Ecclesiastes Part 06
“I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.” Solomon explains that God works out His great plan through circumstances far beyond human ability to grasp to humble man and lead him to submit to God.
Ecclesiastes 3:12–13 says,
“I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor for it is the gift of God.”
Solomon tells us to eat and drink and enjoy the good of one’s labor as God’s gift. This verse implies a life of faith in and acceptance of God’s providential care and blessing. The point is certainly not that we should forget our eternal longing through profligate living, as some contend. “To do good” in Ecclesiastes 3:12 refers to engaging in enjoyable pursuits as well as living morally parallel to being among the “good” as previously stated in Ecclesiastes 2:26. In fact, doing good is later equated with not sinning and being righteous (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Ecclesiastes 9:2).
He then explains that God’s work will last forever and no one can alter it. This refers back to “the work that God does from beginning to end” (verse 11), God’s overall plan and purpose, particularly as it unfolds in the circumstances expressed in the poem about the times of life. In essence, Solomon turns the dilemma of the poem on its head! The same poem that can appear to represent a bleak and hopeless entrapment in time is reassessed as representing the surety of the overall direction of life by God—a fact we can have great confidence in. Indeed, God’s work lasting forever and being unalterable is set in sharp contrast to the vapor or vanity of human life.
Verse 14 continues,
“I know that whatever God does it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it that men should fear before Him.”
Solomon explains that God works out His great plan through circumstances far beyond human ability to grasp, to humble man and lead him to submit to God. To fear God is to revere him and to tremble at his mighty power. Both the Psalms and the Proverbs say that such fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom and that anyone who fails to see this is a fool (Psalm 111:10, 1:7, and 9:10).
In Ecclesiastes 3:15 Solomon takes things a step further. The first part of the verse acknowledges that time marches on incessantly and cyclically, just as was stated in Ecclesiastes 1:9 to illustrate the brevity and monotony of life against this backdrop. The latter part of Ecclesiastes 3:15 is translated in various ways, yet it seems to mean that God seeks what has been passed by. In context, this could mean that God will ultimately recall and restore the lives that have been left behind by the march of time, which is the ultimate hope for surpassing the limitations of this life. Or it could refer to God’s recalling of past events for the purpose of judgment. In the latter case this would serve as a warning to those who would respond to the ups and downs of life by living immorally and as a reinforcement of the point about the fear of God in verse 14. Ecclesiastes 3:15 points us to the time beyond the toil of this life to the time of the Kingdom of God. Embracing life with this focus is the way to happiness in the here and now.
Solomon then notes four aspects of human life “under the sun” that could lead some to think there is no divine plan being worked out here on earth. They might ask, “If there is a God who cares about man, how could He allow this?”. Each of the four issues is introduced with some form of the phrase “I saw” (Ecclesiastes 3:16; 4:1–4:7).
The first issue that Solomon discusses in verse 16 is injustice. If there is anywhere in society that people would expect some evidence of divine direction, it is in the matter of rendering justice, as God would seem to be intimately concerned with this. And indeed God is, as Solomon is quick to point out in verse 17. Injustice today is proof only of the failure of man’s self-rule. It is not proof that God has no control over life. He permits unrighteousness in the halls of justice for the present time, but He will set matters right in a future period of judgment. Solomon uses the language of his earlier poem about proper times for various purposes to here affirm that all is proceeding according to God’s overall plan. Verse 17 of Ecclesiastes 3 also demonstrates that the need to live righteously and avoid wickedness is a key message in the book.
Solomon next compares mankind to animals. In verse 19 the word used for “breath” is “ruach,” which means breath or physical life, not of immortal spirit. Without God’s revelation humanity and animals appear to be alike in how they function, however only God’s revelation to humanity gives us spiritual potential. God wants people to see their dire need for Him, and life’s problems, especially death looming at the end of life, help accomplish this. Verse 22 concludes Solomon’s examination of this issue of injustice. “If God is sovereign in His disposal of earthly events then He has a purpose even in allowing human injustices as He holds our ultimate destiny in his hands. The attitude of the wise should be joyful confidence in the pursuit of earthly responsibilities and the pleasures they bring (Tyndale, verse 22). We are encouraged to use the time that we have as best as we can and ultimately have faith in God and His plan.
Wisdom Literature is a course taught at ABC by Dr. Urwiller. Recordings from the 2018–2019 class year are available to listen to on the ABC website.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships, and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
