Walking Thru Ecclesiastes

Solomon’s Practical Counsel

Ecclesiastes 7:15 - 8:17

 

“Indeed, how can people avoid what they don’t know is going to happen? None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked” - Ecclesiastes 8:7-8 ^{The Living Translation}

            “Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment, so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; ….” ^{(Hebrews 9:27-28a)} We will never know the hour or the day that we shall depart from this earth. We also don’t have the power to keep ourselves from dying. Solomon uses an analogous illustration between a king and God himself. Both have the power over life and death. Once it has been determined that it is a person’s time to pass off from this earth, nothing can stop this event from happening.  There is no escape from this phase of life. Anyone who ends up cheating death has entered the spiritual realm where God rules and reigns along with Jesus.

            Only Christ, who has the power to control death and evil, can raise an individual from the dead. An earthly king cannot do that. Christ himself died for the salvation of the world. An earthly king cannot do that either. As much as man feels he has control over his own life, he is fooling himself, for God is the one who can spare man his life simply because he has a mind to. Man can also ask for a prolonged life. 

2 Kings 20:5-6 tells of King Hezekiah who was on his death bed. The Prophet Isaiah came to the king to tell him he was about to die. Hezekiah prayed in earnest to be healed. “God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and sent Isaiah with a message saying, ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely, I will heal you… And I will add to your days fifteen years’” Because of the king’s fervent prayer, God relented regarding taking his life from him. No one knows what the future holds, but the one who holds the future sure does. Trust God to bring about that which will bless and comfort you. Live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, and you will be blessed. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resources:  The Reformation Study Bible; The Expositor’s Bible Commentary.