Ecclesiastes 9:1-18

The Teacher searches for
the purpose of our lives

Book of Ecclesiastes

Hilda Bright and Kitty Pride

Chapter 9

Everyone must die at some time – Ecclesiastes 9:1-10

v1 So I thought about all this. I realised that everyone is under God’s control. God also controls the people who obey the law and the wise people too. God knows about everything that they do. He knows everything that happens to them. But no person knows whether other people will love them. Or maybe other people will hate them. v2 That makes no difference, because the same fate comes to everyone finally. All people die, both good people and bad people. They might obey God and they might be afraid to make him angry. Or they might do bad things and they might laugh at God. They might offer gifts to God, or they might not. And they might be loyal to him. Or they might promise things to God, and then not do them. But the same thing happens to everyone.

v3 What happens in this world is not fair. Death comes to everyone. But that is not all. Also, for all their lives, people may be evil and they are foolish. And then they die. v4 Anyone who is alive can still hope for good things. Even a dog that is alive has a better situation than a dead lion. v5 We are alive. But we know that we will die. But those people who have died know nothing. They have no more rewards and people soon forget them. v6 They will never love anyone again. They will never hate anyone again and they will never be jealous again. All those feelings have died with them. And they can never have a part in what happens in the world.

v7 So be happy. Enjoy your food and enjoy your wine. God intended you to do that while you are alive. v8 Always wear nice clothes. That will show that you are happy. Put oil on your head and comb your hair. v9 You love your wife, so enjoy your short life with her. God has given time to you both to be together. So enjoy all the time that God gives to you in this world. You will need to work hard. v10 Whatever you are able to do, do it with all your strength. You will go to the grave one day and you will not be able to work there. You will not have any plans for the future there. You will not be clever or wise when you are dead.

Verses 1-2 Nobody knows what will happen in the future. God has authority over people’s actions. We are responsible for our actions. However, God can reduce the damage that people might want to do. But people cannot know what God has prepared for each person. A good man may not have an easy life. But whatever happens during their life, all people have the same fate finally. If they are good, they will die. If they are bad, they will die. Those who offered gifts to God were serious about their religion. Other people did not offer anything to God. But all people will die. Some people promised things. They would or they would not do something for God. They promised God in a serious way. And they expected punishment if they did not do that thing. Other people did not promise things to God. But all people will die. (The Teacher was thinking as human beings think. That is why he made all these remarks. But God has told us that we can live for always after death.)

Verse 3 People do not think that their life is fair. It is painful for them to realise the truth. Everyone must die. Some people may be wicked and be foolish all through their lives. But their lives will end in the same way as other people’s do.

Verses 4-6 At that time, a dog was a dirty animal that lived in the street. To call someone a ‘dog’ was an insult. A lion is a powerful animal that is very strong. So people praised it (Proverbs 30:30). But even a dirty animal that is alive has an advantage. Even a royal animal that is dead has nothing. So it is better to be alive. People who are alive can prepare for their death. They can still share in events in the world. People who have died have nothing more. They cannot love anybody, nor can they hate anybody. They cannot be jealous of anyone. These feelings may refer to the people who are still alive as well. They do not think about those people who have died. Soon, they forget the dead people completely.

Verses 7-10 The Teacher is encouraging people to enjoy their life. That is what God intended. People’s nicest clothes in those days were white clothes. They wore them on special occasions. People used oil on their skin. The hot sun would burn them, but the oil prevented that. ‘To put oil on the head’ sometimes referred to God. It meant that he was *blessing a person in a special way. That person would be very happy (Psalms 23:5).

A man can still enjoy his life, even if he sometimes has troubles in this world. His wife, whom he loves, will help him. His wife is God’s gift to him. She will be his companion and she will encourage him in his duties during his life (Genesis 2:18). People should use all their mental and physical energy to deal with their responsibilities. When people have died, they just lie in a grave. They will be unable to work. They cannot use their ideas. They will be unable to discover new things and they will never become wiser.

There are many surprises – Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

v11 Here is another thing that I have seen on this earth.

The fastest runner may not always win the race.

And the strongest army may not always win the battle.

Wise people do not always have food.

And clever people do not always become rich.

People do not always praise the most capable people.

Time and chance happen to us all.

v12 And nobody knows when bad things will happen. We catch fish in a net. We catch birds in a trap. In the same way, difficulties happen to people suddenly, when they are not expecting trouble.

Verse 11 The Teacher mentions several situations that he has seen. But sometimes they did not have the result that people expected. ‘Food’ may also refer to other things. Some examples are:

1) The young man who was called Asahel was a very fast runner. But Abner was able to kill him (2 Samuel 2:18).

2) Goliath was a very tall and strong man. He did not expect that someone as young as David would kill him (1 Samuel 17:41-51).

3) The strong army from Assyria prepared to destroy the city called Jerusalem. But God caused thousands of their soldiers to die suddenly. His soldiers’ deaths forced the king of Assyria to leave. And he did not attack the city (Isaiah 37:36-37).

Wise people, clever people and capable people may not always receive the rewards that they deserve. These results may surprise us. But these things happen for two reasons:

a) People do not always have enough time. Then they cannot do all that they want to do. Sometimes difficulties happen when people do not expect them. Our lives are in God’s control, so we can trust him.

b) We may say ‘chance’ (or ‘luck’) when we cannot control our circumstances.

Verse 12 We cannot know what will happen in the future. People can catch fish and birds in nets or traps and they cannot escape. This happens suddenly when the animals are not expecting trouble. And death happens to people suddenly. Other bad things may happen suddenly in our lives too.

People do not always respect wise advice – Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

v13 I also saw an example of wise action that impressed me very much. v14 There was a small city where only a few people lived. A powerful king attacked this city with his army. They surrounded the city’s walls and they built huge earth slopes against the walls. v15 But a poor man who was very wise lived in that city. And he saved the city by his wise advice. But soon the people forgot that poor man. v16 So I thought in the end that wisdom is better than strength. The people did not remember that poor man’s wisdom. They did not appreciate his words, although he saved them.

v17 It is better to listen to quiet words from wise people.

It is of no use to listen to a ruler who shouts at fools.

v18 If you have to fight, wise words are better than military arms.

But one foolish act can destroy many things that are good.

Verses 13-15 The Teacher may be describing an actual incident. Or he may be using a story. But he wants to show that wise words can be important. Also he says that foolish people are not always grateful. And they may not take any notice of wise people’s advice. The powerful king’s army attacked a small city where only a few people lived. The army surrounded the city. Then the people who were inside the city could not get out. They could not obtain food or water. When they were starving, they could not fight. So the enemy soldiers built a huge pile of rocks, stones and earth against the city’s walls. They would be able to climb up this pile to get over the walls into the city. The poor man gave wise advice to the people and he saved their city. But, because he was poor, nobody remembered him later.

Verses 16-17 The Teacher emphasises what he believes. ‘Wisdom is better than strength.’ So it is good to be strong. But to be wise is better. This is true, although people did not appreciate the poor man in that little city. After his wisdom had saved the city, the people did not remember him. It is better to listen to calm advice from wise people. It is not useful when a ruler shouts at foolish people. It shows that the ruler cannot control his own temper.

Verse 18 If a person is wise, he is more powerful. Someone who fights with military arms is less powerful than the wise man. But even one foolish act can destroy many good things that a wise person has done.

bless ~ to be especially good and kind to someone.