There is a vanity which is done upon the earth Either by wicked potentates, who do commonly advance unworthy men, and oppress persons of the greatest virtue and merit: or, by God's providence, who sees it fit for many weighty reasons so to manage the affairs of the present world. (Note: Vid., Baer in Abodath Jisrael, p. he asks. All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man rules over another to his own hurt. [9] Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? There is a serenity that comes with things starting to make senseand with trusting that God knows whatHes doing when things still dont. Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to webmaster@ucg.org. interpretation of a thing?_ In the Vulgate these two questions end the Be discreet in relation with a ruler. That's a fatal mistake to make. Moreover, rarely has human government been righteous. We must get ready for sudden evils, and especially for sudden death (v. 6-8). This is the perspective that must be maintainedalong with understanding what the future will bring. and the seemingly unequal distribution of things in this world, American King James Version). can do is to enjoy life while he has it. We must get ready for sudden evils, and especially for sudden death ( v. 6-8 ). Mirth therefore, and a contented enjoyment of God's gifts, preferable to immoderate care and search, Ecclesiastes 8:15. because a man hath no better thing under the sun than to I counsel thee to keep the king's commandmen 1 Timothy 4:3; 1 Timothy 4:4; 1 Timothy 6:17; Ecclesiastes 2:24; 5: oritur sol et occidit et ad locum suum revertitur ibique renascens. Then I commended merriment, because a man hath no better thing ( Ecclesiastes 8:15 ), And this is his human philosophy and human reasoning coming out again. So, because God has waited so long, because God hasn't speedily executed His sentence against the evil, people begin to assume that God has just withdrawn Himself. That's the sum of life for you, so you might as well live it up because you're going to be burning after a while. There is no specific reference to the government being righteous here, and the verses appear to end with the problem of human rule doing harm (verse 9), which we will return to. forgotten, the wicked enjoy honour and long life; the best thing a man Read the Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:15-8:1 The book of Ecclesiastes is the most exhaustive investigation ever made as to the value and profit of various lifestyles. his labour, enjoyed by him, is to eat and drink cheerfully; and "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.". Recall that chapter 5 was the first instance of direct exhortations in the booktelling us to be careful in our approach in coming to worship God, the One in whose hands our lives are and who can help us through the present difficulties. [5] But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, which after he has killed has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, Fear him. DEATH OF THE WICKED. Recall that this comes on the heels of Solomon presenting humanity as corrupt in chapter 7. 3. The statement There is no release from that [or the] war could refer figuratively to the march into death that all face or simply be metaphoric for Theres no getting out of this. Then the final line, and wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it, would tie back to the turn to wrongdoing in verse 3. To live a God-fearing life is to live in constant awareness of the presence of God, who is even closer than a prayer away (pp. . As mentioned previously, the seer and psalmist Asaph, a contemporary of Solomon, wrestled with how the righteoussuffered while the wicked prospered, then stating, When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for meuntil I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end (Psalms 73:16-17 Psalms 73:16-17 [16] When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; lives, even food and raiment, and with this he should be content. Honor the king. Dr. Walter Kaiser, whose overall outline weve been following, describes the chapter 8 subsection as follows: The removal of a large proportion of the apparent inequalities in divine providence comes from righteous government. This summary, however, does not appear to be quite accurate. which God giveth him under the sun; man's present life is under the sun, and is continued as long as it pleases God; though it is but short, rather to be counted by days than years, and is a laborious one; and all that he gets by his labour, enjoyed by him, is to eat and drink cheerfully; and this he may expect to have and continue with him as long as he lives, even food and raiment, and with this he should be content. Thus the Preacher warns against a capricious desertion of ones post (cf. [22] For oftentimes also your own heart knows that you yourself likewise have cursed others. (8 studies) Ecclesiastes Study Guide Ecclesiastes Chart Scans (studies 1-8) Click to for the Mp3's corresponding to each study [17] Be not over much wicked, neither be you foolish: why should you die before your time? [8] But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons. [3] Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he does whatever pleases him. submission to things as they are. [19] Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. And this is further tied back to the warning in Ecclesiastes7:17: Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time? A turn to lawlessness will not stave off the punishment of death. For the time being we are subject to human rule. Here are given the four uncertainties mentioned above, the verse means that, "Not even great wealth will enable the wealthy to defy these limitations." [15] No discharge in war regards the uncertainty that threatens one who may be drafted into a war by some absolute monarch. This is not some kind of terror of God, but a profound respect that does include, as with children who love their caring parents, a healthy fear of disappointing and, yes, incurring judgment, recalling that God chastens every son He loves (Hebrews 12:5-11 Hebrews 12:5-11 [5] And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to children, My son, despise not you the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of him: His reply is not an observation, but the answer of faith. He believes what he cannot seethat one day all will be well for everyone who lives in the fear of God (Ryken, p. 196). Post mortem nulla voluptas.". Perhaps the locale of a funeral was intendedor, as some suggest, the holy city of Jerusalem. This would also seem to tie in to the warning against turning to wickedness at the end of Ecclesiastes 8:8 Ecclesiastes 8:8There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither has he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.American King James Version. Ecclesiastes 2:24 ) ( The wicked go unpunished and, even when they are dead and buried, people still praise them for their achievements in life (9-10). Item #: 203674. . CONCLUSION: Heavenly wisdom makes a man a good man, Ecclesiastes 8:1. He is not out to destroy us but to save us, as Hes said time and again. Chapter 8 is similar. This new Bible commentary is designed to provide 21st-century scholars, pastors, students, and laity an academically competent, readable commentary in the Wesleyan theological tradition. You can't really come to the king and say, "Hey, what are you doing?" a Commentary on Ecclesiastes 8:14-17 (Read Ecclesiastes 8:14-17) In the midst of a miscarriage, a failed friendship, or job loss, the preacher would remind us that 'there is a time for. and because they had not so much of them: as others; who yet had Solomon's pencil. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are The only one who really did exercise that kind of power over his spirit was Jesus Christ. As Peter is talking about the second coming of the Lord, he said, "Hey, in the last days there are going to be scoffers that are going to come saying, 'Where is the promise of Jesus coming again? He, for his part, had applied his heart to know this wisdom, and to see the business that is done, by the divine Providence, upon the earth, to find out if there were any certain scheme, any constant rule or method, by which the affairs of this lower world were administered, any course of government as sure and steady as the course of nature, so that by what is done now we might as certainly foretel what will be done next as by the moon's changing now we can foretel when it will be at the full; this he would fain have found out. There is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither has he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. Notice that the Preacher is giving us a God-centered perspective and that in verse 15 he is talking about the days of our life as a gift from God. It doesn't matter to God that I'm living an immoral life, because look at all that I have." But He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" ( 2 Peter 3:9 ). Yes, there is vanity under the sun. The Preacher is growing more and more confident about this joy. sun, than (n) to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. and vexations arising from the vanity of the world. Placing them at t _Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the Some think Solomon speaks of himself, that he was so eager in prosecuting this great enquiry that he could not sleep for thinking of it. Others see ruach here as meaning wind, and take the statement to mean that just as the wind is beyond our control, so is death. 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