Expect the Unexpected

The written word of God imparts to the believer, the ability to make the right decision at the right time for the right reason on both what that means.

That is why is life and be this this if you do not have a relationship that is living the truth is, since wisdom comes from outside the loss.

You will not have wise people say to school wise people are those who are submissive people to the Scriptures because it's in God's word where wisdom is found wisdom might not win the most applause in this world. It might not gain the largest audience or when the political debate. But God's wisdom is always right. Would you like to walk wisely. Stay with us because were going to explore how to do that next. This is wisdom for the heart and today Stephen Dave.

He has a message for you called expect the unexpected woman by the name of Daisy Alexander put a handwritten note inside a whiskey bottle put it into the Thames River in London in 1937.

Two years later, she died it travel nearly 13,000 miles over a span of 12 years.

A man by the name of Jack firm was walking along that sandy stretch lost in his thoughts about his life his restaurant business had gone bankrupt he was now at the age of 55.

Nearly penniless.

But then Jack spotted that Obama buried in the sand.

Still, watertight. He noticed the note inside which read to avoid confusion. I leave my entire estate to the person who finds this bottle. The note was dated June 20, 1937 now it's nearly 1950 signed by a woman who used to live in London. Jack never heard of, though heavily contested, and a series of court battles and soon the note was finally and officially determined to be in fact the legitimate last will and testament of Daisy Alexander, the daughter of Isaac Singer the heiress to the Singer sewing machine fortune Jack Brown was awarded her portion of that fortune which in today's economy would have been worth $10.6 million. It was his almost makes you want to go to the beach and look for whiskey bottles. The moral of that story. As I read it recently could be.

You never know what floating the life or maybe life is full of surprises. Or perhaps we could put it this way. Expect the unexpected in life. Solomon evidently has that particular thought on his mind and heart. Life is filled with the unexpected. So what did you cling to as life unveils one surprise after another. Solomon then rattles off a list of surprises here in Ecclesiastes chapter 9. Turn with me there today for some more and inspired truth, it may be hard to swallow, but it's the truth upon which you can securely plant your feet and your heart were now in Ecclesiastes 9 and were at verse 11. Again, I saw that under the sun. Remember, that means I've observed life down here under the sun, and this is the way it tends to play out in the human race is what I've observed. The race is not the swift for the battle to the strong nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligence nor favored of those with knowledge but time and chance happen to them all to sit Solomon says let me show you five unexpected surprises that you don't see coming over the course of my lifetime I've observed this first you go back to the beginning of this text.

The race is not always one by the fastest runner that would be in principle for what is right. The race isn't always one by the fastest runner sometimes strange things happen. Solomon adds in verse 11. The battle is always on my the strongest army little Israel a few decades ago, so much smaller than all of that combined the force of those Muslim countries, unexpected victory, Solomon says here's another surprising event in life.

I see third the necessities of life are guaranteed for the wisest person. He writes in verse 11, nor bread to the wise. That means is the wisest person is guaranteed even basic food wise people can go hungry why people can become even homeless to given some unexpected occurrence or event in life before wealth is the automatic result for the careful investor you right here, nor riches to the intelligence you could translate that nor riches to the discerning the idea you hear the expression today about somebody that their shrewd investors and you automatically assume they're the ones making the money shrewd investor.

One of the surprising things about life.

Solomon writes here is shrewd experience isn't an automatic return.

I have observed down here under the sun that shrewd investors sometimes lose everything. So no be about investing wins. The mother will unite your career, all planned out. You could have your investments all button down and then what an accident occurred.

A virus strikes an illness and everything turns upside down Solomon and fit surprising scene take place under the sun. Here it is. The promotion isn't always awarded to the best employee. He writes again in verse 11, nor favored those with knowledge the word he uses for knowledge is a word that means know-how we we would call it skill set the personalize this skill set for the job. The person who deserves the promotion that's everybody knows that's the guy with the job skills. That's the gal with the know-how that's that's the person in the office you go to because your stock, your stopped. You need an answer. You need a solution and they're the ones that are able to provide a Solomon). They're not necessarily the ones given the favor they're not given the promotion or Passover. So why did these 5 Events Take Pl. so unexpectedly. Why does the fastest runner not win.

What is the biggest Army get defeated, why does the wise person go hungry.

Why, what is the careful investor lose his shirt is the smartest employee get passed over. Why gives us the answer. The end of verse 11 because time and chance happen to them all. That is, it comes out of nowhere notice for man does not know is time that is in seasons of life like fish that are taken in an evil net and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time when it suddenly falls upon them talking about death. He's talking about the unexpected seasons of life. They occur because of time and chance now is pause for a moment there only two times in the Old Testament were this work chance appeared.

The other time it appears in first Kings chapter 5 in verse four where it can be translated then.

Both times the word appears negative context, Old Testament language scholars believe it could best be translated accident. You might circle the work chance in writing of the margin in your Bible. The word accident. In fact, language scholars believe that time and chance are to be combined as you can render it or understand it as timely accidents on timely events. That's the way it is probably trouble never warned you. I'm coming tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock never comes at a good time when this trouble ever timely. Well that is the perfect time. I didn't. That's lifetime. No, it's always a fun time because it's unexpected and were unprepared, like he's illustrating for is like a fish I think is after swim around minding his own business. Suddenly it caught that bird is flying around to sing the song and then suddenly that net appears unexpected, unwanted, unprepared now with that Solomon, the preacher recalls himself gives us a rather discouraging illustration case study to prove his point. Verse 13. I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed impressive great to me. There was a little city with few men in any great king came against it and besieged it building great siege works against so you got this little city with only a few men any more than likely is referring to.

There were only a few men could bear our only a few of them could find and against this little city comes a great king.

Here's the contract you you you picked up on the impossibility of this conference a little city against the great penny essentially comes out of nowhere and Bill siege works that were siege works represents the same Hebrew word Solomon uses earlier for the word net see now please people like that bird be caught unexpectedly and on timely fashion. There unprepared in the next numbers 50 but there was found in it is little city, a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city but no one remember that poor man but I say that wisdom is better than mine for the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not hurt me break this down Solomon's as I've seen this before, America's peasant he's utilizing his wisdom to save his little city and instead of marching that day. We pray for God. No honor, he shall decide if Solomon's context is maintained here somebody more popular and somebody more powerful probably walked away with all the credit to the skies forgotten and that plays again into the theme we've seen heavenly brothers and sisters under the sun that fame is fleeting and people are fickle.

This guy one. That's why we need to this day. Talk about someone having 15 seconds of fame, not 15 days 15 years 15 seconds to get 15 seconds because unrewarded at the top it all off, he's quickly forgotten. Now, you might look at the text like this filled with unfortunate surprises.

Curious discouraging case study and come to the conclusion, Solomon is going to tell us forget wisdom anymore. It doesn't pay off or pay it doesn't make your life easier. You'll feel the tape on your chest because you come first.

So why bother, but instead what Solomon does is he anticipates that we would think that way.

After these illustrations. In my case study.

So what he does now.

Kinda slips in the giving of three encouragements or clarification regarding wisdom give the first one to you in principle for wisdom might not win the most applause, but it still right over 60 but I say that wisdom is better than mine. The poor man's wisdom is despised store you can render that rejected now, you might take a pencil or pen and circle that were better it's going to show up in each one of these three clarification in this text it's better wisdom is better. You could understand that word meaning in that context it is right.

This is the right way.

This is the right thought pattern.

This is the right path. This is the right choice. This is the right thing to do.

So he saying in spite of everything that happens I just want to remind you that wisdom is still right still right.

Even if you get passed over. Even if you don't win the race.

It's right where to start here. I didn't know quite where to put it there is the gospel in this case study the Lord. The peasant commoner he's poor but he's wise he's disregarded by the crowd, rejected, humbled at the desk, even death on a cross, why to save man's soul little city that have a chance. And then what happens.

He goes unrewarded and to this day forgotten except by the few who've been delivered today like him. Beloved, you might be rejected because of your biblical thinking and lifestyle of the opinion but it's far better follow Christ to be rejected by Earth except wisdom might not win the most applause, but it still right. Secondly, wisdom might gain the largest audience, but it's still right notice for 70 the words of the wise heard quiet are better than the shouting of rulers of a ruler among fool is the loudest voice is always the wisest voice that sometimes the proof that it is not I that it has to be allowed. Solomon is effectively describing allow mouth leader fact, allow mouth leader is encouraged here because he's surrounded by a world of fool notice. He writes he is a ruler among fool helping remember a fool is something the size and denies the authority of God. That's who the fool is the word of God. Sometimes those people have the microphone sometimes as people have the large audience in the following. So Solomon is essentially saying here wisdom might not have the largest certainly not the loudest point of view, but it was still right there. Wisdom might not win the biggest argument, but it still right. Notice verse 18. Wisdom is better than weapons of but one sinner destroys much good. Yes, he goes on with realism to say one sinner can destroy so much good. One fool can tear down and destroy.

In fact, Solomon points out the disheartening reality that one person can destroy so much that is just looking Hitler look at the destruction that came because he was believed. Just look at Darwin and the destruction because he's been belief they defy God they aimed their weapons at his truth. Solomon says even though one rebellious sinner seems to destroy things faster than wise people tend to build them.

Don't fear from wisdom because it still right it might be the minority opinion but it's right it might get shot down.

But it's right it's right what exactly is wisdom. This is wisdom which is better from passages of Scripture. The Hebrew word for wisdom is described, personified, illustrated as a way of life and to give you a concise definition.

Wisdom is the God-given ability to make the right decision for the right reason at the right time and with the right motive.

Wisdom is his action interacting it. It's make change live thing, the right decision for the right reason at the right time with the right motive and and so understand this, that, apart from the spirit of God. You can't do that you can't live wisely fact the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God. That is, he is the personification of divine wisdom first.

124 to the person who rejects Jesus Christ loses out on wisdom. Yes, I can make the right decision, but it might be for selfish reason that you make the right decision with the wrong motive for at the wrong time for the wrong reason, but the ability to make the right decision for the right reason at the right time. Having the right motive is an act of wisdom that comes from God because if you why this is where you go, you go and ask God who dispenses that James tells us in chapter 1 verse five.

If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God gives it. God communicates his wisdom to us through his word. Paul reminded Timothy when he wrote you've known the sacred writings, which are able to give you wisdom. Second 350 to 70 is why you saturate your mind and your heart the word of God. King David wrote the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple song 19 seven. In other words, the written word of God imparts to the believer, the ability to make the right decision at the right time for the right reason or motive, so what that means that if you cannot move the wise life and be a distant companion of this.

So it the last time you looked at. This was last Sunday. You will not have wisdom. If you do not have a relationship that is living the truth of this blog, since wisdom comes from outside of loss through this book you will not have direct reality why people are not the smartest people on their SAT scores why people are submissive people to the Scripture.

Wisdom might have been the most applause. Solomon warns us, but it still right.

Changes are yearning to find a bottle half buried in the sand. Note the changes your life but you have been given an inspired sign visits were by God.

So you say you walk through life with the author and finisher of your faith in any analogy I gave you earlier. He is that poor peasant who is disregarded and unwanted die for you and for me because of his death on the cross, even though, like much but now he is ascended seated at the right hand of the father glory.

So the encouragement then is even though these realities exist even though these five prizes continue to happen even though trouble comes in a timely fashion and we need to learn to expect the unexpected. Let's do it. Walking with Lawrence Jesus Christ. You know, for this day is over, you're going to have an opportunity to put this message into practice as you wisely apply God's word to the circumstances of your life.

I trust that God will use this reminder from Ecclesiastes to encourage you to walk wisely.

Thanks for tuning in today.

This is wisdom for the hearts Stephen Davey is working through a series called pursuing wisdom under the sun will continue through this section of Ecclesiastes next time between now and then. Be sure and visit our website wisdom online.org so that you can access all of the resources we have. To help you grow in your thanks for listening and be with us next time. Furthermore, wisdom for the horns