Listen to the sermon: 

Download the notes: 05192013TheBeginningOfAllGoodThingsAndTheEndfOfAllEvilThingsDonRuhl

The Beginning of All Good Things, and 

the End of All Evil Things 

What does our society need and what do you need?

Ecclesiastes 8.11–13

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • May 19, In the year of our Lord, 2013

Scripture Reader and Reading: Lake Thomason – Job 28.20–28

 

Prelude: 

  1. I know of something, 
    1. that if implemented in our society,
    2. starting first with Christians, would
      1. begin all good things, and
      2. end all evil things,
        1. so that we would not even have to vote on Measure 17-49, and
        2. could help life in America in countless ways,
          1. even saving us unbelievable amounts of money in taxes.
          2. We have a huge national debt, in part,
            1. because we fail to live by this item.
            2. From families to nations
              1. the practice I am advocating,
              2. will bring peace, love, and righteousness.
  2. Yet, most people, Christians included, 
    1. do not want this taught, because
    2. they believe falsely that it is a negative thing that hurts people.
      1. No, people are hurt
      2. when this activity does not dominate.
        1. Some will agree with this assessment, but
        2. they will water down the full force of this teaching.
  3. When someone says that we should not fear God, or 
    1. that fearing God damages people, or…who knows what else,
    2. passages like Revelation 15 come to mind.
      1. John saw a sea of glass mingled with fire, and
      2. those who had been victorious over the beast,
        1. having harps of God, and
        2. they sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.
      3. Here is the last part of that song,

        4 “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
        For You alone are holy.
        For all nations shall come and worship before You,
        For Your judgments have been manifested.”
        (Rev 15.4)

        1. He is holy. Therefore, fear Him.
        2. All nations shall worship before Him. Therefore, fear Him.
        3. He has manifested His judgments. Therefore, fear Him.
          1. The people who make it to heaven,
          2. are baffled by people who do not fear God.
  4. Psalm 36 will show why evil and crime exist,

    1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
    There is no fear of God before his eyes.
    2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
    When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
    3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
    He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
    4 He devises wickedness on his bed;
    He sets himself in a way that is not good;
    He does not abhor evil.
    (Psa 36.1–4)

    1. Right there, the Bible tells you
      1. why good ends in a person’s life and
      2. why evil begins in a person’s life.
    2. Why then would anyone, any believer, say
      1. that we should not fear of God, or
      2. that we should ignore this vital teaching of Scripture?
  5. The fear of God unleashed in our culture would 
    1. save it from destruction,
    2. save countless tax dollars, because
      1. prisons would shrink,
      2. we would not need to hire as many police officers,
      3. we would not need psychotherapists in our schools,
      4. people would see that they are not entitled to things, but
        1. that we need to work,
        2. that we need to bear our burdens.

Persuasion: 

  1. Proverbs 1.7 – The Beginning of Knowledge 
    1. In the introduction to the Book of Proverbs,
      1. Solomon explained why the Holy Spirit included this Book in the Bible.
      2. For the issues of life, it gives
        1. wisdom,
        2. instruction,
        3. understanding, and
        4. wise counsel.
    2. What did Solomon say first for gaining knowledge in the daily affairs of life?

      7a The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge
      (Pro 1.7a)

      10a The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
      (Pro 9.10a)

      28 And to man [God] said,
      “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
      And to depart from evil is understanding.”
      (Job 28.28)

      10a The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
      A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
      (Psa 111.10a)

    3. The reason fearing the Lord serves as a foundation for wisdom and learning
      1. is because it is part of who and what we are.

        13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
        Fear God and keep His commandments,
        For this is man’s all.
        (Ecc 12.13)

    4. Fearing God reminds a person
      1. that there is a God
      2. to whom we must give an account of our lives.
        1. Therefore, fearing God leads us to reject
        2. whatever denies Him.
          1. Fearing God puts all knowledge within the frame work of creation.
          2. Understanding geology, history, anthropology, sociology, and
            1. every other field of knowledge
            2. is subject to Him who made it all.
    5. He who fears God knows
      1. that He is a God of unimaginable and incomparable power,
      2. that He is a God of wrath,
      3. that He is a God of jealousy,
      4. that He is worthy of all our adoration and praise,
      5. that His wisdom and knowledge are infinite.
    6. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom, because

      3 in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2.3).

    7. What is knowledge without with the fear of God?
  2. Ecclesiastes 8.11–13 – With Whom Is It Well?

    11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God (Ecc 8.11–13).

    1. A criminal may get away with evil, because
      1. the system fails to execute sentence against him, and so
      2. he may multiply his crimes, yet,
        1. it will be better in life with the one who fears God, and
        2. it will not be better for him who fails to fear God.
          1. Watch criminals who do not fear God and
          2. see how life is for them.
            1. Watch those who fear God and
            2. see how life is with them.
  3. Fearing God Comes Naturally When You Know God 
    1. Meditate upon somethings suggested by the Lord Himself,

      22 “Do you not fear Me?” says the Lord.
      “Will you not tremble at My presence,
      Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea,
      By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it?
      And though its waves toss to and fro,
      Yet they cannot prevail;
      Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.
      23 But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart;
      They have revolted and departed.
      24 They do not say in their heart,
      ‘Let us now fear the Lord our God,
      Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season.
      He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’
      25 Your iniquities have turned these things away,
      And your sins have withheld good from you.
      (Jer 5.22–25)

      1. Should we not tremble before Him who
        1. put the sand at the beach
        2. to prevent global floods?
          1. He regulates the seas and the land.
          2. Yet, we should not tremble before Him?
      2. Should we not tremble before Him who
        1. controls the weather system of the Earth?
        2. He sends the rain at the right time and
          1. withholds it at the right time.
          2. Yet, we should not tremble before Him?
      3. Verse 25 provides insight into human behavior
        1. as to why we would not wish to fear God;
        2. it is our sin that is the problem.
    2. Mark 4 shows how the disciples responded to Jesus controlling the weather,

      41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (Mark 4.41).

  4. Holy Men of God Feared Before Him 
    1. Moses trembled (Heb 12.21).
    2. Isaiah pronounced woe upon himself, as he felt himself coming apart (Isa 6.5).
    3. Jeremiah said he was like a drunken an (Jer 23.9).
    4. Ezekiel fell on his face (Eze 1.28).
    5. Daniel lost his strength, fell to the ground, trembled on his knees, stood trembling, looked toward the ground again, and became speechless (Dan 10).
    6. Cornelius feared God and gained salvation (Acts 10.2, 22, 35).
    7. The Corinthians perfected holiness in the fear of God (2Co 7.1).
    8. The Ephesians submitted to one another in the fear of God (Eph 5.21).
    9. Peter preached, “Fear God” (1Pe 2.17).
    10. An angel in heaven declared fearing God as the first part of the everlasting gospel (Rev 14.6, 7).

Exhortation: 

  1. Someday you shall meet God. 
    1. When He looks upon you, shall you tremble?
    2. When you look upon Him, shall you tremble?
  2. Do you want to sing victoriously over the beast?

    4 “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
    For You alone are holy.
    For all nations shall come and worship before You,
    For Your judgments have been manifested.”
    (Rev 15.4)

    1. Then start today to fear the God of heaven.
Related Articles