ECCLESIASTES 9:11-12 – “Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.”
THEME OF THE DAY: WE JUST DON’T KNOW WHEN. The Old Testament wisdom book of Ecclesiastes is one that should be regular reading for all and especially believers. There are many reasons why. Here are two. First, King Solomon provides a role model for us on how not to live life. He warns us throughout his book of the futility of seeking to find satisfaction, pleasure, and contentment in anything or anyone other than the Lord. It was painful for him, and it will be painful for us if we don’t heed his warning . . .
“I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).
A second reason to read Ecclesiastes is to remind us often that, unless Jesus returns, we are going to die.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2b).
We don’t think enough on death and eternity. To test my statement, when is the last time you thought about death and eternity? In today’s scripture, Solomon implies the certainty of it, but not the time.
“For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them” (Ecclesiastes 9:12).
It is spiritually dangerous to live rarely thinking about death and eternity because we may well be caught off guard when it comes. Such absence of this type of thinking also leads to a worldly complacency that cools our affections for Christ and zeal for holiness. These present dangers provide still yet more reasons to regularly read Ecclesiastes. May the Lord draw us to this most relevant book for current living.
PRAYER: Father, help me to live as if today was the last day of my life on earth.
REFLECTION: We should live with eternity directing everything we do, say, and everywhere we go.