responsibility
• Fear God, keep His commandments.
• Daily meditate on God’s sovereignty and your responsibility.
• Daily remind yourself – you are not your own. Called to serve.
• Daily ask Him for direction, then do the works He prepared.
Pilgrims in Exile
“Conduct yourself with fear throughout the time of your exile.”
(1 Pe 1:17)