Memory Text: Ecclesiastes 8:12 KJV “Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his [days] be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.”

Sunday, February 25 Keep the King’s Commandment
Hebrews 11:13-16 NKJV “13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced [them] and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that [country] from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly [country]. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
Ecclesiastes 8:1-5 NIV “1 ¶ Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man’s face and changes its hard appearance. 2 Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, "What are you doing?" 5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.”
Ecclesiastes 8:2 COMMENTARY FAMILY BIBLE NOTES Obedience to the civil magistrate is a matter not of human expediency, but of divine authority. We are released from it only when he requires what God forbids.
Ecclesiastes 1:5 Clear Word “As long as you keep the king’s laws and are a good citizen, you’ll be safe. A wise man knows how and when to carry out the king’s command.
Romans 13:1-4 NRSV “1 ¶ Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; 4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.”
Titus 3:1 NRSV “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,”
1 Peter 2:13-17 NRSV “13 ¶ For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, 14 or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. 16 As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. 17 Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

Monday, February 26 Keep the King’s Commandment?
Examples in the Bible of those who disobeyed a ruler’s commands:
DANIEL - Daniel 6:7-10 KJ21 “7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors and the princes, the counselors and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not." 9 Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did formerly.”
APOSTLES – Acts 4:18-21 KJV “18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all [men] glorified God for that which was done.”
Acts 5:29 KJV “Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Acts 5:29 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE We have received our commission from GOD; we dare not lay it down at the desire or command of men.

Tuesday, February 27 Trust Amid Uncertainty
Ecclesiastes 8:5-9 BBE “5 Whoever keeps the law will come to no evil: and a wise man’s heart has knowledge of time and of decision. 6 ¶ For every purpose there is a time and a decision, because the sorrow of man is great in him. 7 No one is certain what is to be, and who is able to say to him when it will be? 8 No man has authority over the wind, to keep the wind; or is ruler over the day of his death. In war no man’s time is free, and evil will not keep the sinner safe. 9 ¶ All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.”
Ecclesiastes 8:6 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY God has, in wisdom, kept away from us the knowledge of future events, that we may be always ready for changes.
Texts that deal with trust in God:
Psalm 118:8-9 ESV “18 The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 ¶ Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.”
Psalm 34:8 ESV “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
Proverbs 3:5-6 ASV “5 Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding: 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy paths.”
Isaiah 12:2 MKJV “Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation.”
Romans 8:28 MKJV “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose.”
James 2:22 MKJV “Do you see how faith worked with his works, and by the works faith was made complete?”

Wednesday, February 28 Trust and Justice
Ecclesiastes 8:11-14 NIV “11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. 14 ¶ There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.”
Ecclesiastes 8:11 Clear Word “Whenever the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people think of many ways to fight the law and get away with things.”
Ecclesiastes 8:11 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE Because God does not immediately punish every delinquency, men think he disregards evil acts; and therefore they are emboldened to sin on. So this longsuffering of God, which leadeth to repentance, is abused so as to lead to farther crimes! When men sin against the remedy of their salvation, how can they escape perdition?
Ecclesiastes 8:12 Clear Word “Even though a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and gets away with it, things are still better for a good man who respects God and does what is right.”
Ecclesiastes 8:13 Clear Word “Things generally do not go well for the wicked. A criminal usually dies young and his life is gone as quickly as shadow.”
Ecclesiastes 8:9-13 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY Solomon observed, that many a time one man rules over another to his hurt, and that prosperity hardens them in their wickedness. Sinners herein deceive themselves. Vengeance comes slowly, but it comes surely. A good man’s days have some substance; he lives to a good purpose: a wicked man’s days are all as a shadow, empty and worthless.
Ecclesiastes 8:14 Clear Word “Now there’s something else that happens in life. Good men sometimes get what the wicked deserve and wicked sometimes get what the righteous deserve. This, too, doesn’t make sense.”
Ecclesiastes 8:14 SDA Bible Commentary “The inequalities of the present life should not be allowed to weaken one’s faith in God’s ways of dealing. In the eternal world all wrongs will be made right.”
Ecclesiastes 8:14 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY it is a certain evidence that the things of this world are not the best things nor were ever designed to make a portion and happiness for us, for, if they had, God would not have allotted so much of this world's wealth to his worst enemies and so much of its troubles to his best friends; there must therefore be another life after this the joys and griefs of which must be real and substantial, and able to make men truly happy or truly miserable, for this world does neither.

Thursday, March 1 The Business That Is Done on Earth
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 NKJV “16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover [it], yet he will not find [it]; moreover, though a wise [man] attempts to know [it], he will not be able to find [it].”
Ecclesiastes 8:16 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE This is the reply of the wise man: "I have also considered these seeming contradictions. God governs the world; but we cannot see the reasons of his conduct, nor know why he does this, omits that, or permits a third thing. We may study night and day, and deprive ourselves of rest and sleep, but we shall never fathom the depths that are in the Divine government; but all is right and just.”
Ecclesiastes 8:17 COMMENTARY JOHN WESLEY NOTES I beheld-I considered the counsels and ways of God, and the various methods of his providence, and the reasons of them. Find out-No man, though ever so wise, is able fully and perfectly to understand these things. And therefore it is best for man not to perplex himself with endless enquiries, but quietly to submit to God's will and providence, and to live in the fear of God, and the comfortable enjoyment of his blessing.

It is none of these things. It is the sinful, human nature that causes people to sin the most. It is by the grace of God that we receive salvation; and by trials and temptations that we learn who we truly are: wretched miserable beings without the seed of the Holy Spirit--contrariwise, with the Holy Spirit, we are made perfect. Daily we must die to the old self; daily plead with the Spirit to live according to His will.