Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Reflection on Ecclesiastes 8:14-9:10

At first, Ecclesiastes 8 seems like a chapter on ‘giving up’ – on resigning oneself to the inexplicable wickedness that exists in the world. “Vanity, all is vanity” pops out as the most famous line in this book.  (Vanity is translated in NIV as “meaninglessness”).  However, there is more here than simple resignation.

Throughout Ecclesiasted, the speaker (in Hebrew Koheleth or the ‘Preacher’) – a king of Jerusalem, explores those things that would have meaning – riches, power, fame.  But he finds them all meaningless.  In the entire 12 chapters, the one thing the speaker finds worthwhile is wisdom.  It is very hard to look at one small section of Ecclesiastes without reflecting on the entire book.  As an essay, it has an opening, a rising argument, and a famous conclusion – but it is very untypical of other OT books – in the sense that there is no God saving the people.  So it stands unique in the canon of the Bible – a skeptical statement about life that seems to contradict other, more hopeful books in the Bible.

In Chapter 8 the speaker reflects on how the righteous receive what the wicked deserve and visa versa.  And both go to their death and do not know the future.  Following this bitter observation we get the famous comment, usually translated as: 

“Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you shall die.”

What is usually not remembered is the accompanying explanation.  

The preacher counsels the wise man to take advantage of the joyful moments of life and not simply spend all one’s days working and deferring pleasures for another time.  Why?  Because God gives pleasures to both the good and the wicked.  Both have the chance to enjoy them. And the good should take joys where they can in their short time under the sun.  I’m reminded here of the parable of the wheat and the tares.  Both grow and develop, but in the end, their fate is different.

In verses 16 and 17, he gives excellent illustrations of his attempt to know wisdom.  He sees people losing sleep day and night as they labour.  He notes the mighty works of God on the earth.  He mocks the so-called ‘wise’ who claim to know what it all means.  He goes on to conclude that no one knows their future.  But for sure, the wicked and the good will all equally experience death.

Later, in Chapter 10, he continues his theme that the dead are forgotten and their memory erased.  So, his advice is to enjoy food and wine with your wife and work hard at that work your hand finds to do.

The speaker makes a good case for the lack of justice in the world and the illogic of the wicked being rewarded.  He calls it “meaningless”.  While the metaphor of ‘eat, drink and be merry’ is widely known, the preacher mentions work just as often.  What he advises is to balance work with pleasures when they come along.  Following this advice, we are not working day and night with sleepless exhaustion with no time for reward.  In this way we avoid resenting the pleasures enjoyed all the time by the wicked. (I think of gossip TV here). 

My take away from Ecclesiastes – especially this passage, is to be wise - embrace every moment and bring an intensity and passion to life each day.

Ecclesiastes raises more questions than it answers.  But this passage is excellent material for reflection and discussion.  The speaker concludes in Chapter 12 in this way:

13…Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Peter Mansell, Pentecost, 2014