The Strand Study Bible
ECCLESIASTES ECCLESIASTES NOTE – Sad but true: A man can live his life; reject the fact that there is a God or an eternity and then die and go to Hell, and yet it affects nothing that God has established throughout His universe. Billions of people have come and gone, having rejected the eternality that was set in their hearts, and yet it affects nothing of God’s plans throughout His universe. Truly, what a man does on this dust bowl we call earth is meaningless unless it deals with the Eternal One Himself. 3:12 Solomon concludes: Seeing God controls both time and eternity (vs 11), we best learn to enjoy what God enjoys both here and hereafter, which is His Word. To “ do good ” means to follow the Word and enjoy it; to keep the commandments; to love God. Jesus said in John 14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments (do good) Question: How much of the Word do you enjoy? The more you enjoy His Word the more you’ll enjoy obeying His Word. The more you enjoy obeying His Word the more you’ll enjoy life. Solomon said in Proverbs 3:13: Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 3:13 Solomon here refers back to the first step to bettering our life, which is to learn to enjoy the fruit of our labor (Eccl 2:24). He does this to remind us not to forget the step that we’ve already taken and to add to that step the other six steps found in Ecclesiastes. 3:14 Whatever a man may do on this earth, he can neither add ( nothing can be put to it ) nor take away ( nor any thing taken from it ) what God has done or is doing throughout His universe. Man affects man only (Job 35:5-8). Our lives and what we do down here on this planet are ineffectual; they only affect this planet. A man can live a full life, reject God, and die and go to Hell, and yet it affects nothing that God has established throughout the heavens. The Pulpit Commentary notes: …behind man’s free action and volition stands the will of God, which orders events with a view to eternity, and that man can alter nothing of this providential arrangement. 6 Truly, what a man achieves here on earth is neither impressive nor meaningful. 3:15 That which hath been (talking about the past) is now (it will be repeated); and that which is to be (talking about the future) hath already been (is nothing but a reminder of the past); and God requireth that which is past (meaning–God brings “back into view” those truths which you and I have forgotten, and remind us “all over again” that they are still true today. In essence, what God is reminding us, through Solomon, is that history (His story; God’s Word) repeats itself… so we better pay attention to its truths. Question: What past truth have you forgotten that is sure to visit you again? 3:16 Sadly, where justice should prevail ( the place of righteousness ; in the courts), there is injustice ( iniquity was there ). Nevertheless, justice will prevail (vs 17) in spite of the lack of it here on earth. 3:17 See… we just don’t die and cease to exist; GOD shall judge the righteous and the wicked . It’s called the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST for the righteous ( Rev 4:2b ) and the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT for the wicked ( Rev 20: 11- 14a ). 3:19 Although man has been given dominion ( preeminence ) over the beasts of the earth when it comes to life (Gen 1:26), he has no advantage ( preeminence ) over them when it comes to death. Because of man’s sin, both man and beast meet the same end. 3:21 To the indifferent observer, both man and beast return to the dust of the earth and no one can tell where the spirit of either goes. As far as the indifferent observer is concerned, death is the same for both. Thus, to the indifferent observer ( Who knoweth ), Solomon concludes that nothing matters “which should matter.” It should matter that a person knows the difference between the death of an animal and the death of a human being. Only an indifferent observer would ignore that “which should matter.” NOTE – Indifference was the very attitude that resulted in the first sin on earth (Gen 3:1-6). When the Evil One came to the woman in order to tempt her, he put a question in her mind by questioning God’s Word. He said: Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? To which Eve replied: We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. But is that what God said? Did the Lord God command them not to touch it? In Genesis 2:16-17, the Lord God commanded the man: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. God said nothing whatsoever about touching the tree. He just said not to eat of it. So why did she add to what God said? The answer is quite simple. Somebody wasn’t paying attention when it mattered. The first step towards indifference is inattentiveness. THE ADAGE IS TRUE: I am drowning in awareness and yet never aware that the chains I fashion everyday are the ones I wear Whenever we become inattentive to the things God says (that “which should matter”), we become indifferent about the things God does ( Zeph 1:12a ). 1 Wikipedia .
4 Benjamin Franklin quote. Quotationsbook.com .
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