Ecclesiastes 9

Eccl 9:1 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.

“‘For'— as I searched for "the philosophers' stone" (Matthew Henry), even that Gold or deity of ancient Israel, as described in Ecclesiastes 8:14-17— "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.’ (1a) Yes, He loves the people; all His saints are in Your hand; they sit down at Your [Messiah’s) feet; everyone receives Your words.” (Deuteronomy 33:3) “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)

Moreover, THE WORKS that they are called to do are also in His hand. "He prepared them beforehand, so that they would walk in them (Eph 2:10). David also talked about the hand of God. He does that when he is confronted with God’s irrevocable judgment over the people of Israel, due to his sin of the census of the people. He could choose out of three punishments and he chooses to fall into the hand of God: ‘Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for his mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man’ (2 Sam 24:14).” (G. de Koning) Will the Judge of all the earth not do right?—“’People know neither love nor hatred all are before them.’ (1b). “In this world we cannot tell by the events of life whether God loves us or hates us, because, to the righteous it happens as to the unrighteous; nor can we even know whether God means to show us love by sending prosperity, or hatred by sending adversity.” (J. D. Michaelis) “This gives no countenance to the Popish notion, that none can have the certainty of grace and of their salvation.” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)

"'All things come alike to all: one event happens to the righteous and the wicked (the first death, cp, Hebrews 9:27); to the good, the clean, and the unclean;.’ (2a) Of what service is a religious life to man since Providence treats [or appears on the surface to treat] all alike?” "The righteous are clean, have clean hands and pure hearts; the wicked are unclean, under the dominion of unclean lusts, pure perhaps in their own eyes, but not cleansed from their filthiness, God will certainly put a difference between the clean and the unclean, the precious and the vile, in the other world, though he does not seem to do so in this.” (Matthew Henry)—

“‘to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.’ (2a) — to him who worships God, according to the law, as well as to him who does not. “Alike to Josiah, who sacrificed to God, and to Ahab, who made sacrifice to Him cease.” (Jamieson, Faussett, Brown)

“’As is the good, so is the sinner; [as is] he who takes an oath’, (2b) that is unnecessarily, rashly, without due consideration and reverence, or falsely and wickedly— ‘[so is] he who fears an oath’— who is afraid of offending God, or abusing his name, by vain, or rash, or false oaths.” (Matthew Poole) “None can tell by external things the love or hatred of God toward himself and others. Neither outward goods are a sure sign of God's favour, nor are adverse circumstances a sure sign of His wrath (Mercer and Grotius).” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)

“This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all.’ (3a) Many call death a release of an immortal soul from a mortal body, seeing it as a blessing. But Solomon calls it a common enemy, even an evil. “Of all wrongs this is the greatest; of all problems this is the most insoluble.” (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) What he then says, makes clear that he does not pronounce an accusation to the existence of God. — He says,

“‘Yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil.’ In consequence of this indiscriminating destiny men sin recklessly, are encouraged in their wickedness. Madness is in their heart while they live. The ‘madness’ is conduct opposed to the dictates of wisdom and reason, as Ecclesiastes 1:17; 2:2, 2:12. All their life long men follow their own lusts and passions, and care little for God's will and law, or their own best interests. This is well called ‘want of reason.’” (The Pulpit Commentaries )— “Madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the [place of the] dead,’ (3b) that is, Sheol/ Hades or the grave to be joined to the dead.

“‘But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.’ (4) The dogs in Palestine weren't pets, rather they were wild, roamed in packs, lived off the garbage and the bodies of dead animals and humans, and were viewed as miserable creatures. [They were a type of the Gentile nations.] On the other hand, the lion is a symbol of majestic power and royalty (a type of the royal tribe Judah and the Lion of the tribe of Judah). In the animal kingdom, the contrast here is between the king of beasts and the bottom of the barrel. The meaning is, the most lowly person who still possess life is better off than the most exalted man who had already gone to the grave (and wasn't prepared to meet God). Better poor, alive and with time to change than rich, dead and lost.” (Dunagan's Commentary)

“‘For the living know that they will die;’ whereby they are taught to improve life, whilst they have it,… ‘but the dead know nothing,’ to wit, of the actions and events in this world, as this is limited in the end of the next verse. — ‘And they have no more reward,’ the reward or fruit of their labours in this world, which is utterly lost as to them, and enjoyed by others. See Ecclesiastes 2:21. For otherwise, that there are future rewards after death, is asserted by Solomon elsewhere, as we have seen, and shall hereafter see.— ‘for the memory of them is forgotten,’to wit, amongst living men, and even in those places where they had lived in great power and glory; as was noted, Ecclesiastes 8:10.”( Matthew Poole)

Death is the common enemy. Let us treat it as such and not embrace it unless we are ready. The great gulf is established at death and you can’t pass over it. “Let us be up and doing, for the night cometh, in which no man can work… Unless the angel be there to stir the waters, even the pool of Bethesda is but a stagnant pool, powerless and disappointing.” (T. H. Steel) The first work of God is to believe in Him who He sent. (John 6:29) And, be advised, that Jesus taught us how to escape [the second and eternal] death. Jesus said, "He who lives and believes in Me shall never die." (John 11:26 ). "You can escape death by living and believing in Jesus Christ…. God must reveal Himself to you by His Spirit. And God has revealed Himself through His Word. And God has revealed, ‘And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life and this life is in the Son, and he who has the Son has life.’” (Smith’s Bible Comm) “For since we call it a sleep, we know that we shall not remain in it, but be again awakened and live, and that the time during which we sleep, shall seem no longer than if we had just fallen asleep. Hence, we shall censure ourselves that we were surprised or alarmed at such a sleep in the hour of death, and suddenly come alive out of the grave and from decomposition, and entirely well, fresh, with a pure, clear, glorified life, meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the clouds.” (A Compend of Luther's Theology, edited by Hugh Thomson Ker, Jr., p. 242)

“‘Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished.’ (6a) They neither love, nor hate, nor envy any person or thing in this world, but are now altogether unconcerned in all things done under the sun.— “‘nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun;’ (6b) in any worldly thing; by which limitation he sufficiently insinuates his belief of their portion in the other world.” (Matthew Poole) … Death is thus defined! If they also die the Second Death after the judgment, nevermore will they have a share in anything done in heaven nor the new earth.

Eccl 9:7 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.

“This is one of those passages, so remarkable in the writings of Solomon, in which the words of sinful men in the world are taken up by the Holy Ghost, to be applied in a Christian sense… The words which the dissolute, wild-hearted sinner uses to encourage himself in his evil, inconsiderate ways, He teaches us to take up, and use them in a very different sense; to express the inward joy and comfort which God’s people may find in obeying Him.” (The Biblical Illustrator) —> “’Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart (communion, also both type of good doctrine); for God has already accepted your works. (7)— firstly, belief in Him whom He sent. (John 6:29) And then our works, which He causes us to walk in, if we are willing. They are in His hands. "God is telling the righteous man or woman, ‘I know that good and harm happen to all, and I know that from outward appearances, there are typically no clear outward signs of Divine approval or disapproval, but rest assured righteous man, long ago God has accepted your course of conduct, so persevere in that course and joyfully use what God has given you.’” (Dunagan's Commentary on the Bible)

“’Let your garments always be white’ or washed from all filth of sin.” (John Gill) Dress yourself in the wedding garments provided by God, the robe of Christ’s righteousness, imputed by faith and made manifest in our sanctification. “White is in Scripture the colour of serene splendour symbolically shadowing forth glory: (cp. Revelation 4:4). The Angel of Mark 16:5 appears in white clothes, as a sign that the rank of the angels is the same as that of the ‘saints,’ who are the glorious. The clothes of Christ became white in His transfiguration, ( Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:3, Luke 9:29). White clothes are borne by the glorified in Revelation 3:4-5; Revelation 7:9, as a symbol of glory. In this place white clothes were to be put on to express the confident hope of the future glory of the people of God.” (Hengstenberg)— “’And let your head lack no oil.’ [8] Oil is in Scripture the constant token of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit. Therefore to say, ‘Let thy head lack no ointment,’ would mean, ‘Take care that thou stir up, cherish, and improve the unspeakable gift of which thou art now made partaker. Use diligently all the means of grace which Christ has provided for thee in His kingdom, whereof thou art now come to be an inheritor.’” (Plain Sermons by Contributors to "Tracts for the Times”) There can be a daily washing and regeneration of the Spirit through His Word. “This oil is the ‘oil of joy’ mentioned in Psalms 45:8, and in Isaiah 61:3. In joyful circumstances, on festive occasions men were accustomed to anoint themselves: such oil was an embodiment of festive joy, on which account the oil of gladness is opposed to sadness in Isaiah 61:3. The true members of the people of God ought always to be in a festive, joyous mood, inasmuch as they rise by faith above the gloomy present to the glorious future awaiting them.” (Hengstenberg)

“’Live joyfully with the wife,’ with whom you are one flesh (Gen 2:24) or with the church of God (your brethern) in the wilderness state of this world, ‘whom you love all the days of your vain (fleeting) life which He has given you under the sun,’ i.e. throughout the time of thy quickly passing life.” (The Pulpit Commentary)— "'all your days of vanity (your temporal lives); for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. (9)

“’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 (Sheol) where you are going’ (10) or Hades in Greek NT. “How striking and conclusive are these reasonings of the preacher. And if construed with an eye to Christ, then are they doubly so. Oh! that souls convinced, that they are in Christ, would live up to their high privileges. Surely the soul that hath Jesus to live upon, hath a Benjamin's portion, and enough to live upon. Christ is his portion; and in Him he hath all. Therefore, whatsoever he findeth to do in Christ, there should be no halving. In living upon Him, in living to Him, in proclaiming His praise, do all with your whole strength. The grave cannot praise thee, (said Hezekiah, when he thought his end approaching), death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. Isaiah 38:18.” (Robert Hawker)

Eccl 9:11 I returned and saw under the sun that— the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man also does not know his time: like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

“‘I returned and saw under the sun that— the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill.’ The swift usually win the race, and the battle usually goes to the strong, but not always! It was an untimely rain that defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, and a [seemingly] purposeless bow-shot that slew Ahab.” (Coffman) In the days of old, the Angel of the LORD slew more on the battlefield than the armies of Israel. When going against God’s anointed: “Those who had the fairest chances had not always the happiest success; nor did those who bent themselves most strongly to their ends always reach their ends.” (The Expositor's Bible Commentary)

“‘But ‘time’ (‘eth,’ that is, season) and ‘chance happen’ (‘pega qarah’) to them all.’ Man is too quick to atribute the unknown to mysterious Providence or their brand of predestination. Yet, together these words present a picture not of random occurrences, but "right happenings’"that are dependent on the intercession of the saints and the Lord’s intervention based thereon. The English translation “gives the impression of random happenings, occurrences that happen as if by ‘luck’ [or ’happenstance.] But if you study the root of the word ‘pega’ in the Scriptures, you’ll see it is from the word ‘paga’, which actually means to make intercession or pray…. There is a lot of spiritual truth and significance in the first occurrence of the word in the Bible. Applying this principle to the word ‘paga’, we see in the Bible that the first time it is used is in Genesis 23:8, where it means ‘intercede.’ [Abraham asked the sons of Heth to intercede in a matter for him before Ephron the son of Zohar.] The same word is also used in Isaiah 53:12 where it says the Lord ‘made intercession for the transgressors.’” (Joseph Prince) The other Hebrew word, “qarah,” is often used in other parts of the Bible to explain that God granted success, as in Genesis 24:12. Eleazar prayed when looking for a wife for Isaac, "O LORD , the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success (qarah) today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham.”

“So ‘chance happen’ should more accurately be translated as ‘prayed opportunities’ or ‘prayed happenings.’ When you have ‘eth’ and ‘pega qarah’ combined here, it speaks of right-time, right-place happenings, or of being at the right place at the right time, doing the right thing as a result of prayer. What an amazing blessing to possess, which is simply triggered by coming to our loving Father in heaven and expressing our dependence on His protection over us and our families.” (Joseph Prince) “What we should do is to bear in mind that the destinies of men are decided in heaven… Thus, to have God as our friend is the main thing; all depends at last on that; and that alone decides.” (Hengstenberg). “Not by might; nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord. Oh! how blessed is it to eye the hand of Jesus in the world, both of providence and of grace. Zechariah 4:6.” (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary)

“‘For’ even the fittest man ‘also does not know his time’- the hour of his destruction, when he shall be suddenly snared and taken by death. This solemn crisis in man’s destiny is called in Scripture the ‘day’ (Job 18:20), the ‘hour’ (Mark 14:41). ‘As the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time,’ etc The net, trap, and snare are symbols of those divine judgments which suddenly overtake men (Ezekiel 12:13; 32:3; Proverbs 7:23; Luke 21:35).” (Preacher's Homiletical)

Eccl 9:13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me: 14 There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one 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 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good."

After seeing the place of intercession before the God of Israel in affecting right happenings in God’s Providence, Solomon now resorts to parable, according to many commentators, possibly alluding to the historic intercession of Abraham for Sodom. "'This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me.’. (13) … to deliver a little and poor city possessed of few resources from great and powerful enemies.” (Luther)

“‘There was a little city with few men in it.’ (14a) If the city here besieged means the church of Christ, it may well be called a little city. ‘Fear not, little flock,’ said Jesus, when comforting his church. It is small, comparatively considered, to the world's wide wilderness, Luke 12:32.” (Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary)— "'And a great king (antichrist) came against it, besieged it, and built great snares [bulwarks] around it.’ (14b)— such as are called strong holds, 2 Corinthians 10:4. “How this city was besieged, needs not be told. Enemies without and within.” (Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary) “Satan's first attack was upon the elect of God, in Adam; when he brought them, through sin, under a sentence of condemnation and death, though then they were preserved in Christ; and ever since he has been attacking the church by persecution, in order to take it by storm; and by spreading errors and heresies, such as tend to raze the foundation, and to pull down the superstructure of grace.” (John Gill)

“‘Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city’ (15a) by his intercession before the throne of God. As an example, Abraham interceded for the city. Ten righteous men would have saved the cities of the plain. But they were not found— only Lot and his family. “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts (Jesus) knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Rom 8:26-28)— ‘Yet no one remembered that same poor man.’ (15b) They hailed him not as the savior.

“Then I said: ‘Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. (16) [Yet] words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard’ (17a) trusting to their own inward power of conviction, and committing the result to God.” (Delitzsch) “So the Lord Jesus did ‘not cry, nor lift, up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street’ (Isa 42:2). Unlike the world's monarchs, who bluster when ought opposes their will. The ‘still small voice’ of God is best heard in stillness and quiet…

Though generally the poor wise man is not heard (Eccl 9:16), yet [His Words] … are more serviceable than ‘the shout of a ruler of fools.’ (17b)”(Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)

“‘Wisdom is better than weapons of war.’ (18) Literal weapons do not help in the battle against [sin and] death, [nor against] the devil and demons… — “But one sinner destroys much good.’ One man, Adam, has destroyed all the good of creation by one sin. By the sin of one man, Achan, the whole people of Israel had sinned. This made it impossible to take further possession of the land of blessing. First the sin had to be removed. Then the people could continue to conquer the land (Josh 7:11…). One sin, which has not been condemned in the church, leavens the whole [lump](1 Cor 5:6).” (G. de Koning) Sinners and works not wrought in God are pitted for destruction. "Reader! in this representation, (for it ceaseth to be a parable being really and literally the case) whither shall we look, or to whom shall we come, for help? Who can deliver the sinners in Zion from the wrath to come? There is One, indeed, mighty to save; but He is a Poor Man, though a Wise One. Shall we look to Him? Yes, precious Jesus! let every eye be directed to Thee.” (Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary)- the Second Man Adam.

"And so it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being.' (Gen 2:7) The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made nof dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man." (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)