Ecclesiastes 9: 1-18
THE VANITIES OF ECCLESIASTES:
LAST WEEK:
Preserve Joy Through The Right Action.
Preserve Joy By Avoiding Wickedness.
Anticipate Wicked Rulers.
Anticipate Being Perplexed.
NOW: CHAPTER 9:
DEATH AND LIFE:
ENDURING THE INEVITABILITY OF DEATH.
WISDOM IS BETTER THAN FOOLISHNESS.
I. DEATH IS A REALITY IN THIS WORLD SO ENJOY LIFE:
(9:1–10).
II. DON'T BE CONSUMED BY THE UNFAIRNESS OF LIFE.
(9:11–18).
DEATH HAPPENS TO ALL:
To The Righteous And The Wicked,
To The Good And The Evil,
To The Clean And The Unclean,
To Him Who Sacrifices And Him Who Does Not Sacrifice.
SO ENJOY LIFE WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE:
Eat, Drink, Be Merry FOR TODAY WE LIVE !!
A. Death Happens To All.
It Happens To Both The Righteous And The Wicked.
Ecc 9:1-3.
While We Live, There Is Hope.
Ecc 9:4.
When We Die:
We Know Nothing Of What Goes On Here On Earth.
Ecc 9:5a,6.
The Memory Of Us By Others Soon Fades.
Ecc 9:5.
WE CANNOT ESCAPE DEATH SO ENJOY LIFE.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN: THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING ?
For The Living Know That They Will Die,
But The Dead Know Nothing;
They Have No Further Reward,
And Even Their Name Is Forgotten.
This Verse Is Sometimes Used As A Proof Text For ANNIHILATIONISM.
But That Concept Is Not What Is Being Communicated.
THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING BUT IN WHAT WAY ?
First, Scripture Is Clear:
Not Meaning The Dead Have Absolutely No Knowledge.
Everlasting Consciousness:
MATTHEW 25: 46 Says:
Then They Will Go Away To Eternal Punishment,
But The Righteous To Eternal Life.
Every Person Will Spend Eternity:
With God In Heaven;
OR Apart From Him In Hell.
In Eternity, Everyone Will Have:
Feelings, Thoughts, Emotions, etc.
An Example Of Human Capabilities In The Afterlife:
LUKE 16:19-31 Says:
Lazarus Is In Paradise In Eternal Joy,
While The Rich Man Is In Torment In Hell (called “Hades”).
The Rich Man Has Feelings, Can Talk, And Has The Ability To Remember, Think, And Reason.
Second, Scripture Cannot Contradict Itself:
Ecclesiastes 9:5 Can Not Contradict Ecclesiastes 4:2.
Ecclesiastes 9:5
English Standard Version
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.
Ecclesiastes 4:2
English Standard Version
And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive.
The Dead Are Happier Than The Living.
However,
When A Person Is Dead, The Opportunities To Enjoy Things On Earth No
Longer Exist.
The
Key To Understanding THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING Is Found In The THEME of
the Book Of Ecclesiastes:
This Book Is Written From An EARTHLY Perspective.
The Key Phrase, Repeated Throughout The Book, Is Under The Sun.
Solomon Is Commenting On An Earth-Bound Life, Under The Sun, Without God.
His Conclusion Is Repeated Throughout The Book.
The Earthly Perspective, Without God, Is That It’s Over.
He Is No Longer Under The Sun.
There Is No More Knowledge To Give Or Be Given,
Just A Grave To Mark His Remains.
After Death:
NO FURTHER REWARD IN THIS LIFE.
NO LONGER ENJOYING LIFE LIKE THOSE STILL LIVING.
Eventually, Even Their Name Is Forgotten.
Ecclesiastes 9:5.
SOLOMON ENCOURAGES HIS READERS TO LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST, KNOWING LIFE IS SHORT.
IN THE END, THE FULLEST LIFE IS ONE THAT HONORS GOD AND KEEPS HIS WAYS.
While Death Is Inevitable, We Should Still Enjoy Life.
Ecc 9:7-8.
Live Joyfully With The Wife God Has Given You.
Ecc 9:9.
Work Diligently While You Are Here.
Ecc 9:10.
ENDURING THE INEVITABILITY OF DEATH.
I. DEATH IS A REALITY IN THIS WORLD SO ENJOY LIFE:
(9:1–10).
LIFE IS FULL OF UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES.
II. DON'T BE CONSUMED BY THE UNFAIRNESS OF LIFE:
(9:11–18).
SO HERE WE LEARN:
WISDOM IS BETTER THAN FOOLISHNESS:
VERSES 11-18.
WHILE WE CANNOT ESCAPE DEATH
THERE IS NO REASON TO GIVE UP ON LIFE !
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED:
Time And Chance Happens To All.
Ecc 9:11.
Swift And Strong Do Not Always Win.
Wise, Understanding, Skillful Does Not Always Advance.
Sometimes Death Will Come Unexpectedly, Like Animals Caught In A Trap.
Ecc 9:12.
Anticipating The Unexpected, We Are Less Likely To Be Overwhelmed When It Occurs. Do Not Let The Unfairness Consume You.
APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF WISDOM:
The Preacher Saw How Wisdom Saved A City.
Ecc 9:13-15.
Even Though Found In A Poor Man.
Even Though The Man Was Soon Forgotten.
Therefore He Praises The Value Of Wisdom.
Ecc 9:16-18.
As Better Than Strength.
As Better Than Weapons Of War.
Wisdom Is Often Despised:
When It Comes From A Poor Man.
Wisdom Spoken Quietly:
Is Better Than The Shout Of A Ruler Of Fools.
Conclusion
We May Not Be Able To Escape All Of Life’s Vanities.
There May Be Times When We Find Ourselves Under Wicked Governments.
Unless The Lord Returns In Our Lifetime, Death Is Inevitable.
But We Can Endure Life’s Vanities With The Aid Of The Preacher’s Wisdom:
A. Enduring The Governments Of Men By:
Submitting To Authorities For God’s Sake.
Understanding That Wicked Rulers Will Occur.
Expecting To Be Perplexed At Times.
Enjoying Our Life As God Gives Us Opportunity.
B. Enduring The Inevitability Of Death By:
Remembering That Death Happens To All.
Enjoying Family And Work.
Expecting The Unexpected.
Utilizing Wisdom That Is Available To Us.
No comments:
Post a Comment