A Simple Life - Ecclesiastes 9-10
Read: Ecclesiastes 9-10
Listen: A Song - “Vapor” by The Liturgists
Listen: A Meditation – “Vapor Meditation” by The Liturgists
We are nearing the end of this journey through Ecclesiastes, and we see the Preacher returning to his theme of wisdom and folly yet again. We have seen the Preacher declare that wisdom is better than folly, but at the same time, he still acknowledges that we cannot understand the depths of God’s knowledge and understanding. Additionally, whether a human is wise or foolish does not ultimately matter overly since we all face the same fate.
There are two ways we can view the Preacher’s views of life, wisdom, and folly in this section of the book. On the one hand we can view the text as extremely pessimistic – nothing we do matters since “time and chance happen to all” (Ecc. 9:11). We can strive to be the best at whatever we choose and reach for the highest of heights, and be brought down without warning. We can fear God with our whole hearts and entire lives and still deal with loss, pain, and suffering. Whether good or evil, all will die and no longer have the ability to experience and impact this life, and eventually all will be forgotten.
On the other hand, rather than pessimism, we could view this text as realistic and possibly even encouraging. Yes, “time and chance happen to all,” so, given that reality, shouldn’t we make the most of the time we do have? We cannot predict the entirety of our lives, so we must choose joy and gratitude and fearing the Lord. The Preacher instructs us:
· Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart…(Ecc. 9:7)
· Let your clothes be white…never let oil be lacking on your head (9:8)
· Enjoy life with the [spouse] you love all the days of your fleeting life (9:9)
· Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your strength (9:10)
Live your life, but also enjoy your life. Take pleasure in food and drink, find joy in life and its pleasures, love and enjoy your spouse, work with all your strength. These instructions of the Preacher are echoed in multiple verses in the New Testament as well.
“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes. 5:16-18)
“And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him [Jesus]: ‘Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?’ He [Jesus] said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt. 22:35-39)
“…But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” (1 Thes. 4:10a-12)
“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:17)
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31)
In the wisdom literature of the Bible, of which Ecclesiastes is only one book, wisdom is defined as fearing the Lord. The book of Proverbs, also mainly attributed to Solomon, repeats this refrain often as well: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline” (1:7). In Ecclesiastes, we encounter this idea again when the Preacher describes God-fearing people as showing reverence before God, but wicked people not revering Him (8:12-13). The foolish people are those who have chosen to not fear God and hold Him in awe and reverence. Throughout the verses we read in Ecclesiastes 9-10 and the New Testament verses quote above, we can find abundant evidence for the truth that living a God-fearing life is the wisest and best course of action, even knowing we all come to the same end in this life eventually.
Many times throughout this book, I have used the analogy of a puzzle to describe the often-times convoluted approach the Preacher takes to answering his ultimate question – What is the purpose and meaning of life? Over the course of these chapters, we have begun piecing together an answer, and as we near the end of the book we begin to see the picture forming. Fearing God lies at the heart of our answer, it is the picture to which each of the puzzle pieces is contributing. We are not done yet, but for now the Preacher leaves us with the simple, but certainly not easy, answer of living a life of faith and reverence towards God.
