A SELF PORTRAIT Ecclesiastes 6

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1 Dr JD Harless Tri-County Christian Church June 26, 2016 (Father s Day) Resources: Commentaries & C. Swindoll Living on the Edge A SELF PORTRAIT Ecclesiastes 6 Dimitri Vail is an artist who specialized in portraits. When you first glance at one of his pictures you are not sure if it is actually a painting or if it is a photograph. He is that good. You can find his work hanging in a gallery in Dallas, Texas. His paintings include faces of familiar film stars television personalities. Outstanding athletes. Politicians and statesmen famous prize-winning authors educators scientists astronauts you name a famous person and he has probably captured them on canvas. There is one particular painting that is a bit unusual. The one portrayed is not familiar to most people. And the little brass name tag is missing from this particular picture. Charles Swindoll was visiting the gallery one day and was a bit taken by the picture so he asked the curator who the portrait was. She told him that she got that question a lot. It was actually a self-portrait. It was of Vail himself. The picture was very drab. Almost colorless. It was a depressing picture. Having looked at the previous portraits he had guessed Vail to be very colorful full of life. The curator told him that the opposite was the truth even though he was extremely gifted and could capture the fullness of life in his paintings he could not capture it in his life. Solomon has done a very similar thing for us in the book of ECCLESIASTES. He has painted portraits of several different lifestyles in the first part of his book The first one that we might notice is the picture of a confused philosopher Then there is the Funny-faced clown And of course there is the hedonistic playboy There is the Good-time Charlie Then there is the industrious worker And the oppressed victim JAMES HARLESS 1

2 And the disillusioned top dog And the faithful friend And the committed worshipper And next to last we see the greedy materialist All of these pictures have been painted in the first 5 Chapters of Ecclesiastes. Today we are going to gaze at the next picture that Solomon has painted for us. Let s turn to CHAPTER 6 in ECCLESIASTES. The picture that we find here is not painted in bright and cheery colors. There are not bright oranges or yellows. It is painted in drab browns and blues and blacks and grays. When you examine this picture it kind of sucks the joy right out of you just like Vail s self-portrait. This picture painted by Solomon is a picture of himself it is a self-portrait. The easy thing to do this morning is to look at the portrait and move on to the next. But I think we need to pause and spend some time examining it. Because who knows maybe it is a picture of you or me as well. 1 A PORTRAIT OF SOLOMON Let s read VERSES 1-2 READ You have heard it said that Sunday morning is the time of the week that most lies are told. How many times have you been asked here at church How are you doing? or How did your week go? And the fact is you feel like you have been run over by a Mack truck and you have had a horrible week. BUT how do you answer? I am great, how are you? Solomon is not playing that game in this chapter. He is saying pretty well like it is. In these 2 verses Solomon is telling us that he has been given more than anyone could deserve! He has been given riches and wealth he has been given honor and influence anything he desired he had. Look at 2 CHRONICLES 1:11-12 God said to Solomon, Since this is your heart s desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I JAMES HARLESS 2

3 will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have. You see God gave him everything a person could possibly want in the way of material things as well as great wisdom and power. BUT there was one thing that God did not give him. He did not give him the ability to find the pleasure in those things that most people think they should provide. When I was about 10 years old our family moved from downtown Anderson to the suburbs. Shortly before we moved, my oldest sister got a bike for her birthday. BUT because it was dangerous to ride a bike where we lived she could not ride it until we moved to our new home. That was excruciating for her. She would go into the basement and look at her bike she would sit on it. She would even honk the little horn on it. But she could not ride it. That is what had happened to Solomon. He was given so much but God withheld the pleasure that all those things might have brought. A stranger has come along and robbed him of that pleasure. We don t know who that stranger is. We most often assume he is talking about a person but maybe not. It might have been sickness. He has everything a person could want in life but he has cancer and his confined to a hospital bed. The pleasure of all the things God has given him has been taken away. It might have been domestic conflicts. It is sometimes difficult to enjoy the pleasures of life when ISIS is killing 50 people and injuring an additional 53 in one attack in your land. It might have been natural calamity. It is difficult to enjoy the pleasures of life when you see whole segments of your country under flooded waters or you see tornadoes that destroy family s homes tearing them apart as if they were made of straw or sticks a simple huff and a puff and they are gone. As we view Solomon s self-portrait a bit closer we notice a few strokes of the paint brush that tries to display other opportunities for pleasure since the stranger has stolen the pleasure from riches, wealth, honor and influence. JAMES HARLESS 3

4 How about having lots of kids that should bring pleasure! Let s read the first part of VERSE 3 READ. Friends we had two kids and we could not love them more than we do. They were and are good kids. We have never had serious problems with either of them. BUT let me tell you something one hundred kids no thanks. I have spent too many nights with parents who are sick over what is going on in their kid s lives. And the more kids you have the higher the risk of your pleasure being taken away. How would you like to have a hundred kids in a 2 bathroom home. Wouldn t that bring pleasure? If not kids then maybe long life. Look at the rest of VERSES 3-6 READ. I can almost here Solomon say Well, my life has not been very pleasurable so far so if I live longer then maybe it will be. And yet he finds that that is not the answer either. It is kind of like what Albert Einstein was referring to when he said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Well, if not long life then maybe hard work. And yet we find that is chasing a rabbit that cannot be caught. Look at VERSE 7 READ. Well, if it is not hard work then maybe it is a good education and good common sense. But again a bust Look at VERSE 8 READ. So we see this self-portrait of Solomon brushed with a variety of colors of paint but all of them are found to be drab and gloomy. In VERSE 9 he gives the reason for that Look what it says READ VERSE 9. Here is the secret that Solomon finds in his efforts to find pleasure through all these things Be Content! People can be so busy chasing after the things that they think can bring them pleasure that they miss the very things that are already in their lives that can. 1 TIMOTHY 6:6-9 says But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. JAMES HARLESS 4

5 More than once I have sat in my office and heard of a husband that has a phenomenal wife and yet it is as if he does not see that. He is too busy chasing after other women thinking that will bring him pleasure and it only brings heartache and destruction. By the way that goes both ways it is not always the husband. Solomon s words are wise be content with what God has given you. And in the next 2 verses he gives two good reasons why we need to be content with what God has given us. READ VERSES God is sovereign Even when the stranger comes in and steals away the pleasure of riches, wealth, honor and discernment God is in control. In fact he might have been the very one who sent that stranger because he knew that if you enjoyed the pleasure you are seeking through those things that it would turn you away from him. And the life without worldly pleasures is not near as devastating than a life without God! The Apostle Paul tells us in PHILIPPIANS 4: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Be content with what your life incurs because God is in control and he knows what is best for us! 2 Arguing with God is a lost cause There used to be a statement I always found interesting There are three things you should never do one, do not try to climb a fence leaning toward you two, do not spit into the wind and three, do not pick a fight with superman. There is another thing you should never try to do and yet I am guessing that all of us do it anyway it is this never box with God! You will never win that battle! Listen to what Daniel says in DANIEL 4:34b-35 His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: What have you done? JAMES HARLESS 5

6 Be content with the lot that God has given you it is there for a reason! That is some pretty good advice from the wisest man in the world. 2 A PORTRAIT OF US There is one more portrait that I want us to see before we leave the art gallery. It is your portrait and mine. Let s look at VERSE 12 READ. Let me ask you a serious question this morning Does life seem futile to you? Do you get up each morning dreading the day? Would you rather sleep through the day because you don t see any pleasure on the horizon? I think all of us have had days like that right? Maybe those days are like that because we are not finding our contentment in God and his ways. Listen to what Solomon s father has to tell us in PSALM 18:30-33 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. 31 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. When we try to find meaning to life and try to find pleasure in our lives without God it is fighting a losing battle! Contentment and pleasure can only be found in God. Embrace what God is doing in your life even when it might look like your portrait is painted with drab and gloomy colors because I can guarantee you that godly contentment is what makes your portrait pop with life something worldly pleasure can never do! Embrace God s path because (as PSALM 18 tells us) His way is perfect His word is flawless He provides for you the very shield you need from the arrows of this world He is your Rock He gives you strength He makes your way perfect JAMES HARLESS 6

7 He enables you to stand on the heights! JAMES HARLESS 7