In this Sabbath lesson from Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis, Brother Obadiah teaches on Ecclesiastes 1:18: in much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. The word of God is sweet as honey, but it is also bitter; as the servant of God increases in the knowledge of the truth, he sees the true state of the world and increases in sorrow. Yet the lesson ends in comfort, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Every passage is read in the King James Version.
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1.Knowledge builds the house and increaseth strength
The lesson opens in Proverbs, where wisdom builds a spiritual house and knowledge increases strength. And though the just man will fall, he rises up again.
Proverbs 24:3-5 KJV3Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
4And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
Proverbs 24:16 KJV16For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
"A wise man is strong; a man of knowledge increaseth strength. It takes strength to be sorrowful all the time. A just man falleth seven times and riseth up again. The Lord know that you flesh, that you made from dirt. You going to fall down, but you can't stay on the ground, you got to rise up again."
2.The word of God is sweet as honey, but it is also bitter
The prophet is told to eat the roll, the book, and it is sweet as honey in the mouth. The word is sweeter than gold or the honeycomb. But John is shown the other side of it: the little book is sweet in the mouth and bitter in the belly.
Ezekiel 3:1-3 KJV1Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
2So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
3And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
Psalms 19:10 KJV10More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Revelation 10:9-10 KJV9And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
"You got to eat the book, you got to eat the Bible, and you can't just eat part of it. That's what the word of God is, it's bittersweet. It's good when you know you gunning for salvation, but it's going to make you bitter once you get all the lamentations and mourning and the woes that's associated with the Bible. It ain't going to be no cakewalk once you deal in the word of God."
3.He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow
The title text comes from Solomon, the king who had it all, silver and gold, houses and vineyards, a thousand wives, and called it all vanity and vexation of spirit. In much wisdom is much grief.
Ecclesiastes 1:17-18 KJV17And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 2:22-23 KJV22For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
"Solomon said, I gave my heart to seek and search out wisdom concerning all things, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. This is where we get the title of the lesson. The older you get, the more wisdom you get, the more sorrow you going to feel, because you going to see the true state of what the world is in."
4.Our days are few, and full of labour and sorrow
Moses wrote a psalm of it: our years are threescore and ten, and their strength is labour and sorrow, so we ought to number our days. And David, having the mind of Christ, still cried with sorrow in his heart daily.
Psalms 90:10 KJV10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Psalms 90:12 KJV12So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Psalms 13:1-2 KJV1How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
2How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
"Moses wrote a psalm too. The days of our years are threescore and ten, and their strength is labour and sorrow. So teach us to number our days. You better make good use of your time. And David said, how long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?"
5.Even Jesus was a man of sorrows
The lesson shows that the Lord himself carried grief. He beheld Jerusalem and wept over it, knowing the destruction that was coming. He warned of a famine, not of bread, but of hearing the words of the Lord, and he said the world hates him because he testifies its works are evil.
St. Luke 19:41-42 KJV41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Amos 8:11 KJV11Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Psalms 69:1-3 KJV1Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.
2I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
3I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
St. John 7:7 KJV7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
"Even Jesus was sad. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; grief was his acquaintance, his friend. He beheld the city and wept over it, because he knew what was coming to Jerusalem some forty years later. And there's a famine now, not of bread, but of hearing the words of the Lord."
6.Come boldly to the throne of grace
But the sorrow is not the end. We have a high priest who was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, tempted in all points as we are, so the servant of God can come boldly to the throne of grace for mercy and help.
Hebrews 4:15-16 KJV15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
"We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. That's what the walk is for. You got to learn to be strong, because now we got to help people that's in their time of need."
7.Weeping endures for a night, but joy cometh in the morning
The lesson closes on the promise. His anger endures but a moment; the weeping is only for a night. And in the new Jerusalem, God will wipe away all tears, and there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying.
Psalms 30:5 KJV5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Revelation 21:3-4 KJV3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Closing Word
"He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow, but weeping may endure for a night, and joy cometh in the morning. And we hope you got some understanding in Jesus name."
Brother Obadiah closed by pointing the class to the new Jerusalem, where God shall wipe away all tears and there shall be no more death, sorrow, nor crying, the joy that comes in the morning for those who endure.
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This lesson was taught at our Sabbath service at Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis, IN. Join us every Saturday at 12PM, or watch the Sabbath live online.