BBC Sermon Cast

Solomon was gifted by God with unique wisdom and insight. He spent a lifetime trying to discover the meaning of life, investigating every avenue he could. For the most part, however, he came up empty. He simply could not figure it out. But though he could not (at least until the very end) come up with a solid answer to the meaning of life, he had many thoughts that he offered along the way about life “under the sun.” In 8:16–9:6, he reflects on some certainties that he had learned about life and death.

Jesus frequently taught about the need for servanthood in his kingdom. In Matthew 20, he once again instructed his disciples about what true servanthood looks like, and pointed to his own life and ministry as the ultimate servant.

As Solomon reflected on the life lessons that he had learned, he paused to consider the seeming prosperity of the wicked. In Ecclesiastes 8:10–15, he wrestles with the problem of injustice. In these verses, we learn about the problem of injustice, we hear an answer to injustice, and we consider an appropriate response to injustice.

The triune God we serve today is the same triune God he has always been. We can trust him for the otherwise impossible. In the words psalm 126, if we go forth bearing the precious seed of God’s promises, we can be assured that we will “come home with shouts of joy, bringing [our] sheaves with [us]” (v.6). This promise encourages us greatly in Great Commission work.

In order for you and me, and in order for our local churches, to be both faithful and fruitful in the Great Commission, we require God’s blessing. We need our God to bend his knee, as it were, to bestow kind assistance to us. We need divine guardianship, grace, and goodness if we will be a blessing to him in carrying out the Great Commission. Simply put, we need the blessings offered in Numbers 6:22–27.

First John is filled with teaching on love. Love is a central feature of new life in Christ. In the text before us, we see the Christian identity contrasted with a murderous lack of love. Christians are characterised by love because they have experienced the love of Christ for them on the cross. This ultimate act of love serves as our pattern in living out the life that we have through the gospel.

Ecclesiastes 7 revealed that having wisdom does not mean that we have the answers to all of life. Solomon develops this theme further in chapter 8 as he considers two applications of wisdom: (1) We are all subject to a higher authority; (2) we are all subject to the curse of death. But, just like living under the sun, these authorities are temporary. We need to continuously fix our eyes on the one who has complete wisdom and live our lives under the rule and authority of the Son, Jesus Christ.

A major doctrinal recovery during the Reformation was the biblical teaching of the priesthood of all believers. This doctrine is as old as the book of Numbers. We see this, for example, in the text before us, which records, not Levitical priests serving the Lord, but rather any Israelite man or woman having opportunity to do so. Though their ministry did not involve the tabernacle, it was indeed holy service.

Nothing can be hidden from God. He sees all. He knows all. This truth is revealed in the text before us. This text, which has proven to be disturbing to modern, and not-so-modern, readers, points us to God’s mercy. It drives home the truth that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways.

Our text shows us a leper who came to Jesus for cleansing. In the Bible, leprosy is a dreaded disease that is a picture of sin. Sin has affected every aspect of our being. Salvation is so vividly illustrated in our passage. Leprosy is a terrible disease; COVID-19 is a horrible disease; and it’s all because of sin, which ultimately leads to death. But there is hope! Jesus is the one and only person who can save us from this sin.