The Authority on Authority

In his book Up with Authority, Victor Austin uses the analogy of an orchestra to explain why we need human authority. I want to read what he has to say about it. He says, orchestras need conductors because the musicians don't have a single right answer to the questions like, what should we play at the concert or what should we practice today or how should we interpret this passage of music. Each musician might have a perfectly reasonable opinion, but their opinions will inevitably be different and will almost always be incompatible with one another. And it's no good for each musician to do what is right in his or her own ears. It won't do for the brass section to insist on playing one musical piece if the strings have chosen to play a completely different piece. If the orchestra is to perform coherently, if the musicians want to perform music rather than just making noise, somebody has to have authority to decide. By submitting to the authority of a conductor, individual musicians attain musical expression, they could never attain or realize individually or even as a collection of freewheeling players. Authority is necessary for classical musicians to bring musical fulfillment to others. What is true for orchestras, Austin says, is true for human life in general. And he is so right. And the problem, however, is that we live in a culture that devalues authority. We live in a culture that basically has come to the corporate conclusion and it is fed to us constantly. We have come to the conclusion in this culture that there is no ultimate authority. There is no authority of right or wrong. It's called moral relativism. There are no moral absolutes. If there are no moral absolutes, if there is no ultimate authority, then nobody else has the right to tell me how to live. Nobody else has the right to be over me to tell me what I should do. It's my life. I'll do what I want to. And that's the pervasive opinion of our culture. We are in a crisis when it comes to authority. The general attitude is that no authority is to be respected and most authority is to be resistant. So how do we deal with that when we as believers understand and hopefully really believe that there is an ultimate authority? There are moral absolutes. That ultimate authority is God. And he has declared his moral absolutes in his word, the Bible. So how do we deal with the pervailing opinion of our culture? That there is no moral absolute and there is no real authority over me. I'm the master of my own fate, as the well-known poem Invictus says. I'm the captain of my own ship. I'm the master of my own fate. Nobody has the right to tell me what how do we deal with that when we do believe in authority? Well, maybe we need to go back to the authority on authority. If God has communicated his wisdom and will through his word, our authority, then this is the place to find out what he believes, what he says, what he communicates to us about authority. And we find that exact issue dealt with in the book of Ecclesiastes by Solomon. We find ourselves today in chapter 8 of Ecclesiastes where Solomon deals with authority. Now in chapter 8, the setting is that of a king and his subjects. We would expect that in the ancient world. We would expect that in Israel. Solomon also deals with that topic quite often in the book of Proverbs. And much of what he says here is mirrored in the text of Proverbs as well when he talks about the authority of the king and the response of his subjects. But the principles relating to authority we can all benefit from. We don't necessarily serve kings. We are not subjects of a king. You have a king up here this morning, but not that kind. And also we don't relate to that kind of authority necessarily. But the principles that Solomon discusses and talks about and God gives us in relationship to authority work in all other areas of authority because we are all affected by others in authority or we may be in authority. It's the way it works in the home. It's true in the school. It's true in your workplace. It's true in organizations. You may be a member of. It's true ultimately in your relationship with God. We are all under authority and many of you here this morning are also in authority. So whether or not you are under authority or in authority, we all need wisdom to know how to handle it correctly. That's what we hope to glean from Solomon this morning. What Solomon does in Ecclesiastes chapter 8, verse 9 verses, is he describes wisdom for those who are under authority. Then he turns the tables and gives us wisdom for those who are in authority. Wisdom from both sides of the coin. For six verses. Let's look at what he says about wisdom for those under authority. He's talking about how we should respond to authority and he's describing certain critical attitudes that are necessary in our response to authority. Attitude number one is that we should respond to authority with understanding. Now scholars and commentators differ on whether or not verse 1 actually is a verse that summarizes his section on character in chapter 7 or does it begin the new section on authority in chapter 8. If you have the NIV like I do, you can see that the way the verses set off, they're saying it belongs with chapter 7. And it can go either way certainly but I believe it's best to go ahead and take it as most have through the years even in those who added the chapter in verse, the lineations and descriptions to our Bible, that it actually is the opening of chapter 8. So I believe what he's going to say here ties into authority and particularly those who are under authority. Those who are under authority, whether it's in the home, school, workplace, organization, church, whatever it may be, are to respond first of all with understanding. If I could paraphrase, verse 1, let's read it first then I'll paraphrase it. He says, who is like the wise, who knows the explanation of things. What are you saying basically is this, who can compare to a wise person who understands things, who understands a matter. The word explanation in verse 1, Solomon wrote this in the language that he used and spoke, the language of Hebrew. So to get back to that original word, understand what that means, the word literally means explanation or understanding means to see through the mystery of something. To be able to understand why something happens or why it works. So the idea here basically is when we respond to authority, we do so asking the question, why? And it is important that we have understanding of why things are as they are. There's nothing wrong with asking that question of authority by the way. The Bible does not command just a blind following of authority. That becomes a cult. People drink the Kool-Aid simply because they're told to. People follow the cult leaders demands, whether they be moral, sexual, law as far as how the community operates because they're told to. No questions asked. The Bible does not command that. The Bible does command that we should respond to authority with a level of understanding. It's okay to ask the question why something is done. But it's important that we have the right attitude in asking that question. You can ask the question why with insolence, arrogance, or you can ask it with a sincere desire to learn to understand better. Why things are done the way they're done or headed the way they're headed. It's essential also for leadership to understand that. It's good for those in leadership to understand that reasons must be given. Why do we do what we do? Why are we pursuing this goal? Why do we meet when we meet? Why do we not do it this way? It forces us to have good reasons. That's good for both those in authority and under authority. Not wrong to ask those questions. Now I know what some of you are thinking. Does it work that way in the home? My parents always told me when I asked why because I said so. You know sometimes that's the best and only answer that can be given, particularly with young children who do not yet have the capacity to understand why things may be done the way they're done. Sometimes that needs to be given. But I believe even as parents when it's possible to give an explanation or a reason, that's the better way to handle authority. We're to respond first of all with understanding with wisdom. Being able to understand why, give it the explanation why something is done. To be able to think through the mystery of something, that's what Solomon's saying. Secondly, we need to respond to authority with a cheerful disposition. Look at what the rest of verse 1 says. A person's wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance. It was President Abraham Lincoln who was well known for saying anyone over 40 is responsible for his or her own face. And if you've ever looked at Abraham Lincoln's face, you know that those who wrote about him even at his day who called him kind of homely were correct. His appearance was that way. But if you've looked at pictures of him before and toward the end of his presidency before he was assassinated, you can see the deep lines etched in his face by his constant night of worry over the Civil War. What is Solomon saying here? He's saying if you have wisdom in the way you respond to authority, it will brighten or lighten your expression. It will give you a cheerful disposition. It will lighten up things for you and it will literally change the hard appearance of your face. Interesting word there. The word hard appearance literally means a fierce confidence. It's used for instance in Deuteronomy chapter 28 and verse 50 of nations who would take Israel captive. Moses said if they did not obey the Lord and Moses describes them this way. A fierce looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young fierce looking same word we've got here hard countenance fierce looking stern, unsmiling, unbending. It's also used in Daniel chapter 8 same word of Antiochus a king of the Syrians who would rampage through Israel in about 165, 173 BC and actually go into the temple, offer a pig on the altar and desecrate the temple. He's described this way in the latter part of their reign when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce looking king, a master of intrigue will arise. So this idea of a hard expression, a battle hardened facial expression, harsh stern stiff intense unbending, unsmiling. You want to get a good picture of it today? Look at basketball coaches and football coaches. Usually a very harsh expression on their face, unsmiling, angry, don't look at baseball coaches, they look as bored as the rest of us are at the pace of action in a baseball game. But football and basketball coaches you'll find that hard expression that intense, unsmiling expression and that's exactly what Solomon say. Here it is in relationship to authority. In relationship to authority, are you chasing under it or are you able to enjoy it? Say John, you don't know what my workplace is like, you don't know what my home situation is like, I probably don't. But I've been in ministry almost 40 years, this July to be 40 years, I think I've heard just about everything. It is possible to have a cheerful disposition, even under authority. Try loosening up a little bit, try smiling a little bit. It will release a lot of tension and it will probably help your face look a little better when you're 70 as well. Cheerful disposition under authority. Third response, we should have as a responsible obedience. Look at verse 2, obey the king's command, I say, because you took an oath before God. That's interesting. It's a little unclear, even in their culture in the Hebrew culture, what he means by you took an oath before God. Did they literally take an oath of allegiance to the king? They might have. But basically what Solomon is saying is whatever oath you've taken to authorities over you, make sure you realize there is a spiritual connotation to it. It is an oath before God. And God sees your response to authority as your response to Him. It is true in every level of authority you face. The Bible always puts a spiritual underpinning foundation or spiritual grounds to our authority. It is our responsibility before God to obey the authorities over us unless those authorities directly contradict God's word. Then obviously we have the higher authority of God and His word over our lives. But that principle is true. It's true in the home. Look at this verse, Ephesians chapter 6, verse 1, children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Submission to authority in the home is God's purpose and plan and desire. It's true on the job. Look at Colossians 3.22. Slaves, obey your earthly masters and everything and do it not only when their eyes on you to carry their favor but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. The only comparison we have with the situation Paul was addressing in Colossi is our job situation. You say, yeah, it's a lot like slavery to me. But your job situation has probably a supervisor over you, a boss, someone who is responsible for you to tell you what to do or give you guidance or something in your job or you may be that person in authority. But if you're under authority, the Bible says you're responsible before God to obey that authority. Same thing is true with government authority, the principle of government. Romans chapter 13, notice these strong words Paul gives us, let everyone be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist, speaking of the principle of human government, have been established by God. Notice this strong warning, consequently whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. We're responsible to be obedient, submissive to governmental authorities. Fourthly, we're responsible even in regard to the church, whether it's authority in the church, same thing is true. Look what the writer of Hebrews says, Hebrews 13, 17, have confidence in your leaders, let me pause right there moment, what leaders is he talking about? Government, business, home, no, no, he's already described who they are in verse seven, those who teach you the word of God. He's talking in the context of the church, have confidence in your leaders, submit to their authority because they keep watch over you, literally shepherd you. As those who must give an account, and that account obviously will be given to God, do this so that their work will be a joy and not a burden for that would be of no benefit to you. Now obviously, again, this is not unquestioned authority, this is not unquestioning submission to authority, it is not blind following of authority. Again, the questions sometimes need to be asked of those in authority, but overall the scriptures are saying you are under authority to God to obey the authorities that he's placed over you. Obedience is our response to authority. Fourth response we should have is respect. Respect versus three and four, talk about that. Do not be in a hurry to leave the king's presence. Let me stop right there. In these two verses Solomon describes three ways that respect for authority is displayed. And the first one is this, no angry departures, even if you disagree, even if you're upset, no angry departures from the room. He says very clearly, do not be in a hurry to leave the king's presence. I think he's talking about in the sense of how you respond to his authority, even if you disagree, you don't angrily storm out of the room. Second thing you don't do if you're going to show respect is you do not have any subtle undermining of his authority or her authority. What he says in the middle of verse three, do not stand up for a bad cause for he will do whatever he pleases. Standing up for a bad cause in the context here of king and subjects, he's talking about a cause that is designed to overthrow the king or intimidate the king or undermine his authority for authority. And what Solomon is saying, don't get involved in that kind of stuff. He may have been thinking about his own half brother, Absalom, who did that to King David. Now obviously David was partially at thought when David brought Absalom back into the kingdom back from exile after Absalom had been exiled for murdering his brother. And that's a whole other story. David was responsible for not ever reestablishing close contact with Absalom. You pay the price for that, but Absalom began to subtly undermine David's authority. This is the way he did it. He would camp outside the city gate where people would be coming into the city to make an appointment to see the king about official business. And he would stop them. He would say, King doesn't have any time for you. In fact, he's really not interested in what your problem is, but I am. Come on, have a seat right here and talk with me. And the Bible says in that way, he won over the hearts of the Israelites and led a rebellion against his father, which for a time drove David off the throne until God restored him to that position of authority. What Solomon is saying is don't get involved in a cause like that in a bad cause. Don't do that. No subtle undermining of authority. And then the third way that we show respect, not only angry departures from the room, no subtle undermining of authority, but also no arrogant questions. Look at verse four. Since the king's word is supreme, who can say to him, what are you doing? And the thought, the idea, the tone of the verse really is that kind of arrogance and insolence is what you think you're doing. Now, again, it's not wrong to question authority, but the tone of the question, the spirit, the motive behind the question. Here's someone who has authority in this culture, the king's word is supreme. So don't ask arrogant questions. Who do you think you are? What do you think you're doing? Don't ask arrogant questions. It's it's find asked questions, but ask them with tacked. Tack is a good word. It may not be a Bible word, but it describes a Bible mentality. The Bible would call it gentleness or meekness. But tack is a good word. Someone has said tack is really the ability to make people feel at home when that's really where you wish they were. And that's true, but it's not the best description of tacked. You know the word tacked comes from our sense of feel. We talk about the tactile sense, the Latin word for tacked literally means to feel. So tack means that you have a feel for the situation. You understand the need to navigate things delicately. And so rather than just barging in with both guns blazing, you avoid needless offense, your sensitive to the other person's feelings, you understand both sides of an issue and you seek to make reconciliation with gentleness and meekness, kindness, courtesy. That's tacked. And that's what Solomon is saying to show respect for authority and you can show respect for authority even if you disagree with the decisions of that authority. It means no angry departure storming out the door. It means no subtle undermining of authority and no arrogant questions. What are you doing? So respect the fifth kind of response to authority is patience. This fifth attitude that Solomon in joins upon us in verses five and six, whoever obeys his command will come to know harm and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure for there is a proper time and procedure for every matter though a person may be weighed down by misery. Here's the picture here again. He is not saying blind obedience to authority unquestioning following of authority. He's not saying that but he is saying when you must question or make suggestions to authority recognize there's a proper timing and a proper procedure for that because there's a proper timing and procedure for everything even if he says you may be weighed down by misery and the idea of the right to be a good example. And the idea there is even when the issue you're upset about is burning you up inside even when that's the case there is the proper time and the proper procedure for how you address that. So we are to appeal to authority in the proper way proper time proper procedure when I think of that I think of Esther Queen Esther a young Jewess who has given the position of King and the Persian Empire. You know the book of Esther you're familiar with her story she becomes aware of a plot to kill all of her people the Jews and God moves in her heart to expose that plot. She's challenged by Mordeky to do so even at the risk of her own life but she knows there must be a proper time and a proper way to do that. She cannot just barge into the presence of the King that's a death sentence in the Persian culture and so what does she do first she prays and fasts for three days and asks every Jew in the Kingdom to do the same thing. And then that's the timing of things then she proposes the proper procedure this has got to be handled delicately she does enter the King's presence and makes her request but the request is not only everything on the table hitting with it all at once the request is would you come to a banquet she realizes that she's going to take this in increments and phases instead of proper procedure for doing things. They come both Hayman the perpetrator of the crime and the King come to a banquet that Esther has prepared and for whatever reason she does not present her request at that banquet. We don't know the reason why but she just says could we have another banquet tomorrow but I believe ultimately it was because she was sensitive to God's timing again because the night between those two banquets is when the King can't sleep. He is made aware of a key piece of the puzzle that will help him respond appropriately to Esther's request that happened because Esther was sensitive to the right timing. So there's a proper timing and a proper procedure for everything even when the issue is burning down inside you patients or the proper time and the proper way of handling a thought. So for those under authority respond with understanding cheerful disposition obedience respect patience but what about Solomon does change his tone in verse seven. He begins to speak to those who are in authority because he's dealing with someone who is responsible to tell others about the future in verse seven who has power but needs to recognize he doesn't have all power in verse eight and who can lord it over others because he's got the position. So it's clear in these three verses he's talking about someone who is in authority. How do you handle authority if you have authority over others. If you have authority in the home as a parent or even a husband if you have authority in the workplace if you have authority on a committee or if you have authority in an organization. How do you handle that? First of all Solomon says exercise that with honesty with honesty verse seven. Since no one knows the future who can tell someone what is to come. This is a very appropriate verse for people in the authority people in leadership feel like they have to know all the answers. What Solomon is warning about is don't get intimidated. When someone asks the question you have to say I don't know be honest say I don't know because he reminds us no one knows the future who can tell someone else what is to come. That's also appropriate for leaders because leaders are responsible for trying to move organizations or committees or the home or whatever the business into the future. One of the responsibilities of leaders is what we call today casting vision to try to look into the future and see where we should go next. But the humbling aspect of that and if we are honest every leader has to say it there are lots of things we don't know specifically about the future. And so sometimes the leader gets threatened thinking I have to know exactly what's going to happen and what's going to what we're going to do and make sure that there are no missteps in this chart the next five years nobody can do that. That's what Solomon say be humble enough to say or be honest enough to say I don't know I don't know particularly when it comes to the future don't be intimidated don't think well I can't show any sign of weakness or imperfection I can't let it be known that there are some things I don't know who I don't know be honest I don't know. Secondly if you're in leadership you handle it with humility Solomon says verse 8 and basically you're saying you got to recognize there's a limit to your authority there's some things you have no control over. You may have power you may have authority but there are lots of things you don't have any authority over be humble about that. Verse 8 notice he gives four examples first two as no one has power over the wind to contain it so no one has power over the time of their death. You can't control the wind only God can do that you cannot forecast when your death will be only God knows that we all have an appointment with death. It's appointed in the man wants to die but only God knows that. So there's some things that are beyond your control you have no authority over by virtue of the fact that only God does but there are some things you have no authority over because just the way life works because of the circumstances of life the last two examples are in that category. As no one is discharged in time of war so wickedness will not release those who practice it. You have to understand that what he's talking about here is something that is beyond your control in warfare in the ancient world much different from today you're talking about a battlefield you're talking about people who are literally on the battlefield in hand to hand combat with each other with spears and swords and instruments of warfare like that in this day so when he's talking about warfare he's got a totally different picture in mind than what we typically do today. Of someone who's sitting in New Mexico flying a drone that's flying over Afghanistan totally different type of warfare. So what he's saying basically is if you're in war if you're in the battle if you're on the field swing in your sword or throw in your spear that's not the time to say you know my time of enlistment is up I'm going home. You're not released you don't get released during the battle because there's an inflexible law that says you're there and you can't change that and he says just as there are inflexible physical laws like that there are inflexible spiritual laws to the beyond your control and he mentions one in verse eight so wickedness will not release those who practice it. If you decide to live a lifestyle of sin you are not in control of what happens to you because it will put you in bondage wickedness will not let you go it will not release you you have no power no control over that so basically what he's saying you're in authority you got to recognize in life there are a lot of things that you don't have any control over be humble about those things and be humble about how much real authority and power you do have. Nebuchadnezzar would learn that didn't need the strongest king in his day years later kingdom of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar who thinks he's the most powerful man in the world wants people to worship him is set out into the field with a mental illness acts like an ox for seven years eating grass and at the end of that when God restored both his sanity and his kingdom Nebuchadnezzar would say Daniel chapter four and that's what he's saying. Now I know that God rules over the affairs of men and those who are proud he knows how to humble humility there are a lot of things out of our control even if you have authority a lot of things you can't control be humble. Thirdly Salomon says if you practice authority if you're in leadership do it with love verse nine all this I saw as I applied my mind everything done under the sun there is a time when a man lords it over others to his name. He's the only one who is the most powerful man in the world. He's the most powerful man in the world. He's the most powerful man in the world. So either way it's a reason it's so difficult to interpret. I think in the flow of the context and what he's talking about those who are over and in authority I think he's probably talking about those who lord it over others to their hurt who misuse and abuse their authority. Salomon is saying don't use your authority to unfairly treat others or take unfair advantage of others or to hurt others but do that in the biblical sense of love which means you take others needs into account you do what's best for other people that's the kind of leadership that we should have. I read this news report this week by the very nature of the business LA county traffic cops received plenty of complaints about their work after all most motorists don't think they deserve a ticket to you. Each complaint gets documented and placed in the officers personnel file but surprisingly over the past 20 years LA sheriff deputy Elton Simmons has made over 25,000 traffic stops and cited thousands of motorists with traffic violations without a single complaint on his record. When the supervisor captain Pat Maxwell started looking through his file he was stunned Maxwell found plenty of commendations but not one single complaint it was such a shocking story that a CBS news crew was assigned to follow Simmons in his rounds to attempt to discern his secret why is it that he is able to get traffic tickets and citations and never have a complaint against him. Well first they noticed that Simmons and here's the way they described it a quote-it-word for word pitch perfect mix of authority and diplomacy pitch perfect mix of authority and diplomacy that's what they noticed about him without a trace of arrogance or self righteousness they said of course Simmons still hands out plenty of tickets they just don't come with the standard guilt trip. Here's how he himself described his approach when he was asked about it by the news crew he says I'm here with you I'm not up here and he put his hands up like that he said one thing I hate is to be looked down on. I can't stand it so I'm not going to look down on you one of the drivers who had received the ticket news crew then interview you about what had happened the driver said you know what it is it's his smile. How could you be mad at that guy and the news crew concluded apparently you can't time after time ticket after ticket they watched and they said we saw officer Simmons melt away a polar cap polar ice cap of misconceptions about law officers and his boss claims there is a lesson in there for hard-nosed cops everywhere. There's also a lesson in there for husbands and fathers and supervisors and owners of businesses and coaches and leaders and pastors and it is that authority is to be administered not in a demanding, demanding, shining, verbally battering way it is not to be given intolerant of mistakes that is not the kind of authority we are to give or to use. Solomon says basically don't lord it over someone in a way that hurts them. The opposite of that in a biblical concept is love that we do what is best for those who may be under our authority I would challenge you today to reevaluate the way you respond to authority I would challenge you to reevaluate the way you exercise authority and most of all I would challenge you to ask yourself this question have I ever recognized and responded to God's authority in my life. Have you ever recognized that only God has the right to tell us the authority to tell us how to get to heaven is the authority and he's told us there's only one way and that's through his son Jesus Christ have you ever been submitted to his authority. I need your need to his will his way and said I know God I can't save myself I need you I need Christ have you ever been to his authority in the matter of salvation that's the place to start when it comes to respect for authority let's pray together.