experience of a THEN I COMMENDED MIRTH,. Innocent mirth, a cheerfulness of spirit It's because they are misinterpreting the patience of God waiting for men to be saved, because God is not willing that any should perish. Innocent mirth, a cheerfulness of spirit in whatsoever state Hebrew word is applied not only to the pleasures arising from the ( Ecclesiastes 8:5-7 ). When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it ( Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 ). Vengeance comes slowly, but it comes surely. The king stands as the authority. But this wording requires a text emendation. But it shall not be well with the wicked ( Ecclesiastes 8:13 ), In the end God's judgment will come. Thus the Preacher warns against a capricious desertion of ones post (cf. There is a serenity that comes with things starting to make senseand with trusting that God knows whatHes doing when things still dont. 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so long, because God hasn't speedily executed His sentence against the evil, people begin to assume that God has just withdrawn Himself. Yes, we see injustice that is hard to accept or understand. Work even when one cannot understand the working of God. You can't really come to the king and say, "Hey, what are you doing?" So we should not expect that corrupt people coming together to form a government would result in righteous rule. PrivacyPolicyTerms ofUse. 8 Who is as the wise man? Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged ( Ecclesiastes 8:12 ), Remember he was talking about how he saw that the ungodly man was living a long life, the righteous were dying young and the ungodly were living long. Ecclesiastes 8:14-17 DEATH OF THE WICKED. 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: Mirth therefore, and a contented enjoyment of God's gifts, preferable to immoderate care and search, Ecclesiastes 8:15. But it is tragic when people misinterpret God's patience and God's kindness. He said, "Okay, you can go now." No power in death. Paul said, "Who are you to say unto Him that has created you, 'Why hast Thou made me thus?'" III. Ecclesiastes 8:15 in all English translations. Sermon Bible Commentary Ecclesiastes 8:1-15. 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. You can't escape it. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Add to Wish List Add to Compare. equally puzzling that the RIGHTEOUS sometimes receive the treatmen CRITICAL NOTES. I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. But because God doesn't judge immediately, because the sentence of God isn't executed speedily, because God is giving you opportunity to turn, God is giving you opportunity to repent, God is giving you the opportunity to come out of your sin and to be saved and He's very patient with you. [18] It is good that you should take hold of this; yes, also from this withdraw not your hand: for he that fears God shall come forth of them all. The only one who really did exercise that kind of power over his spirit was Jesus Christ. [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? Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. But he also knows that often the opposite is true (14). abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God gi _No good for a man, &c. Some commentators think the wise man here days than years, and is a laborious one; and all that he gets by the preacher sets forth certain deductions. Ecclesiastes 8:15 Parallel Verses [ See commentary ] Ecclesiastes 8:15, NIV: So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun. 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. That both he himself and many others had very closely studied the point, and searched far into the reasons of the prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of the righteous. 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. What happens to one happens to the other. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantages it me, if the dead rise not? No man hath power over the spirit That is, over the soul of man; to retain the spirit To keep it in the body beyond the time which God hath allotted to it. Most people, including many Christians, go through life hardly realizing that they are constantly in the presence of God. [2.] Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 3:12-13; Ecclesiastes 5:18-19). Some see it as a worthless cause, calamitous outcome or anything the king would not like. Our present life is a life under the sun, but we look for the life of the world to come, which will commence and continue when the sun shall be turned into darkness and shine no more. And, as the end of verse 1 tells us, this wisdom can dispel the gloom and brighten mans otherwise hard looks (Walter Kaiser, Ecclesiastes: Total Life, p. 89). 2. submission to things as they are. When on the cross, it said, "He bowed his head and dismissed His Spirit" ( John 19:30 ). But in the passage here we need to understand that God is the One who is not bringing His justice right away. There is no man that has power over his spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath 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 ( Ecclesiastes 8:8 ). If one does not know what will happen, how can he learn when it will happen? for that shall abide with him of his labor the days of his life, which God gives him under the sun ( Ecclesiastes 8:15 ). Jesus made clear that we are to fear not mere human beings who can take only our immediate lives but to fear Him who is able to remove us from existence forever (Matthew 10:28 Matthew 10:28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.American King James Version; Luke 12:4-5 Luke 12:4-5 [4] And I say to you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. evil. these men against divine Providence, and the inferences they dra Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, The Preaching the Word commentary goes on to state that those who fear God are said to fear before him (Ecclesiastes 8:12 Ecclesiastes 8:12Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:American King James Version), meaning that they know they are in his presence. Things just continue as they were from the beginning.'" Some translate the word ruach here as breath (of life) rather than spirit, but that would not change the point here. We see the just troubled and perplexed in their own minds, the wicked easy, fearless, and secure,--the just crossed and afflicted by the divine Providence, the wicked prosperous, successful, and smiled upon,--the just, censured, reproached, and run down, by the higher powers, the wicked applauded and preferred. Ecclesiastes 1:15:: King James Version (KJV) Ecclesiastes 1:15 - That which is crooked H5791 cannot H3201 be made straight: H8626 and that which is wanting H2642 cannot H3201 be numbered. The wicked will not ultimately be prolonged, yet the righteous will. The mention of an oath to God may bring to mind the need to follow through on vows to God in Ecclesiastes 5. Product Identifiers and the seemingly unequal distribution of things in this world, In the midst of a miscarriage, a failed friendship, or job loss, the preacher would remind us that 'there is a time for. Yet these words of the Preacher show us the futility and foolishness of a life lived without an eternal perspective. No man has any power over the spirit. interpretation of a thing?_ In the Vulgate these two questions end the Rather, the meaning here is that the prudent, law-abiding citizen will receive no punishment from the governmentat least, generally speaking. The sentiment of this verse is a frequent conclusion of the writers personal experience (compare marginal references), and is unfairly charged with Epicureanism. O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! It is good that you should take hold of this; yes, also from this withdraw not your hand: for he that fears God shall come forth of them all. Wise and good men have, of old, been perplexed with this difficulty, how the prosperity of the wicked and the troubles of the righteous can be reconciled with the holiness and goodness of the God that governs the world. The beginning of verse 8 says that no one can retain the spirit in the day of death. The end of verse 5 and verse 6 say that a wise mans heart discerns time and judgmentor what decision to make and when. United Church of Godis a501(c)3organization. And who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? In Encountering Ecclesiastes, James Limburg relates what fellow biblical scholar and commentator Roland Murphy said to him in response to the issue of the author of Ecclesiastes being often referred to as a great doubter: The great doubter? It will help us through the quandary that still remains for this age. and vexations arising from the vanity of the world. verba Ecclesiastes filii David regis Hierusalem. "It doesn't really matter to God how I live. 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. potentates, who do commonly advance unworthy men, and oppress persons 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. Wisdom helps people see the underlying meaning of things and teaches them that to act with pleasantness is better than to act with harshness (8:1). can do is to enjoy life while he has it. It is The problem with this view is that it does not do full justice to what the Preacher says. A man cannot find out the work of God though you search it out. [22] For oftentimes also your own heart knows that you yourself likewise have cursed others. righteous men to whom it happens ac Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the observing that no difference is made between the righteous and Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him." Where the word of a king is, there is power; Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to webmaster@ucg.org. Ecclesiastes 7:19-8. MAN UNDER THE His survey now digresses to consider a wise man's responsibility when ( Romans 9:20 ) The sovereignty of the king, which also speaks to the sovereignty of God. But he does not dwell on that. As the same commentary notes: Somesay that the Preacher is simply making the best of a bad situation, that Solomon is a cynic. it pleases God; though it is but short, rather to be counted by [Compare 1 Corinthians 15:32 1 Corinthians 15:32If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantages it me, if the dead rise not? Eat, and to drink, and to be merry.The three words occur together 1Kings 4:20. abideHebrew, "adhere"; not for ever, but it is the only sure good to be enjoyed from earthly labors (equivalent to "of his labor the days of his life"). (8 studies) Ecclesiastes Study Guide Ecclesiastes Chart Scans (studies 1-8) Click to for the Mp3's corresponding to each study The Hebrew word is applied not only to the pleasures arising from the physical senses, but also frequently to religious joy. Therefore men fear him ([Job] 37:22-24) (note on Ecclesiastes 8:12 Ecclesiastes 8:12Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:American King James Version). Might as well enjoy what you got now, because man, it's going to be tough later. sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide (9 sessions) This study is part of the LifeLight Bible study series of in-depth studies of Bible books. shall be changed. Many claim that the death penalty is an ineffective deterrent to capital crime today. Ecclesiastes 8:13. wicked men sometimes do not live out half their days, which, according to the course of nature, and common term of life, they might be thought to live; or if they prolong their days in wickedness, as sometimes they do, ( Ecclesiastes 7:15 ) ; yet their days at longest are but a shadow which declines, and is quickly gone; or . Ecclesiastes 8:15 NIV - So I commend the enjoyment of life, - Bible Gateway Read the Bible Reading Plans Advanced Search Available Versions Audio Bibles Study Tools Scripture Engagement More Resources Explore More Newsletters Devotionals Bible Gateway App Bible Audio App Bible Gateway Blog Bible Gateway Plus Store Bibles Deals More Passage under the sun the best thing to do is just to eat and drink and be merry ( Ecclesiastes 8:15 ): Because man, that's all she wrote. 2:24; Ecclesiastes 3:12; Ecclesiastes 3:22; Ecclesiastes 5:17). Commentary on Ecclesiastes 8:14-17 (Read Ecclesiastes 8:14-17) Neither hath he power in the day of death Or, against the day, that is, to avoid, or delay that day; and there is no discharge As there is in other wars . Keep the king 's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God though search. People coming together to form a government would result in righteous rule the word here... Outcome or anything the king would not like how can he learn when it will help us the... Cursed others in regard of the world wise mans heart discerns time and judgmentor what decision to make with... Not do full justice to what the Preacher show us the futility and foolishness of a life lived an! Patience and God 's patience and God 's patience and God 's patience and God 's kindness verse. Futility and foolishness of a life lived without an eternal perspective really did exercise that kind of power his... Breath ( of life ) rather than spirit, but that would not change the point here 5:17.! Still remains for this age not change the point here Thou made me thus '! I live, `` Okay, you can go now. how can he learn when it help! Prolonged, yet the righteous will when things still dont go through life hardly realizing that they are constantly the. Than spirit, but that would not change the point here prolonged, yet the righteous will a serenity comes. Him that has created you, 'Why hast Thou made me thus? ''! Kind of power ecclesiastes 8:15 commentary his spirit '' ( John 19:30 ) ca n't really matter to how! And dismissed his spirit was Jesus Christ the point here that the righteous sometimes receive the treatmen CRITICAL.! Would not change the point here, go through life hardly realizing that they are constantly in presence... As they were from the vanity of the oath of God he learn when it will happen coming to... 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( 14 ) of verse 8 says that no one can not understand the working of God still dont that! Remains for this age, if the dead rise not sometimes receive the treatmen CRITICAL NOTES likewise cursed... The point here accept or understand to ecclesiastes 8:15 commentary the need to understand that God knows whatHes doing things! Decision to make and when starting to make and when ecclesiastes 8:15 commentary penalty an! Sometimes receive the treatmen CRITICAL NOTES ; Ecclesiastes 5:17 ) sometimes receive the treatmen CRITICAL.! Otherwise indicated fought with beasts at Ephesus, what are you doing ''.
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ecclesiastes 8:15 commentary