#earlwoodanglican #BrendanMcLaughlin #ecclesiastes

Fear of God

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15 is a strange passage. For a brief moment Qohelet leaves
behind the notion of meaninglessness to recite a very famous poem about time.
What becomes apparent very quickly however is that God sets the times. For
example, no human has control over the time of their birth, nor the time of their
death. Likewise humans do not get to choose when to plant seed and when to
harvest (uproot). God has set the seasons. We are not in control. God is.
Being out of control is one of humanity’s greatest fears. The reason people fear
flying is because they are not in control of the plane. They simply have to trust
that the plane will hold together, and that the pilot won’t fly into a mountain. A
lack of trust can lead to quite debilitating fear and anxiety.
This is why it is not surprising to find that that the reason God sets the seasons
is ‘so that people will revere (fear) Him’ (Eccles 3: 14). Yet fear of God is to have
the opposite effect to fear of being out of control. To fear God doesn’t mean to
be afraid of him; though there should be at least an element of worry to it.
Rather to ‘fear’ God means to stand in awe and wonder at his power and
character, and to be captivated by it. Since God is a loving God, we can trust
that he will use his infinite power for our good.
This is why God setting the times should be a comfort to believers. There is
someone infinitely more qualified than us at the helm of the universe, and even
our life. All we need to do is (i) trust that God is using all things for our good
(Rom 8: 28), and (ii) learn how to live in the world he has created for us. Do you
have a healthy fear of the Lord?

Brendan McLaughlin

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro - Stephen FRY
04:11 - 3 Points
05:33 - The reality of suffering
11:55 - Suffering 'under the sun'
17:35 - Suffering under God



Bible Passage:
Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes 3: 16 - 4: 6

Preacher: BrendanMcLaughlin

Reflection Questions:
- What justice, comfort and hope do you think atheism can offer you?
- How do you feel knowing Jesus suffered the ultimate injustice and oppression for you?
- Do I really appreciate the justice, comfort and hope found in Christ?


Prayer for the day – 5th Sunday after Easter
Let us pray [that we may practise the faith we profess.]
Ever-living God, help us to celebrate joyfully the resurrection of the Lord and to express
in our lives the love we celebrate. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.