Ecclesiastes 9:1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them. 2 All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t 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 there is one event to all: yes 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. 4 For to him who is joined with 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 don’t know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten. 6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither do they any longer have a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
Ultimately, everything is a matter of perspective. The wicked, living with an earthly perspective, under the sun, and the righteous, living with a heavenly perspective, under heaven, all experience the same things throughout life: love, hate, clean, unclean, evil, madness. Our perspective on things matters much more than our circumstances. The righteous and the wise know that regardless of the circumstances they are in the hand of God.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2
On the other hand, the wicked, those who don’t confess their sins and offer the sacrifices which looked forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, cannot find lasting peace. They are overwhelmed by the circumstances, particularly fearing death.
Because death is final; It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, Hebrews 9:27, Solomon says that it is better to be a living dog… than a dead lion.
Like a lion, the wicked may have roared in life, imposing their will on others, enjoying life while it lasted, doing their best to ignore death, and living without regard to others. However, when they die, it is too late for them. It would be better to be a living dog… than a dead lion, because while they are alive they still have the opportunity to repent and turn to God and offer acceptable sacrifices. While they are still alive there is still time for our friends and family members to place their trust in the sacrifice of Christ on their behalf. They will then receive the mercy of God and be offered lives of lasting joy.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. 8 Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil. 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.
While we are blessed with life here on earth God wants us to live with gusto. We are to work hard, enjoy the fruits of our labor, live joyfully, love our husbands, wives, and friends, build strong families, and, in short, build a solid foundation for future generations, as past generations built solid foundations for us to stand on. We do this so that our children and their children’s children, may also know the Lord and live joyfully under heaven.
When you know, even for a moment that it’s your time, you can walk in the power of a thousand generations.
Bruce Cockburn, A Dream Like Mine, Nothing But a Burning Light
Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD: Psalm 102:18
Be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9
The faithful labors of past generations have left us God’s Word. These men and women courageously spread the good news of the Gospel all across the globe, allowing for the rise of Christian families, communities, and nations.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
On those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
Nations [have] come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Isaiah 60:3
The past generations are no longer with us, but we, the benefactors of their faithful service, must now be obedient to Christ’s command to disciple the nations, teaching them to obey all of the things that [Christ] commanded. Matthew 28:20 This great work starts in our homes. We are to take seriously the teaching of our children and our children’s children. Additionally, just as Christ prayed for all future generations, John 17:9, we should be praying for our children’s, children’s, children; future generations yet to be born, that they will know and be faithful to the Lord. It only takes one unfaithful generation, neglecting their duty to pass on the things of God to the next generation, to plunge the coming generations into darkness of hevel, vanity, vanity, chasing after the wind.
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 favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
There are no guarantees in life. The race is not [always] to the swift. The strong don’t always win the battle. Men of understanding are not always able to turn that understanding into security or wealth. Our lives may not be predictable but, as we have seen, through all of the uncertainty, the believer knows that God is working everything out according to his will. That is why God teaches us:
Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that. James 4:13-15
While these verses are of great comfort to the believer, the unbeliever, living under the sun, has no such assurance. His circumstances can quickly change, suddenly catching him in an evil time. That is why, as Christ’s commissioned ambassadors, every Christian is obligated to be a light to the lost in the world. Circumstances will change. The evil of death will eventually ensnare everyone and, ultimately, the only solution guaranteeing meaning in this life is the free offer of life through trust in Christ.
Ecclesiastes 9:13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. 15 Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man 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 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.
In the frequently foolish, upside down value system of our world, wealth, power, and strength are honored while wisdom is despised. Evil men use their wealth and strength to gain the power to rule over others, bringing much destruction.
The most obvious modern example of the devastating effects of good intentions without wisdom has been communism, which killed about one hundred million innocent people, non-combatants all, and enslaved a billion more… Communist leaders were power-hungry, cruel, and evil people. But a significant number of people supported communism because they thought it would make a better world. Dennis Prager, Deuteronomy, God, Blessings, and Curses, Regnery Faith
Yet it is wisdom, understanding and living in the light of God’s revelation, that brings life and freedom.
On the one side are those forces that sow division, discord, and isolation. On the other side, there are forces in society that nurture attachment, connection, and solidarity. We’re witnessing a vast showdown between the “rippers” and the “weavers.” It is easier to destroy trust than to build so the rippers have an advantage. But there are many more weavers, people who yearn to live in loving relationships and trusting communities. Robert L. Woodson Jr., Lessons From the Least of These, Bombardier Books
Are you living as a ripper tearing down or a weaver, building up?