Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 9:1-10

Ecclesiastes 8:1-17

14-17

Ecclesiastes 9:1-10

1-6 7-11

16-17

Ecclesiastes 8:16–17 “When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.”

No matter how much knowledge and wisdom we have, even with all the information on the internet at our fingertips, we do not and cannot know everything as God does. The wisdom and knowledge that we are given comes from God and we should always pray and ask for Him to grant us more Godly wisdom as He sees fit to grant it. Our trust should always be that God is sovereign and in control and we do not need to know everything.

9:1

Ecclesiastes 9:1 “But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.”

God is sovereign, not even the smallest bird falls from the sky without the knowledge and will of God. Even what we see as evil will in the end be used for the good and glory of God, and whatever is happening in our lives, even our trials and hardships are the will of God. Not knowing if it is love or hate can be seen as referring to the possibility that trials are in response to a person’s sin, as in a consequence of it, or a loving correction from God to refine and lovingly chasten someone since no human has the perfect knowledge to see the status of another’s salvation.

2-3

Ecclesiastes 9:2–3 “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 him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.”

Everyone dies. Good or bad, godly or unrepentant everyone dies. This fate is an evil and is a result of sin, and as a result of sin all humans are fallen, man, woman, and child. In our default state there are none that seek after God, and none that will or even can without the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Fallen man is mad, sinful, and Hell bound unless God has mercy and grace to elect one for redemption. Sin has corrupted this world completely and everyone, and also all of creation will die, that is the depth of what sin has brought into the world and no sin should be seen as small or inconsequential before a perfectly holy God.

4-6

Ecclesiastes 9:4–6 “But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.”

Humanistic speaking it is better to be alive than dead, a living pauper is better than a dead ruler. A dog was the lowest creature in ancient Israel and the lion the highest regarded one, and its better to be the lowest but alive than the greatest and dead. We can also perhaps extend this sentiment to include a spiritual truth, that it is better to be alive and still have the opportunity for salvation, than to be dead and the time of repentance is gone. But the rest of the 5 and 6 are centered squarely on the humanistic side, while we are alive we can live and love and have all the experiences that God has given us in our earthly lives but the dead have no more part in this world and in time even their memory will fade and they will be completely forgotten.

It is appointed for all mankind to die. There may be some who truly believe that they are the exception and that they will live forever, but God has spoken and out time here on earth is numbered and finite.

7

Ecclesiastes 9:7 “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.”

2:24, 3:12, 3:22, 5:18, 8:15, here, and again in 11:7 we are reminded to enjoy the time we have here. But this reminder goes just a bit deeper and more emphatically when included with verses 8 and 9. Enjoy life merrily for God has already approved of what we do. When we look all the way back to Genesis and the garden of Eden and all that God provided for Adam and Eve, he told them to go and eat of every tree of the garden, save one, God approved of them enjoying the garden and that was there with one rule. Man was given work to do but also was to enjoy all that God had provided. Looking forward from when this was written to now we can eat and drink and be merry because we already have God’s approval through our justification by faith in Jesus Christ. We do not have to work to earn God’s favor, it has already been freely given before the foundations of the world, accomplished through Christ and realized in hearing the Gospel and having saving faith. Jesus died for us and was raised up for us and we can always be ever joyful in everything that we do because of what God has so graciously given. Acts 2:46–47 “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Even though we know death is certain and guaranteed, we do not need to go through our lives with gloom and doom because we have been approved by God, we are not ashamed, and we know that we have the love of God and his Spirit with us.

8

Ecclesiastes 9:8 “Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.”

We are to be joyful in our lives and not always going around in sackcloth and being glum. Let you garments be white, wear nice clothes, let not oil be lacking on your head, be clean and smell nice. Both of these things are an outward presentation of someone who is happy and joyful, and in conjunction with verses 7 and 9:

9

Ecclesiastes 9:9 “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.”

Enjoy your food, drink, spouse, and all the good blessings that you have as all of these have been given to you from God. Our time here is brief, like a puff of mist out of our mouths on a cold day, then they are gone. We know that everyone will pass away and die but we do not have to always be in mourning for our eventual death. We are here to work and have earthly and spiritual work to do, enjoy them with good cheer. A good hard days work has its own reward, a job well done and a good night sleep.

10

Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”