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Ecclesiastes, part 22, Authority and Sovereignty

Ecclesiastes 8:1 says,

¹ Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.

After the sobering limits on wisdom that are laid out in chapter 7, the Preacher again affirms that wisdom still matters deeply—though within limits. Wisdom does not control reality; it reads it well and understands its meaning. The word translated “interpretation” refers to explanation, discernment, and insight into meaning.

Wisdom’s illumination is not cosmetic but existential. To be illuminated refers to inner clarity. A “stern face” refers to anxiety, hardness, or burden. His composure is changed to happiness, satisfaction, and peace.

Wisdom transforms the person, not the world. Qoheleth does not say that wisdom makes life fair, or that wisdom prevents suffering, or that wisdom guarantees success. Instead, wisdom knows how to deal with reality “under the sun.” It changes how one endures ambiguity, how one carries power, and how one faces authority. Wisdom here equips a person to survive morally and psychologically in a world where rulers act unpredictably, where justice is often delayed, and where outcomes are uncertain.

This follows naturally after Ecclesiastes 7, where we are told that no one is righteous and wisdom is limited. Ecclesiastes 8:1 teaches that although wisdom cannot master reality, it grants discernment and inner illumination that softens the human face and enables one to live with clarity and composure amid life’s complexities.

Recognize the Authority of Rulers

Here Koheleth applies wisdom to life under authority, especially when that authority is flawed or dangerous. He explains how wisdom functions not to overthrow power, but to survive it without moral collapse. Ecclesiastes 8:2, 3 begins,

² I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God. ³ Do not be in a hurry to leave [abandon] him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases.”

The phrase “because of the oath before God” signals that order is divinely permitted and that rebellion carries real consequences. This is not moral endorsement of the king—only recognition of the sovereignty of God. Jesus told Pilate in John 19:11, “You would have no authority over Me unless it had been given you from above.” He was not endorsing Pilate’s actions; He was recognizing that Pilate had authority and that God had sovereignty.

Paul understood this as well. He wrote in Romans 13:1-4,

¹ Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. ² Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. ³ For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; ⁴ for it is a minister of God to you for good…

In the big picture, note that God put Israel under the authority of unrighteous foreign nations when the Israelites persisted in violating their covenant with God. The book of Judges gives us six distinct examples of such captivities. In the end, God put Israel under the yoke of the Assyrians and Judah under the yoke of the Babylonians. This was not an endorsement of the righteousness of Assyria and Babylon. God used unrighteous kings to judge Israel and Judah.

The general principle is that the people get what they deserve. When they cast aside the law of God, God brings them lawless kings. The people are first oppressed by their own kings, and if they still refuse to repent, God increases the pressure by sending in foreign oppressors. The four beast kingdoms in Daniel 7 present a long-term tribulation that is with us to this day, and God does not authorize rebellion against those He has raised up to judge us. When the people actually repent of their lawlessness, then God Himself will turn the tables without help from the flesh.

For this reason, in Jeremiah 27:12 the prophet says,

¹² I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah, king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live!”

Again, the prophet instructs us in Jeremiah 29:7,

⁷ Seek the welfare [shalom, “peace, wholeness”] of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare [shalom] you will have welfare [shalom].

Paul gives us similar instruction in 1 Timothy 2:1-3,

¹ First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.

Recognize God’s Judgments

In Eccl. 8:3, Koheleth counsels patience by recognizing God’s judgments. Verse 4 continues,

⁴ Since the word of the king is authoritative, who will say to him, “What are you doing?”

One may counsel a king, but no one has the right to oppose his decisions. Of course, where there are democracies, the government itself gives people greater rights to question the validity of men’s legislation, but Koheleth is speaking of monarchs. Ecclesiastes 8:5, 6 says,

⁵ He who keeps a royal command experiences no trouble, for a wise heart knows the proper time and procedure. ⁶ For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man’s trouble is heavy upon him.

These verses introduce timing as the essence of wisdom. Right action at the wrong time can be fatal; wisdom discerns when as much as what. This is why it is important to understand Bible prophecy. Jeremiah 27 and Daniel 7 tell us the reason for this long-term divine judgment at the hands of Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and the “little horn” extension of Rome. Many Jews in Jesus’ day failed to understand this, and so they sought to overthrow Rome. They saw injustice and thought that this justified revolution. They thought God was on their side. He was not.

Even in our own time, as the time of the beast empires runs down, there are many who advocate revolution, thinking God will take their side on account of their righteousness. They failed to understand the purpose of this time of tribulation as well as timing itself. Ecclesiastes 8:7 says,

⁷ If no one knows what will happen, who can tell him when it will happen?

Timing is the key to understanding many biblical events. For instance, by knowing that the 12 spies gave their report on the 50^th Jubilee from Adam, it explains the significance of their refusal to enter the kingdom at that time. Likewise, by knowing that Saul was crowned king on Pentecost (the day of “wheat harvest”), it explains the event itself. When we know when an event occurs, we will understand what happened. When interprets what.

Remember that when Babylon’s 70 years were completed, God raised up a pagan king named Cyrus to do His work. He overthrew Babylon and set the people free to return to the old land. Daniel led no revolutions. Instead, he repented on behalf of his people.

For a more complete study of timing, see my book, Secrets of Time, where I explain in greater detail the judgment cycles that God has established in the earth.