THE BETTER LIFE, LIVED UNDER THE SON

“Even While Serving Under An Evil Authority”
Ecclesiastes 8:1-17
Bob Bonner
April 18, 1999

One of the chief testing grounds to determine whether or not a person is a man or woman of character is the testing ground of how one responds to those in authority over them.  One healthy sign of a community of people or a nation is how that community or nation responds to the laws of the land or the rules, written or not, that govern that community. When I refer to a community I mean more than just the city of Grants Pass. A community could be the people at your work, the community of believers that worship at a local church, or the community of a school, etc.

If a chief testing ground of character and a sign of a healthy community is how well the individuals respond to the authorities over them, then we as a nation and in our local communities are failing miserably in this area of character testing. This is true of both men and women, and children and adults. 

For instance: Not too long ago, James Patterson and Peter Kim, wrote a book sharing the results of an extensive survey of life in the United States. The book is entitled, The Day That America Told the Truth. This is a purely secular sociological work written for the purpose of helping us take a close look at ourselves. This survey only involved adults. As it comes to the subject of authority, here is what they found:

84% of the adults polled would violate the established rules of their religion. 

81% said that they had already violated a law because they thought that it was wrong, in their view.

The majority of Americans polled believed that:

We are the law unto ourselves

We have made ourselves the authority over church and God.

We have made ourselves the clear authority over the government.

We have made ourselves the authority over laws and the police.

Here is something else I found on the subject of authority, that was written as it concerned children and their treatment of those in authority over them. This person wrote: “Our youngsters now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, disrespect for older people. Children nowadays are tyrants. They no longer rise when their elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers Those were the words of the Greek philosopher Socrates written 400 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, but easily could have shown up in an editorial section of any newspaper sold in the U.S. today.

As Americans and as Christians many of us have a serious problem with submitting to legitimate and righteous authority. We demand that nobody has the right to run our lives. We believe that freedom means that the individual gets to be in total control of his or her life. If I am correct about our struggle with submitting to legitimate and righteous authority, then it would only make sense that we probably have a worse track record as it concerns responding correctly to evil or wicked authority.

As Christians, how are we to view authority? How are we to respond to those whom God has allowed to be placed in authority over us, whether the righteous or the wicked? Those teachers who don’t give us the grade in school that we feel we rightfully deserve and have worked hard for? How are we to respond to those authority figures at work who have passed us over and promoted someone else when we were the ones who did all of the work? When we continually feel like we are getting a raw deal, where do we look to find joy and hope in life?

That’s what the Spirit of God has for us in His Word today, as we continue our study of the book of Ecclesiastes. There are tremendous words of wisdom, in chapter 8, some great insights that concern this whole subject of living under someone else’s authority especially in an evil and unjust world.

Scripture clearly teaches that if those who are worshipers and followers of Jesus Christ, then they will also be the ones who will respect the position of those God places in authority over them. They may not like the one in authority. They may not agree with the politics, morals, fiscal policies or scientific conclusions of the one who is in authority. Yet, when the one in authority says, “We believe that the best way for this to be accomplished is this way,” then we who are under that authority are to submit to that person, with only one exception. We will look briefly at that exception in a moment.

Look with me at the introductory verse to this next section of Ecclesiastes, verse 1. In this verse, Solomon extols the value of wisdom. He writes, “Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man's wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.”

Solomon would be the first one to tell us that wisdom is a gift from God. As wise as he was, Solomon’s gift of wisdom came directly from God, because he feared God. Throughout Proverbs Solomon reminds us that the source of all wisdom comes from fearing God. Wisdom comes as a gift to those who delight in the Lord.

Basically, Solomon is saying that a wise man is a unique person who can look at difficult situations and come up with an “interpretation.” The word, “interpretation” refers to the wise person’s ability to see how something is best approached. He understands how to act graciously in a difficult situation. He knows how to avoid brash behavior that can bring undue harm to others as well as how to avoid the pain that comes with embarrassing oneself.

As a result of gaining wisdom, Solomon says that the effects of gaining wisdom, “causes his stern face to beam.” Literally the Hebrew of those words is “causes the strength of his face to change.” The point is that his face becomes relaxed. It exhibits a stress-free life. The wise person who walks with the Lord discovers that his or her inner disposition changes. He mellows and get easier to live with as a result of becoming wise. This is a picture of contentment. Hence, Solomon is saying of wisdom, that “Wisdom is a gift from God that adds contentment to life.

In the next verses, Solomon gives us a very specific example of how wisdom can add contentment to one’s life in the midst of a wicked world run by authority figures we don’t like. We will also see how wisdom can affect a positive change in one’s disposition even in the midst of a difficult situation, such as working under the authority of someone whom you may not respect or someone who may even be evil. His point, in verses 2-8, simply put is:

If you have never had to live or work under the authority of another whom you just didn’t respect, or maybe under someone who was outright immoral, then consider yourself blessed. But for many of us, we have had an occasion or two to do so. To put it mildly, to work under a difficult person and to avoid that authority’s wrath isn’t easy. Sometimes, regardless of the amount of wisdom you possess, it is in fact impossible to avoid the wrath of an authority figure. Wisdom can enable you to avoid most of the wrath of those in authority over you, but not all the time.

But what is a person to do when the one in authority requests you to do something that you don’t agree with, maybe something that is immoral or violates your conscience? From verses 2-7, Solomon gives us four possible responses to an authority’s directive to do something that you don’t think is the correct thing to do.

The first possible response is found in verse 2. You can just flat out disobey. However, that may not be a good idea. Here, Solomon states, "Keep the command of the king [or literally in Hebrew, “Keep the king’s mouth”] because of the oath before God.” Basically, Solomon’s instruction here is that when the king opens his mouth, when he either gives you a command or explains to you his philosophy of how he wants things run, don’t cross his wishes. In other words, we are warned against disobeying the one in authority.

But why should we obey God’s order to obey this ruler or tyrant who may be over us? Solomon says, because of “the oath.” What oath? Evidently, according to 2 Chronicles 36:13 and elsewhere, there was a custom for the king’s subjects, not just in his household, but the entire populace, to take an oath before God to remain loyal to the king. Similarly, when someone becomes an American citizen, part of his oath is to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Part of Solomon’s point concerning this oath is to underscore the seriousness with which God says we are to obey the powers God puts over us. Because we share the blessings of government (protection and provision) we are also responsible to obey the laws of that government.

Although we probably don’t sign a written oath when we are employed by a company or when we join a partnership or fellowship at a church, there is an unwritten understanding that one does not deliberately do something that will bring the company, the partnership, the team or even the church down. You don’t steal, lie or give away company secrets and you follow company policy. To not do so is grounds for losing a job.

As it concerns a church family, or a school one does not blatantly trample on or ignore the leadership God has put in place so as to gain one’s own selfish wishes.

Hence, the first expected response to all authority is obedience.

But what if I just don’t like the way a company is going, or I just can’t agree with everything that those in authority are doing? What happens if I am asked to do something that either violates my conscience or is flat out immoral? Do I continue to be obedient then? Or, can’t I just get up and go? Find another job, find another church, haul my kid out of the school? In verses 3-7 we see three other possible responses or answers to those questions. In these verses we see the next three possible ways to respond to the commands of one in authority over us.

First, he says in the first half of verse 3, “Do not be in a hurry to leave him.” Notice, he does not command us to stay in an unpleasant or difficult situation. He does not command us to obey immoral orders or to violate our conscience.  Rather, God says that wisdom dictates that you don’t be in a hurry to abandon ship. God may have you there for a reason. Maybe He wants you to learn something or maybe God wants you to be an instrument He can use to work in someone else’s life or to correct the evil intentions of the authority figure and turn the thing around. So don’t be too quick to leave.

This term “leave” refers to a capricious disloyalty. Because there may be some disaffection on your part toward another, you don’t just up and leave. There is the possibility of desertion and it is legitimate at times to leave. But his caution is “Don’t just jump ship at the first sign of trouble. Stop and think about it for awhile before you leave.”

Secondly, Solomon warns us about another possible option to serving under authority that is difficult for you to support. He says, in the rest of verse 3, “Do not join in an evil matter.”  In other words, don’t stand with the opposition unmoved; don’t defy the one in authority. “Why not?” you say, “That leader is an immoral fool!” Solomon gives us a couple of practical reasons why not. He says “...for he [meaning the king] will do whatever he pleases. Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble.” 

The first practical reason Solomon gives for you not becoming defiant or mutinous is because you more likely than not won’t get away with it. The sovereign king can and will do whatever he pleases, because the buck stops with him. 

Now, we don’t live in a monarchy, per se, as a country, but you may work under a monarch. Your boss may own his company, and you had better know that he is the final authority as to how his company will be run. He makes the rules. You don’t like them or don’t obey those rules and you will be out of a job, living at the rescue mission.

You may not like the school teacher you have, but that teacher sets the standards and rules by which you will pass the course. You can argue all you want, but the teacher’s word, come grade time, is the final authority. Hence, when you are dealing with someone who has the final authority of a decision, you had better do what he tells you, because you can’t change his wishes.

There is a second practical reason that Solomon gives here as to why you should not defy authority.  At the end of the verse he tells us, “so that you won’t experience any unnecessary trouble from the powers that be.” Solomon repeats this same point over in Proverbs 24:21-22. There he states, “My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change.”  That expression “given to change” is an idiom for shifting alliances for selfish reasons. It’s an expression that describes a traitor. Why does Solomon say not to do that? Because, he continues, “...their calamity will rise suddenly.”  In other words, those Benedict Arnold’s, those Judas’ will not just have a little trouble in their lives, they will have a “calamity” or major disaster.

Think about Judas for a moment. Twelve hours before he hanged himself or committed suicide, he was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples having dinner with the Lord. But Judas was given to change. He turned Jesus in and within twelve hours remorse set in and he killed himself. That’s an example of calamity.

But we still haven’t answered, what should you do when the authority figure orders you to do something that violates a personal conviction or asks you to do something immoral. Solomon speaks to that in the rest of verses 5-7. He says, “For a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure.” In other words, the wise person knows when and how to confront an authority figure in this situation. And by the way, it matters not who the human agency or authority figure is that may ask you to disobey God’s Word. Whoever it is, Scripture makes it clear that you are to obey God rather than men. 

However, Solomon’s point here is that the wise man practices discernment. He knows when disobedience is the only way out, and he knows when there is another solution than disobedience. Solomon continues, “For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, [that’s a poor translation. Better would be, “There is a proper time and procedure for every matter or purpose or problem.”] when a man's trouble is heavy upon him.” That really describes how we feel sometimes in these situations. We know what is right to do, but the boss or teacher or leader won’t do it and knowing that we are being asked to do something immoral or something that violates our convictions, but something if we refuse to do could have serious consequences for us, that is a burden. It is “heavy” or even miserable. 

Solomon adds, “If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?”  This last verse is really the key to understand verse 6. The idea is that the person is being faced with a miserable or difficult situation, caused by the authority figures’ command. Furthermore, this person has no idea of how this situation is going to pan out in the future. Feeling the injustice of the situation, this person wonders “Will I ever experience justice in this situation or will I have to suffer forever for doing what is right?” All this person can do is wait upon the Lord to work, to trust the Lord to deliver him from this situation. The Lord will either provide a way of escape through suggesting an alternative route to getting done whatever the leader wishes, or the Lord may deliver through some other channel. Solomon’s point is that the believer doesn’t know what the final outcome will be.

The prophet Daniel serves as an excellent example of the wise man in a difficult situation. In one instance, Daniel was among some youths that the king had chosen to serve him. In so doing, the king ordered food for Daniel and the other Hebrews to eat, that Daniel felt wasn’t kosher. It would have violated Daniel’s conscience to eat such food. So, does he risk offending the king to keep his conscience clear, or does he just go ahead and eat the king’s food and violate his conscience? Daniel trusts the Lord, and is given discernment, or wisdom in the matter. He respectfully went to the commander under the king, who was responsible for fulfilling the order of the king. He told the commander his dilemma, and respectfully challenged the commander to a ten-day test. His guys would eat the king’s food and Daniel’s guys would eat the kosher food and see whose men would be the strongest in the end. When Daniel’s men turned out  to be stronger, the commander realized Daniel wasn’t trying to be rebellious, and granted him the freedom to eat his own diet.

Now, in another situation, Daniel obeyed God and only prayed to God rather than bowing his knee in prayer to the king, and he and his buddies were thrown in the furnace. Once again, after asking God for wisdom and was granted discernment, Daniel was forced to disobey the king. Yet, God delivered him, unsinged from the furnace. 

Does that mean that God will always rescue you by saving your life or make your present situation play out with a happy ending here on earth? No. In the “Hall of Faith” chapter, Hebrews 11:36, we read these words about men and women of faith who obeyed God rather than man. The writer tells us that these wise people who obeyed God, “Others experienced mocking and scourging, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, [and] ill-treated.” There are times when we must disobey the authorities over us, and when we do we will suffer for it or even possibly die for it. However, before we do, or before we bail out, seek God’s face and wisdom. He will grant you discernment as to what He would have you do.

But if you were the parents of those men and women who had been put to death or ill-treated because they chose to obey God rather than the authority, how would you have felt about those who had put your child to death? Wouldn’t you wonder if this evil king or leader was going to get away with his wickedness? Wouldn’t you wonder if this sovereign and just God was going to do something about this bad king? Sure you would. That’s why God includes what He does in verse 8. In the first half of the verse we read, “No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death.”

Solomon is saying that there are three limitations to those who are in authority over the believer’s life. The first two are a little hard to grasp in our English translations because they are so different from the original Hebrew. Literally, the first clause reads this way, “No man is ruler over the spirit; no man can restrain the spirit.”  It is true that the word translated “wind” is the same word in Hebrew that is translated elsewhere for “spirit.” With the context of death being in this same verse, I believe the idea of one’s “spirit” is the better choice of words here than “wind.”

Understanding that, the first limitation of an authority over someone’s life is that they can’t “rule over the spirit.” No human leader can rule over the spirit of another person. One’s spirit is free from another human’s control. 

Secondly, no king can “restrain” or confine or imprison the spirit of a man under his authority. The spirit of an individual will always be free to roam, even if the tyrant confines his body in prison. 

Third, no Hitler, no Slobodan Milosevic, no Saddam Hussein can keep one from one’s convictions, longings, even if he puts one to death. Jesus verified that fact in Matthew 10:28 when he said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Hence, Jesus is saying here, “If you choose to obey God rather than man and if you are put to death, don’t allow the fear of dying to consume you. For God will deliver the innocent God-fearing person, even if it means rescuing that person by immediately bringing him or her out of this world and into His presence.”

As it concerns the unjust or wicked king, Solomon adds, “...and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver those who practice it.”

Solomon is making a comparison here. He is saying that just as the army would not grant you a discharge from the service in the midst of a battle, neither is the evil one going to get away from his evil practices. For instance: Floyd Pratt had two days left before his enlistment was up in the Navy when the Cuban missile crisis took place. When that happened, all shore leave for the sailors on his ship was canceled and all pending discharges were automatically extended for six months. Imagine, the government didn’t even ask Floyd if he wanted an extension! He was forced to stay in. In a very real sense, Floyd was in bondage to the Navy.

The point being, just as you can’t get out of the navy in the midst of an immediate battle, neither will an authority figure be released from the consequences of his practicing evil as an authority. Like a slavemaster, Satan, the god of evil, will make the one who practices evil pay for the very evil Satan encourages him to practice. 

In essence, God, through Solomon’s words is promising us that He is just and those who are in authority and who are practicing wickedness will not get away with it. Death won’t even be a way out for the wicked. On the other hand, those faithful ones who follow the Lord, even unto death, will escape the tyrant.

The Hitlers, the Saddam’s, the Slobodan’s of the world will suffer eternal damnation for their actions. 

So, where does that leave us? How many of you have some authority figure over you that God has allowed to be there, but whom you have difficulty submitting to? It could be a doctor or nursing staff who is controlling your health care or the care of someone you love. It could be a teacher, coach, husband, parent, governmental figure, boss, or even the spiritual leadership of a church. How are you responding to that authority figure? With a group this size, I would be willing to guess that some of you have some real bad attitudes toward those whom God has placed over you.

Our God is just and He will take care of your future, regardless of the injustices you feel you are suffering presently. He promises that. However, that which may cause Him to be slow to come to your aid is your bitterness and slandering speech toward those who are over you. If that be the case, you need to ask God to forgive you for treating those whom He has placed over you with such disrespect.

If your attitudes are right and you are right with the Lord, then don’t be too quick to desert, disobey or defy. Rather, pray for discernment. See if there is a creative way to respect that authority person’s place of authority over you, even if you may not respect the person him or herself. God will take care of the rest.

However, if you are harboring bitterness or malice toward that person, God won’t move toward your aid until you confess your sinful attitude toward one He has placed over you. If you need to make that right with the Lord, I would encourage you to come up front and I will be glad to pray with you about that situation.

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