Ecclesiastes 11: observations

Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. 2Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth. 3If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. 4He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. 5Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.6Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.

Mysteries of God. 1) investing, giving, or letting go of resources actually brings reward--although it is delayed. Eventually it will find you. Don't believe in karma, although I do believe that you will reap what you sow. It is a mystery because we do not see how the gift comes back to us.

2) God's creativity is beyond our understanding, regardless of how much we can measure it and observe it.

3) Those who do not sow or reap will not benefit from the rain or from the harvest.

4) Timing is important, but hard work is even better.


7The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun. 8Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
I am starting to wonder if Solomon's emphasis on "futility" and "vanity" is his way of saying "don't worry." As in v. 8, rejoice in the light and remember the dark. Everything else, don't worry about it.

9Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

This does not communicate well to me. I have always considered that the youth should measure their days and choose paths that do not lead to judgment. Maybe Solomon is saying that all paths lead to some kind of judgment. Therefore enjoy the life that God has given. This seems to be one of Solomon's main themes: enjoy the life that God has given. Do not let worry or pain keep you from enjoying the gifts of God.

Ecclesiastes 10: Consider the cost

Solomon's observations turn to the irony of life. Hard work often leads to harder work. Maintaining an Empire can be more time consuming and expensive than building it. Sometimes, the plans of humanity do not end in the goals that were intended. Solomon observes that . . .

He who digs a pit may fall into it.

A serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.

He who quarries stones may be hurt by them.

He who splits logs may be endangered by them.

All of these illustrate the fallen state of our world in this way: our own plans are finite and limited, and the material world that we live in suffers from sinful contamination. Thus, even the best laid plans can end in injury or death to the planner.

Solomon would not have us grow weary with planning. Instead, he observes the value of thinking ahead.


If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. So make sure you are prepared before engaging difficult circumstance.

Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; Think about what you say.

The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. If you know the way, or ask for directions, you will have a better chance of arriving in a good state of mind, and in one piece.

Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning. Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for drunkenness. Be careful about thinking with your stomach. It will consume your resources, then consume you.

Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks.
If you build anything, it will cost you to maintain it.

Count the cost.

Ecclesiastes 9: Death and the Afterlife

Solomon finally dwells on a topic that he has touched on from time to time. He comments that The same destiny overtakes all (3). All will die, both he good and the evil.

Does it seem, then, that Solomon's understanding of heaven is rather limited in comparison to my own.
For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
and even the memory of them is forgotten.

Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun. (5-6)

Now, it is possible to see that Solomon does not mention heaven here, and he suggests that the dead know nothing. Thus, Solomon, and perhaps the majority of Israelites, do not have the same concept of heaven that we do. We suggest that when people die they go directly to heaven. At the very least, Solomon seems to think that the dead lie in the grave while their memory is forgotten. Either Solomon thinks that they wait for God to wake them, or he does not know of a heaven where people come back to life. And Solomon has yet to address the issue of what the dead might be waiting for.

Indeed, his focus throughout the book is on the here and now. He looks for justice in the present, he argues for obedience and pleasing God in the present. Solomon also argues that humanity needs to work hard now for there will be no work in the grave. (10) With his focus on the here and now, I think his point is this: You have the gift of life--do not waste it on foolishness and worry. Work hard today and please God today--that is all you have.

Since Solomon's emphasis is not on the future, he does not explain his idea of heaven here. This is not to say that he does not have a concept of heaven or future life--although his comments on there being no reward in the grave may lead some to think that he has no hope of eternal life beyond the grave.

However, the rest of the Bible teaches us of eternal life and heaven (see Colossians 1:5 for an example). Thus, it seems to me that Solomon's emphasis stops at the finality of death. He does not discuss the rewards of heaven, only the emptiness of the grave.

Let eveyone who hears, then, make the right choices in this life--for there will be no time or opportunity to correct them in the grave. I think this is Solomon's emphasis: enjoy God's gifts now and please him. The future is out of our hands.

Ecclesiastes 8: Justice

Three themes seem to appear in this passages.

First, the authority of the king is mentioned. Obey the king's command (v2) because he does whatever he pleases (3). In the end, the wise heart will know the time and plan (4). There are powers in the world, ordained by God, which are above the wisdom or authority of man. Some issues are bigger than the individual, and we must all submit to the sovereignty of God in these situations. As such, the wise man will know the right time to act and how to act at that time. Solomon suggests that no harm will come to the man who trusts in God and wisely chooses his time to discuss matters concerning the king.

Not all kings are bad, but they are all imperfect. Eventually, authority will corrupt. Yet, there is a time to act against corruption, and there is a time to trust God and silently do what is right before God in the face of authority and corruption.

But, what is a Christian to do when the king or authority forces unfaithful acts? Where is the protection then?

Secondly, Solomon addresses injustice. When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong (11). Punishment is important, not only for payment and balance in the system, but also for learning in society. When the punishment does not fit the crime, then more people will test the system.

But where does mercy fit into this? Is mercy not a good a teacher as punishment? Can punishment be merciful, and mercy detrimental?

There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve (14).

Is Solomon specifically speaking of death, an early demise in life? Solomon is convinced that the righteous will come out ahead in life, and that the evil will not benefit from their doings (13). Yet he notices that evil brings temporary benefit while the righteous suffer.

Makes me wonder what Solomon means by righteousness and evil. He watched the evil worship and sacrifice in the Temple (10) and then meet their demise. He recognizes that evil will eventually capture those that it ensnares (8). However, I think that this life does not reveal all of the spiritual ends that our decisions lead us to So, we are left with only an understanding of part of the story. Solomon finds this limited knowledge frustrating. I do as well.

Finally, we are reminded of the paradox of wisdom again. The more the wise man sees, the less he understands about events under the sun. In the end, wisdom can relieve and enlighten the soul (1), and yet the wise must acknowledge that the meaning behind the wisdom is still out of reach (17). Anyone who does not acknowledge this is not very wise.