ENJOY GOOD, EXTEND GOOD (ECCLESIASTES 6)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_en Grammar Bible (English)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Bah Tatabahasa Alkitab (Indonesian)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Esp Biblia de Gramática (Spanish)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Tag Gramatika Bibliya (Filipino)
https://bible.ryl.hk Chinese Bible (Chinese)
Some people bemoan their live and mugs say it all:
The good life 24:7
I saved you a seat.
Eat. Play. Sleep. Repeat.
Born to golf, forced to work!
Born to shop, forced to work!
Born to fish, forced to work!
Born to drink beer, forced to work!
What is to live the good life? Is it to have a good time? Enjoy good stuff? Be a good person? Join a good cause? Do good deeds? Good relationship with others? Think good thoughts? Finish well?
Honor God and Harness Your Aggression
1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.
One day A. J. Gordon met an old man singing. ¡¡±Friend,¡ÆØ said Dr. Gordon, ¡¡±why should an old man be so cheerful?¡ÆØ ¡¡±Not all are.¡ÆØ ¡¡±Well, then, why are you?¡ÆØ ¡¡±Because I belong to the Lord.¡ÆØ ¡¡±And are none others happy at your time of life?¡ÆØ ¡¡±No, not one, my friendly questioner,¡ÆØ said he, and his form straightened. ¡¡±Listen to the truth from one who knows, and no man of threescore and ten shall be found to deny it: The devil has no happy old men!¡ÆØ (William Moses Tidwell, ¡¡±Pointed Illustrations¡ÆØ)
What¡¦s most important to a man? A soul. What is most important to a soul? God our Creator.
This chapter has the most ¡¡±man¡ÆØ (ish) in any chapter (vv 2 twice, 3) and the original soul ¡¡±adam¡ÆØ six times (vv 1, 7, 10, 11, 12 twice). Along with chapters 2 and 8, chapter 6 has the most references to ¡¡±man.¡ÆØ
The irony of this verse is that the ¡¡±soul¡ÆØ (v 2, ¡¡±hearts¡ÆØ in NIV) has no need for riches wealth and honor. The body is insatiable, but the soul is non-material. The chapter talks the most about the soul (vv 2, 3, 7, 9) in the entire book. The soul is a person¡¦s breath, body and being.
The contrast is between riches and wealth, which are material things, versus the immaterial soul, to eat (v 2), which is the body¡¦s needs. The soul is the emotional , relational (especially with God) and fundamental side of men and women.
The soul is contrasted with riches, wealth and honor. Honor is splendor, or glory/glorious in Hebrew. It is the fame, the face, the façade and front of men.
The contrast with man is God (v 2). The word ¡¡±ability¡ÆØ that God gives (v 2) is translated as rule ( Neh 5:15), power (Est 9:1) and dominion (Ps 119:133). It is more than mere ability. Ability is mild; authority is better. God has the authority to give power to those who eats. Man has limited and lesser and even least control of his destiny and durability than he thinks. Man is limited by his age, appetite, anxiety, ailment and ability ¡V man is no superman or savior.
Harbor Good and Hasten to Help
3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man¡X 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?
This chapter is special in that the number ¡¡±many¡ÆØ (vv 1, 3 twice) and ¡¡±years¡ÆØ (vv 3 twice, 6) repeats three times, more in this chapter than any chapter in Ecclesiastes. The range of translations for ¡¡±many¡ÆØ include great (Gen 6:5), many (Gen 21:34), enough (Gen 24:25), elder (Gen 25:23), much (Gen 30:43), more (Ex 1:9), multitude (Ex 12:38), abundantly (Num 20:11), populous (Deut 26:5) and increased (1 Sam 14:19). From the contrast with the external distinction and due, now we have contrast with the extended days and duration.
Some have more riches and respect, and some have more years and better health. The person in question has many years, so that the days of his years are long or ¡¡±many¡ÆØ in Hebrew (Eccl 6:3). The phrase ¡¡±enjoy his prosperity¡ÆØ is ¡¡±filled with good¡ÆØ in Hebrew. The word ¡¡±filled¡ÆØ is translated as satisfied (Lev 26:26), weary (Prov 25:17), plenty (Prov 28:19), have enough (Isa 56:11). This is not the regular word for fill, but not the quantity but the quality, not the measure but the meaning, not the amount but the abundance.
No burial (v 3) is very painful to a family. Before she died on May 22, 2016, my wife asked me if I could keep her my side if we could not find a permanent place of rest for her. At that time we have no idea where people in Hong Kong were buried until a staff in church told me her recently deceased mother¡¦s urn was interned for HK$15,000 at a Christian cemetery. Most family members placed their loved ones¡¦ urn at a funeral agent¡¦s office before the urn spot is ready,, but I took my wife¡¦s urn home (June 27, 2016) a month after her cremation ashes were returned to me because I couldn¡¦t bear for her to be at an empty office overnight for more than two and a half months now. It was a decision I had so much peace. I handed my application form on August 15 for a spot at the cemetery but at the moment (Sept 11, 2016) I am still waiting for news. My emotions surged on the day I handed in my form. I decided that her best place of rest might be home, so I asked a friend to introduce me to his friend who did the same and I picked up my courage to alert her sister and his husband on September 2. They were divided on the decision. No burial means no concern or care, no closure, no connectedness, comfort, continuance.
A person¡¦s riches are not bound in his acquisition or achievement, but in his affection and acceptance to others. A man without burial means he is unloved. In the Old Testament people risk their lives for loved ones, such as Samson brothers and all the house of his father came down, and claimed his body and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoah his father (Judg 16:31). In the same way all the valiant men took the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. (1 Sam 31:12, 1 Chron 10:12). In the New Testament John the Baptist¡¦s disciples came for his body (Matt 14:12), and so did Joseph of Arimathea who took the body of Jesus from Pilate (John 19:38).
While the word ¡¡±good¡ÆØ occurs frequently in the book, the phrase ¡¡±not good¡ÆØ (v 3, 8 ¡¡±cannot¡Kprosperity¡ÆØ) is striking in chapter 6.
Chapter six is renowned for its most number of ¡¡±not¡ÆØ ¤E(vv 2, 3 twice, 5 twice,
6 twice, 7, 10), nine times in the book, more than any chapter in the book. The seven ¡¡±not¡ÆØ in this section are:
Eccl 6:3 his soul be not ¡¡±filled¡ÆØ with ¡¡±good¡ÆØ
Eccl 6:3 no burial
Eccl 6:5 not ¡¡±seen¡ÆØ the sun
Eccl 6:5 nor ¡¡±known¡ÆØ any thing
Eccl 6:6 seen no ¡¡±good¡ÆØ
Eccl 6:7 appetite is not ¡¡±filled¡ÆØ
Plus verses 2 and 10:
Eccl 6:2 yet God giveth him not power to eat
Eccl 6:10 neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.
Verses 3 and 7¡¦s ¡¡±filled¡ÆØ are paired, verse 3¡¦s not filled with good and verse 6 seen no good are a pair, and so is verse 5¡¦s seen and known.
A man has to taste good and feel good in his life to be and show good to others. Not experiencing good and favor but experiencing gloom and futility results in a disheartened, dejected and depressed person. Most time mentioned darkness (v 4) in Ecclesiastes.
Good can be quality not just quantity. It includes tender loving kindness (TLK), virtue, morality, nobleness, decency, graciousness and dignity. Can you imagine living around evil, depravity, corruption, wickedness, wontonness, meanness, unkindness, nastiness, cruelty, heartless, ruthless, exploitation.
The vanity in verse 4 comes with a reason ¡¡±for¡ÆØ in Hebrew. Vanity means devoid, deserted, depleted. Vanity is the contrast to fullness or satisfaction. Vanity is no depth and delight versus darkness and dread.
Humble Yourself and Hope in God
7 Everyone¡¦s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied. 8 What advantage have the wise over fools? What do the poor gain by knowing how to conduct themselves before others? 9 Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 10 Whatever exists has already been named, and what humanity is has been known; no one can contend with someone who is stronger. 11 The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? 12 For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?
On Tuesday a BSF leader (Sept 6th 2016) texted me to see if I can meet a man who lost his wife by the name of May to cancer end of June, about a month later than Doris¡¦ passing away. He is back in Hong Kong for two weeks and he wanted to connect with me, a person who shares his experience. His wife was baptized in Yan Fook in 2010, and Lincoln is a new Christian.
The next day Wednesday (Sept 7th 2016), I met with Lincoln and asked him how he was saved. I requested it in writing from him later:
¡¡±Why and how do men exist? What's the meaning of life? How to face death? These questions had always been in my mind. I had been searching for an answer. I went to church. I studied books on philosophy and Buddhism. I thought that I could obtain the answer by knowledge and hard work. I also thought that I could only have a religious belief only if I had fully understand and proved everything. My wife is a devoted Christian. She also served in church. I accompany my wife to church but I doubted about the preaching. Once, my wife introduced Pastor So to me. He talked about gospel, but I'm doubtful. Sometimes, I heard about witnesses and felt moved. But I would tell myself I'm being too irrational and too haste. In 2015, we knew that wife had cancer. I felt worried and helpless. I called a former running coach. I cried and said sorry to God. There had been too much pride in me. I had been doing things in my own ways. I had rejected God. Now God had forgiven me. I confirmed my belief before Pastor So.¡ÆØ Lincoln Ho
Verses 7 is a progression:
6:7 mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
9 eyes, desire/soul, spirit
In verse 10 in Hebrew ¡¡±named¡ÆØ and ¡¡±known¡ÆØ is in passive (Niphal) verb. The verb ¡¡±know¡ÆØ occurs 37 times in Ecclesiastes, of which this is its only passive voice. The key verbs are ¡¡±can/able¡ÆØ +and ¡¡±contend¡ÆØ (diyn) which is translated as strive (Gen 6:3), judge (Gen 15:14), plead (Prov 31:9), execute (Jer 21:12).
It implies to interrogate, inspect, investigate, intervene, invalidate or improve on his judgment, which is His decisions, deeds, declarations, determination and design.
The root word for ¡¡±contend¡ÆØ is as old as ¡¡±Adonai,¡ÆØ which is ¡¡±lord, master, head or sovereign, superior. This is a also a contrast with God¡¦s ability to enjoy (v 2). Judgment means His decisions, deeds, declarations, determination, design,
The word ¡¡±stronger¡ÆØ (v 10) is a hapax legomena word in the Bible, occurring only once in the Bible, but its root word occurs three times in the Bible, all translated as prevailest (Job 14:20, 15:24, Eccl 4:12).
Conclusion:
The declaration that the ¡¡±Lord is good¡ÆØ (1 Chron 16:34, 2 Chron 5:13, 2 Chron 7:3, Ezra 3:11, Ps 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, 29, 136:1) or ¡¡±He is good¡ÆØ (Ps 34:8, 100:5, 135:3, 145:9, Jer 33:11, Lam 3:25, Nah 1:7) resounds in the Bible. Do you wait for him, seeketh him (Lam 3:25)? Do you trust in Him (Ps 34:8)? Do you
sing praises unto his name (Ps 135:3)?
