Worship service 11/02/25.
Greetings and call to worship.
Greetings and good morning, saints and fellow soldiers of the cross. Grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied to you through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are gathered together to worship God once more on His holy Sabbath day, the day He hath honorably consecrated for His service and glory. Praise be to His glorious name for giving us the Sabbath. Let us come before Him therefore in humility and fear, and offer the praise of our lips, thanksgiving to His name, for it is well pleasing to Him and the praise of the righteous is comely. 1 Pet. 1:10-11 says, “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching when, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” The Spirit of Christ in the prophets testified that first there should be suffering, then glory. Therefore, inasmuch as Christ was humiliated in his incarnation, his life as a man and in his death, taking upon Himself who was all glory the form of a servant, so let us who are all dust and vanity not be ashamed of that same path, being fully persuaded that glory lies at the end, the Lord being well pleased to recompense all our woe. Let us come before Him, therefore and give thanks that He counts us worthy to suffer shame for His name. A Puritan minister writes, “If you would hear aright, practice what you hear. Practice is the life of all. ‘Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life.’ Rev 22: 14. Hearing only will be no plea at the day of judgement — merely to say, ‘Lord, I have heard many sermons.’ God will say, ‘What fruits of obedience have ye brought forth?’ The word preached is not only to inform you but reform you; not only to mend your sight, but to mend your pace in the way to heaven.”
Prayer unto the public reading of the Holy Scripture:
Our holy and righteous Father,
Eternal, immutable, and full of all glory, justice, and righteousness,
Merciful, compassionate, and faithful—The God who will by no means clear the guilty, yet showing mercy to thousands that love thee with the whole heart and keep thy commandments:
We come before thee solemnly and sincerely, as those whom thou hast redeemed and purchased by the precious blood of thy Son, called out of darkness and into the marvellous light of the gospel and the kingdom of Jesus Christ. According to thy word, we are bid and commanded to draw near to thee humbly, with a single heart and upright affections; and therefore we ask thee to grant it unto us, that it may be even so—Acknowledging that thou art incomprehensibly great, holy, and excellent, Glorious in power, fearful in praises, doing wonders. We are therefore careful to approach thy altar, knowing the severity of thy law, the holy requirements of the gospel, as well as our own vileness and unworthiness to draw so near unto thee.
We freely confess, O Lord, that apart from the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are justly denied entrance into thy glory, and must be cast from thy presence as an abominable thing. For we are guilty and polluted, unable of ourselves to repent or return, and altogether unfit to render thee any service that is not defiled by sin. Yet we believe that thou art our God, and the rewarder of them that diligently seek thy face. Therefore, we boldly cry unto thee for the free gift of thy grace: For pardoning mercy to cover our iniquities, And sanctifying mercy to make us meet for thy presence. Hear our prayers, deliver us from all trouble, cleanse us, we pray, by the blood of Christ. Assist us by the power of thy Spirit. Defend us from all evil, Strengthen our faith, subdue the lusts of the flesh that swell within us, And enable us to perform this holy service, Not in our own strength, But in the virtue which thou dost supply of thine own free goodness. And now, O Lord, as we come to the reading of thy holy word, we pray for a special blessing upon this portion of Scripture, that it may be effectual to build up thy holy church, which thou hast called thy special possession, and thy little flock. Open our hearts to receive it with meekness; Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and cause us by thy grace to worship thee by it; And may the same Spirit who spake unto the fathers, apostles and prophets, the reformers and Puritans, so guide our whole lives, That we may grow up in Him in all things, even He who is the Bridegroom and Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, our Prophet, Priest and King. All this we ask in his most worthy name,
Amen.
Devotional and doctrinal exposition on the Psalms:
Psalm 27 [4] (Verse 1): 1 David maketh this Psalm being delivered from great perils, as appeareth by the praises and thanksgiving annexed: 6 Wherein we may see the constant faith of David against the assaults of all his enemies. 7 And also the end wherefore he desireth to live and to be delivered, only to worship God in his Congregation.
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I request; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When thou saidst, seek ye my face; my heart answered unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
9 Hide not therefore thy face from me; nor cast thy servant away in displeasure: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 Though my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a right path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as speak cruelly.
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Exposition:
As we before noted the close relationship between light and salvation, that is, knowledge of sound doctrine, and being brought into fellowship with God, (a connection which cannot be sundered without violence to the holy scriptures), which is highly relevant to the study of Proverbs, so now we must proceed to the next clause, and closely examine David’s words and the doctrinal import thereof. For inasmuch as “light and salvation” resonates with the themes of Proverbs, so “strength of life” resonates with Ecclesiastes, inasmuch as David by experience finds God to be the source and strength of that life which was given to him so graciously by God. For we must consider the substance of the matter, and not only the appearance, the deep things of God and not merely the outward condition. For when David says that the Lord is the strength of his life, he means first to give God thanks for those things that are enjoyed by him, for his benefit, through the grace of God, as it is written, “I have learned how to be abased and how to abound… I can do all things through Christ [Him] which strengthens me.” and again, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;” and again, “There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” For what is life, if viewed apart from our God who is our fortress and strength, but nothingness, vanity and corruption? As it is written, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” and again, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” and again, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” For inasmuch as God spake, and there was light, order, meaning, reason, wisdom and the demonstration of His power, so those who live contrary to God’s word live in formless choas, rebellion and vanity, as the prophet proclaims against the rebellious nation, “I beheld the earth and it was without form and void.”
Echoing the same words used in Genesis 1:2. Tohu wa-vohu. The Lord declaring by the mouth of Isaiah against Edom, “The LORD shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion (tohu), and the stones of emptiness(vohu).” Once again showing the vanity and emptiness of all besides communion with God. So, when David saith that the Lord is his light and salvation, and the strength of his life, he means to say that the LORD has delivered him from the vanity and confusion that ever follows the wicked, inasmuch as they are separated from him by ignorance, error and sin. For except the LORD be our light, we wander in darkness. Except the LORD be the strength of our life, we fall prey to vanity and are soon enslaved to every error.
As it is written, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” and again, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” Indeed, our only refuge and place of safety is the word of God, and those who live outside of the walls of orthodoxy are prey to every false doctrine and machination of Satan. Praise be to God for the truth of His word, the means of grace, and His blessed Spirit illuminating us and giving us comfort and joy through our Lord Jesus Christ. All else besides is vanity.
As we before noted the close relationship between light and salvation—that is, between the knowledge of sound doctrine and the fellowship of the soul with God, a connection which cannot be sundered without violence to Holy Scripture—so now we proceed to the next clause, and closely examine David’s words and the doctrinal import thereof.
For inasmuch as light and salvation resonate with the themes of Proverbs, so the strength of life resonates with Ecclesiastes. David by experience finds God to be both the source and the strength of that life which was given to him so graciously by God. For we must consider not only the appearance of the thing, but its substance—the deep things of God, and not merely the outward condition of man.
When David saith that the Lord is the strength of my life, he first encourages himself on the grounds that God protected him as a shield. As it is written, “For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” and again, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (And this is the common interpretation of the faithful on this passage.)
Next, we must observe, he gives thanks for those things enjoyed by him– for his benefit through divine grace. As it is written:
“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content: I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound… I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:11–13)
And again, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Tim. 6:17)
And again, “There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” (Eccl. 2:24)
And thirdly, he means to publicly declare and publish that there is no safety, order, harmony, or purpose in any life besides that found in the fear of God. As it is written, “be not high-minded but fear” and again, “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.” For what is life, if viewed apart from our God who is our light, our life, our fortress and strength, but vanity, weakness, corruption, and nothingness? As it is written, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14) and, “All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.” And again, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” (John 12:25)
So too in the beginning it is written, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” (Gen. 1:2) For when God spake and there was light, then came forth order, meaning, and wisdom—the demonstration of His power and the revelation of His Word. But they who live contrary to the Word of God dwell in formless chaos, rebellion, and vanity. As the prophet declares against the rebellious nation, “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form and void.” (Jer. 4:23)
Here he echoes the same words used in Genesis 1:2—tohu wa-vohu—“formlessness and void.” And the Lord declares again by Isaiah against Edom: “He shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion (tohu) and the stones of emptiness (vohu).” (Isa. 34:11) Thus once again Scripture shows the vanity and emptiness of all things apart from communion with God. In this case, the idolatry of the surrounding nations, particularly Edom, which often personified the reprobate.
Therefore, when David saith that the Lord is his light, his salvation, and the strength of his life, he means that the Lord hath delivered him from the vanity and confusion that ever follow the wicked, who are separated from God by ignorance, error, and sin. For except the Lord be our light, we wander in darkness; except the Lord be the strength of our life, we fall prey to vanity and are soon enslaved to every delusion.
As it is again written, “Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” And again, “born again by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever” and “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” (Matt. 10:37–40)
Indeed, our only refuge and place of safety is the Word of God. Those who live outside the walls of orthodoxy are exposed to every false doctrine and machination of Satan. As it is written of those who contradict, “who are taken captive by him at his will.” and of the righteous, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Ps. 91:1)
Praise be to God, then, for the truth of His Word, for the means of grace, and for His blessed Spirit who illuminates, comforts, and strengthens us through Jesus Christ our Lord. For all else besides is vanity. “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
John Calvin,
Certainly we find that all our fears arise from this source, that we are too anxious about our life, while we acknowledge not that God is its preserver. We can have no tranquillity, therefore, until we attain the persuasion that our life is sufficiently guarded, because it is protected by his omnipotent power. The interrogation, too, shows how highly David esteemed the Divine protection, as he thus boldly exults against all his enemies and dangers. Nor assuredly do we ascribe due homage to God, unless, trusting to his promised aid, we dare to boast of the certainty of our safety. Weighing, as it were, in scales the whole power of earth and hell, David accounts it all lighter than a feather, and considers God alone as far outweighing the whole.
David Dickson,
The grounds for the strengthening of his faith are three.
The first is this: that God, by virtue of His covenant, has bound Himself to give direction, comfort, and deliverance in times of trouble; from which David rightly infers that he need not fear his enemies.
From this learn:
- When we are to wrestle in prayer against the doubts and temptations that rise in our hearts to shake our confidence, it is wise first to arm ourselves by faith against these doubts before we begin to pray. Thus the prophet’s example instructs us.
- He who is in covenant with God has a sure foundation for expecting from Him both guidance and comfort in every distress, and deliverance from it in due time; for by virtue of the covenant of grace, David says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
- When our faith is fixed upon God, we may, with good reason, defy all our enemies and say with the prophet, “Of whom shall I be afraid?”
- When our enemies appear strong and we know ourselves to be weak, we must set the Lord’s strength against our temptation, that we may resist all fear. For thus David teaches us: “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Opening Prayer.
Our loving, gracious, compassionate, and merciful Father in heaven,
Thou who dost comfort us in all our tribulation,
and hast assured us that heavenly glory awaiteth those who suffer with and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are well pleased for thy sake to suffer,
knowing assuredly that the path of righteousness is strewn with thorns,
even as our Lord was crowned with them.
Grant us therefore such a heart as will not despise thy free gift to us,
but rather to pluck up courage and be strong in faith.
Give us love for thy truth, and hope in the grace that shall be revealed
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our enemies surround us, and the wicked have taken captive
the principalities and powers of the land.
There is no help in princes,
nor any public place of worship to call upon thy name in defence of thy doctrine.
Yet we know that thou wilt ever preserve unto thyself a people
to worship thee in spirit and in truth,
though scattered and oppressed in the world.
If thou dost not deliver us by an overturning and by their destruction,
then give us patience to wait for the resurrection;
cause us to hope steadfastly in thy word.
For thou hast promised to strengthen the hearts of them that trust in thee—
thou who art our light and our salvation,
the strength of our life.
Come speedily, O Lord, and destroy the wicked,
and establish thy kingdom of righteousness and peace.
For we pray in the name of our righteous Governor,
our Deliverer and Captain,
even Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Lesson 56. [1.2.31.] The Contents of Holy Scripture: The Books of Wisdom: Ecclesiastes.
Westminster Confession of Faith 1.2.
Under the name of holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments,
Genesis-Proverbs, Ecclesiastes.
All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.
Intro.
Ecc. 1-3
I. Introduction to Ecclesiastes.
Job teaches the mystery of suffering under the cross.
Proverbs teaches the practice of righteousness.
Ecclesiastes teaches the emptiness of life apart from God.
What is the meaning of life? Solomon speaks as a man and a Christian.
As a man, all is vanity. As a Christian, fear God.
(To humble the pride of man and silence the boast of human reason.
To expose the insufficiency of earthly good to fill the soul.
To drive men to seek the eternal good found only in the fear of God.
To instruct believers in moderation, contentment, and joy in lawful things as gifts from God.
To remind all men of the coming judgment, where all things shall be made manifest.)
II. Expositional introduction.
The words of the Preacher.
The vanity of the world.
i. Free will. John 3.
ii. Honor. John 5:44
iii. Riches. Matt. 6:44
The last day will declare it.
Ecc. 12:10-14, 1 Cor. 3:11-17
III. Reformed Orthodoxy in Ecclesiastes.
The Doctrine of Providence.
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, 14–15
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end…
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.”
Ecclesiastes 7:13–14
“Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.”
Against common grace.
Ecclesiastes 9:1–2
“For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner.”
Ecclesiastes 8:14
“There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.”
Reprobation.
Ecclesiastes 2:26
“For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God.”
The Universal, Militant Depravity of Man.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Ecclesiastes 8:11
“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
Ecclesiastes 9:3
“This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.”
Ecclesiastes 7:29
“Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”
IV. Christ in Ecclesiastes.
“For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy.”
Redemption from Vanity.
Ecclesiastes 1:14
“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
But Paul reveals the answer:
Romans 8:20–21
“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
“Your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).
Ecclesiastes 2:24–25
“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.”
John 6:27, 35
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you… And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger.”
Augustine: Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.
Isaiah 53:11.
“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
Conclusion.
Closing Prayer.
Our glorious and righteous Lord and Savior,
Our God, our light and our salvation,
Thou hast revealed unto us the truth of thy word,
and separated us from the wicked by the light of thy favor.
Thou, and thou alone, hast done this—
because thou hast truly and faithfully loved us with an everlasting love,
and hast drawn us unto thyself by the quickening power of thy truth.
Thou hast pierced our hearts
and transformed us from within,
causing us to love thy word
and to be bold for that which is contrary to human reason and sinful nature.
Thou hast given us divine wisdom to know thee,
faith to believe in thee,
love to endure all things for thee,
and hope to wait patiently for thy coming.
Grant us therefore boldness before our enemies;
keep us steadfast in obedience to thy word,
not turning to the right hand nor to the left,
but abiding in thy fear,
and ever mindful of the day of judgment—
when the silver cord shall be loosed,
the golden bowl broken,
and the spirit return unto God who gave it.
For when we shuffle off this mortal coil,
then must we give account before thee
for all that was done in the body,
for every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Give us therefore strength to mortify corruption,
for this is the end of our sanctification and the cause of our calling—
that inasmuch as we call upon thee, O Father,
we may be holy even as thou art holy;
that we may reign with thee in peace and righteousness
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer,
who delivereth us from death and maketh us heirs of life eternal.
In His glorious and blessed name we pray,
Amen.
Fearless Puritan: 