Now let’s continue on. Let’s go to the book of Job 35:13. Now Elihu, as he was talking to Job, he perceives that Job was full of vanity and his own self righteousness. And so Elihu was telling Job: “Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.” Very true statement. So you see, it is futile to try and build spiritual character on the vanity of carnality. And that’s exactly what Job was doing, even though he kept the commandments of God in the letter. Keeping it in the letter is not unto salvation. God expects that as a matter of course of all human beings.

Now here is my favorite part of the book of Job. And this shows how God will not regard vanity, and how unless Job really understood that there has to be repentance and the receiving of God’s Spirit, and total trust and faith in God, that he couldn’t save himself. So let’s come over here to Job 40:1. “Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him?” Now that’s quite a statement, isn’t it? Is any man going to tell God what to do at any time, or instruct Him? Now you need to think about this in relationship to a lot of the false doctrines in the world, where they go and pick and choose out of the New Testament mainly those scriptures which just give you the false sense that all you have to do is believe and there’s nothing else left for you to do. And what’s happening with that is this: men are telling God how they’re going to respond to Him, and God is due to give them salvation because they say so. Now they need to read Job 40. And it’s going to be something that we’re going to be teaching during the millennium all the way through. So: “...He that reproveth God, let him answer it” (Job 40:1-2).

So here, just picture Job all covered with scabs, and dust, and ashes, and miserable; and finally his vanity is deflated. And finally God is speaking to him. He even demanded that there be an umpire between him and God. Now who was going to do that? Well, Elihu acted more like the umpire. But what he really did, he said, “Job, you’re wrong. You’re out.” “Then Job answered the LORD, and said...” Now when God deals with you directly, you have an entirely different perspective of your life, and how you think, and what you are. So Job said: “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once I have spoken; but I will not answer [again]: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further” (verses 3-5). So there comes a time when all human beings have to recognize the vanity that we have (every one of us), and we come to the point of total repentance and yielding to God. And this is what we’re going to have to teach the people all during the millennium.

“Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee...” Because you see, God demands of us. If we go to God and we start complaining to God, criticizing God, then God is going to demand of us. And He says: “...and declare thou unto Me.” He says, “Now you think about this. You think about what you really said, Job…” and all the other chapters leading up to this, “Wilt thou also disannul My judgment?...” Now the modern word is, “Will you annul My judgment? Will you make void My judgment? Will you, Job, make vain My judgments, and My commandments, and My laws?” “...Wilt thou condemn Me, that thou mayest be righteous?” (verses 6-8). Now that’s exactly what the Protestants do, don’t they? And yea, even many in the church of God: “Oh, we don’t have to keep those commandments of God. The God of the Old Testament is harsh, and mean, and evil. The God of the New Testament is loving, and kind, and good.” What are they doing? Because they don’t realize that Jesus was the one Who was the Lord God of the Old Testament, they are in fact condemning Jesus Christ so that they can be righteous and have their form of righteousness, and keep their vain traditions, and things like this.

I recently got a letter from a man who said, “Thank you for the website. Thank you for the things that you have put on there. Thank you for the New Testament. I am tired of going to church and hearing the traditions of men.” Probably a Protestant. He even said, “I went to the Seventh-Day Adventists and they didn’t have it.” Now let’s stop and think a little bit here about what we have done in the church of God. All of those of you who were part of the largest church of God that has probably been in history - in modern time, at least - we ended up telling God what to do. Because they were taught to idolize a man, to idolize buildings, to idolize all the physical things. And what we’re going to learn in the book of Ecclesiastes is that when you do that, it’s vain. But we never realized that we were actually telling God what to do. There are some people who say of a certain particular man who they proclaim as an apostle of God, that if you don’t follow his teachings to the letter, then you don’t understand. In other words, they’re saying this one man had all the teachings of God personified in his being and in his ministry. So therefore, they’re limiting God. That is not so. That is idolatry of a man to the nth degree. God is not going to be limited and bound by any man. And that’s what Job is being taught here. And there will be no salvation if you limit God.

Notice what He says. He says: “Hast thou an arm like God? Or canst thou thunder with a voice like Him?” Now if we think we’re all so great and mighty, let’s think about this: God said to Job, “You think you’re so important?” “Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand [righteousness] can save thee” (verses 9-14). The most vain thing in the world is self-righteousness. And why is it the most vain? Because you do so good in your own eyes that you think that’s going to save you. Well now if you do, then try doing some of these things. You can’t do that, can you? No, indeed. So there’s a great lesson for us, even from Job.

Now let’s come back to the book of Psalms for just a minute. Let’s come to Psalm 62. Now here is a tremendous contrast in Scriptures. Let’s begin here in verse 5; how we are to look and trust in God and not in any man. “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times; ye people...” That’s how we’re to believe God - have faith in God, have trust in God at all times. Now if we don’t do this in the good times, do you think that God is going to rush in and rescue you in the bad times? You just need to think on that, because we’re talking about the vanity of human nature. So, “Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” And that means meditate and think on this. Now verse 9: “Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie...” Now what you need to do is just think about that, especially on the political scene. And is that not so true? Yes indeed. That’s why, as Solomon said, “Vanity of vanity, all is vanity.” “...To be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them” (Psalm 69:5-10). Now Solomon never learned that lesson.

Now let’s come back here to the book of Ecclesiastes. And as we’re turning back there, let’s remember where we ended yesterday; that God has given the whole creation subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of the hope that God is going to save it. And we have a part in that. Let’s come back here to chapter 1. We’ve gone through verse 2, now let’s begin here in verse 3. Now you think - this is very interesting how he looks at these things. Because Solomon stood back and looked at life and analyzed things for the way that they were. So he says: “What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?” And you think down through time and down through the generations and down through history, all of the works, all the building, all the civilizations, all of the people that have been born and died who lived their lives to whatever age it were, being old age in peace or in young age because of war and plague and death. So what is it? What does it profit? “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.” That’s still going on. “The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and he hasteth to his place where he arose” (Eccl. 1:3-5). So they understood about the earth, they understood about the roundness of the earth, and so forth. And don’t you think in all the wisdom of Solomon that he understood that the earth was round? And here’s talking here about the rotation of the earth.

“The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither it they return again.” So they understood about the water coming down into the oceans, evaporation of water going up into the clouds, and coming and raining and snowing on the mountains, and then coming back down again. “All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it...” (verses 6-8). And that’s true. God has given us work to do. And isn’t it an amazing thing that in the whole world, with all the people that are in it that God has provided work for everyone if they would do it? Beginning with the work of the basic necessities just to live, the work of doing in building and creating, the work of making, and weaving, and making clothes, and garments, and shoes. And you just think about all the works, and all the labors, and all the skills that different people have everywhere. And every day we get up and we go to work, don’t we? And when we’re done with that it’s still not finished. So God has given that. It’s quite a thing. It continues on and on.

Now then he covers another thing that is important: “…The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” We always want to see more. We’re always curious and want to see the new thing, or see something that is old. And we want to hear something new. You think about that. The whole entertainment and television and music industry is based upon this. Not satisfied with seeing, you want to see more. Not satisfied with hearing, you want to hear more. And God made us that way so that we actually should learn and grow and have knowledge and wisdom and understanding, so that in a proper way that would be a good thing. Now then he gets very philosophical here, which is really, really a fantastic and true statement: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” (verses 8-9). And that is absolutely true.

See, there are two mysteries that men have not been able to figure out yet, which men have done in the past: number one, how did they build the pyramids? Number two, how did the Incas cut the stones from a valley over here, and come down four thousand feet in that very sharp valley, and go up over four thousand feet and build their buildings? Because they know that the rock over here is the rock of which they built their buildings, and some of those stones weigh four to five thousand pounds or more. Now how did they get them down and get them up? I’ve often thought that it’s been because they understood how to use the magnetic forces of the earth. And now they’re just beginning to come back and understand that again; that the greatest force on the earth is to harness the magnetic powers that God has put here. After all, the earth in its turning is held in orbit, and is accurate, and can be measured and can be defined. And every time that the earth needs some more magnetic power God sends a sun storm with a magnetic storm which envelops the earth. And it brings up another question - in my mind at least - which is this: when they generate electricity, are they actually generating it, or are those turbines only a gathering point of energy, magnetic energy that is already in the earth and they are turning it into electricity? We don’t know.

All the use of electricity, which here in doing this video, it’s all done by electricity and digital equipment. But the thing that is profound, even though we use it, even though it can be measured, no one can tell you what electricity really is. And so now they’re beginning to think that the cheapest way to launch a rocket into space is not with all the rocket fuel that they have used through the years. But if they could develop a magnetic sling, it would shoot the rocket off into space with virtually no energy at all. So that’s quite a thing, isn’t it? And if you read the book, The History of Lost Races by Rene Nurenberg, then you will see they had flight, they had atomic energy and things like that just before and after the flood. So this is true, “That which has been shall be.”

So verse 10, it says: “Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after” (verses 10-11). Now unless we had memorials, unless there were cemeteries, unless there were a written and a visual record of World War II, in two generations who would know that there was a World War II? And you can take that backwards going backward in time. How many people even think about a flood which God caused to come upon all the world? They don’t have any understanding of it. Most of the people out in the world don’t. Some do. Some who read the Bible and study the Bible, they understand that. But what have they learned? They haven’t learned anything from it. So here, here is sort of the philosophical dilemma that Solomon was posing and showing. And I am sure that all of this, verse 1 through verse 11, was a prologue to the book of Ecclesiastes, which was written after he pretty well had experimented and written down all the other things.

So here we go. Let’s continue in verse 12: “I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.” Here’s what he did: “And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith” (verses 12-13). Now he’s going back and he’s understanding what happened with Adam and Eve, and how the punishment came that man was to work in the sweat of his brow; and that he would have to produce his fruit, and fight off thorns and thistles; and he would do so from the day that he was born until the day that he died; and he was made of dust, and to dust shall he return.

So he wanted to see what it was that God had given men to do. And think of it today. If we could just sort of back off and look at everything that there is in the world today, and all of the work, and all of the things that are going on in the world today, an amazing array of things that men do and God has given men to do. “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit” (verse 14). See, without God it’s futile. Without the knowledge of God and living by God’s way it is all vanity and vexation of spirit, or frustration.

Now notice. Think of this in relationship to trying to straighten out the society today and how we are going to be able to straighten it out tomorrow. That’s why it’s going to take Jesus Christ, as King over the earth, and all the sons of God as kings and priests ruling and reigning with Him, to straighten out this world. Because as human beings, look at all of the problems and think of this now when you watch the evening news: “That which is crooked cannot be made straight...” We’re always trying to untangle problems aren’t we, trying to correct them? So they correct them. And do they really get them corrected completely and take away the problem? No they don’t. “...And that which is wanting cannot be numbered.” Quite a thing isn’t it? So: “I communed with mine own heart, saying…” So he’s talking to himself. Every once in a while we have to talk to ourselves too, don’t we? “...Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge” (verses 15-16). Because God gave it to him.

And we’re going to see, what did he do with that knowledge and wisdom? How did he handle that? We’re told today that if we educate ourselves that that is the key. The key is knowledge and understanding. But remember, is that the knowledge of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? And if we seek after that understanding, will it lead to salvation? Of course not. We have to come to God, and we have to eat of the tree of life, and we have to receive of the Spirit of God.

So here he has all this wisdom. And now he’s going to experiment. So the whole book of Ecclesiastes could be said to be “the great experiment.” “And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow” (verses 17-18). Why? Because this is examining the knowledge of the tree of good and evil. See, because the tree of life was cut off. God cut it off with Adam and Eve. And He has only opened the way for those who are called through Jesus Christ. So here he is. He is going to find out. He’s going to see what his life is going to be like. And this is really quite a thing for us to really know and understand.

Now let’s come to Luke 12, and let’s see what Jesus said. Let’s see how He showed that another man had another experiment. And he, much like Solomon, he had what? He had plenty of everything. Now let’s come to Luke 12:16 (FV): “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying, ‘The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. And he was reasoning within himself [just like Solomon reasoning within himself, talking to himself] saying, “What shall I do, for I have no where to lay out my fruit?” ’ ” (Luke 12:16-17, FV), forgetting that everything he had came from God. He didn’t take care of poor, he didn’t take care of the needy; he was totally selfish and only thinking upon himself. And of course, that’s the opposite of what God wants us to do. And Christ also shows that if you act like this man here in the parable, it’s also going to be in vain.

So he’s reasoning within himself, saying: “ ‘ “What shall I do, for I have no where to lay out my fruit?” And he said, “I will do this: I will tear down my granaries and build greater ones, and there will I lay out all my produce and my good things.” ’ ” Totally for myself - that’s what he’s saying. This is the whole reason of the parable. You see, when God blesses someone, when God gives them wealth and increase they’re not to just keep it for themselves. They are to do for others, they’re to help others. That’s why Jesus said, “You always have the poor with you,” and to take care of them as well. So notice, he said: “ ‘ “Then I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many good things laid up for many years; take your rest, eat, drink, and be merry.’ ” ’ ” (verses 18-20, FV). Sounds an awful lot like what Solomon said a little bit later on, right? Yes indeed. So if you do that, you are shirking a responsibility. Because you see, Christ has also said that if you give, it shall be given back to you. And always remember that. And remember that concerning the things spiritually. Never say, “Oh, we have this; we have that; we have the other thing. Oh, this is great, this is marvelous…” and you don’t take it and apply it to your lives. You don’t take it and make it a spiritual quality through the Spirit of God that is in you to develop and build the character of God, as we saw yesterday.

So this man wasn’t doing that. Totally selfish. “ ‘But God said to Him, “Fool, this night your soul shall be required of you; and to whom will you leave what you have prepared for yourself?” ’ ” (verse 20, FV). Now this is the same lesson that we’re going to see that Solomon was teaching in the book of Ecclesiastes. Now we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. That’s why Jesus said continually seek the kingdom of God first, for the evil of every day is sufficient. In other words, the problems and difficulties of every day are sufficient unto itself.

Now if we come to a point where we have been blessed with many things physically and spiritually; and of course this is the great lesson of the Laodiceans, isn’t it? So isn’t there a great parallel between what Solomon was doing and what the Laodiceans were doing? Rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing? And that’s exactly what Solomon did. And this is exactly what this man did. So here we have a parable made explicitly for the Laodiceans. And if we’re living in a Laodicean age (which we are), do we not need to learn and heed those lessons, and humble ourselves before God so that we can learn the lessons that are taught in the Scriptures, learn the lessons of life, and the trials and difficulties that we go through, so that we don’t have to be like this man here?

Now notice what Jesus said. He said: “ ‘So shall it be to the one who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ ” Then notice what He told His disciples: “And He said to His disciples, ‘Because of this, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life...’ ” So we’re not to be just filled with frustration and anxiety. If we have faith in God, is He not able to provide? Yes. If we trust in Him, is He not able to give for us? Yes. Now God is not going to give us great riches now. Because we need to be able to take care of whatever we have at the present time so that the true riches will be given to us when Christ returns. This is quite an important and tremendous thing. So He said, Don’t be anxious and say: “ ‘...what you shall eat; nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing’ ” (verses 21-23, FV). And that’s what we are going to see in the book of Ecclesiastes. Life is more than the physical things. Life is more than having a good time. Our lives need to be totally centered on Jesus Christ and God the Father.

Now then, He gives a lesson on the physical things, which is important for us to understand: “ ‘Consider the ravens; for they do not sow [they’re not out plowing fields], nor reap; neither have they a storehouse or granary [like this man had]; but God feeds them. Of how much greater value are you then the birds?’ ” Now you think about that. You are of great value to God, provided what? That you yield to God, that you grow, that you overcome, that you do the things that are pleasing in His sight, and that you don’t get hung up on all the physical things around you and begin to think how great that these things are, and how great that we are. Now we’ve also seen how that mistake has been made by others. Therefore He says: “ ‘And which of you, by taking careful thought, has the power to add one cubit to his stature?’ ” (verses 24-25, FV). Just like God told Job, “Array yourself, deck yourself now with majesty and glory, and cast your rage abroad like Me. Then I’ll tell you can say you save your own self” (Job 40:10-11, 14, paraphrased). Same thing here - add one cubit to stature.

“ ‘Therefore, if you do not have the power to do even the least, why are you anxious about the rest?’ ” That gives us something to think about, right? One of the things that is the hardest, absolutely hardest thing to do is this: in the midst of prosperity and abundance and blessing, it is hard to remain humble. So that’s why during the Feast of Tabernacles that Ezra said that the book of Ecclesiastes should be read. Now let’s go on and see what Jesus says about Solomon, since we are talking about Solomon and studying his writings. Verse 27: “ ‘Consider the lilies, how they grow; they do not labor, nor do they spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all of his glory was adorned like one of these.’ ” And so we’re to learn lessons here. And here again, it shows in this parable somewhat of the vanity that Solomon was talking about in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Jesus says: “ ‘But if God so adorns the grass that today is in the field, and tomorrow is cast into an oven, how much more shall He clothe you, O you of little faith?’ ” (verses 26-28, FV).

See, now we’re to grow in faith, grow in knowledge, grow in understanding; and it’s the hardest thing to do so in the midst of plenty and abundance. So that’s harder to overcome that almost anything else, isn’t it? You think on that. Then He says: “ ‘Then do not be seeking what you shall eat or what you shall drink, and do not be anxious. For all the nations of the world seek after these things; and your Father knows that you have need of these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you’ ” (verses 29-31, FV). So that’s what we need to be doing. That’s the whole lesson for us during the Feast of Tabernacles. That’s the whole lesson for teaching young people, teenagers, young adults, and old people that we all come to see and understand this, and we remain and have the humility of Christ. Because we all know and realize that we have nothing that we didn’t receive.

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