Ecclesiastes 9:1-18 - True Wisdom and Surmounting Life’s Problems

Intro:

We quickly coming to the end of our study of Ecclesiastes.

Tonight we come to chapter 9 — “True Wisdom and Surmounting Life’s Problems.”

(Read Ecc. 9:1-18).

In this chapter, in keeping with the rest of the book, Solomon talks about the brevity of life, and the futility of being caught up in worry over this life’s concerns.

Text:

V. 1 - This first verse is misconstrued by a lot of folks who beleive in Calvinism.

I appreciate Ky’s devotional last week that dealt with the fact that a lot of people are dangerously close to Calvinism when they say “It was God’s will” that a little baby died or something else terrible happened.

Murder for instance — If a murder takes an innocent life, and then somebody responds to that situation - “Well, God has a purpose for everything.”

No, God did not WILL that that murder took place!

Murder is directly contrary to God’s will!

ALL SIN is contrary to God’s will!

So when Solomon says here “The righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God,” do we acknowledge God’s Providence acting in our lives?

Certainly!

But I think it is grave error to state that everything that happens has already been ordained by God to happen.

Some things we have to just chalk up to human free will, nature that we live in, and sadly, sin taking place in the world, too.

(Now God DOES have the power to interfere in life & does — I’m sure of it because He answers prayer for instance — But sometimes His answers to our prayers [or our perceived inaction on His part] are not what we wanted, but are in accordance with His will.

“People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.”

The question is — Is Solomon referring to God’s love and “hatred,” or man’s.

If God’s, then this is talking about — Who knows whether someone will receive God’s favor or displeasure.

If man’s, then this is talking about — love/favor versus displeasure among inter-human relationships.

V. 2 - “One event” = death.

Death is the great equalizer among men — Regardless of whether men are good or evil.

This verse makes most commentators think that “People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them” from v. 1 is talking about God.

I’m fine with that interpretation, as long as we don’t God to the extreme of “Well, God’s will was for this murder to take place” or what have you.

V. 3 - In other words, a common affliction that happens to every man is death.

And it has been and always will be the natural order of things after sin entered into the world in the garden - Genesis 3.

The next part of the verse clues us in further as to why death happens to all:

“Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness (craziness because of evil) is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.”

This is an O.T. equivalent of Rom. 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” paired with Rom. 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

V. 4 - There is still hope while we are alive!

I think about the rich man and Lazarus!

What did he want Abraham to do for his brothers? (Send Lazarus back to warn them)

They still had hope while they were still living, and the rich man knew that!

“For a living dog is better than a dead lion.”

If there was a battle between one dog and one lion, who would win, typically? (lion)

But what if the lion is already DEAD — Then the dog obviously!

So this is a metaphor saying that a dog (symbol for a worthless person to the Jews) is better than a LION (a symbol for a hero to the Jews) if that lion is already dead — (Because the dog, even though worthless, still has life in him, and can consequently still choose to become better)

V. 5 - Does this teach total unconciousness in the afterlife (waiting for judgment)?

No — Again, the account of the rich man and Lazarus tells us quite clearly that we will either be in a place of rest or a place of torment waiting for Judgment Day.

Furthermore, verse 6 helps us understand what Solomon means ...

V. 6 - Thus, the dead have no consciousness of what’s going on “under the Sun” once they are in the Hadean realm.

As much as I appreciate the nice thought of the old country song “There’s Holes in the Floors of Heaven,” that song simply ain’t so!

(First of all, grandmothers who make it to Paradise are not looking “down on us,” and secondly, even if they did, they wouldn’t be crying with “tears pouring down” “wishing they could be here now.”)

VS. 7 - 8 - In other words, enjoy life! It goes quickly!

“God has already accepted your works” (v. 7) — same as saying, God wants you to enjoy your life (His way!).

Ask the question — Why did God create us? (He pleasured in creating us!)

Rev. 4:11 (KJV) says “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

V. 9 - This is the same concept from verses 7-8.

The one flesh union designed by God that is marriage is one of the pinnacles of His creation.

Heb. 13:4 “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

Prov 5:15-19 “Drink water from your own cistern, And running water from your own well. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.”

(Also could read a lot in the book of Song of Solomon).

Some of it the casual reader of the Bible might deem salacious, but it’s not inappropriate at all (in its proper context of one man, one woman for life)!

V. 10 - This is one of many passages in the Bible that teach the virtue and importance of good hard work.

Proverbs is filled with verses about it.

I also think of Col. 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

V. 11 - In other words, what we’ve already looked at time and again in Ecclesiastes — Sometimes bad things happen to good people; sometimes good things happen to bad people — and everything in between.

“The rain falls on the just and the unjust.”

“Time and chance happen to them all.”

V. 12 - Death comes suddenly upon many, perhaps maybe most.

I don’t know what the percentage of people who die unexpectedly versus the death bed in ripe old age would be, but I would venture to say that more people die unexpectedly than expectedly.

So we always have to be ready.

Heb. 9:27 “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”

(Faith based movie - “The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry” - Graveyard scene with young people).

V. 13ff - A story about wisdom being better than folly, but life still sometimes favors the folly (or so it seems).

V. 14 - In other words, this city is very vulnerable.

V. 15 - is it not often the case in this life that the real heroes go completely unnoticed, while others take all the credit for what the real heroes actually did?

(Happens quite a bit actually).

This poor guy came up with a wise plan that saved the city that was beseiged.

But when the city was saved, nobody even remembered him and the indication seems to be that they didn’t even appreciate him for saving them with his plan.

(But is it really all about taking credit anyways?) (No!)

VS. 16-17 — Solomon knows that wisdom is actually more valuable than sheer manpower, but most people wouldn’t care to realize that fact.

V. 18 - “Wisdom is better than weapons of war.”

That’s why in the “war” that is a football game, for instance, the biggest and strongest team doesn’t always win!

The smaller less talented team CAN win IF they outsmart the other superior team!

And then, “One sinner destroys much good.” — Very similar to “one bad apple spoils the bunch.”

There’s manifold application for that in various aspects of life! (Families, school, workplace, and even the church)

Conclusion:

We’ve looked at for this lesson how life is short and we must make the most of it.

We have realized yet again that sometimes unfair things happen in life, even to good people.

We have looked at how wisdom is better than other things that men hold in regard.