PM Home Bible Study Group; May 12, 2010

Ecclesiastes 9:2-12

Theme: This passage describes Solomon’s counsel living life in light of the fact that our life “under the sun” will one day be brought to an end.

Every person has an appointment to keep. There’s no way that anyone can excuse themselves from it, because it is an appointment that must be kept by all. There’s no way to reschedule it, because none of us knows when we’ll be called upon to keep it. As Solomon spoke of it earlier in this book, it is ‘a day’ over which no man has power—a ‘war’ from which there is ‘no release’ (see 8:8). It is “the great appointment”—the day of one’s death. As the writer of Hebrews has put it, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Solomon’s book is a book of wisdom; and it teaches us that it’s foolish to live one’s life as if that day will never come. Some, however, try to do so. “Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,” the psalmist says; “their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; he is like the beasts that perish” (Psalm 49:11-12). All must leave this world at God’s call and stand one day before Him. In his offering of advice for living ‘under the sun’, Solomon takes up this great appointment—although his treatment of it largely deals with it as it impacts life lived ‘under the sun’; and not with respect to the judgment that follows. It is an appointment, the date of which is not known to the one for whom it is set (Ecclesiastes 9:12a); but is most certainly known to God (Psalm 31:15).

The person who lives with this appointment in mind lives wisest. But to the person who seeks to live life with a strictly ‘under the sun’ perspective—that is, a strictly secular, ‘this life only’ perspective—the reality of this absolutely unavoidable ‘appointment’ is a cause of unspeakable frustration. In this uncompromisingly ‘realistic’ section of his book, Solomon gives his rhetorical ‘under the sun’ counsel to those who live life in the light of this appointment—but who are, by no means, ready for it to suddenly come upon them.

I. THE FRUSTRATION: The same thing—death—happens to one and all (v. 2-3).

A. Solomon had been speaking of how little one can know from what one sees from a strictly from an ‘under the sun’ perspective; and had said that all the works of a man are—ultimately—in the hand of God. From a strictly outward observation, men cannot know “love nor hatred” by what they see (9:1). Now, Solomon introduces the greatest example of this—the reality of the day of one’s own death (see 3b). Everything else in life, from a strictly ‘under the sun’ viewpoint, is unpredictable; but everyone can at least know for sure that they will one day be called upon to “go to the dead”; yet, they cannot know, by what they see, when that day will come—or what will happen to them afterward.

B. The application of this fact is universal. No one is exempt. And from a strictly ‘under the sun’ view, the state of death for one person is no better than another. It comes upon all equally. “All things come alike to all”, Solomon says. One’s moral life doesn’t make a difference, because “one event happens to the righteous and the wicked.” Nor does one’s ceremonial standing with respect to the laws of religion make a difference; because that day come “to the good, the clean, and the unclean; to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice”. Even one’s standing in the society of men doesn’t alter the case; because, “As the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath as he who fears an oath” (v. 2).

C. Man under the sun looks at it all and wonders what the point of living is, if it all ends up the same no matter what one has done. It’s a cause of great frustration. Solomon says, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all” (v. 3a). And as has so often happened in the case of those who, philosophically, embrace the pointlessness of it all, men who feel this frustration yield to it all and live as if nothing really matters. “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” (v. 3b). This is somewhat like what Solomon said in 8:11; “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Those who advocate an ‘under the sun’ perspective about death—believing that death comes to all equally, and that nothing really happens afterward—can hardly be surprised if the people who hear them then go on to live as if there were no moral consequences to their actions. After all, they’re simply living consistently with the prospects that are given to them.

II. THE ADVANTAGE: The living can, at least, know that day is coming (vv. 4-6).

A. Now; Solomon perhaps anticipates that someone might think, “Well; why then go on living at all? Why postpone the inevitable?” Sadly, many have fallen into that philosophic ‘black hole’, and have opted to end what they thought was a pointless existence—and even more tragically, to thus suddenly bringing themselves before the living God before they’re ready to meet Him. Solomon goes on to say, “But for him who is joined to all the living, there is hope . . .” (v. 4a). Death is no advantage! It is, by far, better to keep on living! It’s the only state of being in which we can experience “hope”—that thing that we all desperately need. As Solomon says, “for a living dog is better than a dead lion” (v. 4b). At least the most humble of creatures, while living ‘under the sun’, can still improve their condition while living. But even the most powerful of creatures brings all hope to an end at death.

B. Solomon elaborates on that advantage when he says, “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. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun” (vv. 5-6). It’s important to keep in mind that Solomon is not speaking here about the whole matter of one’s eternal destiny, or about—as the writer of Hebrews puts it—the “judgment” that comes after the appointment given to all men “once to die”. He’s speaking strictly with respect to an ‘under the sun’ perspective; and saying that, since no one can tell what happens to someone after they die just by looking into the casket (see 3:21; 9:1), the living person at least has a “hope” that those who are in the graves can no longer enjoy. Whatever happens after death is, for the dead, sealed by their dying. At least the living can know this—and adjust their life accordingly and keep on seeking for meaning.

III. THE OPPORTUNITY: One who lives should live joyfully . . . while they can (vv. 7-10).

A. Solomon, then, advises the one who has the advantage of living—the one who still has the capacity for hope—to live life sensibly in the light of the coming day of death. “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works” (v. 7). That God has “accepted your works” is Solomon’s way of saying that, no matter what, your end is already sealed. Since you will surely die one day day; and since death will come upon you as equally as it will come upon all, then enjoy the grace of life while you have it. Don’t fall into a black pit of despair over it. If—in a strictly ‘under the sun’ perspective—nothing really matters anyway, then live wisely. Enjoy! “Let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil”—which are expressions of prosperous living (v. 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 the days of your vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might . . .” (vv. 9-10a).

B. But even in giving this advice, Solomon brings the end of it all to mind; “for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (v. 10b). Live; but know that, in the end, you will stop living. The dog and the lion will both be in the same condition in the end; for, ‘under the sun’, “all things come alike to all”. What a dismal situation—even at its best! (And even though we’re jumping ahead a bit, we can’t help pausing for a moment and noting how much more wonderful the attitude of the apostle Paul who was able to embrace both the present and the future—”For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” as he says in Philippians 1:21.)

IV. THE SOBER REALITY: Nevertheless, the day comes unexpectedly (vv. 11-12).

A. Now; just when it seems as if Solomon has given the ‘under the sun’ perspective some sliver of hope, he then yanks it away with yet another necessary insight. “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” (v. 11). The things that may give advantage ‘under the sun’, and enable a hope for at least a measure of enjoyment in life during the time one has—such things as swiftness, strength, wisdom, understanding or skill—can still, nevertheless, give no ultimate advantage because of the unexpected and out-of-control aspect of life. Suddenly, time and chance can come upon a man and take it all away. There is a “time” for everything that is outside of a man’s control (see 3:1-9); and there are always the chance events that turn life in an unexpected direction (see 5:13-15).

B. What’s more, the day of ‘the great appointment’ may come sooner than thought. “For man also does not know his time: like a 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” (v. 12). Just as no fish would know that its day of being caught in the net had come, and just as no bird knows in the morning that it will be in a snare by the end of the day, so no man knows what will happen to him . . . or when. As James writes; “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:13-14).

* * * * * * * * * *

Since we must, without avoidance, live with the reality of the coming day of our great appointment—the day of our death—how much better to live life with an ‘above the sun’ perspective! As Moses wrote, “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

And the best application of wisdom is to prepare ourselves for that great day of appointment now by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and living for His eternal kingdom. As Jesus Himself said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). May we thus end our days like Paul who said, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).