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.