Not many Christians seem to draw strength from Ecclesiastes. It appears to talk about excesses of a somewhat disoriented king, describing the arrogance and futility of pursuing self-indulgence, toil, wealth and honour, and even wisdom. After all that, and describing how everything and everyone meets their death and comes to the same end as the fool, his oft refrain is that everything is vanity and a chasing after the wind.

It's only right at the end that he seems to offer any hope, that the way forward is to "fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13) Even that is not really hope, but duty, "for God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecc 12:14)

But I believe we can take a lot more from this book. I want to focus on what I'm calling the Ecclesiastes principle of moderation:

Tempering excess

It would appear that Solomon learned a lot more than just something negative: to not whole-heartedly pursue the things of this world.

So pursuing great works for the sake of glorying in those works results in despair (Ecclesiastes 2:18-23). But when we turn our hearts to working for God, we find true enjoyment (Ecc 2:24-26), and that work endures forever (Ecc 3:9-15).

Glorying in ourselves tends towards greed, waste and corruption, but glorying in God tends towards service of others, graciousness and generosity.

Working to keep up with the Joneses—"a man's envy of his neighbor" (Ecc 4:4)—is empty, and quiet relaxation can be better (Ecc 4:6). Note these are extremes—but he's learning what the biblical centre is. We read later more clearly that contentedness in what God's given us brings satisfaction (Ecclesiastes 6:6-9; much like 1 Timothy 6:6).

The person who works alone is weak; two or three are not quickly broken (Ecc 4:9-12). We are not made to work alone, but to work as a social community; each with different gifts, but one church.

Power is great, but wisdom is better (Ecc 4:13-16). Better still, then, although it is unsaid, is power with wisdom: like Solomon himself, who ruled in total peace, and all the earth came to him to hear his wisdom (1 Kings 4:29-34). Power is kept in check with wisdom.

The rash boast can cause you great trouble. Temper it with a bridled tongue (Ecc 5:1-7).

Love for and increase in money brings no satisfaction. This is excess. Better to live without the stress of worrying about your wealth (Ecc 5:10-17).

Temper feasting and laughter with funerals and sorrow—and even embrace them more because death teaches the living something valuable (Ecc 7:1-4).

The principle of moderation: applied wisdom

What is the "principle of moderation" in a word? Wisdom.

Chapters 7 and 8 are full of what wisdom is.

When you have wisdom you:

• Uphold justice rather than try and personally gain (Ecc 7:7)

• Are patient, not proud (Ecc 7:8)

• Are not quickly provoked (Ecc 7:9)

• Do not hope for good ol' days (Ecc 7:10)—but presumably look forward to what you can do

• Preserve your life (Ecc 7:12)

• Are joyous in times of prosperity, but equally satisfied in God in times of adversity (Ecc 7:14)

• Tend not to attribute every event to karma—some people do not get what they deserve in this life (Ecc 7:15-18)

• Know that even wisdom is limited: sin, evil, and God's sovereignty are some of the things that we cannot fully understand (Ecc 7:23-29)

We could go on. But a better course is to apply the principle of moderation to today.

Applying the principle of moderation to today

Organisation AND relationship

So, we find people today with bad experiences of organised religion, and they go off and start something more relational, without structures and policies and rigidity. Yet they too will eventually find themselves in frustration, as everyone is disempowered to make decisions except for the one leader.

But unorganised religion (in the purest sense) is just as bad as organised religion. Consider the Apostles who wanted to preach but found themselves administering money for widows. The wisdom was to establish structure and empower a new group of people for the widows to come to first, so they could be helped (Acts 6:1-7). A new layer of management!

So those in power often don't realise the stifling effects of some old policies and layers of management that need a fresh vision—and those bold and rash don't realise the empowering and nurturing effect of good policies and management. Wisdom would dictate the right amount of structure with the right amount of relational, personal focus. This speaks of not only to balance, but the right application of different gifts.

Spiritual gifts AND intellectual engagement

In the Pentecostal world, it's great that they have rediscovered the charismatic gifts of the Spirit. But to essentially make that your entire ministry, and neglect the heady, intellectual, and hard teachings of the Bible, and especially how to deal with the sick and suffering, is frankly unhealthy.

It's unbalanced and therefore quite ineffective at times because the Spirit wants to move in more areas than just certain eye-popping gifts. Jesus' wisdom was to say to the 70 who came back with joy that the demons were subject to them that they should rather take joy that their names were written in the book of life (Luke 10:17-20). Their relationship with God was so much more important. And that's going to involve being taught everything that Jesus taught, not just what he said about healings and angels and demons.

Miraculous healing AND medical healing

I have talked with people who speak with me quietly about taking medicine, because taking medication is deemed a lack of faith! But although it may be—a lot of people want to be told it's as easy as popping a pill, and it's not actually necessary—it may just as easily not be. Not everything is caused by a demon, even though that may be a frequent experience of your ministry.

Vaccines, for example, when safely produced, can help ready your body for fighting something in the outside world. God is definitely there for you if you don't have the means—but we ought not to so proud as to pick and choose his means of provision. If you have the opportunity to take a medically proven vaccine, take it; if you only have the opportunity to pray and fast, do that.

I'm reminded of the story of the man who was trapped in a flood, and took temporary safety on top of his house. He prayed to God to rescue him. A short while later, with the water half way up the house, a neighbour in a canoe comes by and says "hop in!" The man politely declines: "No, it's okay, I'm right thanks", hoping for something a little bit more miraculous.

Well, the waters keep rising, and he keeps praying, and then a rescue crew come around in a boat and urge him to come in. The man politely declines, saying, "my rescue is coming."

Well, the waters keep rising, and now, while on the roof, it's almost at his feet. He keeps praying, and soon after, a rescue helicopter comes and drops a line down to him. But he refuses.

So, he drowns, and then he finds himself in heaven, and comes to God and asks him: "why, Lord, didn't you rescue me?" And God replies, "well I sent you a canoe and a boat and even a helicopter!"

So we find that the Pentecostal error is assuming that God will respond miraculously, while the Conservative error is assuming that God will use our physical efforts. The truth is that God can and does use both physical and spiritual means to carry out his plans, and both are miraculous.

Miraculous provision AND working for money

In a very similar way I have heard of many people being provided for financially, miraculously. But this ought not to stop us from actively finding work and getting finances that way. Just because God can provide for us miraculously, doesn't make working for money any less God's will. But all comes in His timing.

Taking one verse Versus Understanding the whole

"Name it and claim it" is said to be a promise that God will provide us with everything we want (Mark 11:20-25). However, we have to balance that with the rest of what God says in his Word. God will take care of us, but he will not give us what would be totally selfish and unhelpful (James 4:3). He wants us to ask according to his will, not our will (Matthew 6:10). We should be encouraged to come to God in prayer, but at the same time, encouraged to understand what God wants, and His desire, letting His will trump ours—nevertheless not my will but yours be done (Luke 22:42).

Conclusion

You don't know a doctrine until you can tell someone the limits of that doctrine. How far can you press it before it hinders something else? What do you need to focus on as opposed to others, who are on different journeys and have different gifts and personalities? How have your experiences, ungrounded in Scripture, biased your interpretation? What would the fullness of everything in Scripture say on this subject, not just one verse?

Therein is wisdom. Thank you Solomon. Thank you God.