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Ecclesiastes Chapter 9
Death Comes to All
- Ecclesiastes 9:1 For
all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that
the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of
God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before
them.
- 2 All things come
alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the
wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him
that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the
good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth
an oath.
- 3 This is an evil
among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one
event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full
of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and
after that they go to the dead.
To all that have not yet found their
hope in the Lord, this may seem to be true. All do die except those
that go in the future rapture of those that have received Jesus into
their lives. Those that are alive at the rapture but are instantly
changed in a twinkling of an eye and will not physically die. Faith in
Christ changes things. Jesus reversed the curse that was caused at
the fall of Adam. However, this reversal and salvation only comes to
those that come to Jesus by faith. Before the 1st coming of Jesus
they were saved by faith in God to provide salvation in the future.
After the coming of Jesus the first time to die for our sins, we
look back to that time and can now receive Him by faith even without
keeping the laws of rituals, animal sacrifices and such. Gentiles
believers are saved by the same faith in Christ who died for their
sins also.
- 1Thessalonians 4:13
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope.
- 14 For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
- 15 For this we
say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive
and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them
which are asleep.
- 16 For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first:
- 17 Then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord.
- 18 Wherefore
comfort one another with these words.
This is a real comfort for believers in
Christ showing us that physical death that came when sin entered the
world is only temporary. The minute the body dies their soul and
spirit leave the body. There is no soul sleep. At the resurrection a
new body is given to all who believe in the sacrifice Jesus did to
reverse that curse.
- Ecclesiastes 9:4 For
to him that 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 shall die: but the dead know not any thing,
neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is
forgotten.
- 6 Also their love,
and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have
they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under
the sun.
It seems as if some of Solomon's
writings lack the hope of the resurrection. Perhaps he is writing
from the human viewpoint and not from one that has faith in the
coming Messiah. It is true that some among the Israelis were
expecting a Messiah to save them from the Roman oppressors and had
no thought that they needed to be saved
from sin. Jesus will save Israel from their eartly enemies in the future
as the second coming of Christ Jesus to rule the earth. Israel will
be saved from nations that do not want them to exist but He came the
first time to be a sacrifice for our sins so that all who believe
are forgiven of sins and made clean from sin. The sin problem has to
be dealt with first. The gospel has to be preached in all the earth
and then Jesus will return.
The Joy of the Lord is our strength
This is a little different than what
Solomon wrote in Proverbs:
I've seen so many trapped into alcoholism. It
has ruined marriage, caused child abuse even to the point of causing
an innocent baby or child to die, it has caused many car accidents
also taking innocent lives. Anything we eat or drink that causes us
to lose our ability to think or act clearly, we need to avoid. This
stuff is dangerous and brings us into bondage.
- Ecclesiastes 9:8 Let
thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no
ointment.
- 9 Live joyfully with
the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy
vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of
thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy
labour which thou takest under the sun.
- 10 Whatsoever thy
hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work,
nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither
thou goest.
Again Solomon writes from a human viewpoint.
They were limited in their knowledge of the victorious life that was
to come through faith in Jesus. Through Jesus Christ we have
something better than anything in this life:
- Collossians 3:1
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
- 2 Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
- 3 For ye are
dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
- 4 When Christ,
who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory.
The bible really doesn't teach us to
eat, drink and be merry. Actually partying and being merry doesn't
last long. It's better to receive the joy of the Lord which lasts
forever.
- Titus 2:11 For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men,
- 12 Teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
- 13 Looking for
that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
- 14 Who gave
himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and
purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Wisdom Better than Folly
- Ecclesiastes 9:11 I
returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the
swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the
wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to
men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
- 12 For man also
knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil
net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the
sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly
upon them.
- 13 This wisdom have
I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
- 14 There was a
little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king
against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against
it:
- 15 Now there was
found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the
city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
- 16 Then said I,
Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's
wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
- 17 The words of wise
men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth
among fools.
- 18 Wisdom is better
than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
It may seem to be true in this life that
everything seems to happen the same to the good people and the evil
ones if we look at it from a human standpoint, not knowing about the
gospel and the hope of everlasting life. Also we tend to forget the
law of reaping and sowing applies in many cases. We don't know the
day that we leave this world unless the Lord reveals it to us. All
these words of Solomon seem to be words of wisdom but yet those of
us who know the Lord have a hope and a promise greater than what we
see here. We walk by faith and not by sight. We can be afraid of
storms and troubles or we can choose to lay back and trust in the
Lord. Truly the joy of the Lord is our strength. DC
-
Revelation 22:16 I Jesus
have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the
bright and morning star.
-
17 And the Spirit and the
bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him
that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water
of life freely.
Ecclesiastes
Chapter 10
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