WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:07.519 practical ways. 4 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:13.919 You're back, Chris, I am back better than ever. 5 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:17.719 Who's back better than ever? Hey? I think I am 6 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:18.359 better than ever? 7 00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:18.960 Really? 8 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:20.640 Yeah, when I wake up every day, that's what I 9 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:21.879 try to tell myself, Jeff. 10 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:24.559 Better than ever. Okay, it's a new day and it's 11 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:25.839 got better. Keep telling yourself. 12 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:29.160 So, hey, I do this thing at our church has 13 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:33.439 a gym called HFP Heritage Fitness Project, and Josh, one 14 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:35.679 of the trainers, has a saying and so as you're 15 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:39.200 working really hard, he always says, you're one percent better today. 16 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:41.960 Yep, that's right. Better, that's all you got to do. 17 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:44.679 Hey, think about it, right, that's a really great perspective. 18 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:49.359 So so then in ninety nine days, you're right on 19 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:52.119 the edge of being one hundred percent. You've doubled yourself, 20 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:54.439 doubled yourself. That's right, twice as good as I was. 21 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:56.520 It's a hundred days ago. That's right, every three months, 22 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:59.399 every three months, right, Okay, Wow, there you got it 23 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:01.840 for you, Chris, Yes, thank you. Good it is It 24 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:02.399 is good for me. 25 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:03.640 The unfortunate thing is. 26 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:06.159 And our listeners just totally picked up on your flex. 27 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:06.959 There by the way. 28 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:09.719 You know, I go to the gym all the time. No, no, 29 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:10.599 my trainer. 30 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:14.280 Because what I'm about to say is is that, unfortunately, 31 00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:17.319 it's not true the order you get right, you can't 32 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:19.920 be five years older and be one hundred and fifty 33 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:21.200 percent better than Yeah. 34 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:23.400 That's right, that's right, because you're not five years older. 35 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:27.239 Right. So anyway, well, good, well, hey today, Chris, we 36 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:30.560 have a very very big things. It's one of our 37 00:01:31.319 --> 00:01:36.840 most important segments. Yes, mail Banks rights, right, it's our 38 00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:38.439 only seg Well, it's not our only segment, but it's 39 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:40.959 one of our only segments with its own theme song. 40 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.079 Wait a minute, what else has the theme song? Oh well, 41 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:46.319 we've sung a couple of times for other things. Okay, yeah, 42 00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:52.439 so anyways, dead joke Sarah Kay Hi, Sarah Hey, Sarah. 43 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:56.200 Sarah Kay says what's the best concert or live performance 44 00:01:56.239 --> 00:01:59.200 you've ever been to? That's a good question. And then 45 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:02.280 it says, p Jeff, you can't say it was hearing 46 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:03.560 Chris sing on the podcast. 47 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:04.799 Ha ha, Yeah for sure. 48 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:06.760 Well, no, I don't know what I'm going to say, 49 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:08.360 right right, I don't know what I'm going to say, 50 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:10.560 because truly that was the case. I've been around some 51 00:02:10.599 --> 00:02:16.039 really great music, and yours this some music you see. 52 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:18.800 The opera's his name, but the opera guy? 53 00:02:18.879 --> 00:02:22.080 Oh Andrealli? Yeah yeah, it's either me and the podcast 54 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:23.240 or Andrea. 55 00:02:23.400 --> 00:02:25.960 Yeah oh yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, that's so funny. 56 00:02:26.120 --> 00:02:27.520 I just I know I know who he is. I 57 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:30.719 just can't say his name correct. I don't want to Butcher, right, Okay, 58 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:32.520 So are you go ahead? 59 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:32.719 Yes? 60 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:34.159 Okay, So I'm going to. 61 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:36.800 Give you an answer that will probably surprise you, Okay, 62 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:40.000 because I've been to, like you, probably quite a few concerts. 63 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:40.960 I've been to. 64 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:46.039 I mean, you know, I would say dozens and dozens, right, 65 00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:47.879 what fifty concerts? 66 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:50.639 Maybe forty, I don't know, in your lifetime. 67 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:51.960 You know, the kind you pay for and you go 68 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:57.199 and it's a big deal. I would say my absolute 69 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:59.599 best live performance I've ever been to, because it does 70 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:04.360 say live performance is Lady Gaga in Las Vegas. 71 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:04.680 Yeah. 72 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:06.800 I think you've told us this before. 73 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:12.439 Because it was unbelievable. Tony Bennett passed on to her 74 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:18.840 the mantle of carrying the uh the baton for jazz, 75 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:21.840 and so she did jazz and so what I had 76 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:27.439 discovered is is that she is a phenomenal musician, and 77 00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:31.039 she's so technical, and she's so knowledgeable, and her performance, 78 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:35.240 her ability to perform for the audience is almost higher 79 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:39.439 than anybody I've ever seen. She's unbelievable, Okay, And what 80 00:03:39.479 --> 00:03:41.280 I mean by that is I mean like total respect. 81 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:44.759 My respect for her went through the roof because you know, 82 00:03:44.759 --> 00:03:46.000 remember when she first came out. 83 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:48.280 It was all goofy. It was just goofy stuff, right, 84 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:52.639 It was just you know, how different can I look? Yes? Yes, 85 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:56.680 And I just never could have imagined that she was 86 00:03:56.719 --> 00:03:57.240 who she is. 87 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:00.599 Okay, Well, so I have a weird answer for you too. 88 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:04.800 I don't think I've paid for a dozen concerts in 89 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:11.680 my lifetime. Whoa, Yeah, I've played in hundreds of concerts. Yeah, yeah, 90 00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:14.199 but I don't think. I don't think I've paid for 91 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:16.279 twelve concerts my whole life, for the for. 92 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:19.240 The listeners who don't know, Jeff used to play the trumpet. Well, yeah, 93 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:21.279 I guess I could say used to write. 94 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:23.959 Sure, I don't play it very much anymore. Yeah, yeah, okay, 95 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:27.279 And I don't play for money, yeah, for money anymore? 96 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:27.839 Yeah. 97 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:31.879 So yeah, I've played in hundreds of concerts, but I 98 00:04:31.879 --> 00:04:35.240 don't think I've ever paid to go more than maybe 99 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:39.240 ten times. We love Broadway, but I've been to like 100 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:43.040 five Broadway shows. I just we don't do the theater. 101 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:45.319 I wouldn't consider that a concert, although maybe it is. 102 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:48.199 Yeah, yeah, well they're singing and dancing. I know, but 103 00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:48.839 what what do you need? 104 00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:53.600 I call that a musical play, and I don't know concert. 105 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:55.439 What it says or live performance. 106 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:59.360 Oh it does say that live performance. Well then hey, 107 00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:01.319 hey reading, wait a minute, wait a minute, a minute, 108 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:05.680 because now I'm changing my mind. Okay, it's got to 109 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:08.279 be Wicked in New York. 110 00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:10.199 Yeah, I was gonna say, we saw Wicked in New 111 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:12.959 York twice and I like that. Yeah, that was a 112 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:13.279 good one. 113 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:14.000 Yeah, that was good. 114 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:19.399 We saw it with the original original Holy Christmas. Yeah, yeah, 115 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:20.519 that's so phenomenal. 116 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:21.399 That's a privilege. 117 00:05:21.639 --> 00:05:24.639 It was a few years into the show, you know. Yeah, 118 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:27.279 so we had I was going to do a matinee 119 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:28.800 and then we changed it. The first time we went 120 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:30.680 and saw it and we changed it and went to 121 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:33.240 the evening, and the evening was the two original cast members. 122 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:33.959 So that was pretty great. 123 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:35.560 That's crazy, is what that. 124 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:40.680 Is hysterically funny because they'd done the show so many 125 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:43.560 times that at this point they were fooling around with 126 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:45.560 it and you know how they turn and look at 127 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:49.439 the crowd anyways, or you know, break that wall. They 128 00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:51.439 were on purpose trying to make the other one laugh. 129 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:56.040 It was. It was really funny. So that was great 130 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.800 when when the characters are they're not breaking the wall 131 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.399 entirely other than when are supposed to in the show, 132 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:04.399 but they're on purpose trying to make the other one. 133 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:05.319 Yeah, and you can. 134 00:06:05.240 --> 00:06:07.720 Get out a character, you can tell. It was hysterically funny. 135 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:11.439 And then there were things where they were supposed to 136 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:13.959 say a thing but they said a totally different thing. 137 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:17.399 You know, stuff like that. Very very funny. So that 138 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:19.879 was great. It was it was hystorically funny. I would 139 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:22.160 say that was as far as live performances go, and 140 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:26.079 we've been to a few Broadway shows, that's probably my favorite. 141 00:06:26.199 --> 00:06:32.079 As far as concerts go, I don't know. I the 142 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:35.879 last time we saw Andrea Butchelli was pretty great just 143 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:39.199 because of the level of musicianship. It is just insane 144 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:42.720 through the roof. Yeah, you know what, as far as 145 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:45.000 one of my favorite, let me say this because we 146 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:48.879 have another another couple of seconds. One of my favorite experiences, 147 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:51.240 and this is so dumb because it's not that high level, 148 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:55.360 was my wife and I went to the Detroit Symphony 149 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:01.519 and they they played the Princess movie, yes, and then 150 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:03.680 they played all the music. But there's no music to 151 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:06.079 Princess Bride if you've ever if you think through it, 152 00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:08.560 there's no soundtrack. Okay, music, so. 153 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:10.639 Well they did that goofy music. 154 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:13.600 Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I mean there's not like just 155 00:07:14.439 --> 00:07:18.879 John Williams soundtrack. So I forgot which which symphony or 156 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:21.240 which which writer did it, but somebody went back and 157 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:24.600 redid the whole thing and it was magnificent. It was 158 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:28.000 just fabulous, hysterically funny, the whole crowd shouting out all 159 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:30.040 the lines, you know, and stuff like that. So that 160 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:32.600 was a really fun night. And of course the Detroit 161 00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:34.040 Symphony is one of the top symphonies in the world. 162 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:37.279 So yeah, and I'm I'm gonna say honorable mention the 163 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:38.480 Rockets in New York. 164 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:40.120 Oh you've said that before too. 165 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:41.680 Yeah, yeah, it was. It was top notch. 166 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:46.680 So okay, well there you go, Sarah Kay. We sorry 167 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:48.639 to disappoint you on that one as much as we 168 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:49.800 like music and shows. 169 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:53.560 We kind of yeah, well I thought they were great answers, Jeff, 170 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:54.199 I thought. 171 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:56.959 We did well. Yeah, okay, yeah, yes, man, we did 172 00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:00.000 such a good job. Thanks for asking a good question, Sarah. 173 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:04.839 So talking about doing a good job. Solomon is pretty 174 00:08:04.839 --> 00:08:07.480 miserable about his life and isn't so happy about all 175 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:07.959 of his work. 176 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:09.439 But he did a good job writing this. 177 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:14.920 Yeah, good job, Solomon, job Solomon. People like you, got it, 178 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:18.720 gun it? People love you. So we are in Ecclesiastes 179 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:21.759 chapter five, and just as a reminder, if you're joining 180 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:26.160 us for the first time this week, we've already gone 181 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:29.399 a couple chapters. In the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon is 182 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:32.559 incredibly wise. He's the wisest man apart from Jesus, that 183 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:38.080 ever walked the planet. But yeah, but he made some 184 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:41.559 really bad choices. So there's a different between being having 185 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:45.159 wisdom and acting in a wise way. So he kind 186 00:08:45.159 --> 00:08:47.360 of fooled himself into being more clever than he was 187 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:51.000 wise with regard to his diplomacy, and he winds up 188 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:55.559 being led astray by all of his wives into worshiping 189 00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:57.639 other gods, and God winds up taking his kingdom away 190 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:01.120 from him over it, Yeah, well, from his family. So 191 00:09:01.559 --> 00:09:03.879 by the time he gets to writing Ecclesiastes, he's kind 192 00:09:03.879 --> 00:09:06.120 of spiraling, like, man, I think I've wasted my life. 193 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:08.919 None of my work matters, none of my wealth matters, 194 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:11.480 none of the things I've done matter, right, And he's 195 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:13.320 kind of spiraling. Every once in a while he'll say 196 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:16.720 something really meaningful, like, oh I did learn this. You know, 197 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:18.840 we should have learned to enjoy the fruit of our 198 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:20.919 work every once in a while. There's wisdom in that. 199 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:22.720 But then I'll start to spiral again, and then to 200 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:24.360 come back out of it, and then they'll spiral again. 201 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:28.240 And so what does that say about life? 202 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:31.360 That here's the wisest man who has ever lived or 203 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:33.879 will ever live and his downfall is women? 204 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:38.519 Right? What does that tell you? That means? You know? 205 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:40.759 It's like reminds me of the favorite joke we did 206 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:43.759 last week. Did you do the joke with the arm 207 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:45.879 and a leg with Adam and Eve? No, you didn't 208 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:46.039 do it. 209 00:09:46.039 --> 00:09:46.720 I didn't do it. 210 00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:47.279 Did you read it? 211 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:47.879 Though? Yeah? Yeah? 212 00:09:47.960 --> 00:09:48.559 Yeah yeah. 213 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:50.720 So God approaches Adham, he creates him in the garden 214 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:52.080 and says, hey, I'm going to create for you a 215 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:53.240 creature that's so wonderful. 216 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:54.879 She's going to be perfect, she's. 217 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:59.000 Never gonna be moody, and she's going to be You're 218 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:01.080 going to know exactly what she thinking at all times, 219 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:02.519 and she'll always be pleasant. 220 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:04.879 And he says, and she's gonna be called woman. And 221 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:06.480 he goes, that sounds fantastic. 222 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:08.320 And God says, this is going to cost you an 223 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:10.879 arm and a leg, and he goes, Oh, what can I. 224 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:11.639 Get for just a rib? 225 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:17.639 So that's terrible, Chris, it's terrible. You're gonna so I 226 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:22.360 seizar ball at the maible guys dot com. 227 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:25.120 You have a tendency to avoid all that stuff. 228 00:10:25.240 --> 00:10:27.360 I do, man. I wrote it in. 229 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:29.360 I wrote it in the message. I tossed it out there. 230 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:31.039 And it's no surprise that you. 231 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:32.960 I'm the one that always gets all the hate mail, 232 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:36.759 right right. Yeah, So that was that was a funny. 233 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:38.879 It was a funny one. It didn't fit in that 234 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:41.440 spot where I was at in the message. That's what 235 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:44.399 happened there. Yeah. So, if you don't know, we work 236 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:46.240 in teaching teams and Chris is the leader of our 237 00:10:46.279 --> 00:10:49.440 teaching team, so often he'll send us up a proposed 238 00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:52.279 transcript for the message for the weekend. And I was 239 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:54.159 speaking at one of our locations. He was speaking at 240 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:56.080 the other, and he told the joke from stage and 241 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:00.399 I did not yes, correct, correct, Yeah. So anyways, here 242 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:05.320 he is now. And he repeats a number of things 243 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:09.440 throughout the book, and one of those is he struggles 244 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:12.440 with the value of work. He struggles with the injustices 245 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.600 in life, and also with the futility of wealth. And 246 00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:18.000 so he says, don't be surprised if you see a 247 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:21.080 poor person being oppressed by the powerful, and if justice 248 00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:24.320 is being miscarried throughout the land, for every official is 249 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:27.200 under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get 250 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:31.120 lost in red tape and bureaucracy. Mouthful, even the king 251 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.679 milks the land for his own profit. Those who love 252 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:37.159 money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that 253 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:40.080 wealth brings true happiness. The more you have, the more 254 00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:43.320 people come to help you spend it. So what good 255 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:45.840 is wealth except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers. 256 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:49.240 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little 257 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:52.120 or much, but the rich seldom get a good night's sleep. 258 00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:55.200 There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun, 259 00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:59.960 courting riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments, 260 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:02.759 turn sour and everything is lost. In the end, there's 261 00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:05.440 nothing left to pass on to one's children. We all 262 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:07.200 come to the end of our lives as naked and 263 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:09.559 empty handed as on the day we were born. We 264 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:12.000 can't take our riches with us, and this too is 265 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:14.360 a very serious problem. People leave this world no better 266 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:17.240 off than they came. All their hard work is for nothing, 267 00:12:17.320 --> 00:12:19.639 like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live 268 00:12:19.720 --> 00:12:23.440 under a cloud, frustrated, discouraged, and angry. Even so, I've 269 00:12:23.480 --> 00:12:26.120 noticed one thing at least that is good. It's good 270 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:28.240 for people to eat, drink and enjoy their work under 271 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:30.519 the sun during their short life. God has given them 272 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:32.799 to accept their lot in life. And it is a 273 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:35.240 good thing to receive wealth from God and the good 274 00:12:35.320 --> 00:12:38.039 health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept 275 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:40.480 your lot in life, this is indeed a gift from God. 276 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:44.120 God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they 277 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:47.639 take no time to brood over the past. There is 278 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:49.480 another serious tragedy I've seen under the sun, and it 279 00:12:49.519 --> 00:12:52.559 weighs heavily on humanity. God gives some people great wealth 280 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:54.320 and honor and everything they could ever want. But then 281 00:12:54.360 --> 00:12:56.279 he doesn't give them the chance to enjoy these things. 282 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:58.559 They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up 283 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:01.720 enjoying their wealth, and this is meaningless, a sickening tragedy. 284 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:04.080 A man might have one hundred children, live to be 285 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:06.279 very old, but if he finds no satisfaction in life, 286 00:13:06.279 --> 00:13:09.240 doesn't even get a decent burial. It would have been 287 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:12.080 better for him to be born dead. His birth would 288 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:14.480 have been meaningless and he would have ended in darkness. 289 00:13:14.519 --> 00:13:17.159 He wouldn't have even have had a name, and he 290 00:13:17.159 --> 00:13:19.519 would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. 291 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:21.840 Yet he would have had more peace than in growing 292 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:24.320 up to be an unhappy man. He might live a 293 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:26.879 thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And 294 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:30.159 since he must die like everyone else, well what's the use? 295 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:33.120 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they 296 00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:35.919 never seem to have enough. So so are wise people 297 00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:39.159 really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything 298 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:41.519 by being wise and knowing how to act in front 299 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:44.639 of others? Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what 300 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.919 you don't have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless, 301 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:51.440 like chasing the wind. He uses that phrase like chasing 302 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:53.720 the wind over and over and over again. So well, 303 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:54.200 there you go. 304 00:13:54.440 --> 00:14:01.440 Right, hey, I remember this passage, particularly chapter five sticks six. 305 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:02.759 Excuse me, let me start over. 306 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:05.960 It sticks out to me because when I was in 307 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:11.480 high school, I had just become a Christian and I 308 00:14:11.559 --> 00:14:13.879 was reading through the New Testament. I get through that, 309 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:16.759 and then I was going through the Old Testament, and 310 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:20.279 you know how God does these things sometimes that seemed 311 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:24.559 to be more than coincidence. And I was in Ecclesiastes 312 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:27.399 and I had read it and in my mind, you know, 313 00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:30.080 just being a teenager not having any life experience at all, 314 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:32.679 I read it and thought to myself, Okay, this is 315 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:35.360 number one one of the most depressing things ever. 316 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:36.120 Right. 317 00:14:36.759 --> 00:14:39.879 It feels like to me like Solomon is just you know, 318 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:43.279 down on his luck or keep in mind, I'm. 319 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:46.000 Fifteen at the time, right, so I just didn't quite know. 320 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:48.919 So I thought to myself, here's a guy who's depressed 321 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:51.799 and you know, he's just sitting there feeling sorry. 322 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:52.799 For himself or something like this. 323 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:57.519 I'm like, this is just an unrelatable chapter completely to me. 324 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:00.840 And then I remember there was this guy that went 325 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:06.360 to my church, and he was like, it didn't matter anyway. 326 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:09.320 I just had a conversation with him, and I remember 327 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:14.000 him saying, I relate to Ecclesiastes chapter five, And. 328 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:16.159 I thought to myself, what like. 329 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:19.600 I literally just read Ecclesiastes chapter five. 330 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:22.399 And he had lived this story. 331 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:26.879 He had lived having a ton of children, you know, 332 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:29.639 pursuing wealth, having no satisfaction. 333 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:33.559 You know, nobody really cared. 334 00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:36.600 For him, and he understood why he accepted that lot 335 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:39.559 in life, and he had a fear of going to 336 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:43.679 his deathbed thinking that he has absolutely made no impact 337 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:47.840 in this world. Now, while the conversation was completely tragic, 338 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:50.759 and it really truly was, especially for me being fifteen, 339 00:15:51.559 --> 00:15:54.240 it stood out to me and what brought what brought 340 00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:57.639 to my attention was is that, Wow, isn't it amazing 341 00:15:57.679 --> 00:16:02.840 how God's word is for everybody and what probably hopefully 342 00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:04.919 will never be able to be related to me. I 343 00:16:04.919 --> 00:16:07.679 can't read that and go wow, that's me. I could 344 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:12.440 probably never do that. I mean principles, yes, right, but 345 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:14.840 in terms like truth and wisdom. 346 00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:16.679 And all that, but really you say, wow, that's me. 347 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:19.039 The richer you get, the more the more hangers on 348 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:21.039 you have, everybody wants to spend all your money. 349 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:21.440 Right, right. 350 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:23.159 But you know what I'm saying, just just to whole 351 00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:26.120 like die and every imagine not I have been born 352 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:28.879 that kind of thing. Sure, that kind of thing, and 353 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:30.879 and uh but yet I'm thinking to myself, isn't it 354 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:34.440 funny how God's word can speak to different people at 355 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:35.159 different times? 356 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:38.080 And and I just love it. 357 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:40.679 And I also love how maybe perhaps you can go 358 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:43.759 back and read ecclesiast these maybe twenty years later, and 359 00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:46.360 it would mean something completely different to you. Yeah, right, 360 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:48.840 because you know, it's just how God's word is is 361 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:49.519 very powerful. 362 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:53.600 So as I mentioned, he kind of spirals, he goes 363 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:56.559 in these really bad loops, and it's I think what 364 00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:58.960 you have is you know, at this point, he's made 365 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:02.840 his mistakes, he's he's been informed he's gonna lose his kingdom. 366 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:06.119 He's already tried to kill ray Boeham and so you've 367 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:08.079 got a little bit of this. He's looking at his 368 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:10.759 life and going, I wasted my life, Right, there's a 369 00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:13.039 little bit of this. Really, why did I spend so 370 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:15.759 much time trying to get more money? I already had 371 00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:17.319 more money that could spend in my life. He's the 372 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:19.359 richest man that had ever lived up to that point. 373 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:22.279 To that point, yeah, and you know, kings and queens 374 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:24.880 from around the world brought him even more wealth. And 375 00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:26.680 when we say bringing more wealth, remember when we talked 376 00:17:26.680 --> 00:17:28.680 about the Queen of Sheba. She brought him like a 377 00:17:28.759 --> 00:17:32.119 ton of gold, tons of gold. Yeah, billions of dollars. 378 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:37.799 They just he was so absurdly wealthy. And yet he's saying, 379 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:41.440 but I found myself chasing just a little more. And 380 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:44.599 then I had so much power, but I found myself 381 00:17:44.680 --> 00:17:47.839 chasing just a little more. And so you find himself 382 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:50.039 many times to here going, you know, the one thing 383 00:17:50.039 --> 00:17:53.279 I did learn, so the one good thing, he says, 384 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:55.839 Even so I've noticed one thing at least that's good, 385 00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:57.559 And it's good for people to eat and drink and 386 00:17:57.640 --> 00:17:59.400 enjoy their work under the sun during the short life 387 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:01.319 that God has given them and to accept their lot 388 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:04.559 in life. He's like, you know, I think almost every 389 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:07.039 time you see him spiraling for a minute, he pivots back. 390 00:18:07.319 --> 00:18:09.880 You'll give you something good. There's like always this good nugget, yea. 391 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:11.359 And in here he's going like, you know, you know 392 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:13.759 what I wish I'd done. I wish i'd stopped to 393 00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:16.960 smell the roses. I wish that stopped and pet the puppy. 394 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:20.400 I wished I would have stopped and thrown the ball 395 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:22.720 with the grandkids in the backyard. I wish that we 396 00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:24.920 would have gone to Disney one more time. I wish 397 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:27.599 I would have right. I wished I would have spent 398 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:31.240 my life doing the things that really matter, have you know, 399 00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:33.480 sitting down and taking time instead of getting all my 400 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:35.880 food through the window in a drive through because I'm 401 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:39.119