SERIES: BE SATISFIED
“HOW TO LIVE BEFORE YOU DIE”
(adapted from a message by Dave Stone)
ECCLESIASTES 9:1-12
Remember that Solomon is towards the end of his life as writes the words in this book of Ecclesiastes. He has sought fulfillment in pleasure, in accomplishments, in good food, and fun. Now he looks back over his life and offers us his observations and advice.
You can learn a lot about a person from what they say as they come to the end of this life and reflect on it. You get some insights. For instance I understand that the final words of actress Joan Crawford, after her maid started to pray for her, were these: “Don’t you dare ask God to help me.”
Andrew Jackson’s final word’s were, “Oh, do not cry—be good children and we will all meet in heaven.”
The great artist Leonardo D’ Vinci spoke these final words, “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”
Multi millionaire Jay Gould’s final words were, “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.”
General John Sedwick, a Union Commander in the Civil War was lined up ready for battle. His troops were telling him they were too close to the enemy and General Sedwick’s final words were, “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist. . . .”
Eccl. 9:1-12 – 1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. 3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love, their hate never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. 7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. 8Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. 11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. 12 Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.
Having explored life and its meaninglessness, Solomon draws some important conclusions. He gives us four important life lessons.
THIS IS YOUR ONE AND ONLY LIFE: ENJOY IT
Your time on this earth, whether long or short, should be something that you enjoy. Regardless of your circumstances it is possible to have that joy IF you remember what we learned several weeks ago—that only with God can you find true happiness.
Eccl. 9:7-8 tells us: Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.
Understand that God is not some cosmic kill-joy who is continually angry with us and wants to rid the earth of anything enjoyable. A lot of us think of God as a stern judgmental grandfather figure who at best just tolerates laughter and is happy when we all feel guilty and somber. God created this world with textures and colors and tastes and sensations and emotions for us to enjoy.
Solomon says, “Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.” White garments were worn to joyous occasions. Anointing oil was used for special events. Solomon is encouraging us to make every occasion a special occasion. Bring out the good china – don’t just save it for company. Don’t let your life be overburdened with the mundane and boring. Live life with some zest.
Verse 9 goes on to say: Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.
J. Paul Getty was one of the richest men who ever lived. You wouldn’t expect him to be envious of anyone. But Getty once said he was envious of those who knew how to make marriage work and be happy in marriage. Getty knew what he was talking about, because his record was five marriages and five divorces.
Prov. 18:22 – He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. Prov. 19:14 – Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. A good spouse is a gift we shouldn’t overlook and should see as a blessing from God. Don’t neglect the second most important relationship in your life – the one with your spouse. Wiersbe: “No matter how difficult life may be, there is great joy in the home of the man and woman who love each other and are faithful to their marriage vows.”
I think one of the most damaging things that can happen to a marriage is when a husband and wife have stopped laughing together. They’ve stopped having a good time with each other. Everything is so serious and so everything ends up in a quarrel or in bad feelings. Husbands and wives, find something you enjoy doing together and don’t stop doing things that bring enjoyment.
LIFE IS SHORT: GIVE IT YOUR ALL
Solomon tells us in Eccl 9:10 – Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. We don’t know how
long we have to live so we’d better give everything we do our absolute all.
Commentators refer to this passage we’re looking at this morning as the “Carpe Diem Passage.” Carpe Diem is a Latin phrase which means “Seize the day!” You know, if we fear God and walk by faith, we don’t have to try to escape life or even try to endure life. We can enjoy life.
Chuck Swindoll says, “If you are waiting to live it up when you’re six feet under, pal, you’re in for a major disappointment! The time to live is now! And the way to do it is to pull out all the stops and play full volume!
Tim Hansel, When I Relax, I Feel Guilty, relates this piece:
Don’t be bashful.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and
let the juice that may
run down your chin.
Life is ready and ripe
NOW
whenever you are.
You don’t need a knife or fork
Or spoon or napkin or tablecloth
For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away.
The apostle Paul tells us in Col 3:23-24 – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Dick Alexander preaches at Lifespring Christian church in Cincinnati. He tells the story: One day I was called to the hospital to visit a woman whose husband was dying. (The man was in ICU.) I visited with them and we went out to the waiting room. A few minutes later the doctor came out and gave the news that this woman didn’t want to hear—her husband had just passed. We waited a little while and then they came and got us and we went in to the room where this dead body of the woman’s husband lay.
There was a nurse in the room who was washing this man’s face preparing for the undertakers to come and take the body. As she washed the face, she was doing it as though it were her own father. A chaplain came, ushered us into another room, and this nurse went with us. His words were comforting and helpful. He then prayed and, when he finished praying, I looked up to see this nurse sitting in the corner and tears were streaming down her face. I walked down the stairs with this new widow and walked her out to her car. Then I went back to that Intensive Care Unit and sought out that nurse to just say, “Ma’am I just want to thank you. I don’t know how you do this. You see people die here almost every day and I don’t know how you have this kind of compassion day after day.”
She simply replied, “Well, I’m a Christian.” And she went on about her work.
Christian recording artist Matthew West, has a fairly new song out called, The Motions. It says, “I don’t wanna go through the motions; I don’t wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me. I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking, ‘What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?” Life is short…give it your all.
THE RACE IS LONG: STICK WITH IT
The Christian life is a race. However, it is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. Eugene Peterson has a book entitled: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. It reminds us as Christian that when we accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, we committed ourselves to faithfully follow him for the rest of our lives.
It’s been said that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to what happens to you. Understand that there will be obstacles in life. Whether we make it to the finish line or not depends on how you approach these obstacles.
Eccl. 9:11 – I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
Solomon is saying that there are two things that can upset all of our plans – time and chance. We can work harder than everyone else, be more talented than everyone else, be smarter and stronger than everyone else but time and chance play huge roles in life.
Time is a huge factor. Being in the right place at the right time does more to bring success than anything else. Sure you have to work for it, give your best, and then hope that the time is right. None of us know how much time we actually have. That’s why we have to “seize the day.”
Chance is another huge factor. Chance refers to unexpected events that can happen. It’s the singer whose been eliminated from American Idol who come back on the wild card night to eventually win the whole thing. In sports, in happens every year during March Madness – the NCAA basketball championship tournament. Last year U Conn was playing great seeded #3 in the tournament but got beaten by #14 seed San Diego. It’s when a stock boy named Kurt Warner, five years later, becomes the Super Bowl MVP.
There are times when you are on the receiving end of those unexpected events. There are other times that you’ll receive a disturbing diagnosis, get let go from your job, or face the loss of a loved one. Life is full of both mountaintops and valleys. But remember, life isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon. Life consists of the daily grind over time.
YOUR HOUR WILL COME: BE READY FOR IT
Erma Bombeck wrote a piece called “If I Had My Life to Live Over” after being diagnosed with cancer and knowing that death was imminent:
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern
if I weren’t there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when
someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been
teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed
to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that
the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for
dinner.”
There would have been more “I love yous.” More “I’m sorrys.”
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it , live it and
never give it back.
Solomon says in Eccl 9:2-3 – All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.
Heb. 9:27 tells us that man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. Death is an appointment that we all have and cannot cancel or change. Statistically speaking, one out of one people die.
An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone over a hundred years old with this epitaph:
Pause, Stranger, when you pass me by,
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you will be,
So prepare for death and follow me.
An unknown passerby had read these words and scratched this statement below the first:
To follow you I’m not content
Until I know which way you went.
Tony Evans says, “We have it backwards. We measure things by our birth date, when really we should measure them by our death date.” That statement is true but the problem is that you still don’t knkow how many years you have. Solomon us in Eccl. 9:12 – Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them. The seasons of life are unpredictable, as is the duration of your life. No person knows when their hour will come.
CLOSE
So, what does it all boil down to? Solomon starts off this passage with the most important thing for us to remember: Eccl. 9:1 – So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. Life and death are in God’s hands. Only God knows our future, whether there will be blessing or sorrow.
Solomon is not saying that we are just actors in some cosmic play based on an unchanging script given to us by an uncaring director. As we’ve studied this book of Ecclesiastes, we’ve seen where Solomon has emphasized our freedom to decide where we go and what we do. However, he wants to remind us that only God knows what will happen tomorrow because of the decisions we make today. He hammers home two important things that we forget about sometimes: death is inevitable and life is unpredictable.
Warren Wiersbe comments: “Since death is unavoidable and life is unpredictable, the only course we can safely take is to yield ourselves into the hands of God and walk by faith in His Word. We don’t live by explanations; we live by promises. We don’t depend on luck but on the providential working of our loving Father as we trust His promises and obey His will.”
There’s a beautiful scene in the classic novel The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. Death is pictured as the Jordan River and the Celestial City is on the other side; to reach heaven, you have to cross the river. In the book, the character named hopeful enters the Jordan River and calls back, “Be of good cheer, my brother, for I feel the bottom and it is sound.”
As people who have placed their hope in Jesus Christ, we do not fear death because Christ has conquered death. In Rev. 1:17b-18, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was
dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Because Jesus is alive, and we live in Him, we don’t look at life and say, “Meaningless, meaningless. All is meaningless.”
The apostle Paul writes in 1 Cor. 15:54-55 – When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the
power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Don’t think your hour won’t come. It most certainly will. Wayne Smith says, “Satan won’t tell you there’s no hell. He won’t tell you there’s no heaven. But He will tell you there’s no hurry.” We come to the time of decision. What is God asking you to do? Please don’t put it off any longer.
