Eccl. 3:9-15, The Basis for Natural Theology

Theology distinguishes between General Revelation (that which God has revealed about Himself in creation and conscience, truth that is available to all humanity) and Special Revelation (that which God has revealed about Himself in Scripture, truth that is available to those who come to the Bible). 

Faith for salvation requires Special Revelation (Rom. 10:14-15).  But this does not mean that General Revelation is unimportant.  The heavens do declare the glory of God (Psa. 19:1).  Through creation and conscience men can be led to seek God and to know their accountability to the Creator (Rom. 1:18-23).

Ecclesiastes is the musing of a man studying General Revelation.  He is seeking the meaning of life under the sun.  He knows there is a God (the writer refers to God on occasion, including at the end of his search, Eccl. 12:13-14).  He knows of God’s existence because there is no plausible explanation to his existence or the existence of anything other than a living, eternal Creator.  Nothing comes from nothing, a simple, undeniable truth that has seemingly escaped many learned men of our day.

Nevertheless, the writer is seeking to explain the meaning of his existence apart from God.  He examines every possible avenue for soul significance “under the sun” (i.e. without depending on God who made the sun).  But the consistent end of every avenue is the conclusion that it is vanity (“empty”).  That is why in the end the conclusion of the whole matter is simply: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Eccl. 12:13).

The writer has properly benefited from General Revelation.  He looked at creation and came to the only conclusion that fits the facts.  The reason he came to this conclusion is that he has a proper basis for his natural theology.  He did not begin from a basis of chance or a belief in the eternity of matter, foundations that are both hopeless and stupid (in the proper and theological sense of that word; I’m not engaging in name-calling; look it up).  Something must be eternal; given the evident wisdom and power of creation the writer has concluded that that something is a Someone, the One we call God.

That logical basis is evident in today’s reading.  Consider four truths stemming from the fact that there is an eternal Creator.

·        The eternal God has put eternity in our hearts (v11).  In other words He has given us a sense of Him, a longing for the Eternal One.

·        Whatever God does is eternal, by which we understand it is absolute (v14).

·        Everything about us, our existence, our location in the universe as well as our situation on earth, is intended by the Creator to cause us to fear Him (v14).  By fear we mean to acknowledge Him, know Him and be reconciled to Him.

·        It is clear as well that we are not eternal.  If He is the eternal Creator then He also made us.  Thus we owe Him our existence and we must give account. 

Consider this the next time you are star-gazing.  Evolution as an explanation of the universe doesn’t make sense; but it doesn’t have to make sense.  It cannot bring sense into our lives.  The fact is, the heavens declare the glory of God!!!