A Life Approved By God (Ecclesiastes 9:1-12)

Ecclesiastes 9:1-12

Sunday, August 8, 2021

A Life Approved by God

Intro

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Recap/Set-up

This morning we pick back up our study in Ecclesiastes, in chapter 9, verse 1. Over the last two months we have been slowly working our way through this wisdom literature written by Solomon in what he has found as he examines how we live life under the sun.

Last Sunday in chapter 8, we saw that man cannot find out all that God is doing under the sun. A few weeks before that in chapter 6, we saw a question asked, For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

And this morning we come back to try and answer this question in chapter 9.

Main Point: Our lives are not in our own hands, but in God’s. Therefore, let us enjoy God by enjoying what he has given us.

Points

Our lives are in the hand of God

Our lives are full of uncertainty

Our lives are meant to be enjoyed

Our lives are in the hand of God

Even though the Preacher-King understands that all the work of God, man cannot understand, he continues examining what he is capable of under the sun. He continues noting his observation of life around him. He says here in verse 1…

Solomon lays to heart, examining life before him. And as he notes that the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Something else troubles him, and that is what he states in the first part of verse 2, that it is the same for all.

Same for All

What is meant here by the fact that it is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and who shuns an oath?

First, we need to sort out here what is being compared. While it looks as if there are four sets of things being compared, the reality is that there are only 2 groups being compared in four parts. The first group is the first part of each comparison, those who are righteous, good, clean, and who sacrifice. And while Solomon has already warned us against being hasty to make oaths in our faith, there is a sense of devotion that is to be had in the life of one who holds to the Christian faith. In particular, taking up our cross and following Jesus. The other group though is those who are the wicked, the evil, the unclean, and those who shun an oath. Meaning they neglect an oath and/or fail to commit to the Lord.

Second, having understood that these two groups are being compared, it is observed that there is no distinction in what becomes of their lives. For it is the same for all, since the same event happens to all. Whether it is disease such as cancer, dementia, Covid-19, or diabetes, we see that the same event happens to those in both camps, the good and the evil. When tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and any other natural disaster, these do not distinguish between the good and the evil. They have the same ravaging effects on both sides. Then, on top of that, the same end awaits all, death. Death is the end for all, it shows no partiality. It doesn’t distinguish between the righteous and wicked, the good and evil, the clean and unclean, to the one who sacrifices and the one who doesn’t.

This reality leads us to recognize that there is a great evil under the sun, as we see in the first part of verse 3. Because of the fact that the same event happens to all, this causes us to see the injustice that is done under the sun. How is it that the good and evil can both face the same fate? And this goes back to what was stated back up in verse 1 regarding how the Preacher-King saw how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. But then he states, whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.

Much is going on in these two statements. There is another layer of distinction being made and hinted at within the fact that it is the righteous and wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. To be in the hand of God can be both a good thing or a terrifying thing. In what Solomon is referring to here in verse 1, it is a glimmer of comfort and hope in the midst of death being the same event for all. For as he mentions that the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God, he is saying while it seems to be an evil under the sun, God has something bigger happening and that these are in his hand in a different way.

Some of the way that other places in the Bible describe what it is to be in the hand of God are Psalm 48:10, Psalm 95:7a, and Psalm 31:5. Psalm 48:10 says, As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. In Psalm 95:7a we read, For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Then, Psalm 31:5 says, Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

In just these three verses we learn that to be in the hand of God means that we are in the hand of one who is righteous, one who is a shepherd caring for his sheep, and one in whom it is safe to commit our spirit to to redeem. To be in the hand of God as one of his sheep is the safest place we can be. There is great comfort there.

And while Solomon recognizes this truth, he recognizes the internal struggle to know in this life and is left wondering if this is love or hate? As the reality of death coming for all sets in, it is a hard battle to see at times if God’s hand is for or against us. Just think of how often the question is asked, why do bad things happen to good people? The question here in and of itself is a good question. But coming to the right conclusion is what is essential in rightly understanding how both God works and the fallen world in which we live. For a wrong understanding of the answer here causes many to stumble in their battle for faith. They are left wondering how this could happen? How could someone die in the prime of their life? How come the righteous one is suffering, while it seems that the wicked are getting away with it? How is it that the end is the same for these two groups? Maybe there is someone listening this morning to this who is trying to wrestle through these same questions, these same struggles. Friend, if this is you, it is good that you ask these questions, it is good that you wrestle with these things. This wrestling is at the very heart of the book of Ecclesiastes and what Solomon has been writing to us.

But, in trying to answer this question, we must first understand what has brought this same end for all. There is an easy explanation to why the end for all is death, it is called sin. You see, when Adam and Eve took of the fruit in the garden from the forbidden tree, it wasn’t just that they sinned, and we have all been born good and chosen sin. As Psalm 51 tells us, we were conceived in sin. We have known nothing but sin in our lives under the sun. And this sin deserves death as its punishment. Death entered the world, not because of God’s cruelness, but our rebellion as mankind. God is a good and right God to then sentence us according to our guilt in facing death.

And yet, despite our sin, despite our rebellion against God, he has pursued his creation since the moment of the fall in restoring them to himself. God pursued a people through the line of Abraham to reveal himself too, and to draw near to him. He gave them the law to humble themselves before him. And even when they rebelled, God continued to pursue them through warnings and the teachings of the prophets. And even when they rejected the prophets, God finally sent his own Son, Jesus to come, live the life we could not in perfectly keeping the law, being spotless from any sin. He was without spot or blemish, and though he was without sin was taken to be slaughtered as a willing sacrifice to cover our sin and shame. The same God who we often question whether it is love or hate to be in his hands has pursued us with a great steadfast love, even when we have not loved him in return.

Therefore, when we see the love that God has shown us in Christ, we need to see the call is to see that God’s goodness may be hard to see under the sun, it is much easier to understand his love under the SON, the S-O-N. There is deliverance from being under the sun in Jesus. For Jesus came to save the world through his righteous life and his sacrificial death on the cross. In coming to Jesus there is salvation from sin and the hope of eternal life.

Friend, no matter how great your sin is, no matter how far you think you have strayed, Jesus is inviting you to come to him! For it is far better to be in the hand of God in Christ, than it is to fall into the hand of God in sin. In Hebrews 10, we have the charge to hold fast to the confidence of our hope, then the charge immediately after that of the importance of assembling ourselves together in order to stir one another up to help us hold to that confession. Following those charges, there is a warning about sinning deliberately after receiving this knowledge and the punishment that will come if this is the case, in particular what we read then in Hebrews 10:31 plays into this. It says here, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. So instead of falling into the hands of the living God in judgement for your sin, come to Jesus the one who died to deliver you from your sin and declare you righteous before this living God, his Father.

But one more warning for this decision not be delayed. Look with me at verses 4-6. It says…

The living have hope, not the dead. In Middle Eastern culture, including that of the Jews, dogs were not highly thought of animals. They weren’t house pets, they were animals that were not wanted even to be near man, let alone treated well. Lion’s on the other hand were associated with strength and power, as well as kingship. And yet, a living dog is better than that of a dead lion. The dead have no more opportunity to live and make choices. In one’s death, their fate is sealed. This is what is being pointed out here.

In Luke 16 we find a similar point. Jesus tells a story of a rich man and a poor beggar, Lazarus. The rich man and Lazarus both die, again as all will. But, the rich man was in Hades in torment, and Lazarus was in heaven with Abraham. The rich man pleads that Lazarus could come down and cool his tongue, the answer is no. Then he asks that Lazarus be sent to his father’s house to warn his brothers to warn them. But again, the answer is no. He is told that if they don’t hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. The point of it is showing that the decisions made now, affect what happens at death. But, when death comes, it is too late. So friend, don’t put off the need to deal with your sin now. For we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. And death might be knocking at our door.

There is hope for the living in that there remains some time, but the better and secure hope is for the one who puts their faith in Christ. For they can rest securely knowing that they are in the hand of God. And that by being in his hand, knowing that he will keep us, lead us, protect us, guide us through the events of life, no matter what is ahead. And he will be with us and see us through death itself as he calls them home to be with him forever and ever. O Great God of highest heaven, occupy our lowly hearts in seeing your goodness.

Our Lives are full of uncertainty

For it is in seeing God’s goodness and trusting that we are in his hands that will carry us through the midst of uncertainties of life, which is where we turn in our 2nd point this morning. Our lives are full of uncertainty.

Down in verse 11, Solomon returns once more to sharing what has been observed under the sun. He says: the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. While swiftness, strength, wisdom, riches, and knowledge are all commendable things, these guarantee nothing in our lives and what is to come. Time and chance come to each of these. In his commentary, Phillip Ryken writes, “Death is the great leveler. No matter who we are or how well we live, our time on earth will end in death— ‘the universal obliterator.’ In the words of one bumper sticker, ‘Eat well, stay fit, and die anyway.’”

We can try and do everything that we can to lengthen our lives, to add to them, but that is no guarantee. We cannot control life. We are here today and gone tomorrow. In verse 12 it further helps us grasp this as it says…

Just as a fish is swimming and suddenly taken into a net or a bird is flying and goes to rest on a branch and finds itself caught in a snare, so will we as man find ourselves caught in a snare of uncertainty in hardships, suffering, and death.

And while everything feels out of control, God has the full picture in view. And as we are called to faith, he is saying trust me, follow me, hold fast to my word. He is inviting us to rest in him as the one who is in control. As mankind we can’t gain full control of our lives. We fool ourselves into thinking we can.

Our job in the moments of uncertainty is to rest in God’s hand and find our comfort and strength in that. He has us as his sheep, and we can trust the good shepherd who will care for us in the midst of the uncertainties of life, for we know he is a good God, a loving Father, who has poured out his love for us in Christ. Brothers and sisters, this is what we rest in!

Our Lives are meant to be enjoyed

The other job for us in living our lives in the midst of uncertainty is to enjoy them. That is where our third point this morning takes us. Our lives are meant to be enjoyed. We are told once more there in verse 7 to eat our bread with joy, and drink our wine with a merry heart. All because God has already approved what we do.

Now, this is not saying that God has approved all that we do so that we can go and do whatever we want and please. It is not saying that we can go and do wickedness and this is approved. This would go against all that God has taught us through the rest of his word. What it is saying though, is that God has approved for us to enjoy the life that God has given us. While life is full of uncertainties, while death is the end, in our living, we are called to enjoy this life that God has given to us. So the question we have to ask ourselves this morning, how are we enjoying what God has given us?

Brothers and sisters, are we dressing and carrying ourselves in a manner of enjoying life? While death is a coming reality, we are to live not in wearing sackcloth or ashes, but in white and with oil on our heads as we see there in verse 8. Ryken clarifies here adding, “To put this into a contemporary context, the Preacher is telling us to put on tuxedos and evening gowns so we can dance the night away.”

What about in our marriages? In verse 9 we read…

Brothers, are we enjoying life with the wife whom we love all our days? Are we enjoying her? For enjoyment doesn’t mean tolerating or simply putting up with. To enjoy means finding delight being with her, doing things with her, talking with her, treasuring her. This is what it means to enjoy our wives. Enjoying the intimacy of marriage in the sexual, the spiritual, and the emotional. And wives, the same really can be reversed too. This is what God has approved, let us enjoy our marriages and one another in this life. For they are God’s gift to us here.

We are even called to enjoy life in whatever our hands find to do. We are called to do it with all our might there in verse 10. Regardless if you are in the workforce or retired or you are a kid, there are things for our hands to do.

Our daughter loves watching a television show out of Australia called Bluey. The show is about a family of four who are dogs. There is the Mom, the Dad, and the two girls, Bingo and Bluey. In one episode, the Dad is playing with the kids on the trampoline and finally has to break free to go to work. And as he finally tries to convince Bluey that he has to go do his work, he tells her that she has a job to do. And she curiously asks what, and the Dad tells her that her job is to make up games.

Now, while that is a tv show, it is a good tie in here for us to see that we all have been given things to do with our hands while under the sun. We are to do these with all our strength. We have to work hard at them. And we even should enjoy our work in seeing that it is a gift from God.

So, whether your job is to make games as a kid, or a career job, or even if your job is simply to be able to be with people or serve your family in your retirement, let us do it with all our strength to the glory of God. Let us enjoy what the Lord has given us in the here and now.

Conclusion

Death is certain, life is full of uncertainties, and yet there is a great hope for us who live in the midst of it. For we can see the love of the Father that has been shown to us in Christ and hold fast to the promises that we have in Jesus. And as we live in the midst of this hope, let us enjoy the life we have, enjoying the family we have, the work we have, and the good things of life. For this has been approved by God.