THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER
44
`There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and
there is no discharge in that war'.
Here we have an example of those who all their lifetime were held in bondage by the fear of death. Resurrection
we have already seen unlocks the teaching of Ecclesiastes.
`All this have I seen', said Ecclesiastes, `and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun', and
then he gives some examples. He sums up his observations in verse 12:
`Though 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'.
This is true, even though there be a vanity done upon the earth:
`that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked
men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous' (14).
This in no wise alters the previous conclusion that it shall be well with them that fear God. We now come to
`that good', which is the object of search in this book:
`Then I commended mirth (joy, gladness), because a man hath no better thing (see the series of `better things' in
chapter 7) 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' (8:15).
The question arises as one reads these words, Is this God's truth, or is it merely the opinion of man? To arrive at
a satisfactory conclusion necessitates a continuance of our study into chapter 9. We will therefore suspend judgment
and seek grace that we may find the truth as we proceed. Meanwhile we may profit by what we have seen. Wisdom
can give us a child-like and simple faith. It will enable us to see all the baffling perplexities of everyday life, the
wicked prospering and the righteous suffering, and it will keep ever before our minds the fact that:
`It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth
God shall come forth of them all' (7:18).
`I know that it shall be well with them that fear God' (8:12).
This is wisdom, it causes the face to shine. To probe and worry about all the mysteries of Providence however,
to ignore the fact that `though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it out', this is seeking
trouble, vexation, misery. Wisdom believes God, and the only persons who can really `enjoy life' are those who
have thus realized practically, as well as theoretically:
`that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are IN THE HAND OF GOD' (9:1).
(7) Contentment (8:15 to 9:18)
We have arrived at the point where the Preacher commended mirth saying, `A man hath nothing better than to
eat, and to drink and be merry'. It must be admitted that these words are associated in some parts of Scripture with
worldly unbelief, e.g. Luke 12:19, but we must see whether this is the only context of these words before we judge
the passage in Ecclesiastes. Proverbs 17:22 says:
`A merry heart doeth good like a medicine'.
Of Boaz it is written:
`And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of
corn' (Ruth 3:7),
but there is no suggestion that Boaz was anything but a proper and God-fearing man in so doing. The Scripture
describes the peace and prosperity of Israel under the reign of Solomon with these words: