Theological Realism

There are plenty of books that propose answers to Mike's question. What is the Bible have to say about our ability to comprehend these things today on Truth for Life. Alister Ben teaches us what we can expect to learn when we come to the Scriptures, tumbling expectantly, and consist more in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 1 last time we were helped by havoc. We were helped by the fact that in a world where people have all kinds of responses to the circumstances that press upon us. We said that have accrued provided for us wonderful picture of theological realism that in the face of difficulty in the face of loss. He had learned to declare his trust in this confidence in God because he knew everything that was taking place or could explain it all because he trusted God was his theology that was the basis of his confidence. So this morning want to think along these lines along the lines of theological realism and I come to this. As a result of my reading. I which will be similar to many of yours.

If you use the Murray McShane reading plan for working through your Bible and if that is the case then part of you reading this past week will have included the eighth chapter of ecclesiastics and I wonder where you struck as I was by the heading that is given to the concluding verses in the English standard version simply reads man cannot know God's ways you say this is a bit of a forlorn deal is not know. It's wonderful and I hope to show you just why that is. This little section at the end of Ecclesiastes 8 causes us to think along different lines note. Perhaps you will find it helpful to notice that he begins in verse 14 with an observation. He then in verse 15 provides us with a recommendation and then in 16 and 17.

We follow his application of his mind to the matter at hand. Now we didn't take time to set this in a much wider context.

Suffice it to say that the writer has set out his stall to view life to try and make sense of life under the sun.

He recognizes that it is filled with riddles and paradoxes and all of his considerations are set within the parameters of the fight of God as our sovereign creator and the reality of man in the eventuality of his death and what he's doing is of course pointing out here in verse 14 that as he looks at the world in which he lives. There is a vanity vanity comes 38 times in this book, and the context in which it is used helps us to understand what it means when he says there is a vanity hear what he's talking about is the incomprehensible nature of things we just can't figure this out when we realize what's happening and what is it that's happening.

Well, he says prizes are going to the wrong people and the same is true of the punishments. This is a vanity that retribution and rewards are now reversed. Of course this is not a novel observation on his part right up until the present time. People wrestle with this issue. Why is it that bad things happen to good people and why is it a good people have to endure bad things will answers observation right here the righteous people to whom it happens, according to the deeds of the wicked and the and the wicked people to whom it happens, according to the deeds of the righteous is observation is this is strange. It doesn't seem right. It's troublesome man is left searching for some kind of rhyme and reason and not just in the events of history in its broadest sense, but in the very private experiences of our individual lives. Simon many many years ago. That is Paul writes of the going up a narrow flight of stairs to his narrow little room where he lies upon his bed in the early evening gloom and he says impaled upon the wall. My eyes can dimly see the riddle of my life and the puzzle that is me this is what he's observing it back in the 15th verse of the previous chapter he says in my van life. I've seen it all. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing, and you see the Bible addresses this were not left us to wander around. This is where theology comes into play. This is life in a fallen world. The Bible tells us is very straightforward that God created Adam and Eve, he created them for himself in the enjoyment of his presence. He made them in order that they might live with him and live for but when you read the early chapters of the Bible you discover that they doubted his goodness. They rejected his wisdom, and they rebelled against his authority and as a result of that sin has spread into every aspect of our human existence. God has still shone his light into our darkness.

The heavens declare his glory and in his love. Even though we are by nature rebellious, he still comes to seek us out. At this observation is not unique. As I say to the writer, nor is it unique to the book of ecclesiastics we want go here but for homework. I can assign the rereading of Romans chapter 8 and you will discover their dad in the 20th verse of Romans eight Paul is making the observation that the whole of creation is subjected to futility what I find interesting is that that word that Greek word there for futility is the exact same word when the Hebrew word is translated into Greek 38 times in the book of ecclesiastics and what we discovered is that we inhabit a fundamentally disordered state of reality. And still the questions come when will this and who's in charge of this.

What are we supposed to do and so on.

What that is the observation and I hope you are held by the fine. The Bible recognizes these things it doesn't shy from them.

It it acknowledges the fact that there that the providence of God is worked out in life in ways that cause us to wonder at his purposes, so I straightforward observation and then in verse 15 we come to what I would say is a surprising recommendation. Notice the opening of four words, there, and I command joy and high-income enjoy this. I find greatly encouraging as well. There is nothing better. He says there's nothing better under the sun. This is all taking place on earth. You see, there is a vanity that takes place on earth. I making sense of the world. He says under the sun. There's nothing better and and incidentally he does this, a number of times I want to review hundred you said to anybody recently. Are you enjoying yourself, especially to a Christian person.

Sometimes the Christians have joined the ranks of the blooming morose. This should not be when Paul is giving a warning to rich people and to make sure they don't find their confidence and riches, which is a good warning.

He also goes on to say this is in the 17 verse of first Timothy six heat. He says that in the context of a God who richly provides us with all things to enjoy, to enjoy observation. Things are upside down. The world seems to be broken. Of course it is broken. We live in a fallen world directive recommendation well instead of the difficulties turning a sour or making a solemn writer is recommending entering into the joys of simple pleasures, simple pleasures, and again, notice that he's addressing these things under the sun for man is nothing better under the sun God is also set eternity in our hearts and as a result of that, we are inevitably played by assertive sense of homesickness that we that we live every so often drifting into a weird sensation of on belonging but our response to those sensations is not to be like the pessimist simply shrugged or who cares or the approach that says whatever the fact that there is no ultimate satisfaction in these things is not to say that there is no satisfaction in these things. I am already looking forward to my lunch.

I am already looking forward to the benefits of friendship.

I am rule ready. Looking forward to listening to music. All of these have been given to us the children of men as gifts within the context of this observation. It is right for us to enjoy these temporal mercies foolish person deals with the predicament in one way, the disillusioned and another in the Christian man or woman in this way you see the writer here is not asking why are these things as the his theology is such that he knows why they are what they are because we live in a fallen world one day. All cancer all dad felt years old. Sighing, all viruses be banished forever in a new heaven and a new earth, that is the reality of the story the plan and purpose of God.

And so it's a good recommendation and it's a clear recommendation observation. Life is unmanaged, manageable recommendation go out and be joyful and then we come to his application. The application of his heart. He says to know wisdom I was applying my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on the air and how neither day nor night to one's IHC sleep. The second half of that verse is quite difficult and there are variety of ways in which it is explained don't stumble over Derek Kidner observes that the enjoyment of simple pleasures only makes it possible for us to shelve the big questions it doesn't enable us to settle them lesser difference again someone says, well let's just go out and get something to drink Lester's garden have a meal. Let's just open things up again and will will be able to deal with everything know we won't be able to deal with her because the deepest longings are not answered by food and by drink and by parties.

That's why he says in chapter 3, it's better to go to a funeral and to go to a party because death is the destiny of everyone in the living should take it to heart and what is really doing here in this Seth's 15 verse is repeating what he said earlier's investigation has already led them down a series of dead-end streets. What is a man from all his toil and striving apart, with which he toils beneath the sun the acid. Chapter 2 for all his days are full of sorrow and his work is a vexation even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity or something of that, there, and what he is expressing this idea how neither day nor night. Do one's eyes sleep you picture him turning on his bed asking where his business is going where it is taking him as he asked himself what is this all mean if it means anything at all. And of course in the heart of all of this is this matter of theology because I was seeing the work of God. All the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun and what is giving expression to is the fact that the ways of God are inscrutable, that it is that it is baffling because the desire to understand these things and also our limited ability to understand these things. Both are ordained by God, so he has created within us the capacity for investigation for the development of science for research and for all these things, which is an amazing gift and it's evidence of his creative power, but at the same time he is also limited our ability to unravel all of these questions, the ways of God cannot be fathomed by men and women because of our fallen state what the Bible says is that sin has pervaded every part of our existence. It doesn't mean when we talk about the depravity of men and women that that we are as bad as we could possibly be what it means is that there is no part of our humanity that is unaffected by sin and therefore it is obvious that would affect our minds. So the way we think about everything is impacted by the fact that we think wrongly about so much and so the world as it comes to… Clearly distorted and even our view of its distortion is itself distort this ignorance is traced to an understanding of things that is impacted. As I say, by the fall. It's not uncommon for people to say. Well, if this was so obvious why can't I see it you know if I can see I won't believe, to which I thing the Bible has to say. If you won't believe you'll never see you see it is the word of God itself that were looking at now which is light in our darkness. That's the claim that Scripture itself makes 719 the unfolding of your words gives light it in parts understanding to the simple so somebody let's the problem you see because I am not simple, I'm actually very clever.

Well let me tell you the pathway is reason humbled to the obedience of faith, reason humbled to the obedience of faith. You see, genuine humility, admits to being unable to figure out all that God is doing.

How could we know all that God is doing it in the revelation of God. It has to be has to be beyond us if we would have the fullness of all of his revelation. It would be as hard for as is looking up directly into a very very bright sun impacts us and when we read the Bible. Realize that God does things in ways that are beyond our comprehension says bridges but may cast clouds and darkness around him. For reasons and purposes for which we have not the least glimpse or conception God may choose to do this, but we have sufficient light to leave us without excuse. The light of the gospel shines out the light of creation shines out and as I say this to people in these days. Often, though, come back to me and say will you know I don't find reading the Bible very easy et al. and I would say I agree with her. I don't find reading the Bible very easy in fact parts of the Bible are generally difficult and again this is where our theology comes into play here is the Westminster confession. The first section on the nature of holy Scripture paragraph seven. Not all things in Scripture are equally plain in themselves, or equally clear to all. Yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed for salvation are so clearly stated and explained in one place or another in Scripture that not only the educated but also the uneducated may gain a sufficient understanding of buyer proper use of the ordinary means.

What is that me simply means this we should encourage each other to come to the Scriptures humbly expectantly consistently so that we might then discover the light that is provided. Recognizing that our understanding of Scripture will not ultimately be purely in the sense that our own incapacities cloud our comprehension. We want understand it purely nor will he understand it entirely, but we may understand it sufficiently because it's pretty obvious, is not that we only see the surface view the depths of the providences of God are beyond our vision and so the writer is making it clear as he is very honest in his observation and in his recommendation and in his searching and and is wondering God will in his own time and in his own way bring perfect order out of seeming confusion and he will complete his purpose from all of eternity to call to himself a company that no one can count. However much man-made toil in seeking he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know he cannot find it could never be said of me, but I had my teacher say to people around me. You know what: you're too clever for your own good, and that's the problem with some who are within earshot of me this morning if you're prepared to face yourself and face the Scriptures, you discover that you're actually too clever for your own good. The wisdom of God explained in the crosses of foolishness to to those who are being saved is the power of God that the love of God is rejected by the patients of God, your to be very thankful for for his patients is in order that those of us who think we know the answer to everything. Who think we can explain ourselves without who think that we can live our own lives and please ourselves discover that his patience is there to lead us to repentance and for me, the fact that I live inevitably with so many of these questions that remain. Not neatly cut and dry and put together, but remain daunting and an baffling and uncertain as it myself is as good. This is good in that wonderful hymn God holds the key of all unknown and I am glad if other hand, should hold the key, or if he offered it to me.

I might be sad.

My favorite verse goes like this the very dimness of my site makes me secure for groping in my misty way. I feel his hand. I hear him say my help issue. Have you ever felt his hand reach out to you lay hold upon you as you observe the craziness of our world. As you engage in the benefits of life in our world. And as you ponder the vastness of God's purposes revealed in Jesus. Well today take hold of his hand and trust. It is encouraging to know that even as life's questions remain baffling continue to be uncertain about things we can still experience God's peace and security. That's from today's message on Truth for Life from Alister Bragg will is Alister made clear.

God's ways are impossible to understand. And yet, we can fully trust God because of what the Bible tells us about his character. That's why the book none else.

31 meditations on God's character and attributes is so insightful and none else is a devotional that explores the difficult facets of God's nature.

One daily reading of the time.

The chapters are short just a few pages each one will help you learn more about a different aspect of God. For example, will read about his infinite wisdom, the fact that his nature is unchanging that he is trying new that he's all-knowing, you can request your copy of the book.

None else. When you donate to support the Bible teaching here on this program gives her the truth like mobile app or online@truthforlife.org/about Lapine this past year has caused many of us to look around and wonder why is there so little harmony in our and is there a way we can be part of a lasting solution will find out how we can do just that. On tomorrow's Bible teaching of Alister Bragg, furnished by Truth for Life with the Learning is for Living