“Live and Let Die” - Part 2

He told me that he had been in situations so deep and dark that it was almost impossible to keep from becoming disoriented and confused. What a terrifying feeling—being under water, unable to see your hands in front of your face, not knowing which way is up, panic engulfing you. I immediately interrupted my friend, "So what did you do?"

Preaching the Word: Ecclesiastes—Why Everything Matters Chapter 19: The Living and the Dead (Ecclesiastes 8:16–9:6)

Undoubtedly Qoheleth would have sympathized with the frustration that Samuel Johnson felt when he finally published his famous dictionary. By the time he was finished with his lexical masterpiece, Dr. Johnson had a definition for nearly every word in the English language. Yet not for a moment did he think that he knew all the answers. Here is what he wrote in his preface: “I saw that one enquiry only gave occasion to another, that book referred to book, that to search was not always to find, and to find was not always to be informed; and that thus to pursue perfection was … to chase the sun.”

So it was for the Preacher. Looking for the meaning of life was like chasing the sun. This helps us understand Ecclesiastes. It is not the kind of book that we keep reading until we reach the end and get the answer, like a mystery. Instead it is a book in which we keep struggling with the problems of life, and as we struggle, we learn to trust God with the questions even when we do not have all the answers. This is how the Christian life works: it is not just about what we get at the end, but also about what we become along the way. Discipleship is a journey, and not merely a destination.

"Feel the bubbles," he said.

"Feel the bubbles?" I asked.

"That's right. When it's pitch black and you have no idea which way to go, you reach up with your hand and feel the bubbles. The bubbles always drift to the surface. When you can't trust your feelings or judgment, you can always trust the bubbles to get you back to the top."

[As Christians] we need a way to determine what is real and true. Sometimes in life we get disoriented and desperate. At other times, we find ourselves drifting aimlessly. God knew that we would need advice and instructions about how to live. In the 66 books of the Bible we have a reality library—stories, letters, guidelines, and examples from God that tell us what is true and real.

Ecclesiastes 9:1–6 NLT

This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t. It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!” The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth.

Ecclesiastes 9:

After all Solomon had been through so far it seems all there is, is more frustration. The deeper he goes it seems the deeper it gets. He could have sympathized with the frustration that good ole Samuel Johnson felt when he finally published his famous dictionary. By the time he was finished with his lexical masterpiece, Dr. Johnson had a definition for nearly every word in the English language. Yet not for a moment did he think that he knew all the answers. Here is what he wrote in his preface: “I saw that one enquiry only gave occasion to another, that book referred to book, that to search was not always to find, and to find was not always to be informed; and that thus to pursue perfection was … to chase the sun.”

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Undoubtedly Qoheleth would have sympathized with the frustration that Samuel Johnson felt when he finally published his famous dictionary. By the time he was finished with his lexical masterpiece, Dr. Johnson had a definition for nearly every word in the English language. Yet not for a moment did he think that he knew all the answers. Here is what he wrote in his preface: “I saw that one enquiry only gave occasion to another, that book referred to book, that to search was not always to find, and to find was not always to be informed; and that thus to pursue perfection was … to chase the sun.”

So it was for the Preacher. And so it continues to be for us. Looking for the meaning of life was and is like chasing the sun. This is the essense of Ecclesiastes. It is not the kind of book that we keep reading until we reach the end and get the answer, like a mystery. We don’t find out who did it. The end is the need for more faith and trust. Instead it is a book in which we keep struggling with the problems of life, and as we struggle, we learn to trust God with the questions even when we do not have all the answers. This is how the Christian life works: it is not just about what we get at the end, but also about what we become along the way. Discipleship is a journey, and not merely a destination. Lets look at this a bit more.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 201–202). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ecclesiastes 9:1–6 NLT

This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t. It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!” The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

In God’s Hands

The Same Fate

Better to Be Alive

Different Fate in the Same Hands

Life After Death

The first thing we will look at is how we all fall into the sovereign hands of God we just don’t know if we will be seen as friend or foe. Second, we see the frustration of Solomon when he witnesses the same fate for both the righteous and unrighteous and that’s why we don’t know if we are friend or foe. Finally, because of what Christ has done for us, we know that we will have a different fate from the unrighteous when we fall into the hands of the living God.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to fall into more confusion and despair because of our human limitations, it is our Lord Jesus who brings to us the light of revelation to bring us out of darkness and show us how His word and work saves us from death and condemnation and brings us life and life more abundant.

I. In God’s Hands

- He’s got the whole world in His hands.

A. In the opening verses of chapter 9, we see him assert his belief in the sovereignty of God and then wrestle with some of that doctrine’s practical implications. This is a tough one for us these days.

B.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 203). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ecclesiastes 9:1 NLT

This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor.

B. With these words, the Preacher leaves God’s people in God’s hands. The Bible uses the image of “the hand of God” to express God’s power, love, supervision, and control. Students of Biblical study… this is what is called an anthropomorphism.

With these words, the Preacher leaves God’s people in God’s hands. The Bible uses the image of “the hand of God” to express God’s power, love, supervision, and control.

C. Here the metaphor expresses his sovereign supervision of his people and their actions.

TM Moore - “Each one of us, without regard for what we’ve done in life, or whom we know, or what place we might occupy in our society—each one is in the hand of God, and he decides for each of us just what will be for us throughout our lives.”

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 204). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Here the metaphor expresses his sovereign supervision of his people and their actions. God

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 204). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

D. In our postmodern world, we do not like the idea of this. We bring our own meaning, no one tells me what I will do. I decide my own morals and reality. The sovereignty of God is a difficult doctrine to accept to day. But the scriptures are clear in this matter. We cannot get around it. So if we have a difficulty with this, we need to ask ourselves why? The atheistic postmodern philosophies of the world is the reason why we have difficulty with sovereignty. But Solomon is clear in his acceptance of it. Everything about us is in the hands of God.

E. But today Christian… glory be to God that we are in His hands today. There is nothing in this world more beneficial to a Christian than to be in the loving hands of the Lord.

- Rejoice Christian in the hand of God… For the faithful believer in Jesus Christ, the hand of God is an image of comfort and assurance.

- Rejoice Christian in the hand of God… We know that the hand of God is a hand of love.

- Rejoice today Christian in the hand of God… because we know that the hands of Jesus were pierced for our transgressions when he was nailed to the cross.

- Rejoice Christian in the hand of God because we have the hope and the faith to leave everything in God’s hands—all our burdens, all our trials, and all our cares. The Savior who loves us and died for us will also care for us. Leave it all in the hands of God.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 204). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

F. But woe to the unbeliever who falls into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 10:31 NLT

It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

G. What we should also keep in perspective… This is not the Preacher’s perspective. What I mean is, know that he is writing before the cross, of course, but he is also writing out of his struggle to understand what God is doing in the world. His uncertainty comes out emphatically clearly in the second half of : “Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.”

H. The meaning of this verse is debatable. The Preacher may be talking about love and hate as human emotions. That is certainly what he means in verse 6, where he talks about “their love and their hate.” So perhaps in verse 1 he is saying that human beings have trouble discerning the difference between love and hate. Yet it is hard to see how this idea fits very well into the flow of his argument. It seems better, therefore, to see love and hate as attributes of God. When the Bible applies these terms to God, “love” refers to his acceptance, and “hate” refers to his rejection.

Romans 9:13 ESV

As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

I. The problem is that it is difficult (if not impossible) for us to know whether God loves us or hates us, whether he will accept us or reject us. Apart form Christ’s revelations of course. Qoheleth is dealing here with the very real issue of where we stand before God: “Whether it is love or hate, man does not know.” Qoheleth has never lost his grip on the sovereignty of God; so he knows that our fate is in God’s hands. That is all we can do.

J. What he does not know, however, is whether God’s hand is for us or against us. Is God for us or against us. The Scripture says that God’s “right hand is filled with righteousness” (), that we are “the sheep of his hand” (), and that no one can ever snatch us out of his hand (), even when it comes time for us to die ().

K. Yet the Scripture also says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (). Therefore, it is not enough to know that we are in God’s hands. Everyone is in God’s hands. The question is whether God’s hand is for us or against us. Is he our friend or our foe?

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 204–205). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

II. The Same Fate

- Both groups suffer the same fate.

A. As the Preacher struggled with this question—is God for us or against us?—he discovered that it was virtually impossible to answer this question simply by looking at people’s circumstances. Many people assume that if there is a God, he will reward his followers with earthly prosperity. If we want to know whether God is for someone or against someone, therefore, all we have to do is count their earthly blessings. This is not how God operates, however. As far as the Preacher could tell, he seems to treat everyone more or less the same, which makes it hard to figure out whether he “loves” us or “hates” us.

Ecclesiastes 9:2–3 NLT

The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t. It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway.

As the Preacher struggled with this question—is God for us or against us?—he discovered that it was virtually impossible to answer this question simply by looking at people’s circumstances. Many people assume that if there is a God, he will reward his followers with earthly prosperity. If we want to know whether God is for someone or against someone, therefore, all we have to do is count their earthly blessings. This is not how God operates, however. As far as the Preacher could tell, he seems to treat everyone more or less the same, which makes it hard to figure out whether he “loves” us or “hates” us:

B. Earlier the Preacher assured us that things would go well for the righteous, but not for the wicked (). This will be true enough on the Day of Judgment. But in the meantime, the Preacher struggled to understand why the righteous were not blessed and the wicked were not cursed. Back in he talked about a reversal of fortune, in which good people get what bad people deserve and vice versa. In he makes a different point—not that there is a reversal of fortune, but that everyone suffers the same misfortune. One reason it is so hard to tell whether God is for us or against us is because the same things happen to everyone.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 205). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

C. In saying that “it is the same for all,” the Preacher carefully distinguishes between two kinds of people. One group is described as “righteous,” “good,” and “clean”; they offer sacrifices to God. The other group is described as “wicked,” “evil,” and “unclean.” Not surprisingly, these people do not make any holy sacrifices to God. There is also a contrast between the vows that these people take. It is hard to be completely certain whether the Preacher thinks it is better to swear or to shun an oath. Earlier he warned against taking any hasty vows (). But here in chapter 9, where the positive side of each pair comes first, he seems to be saying that righteous people make a holy commitment to God (see, e.g., ), whereas wicked people refuse to enter into covenant with him. Either way, though, the overall comparison is clear: some people honor God, but other people do not.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 205). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

In saying that “it is the same for all,” the Preacher carefully distinguishes between two kinds of people. One group is described as “righteous,” “good,” and “clean”; they offer sacrifices to God. The other group is described as “wicked,” “evil,” and “unclean.” Not surprisingly, these people do not make any holy sacrifices to God. There is also a contrast between the vows that these people take. It is hard to be completely certain whether the Preacher thinks it is better to swear or to shun an oath. Earlier he warned against taking any hasty vows (). But here in chapter 9, where the positive side of each pair comes first, he seems to be saying that righteous people make a holy commitment to God (see, e.g., ), whereas wicked people refuse to enter into covenant with him. Either way, though, the overall comparison is clear: some people honor God, but other people do not.

D. Yet, strangely, both groups suffer the same fate. “It is the same for all,” the Preacher says, and “the same event happens to all” (). If there are heavy storms, the righteous get flooded out with the wicked. If there is an earthquake, both of their houses fall down, and if there is a depression, they both go broke. Thinking more optimistically, when times are good, the rising tide will lift all boats. Therefore, we will never be able to separate the righteous from the wicked on the basis of what happens in the world. Since God “sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (), it is impossible to tell who has and who does not have God’s eternal favor.

Yet, strangely, both groups suffer the same fate. “It is the same for all,” the Preacher says, and “the same event happens to all” (). If there are heavy storms, the righteous get flooded out with the wicked. If there is an earthquake, both of their houses fall down, and if there is a depression, they both go broke. Thinking more optimistically, when times are good, the rising tide will lift all boats. Therefore, we will never be able to separate the righteous from the wicked on the basis of what happens in the world. Since God “sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (), it is impossible to tell who has and who does not have God’s eternal favor.

E. This frustrated the Preacher no end. In fact, he begins verse 3 by saying that the equivalence of earthly outcomes is an evil thing. Then he ends the verse by saying, once again, that human beings are desperately wicked: “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” (; cf. 7:29; 8:11).

This frustrated the Preacher no end. In fact, he begins verse 3 by saying that the equivalence of earthly outcomes is an evil thing. Then he ends the verse by saying, once again, that human beings are desperately wicked: “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” (; cf. 7:29; 8:11).

F. This is as frustrating as anything we have seen in Ecclesiastes. It all seems so futile. Does anything really matter? The Preacher ended chapter 8 by denying that anyone can understand the work that God does in the world. For a moment he gave us some hope that our lives were in the hands of a sovereign God, but then he said that it was impossible for us to know whether God is for us or against us—the same fate awaits us all. Here he tells us how desperately and discouragingly sinful we are.

G. The human heart is full of so much evil that it almost drives us out of our minds. The “madness” that the Preacher mentions may be defined as “a moral wildness that is impetuous and irrational.” People commit acts of lawless violence, like killing police officers. They pursue self-destructive addictions, like sex and drugs. They hurt the people they love the most and need the most, including the members of their own families. We are living in a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

H. Worst of all, we all die in the end. “After that,” the Preacher says, “they go to the dead” (). 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.”

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 206). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

III. Different Fate in the Same Hands

- Out of darkness into His marvelous light.

A. As Solomon concludes in the end and Christ affirms for eternity, in the end there is something different. We all suffer, we all die, and we all fall into the hand of the living God. However in the very end. The end of it all. The hand of God will be diametrically different.

B. You see the righteous will be held in the compassionate hand of the Lord for eternity but the the unrighteous will be held in the wrathful hand of God in utter darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Real quick we need to see the seriousness of this. It is often said that hell is the absence of the presence of God. That cannot be. God is ominpresent.

Psalm 139:7–8 ESV

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

C. The problem with Hell is that people there are gonna wish that He was not there. The presence of the Lord will be there. In heaven we are in the presence of the love compassion grace and glory of the Lord. In Hell there will be in the presence of the full wrath and judgement of the living God. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hand of the living God.

D. Let me tell you something and I wanna be very clear. There is nothing the devil is gonna do to you…nothing… that will be more terrible than facing the wrath of the living God.

RC Sproul - “In hell, God will be present in the fullness of His divine wrath. He will be there to exercise His just punishment of the damned. They will know Him as an all-consuming fire.”

E. And it gets worse… the Bible also declares that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all born children of wrath. There is no one righteous no not one. There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. We like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to his own way.

F. Can we be saved from this? Yes you can. Salvation is here. The Father laid upon Christ the iniquity of us all. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures… Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. Salvation is here for us today.

G. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart...

H. Rejoice today Christian. We are all in the hand of God. But his hand on those covered with the blood of Jesus with be the fullness of joy. Goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.