The Well-Pleasing Love

The Beloved

Song of Songs 4:1-16

1 Behold, you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove's eyes behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats,
Going down from Mount Gilead.

2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is barren among them.

3 Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
Your temples behind your veil
Are like a piece of pomegranate.

4 Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built for an armory,
On which hang a thousand bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.

5 Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.

6 Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

7 You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,
With me from Lebanon.
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir and Hermon,
From the lions' dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.

9 You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.

10 How fair is your love,
My sister, my spouse!
How much better than wine is your love,
And the scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!

11 Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 A garden enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.

13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard,

14 Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices—

15 A fountain of gardens,
A well of living waters,
And streams from Lebanon.

The Shulamite

16 Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.

Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant fruits.

The beloved serenades his bride the Shulamite with these words of high praise and love just as our Beloved’s song over us is love.  He sees behind the veil to the eyes and calls them beautiful as a dove’s, just as our Beloved sees behind the sin and shame we hide behind to look into the souls for who we are, made in God’s image.  Everything about the Shulamite is compared to the most beautiful things of nature known to man and the spices of the scent of that love are extolled.  The beloved sees her as beautiful and without blemish, a picture of how we are perceived and reckoned by God in the cleansing righteousness of Christ’s sacrifice, the blood shed in His atoning death to make us as if we were without blemish as a perfect sacrificial lamb which He is.  The beloved calls to his spouse from the highest mountains to join him because she has ravished his heart by her beauty and allure of desire.  He tells her that her love is finer than wine in its sparkling, taste, and soothing nature no doubt.  Her scent of love is far better than any spice or perfume that has ever been made by man’s hands.  Likewise, our allure as God’s creations in His image must appear similar to Him and move His love upon us enough to sacrifice His one and only Son to have us as His bride!   We are as the garden of Eden as the Shulamite was to her beloved, with pleasant fruits and spices and fountains of bubbling living water.  Our living water of course comes as His very Spirit living in us and bubbling up from His presence and love as He calls us to return to Eden’s garden in a sense at the coming of the New Jerusalem out of heaven itself.  Our response then is similar to the Shulamite’s, calling out for the winds to blow and fruit to grow that the Beloved may be well-pleased with us.  This is the well-pleasing love of our Beloved and ours for Him; He is ours and we are His. 

Precious Coach of Love

Song of Songs 3:1-11

The Shulamite

1 By night on my bed I sought the one I love;
I sought him, but I did not find him.
2 "I will rise now," I said,
"And go about the city;
In the streets and in the squares
I will seek the one I love."
I sought him, but I did not find him.

3 The watchmen who go about the city found me;
I said,
"Have you seen the one I love?"
4 Scarcely had I passed by them,
When I found the one I love.
I held him and would not let him go,
Until I had brought him to the house of my mother,
And into the chamber of her who conceived me.

5 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the does of the field,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.

6 Who is this coming out of the wilderness
Like pillars of smoke,
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
With all the merchant's fragrant powders?

7 Behold, it is Solomon's couch,
With sixty valiant men around it,
Of the valiant of Israel.
8 They all hold swords,
Being expert in war.
Every man has his sword on his thigh
Because of fear in the night.

9 Of the wood of Lebanon
Solomon the King
Made himself a palanquin:

10 He made its pillars of silver,
Its support of gold,
Its seat of purple,
Its interior paved with love
By the daughters of Jerusalem.

11 Go forth, O daughters of Zion,
And see King Solomon with the crown
With which his mother crowned him
On the day of his wedding,
The day of the gladness of his heart.

The Shulamite woman in love with king Solomon went all through the city looking for the one she loved after first longing and looking for him in her heart and head while lying on her bed, but could not find him at first.  The night watchmen had not seen him when asked, but then she found him immediately after asking them in her diligent search.  Ah, when she finally found him, she refused to let him go so she would not lose him again.  This is a picture of the believers in Christ who are found by Him in their longing and how they want to go nowhere far away from His presence again because of His love and theirs.  Like the Shulamite preparing to marry her beloved, we also are to be Christ’s bride as the church and introduce Him to our families that they might know Him as we do.  The charge is as before in Song of Solomon 2:7 to be certain to only stir up such love and devotion for the one who is worthy and not another.  This certainly applies in physical relationships, but more so in spiritual to not pit our hearts and lives in the hands of false lovers of our souls who are not the divine Christ of God come in the flesh.  When the King of kings approaches us it will be infinitely more glorious than Solomon’s litter with his bearers.  It will be on the throne in New Jerusalem where unending praise and honor extol His glory before our eyes at last (Job 19:26-27, Revelation 22:3-4)!  The interior of Solomon’s precious coach was paved with love, adorned with silver and gold, but pales infinitely in comparison to the throne of the Lord and His city of precious jewels as its building stones and pavement.  How much more glorious!  Here the people were called to go out and observe the earthly king and his crown in his wedding coach, but how much more joy and gladness will fill the hearts of those looking on the marriage of the Beloved Lamb with the totality of all believers who are His church and bride while seated on His eternal throne!  Amen. 

My Beloved is Mine and I am His!

Song of Songs 2:8-17

   The Shulamite

8 The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes
Leaping upon the mountains,
Skipping upon the hills.

9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Behold, he stands behind our wall;
He is looking through the windows,
Gazing through the lattice.

10 My beloved spoke, and said to me:
"Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
11 For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.

12 The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!

14 "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret places of the cliff,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely."

   Her Brothers

15 Catch us the foxes,
The little foxes that spoil the vines,
For our vines have tender grapes.

   The Shulamite

16 My beloved is mine, and I am his.
He feeds his flock among the lilies.

(To Her Beloved)

17 Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved,
And be like a gazelle
Or a young stag
Upon the mountains of Bether.

This love song continues with the Shulamite woman anticipating her beloved husband to be racing toward her over the mountain obstacles to be with her.  He skips over them like an agile gazelle or deer whose sure footing and elegant speed bring him to her house to gaze lovingly at her through the window.  This is a picture of our Beloved coming in power and grace to look for us, to pursue us with no obstacles able to slow or stop Him from seeing the beauty He made in us as in His image.  The woman pictured here heard her beloved say the words, “rise up and come away” with him, just as our Beloved calls us to follow Him now and into eternity.  His voice is as the lover of our souls and is most uplifting in our hearts and minds when we hear Him by the Spirit through the words of the scriptures as He opens them to us and we behold Him (Luke 24:32)!  He also reminds us that the cold winters of unbelief in the darkness apart from Him are past, that it is as Spring a time to sing joyful praises and see the fruitfulness come forth from our hearts and hands to His praise and honor and glory.  This aroma of life (2 Corinthians 2:16) cause us to rise and follow just as the good smell of the fig trees and grape vines of her beloved did for the Shulamite woman.  The call to follow from her beloved is a call from our Beloved as well, as a dove nestled in a crag on a hidden cliff who longs to see His face and hear His voice as he does ours.  His voice is truly sweet and His countenance lovely, and this is how He sees us as His bride to be!  The interesting call from her brothers is to stop the foxes from destroying the tender grape vines, an allegory of sorts to the fruit being damaged by the evil one and also to the grapes kept for the outpouring of God’s wrath on sinners who reject His Christ at the final judgment (Revelation 14:18-19).  The cry of the Shulamite should then be as our own saying that our Beloved is ours and we are his.  He feeds us in pleasant places of grace and keeps us safe on His vine until the end.  We call to Him as she did for His swift return (Revelation 22:20).  As we then hear His voice let us continually say my Beloved is mine and I am His! 

A Godly Desire and Consummation

Song of Songs 2:1-7

1 I am the rose of Sharon,
And the lily of the valleys.

The Beloved

2 Like a lily among thorns,
So is my love among the daughters.

The Shulamite

3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods,
So is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down in his shade with great delight,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

The Shulamite to the Daughters of Jerusalem

4 He brought me to the banqueting house,
And his banner over me was love.

5 Sustain me with cakes of raisins,
Refresh me with apples,
For I am lovesick.

6 His left hand is under my head,
And his right hand embraces me.

7 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the does of the field,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.

The song of all songs continues as the Shulamite woman is wooed.  She sees herself as desired and equates her image as the rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the valleys, both extremely lovely and desirable blooms to the onlooker.  The over in pursuit echoes the lily part as representing his love for her even while she is growing out of the harsh thorns of life around her.  This reminds me of how my Lord loves me in spite of my thorns of sin and surroundings, seeing me for who I am as one created in His image and so wanted by the lover of my soul.  The woman then continues by complementing him as the fruit of life hidden in the forest, a great discovery indeed.  She found him and sat in the protective shade of his company with great delight and found his fruit sweet to eat.  This is like our finding protection under the Christ of God as our Beloved who calls His bride to Himself and cares for her so!  Even the onlookers hear her joy in shouting about his love’s banner of victory and strength over her, and must have been excited as well.  She spoke of his call to dine with him as our Lord calls us to dine at the marriage supper of the Lamb we eagerly anticipate under hat banner of love for each of us in Christ.  Like the Shulamite woman, we are lovesick in Christ as He sustains us and gives us all daily food from His word.  His embrace of love is spiritual passion and holds us to Himself in such loving watchcare.  The charge she made to the others watching was not to hastily enter into such love until it is right, not stirring themselves up until then.  It is also a warning to us on a physical and emotional level not to get intimately involved with a lover until it is pleasing to God, which means with another one He loves (a believer to be equally yoked with) in the proper speak and time, that is in marriage with an undefiled bed (Hebrews 13:4).  May we love God in Christ and our spouse as a joyful union of a man and woman in these ways of a godly desire and consummation.  

The Banquet of Love’s Consummation

Song of Songs 1:1-17 

1 The song of songs, which is Solomon's.

   The Shulamite

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
For your love is better than wine.
3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,
Your name is ointment poured forth;
Therefore the virgins love you.
4 Draw me away!

   The Daughters of Jerusalem

We will run after you.

   The Shulamite

The king has brought me into his chambers.

   The Daughters of Jerusalem

We will be glad and rejoice in you.
We will remember your love more than wine.

   The Shulamite

Rightly do they love you.
5 I am dark, but lovely,

O daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.

6 Do not look upon me, because I am dark,
Because the sun has tanned me.

My mother's sons were angry with me;
They made me the keeper of the vineyards,
But my own vineyard I have not kept.

   (To Her Beloved)

7 Tell me, O you whom I love,
Where you feed your flock,
Where you make it rest at noon.

For why should I be as one who veils herself
By the flocks of your companions?

   The Beloved

8 If you do not know, O fairest among women,
Follow in the footsteps of the flock,
And feed your little goats
Beside the shepherds' tents.

9 I have compared you, my love,
To my filly among Pharaoh's chariots.

10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with chains of gold.

   The Daughters of Jerusalem

11 We will make you ornaments of gold
With studs of silver.

   The Shulamite

12 While the king is at his table,
My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.

13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,
That lies all night between my breasts.

14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms
In the vineyards of En Gedi.

   The Beloved

15 Behold, you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove's eyes.

   The Shulamite

16 Behold, you are handsome, my beloved!
Yes, pleasant!
Also our bed is green.

17 The beams of our houses are cedar,
And our rafters of fir.

This love Song of Songs is Solomon wooing his love, the Shulamite woman, as the people of God (the daughters of Jerusalem) look on the unfolding courtship and marriage.  It is a picture of God pursuing his bride as a chorus of onlookers cheer them on, somewhat also as the angels rejoice in God’s bride joining to Him.  The love here is a reflection of God’s highest love for His bride who is the church in Christ as we now know.  The woman desires more than anything to be swept away in her beloved’s embrace and is encouraged to do so by the people of God who promise to follow right behind her and rejoice in them.  The woman is aware of her dark appearance as is sin marking her as unworthy and aware how she has not kept up her vineyard either.  She then cries out to her love, asking where to find him alone so she does not have to remain veiled in front of his friends, a request to be herself without shame, much as we sinners want to find love, acceptance, and forgiveness in the Beloved as His bride.  She hears how he loves her so much as the fairest of them all, just as Christ loves us completely as we are because of His love and coming union.  The people looking on promise to adorn her with beautiful jewelry to make her presentable, just as our regeneration and sanctification makes us acceptable in and to the Beloved.  The bride to be then promises to pour out precious spikenard on the king while he is seated at the banquet table, a picture of the woman who anointed the feet and head of Jesus (John 12:3, Mark 14:3) in honor and worship.  That aroma filled the room and reminds us how His Spirit fills us out and makes us full of joy in His presence while worshiping at His feet.  The Beloved answers this act of love and adoration with words of compliments and love in return.  Yes, the bride to be extols his beauty as well and desires the consummation to come, just as the bride of Christ longs for our consummation of redemption in eternity.  The house of many rooms will be built well and last forever.  We therefore eagerly anticipate the banquet to come (Revelation 19:7, 9) to be united with our Beloved in that consummation of our redemption! 

Keep God’s Word in Evil Times

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 

1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
"I have no pleasure in them":

2 While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain;

3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim;

4 When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all the daughters of music are brought low.

5 Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to his eternal home,
And the mourners go about the streets.

6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.

7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

8 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher,
"All is vanity."

9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. 12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

The conclusion of all the preacher Solomon wrote is summarized by calling us to keep God’s word in evil times (Galatians 1:4).  Especially when we come to Christ in the first years as new creations we should learn about Him and meditate on God through His word as our Creator and Savior to deliver us from the evil of our sinful fallen nature.  When the evil days of trial and adversity do overwhelm us, then we are prepared on the solid Rock as our foundation to walk on through it all.  This is why follow-up and discipleship are crucial parts of the gospel commission we are given as the invisible universal church.  We must know our God and our salvation for sanctification to endure these trials.  This means being rooted and grounded in the faith by the instruction and hope of the scriptures.  We can then remember our Lord in those times while the sun and stars still hang above us and are not yet removed at the final judgment when all falls down at His word of command (Ezekiel 32:8-9, Matthew 24:29).  Strong men will kneel to bow before the Lord as every knee will do, and work will cease as we behold His return.  People will hide in their houses with shut doors and music with gaiety will fall silent in the fear of the Lord.  Terror will overcome all remaining desires of life as all face eternity as our eternal home; which neighborhood will be the destination of each is the remaining question.  The answer then lies in serious consideration of God our Maker before death overtakes us (Hebrews 9:27-28) and we face the consequences of rejecting God’s Son (Psalm 2:12).  The dust of our created bodies will return to the created ground He formed us out of (Genesis 2:7, 3:19), and our spirits which were breathed by His will return to their owner also.  Yes, all is empty apart from the pursuit and knowledge of God our Lord according to His word.  The preacher was given godly wisdom to write these things for our instruction (Romans 15:4) as he thought about God and His word and the implications for living and dying.  These words of truth sometimes are as well placed nails like those of our Savior on the cross for our justification and atonement, and are given to us by the one Shepherd of our souls who leads and guides us to know and follow Him (1 Peter 2:25, John 10:4-5).  We should be admonished by the scriptures from need of our redemption in Genesis to the consummation of redemption in Revelation, and heed these words from Ecclesiastes.  Yes, the conclusion of all this is to fear our God and keep His word given to us, especially in light of this present evil age we find ourselves in.  That is our calling and task.  We do well to remember that we all are accountable to Him, saved for eternity or lost forever, and every thing we think is hidden and our own secret will be revealed when we stand before the great white throne of judgment (Matthew 12:36, Romans 2:16, 1 Corinthians 4:5, 2 Corinthians 5:10).  May we then live in light of eternity to please God in thanksgiving for His wonderfully indescribable grace!  We can learn from those teaching God's word, for the Shepherd Jesus Christ gives the gifts and wisdom to men to do so.  We should learn from these words, adjusting our lives no matter how long it takes or how weary we become.  But the bottom line is that we must fear God and follow Him and what He teaches us, doing all He says.  We each will answer to Him at the end, so let us do so with joy in the direction of our lives being conformed to Christ.  Amen and amen. 

Diligence in Seeking God

Ecclesiastes 11:1-10

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,
For you will find it after many days.
2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight,
For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

3 If the clouds are full of rain,
They empty themselves upon the earth;
And if a tree falls to the south or the north,
In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.

4 He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind,
Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,
So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

6 In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper,
Either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.

7 Truly the light is sweet,
And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun;
8 But if a man lives many years
And rejoices in them all,
Yet let him remember the days of darkness,
For they will be many.
All that is coming is vanity.

9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
Walk in the ways of your heart,
And in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
God will bring you into judgment.

10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,
And put away evil from your flesh,
For childhood and youth are vanity.

The wise man is diligent to give as investing in the needy for God’s blessings and patiently sowing to await a harvest in return.  This is similar to the parable in Luke 16:9-10 concerning using unjust riches but still helping others and being helped in return, but is more in line with simply investing all we have been given in righteous ways to help others without thought of our own return on the investment in the needy.  The natural order which God has given has provision in a systematic way, for the clouds build up moisture to water the earth and trees fall of their own accord when it is time to fertilize the forest and make room for new growth.  Yes, we should also live as we were designed to tend the earth and be fruitful in filling it with our offspring.  In a spiritual sense this includes making spiritual children, disciples, and tending their growth as part of that mandate to us all in Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).  If we merely observe the word of agog and His order but do nothing, then it is as watching the wind and clouds but not planting at the right time or planning for the cloudbursts to water what we sow.  It is God’s work to plant His Spirit in those we sow the gospel in (John 3:3, 8) and it is He who causes the birth process, both physical and spiritual.  It is good to know these things and to observe them, but action is required on our part to sow and water (1 Corinthians 3:6-8) for the supernatural growth to happen.  We are co-laborers with God in His work.  Therefore we should be about our Father’s business as we go about our business, sowing wherever we go that God’s work in the souls of lost men and women may hear and be moved by His wind to believe and receive (John 1:12) Jesus Christ as that work (John 6:28-29).  We do not pick and choose who to tell, for we cannot see the hearts nor know God’s predetermined choice of who He gives the power to choose life in Christ through hearing the gospel.  He blows life and understanding and forms the spiritual new life within the womb of dead men and women (Ephesians 2:5-6) just as He did in our physical birth (Psalm 139:13-14).  We also are told to remember dark days while enjoying the light in a long life, knowing that dark days come as well, and remembering the darkness before He shone His light in us (2 Corinthians 4:6, John 1:9, 12-13).  It is vain and meaningless to forget what we have been saved for as well as to, in other words.  We are also encouraged by the preacher to beware living for pleasure of the eye and heart (1 John 2:15-17) and into judgment for these instead of living to do God’s will which includes sowing gospel seed to as many as we meet along life’s paths.  We are to do this by avoiding the evil of sinful thoughts and actions and then finding His joy to replace the sorrow of the darkness in which we one walked.  We grow up in Christ the head as we so encourage and build up one another (Ephesians 4:15-16).  This is our diligence in seeking God.  God works in the spiritual realm to give life; this shows some evidence in a changed life afterwards but is not something you can see happening.  Jesus tried to tell Nicodemus of His working to regenerate us, a new birth is by God's breath (spirit) into us, as in the creation of Adam.  We must never imagine we are in Christ based on our upbringing or what good things we do; only Christ dying in our place and grace given for us to believe that will ever allow God's breath to change us from death to life (John 3:6-8, Genesis 2:7).  If we live only for our own satisfaction and do as we feel for what looks good to us, we will miss the mark of God's best for us and find ourselves accountable in the final day.  But if we find joy in Christ and His work and word, choosing to obey out of love, then we grow up spiritually, and we so can rest in facing Him throughout all time.  Not grasping after the wind vainly but following the wind of the Spirit of God as He guides us into all truth and deed.  Amen! 

Words of Foolish Pride or Wisdom?

Ecclesiastes 10:11-20

11 A serpent may bite when it is not charmed;
The babbler is no different.

12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious,
But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
13 The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
And the end of his talk is raving madness.

14 A fool also multiplies words.
No man knows what is to be;
Who can tell him what will be after him?

15 The labor of fools wearies them,
For they do not even know how to go to the city!

16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
And your princes feast in the morning!

17 Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,
And your princes feast at the proper time—
For strength and not for drunkenness!

18 Because of laziness the building decays,
And through idleness of hands the house leaks.

19 A feast is made for laughter,
And wine makes merry;
But money answers everything.

20 Do not curse the king, even in your thought;
Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
And a bird in flight may tell the matter.

The proud babble empty words when not tamed by the good sense of wisdom.  Wise people have grace on their lips (Proverbs 22:11) but the raving madness of a fool eats himself alive as his speeches begin with foolishness and terminate in evil madness.  The fool simply cannot direct his words without godly understanding and wisdom as the wise righteous man.  Foolish words just ramble on and on without purpose or destination without any inkling of understanding of what is to come from it all in his life.  Nobody can tell him what the end results will be if he continues down that path except for the unfortunate eternal consequences.  The foolish one does not even want to work for what he has, choosing instead to make much ado about nothing while having no understanding how to navigate through life even, like the example given here of being unable even to find their way into the city!  If a nation then has such a ruler who has the thinking and drive of a child and parties away the day from the beginning, then the end for that land is not good.  Wisdom like Solomon’s is required, given and led by God, to prosper.  Blessings follow leaders who know the proper times and work to be done in godly strength instead of drunkenness and wasteful living.  Laziness and an idle work ethic only results in everything falling apart around us.  May we be wise and not so foolish to put our hand to the plow instead!  Leaders can have parties and fun but the earning of income answers the decay of society’s infrastructure in the end.  These are wise sayings to make us examine ourselves and choose words of wisdom over foolish pride as the ungodly pursue.  Nations rise and fall on these words and thinking. 

Godly Wisdom Brings Success

Ecclesiastes 10:1-10

1 Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment,
And cause it to give off a foul odor;
So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.

2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand,
But a fool's heart at his left.

3 Even when a fool walks along the way,
He lacks wisdom,
And he shows everyone that he is a fool.

4 If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,
Do not leave your post;
For conciliation pacifies great offenses.

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
As an error proceeding from the ruler:
6 Folly is set in great dignity,
While the rich sit in a lowly place.

7 I have seen servants on horses,
While princes walk on the ground like servants.

8 He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.

9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,
And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.

10 If the ax is dull,
And one does not sharpen the edge,
Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom brings success.

Folly is often made important by putting things out of order and defining itself in the process with no good end or lasting reward.  Wisdom brings success, however.  Folly gives a bad scent as a fly in ointment to a person normally known for honor and wisdom because it is out of place and character.  Folly is a most unpleasant odor for those who should be living the gospel of Christ as we find in 2 Corinthians 2:14, for the scent of God’s love and righteousness in Christ should be the aroma of our character and living (2 Corinthians 2:15-16) instead.  Wisdom is in living a holy and obedient life of sanctification by following our Lord according to His word, not putting His order out of kilter in doctrine and a sinful manner of life.  A wise man keeps his heart right and not in the wrong place or direction.  Fools, however, instead walk without wisdom because they do not gain knowledge and understanding for themselves to learn wisdom in how to live before the face of God.  These wise sayings in Ecclesiastes echo those of Solomon’s Proverbs by giving sound godly advice on wise living, and we are wise if we imitate them.  It is as the example of a soldier or government official who knows that the leader turns his favor against you and you still have the wisdom and foresight to keep on doing your job because it pacifies the bad feelings to live faithfully and righteously.  This is truth to hold to for personal accountability to God in spite of our employer or president who magnifies and glorifies foolishness as we have seen recently; rulers who put authority on the ones ruled and do not accept their own responsibility end up walking into a pit or battling unrighteously and suffering the consequences as if bitten by a poisonous serpent.  What an illustration!  Yes we might be injured in doing the hard work like a stonemason or one splitting wood with an ax swung wrong, but especially if it is dull.  It takes so much more energy to wield a dull tool when wisdom mandates that we first sharpen the cutting edge to not exhaust ourselves.  Such practical wisdom is the key to our success and that of those in authority.  It takes the skill of applied knowledge and understanding crafted as wisdom to rule well and live according to His word in its commands, examples, and principles.  This applies to us all in our sanctification and not just to foolish or wise leaders.   Do we try to do things in our own strength of effort, using a dull ax and simply swinging it harder and harder as we try to succeed?  Or do we look toward God and with Him into His word to have His Spirit guide us to wisdom?  Do we sharpen our souls by His Spirit according to the Bible?  Stop swinging the dull ax of works and let the grace of His word give us the edge.  May we take these things to heart in application of wisdom.  Godly wisdom brings success! 

Time and Chance

Ecclesiastes 9:11-18

11 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.

12 For man also does not know his time:

Like 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.

13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me: 14 There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.

16 Then I said:

"Wisdom is better than strength.
Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised,
And his words are not heard.

17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war;
But one sinner destroys much good."

There are effects of the wise are often unseen but have more lasting results than those of the foolish who rule them.  The fastest runner and strongest warrior do not always win, the wisest philosopher does not possess all the daily bread he needs, nor does the skilled person have ally the good favor seemingly due him or her.  They all run into time and happenstance in their pursuits for glory and success, no matter their lot in life.  This is due to God’s providence in His sovereign grace which allots to each as He commands in ways higher than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9).  We cannot know our times of what will happen when nor the outcome of the circumstances we encounter.  Sometimes we are as the man mentioned here who is like a fish entrapped suddenly in a net or a bird in a snare without warning because they are not seen until it is too late.  Evil times can overtake us suddenly, without any warning that is obvious to us, though some things can be avoided by avoiding what God’s word tells us and doing rightly according to His word.  The example is given of the influence of a humble and wise man who in seeming poverty exercises God-given wisdom to repel invaders as a directional sign for us on our life’s journey.  We may not be remembered for doing well for others and God’s glory, but it is noted in heaven and should give us hope that it is He who is to be credited for all we do and give it meaning.  There but by the grace of God we go and make eternal impact, even if never recognized by others.  That is the lesson here.  Such wisdom is immensely more valuable than brute strength to overpower and rule others, even if it is ignored and hated by those living in pride and self seeking power.  Our words should reflect God’s wisdom in all humility and we do well to listen to such ourselves, not hearing and heeding brash shouts popular among the worldly.  Still, though wisdom is better than weapons for battle, just one sinner can leverage their evil to destroy much good, like a dictator or bad president out for their own glory instead of the Lord’s.  May we listen to the still small voice of godly wisdom (Hebrews 5:14) instead of overpowering and charismatic speeches of such evil in this wicked time (Galatians 1:4).  The wisdom of God's people is not always heeded, even within the church; most often the rich and famous with a following are followed by bleating sheep who ignore sincere words of wisdom from Christ followers.  The battles are won with humility to demonstrate it is God who fights and not men, but we look for a Saul over David, needing someone with a TV show, books, seminars, or other "accomplishments" instead of looking to see if Christ and His Spirit are there.  Is this wise?  Time and chance are ruled by God’s sovereign providence and answered by godly wisdom in humility and faith in the realm of God’s providence, provision, and grace.

Our Works are in God’s Hands

Ecclesiastes 9:1-10

1 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. 2 All things come alike to all:

One event happens to the righteous and the wicked;
To the good, the clean, and the unclean;
To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As is the good, so is the sinner;
He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.

3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. 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. 4 But for him who 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 will die;
But the dead know nothing,
And they have no more reward,
For the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.

7 Go, eat your bread with joy,
And drink your wine with a merry heart;
For God has already accepted your works.

8 Let your garments always be white,
And let your head lack no oil.

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 your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.

10 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 are going.

Our works are in God’s hands as the righteous and wise, for all circumstances happen to everyone alike, and we live in His providence by grace.  We only know love and hate even by His hand, nor anything else in life.  It says here that what happens to the sinner happens to the good as well and we know also that we are all sinners, that there is none good, no not one (Romans 3:12).  We therefore all deserve the same justice from God and deserve no special treatment because we do some good works (which are far from perfect and acceptable anyway as Isaiah 64:6 reminds us) in an attempt to justify ourselves and earn God’s favor.  Yes, it seems evil that the same things happen to those seemingly righteous as well as to the sinner, but this view misses the fact that our only righteousness can be found in God’s in Christ if we are in Him.  The preacher did not know that, and Ecclesiastes reflects an unclear hope of this truth to be revealed later as the Messiah spoke it to us.  We are all born in sin and evil rules our utterly corrupt and depraved hearts.  This madness follows us all in varying ways to the grave if we are not set free and justified by God Himself.  If we are joined to the living as it seems prophetically said in verse 4, then there is hope.  It is better to be the living and humble dog than the dead and proud lion of its own ineffectual strength.  As long as we are alive we know we face death and can look to God for deliverance, but once we die we face judgment (Hebrews 9:27-28) and no hope of reward is possible.  All that we do is known to God and remembered because it is all recorded, while all most of us do in this life is quickly forgotten when we die.  This is why Solomon recommended that we eat, drink, and be merry in God’s hands of grace, though he most likely did not realize the true meaning of that advice.  Our works are acceptable to God if we do the work of God as John 6:29 makes clear to us, that we believe in Him and who He sent for us.  Deliverance is by the work of faith in God’s work for us, for our works fall ever short of perfection.  Nevertheless we are to live afterwards in righteousness and holiness as if arrayed in white and anointed by grace.  This means we love and live in marriage and work as to Him in all we do (Colossians 3:23).  We are to do all with all our effort and ability to make our lives count in the record read in eternity, not to earn a place there, but in the fear of God as a well-pleasing and willing response to grace by God’s work for us that makes us acceptable in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6).  May we learn that our times are in God’s good hands (Psalm 31:15) and live accordingly. 

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Ecclesiastes 8:10-17

10 Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity. 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. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

14 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 that this also is vanity.

15 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.

16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, even though one sees no sleep day or night, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is 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.

God’s work is seemingly beyond our grasp of understanding according to the preacher.  His advice comes down to just enjoying what the Lord gives us because death comes to us all.  This advice misses the fact that in Christ we do know much of God’s will revealed from His word by the working of His Holy Spirit who now lives in the regenerated believers who are His adopted children.  We are in His Spirit in Christ and have His mind now to understand and discern many, but not all, things as He chooses to unveil them to us (1 Corinthians 2:10, 12, 16).  Of course there are still hidden ‘secret’ things which will be revealed only in eternity (Deuteronomy 29:29, Matthew 13:34-35) but we are still to know and act upon what we can and do know as He permits.  Solomon did not grasp these things fully in his time and in the great wisdom given him to rule God’s people, but the one greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42) who is our Messiah has revealed the greatest wisdom and understanding to us because He is God’s Son and not just a man.  He saw the utter futility in life where both wicked and righteous people suffer, where accountability from man’s laws are not applied and the result is further boldness to commit yet more crime.  In the end, however, he also saw that though the sinner may live a long life, it will be well for the righteous who fear God and not so for the wicked no matter how long he lives.  The wicked so not fear God, and so will face judgment without the parole of atonement.  The observation that both the evil and the upright do not seem to face what they deserve seems to be another futile fact of life if eternity and God’s sovereign purposes are not taken into account.  These are things revealed to us by Christ and the apostles which were veiled in the Old Testament but shown to us now that we might have hope.  Because the preacher did not have that insight given to him, he could only see that the righteous should enjoy what God gives and hold on to the opportunities to eat and drink and be merry in God’s provision, not having a clear picture of what the providence and predestined purpose of our Lord is for His people.  He applied his heart to understand wisdom as best he could and discovered that man cannot uncover all God’s will and works.  To Solomon, our efforts to uncover His wisdom, purpose, and plans seemed like a vain attempt to chase down the wind and hold it firm to examine and grasp.  He saw these efforts as futile and unobtainable, but we know now that we can know much of God’s plans and purposes because we have been reborn with spiritual understanding and wisdom which we acquire by hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on God’s word, the scriptures, to be given knowledge and understanding to bring that wisdom into our hearts and minds.  We can eat, drink, and be merry from His word (Jeremiah 15:16) and of all His provision (1 Timothy 6:17) with understanding and godly wisdom with all humility because it is His work in us to make these things so!  We are not to misuse this saying as the world does to justify sin because we all die, but to apply it in holiness and righteousness because we all face God when we die (1 Corinthians 15:32-34).  Though those who do evil in God's eyes may seem to be doing well, the shadow of their lives will soon fade away. Those who fear and follow God, however, will shine as lights in heaven for pleasing God in their hearts, minds, and lives.  Even so, there is mystery around His working, for we see the edges of His ways in all this.  But we can trust and obey, giving no excuse for sin.  No matter how injustice seems to favor evil at times, we see only the edges of God's ways in what He allows and what He judges in this life.  Our task is to fear God and live according to all He says - this makes it well with our souls, no matter what the circumstances around us.  Remember that in the end at the final judgement all will be righteously and justly settled.  May we share this good news with all we encounter of the hope in Christ and purpose of God throughout all of scripture from Genesis to Revelation.  Amen! 

Obedience to God-Given Authorities

Ecclesiastes 8:1-9

1 Who is like a wise man?
And who knows the interpretation of a thing?
A man's wisdom makes his face shine,
And the sternness of his face is changed.

2 I say, "Keep the king's commandment for the sake of your oath to God. 3 Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him."

4 Where the word of a king is, there is power;
And who may say to him, "What are you doing?"

5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;
And a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment,
6 Because for every matter there is a time and judgment,
Though the misery of man increases greatly.

7 For he does not know what will happen;
So who can tell him when it will occur?

8 No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,
And no one has power in the day of death.
There is no release from that war,
And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.

9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

We are shown to obey authorities for God's sake, as is told us again in Romans 13:1, 4-5, Titus 3:1, and 1 Peter 2:13-14.  A wise man will understand that he does not know everything, but when God shows it to him he shines with the peace and security of sitting firmly in the had of God’s will.  We obey the ruler and laws of the land for the sake of our commitment to follow Him and thus those He puts over us accordingly to His plan, even when it does not make sense but does not contradict our own actions according to His word.  We should especially not take a stand against good in these matters just to be contrary or fight the political fight instead of the fight of faith for the gospel as far too many do today in these perilous times.  If we think that our power overrides the ruler, we may find our questions deny God’s purposes if we are not wise and discerning.  But if we keep the law it is for our benefit instead of punishment.  This takes time to judge correctly in order to know what is truly going on and how these things play out in the providence and provision of our Lord through the rulers He sets over us for good as we saw in Romans.  Even though the misery of citizens may get worse there are still times and seasons in God’s greater plan which we do not easily understand, and which require us to not tell Him or the rulers under Him what we think will happen.  We cannot read the future of where events will unfold.  The greater issue of whether we have power over life and death is a battle we cannot win and which our doing evil to alter that only causes disobedience to God, not our escape from death.  Nevertheless, there are times when rulers rule to hurt others and we can be assured they will be held a in this life as well as the eternal life to follow death.  This great evil of iron-fisted dictators will hold them to answer to God and bring hurt on their own heads with divine justice.  Sometimes God moves nations to war to stop these evildoers who misuse their authority given by Him, but not the individuals in sinful ways. May we learn this wisdom and be godly subjects with heavenly responses and responsibility in our obedience to God-given authority. 

All Sinners Perish in our own Righteousness

Ecclesiastes 7:15-29

15 I have seen everything in my days of vanity:
There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness,
And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.

16 Do not be overly righteous,
Nor be overly wise:
Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Do not be overly wicked,
Nor be foolish:
Why should you die before your time?

18 It is good that you grasp this,
And also not remove your hand from the other;
For he who fears God will escape them all.

19 Wisdom strengthens the wise
More than ten rulers of the city.
20 For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin.

21 Also do not take to heart everything people say,
Lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22 For many times, also, your own heart has known
That even you have cursed others.

23 All this I have proved by wisdom.
I said, "I will be wise";
But it was far from me.

24 As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep,
Who can find it out?

25 I applied my heart to know,
To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things,
To know the wickedness of folly,
Even of foolishness and madness.

26 And I find more bitter than death
The woman whose heart is snares and nets,
Whose hands are fetters.
He who pleases God shall escape from her,
But the sinner shall be trapped by her.

27 "Here is what I have found," says the Preacher,
"Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,
28 Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find:
One man among a thousand I have found,
But a woman among all these I have not found.

29 Truly, this only I have found:
That God made man upright,
But they have sought out many schemes."

We are all sinners and perish in our own righteousness; only in Christ’s righteousness is there complete forgiveness from sin which cannot be taken away as we cannot be removed from his hand of mercy and grace.  There is no one on earth who does good and does not sin (Romans 3:23).  The only sinless perfection is in Jesus the Christ.  That is the hope we have in the resurrection on Easter, that we will rise from death to life not only now spiritually, but in the end bodily as well (John 11:25)!   The wicked who mock Christ and God’s word May live longer in this life than those pursuing good, but in the end their eternal life will be suffering while the righteous in Christ will find unending peace and joy their eternal life.  Our own semblance of righteousness and wisdom only destroys our eternity, just as a life of evil and foolish sin may end one’s life here abruptly and forevermore unless we are reborn in Christ by faith into His work (John 6:29) and righteousness (Romans 3:22, 1 Corinthians 1:30).  If we listen to people say how much of a sinner we are and take it to heart, or even say the same of others, we miss the mark of righteousness found in Christ alone to justify us.  Instead we should agree with our accusers that we are sinners, but sinners saved by grace and found in Christ are forgiven and have been accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6) based on His merciful choice, not our own sinful ones which always fall short of the glorious and impossible perfection required to earn our own righteousness.  We can like the preacher here desire to prove ourselves in our own wisdom, but will find it out of reach every time.  We can only find these things out in God’s word by trusting Him and His wisdom and righteousness.  Our searches outside of Him only reveal man’s folly and how there seems to be no reason to things in life which explains the lack of justice or of evil and good.  If we truly fear God, we will seek the answers from Him and stop doing evil as we look to Him in fear and anticipation (John 3:20-21) and avoid being trapped in sin.  We cannot find answers to life in the study of man, but only in God’s word who is Christ (John 1:1, 14).  God made mankind to be upright and righteous in the original Adam, but sin sullied us all through his inheritance, and we see only man’s schemes to justify himself now.  The answer is a new man from the second Adam who offers a righteous inheritance in His righteousness to replace the one we are all born with (1 Corinthians 15:45, Romans 5:17-19).  This passage in 1 Corinthians 15 is about the resurrection and our victory found in Christ alone by faith alone which we celebrate on Easter in remembrance of His resurrection proving that hope we hold to.  All sinners perish in their own righteousness, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ as proven in His resurrection which we now remember in celebration to stand in His righteousness! 

The End is Better than the Beginning

Ecclesiastes 7:1-14

1 A good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one's birth;
2 Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart.

3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool.
This also is vanity.

7 Surely oppression destroys a wise man's reason,
And a bribe debases the heart.

8 The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9 Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

10 Do not say,
"Why were the former days better than these?"
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
And profitable to those who see the sun.

12 For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense,
But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.

13 Consider the work of God;
For who can make straight what He has made crooked?

14 In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider:
Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other,
So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

The practical wisdom here tells us in different ways how the end is better than the beginning.  A good name remembered at death is a precious balm to bring comfort such as one’s birth does not give since nothing has been lived out yet to call to remembrance.  In this way the end of death is far better than the beginning of life.  It truly is better to mourn with the mourners than share empty laughter without purpose or good memories.  Those who observe these things will take it to heart and see that a good life matters as well as the eternal life to come when those things are brought forward in God’s remembrance.  We mourn now and rejoice later.  Likewise it is wisdom in action to ignore the songs of foolishness and rather listen to godly rebuke for course corrections in our lives.  It is emptiness to echo empty laughter at the meaninglessness of the temporal pursuit of fools who snap and disturb the pot we eat from as popping thorns in the fires of adversity.  We should be heeding God’s word of wisdom instructing us through others instead.  For we do not want to accept bribes or oppress others in false happiness that quickly fades, but encourage one another with lasting joy founded on the solid rock of God’s word who is the Christ.  This the end is better than the beginning as patience keeps us staying the course away from pride of bad understanding and lack of knowledge.  Patience demands we calm our anger, no matter how difficult it is to avoid, and to not dwell in the past as it is we’re so much better.  Instead we should be looking forward in patience and peace in God’s grace and instruction of practical knowledge and wisdom with an eternal inheritance to profit our souls, not the passing pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25).  Our God-given wisdom will guide us and defend us as a treasured resource while the excellence of such knowledge teaches us the skillful application known as wisdom for us to live by in true prosperity of soul.  Yes, stop to consider God’s work as verse 13 says and know He alone can make our ways straight (Isaiah 40:3) or keep it crooked for those to whom it has been ordained (Romans 9:22).  In the end we are encouraged to be full of joy regardless of existential and fleeting happiness when experiencing adversity.  We know that our sovereign God has providentially ordered both good and bad and we cannot see the outcome apart from the promises telling us so.  Therefore we trust Him in all things and know that the end of all things, including our lives and joy and peace, are in His hands as we humbly trust Him (1 Peter 5:6) for the eternal future.  We may not be able to find out all that will come after us as Solomon said here, but we know much more with assurances since Jesus Christ has come to instruct us further and encourage us by teaching according to the Helper left in His place to live inside us (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 16).  Our redeemed end truly is far better than the beginning of our fallen state of sin! 

What Will Happen to Us When We Die?

Ecclesiastes 6:1-12

1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men: 2 A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.

3 If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he— 4 for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness. 5 Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, this has more rest than that man, 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice—but has not seen goodness. Do not all go to one place?

7 All the labor of man is for his mouth,
And yet the soul is not satisfied.

8 For what more has the wise man than the fool?
What does the poor man have,
Who knows how to walk before the living?

9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire.
This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

10 Whatever one is, he has been named already,
For it is known that he is man;
And he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.

11 Since there are many things that increase vanity,
How is man the better?

12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?

The question that the preacher asked here echoes down through time to land on lips even today.  What will happen to us when we die?  The predetermined will of God makes it appear to some that the common evil among us all is to be given much by God but not the ability or chance to eat of the wealth and honor bestowed on us by Him.  Our desires often remain unfulfilled, with unknown others after us partaking of an inheritance left behind unused.  The writer here saw this as a great evil afflicting us with emptiness in our pursuit of material gain and personal honor.  We simply cannot take any of it with us when we die, no matter who we are, rich or poor.  The comparison is made of someone who loves a long life and has many children, yet is unsatisfied when death arrives and may even be put in the cold ground without a funeral to remember him or her.  One who dies at birth is said to be better off presumably because they are remembered for not existing as if a hope for an expected good and meaningful life might have happened had they lived.  Death comes to us all, and then God’s justice of judgment follows for each one (Hebrews 9:27-28).  We all go to this same place to stand before our Maker (Romans 14:10), but will we eagerly anticipate what follows our death (Job 19:25-27)?  What will happen to us when we die?  That is the real question of Solomon here in reflection on his life and those around him.  People work hard and are not satisfied, the wise has no more than a fool possesses, and desires wander all over in attempts to make life fulfilling.  Yet the poor man with little to his name often holds to greater riches because he or she knows how to live with and for others instead of for self.  Seeing clearly what matters for eternity past the veil of death is vision beyond vain pursuits of chasing wind of things that cannot be held onto when we die.  In the end, what and who we are has been predetermined by our Lord and Creator as mortals who are not masters of our fate.  God is in control.  We are not because we do not have that power of life and death and deliverance.  Thanks be to God (1 Corinthians 15:57, 2 Corinthians 2:14, 9:15) for His gift of life and purpose eternally beyond our limited understanding!  It is not our vain pursuits that pass the grace, but His pursuit and design for each of us which is the only purpose and pursuit worth living and dying for.  People say that we cannot tell what is good for us now or what will happen to us after we die, but God has made it clear enough that we are without excuse (Romans 1:20) to say these things.  Life has a purpose and our work is to trust His work (John 6:29) for the meaning of it, the substance of it to grasp, and the lasting things to pursue in life that matter after the death and judgment we each face.  God’s word tells us clearly what is good for us in life and what will happen after we die.  Our hope is certain only in the righteousness and labor of Christ’s love to deliver us and give living and dying meaning in His providence.  Amen!