Vanity Under the Sun

Posted on May 4 2016 - 7:56am by Rebekah Schrepfer

Ecc 11.5

I love Ecclesiates.  If I could summarize, it is this:  Enjoy your blessings from God as a righteous believer. There are no guarantees in life, for we do not know the mind of God who controls and directs in the course of history and in the progress of your life.  Our life is in His hands alone.

“For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.“  (Ecc. 9:1-2)

There is no guarantee in this life that your righteous living will bring peace and prosperity. Likewise there is no guarantee that the wicked will receive their just rewards before their death.  Justice and lasting peace and prosperity come after Christ returns (after death, in Solomon’s perspective).  Until then when you have peace and happiness thank God, because it is a blessing from Him.  When you have prosperity and have few troubles, thank God who is the originator of this advantage.

“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.  Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.“  (Ecc. 5:18-19)

However, if life is not peaceful, trust and hope in God knowing that “such is life” so to speak. Life is unfair.  If your life is full of pain and sadness and frustration, understand that it is because of the futility and temporary nature of this life on earth.

“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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.  Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.“  (Ecc. 9:11-12, 18).

So praise God for His blessings. Fear God for there is more to life than this life.  Have patience through adversity.  And enjoy your blessings when they come.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.“  (Ecc. 12:13-14)

 

Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

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