The Book of Ecclesiastes - Part 9

Again, when I say hello to everybody, and I'm very glad to see everybody here, I did appreciate Mr. Jackson's sermonette about hope. It's funny, because I actually, a while back, I took some notes down thinking I would give a sermonette on hope, and there was no way it was going to be a sermonette. It was just too massive of a subject. And so I thought, I'll give it as a sermon sometime, but it's kind of probably a good idea to give it in a few different sermonettes. It sounds like a good plan. But we will be talking about that today. I want to get back into the book of Ecclesiastes, and there will be a section here that we're going to be talking about hope, and I think that ties in quite well. You can go ahead and turn over the book of Ecclesiastes, and I'm not going to really review very much, except to say that our previous reading here... And by the way, I'm kind of encouraged about Ecclesiastes right now, because I made a push here recently to get basically all my notes done to the very end of the book. So I have that, and I'm very glad about that, but it's just a matter of fleshing this out. But even a lot of that, I know what it needs to say, but of course it can be kind of a slog trying to do that, trying to get through even these few chapters. As we know, there's a lot that said, in a matter of just one or two verses in Ecclesiastes, there's a great deal to get through. But we plot on, and we're going to get through, and I think we will be quite the better for this by the end. I know that already I am just from the study I've done in this book. It has been a tremendous help to me personally, and I hope that it will be to God's Church.

Well, brethren, again, last time we looked at chapter 8, and we went in verses 1 through 15, and that was the last subsection of the previous section of the book. It ended with the refrain of verse 15, where Solomon said, so I commended enjoyment. Again, he has mentioned several times this need that we have to enjoy that God has given us, and the fact that only God gives us this enjoyment.

But there's a very positive view here. So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry, for all this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun. Now, we think about that also. Some people will look at that and go, well, that's kind of looking at it in a cynical way, in the sense of, well, this is all you're going to get. That's not what he's saying. He says, I commended joy. It's something to praise, something praise-worthy. It's very good, this joy that God gives us in this life, that it will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun. We could be very happy about that. And there's something else that he mentioned here in this section that was very important, kind of a turning point in the book, in the way he's explaining what's going on. He several times has mentioned this idea about we need to fear God, and we need to remember that God is going to bring things into judgment. That's what he's going to say that he said that before. He's going to say it again.

But with all the bad of the world, and things that don't seem to be going right, and things that don't seem to be going right for the righteous, and things that seem to be going well for the wicked, he said, as we recall, here in verse 12, though a sinner does evil a hundred times in his days of prolonging, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before him. But it will not be well, verse 13, with the wicked, nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God. So that was a big moment in this book, knowing that it is going to work out for God's people. And if people do not choose to become God's people, it is not going to work out for them. That is a very important message in this book, and it kind of goes against what many people think the book is saying.

Something I added to this since I gave this before, and I want to mention it, is that in the book Encountering Ecclesiastes, James Lindbergh relates what fellow biblical scholar and commentator Roland Murphy said to him in response to the issue of the author of Ecclesiastes being often referred to as a great doubter. Because that is what a lot of people think. Oh, this book is so filled with doubt, and he is the great doubter.

And Murphy said, the great doubter, no, Coelath, that is the preacher, was the great believer. He believed, even when there was no evidence for believing. That is true. We read it right there. He knows it's true, even though all the evidence of this world seems to go against that.

But he knows it's true, because he has that faith, that confidence, and the hope, as we heard about earlier. He knows it's true. He believes it very strongly to the point of knowing that it's true. Also, of course, he says that we need to have the fear of God. And of the fear of God, and we've already seen the need for that in the book, and we'll see it again in the conclusion of the book. The Tyndale commentary states, in the wisdom tradition, the fear of God is the awe and holy caution that arises from realization of the greatness of God. It mentions in Job 37, Splendor, terrible majesty, power, justice, righteousness, therefore men fear Him.

This is not some kind of terror of God, but a profound respect that does include, as with children who love their caring parents, a healthy fear of disappointing and, yes, incurring judgment. We're calling that God chastens every son He loves. We read that in Hebrews 12, 5 through 11. Jesus made clear that we are to fear not mere human beings who can take only our immediate lives, but to fear Him who is able to remove us from existence forever. We're told that in Matthew 10, 28, and also in Luke 12, 4 through 5. It said, yes, Jesus said, yes, I say, fear Him.

Yet this is with the realization that God loves us and He wants the best for us. He's not out to destroy us, but to save us. And He said so time and again, and He is patient and merciful towards us, as we struggle to walk in His ways, even despite our many and ongoing failures. But still, we must not treat God flippantly or carelessly. We must always remember just who we're dealing with and the awesome gravity of that. Realizing that this is for our ultimate good, keeping this in mind results in a deep and abiding reverence for God, loving and trusting Him while recognizing His supreme power and holiness. As it says over in Hebrews 12, 28 through 29, you know, everything is shaken. You know, we need to remember this and take heed because our God is a consuming fire, something important to keep in mind. And we might recall here that we noted last time how it says in verse 12 here of chapter 8 that those who fear God, you know, are said to fear before Him, understanding that they're always in God's presence. Those who, it's not just a matter of fearing God, it's fearing before God. In other words, we know that we're before God. We know that God's always here. You know, God lives with us and God lives in us if we are converted and He is always here. And we have to remember that, that we are always in His presence. In a sense, everybody's always before God's presence, but they don't think about that. If they did, they would not live the way that they do. And we wouldn't either rather. And that's very important that we keep that in mind. We would be more ready to do what we're supposed to do and think the way that we're supposed to think. Again, it's just a very good perspective here that we end off of this section about the commendation of joy and realizing that that's what God wants for our lives. He doesn't want us to be dour and grim. He wants us to enjoy what He's given us, even though there are times to be serious. And we'll talk about that a little bit more. We've already talked about that, and there's more basis for that now. Well, this next section, the last major section of Ecclesiastes, starts in 8 verse 16, and it goes all the way to the end of the book in chapter 12 verse 14. And on Walter Keiser's outline that we're following, it says that it concerns removing discouragement and applying God's plan to the lives of believers.

Despite the problems of this life, we're told that it's better to be alive than dead. We're going to read that. And that it's important to make good use of the time that we have enjoying life's pleasures while exercising wisdom. And once again, we can look to the end of the section, in this case the end of the whole book, to see what we're aiming toward. And the conclusion we've already seen, as we've pointed to it a number of times, is to fear and obey God, being mindful of future judgment. That's what we're told at the very end. So the enjoyment that we are encouraged to have must be understood in that context. Now, the current reading that we're going through here is the first subsection within the last part, and this covers chapter 8 verse 16 through chapter 9 verse 10. And this tells us, in the words of Dr. Kaiser's outline, that the remaining mystery in this subject must not diminish human joy. It should be noted that Kaiser's outline, if you have that with you, but his outline actually ends this section with verse 9, and he begins the next section with verse 10. Whereas we are including the next verse, verse 10, in this current section, though also considering it transitional to the next subsection. I believe verse 10 actually goes with what we're reading right now, what we're going to go through right now.

And by the way, I've titled this this first part of what we're reading now, we can't just go by what we see. We can't just go by what we see. There's two, I've broken this section we're in now into two parts, so the first part of this is we can't just go by what we see, and really that goes down to, I would say from 816 down through O verse, I'll give you an exact one here, to verse 3. And then verse 4, we'll get into a kind of a new point about all this. But here in this first part, we're going to see here the dilemma of life ending in death for both the righteous and the wicked. That is again faced here. It is always very hard to take. Yet the reminder that this physical life will end can have great benefit, and we are encouraged to therefore live joyfully now. Carpe diem, you've probably heard that, a Latin proverb taken from the Roman poet Horace means seize the day, or literally it means pluck the day like a ripe fruit. Some use this in the negative sense of, well, just have a good time because there's no life beyond this one. The notion that actually Paul decried in 1 Corinthians 1532, you know, let's eat, drink, and be married. For tomorrow we die. Just party it up. But Horace actually meant that we are to seize today because tomorrow is uncertain, and we should not trust in plans made for later. That's very much in line with what Solomon has to say, and Solomon said it long before.

Realizing the brevity of life and how quickly things can change in this world, there is great value in the present for what it offers now and for the opportunity affords to prepare for the future. While we are alive, we should truly live as best we can. We'll read about that more in a minute. But first I want us to go ahead and start with this section here. In chapter 8 verse 16, we'll read the first two verses of this at the end of chapter 8.

Right after the the refrain of verse 15, he says in verse 16, When I applied my heart to no wisdom, and to see the business that's done on earth, even though one sees no sleep, day or night, then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that's done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it. Moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it. Well, this reminds us that the full scope of God's plan on earth, what he's doing through bringing to pass or permitting all the various things that happen to people throughout the world, is beyond us. No matter how much we may know or understand. Solomon said as much earlier in the book when he said in chapter 3 verse 11, no one can find out the work God does from the beginning to the end. We already read that in this book. Here it says that given all the work of God, a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. The exact wording actually of verses 16 through 17 is unclear, where the New King James here has, even though one sees no sleep, day or night, other versions differ. Some translate the Hebrew here to mean the restlessness and constant activity of all people everywhere, day and night, considering that this is too much to take in, as it surely is. However, in the agrarian times when this was written, most people were not up at all hours of the night. The idea could possibly be that there are always people awake doing something somewhere, especially as it's always day somewhere around earth. But it seems unlikely that this was a familiar enough thought to Solomon as a media audience there in ancient Israel. Even if it was known, they probably didn't think in these terms. Others see the reference to Solomon himself not getting sleep as he tried to make sense of all that he observed in the world, either because he was up late in pursuing this, or because thinking about it so much made him unable to sleep.

That's possible as he previously lamented trying to grasp it all and found that it was far out of reach. Remember that? Back over in chapter 7, look back there where he said in chapter 7 verses 23-24, he said, "'All this I have proved by wisdom,' I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me. As for what is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out?" Too hard to figure out.

But others think that here at the end of chapter 8, that he is saying that he realized that anyone who would attempt this would lose out on sleep. That's another thought. But perhaps most likely, which is what I think, that's why I say most likely, it could be that he is saying that even if a person, even a man of wisdom, were to go without sleep and devote all his time and energies to try and grasp what God is doing through what happens with people, he still could not figure it out. Wouldn't be able to understand it. It's too big for all of us, brethren. In any case, whatever is exactly meant by the first part of the passage, the result is the same. No one can know God's purposes in everything that happens. Many things just can't be known. Look over at Romans 11. Hold your place here. Flip over to Romans 11.

In Romans 11, it says in Paul said in verses 33-34, kind of an awesome verse, Romans 11, 33-34, O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out. It's unsearchable. You cannot get to the bottom of it. For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become His counselor? That's pretty remarkable to think about.

Is somebody else really able to comprehend all that God is doing and is going to be able to be God's advisor in that sense, in that way at least? Look back also at Deuteronomy 29.

And this is important to remember that God reveals what we need to know.

God reveals what we need to know. If you look at Deuteronomy 29, it says in Deuteronomy 29, and in verse 29, Deuteronomy 29-29, the secret things belong to the Lord our God. But those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. That's pretty remarkable because God has so much in His head. We cannot even imagine that. But what we need to know is revealed to us. We're told what it is. And I'll just reference for you 1st Corinthians 2, 4-16, because there's where it talks about how God reveals things to us by His Spirit. The deep things of God are revealed to us by His Spirit. Again, it's the things we need to know, but that doesn't mean we'll know everything. And He even quotes again, for who has known the mind of the Lord? But then He says, but we have the mind of Christ.

So we do know many of the things of God because they're revealed. But that doesn't scratch the surface of all that God understands and knows. And we can be thankful for what He's given us to know, but there's so much more. The next set of verses in Ecclesiastes 9 continues the thought of not being able to make sense of everything in this life, as we'll see. Let's start here with verses 1-3 in Ecclesiastes 9. If you're back over there now, Ecclesiastes 9 will read verses 1-3.

Solomon continues, 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. All things come alike to all. One event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good, to the clean, and the unclean. To him who sacrifices, and to him who does not sacrifice, as is the good, so is the sinner. He who takes an oath is he who fears an oath. This is an evil in all that's done under the sun, that one thing happens to all. Surely, or 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. That is pretty grim, that outlook in one sense.

Now in the first part of verse 1 here, we just read, Solomon says, His pondering of the matter led him to declare that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. Of course, we're all in the hand of God in the sense that he has say over what happens to everyone, including the wicked. In fact, of the unrepentant, the Bible says that it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. It says that in Hebrews 10.31. That's kind of in a very bad sense. You know, but in Ecclesiastes 9.1, the sense would seem to be positive as the righteous and wise are specified here and not the wicked. And being in God's hand can mean being in God's care and protection. Just as a few references on that, I'll just refer you to Psalm 31.5. Psalm 31.5 is where it says, In the year hand I commit my spirit, which Jesus quoted on the cross. Psalm 95.7.

Psalm 95.7 says that we're the sheep of his hand. We're in his care in that sense. And of course, John 10.28, Jesus said of his sheep that no one could snatch us out of his hand. We are in his hand. We're in his care. But Solomon is about to throw a big curve that fits with his opening contention of not being able to figure things out. The last part of Ecclesiastes 9.1 says, People know neither love nor hatred nor anything they see, nor by anything they see before them.

What does this mean? Some interpreters looking ahead to the mention in verse 6 of the cessation of the love, hatred, and envy of those who die, and we'll look at that in a minute, but it mentions that when people die, their love, their hatred, and envy cease. And looking at that, people will say, well, human emotions in the same way are in view in verse 1. So love and hate here perhaps denotes the full breadth of emotions because opposite extremes can sometimes denote all the points in between. In other words, you're given the, you say, love and hate means not just love and hate, but it means love and hate and everything in between. The idea is that people cannot tell from what is presently observable what life will yet bring in terms of what they'll feel toward others or what others will feel toward them. This being a poetic way of saying that they have no idea what life holds in store just by looking at the way things are. This would fit the previous point that's made in 8 verses 16 through 17 we just read, that what God is working out in everybody's lives cannot be comprehended. It can also lead to what comes next in chapter 9 verse 2, where the righteous and wicked experience the same outcome as we just read. Not just ultimately, but in death, but in various matters, as this would seem to be unexpected. So you say, well, you don't know really what's going to happen just based on what's happening now because it's unpredictable. Others see a more direct reference at the end of verse 1 to the matter of the righteous and wicked, meaning the same eventuality there in verse 2. In this view, the love and hatred of verse 1 is that of God, tying back to mention of being in his hand just before. And love and hatred are understood to speak of God's care and acceptance, his love, versus hatred, his rejection, as we see like in Romans 9.13, where God says, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.

The point of the end of Ecclesiastes 9.1 would then be that you can't tell whether God accepts or rejects people based on what they go through.

This idea is certainly valid as the rest of the Bible attests. It likewise accords with the preceding point of not being able to figure out what God's doing in 8.16-17, and it fits well with the statement next in 9.2 concerning the same thing, befalling both the righteous and the wicked. People having prosperity does not of itself mean that God lovingly accepts and approves of them, nor does adversity mean that God rejects them or is judging them for sin.

All things come alike to all, is what verse 2 says. Recall that this is what Job's friends failed to understand in thinking that he must have been guilty of great evil to meet with such terrible suffering. Now, adversity could be a result of God's chastening, and we ought to assess that in our personal circumstances, especially if we know we're not doing as we should. But we shouldn't just assume that, especially in regard to others. Again, we don't know all that God is working out, and for what reasons. And it's important that we remember that. Now, whether the love and hatred of verse 1 refer to the breadth of human experience to come being unknown, or whether it refers to God's acceptance or rejection not being ascertainable from what happens, we are still left with the same big curve in verse 2. That even though the righteous are in God's hands, as verse 1 says, they meet with the same circumstances as the wicked, ultimately death. We earlier saw the matter of the righteous and wicked each receiving the outcome that should seemingly go to the other, with Solomon called vanity or frustration. Remember that? We're going to look back in 715, where he says, I've seen everything in my days of vanity. There's a just man who perishes in his righteousness. There's a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness. And he said, even over in 814, even after he knew how it's going to end, he said in 814, there is a vanity which occurs on earth that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said this also is vanity. It's a frustration. But the issue here in chapter 9 is not a reversal of fortune like that, but that both go through the same things. The same things, it's not that the wicked gets the righteousness thing and the righteous gets the wicked thing, it's that they both have the same stuff happen to them. The one event or the one thing it says in verses 2 and 3 happening to all, Tyndale commentary points out, need not exclusively refer to death, although the passage goes on to say that, goes on to that topic. It's better read as the same event, where it says one event, you might just look at that as the same event or the same thing. You can read it as the same thing happens to both. That's not talking about one specific event when you read it that way necessarily. Basically denoting some given circumstance that befalls the righteous as well as the wicked. That is to say that the various things that happen to people in life happen to both the righteous and the wicked. Really, that's all that's being said here. Note again the beginning of verse 2 in the New King James here, all things come alike to all. That's what it's saying. Of course, this parody of outcomes ultimately includes death, and verse 3 ends with that. On the other hand, the outcomes for the righteous and wicked in various circumstances, and I want us to know this, brethren, it's important.

The outcomes for the righteous and the wicked in various circumstances are not always the same. And Solomon is not saying that, or else his laments about the wicked faring better than the righteous at times wouldn't make sense. He would say, well, the wicked do better than the righteous, but here he's saying they both get the same. So he doesn't mean that they always get the same.

And his recognition of the need for wisdom and righteousness and the fact that these bring blessings would likewise not make sense is what would be the point at all of having wisdom or knowledge or doing right and fearing God. The fact is, as Solomon well knew, God certainly does protect and deliver his people as he's promised to do. And often that means keeping us from certain harmful situations. We are encouraged to pray for God's intervention, yet he knows what's best, and he still often lets us go through what all the world goes through, and sometimes worse.

As part of his overall care for us and others, even if it doesn't seem that way, we must learn to trust that God knows what he's doing. As we're told in 2 Corinthians 5, 7, for we walk by faith, not by sight. And we have to, because otherwise it wouldn't make sense. You can't grasp it all. You can't just look at what's happening and make all these conclusions from that. The rest of Ecclesiastes 9.2 here shows that the same thing ends up occurring despite the distinctions between the righteous and the unrighteous. But we should note that these groups are distinguished. Nevertheless, the righteous, those who are good and clean before God through repentance, offer sacrifices to him, serving him with their time and substance, it says, while the wicked or unclean do not. The last distinction listed here is between him who takes an oath and him who fears an oath. Expositors' Bible commentary says that the contrast is between a man who's ready to speak the truth on oath and the guilty person who refuses to be put on oath. Or alternatively, preaching the word commentary sees the difference here is between the righteous entering into a holy covenant or commitment with God while the unrighteous refuse to do so. Again, it's not totally clear what is being said there, but in any case, consider that one group here is clearly better than the other. One group is better, even though you couldn't necessarily tell that from just what happens to them in this life.

You can't just say, well, we know these guys are better because better things happen to them. That's not how it works. It just doesn't work that way. Solomon then says in verse 3, this is an evil and all that is done under the sun that one thing happens to all.

Is he returning to the seeming problem with divine justice, even accusing God of evil for allowing things to be this way? It could be read that way. It almost sounds like it. Well, here's what's evil that it all works out this way, but who's responsible for that?

Well, we've already seen that Solomon realizes he will ultimately be well for the righteous and not for the wicked back in chapter 8, verses 12 and 13. Has he lost sight of that here? No. He recognizes that God has great reasons for allowing things to be as they are, even if we cannot understand all those reasons. He also knows that God will eventually set things right, and he further knows that there are benefits to living righteously today, as already mentioned.

So with that in mind, a better way to understand the verse is to see the word evil here as not referring to moral evil on God's part, but to the situation being a bad thing to go through, a terrible thing to suffer, an affliction, a misery, one translation has it. Some think the verse is saying that what follows is the evil, the one thing that happens to all being death.

Of course, it's true that death is our common enemy. We read that in 1 Corinthians 15.26, it's the last enemy that will be destroyed. The end of the verse here and the next few verses address the matter. But mention is first made of bad things in life well before death.

So this isn't really just talking about death when it's saying that one thing happens. It's talking about all the things that happen. Again, it's most likely saying what's already been described. The common circumstances, plural, of the righteous and the wicked is an evil or a hardship. Because striving to serve God, yet still going through the same things as the rest of the world who reject Him, is hard to endure. And yet we must, as this book and the entire Bible proclaims. That's what we have to do. The latter part of 9-3 here magnifies the trial of life, showing life beset by the evil and madness of the hearts of men, or the sons of Adam, literally again, before then passing to death. You know, Jeremiah 17.9 is a scripture we probably know.

It calls the human heart deceitful above all things, desperately wicked. And there is a certain madness or insanity in being led around not by sound reason and wisdom, but by wayward feelings, just gripped, taken this way and that. This has been the way of things since, you know, we read back in Romans 5-12, through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned. And in fact, all the penalties of sin spread to all men. Even the righteous must strive against their corrupted nature, and then, as the wicked, they also die. Now God is by no means at fault in that, because people have brought this condition on themselves. And God subjecting them to further frustration actually is for ultimate good. Of course, we know that death in this age is not the final end, as does Solomon, but it certainly does mark an end, the cessation of opportunity to act and interact in the here and now. And that brings us to the next set of verses here, and we'll go ahead and read them. This is verses 4 through 10. It says, But for him who is joined to all the living, there is hope.

You heard about hope a little bit earlier. For a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no more reward. The memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, their envy have now perished. Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun. Go eat your bread with joy. Drink your wine with a merry heart. For God has already accepted your works. We're getting back into the refrain here. Let your garments always be white, and your head lack no oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life, which he's given you under the sun, all your days of vanity. For this is your portion in life, in the labor which you perform under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. There's no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you're going. So, I've titled this part of the chapter, It's Good to Be Alive.

It's Good to Be Alive. Some might think that with all of life's problems, and with doing right, not leading to an easy ride, one might as well be dead. You recall back over and flip back over to Ecclesiastes 4.2. Remember we read this earlier, Ecclesiastes 4.2, where Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 4.2, therefore, he was talking about oppression that he saw, therefore I praised the dead, who were already dead, more than the living, who are still alive. It was so bad that he came to do that, he's saying. Solomon had praised those who no longer faced the world's oppression because they had already died. This representing either his past despair or kind of a nuanced perspective of life without a comforter, because that's what he lamented right after that, they have no comforter.

And without a comforter, you're not going to be able to make it through. In that sense, maybe it is better to be dead. But Solomon now tells us in Ecclesiastes 9.4 that there is an advantage in being alive. Kaiser says, where there is life, there is hope. The actual translation of the verse is not as easy as the sense. The Hebrew and many ancient versions say, what then is to be chosen? With all the living, there is hope. There was, however, a Hebrew tradition of reading called the care, this text that supposed that two letters ought to be transposed in the verb to choose, which is yebukar, like Y-B-K-R, yebukar, to make it to join yekubar. So the K and B are switched there. Instead of yebukar, you got yekubar. So they read it as this different way. And thus the verse would read, like it does in the New King James version, for whoever is joined to all the living, he has hope. He says the sense is not measurably different in either case. Most commentators and versions have a slight preference for the latter reading, that is, to be joined to it. But it actually the word is what is to be chosen. That's actually what it actually says. Now, the word chosen does not mean, it does not need to mean, at least, making a choice between remaining alive and allowing or causing one's own death. Because you might read that and go, maybe that's even why people thought you need to change that, because it's a matter of, do you actually have a choice between living and dying in that sense? It could simply mean what then is preferable, life or death. I think that's probably the case. What is preferable, life or death? The answer is life. For in life, there can be hope. And we'll see more about this in a second. Yet where there is a choice between life and death, where to choose life? Just as God told the Israelites long before, you know, back in Deuteronomy 30, Deuteronomy 30 verses 15 through 20, he said that. And we might remember there, verse 19 of Deuteronomy 30, God said, I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. That's the choice. Life is blessing. Death is cursing. Therefore, choose life, he says, that both you and your descendants may live. Life is preferable. Now, the end of Ecclesiastes 9.4 strengthens the case with a proverb stating that it's better to be a live dog than a dead lion. Tyndale notes, the lion, mightiest of the beasts, it says in Proverbs 30 verse 30, was admired in the ancient world. The dog, on the other hand, was in Old Testament times regarded as a despised scavenger.

They mentioned Exodus 22, 31, 1 Kings 14, 11. These verses kind of show that. Notorious for its uncleanness. Proverbs 26, 11. The dog had this sort of, again, this unclean scavenger running around. The idea of dogs as happy family pets, that was kind of a later idea. Eventually, it did come about. That's even what was happening in the New Testament when Jesus talked about the dogs getting the crumbs off the table. Back then, you might remember, you come out to me with a stick, like I'm a dog. You just go out to beat the dogs. They were a nuisance.

There are some other verses here on that too that I'll skip over, but it's better, the point is, to be a disdained lowly wretch who's alive, rather than a person who was powerful and majestic, but is now dead. The proverb at the end of Ecclesiastes 9.4 is a reminder that power and prestige in this world are temporary, yet it also presents us with the fact that life is worth living, that it's better to be alive than dead, which means that this life is not as bleak as it may seem. If you think about it, in life there is cause for hope, as just stated in the first part of verse 4. By the way, hope isn't this kind of thing a lot of people mean today when you say, well, is it going to work out this way? You say, well, I hope so. I hope so, because that's what you wish. In other words, it's this wish that there's no guarantee behind. But when we talk about a hope that God gives, as was earlier mentioned in the sermonette, the hope is something we're sure of. We know that we have hope. The hope is something that we will one day come to realize. But here it's kind of strange. Let's look at this again, the wording here, because it says in, again, there is hope in verse 4. Then in verse 5 it says, And the New American commentary states, But the reason the teacher puts forward for choosing life is another surprise, because the living know they will die.

Now, how is awareness of coming death a basis for hope? I mean, why is that hope? Well, we can have hope in life because if you're alive, you know you're going to die. That sounds pretty dreadful.

The explanation is, the same commentary says, the living may yet reckon with the reality of death, and in so doing embrace the joy that life has to offer. Life affords opportunity. Tommy Nelson writes in his book, A Life Will Live, quote, Solomon is saying, Don't give up hope and give in to despair. Just because life is vanity does not mean that it's hopeless. Life is a common blessing that God has bestowed on men. Life is better than death, because at least when you're alive, you know that one day you're going to die, so you can change your life and make something out of it.

Kaiser elaborates on that. He says, quote, Solomon's point is plain, While men are still alive, there is hope, hope of preparation for meeting God, hope of living significantly, hope of doing something to the glory of God before all men personally face Him, as 1214 warns, when man will give a detailed accounting of his life to determine if it has been lived in a manner well pleasing to God, end quote, from page 97 of his book. So the discussion of death here is not just a restatement of the human dilemma, but a good reminder of our own mortality. Contemplating death can be very beneficial. We saw that already at the beginning of chapter 7. You know, you talked about going to a funeral. There's a benefit in that for people, helps you to think about mortality. On the other hand, as the New American commentary further states, no such possibility exists for those who have already died. Their time has passed. Then I'll say at least in terms of this life. Verse 5 further tells us that the living at least have some awareness while the dead know nothing. The dead know nothing, having no awareness at all. Let's reaffirm down in verse 10. Let's look at it again in verse 10.

It says, 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're going.

Most Bible commentators, errantly holding to belief in an immortal soul and conscious existence apart from the body, claim that these verses do not mean what they clearly say. For instance, the Expositor's Bible commentary says this, the teacher is not teaching soul sleep here, that the dead have no consciousness. Rather, his emphasis is on the contrast between the carnal, that is, the fleshly or physical knowledge of the living and the dead. The dead clearly have not the capacities they once had on earth. Oh, that's all. The same commentary further states that, quote, the dead at that time when Ecclesiastes was written did not know what future they could expect. That is, those who were in Shael, this idea of this afterlife that they believed was there then, that they were in a supposed underworld awaiting Christ's resurrection to find out what awaits them. You know, this is typical mainstream doctrine, that the dead were in some kind of holding place in the Old Testament period until Christ's resurrection when the righteous were taken up into heaven and the wicked were left down in Shael to be later burned at the end. But Jesus said, remember, Jesus said that Abraham actually looked forward to his day, and we're later told that this father of the faithful was aware of the future reward. When he was alive, remember, he knew what was going to happen.

Remember when Jesus said in John 8, 56, that Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He was glad. And we're told in Hebrews 11, verses 8 through 10, that Abraham was so journeying and he did what he was told because he waited for the city with foundations, his builder and maker is God. He saw the future. He knew what the reward was. He waited for it. He was the father of all those who believe. So did he forget this while in a supposed disembodied afterlife? Was he sitting in Shael waiting for Jesus, having completely forgotten what was going to happen? That makes no sense. Absolutely no sense. Dr. Kaiser's commentary says that Ecclesiastes 9, 4 through 5 and verse 10 present no denial of a future state, which is true. That is true as these verses allow for a future resurrection. But his commentary also says that there is no denial here, quote, of personal conscious presence with God immediately after death of the body, end quote. That is false.

These verses very specifically deny this. What would be the point of saying the dead physical body knows nothing if the actual person is still alive and thinking as a disembodied soul?

Wouldn't that person, at least if among the righteous, be freed from burden and in a better place, as they say? And if the person is not righteous and will experience conscious afterlife in a hell of torment, why say there's no knowledge of anything? Why say this if the disembodied person actually will have awareness either of bliss or agony? Some would argue that Solomon himself didn't know about this, but they still treat his words as inspired, considering that, well, God did not allow him to write anything wrong, but he still concealed the truth of the matter from him. But his statements cannot be made to reasonably fit with their concept of an immediate conscious life after death in heaven or hell. Some commentators take the words regarding the unconscious state of the dead here in verses 5 and 10 at face value, but conclude that they actually represent a wrong view. The Living Bible footnotes here. This is the footnote in the Living Bible on these verses. It says, these statements are Solomon's discouraged opinion and do not reflect the knowledge of God's truth on these points. Exclamation. This is fallacious reasoning. How then could we trust anything else in the book? The fact is death is compared to sleep in various passages of Scripture wherein God's truth on these points is revealed with the dead awaiting an awakening at the resurrection of the dead. And I'll just give some references here for that. Isaiah 57, 1-2. Daniel 12-2. Those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake. Matthew 27, 52, talked about people at that time who were asleep waking up. John 11, 11-14 about Lazarus. He sleeps. But he was dead. 1 Corinthians 15, verses 6, 18, and 20. Those who sleep in Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4, 13-14. Again, those who are dead are said to be asleep. The dead, in fact, have no consciousness, like a person in a coma for months with no sense of the passage of time. The human spirit does return to God at death. We read that in Ecclesiastes 12-7. The spirit returns to God who gave it at death. But with no conscious awareness until that spirit is later placed in a new body at the resurrection. The human spirit imparts consciousness to the human brain, but is not conscious of itself in the way many imagine an immortal soul being able to have disembodied awareness. Solomon states the truth. The dead know nothing. And of course, we have literature on that that goes into it in more depth. Now, where Ecclesiastes 9-5, let's look here, where it says, the memory of them is forgotten, this is often taken to mean that other people don't remember them. But given their own emotions perishing in the next sentence in verse 6, the statement in verse 5 most likely means that those who have died are the ones who don't remember anything.

The Living Bible translates it, they don't even have their memories. They don't even have their memories, even though that same Bible wrongly labels this untrue. It translates it right in that sense, but it doesn't believe it. This goes right along with the dead knowing nothing. Psalm 146 verse 4, you can look at that.

Give me your place here. Go back over in Psalm 146 verse 4. I'll read Psalm 146 verse 4 in the original King James Version. It says, his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, and that very day his thoughts perish. Now, many render the word translated thoughts here as plans. It says his plans perish, again, due to belief, I think, in an immortal soul. Concerning the perishing of feelings, though, let's go back here to chapter 9 verse 6, concerning the perishing of feelings in the next verse in Ecclesiastes 9, 6, the word rendered envy, because it says their love, their hatred, and their envy could mean zeal. It's translated zeal in the New American Standard Bible, or passions, it's also translated the good news translation as passions more generally, which I think is probably correct. Love and hate and passions. So the full gamut of emotions and drives, is what is really being talked about here, are brought to a halt by death. Again, the description here is a full cessation of consciousness. When a person dies, there is no more thinking or feeling. It's over. That's what we're told. So is that all there is? Someone claimed that this passage argues against a future life after death, that it denies not only consciousness apart from the body, but even a future resurrection. Yet the passage doesn't rule out a resurrection beyond this age. The statement, they have no more reward, you see there, at the end of verse 5, should be understood in light of the wording at the end of verse 6. Right there it says, never more will they have a share in anything done under the sun. The point is that there is no more reward or participation in this life under the sun, while God and man are separated in this age. Again, there is no denial here of the dead being raised in a future age in the light of God. Solomon already stated that it will be well for the righteous in the end, including those who have died. Remember that? So that requires a future reward beyond death. So the reward in 9.6 has to refer to what happens in this present life. Consider also that the fact of reward in this life means that this life is not all bad. If there is reward in this life to participate in, then this life is not all bad, as some would mischaracterize the message of Ecclesiastes.

There is a good share for us now. And the next verses encourage us to receive it, something only those still living can do. In these following verses, we come back to the book's refrain about finding enjoyment and living, but now with strong exhortation and specific directives. In verses 7 through 10 of this chapter, Cometer Limburg says, offer the longest sequence of imperative or command verbs, the longest set of instruction in the entire book of Ecclesiastes. So if you want to know what does Ecclesiastes tell you to do? Here's the longest list of things it tells you to do, and they're all about enjoying this life. Verse 7 starts with, go! Get moving! Be up and about! Tyndale comments, what had previously been put as advice in the previous instances of the refrain, is now an urgent summons to action. Let's look again here at verses 7 through 8.

Go! It says, eat your bread with joy, drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments always be white, your head lack no oil. So this is a tremendous encouragement. We are told to eat joyfully and drink merrily, but let's notice here, it says, for God has already accepted your works. What is this saying?

It definitely does not mean that God is fine with everything that people might do. Yeah, well go ahead and have a good time, because God says it's okay. Is that what it means? Yeah, this book and the rest of the Bible warn against wickedness facing divine judgment.

Some therefore take it to mean that God is telling the righteous that they stand forgiven and accepted by him, presumably due to their repentance and faith and striving to please him, so they don't need to worry about him being indifferent or uncaring to them as the preceding verses about the righteous and wicked experiencing the same things could make it seem. In other words, well, he talked about the rights and wickedness experiencing the same thing, but then God tells the righteous, well, but God's accepted your works, so you're okay.

The Tyndale commentary agrees with that, even stating that this almost Pauline touch is the nearest the preacher came to a doctrine of justification by faith, like God accepts you by faith. However, this concept is unsubstantiated in the passage. The verse is most likely not speaking of the general spiritual standing of believers before God. The NIV renders the phrase in question, God has already approved of what you do. That is, in terms of eating and drinking with joy. What did you say?

Go do this. Eat and drink with joy, for God has already approved what you do in that regard, not just in every sense. The sense is, go enjoy things, for that is what God wants you to do. The message Bible paraphrases it, God takes pleasure in your pleasure. He does.

The preaching the word commentary agrees with that. It's common on it says, primarily the preacher is saying that our eating and drinking enjoy the blessing of God. Life's enjoyments are not guilty pleasures, but godly pleasures, or at least they ought to be. A merry heart has God's approval. It's part of His gracious will for our lives. That's what God wants for you.

But what about the terrible human condition just mentioned of evil and madness ending in death? We already saw in chapter 7 that fools pursue fun for escapism, that the wise are more serious. We read that. That's certainly true. There is much to mourn over in this age, but we all still must try to enjoy ourselves when that's appropriate, as it often is. Nelson writes this, quote, Is Solomon telling us to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the tragic nature of life? Is he saying we should try to dull the pain with pleasure?

What is Solomon talking about? He's saying the same thing he's already told us. Enjoy life right now, even though you got laid off yesterday. Spend some time with good friends. You don't know why yesterday happened. You don't know what tomorrow holds. Jesus said tomorrow will take care of itself. In Matthew 6, 34, right now, God will take care of you. And God approves if you're enjoying life. That's what the end of verse 7 means.

Many Christians live as if it's a sin to enjoy life, but God created the world for us to enjoy. End the quote there. And he further points out that Eden, where God originally put man, is a name, meaning delight. Again, that is what God wants for us. But of course, enjoying pleasures in life is not the answer to life's problems, though it's part of the answer. It is part of the answer. But it can even add to the problems if we're not careful. We must certainly be on guard in all that we do to this end, as the book later warns in Ecclesiastes 11.9. It says, go enjoy yourself, but remember, there's going to be judgment.

So we need to be wisely balanced in our approach. The preaching the word commentary properly cautions here. It says, quote, there is also a deadly spiritual danger in the pursuit of pleasure.

We may get so distracted by earthly pleasures that we lose our passion for God. How tempting it is to worship the gift and forget the giver. Some Christians deal with this danger by self-denial. Admittedly, there may be some pleasures that some people should deny, and there are times we should deny ourselves to give time to prayer and fasting. In general, though, this is not the approach the Bible teaches us to take with the good things of life. What it tells us to do instead is to receive pleasure with gratitude, returning our thanks to God. One of the best ways for us to keep the good things in life in their proper perspective is to praise the giver for all his gifts. Everything created by God is good, the Scripture says, quoting 1 Timothy 4, verse 4. It's in a different context, but it's applicable here. And nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. I'll have us conclude here. We'll continue more this next time. I'd like you to turn over to 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 through 18.

1 Thessalonians 5, 16 through 18.

Paul wrote here in this passage something very important. He said, rejoice always.

Now, let's remember that the word rejoice and enjoy, that's the same word, basically.

In other words, enjoy your blessings. There's much to have joy over. Actually, this is really even about expressing joy. Not just having the joy in your heart, but really expressing that joy. Rejoice always. But it's in context, brethren. Pray without ceasing. So we're always, while we're rejoicing and enjoying this life, we are to be in communion and fellowship with God.

In everything, and this is the vital thing too, in everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. This is the will of God. It's that we enjoy this that we've been given, but that we enjoy it in fellowship with God while giving thanks to Him. That is the way to keep God at the center of all of our enjoyment that He's given us. And we are to rejoice always. Paul also said over in Philippians 4, 4, rejoice in the Lord always. He said, we are to rejoice always in the Lord. And again, he said there too in verse 6 with thanksgiving. So God wants us to enjoy life while constantly keeping Him in mind and giving Him thanks. Solomon doesn't state this so directly in Ecclesiastes, but he likely didn't have to. As well versed as he and the nation probably were in his father's psalms, which gave such declaration. If he read Ecclesiastes aloud at a festival gathering, then it would probably have been accompanied by such psalms. They would have been singing praises and thanksgiving to God. So we'll go into this more detail. Actually, we'll even continue here. I want to look back at these particular things that we're told to enjoy, and there's more that we can take out of this passage. It's a very crucial passage. It's kind of one of the longest instances of the refrain, and really the final instance of the refrain in this way that concludes the section. So we will examine that further in the next message.