Ecclesiastes 9:1-8, Sound Judgement and Discernement

Ecclesiastes 9 (NKJV)

1 For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.

Declarion: “ the life of the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God.

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

What this mean is you don’t pass judgement on someone’s intention based on the outward action. or what is you see before you.

Example, a person can shower you with gifts and lip service and the intent may be malicious. Someone can be harsh in cricitcal and their intent may be love when you might think is hatred.

How many times have you judged someone’s intention based on their action and you have been wrong.

In the same way you can’’t discern God’s intention’s over someone’s life based on the event that is taking place in that individual life.

Because someone is propering in his way does not mean God’s favour is upon him, neither because someone is facing calamity does not mean that God’s disfavour is upon him.

THis is why you have to be careful to not be quicj to pass Judgement.

Example, Job and his freinds, David and Shimei, Apostle Paul and the natives of malta

1 Cor 4:5 “5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”

This is not to say that a beleiver, does not have the right to judge people

1 Cor 2:15 “15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.”

John 7:24 “24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.””

Isaiah 11:3 “3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;”

The righteous servant of the Lord does not judge according to what he see of what he hears

2 All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.

“all things come alike to all” is correcting the idea that is very prevasive and common among believers.

The idea that there are events that happens to the righteous only and there are events that happens to the wicked only.

Or the idea that somehow that becuase you are sacrificing the event that happens to the one that does not sacrifce will not happen to you.

The Bible does not give you a garauntee that the troubles that is taking place in the world won’t happen to you, that ou won’t go through the same trials that your neighbour who does not know God is going through.

Example, when you see division happening between a father and his son who are in the world does not mean that won’t happen to you.

1 Cor 10:13 “13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

The Bible does not give us garauntee that we won’t go through the same temptations, that people of the world are facing.

Example Joseph, A righteous person is not to be thrown into dungeon that is for wicked and unjust people, but it happen to the rigtheous.

The garauntee “Declarion: “ the life of the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God.

Your life and your works in the midst of that event is in the had of God.

There is divine hand with you, directing you and leading you and controlling every aspect of that event in your life.

As he was with Joseph, and Job he will be with you.

Isaiah 43:2 “2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”

The difference in the event that happens on both the rigtheous and the wicked does not lie in the event itself but the outcome

While they are overcome by it, you overcome.

While they are destroyed by it, you are victorious

While they are consumed by by it you are purified by it.

John 16:33 “33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””

The gaurantee is you will be an overcomer,

3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4 But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 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.

6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun.

7 Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.

8 Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil.

“let Your garments always be white”

Isaiah 61:10 “10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Christ is the garment of salvation whihc we have put on.

Galatians 3:27 “27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” “put” greek “cloth”

We must keep this garments white.

Rev 3:4 “4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”

Rev 7:13-15 “13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.”

“Let your head lack no oil”

The oil represents the spirit of God.

Eph 5:18 “18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,”

Matthew 25:1–13 (NKJV)

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,

4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’

7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’

12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

11 I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.

12 For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.

13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me:

14 There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it.

15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.

16 Then I said: “Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard.

17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.”