“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be
done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is
said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. There is
no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later
things yet to be among those who come after.” Ecclesiastes 1:9-11
We tend to think of history as linear. Which of course we do – how else would we measure time and sequence? Seems pretty obvious to the average person. However, I fear this causes us to also to think of history as always progressing. To put it another way, I fear we think that as time progresses, things get better. More importantly, we get better. Ecclesiastes seems to challenge us on this thought. While we sometimes have this obsession with the “new” or in our modern language “innovative,” the preacher in Ecclesiastes has no room for it. Nothing new under the sun he says to us. Seems bleak if I am being honest. So a question comes to mind.
Why do you preach such things?
It would seem to me that each generation “discovers” something very old and presents it as a sort of “new” idea. Ecclesiastes is right. There is no remembrance of former things. Even the things that are yet to happen will be forgotten by the generation that comes after them. We are locked in this vicious cycle of forgetting and relearning and forgetting again. Unfortunately, that is the course of the human life. But there is one who does not forget. The preacher in Ecclesiastes does not preach for himself. He preaches for the Most High God. And God does not forget nor does anything surprise Him. There is nothing new under the sun for God. While this may be a bleak thought for us initially, I hope you can look at it a different way.
There is nothing new for God. Therefore, He knows how to help, comfort, and save you from trouble. There is nothing “new” that will keep you from Him or distract Him or surprise Him when it comes to you. He knows. He knows you and knows your struggles. Brother and sisters in Christ, all things have been taken to the cross and crucified with Jesus. There is no “innovative” sin that will keep you from God. Only the steadfast and eternal salvation won for us by our savior. Take heart brothers and sisters, there is nothing new under the sun. Praise be to God.
In Christ,
Pastor Tommy