The Need For Greater Wisdom

Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

AT THE BEGINNING OF ECCLESIASTES, a narrator introduces us to the Preacher, whose voice we hear throughout its twelve chapters. Then, at the end of the book, when the narrator speaks again to draw some conclusions from all that the Preacher has said, he speaks to “my son.” So we could imagine a scene in which a man is sitting with his son or protégé, seeking to talk to him about what life means and what really matters. Throughout the book, he tells his son all about the Preacher’s pursuits, questions, and conclusions. He has offered many wise observations and said many things that are true about the world, but his wisdom is limited. He is able to see life only from an “under the sun” perspective.

Then we can picture the narrator leaning in as he looks his son square in the eyes and states the conclusion that the entire book has been leading toward: “Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” This very sound but limited conclusion is as far as Old Testament wisdom writing can take us. And it leaves us wanting. What was needed in the Preacher’s day was a new revelation —wisdom that would come from heaven, not from under the sun.

Likewise, teaching “biblical principles” about how to live wisely in this world can take our kids only so far. Something greater is needed to overcome the seeming meaninglessness in the world. And that is to be joined by faith to wisdom incarnate, Jesus Christ. If it is up to us to merely do our duty and obey, we’re all in trouble. If we anticipate being judged for every secret act we’ve committed apart from Christ, then we are hopeless. But we are not in trouble, nor are we hopeless. We have Jesus, the wisdom who came into this world under the sun and infused our lives with meaning.

Lord, we don’t want to teach ________ all kinds of principles for living well in the world so that ________ is moral and successful on the world’s terms but fails to see her need for you. We pray that ________ would fear you and keep your commands by believing the gospel and living in light of it.