Home > Work > Joy at the End of The Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes
1 " But another theme, another refrain, is equally marked, and this one is missed by the cynic. This is the refrain which sings the great gift of God. Under the sun, vanity is God’s scepter (5:18; 8:15; 9:9). For those who fear Him, He gives the gift of being able to actually enjoy this great big marching band of futility—the tubas of vanity bringing up the rear. God gives to a wise man the gift of watching, with a pious and grateful chuckle, one damn thing after another. All things considered, the furious activity of this world is about as meaningful as the half-time frenzy at the Super Bowl. But a wise man can be there and enjoy himself. This is the gift of God. The wise will notice how this point is hammered home, throughout the book, again and again. Slowly it dawns on a man that this is really a book of profound . . . optimism. "
― Douglas Wilson , Joy at the End of The Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes
2 " The church today is dominated by this theology of silly women. "
3 " Evangelical Christians, who ought to know better, have contented themselves for some years now in voting for the lesser of two evils. One faction wants to drive toward the cliff of God’s judgment at sixty miles an hour, while the loyal opposition wants to slow down to forty. Hard-working and soft-thinking Christians bust a gut to get the latter group into power. And then, when they do assume control, they compromise with the ousted group and settle on a moderate and well-respected speed of fifty-eight. "
4 " We buck when we hear these things because we are proud. We say that we do not want God’s holiness impugned, but really we do not want our autonomy restricted. If God appoints all the seasons of every man’s life, then no man can live unto himself, and no man can find the fount of wisdom within. If God decrees all things, then I cannot escape Him, not even by plunging myself into all depravity. A man who embraces evil simply finds himself a tool in the hand of the Almighty. A man who rejects evil and follows wisdom finds himself a son in the family of the Almighty. The one option not offered us is that of thwarting and restricting the purposes of God. "
