Introduction

‘So, I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil, and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.’ Ecclesiastes 9:1-3

A COMMON DESTINY FOR ALL

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.

‘This is a continuation of the preceding subject; and here the wise man draws a conclusion from what he had seen, and from the well-known character of God, that the righteous, the wise, and their conduct, were all in the hand of God, protected by his power, and safe in his approbation but we cannot judge from the occurrences which take place in life who are the objects of God’s love or displeasure.’

Solomon is once again reflecting on life and comes to the conclusion that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them, Ecclesiastes 9:1 / Proverbs 21:1.

Solomon appears to be saying that no one has any advantage over anyone else when they are born when it comes to faith, however, he’s really saying that everyone who is ever born is born equal, Ecclesiastes 9:2.

Note that the reference to the word ‘clean’ refers to ritually clean. We don’t understand God’s purposes for this world at times, but we must continue to work until we die, Ecclesiastes 9:3.

‘Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.’ Ecclesiastes 9:4-6

We all know that when someone dies, they have no more influence in the world they leave behind, However, when they are alive they still have hope and they can enjoy the blessings from this life, Ecclesiastes 9:4 / Matthew 5:45.

He says even a live dog is better off than a dead lion, Ecclesiastes 9:4. In other words, the only advantage the dead have is that they don’t have to suffer any longer from the things of this world.

In Solomon’s time, they thought that death was the end and there was no reward or punishment afterwards, Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 / Ecclesiastes 8:12 / Ecclesiastes 8:14 / Acts 17:31 / Matthew 25:31-46.

Remember that Solomon and the other Old Testament people didn’t know anything about the afterlife and immortality; this came when Christ revealed it in His Gospel, 2 Timothy 1:10. As far as they were concerned, death was the end.

Constable, in his commentary, says the following.

‘The dead do not know anything’ does not mean they are insensible. Later revelation indicates that the dead are aware of their feelings, the past, other people, and other things, Matthew 25:46 / Luke 16:19-31. In the context, this clause means the dead have no capacity to enjoy life as the living can.’

‘Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labour under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.’ Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Constable, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Again Solomon recommended the present enjoyment of the good things God allows us to experience in life, Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 / Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 / Ecclesiastes 3:22 / Ecclesiastes 5:18-19.’

For most people who don’t believe in God, their motto in life is drink and be glad, Ecclesiastes 9:7 / Ecclesiastes 2:24 / Ecclesiastes 3:12 / Ecclesiastes 3:22 / Ecclesiastes 5:18 / Ecclesiastes 8:15.

Life for them is all about self and not about others, this is simply because they don’t believe in the afterlife. Solomon says that ‘God has approved what you do’, Ecclesiastes 9:7. What he means is that since many believe they can’t really know God’s ways, then this gives them the excuse to make the most of life anyway.

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning Ecclesiastes 9:8.

‘The Jews wore white garments on festal occasions, as emblems of joy and innocence. Be always pure, and always happy.’

The Targum says the following, concerning Ecclesiastes 9:8.

‘At all times let thy garments be washed and pure from the stain of sin. Acquire a good name, which is likened to the oil of anointing, that blessings may be called down upon thy head, and goodness not forsake thee.’

If there’s no afterlife, they thought they could just take advantage of what God had to offer anyway, Ecclesiastes 9:8. In other words, if this life is all there is, including all the suffering which goes on, then it wouldn’t be worth living in the first place, Ecclesiastes 9:9.

If we want to enjoy the benefits of this life, we must be willing to work because this has always been God’s plan for us, John 9:4. Most people work for the here and now, but we work because of the promise of eternal life, Ecclesiastes 9:10 / 1 Corinthians 15:58 / Revelation 14:13.

Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.

‘The works which we carry on here with the combined energies of body and soul come to an end in the hour of death, when the soul enters a new sphere of existence, and body and soul cease to act together, John 9:4.’

‘I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.’ Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

No matter how much we try, we can’t stop time, we can’t stop the fact that we will all die, despite the difficulties we have in this life, Ecclesiastes 9:11. Those of us who have been around for a while know that none of us knows when our time to leave this planet will come, Ecclesiastes 9:12.

Constable, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Wisdom does not guarantee a good job or a prosperous future. Likewise, sometimes the fastest runner does not win a foot race, and the stronger army does not win a battle. Usually, the best succeed, but not always. The reason for this is that everyone is subject to misfortune that we cannot anticipate or control, Ecclesiastes 9:12.’

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Man acts so heedlessly, notwithstanding all his wisdom, and all his warnings, that he is often taken, as a fish is, by the baited hook and the bird by the baited snare. And thus, an evil time, like the snare, gin, trap, hook, falleth suddenly upon them; and they are taken in a moment and have no means of escaping. How frequently do we see these comparisons illustrated!’

We can accomplish great things in this life, but the reality is we can only accomplish so much. As humans, we have our limitations because we are mortal beings, but God has plans for the world, which aren’t affected by anything we do. Therefore, we must figure out God’s plans for our existence and then live according to His will, not ours, Ephesians 5:10 / Romans 12:1-2.

WISDOM BETTER THAN FOLLY

‘I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it, and built huge siege works against it. Now there lived in that city a man, poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So, I said, ‘Wisdom is better than strength.’ But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.’ Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

Solomon tells us a story about how the humblest in our societies can actually have the power of wisdom to deliver a whole city. The problem was that once that city had been delivered, Ecclesiastes 9:13-15, they forgot all about the humble person who helped them be delivered in the first place, Ecclesiastes 9:15.

Notice, they forgot about this poor man but didn’t forget that the city had been delivered. Solomon is making the point that wisdom will be remembered, whilst those who possess wisdom will be forgotten, Ecclesiastes 9:16-18.

There are some commentators who suggest that this story speaks of the little city being the church, the few men being the apostles, and the great king being the devil and the poor, wise man being Jesus. I personally believe this is reading into the text something which Solomon never intended for us to read into.

The Targum says the following.

‘The little city is the human body; few men in it, few good affections to work righteousness, the great king, evil concupiscence, which, like a strong and powerful king, enters into the body to oppress it, and besieges the heart so as to cause it to err, built great bulwarks against it – evil concupiscence builds his throne in it wheresoever he wills, and causes it to decline from the ways that are right before God, that it may be taken in the greatest nets of hell, that he may burn it seven times, because of its sins. But there is found in it a poor, wise man, a good, wise, and holy affection, which prevails over the evil principle, and snatches the body from the judgment of hell, by the strength of its wisdom. Yet, after this deliverance, the man did not remember what the good principle had done for him but said in his heart, I am innocent.’

Go To Ecclesiastes 10