Destiny Of All Series

Theme: Destiny of All

Text: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10

Greetings: My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I greet you all in the name of our Lord saviour Jesus Christ. The Lord is good, and his love endures forever.

We learned under the themes: the purpose of creation of human life; the purpose of the election of Abraham.

Today, we meditate on the theme: Destiny of All, based on Ecclesiastes 9:1-10. I like to leave with you three important things from this passage on how we need to live on the earth as long as we live:

· Live with Caution

· Live without Compromise, and

· Live with Consecration

Introduction to the Book and the author: Ecclesiastes means a member of an Assembly. His duty was to recite. Preacher (Kohelet) introduced several proverbial sayings, all of which encourage activity. The preacher tested, tasted and understood the bitterness and vanity of life. He searched to know the meaning of life, and at the end of the research, he concludes and comments everything is vanity. The author represents himself as the Son of David and King over Israel in Jerusalem (Ecclesiastes 1:1,12,16, 2:7,9).

1. Live with Caution (Ecclesiastes 9:1-3)

Life on earth seems to be useless, full of vanity. But we believe in the existence of God, followers of Jesus Christ must live with caution. We cannot live a life of carelessness, worthlessness, and aimlessness. We have the good news of Salvation through Jesus Christ and the unshakable hope of eternity in Christ. Therefore we must live our lives with caution. Be careful to think of God think of your neighbours and people around you.

We live with confrontations of good and evil. Life challenges are the same for everyone on the earth. Whether rich or poor, educated or illiterate, male or female, and LGBTQIA+ feels the same life pressures and challenges. All our reaching to the wealth, health, honour, wisdom, learning, fame and reputation. All the institutions function the same manner whether they have established for the advancement of spirituality or secular values people behave alike with spiritual identity or secular identity.

There is an apparent confusion, deception in understanding the work of God. The earthly lives of people do not show whether they have approval from God or not. Because the events in livelihood, as well as death, seems to be the same. Of course, death is imminent in every life. This knowledge helps to learn and handle even the most tragic moment of human life. Our sufferings in life are educational, doxological, revelational, and sacrificial (Isaiah 53:1-12) (ref: gracechurchmentor.org).

We must be aware of and sure that God will not suspend or alter the general laws, to favour individual cases. Nor does God designed such approbation or disapprobation found by any of these occurrences (ref: studylight.org/Adam Clark). However, God does alter and change the general laws for an individual in few cases. Such a person to escape and bring glory to God.

All are the same in the sight of God. Though the destiny of all looks alike, there is a difference between destiny and end. Some work for their eternal life with God and others for their eternal separation from God, known as hell. These verses talk about the death and end of human life. The mystery is hidden from our physical eyes.

Matthew Henry Comments: “Men are happy or miserable according to as they are under the love or hatred of God, but not according as they are under the smiles or scowls of the world; God loves a righteous man. So he is happy, though the world frowns upon him; God hates a wicked man, so he is miserable, though the world smiles upon him.”

However, it is good to see the righteous, the wise, and their conduct is all in the hand of God, protected by his power, and they are safe in his approbation. The grand truth stated here is that God is in control. Everything that occurs happens under the permissive will of God. His special protection (Deuteronomy 33:3 ff) to righteousness and His direction (Proverbs 21:1) to people. Solomon compromised for his gains and repented from those wickedness and cautioned his writers about the end of unrepented life.

Men in Christ live soberly, righteously, and godly. They are wise unto salvation and are concerned for the truth of grace. They are under the special care of divine Providence, they receive from the hand of God what is needful and proper for them, and they are preserved and protected by him (1 Timothy 4:8). The works and affairs of events relating to men are appointed ordered directed by the hand of God, and all for their benefit (John Gill). Therefore live with caution and without compromise. So, now we will see how to live without compromise.