Join us in a deep dive into Ecclesiastes chapter 8, where Solomon addresses the ever-pertinent issue of authority. In a world that prays for freedom yet often misjudges true autonomy, discover the biblical insights on submission, power, and the role of earthly authority. This episode reveals the wisdom of balancing respect for authority while weighing its decisions and the responsibilities that come with it.
I’d like to say that I don’t believe authority exists except from God. You say, well, wait a minute, you’ve got authority, but you back up the whole issue of rights and authority, go all the way back in human history, and what do you end up with? God has authority. And God, because of who he is, has established the principle of authority. And no authority exists, according to Romans 13, 1, unless God has established it. Who has given somebody the right to say what is right and wrong? That’s a big question.
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Who has authority and who doesn’t? That question is at the center of everything, and Ecclesiastes chapter 8 does not dodge it. Solomon confronts power, obedience, and the consequences of resisting God’s order. In a world that rejects authority and trusts its own judgment, God’s Word speaks with uncomfortable clarity. On this edition of Hope for Today with David Hawking, it’s day one of the problem of authority. Listen, if you want truth that cuts through the confusion, stay with us. Open your Bible to Ecclesiastes chapter 8, verses 1 through 9, and our study there begins in mere moments. Just ahead of today’s lesson, we want you to know this. If you need prayer, we’re here for you. You might be a parent with a wayward or rebellious child. We have folks writing and pouring their hearts out on that issue. You might be struggling under a difficult boss or maybe a heavy work situation. Maybe there’s a sickness that’s ravaging your body, and you don’t know how this is going to turn out. Listen, if life now feels hard, confusing, or overwhelming, You don’t have to carry it alone. We would count it a privilege to pray for you. We’d also ask you to pray for us for this ministry as God continues to use his word to reach hearts through Hope for Today. And we give God the glory for all that work. You can reach us by phone at 875-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S. In Canada, call 888-75-BIBLE. Bible by the numbers, of course, is 242-5388. You can also visit our website davidhawking.org and use a contact form to send your prayer request. Let’s get into today’s lesson. Here’s David.
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Take your Bibles, please, and turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 8. We have a very interesting subject from Ecclesiastes dealing with the problem of authority. Really not God’s authority, although ultimately so, but he’s talking about the problem of earthly authority, something you and I face every day. We face it in our domestic life, let’s face it. Authority, the authority of parents with children. We all got problems with authority, authority figures in life. Whether it’s a policeman whose car we spotted down the highway coming rapidly towards us with his light turning, or whether it’s our school teachers, or whether it’s our politicians, or the boss we face every week that’s over us. There are all kinds of problems of authority. There are laws, rules, regulations, some good, some not so good. And we all have to adapt and adjust and understand. And Solomon here deals with a problem of authority that is really a struggle for all of us. And he is very open and he’s very honest about it. He’s not trying to hide the problem. Beginning with chapter 8, verse 2, and reading to chapter 8, verse 9. I counsel you, keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God. Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him. Where the word of a king is, there’s power. And who may say to him, what are you doing? He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful. And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment, because for every matter there is a time and judgment, though the misery of man increases greatly. For he does not know what will happen, so who can tell him when it will occur? No one has power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit, and no one has power in the day of death. There is no discharge in that war, and wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it. All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done unto the Son, and There’s a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt. Let’s look to the Lord in a moment of prayer and ask his blessing on our study today. Let’s pray. Father, I thank you for your word. Thank you that you touch the practical issues of our life, the struggles that we have. And I pray, God, that you’d open up our minds and our hearts to what the Bible teaches is our response to human authority. And that we might ultimately, Father, recognize your authority over all things. That we would submit to it. We would surrender all to it. That we would recognize that your throne is in the heavens. You do whatever you please. God, I pray that we would see your sovereign grace behind all that is transpiring in our lives. God, we pray that in this time together, it would be crystal clear in our hearts that he is Lord. King of kings and Lord of lords. And there’d be a great hunger in our hearts to worship him, to bow the knee to him, to submit to him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Now the problem of human authority is so enormous you hardly know where to begin. It’s a problem of rights, and there are so many people talking about their rights today, wanting their rights. And even taking out litigation against positions of authority in order to achieve those rights. We have to ask serious questions about authority. Solomon is not going to hide anything here. He’s talking about earthly authority. And there are three things I believe he wants us to see. And let’s take them right away so we know where we’re going. Number one, he’s going to say the basic fundamental law that all of us know, that the demands of authority, its demands, are always to be obeyed. You say, but aren’t there any exceptions? Certainly there are. We’ll talk about that. But demands of authority are to be obeyed. That’s a principle about authority itself. Authority is not authority unless it’s obeyed. Its demands are to be obeyed. And that’s verses 2 to 4. Secondly, he’s going to tell us that the decisions of authority are to be evaluated. You can’t just bow down and accept everything that’s said. He’s going to tell you that in human authority, you’ve got to evaluate every decision they make for some very definite reasons. And then finally, he’s going to tell us that there is a danger to authority, and its dangers have to be understood, that sometimes they can result in a lot of hurt and a lot of harm, and they have throughout history. So let’s back up and start with the first principle about human authority, that its demands are to be obeyed. Solomon says, for two reasons. One, because of our submission to God. Look please at verse 2. I counsel thee, keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God. Now probably he’s talking about an oath of allegiance to an earthly king. And he’s saying that you’ve made a promise, you’ve made a commitment, and it is done to God, ultimately, who is the ultimate authority behind all human authority. Why should I submit to the police officer? Why should I submit to the school teacher? Why should I submit to the politician? Why should I submit to the boss at work? And the answer is because of your submission to God. That is fundamental in the scriptures. Take your Bibles and turn to Romans chapter 13. The Bible teaches in Romans chapter 13, let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God. You think you have problems with American government. This was Rome. And the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you’ll have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid. For he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is God’s minister and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore, you must be subject, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience sake. For because of this, you also pay taxes. Ouch. For they are God’s ministers, attending continually to this very thing. Render, therefore, to all their due. Taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, and honor to whom honor. Now turn to Titus chapter 3. 1 and 2 Timothy, then Titus. And look at chapter 3, verse 1. This is a consistent theme in the Bible. That we are to submit. We are to obey the demands of authority, earthly authority, because of our submission to God. No questions asked. And a lot of us, because we do have an old sin nature and a selfish, stubborn spirit, say, hey, what right do you have to tell me what to do? And if we don’t think there are any consequences or that the consequences aren’t too severe, many, many times we’ll go ahead and do what we want to and never respond to that authority because we think we’re right and the authority’s wrong. Don’t tell me this isn’t a problem in life. This is a serious problem. I recently read a book on the whole issue of parental authority. I was just unbelievably moved by that book, just reading that book, because I realized that there has been a complete undermining of parental authority in this country. And a lot of us don’t know what’s happening or how it happened or how we got in the place we are or how we can change it and stop it. And I don’t believe that those of us who have grown up in the spirit of this age concerning parental authority really understand what’s happening. Many, many writers, sociologists, psychologists, are telling us that because of the parental authority problem, that’s why we have the authority in other aspects of our life. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know. Some people try to blame it on Dr. Benjamin Spock. I doubt if he alone bears the burden. But he gave advice and counsel about not disciplining children. And somehow we sowed the wind and we reaped the whirlwind. We had a whole generation who grew up without much corporeal punishment. And still today there are debates about whether to spank your children or not. Whether you should do it or you’re not. And a lot of people say that they are inherently good. So there’s no need to spank them. And of course they are inherently wrong. Titus chapter 3 verse 1. Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities. Now Paul’s telling Titus, who’s planning churches, brand new Christians, what’s some of the advice we ought to tell people in the churches? I preach a message on this, and every now and then somebody will send you a note and say, well, that’s politics. Keep it out of the pulpit. Hey, wait a minute. This is Bible, folks, not politics. The Bible governs and dictates what our attitudes are towards authority, not politics telling us something. And he writes to people under Rome’s domination who had a lot of cruel oppression. And he writes to Titus who’s planting churches and says, here’s what I want you to tell all those new folks. He said, I want you to tell them, remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one. to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. See, part of the problem is we get too wrapped up in the system and forget that we are not citizens of this world. When you become a Christian, your citizenship is in heaven. The word citizenship, by the way, in Philippians 3.21, is our English word politics. My politics are not down here. My politics are in heaven. My involvement down here is only for one purpose, to continue to accomplish the purposes of heaven on earth. I’m down here to affect people for God and take folks to heaven with me. I’m going to go and vote and I’m going to do what God tells me to do. I’m going to submit to authorities, but I want you to understand that my politics are in heaven. We are not servants of this world. Jesus said, if my servants were of this world, then my servants would fight and we’d establish a Christian state and we’d suppress everyone else. That is not the teaching of the Bible. The Bible teaches we are to be subject to the powers that be. We’re not even to speak evil of those, even if they’re a different party and a different association or thought than we are. We’re not to attack them. We’re not to criticize them. Yet that kind of stuff goes on every day. You know that and I know that. This is Bible stuff instructing us. The demands of earthly authority are to be obeyed. Why? Because of our submission to God. Let’s keep going on. 1 Peter chapter 2. In 1 Peter chapter 2, 13, Peter writes, Therefore, submit yourselves, look at this, all-inclusive statement, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man. Why? For the Lord’s sake. whether to the king as supreme or to governors as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers. Interesting, people often want to get to the boss. They go into a business or something, they’re not getting what they want, and they’ve been frustrated, and the computer read it out wrong, and they’ve got a bill that they shouldn’t have, and et cetera. So they go to somebody who’s at the window and says, who’s in charge here? You’re trying to get to the person that you think is in charge. Yet God tells you to submit to all those who have been sent by whoever’s in charge. Isn’t that interesting? You say, well, they don’t know anything. I want to get to the guys in charge. But you know, if you’ve ever been through that, you know that the people who are really in charge aren’t really in charge. Amen? I mean, you know that. I find the higher you go, the less likely you are to find the answer. That’s Murphy’s Law. I mean, the higher you go, the guys at the top don’t know anything. They give them big offices. They tell them everything that they think they want them to know, but they don’t really know what’s happening. If you want to know what’s happening, hey, go to the custodians or the secretaries. They know what’s happening. But you know, it’s something about the human spirit. Who’s in charge here? Well, I am. I’ve been given this. No, no, honey. Somebody’s behind you. I want to know who the big boy here. I want to know the top honcho. You know, the arrogance of our hearts. And I read this stuff. This is out of the Bible. I wonder if we’re listening. It says, submit to every ordinance, whether it’s the king of supreme or to those whom he sends. For the punishment of evildoers, for the praise of those who do good. And look at this next statement. This is the will of God. That’s what the Bible says. I’m not making it up. You can read it for yourself. It’s the will of God that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, yet not using your liberty as a cloak for vice, but as servants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. Wow. One writer that I was reading on the problem of parental authority said, It’s interesting that how many problems in the Bible are brought up in this area, such as if you don’t submit to your parents, your lamp will go out in obscure darkness. Lots of stuff are said, but he was writing and commenting on all of this and saying that if we could somehow just pull back the curtain, as he put it, of a person’s life and look inside, I wonder if our problems aren’t related to a lack of submission to authority. Well, we would never say that. But we grow up rebellious. We grow up stubborn. We grow up not listening. We grow up trying to spread our wings, do what we want to do. And I wonder how many problems in our life later on are really related to the lack of submission to authority. It’s a very interesting problem. Because the more you study about this in the Proverbs, the more you realize that God has some specific statements of judgment towards those who refuse to submit. And here I read 1 Peter 2. Submit to every ordinance. Hey, there’s some of them I don’t like. But it says submit to every ordinance. Some of them I think are Mickey Mouse and they’re red tape and bureaucratic. And why have we got them? But he says submit to them. That’s what he says. Powerful teaching. Back to Ecclesiastes. The demands of authority are to be obeyed. One, because of our submission to God. But two, because of the sovereignty of the king. And what do we mean by sovereignty? I think a good, very good phrase to describe sovereignty is right there in verse 3, the last phrase. He does whatever pleases him. What a definition of sovereignty. Same thing is said of our Lord. He does whatever pleases him. You say, well, I don’t like him doing that. We don’t want him to do whatever pleases him. And there are some who are in authority who say, now I’m not doing this because I’m trying to please myself. Yet God says the principle of authority of a king is he does whatever pleases him. A part of why we are a democratic or a representative society is that we wanted checks and balances on that. We did not want a monarchical system. We did not want a king. And yet the number one type of government throughout history has been that. And we enjoy our society because we have checks and balances, allows a lot of criticism, allows a lot of, uh, uh, Free opinion and tension between differing views, and we like that, and that’s good. But yet the Bible says, if you do come up against this, what do you do? He does whatever pleases him. That is the argument. Look at verse 2 and 3 again from the standpoint of the little word for. When I ask, why should I keep the king’s command? For the sake of your oath to God, number one. And for, number two, he does whatever pleases him. It’s because of the sovereignty, you see, of that king that we are to do it. God establishes his authority. You may not like what he’s doing, but the fact that he’s in that position, I’m to respect that. That’s also true about marriage. A wife is to respect the position of her husband, but he may not be acting right. Children are to respect the position of their parents, but they may not be making right decisions in their opinion. But we are still to respect it. We are still to submit to it. I think sovereignty means three things. One, you do respect his position. Look please again at verse 3. It says, do not be hasty to go from his presence. Now that’s born in an ancient system where it was an honor and somewhat awesome to even enter the presence of a monarch. You were granted that entrance and boy, you took very great caution when you responded to it. And there was usually a marble or a glass type of floor right in front of a sovereign’s throne. This is true in most ancient, most all of the ancient kingdoms of the world. And what that meant was you can’t cross over. And a person would come and he would stand outside of that or kneel or whatever. And he’d have to be granted special permission to even cross and come up to the king. What this is simply saying is respecting the presence and position of someone who is in authority. All I’m saying, to my heart and to yours, is the same thing Peter told us in 1 Peter 2, 17, when he said, honor the king. The Bible says, honor your father and mother that thy days may be long on the earth. We are to honor and we are to respect all who are in authority, even if their character and their decisions are not very respectful.
SPEAKER 02 :
That’s Bible teacher and author David Hawking, and this is Hope for Today. David’s back in a moment or two with some final words of encouragement from today’s passage, so stay tuned for that. Before that, Matt’s here, and we’re going to share again about a resource that’s proving to be very powerful and popular with our listening family. This is the Ecclesiastes Is Life Worth Living package. We’ve held it over this month, and that way nobody will miss out. Matt?
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We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord Jesus Christ through proclaiming the gospel and teaching the uncompromised truths of God’s word.
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And the book of Ecclesiastes speaks powerfully to our generation. It asks the timeless questions such as, what is the meaning of life? Does any of this truly matter in the end?
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Or is life simply pointless? Solomon’s spirit-inspired assessment of life under the sun exposes the emptiness of a world focused only on human effort and achievement.
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Yeah, vanity of vanities, saith the preacher. Vanity of vanities, all is… Vanity.
SPEAKER 01 :
That’s it, Ecclesiastes 1.12. The antagonism, restlessness, and confusion of our time are not accidental, Jim. No, no. The result of a culture drifting farther and farther away from God as history moves towards final days. And this is why we’re offering your dad’s impactful book, Is Life Worth Living?,
SPEAKER 02 :
We want to get that into the hands of as many believers as possible.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, drawing from Ecclesiastes. I mean, this timely resource helps readers understand not only the emptiness of life without God, but also the deep peace of a life centered on Him and lived in light of eternity. And right now we have an excellent value package for you.
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It combines Is Life Worth Living by David Hawking with a complete set of messages in our current Ecclesiastes radio series.
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Order the Is Life Worth Living Ecclesiastes package for just $40 by phone or online.
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Or to get your copy of the Is Life Worth Living Ecclesiastes bundle, call 875-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. You can also order online at davidhocking.org. And while you’re on the website, take a moment and check out the Bible study resources, including books, audio and video recordings, and free material to help you go even deeper into God’s Word. David’s coming back in a moment. First, Hope for Today continues because people who care about God’s Word choose to stand with it. This program exists to share the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible. And if God has used David’s teaching to strengthen your faith, or to sharpen your understanding of truth, well, reach out today at 875-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Let us know you’re praying for this ministry, and if God supplies for you to do so and directs you to do so, send a donation as well. You can also get in touch at our website, davidhawking.org. That’s davidhawking.org. Or you can write to us, share a prayer need, or make a donation at Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO7OAKS, Abbotsford, B.C., V2SHP1. Do know that if you missed any part of today’s program or recent broadcast, you can listen again for a limited time at davidhawking.org. And here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, friends, we’ve come to Ecclesiastes chapter 8, the first nine verses, and our subject is the problem of authority. If you don’t know that we have a problem of authority in our culture, I don’t know where you’ve been. Listen, the breakdown of authority is unbelievable. the attitudes, the rebellion, the refusal to really respond to authority, whether it’s a school teacher or a parent, police officer, or paying your taxes. I mean, it goes on and on. Folks, we need to understand what Solomon, the wisest of the ancient world, the wealthiest king of the world, we need to understand what he’s talking about. He said in verse 2, I counsel thee to keep the king’s commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. I think we need to be careful. Now, what he’s saying about the king applies to all authority. Like verse 4, where the word of a king is, there is power. There is authority. So, friends, be careful. The New Testament speaks very powerfully about the importance of authority. In Romans 13, it tells us that who’s ever in power and authority, those authorities are ordained and placed there by God, even when they are wicked men. Now, if you have the privilege of voting and try to vote them out and vote somebody else in, that’s great. Make no mistake about it. God wants us to be submissive to authority. Now, when that authority violates the authority of God, Acts 5.29 says we ought to obey God rather than man. Well, we got a lot more to say. I hope you can be with us for each one of these broadcasts.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, thank you, David. And friends, we hope you’ll join us for tomorrow’s lesson as we continue in Ecclesiastes chapter 8. David Hawking brings us day two of his message, The Problem of Authority, as God’s Word takes a hard look at power, control, and life under authority, both human and divine. Don’t miss it next time, right here on Hope for Today.
