one28 PodcastBasking in the Sun (Pt 2)
Ecclesiastes 11:7-10
2008.04.20
one28 Sunday worship
It’s been a good week for me of striving to bask in the sun. Of course, like you, I wasn’t expecting to bask in the snow, but even with that I enjoyed the process.
Last Sunday morning we began in Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 by examining the reality of life’s goodness. Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun (v. 7). God gives us something every day to savor. So we have a responsibility to rejoice in all our days (v. 8a) while remembering that life is short (v. 8b) so we should waste no time.
Now we come to the second, more specific part of the paragraph.
Basking in Youth (vv. 9-10)
Solomon addresses a specific group for the first and only time in Ecclesiastes. As I said, this is part of the reason I chose to teach Ecclesiastes to begin with. The primary audience the preacher has in mind are young people.
Five times in three verses (counting 12:1 as well) Solomon aims his guns at this distinct group: “Young men,” “in your youth,” “the days of your youth,” “youth,” “the days of your youth.” This is a not so subtle way of making a point. The “young men,” those called the “youth,” are those anywhere from puberty to 40. That means (most of) you.
But those with the most capability to bask in the sun give it the least consideration. Perhaps that’s why George Bernard Shaw said:
The trouble with youth is that it is wasted on the young.
Often it’s only when you get older and you get wisdom that you finally realize you weren’t as fat as you thought you were, that your parents were actually looking out for your best interests, and that you really did have friends. But now it’s too late to enjoy it. The preacher doesn’t want us to make that mistake.
There are three parts of Solomon’s summons to bask in youth, and it begins by following the same pattern of basking in life: rejoice, remember, then adds another.
1. Rejoice in Youth v. 9a
This is the first, and most aggressive, of three components to basking in youth.
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes.
An imperative hurtles across the page. Rejoice! He said it in verse 8 already. But here Solomon narrows the call for rejoicing from “all…of the many years of an (old) person’s life” to the days of youth. He’s not limiting rejoicing only to youth, but commanding gladness especially in youth. When we get to chapter 12 we’ll see some of the specific reasons the days of youth are better for this.
For now, rejoice…in your youth…and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. It’s another way to say look for, and then bask in the sun while you’re young. [The NAS is a little confusing, "Rejoice, young man, during your childhood." How could he do that? He can't go back in time.]
It isn’t that you rejoice because you’re young, but that when you’re young is the best time. Don’t try to hold on to youth, but be happy in it. Attempting to save an ice cream cone for later is messy and futile; you only have a small window of time to enjoy it. let your heart cheer you means buck up, cheer up, take heart, don’t worry, be happy.
He goes even further in the next phrase, walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. What is the difference between this and “rejoice in your youth”? Perhaps one distinction is that joy is to be inside and outside, in your heart and as you walk. Walk in the ways of your heart means go after the things you want and [walk in] the sight of your eyes means go after the things you see that you desire; the things that interest you. The eyes are the window to the heart.
The point is, Don’t hold back! Go for it! Don’t waste any more time! Act now while you still can!
This thought upsets some people so much that they argue the final part of verse 9 (“But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.”) was added later to correct the command. Others have added words to turn the command on its head. For example, one of the earliest Greek translations added two words to mitigate the call: “walk in the ways of your heart blameless and not in the sight of your eyes.” They were afraid. Solomon couldn’t possibly be urging young men to do what they want; to do what would make them happy.
Yet there is no other way legitimate to understand the sentence. Basking in youth is the obvious message. How else could Solomon make the point than by saying it three times in three (similar but) different ways? 1) Bask (“rejoice”) in your youth, 2) let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and 3) walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes.
2. Remember Coming Judgment v.9 b
This is the second, and weightiest, of three components to basking in youth.
But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
BUT, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. The first command is relatively “easy” to follow, especially for young people. The second part is less predictable for the youths. There’s so much here to learn.
First, remember that judgment will most certainly come. At times in Ecclesiastes we may suspect that Solomon didn’t believe in an afterlife. But God has put eternity in our hearts. We know better. And his point here isn’t that judgment comes in the form of old age. If getting old was the judgment than apparently everyone has blown their youth because everyone gets old. The judgment is coming later, but the judgment is certain. He doesn’t know, let alone tell us, when the judgment is, just that it will be.
Second, remember that judgment is no afterthought. The point is to be aware of coming judgment now. Know is parallel to remember in the previous verse and prepares us for remember in the next verse. We can take this to the bank–judgment is coming. We’re commanded to be always conscious of the fact. “God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (12:14). For Solomon, judgment was always on the horizon; it was always on his mind. It should be for us too.
Solomon isn’t saying do absolutely whatever you want without considering the consequences, all the while sitting back, laughing at us because he knows something we don’t know. Just the opposite. By considering the future account we must give to God, we can avoid judgment by basking in the sun appropriately. Rejoice and be cheered and walk in your youthful heart in such a way that acknowledges God and anticipates His judgment. In other words, this is not a call for reckless abandon or mindless self-indulgence or following every fleshly impulse. Avoid regrets and punishment by remembering judgement.
And third–I think this is the most compelling part–remember that judgment will be for all these things. We immediately figure the point is that God will judge us for walking in wrong ways and going after sinful, wicked, evil, immoral things. And that’s certainly true, and the conjunction but (or “yet” NAS) tilts us in that direction. But the conjunction could be translated “and,” and in light of verse 7 and verse 8, along with the primary point of verse 9 so far, we must realize that God will also bring us into judgment for failing to bask in youth; for reluctance or rebellion against our responsibility to enjoy the process, especially in the days of our youth when we have so much to enjoy.
The unabashed urging to enjoy the process is so serious that we are threatened with judgment if we will not obey. There is a right/righteous way to do it, yes, but if we don’t do it, we will be judged.
God’s glory depends on our basking in the sun (in life and in youth). We’ve talked about it before. God is shown most spectacular when we are happiest in Him. It is a punishable offense to see the sun another day and fail to rejoice because it reflects on God in a unacceptable, untrue way. He will bring us into judgment not only for rejecting the can of peaches (that is, doing evil), but for failing to use the can opener. Both are infinitely damnable: sinning and falling short of the glory of God.
This is a severe kick in the joy pants. I know we don’t take this seriously enough or practice it. Whether or not we rejoice in the days of our youth is a godliness issue; godly people rejoice. Joy is essential in the playing for keeps process.
It’s easy to fall to one side or the other. Some prize remember more than rejoice. Others basically want to forget remember. It is possible to place an inordinate, excessive, exorbitant, immoderate, outrageous amount of hope in joy. But we dare not place an inadequate, deficient, scanty, or pathetic either. We should rejoice and remember. We must enjoy youth vigorously and righteously.
3. Remove All Obstacles v. 10
This is the third, and most awkward, of three components to basking in youth.
10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
There are barriers to basking. There are too many things we’ve put in the way that eclipse the sun. Solomon calls us to remove those distractions.
Remove vexation from your heart. The word vexation makes frequent appearances in Ecclesiastes (1:18; 2:23; 5:17; and here) and refers to that which irritates, angers, perturbs, disillusions, and produces fret. There’s plenty of vanity under the sun that inflames vexation. Joy is so important that we’re called to clean off our plate to make room for joy.
Stop stressing. Some of us act like victims and like there’s nothing we can do about the things that steal our joy. If you leave your iPod out in the yard overnight and it gets rained on, don’t blame the rain. If you forget your iPhone on the table, don’t whine about the immorality of Starbucks customers if it’s gone when you get back. If you devour an entire bag of Chips A’hoy before dinner, don’t blame your eating disinterest on your momma’s cooking. Don’t complain about things you didn’t take care of in the first place. My point is that sometimes we have no one else to blame for vexation than ourselves, because we don’t unplug from it.
Let’s be honest. You can’t do it all. You’re fried, because you’re exhausted from trying to do it all and then discouraged with yourself because you didn’t get it all done. You are responsible–for the sake of your joy, for the sake of godliness–to say NO! And it isn’t just bad things that cause vexation. Saying “no” to good things that cause vexation is as necessary as saying no to bad things, it just takes more wisdom.
- self
- schedule
- stuff
- expectations
In addition, you’re responsible to put away pain from your body. Again the inner and outer parts are mentioned (like the heart and the walk in verse 9). This means that you should be careful with your body. 3000 years ago when they didn’t have the technology or medicine or stretchy band-aids like today, less serious injuries could easily alter, possibly even end, your life. If you did recover it could take weeks and months or years.
For us today, we assume we can just pay (with our medical insurance) someone to fix whatever is broken. We take good doctors and effective antibiotics and recovery for granted. But we have incredible advantages over anything Solomon could have imagined. And in some regards that makes this even tougher to apply.
So put away and turn away from whatever hinders enjoying the process. Because the truth is still the same today as then, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. You are not invincible. You are not untouchable. If you do get better, at best it will be quick and temporary. As soon as you’re born you begin to get old. You can’t change it or slow it down.
Conclusion
But you can enjoy it. Life is good (verse 7), so soak it up (verse 8), especially in your youth (verses 9-10). Rejoice, o young man, in your youth and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. You have opportunities and abilities you will not have forever. Have a blast while you last. Don’t blow it. And don’t blow it by pouting on a sunny day. Savor bites and sips and smiles.
We have no excuses. We have more education, more employment, more entertainment than we know what to do with. We have more conveniences, more liberties, and more securities than Solomon’s readers could have imagined. It is unreasonable and disgraceful not to rejoice. If Solomon could expect young men then to bask in life and youth, how much more would he expect us to do so.
Rejoice and remember. Unrighteous joy is wrong. But you can’t be truly righteous without joy. Enjoy and examine. Play and work.
That each of you have responsibility to rejoice in your youth does not mean each of you have the ability to do this. Only those of you who fear God will enjoy life righteously. It’s an entire life approach; an all consuming attitude. Enjoying the process happens when you live fearfully, not flippantly.
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