Feeling Worn Out?

But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. [Ecclesiastes 12.12]

Let me start off to say, I don't think Solomon was placing a premium on ignorance here. But there is something extremely important in what he said.

It occurs to me that the endless writing of books and much study are both good and noble efforts. However, they should be means to an end instead of the goal. If knowledge is the goal, then the possessor of it has fallen woefully short of the goal: the Kingdom of God. This applies even to knowledge of the Bible! Let me prove it...

Jesus said:

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

Jesus, as King, brought the Kingdom of God to mankind. All the knowledge in the world about the Scriptures is of no value whatsoever if it does not bring us to the King and His Kingdom. With this established then, we should focus on understanding our King and His Kingdom! 

Our King laid out His main objective very clearly:

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. [Matthew 16.21]

And, in the same conversation, Jesus our King laid out our main objective: 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

As pursuers of God's Kingdom, our goal is simply and singly this: take up our own cross (giving up our own ways and everything that makes sense to us) so that, in so doing, we follow Jesus with His Cross. And, where did Jesus take His cross? To Calvary where salvation for the world was procured with His blood and these words:

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. [Luke 23.34]

Since Jesus' blood paid once-and-for-all the price for salvation , the only way for us to fully identify with Jesus then on our cross is to join in with His forgiveness of the world, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

We should not carelessly pass over or deprioritize this mandate! Elevating Bible teachings, even faith and love, above their end goal of forgiveness is spiritual suicide! While faith and love are indeed pillars of truth in our knowledge of God's Word and Kingdom, they are pointless if we do not forgive.

Prove it? The one thing Jesus reiterated as He taught us to pray was this:

But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. [Matthew 6.15]

Furthermore Jesus put faith, in all its glory, in its proper sucsession to forgiveness in this popular "faith passage" from Mark's Gospel:

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” [Mark 11.22-25]

Likewise, the Apostle Paul reveals that if forgiveness is not the characteristic of love, then we have the wrong definition of love!

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. [1 Corinthians 13.4-7]

So all the knowledge of the Bible, even about faith and love, has no significance outside Jesus' taking up His cross for the express purpose of forgiveness. No matter what kind of scholar we think ourselves to be, if we fail to forgive, we self-inflict the greatest tragedy known to man - to miss God in the person of Jesus Christ. 

Knowledge is not the goal. Otherwise, the Pharisees and religious leaders would have been saved (John 5.39 above).

Faith is not the goal. Otherwise, the miracle-working people Jesus spoke of in Matthew 7.21-23 would have been saved.

Love is not the goal. Otherwise, God's love for the world would not have required Jesus' death on the Cross (John 3.16).

No matter how much we learn about God's Word... No matter how many books are written on various topics and how much we study them... No matter how many sermons, teachings and seminars we attend to their end... If we do not, through our knowledge, see and obey God's mandate to take up our own cross and forgive others (the world), then, we are not forgiven, we are not in God's will and favor, and we cannot be saved (forgiven). 

In keeping with what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12.12, study and knowledge (even about the high topics of faith and love) will only wear us out if we don't from them forgive.

Father, may my knowledge of Your Word, faith, and love be solely to the end of forgiveness.