Life Is Short (Ecc 9:1–10)

One of the frustrating and confusing mysteries of life is death. All men are in God’s hand (9:1), and every one experiences death (9:2). It does not matter if they are good or bad, religious or irreligious, honest or dishonest: every one faces death (9:3). This fear of death unites man: the writer says it is better to be poor and weak and still alive, then powerful and rich and dead (9:4). We often say that we value “life over limb.” Once someone is dead, they cannot come back and change their life; their future is sealed (9:5–6).
Because of the certainty of death, the Preacher encourages us to find enjoyment and fulfillment in what we do have in this life: enjoying the small delights of every day life (9:7). We shouldn’t cower before our impending demise, but enjoy the time we have now (9:8). If you are married, you should enjoy your spouse, and the pleasure of their companionship (9:9). Wherever God has planted you, you should bloom and grow for his glory in the time on this earth that he has given you (9:10).
Life is uncertain. Sometimes the strong, the powerful, those who have great physical endurance die young (9:11). We do not know how many years (or maybe just days!) we have left in our lives (9:12). Therefore, it is better to be wise in the time God gives us than simply to be powerful or rich (9:16). For example, imagine a powerful army coming to crush a small, weak city. However, one poor but wise man devises a plan to thwart the army, and their plans are foiled. No one remembers the name of that poor, wise man, they just remember that the great army failed and was turned back. But, as the Preacher said, it’s better to be wise and alive than rich and dead. The pointlessness of power and wealth is made even more clear when we see how temporary it is: you can’t take it with you! Life is short; enjoy what God has given for his glory!

Life As We Know It (Ecc 8:1–17)

As we live out the days of our sometimes frustrating and confusing existence on this earth, the Preacher gives us a few pointers. First, we must obey the authorities that God has set up. Wisdom (godliness) makes a difference in daily life (8:1), and the wise person submits to God’s authority as well as the earthly authority figures He has set up (8:2–4; cf. Rom 13:1). The best way to avoid trouble in this life is to obey authority (8:5). Many things in life we cannot control, but one thing we can do is submit to authority (8:6–9).
Second, we ought to fear God. Since man is not always punished immediately for his wrongdoing, he assumes that he has gotten away with his sin (8:10–11). However, the truly wise (godly) person realizes that life consists of more than just the few short years of our physical existence (8:12). While the wicked person may get along fine here, he must answer one day to God for his deeds (8:13). A wise person fears, reverences, and obeys God.
Third, we ought to remember that God is God. Again, as we look around, we see that not only do the wicked sometimes go unpunished, sometimes they even seem to be rewarded (8:14)! That might cause us to try to get what we can in this life (8:15). However, the Preacher realized life is more than what we can see (8:16). God is in sovereign control of all things, and we as human beings will never know all that God does or why he does it (8:17). We must let God be God and remember that He is the Creator and we are the creation.
Since God is Sovereign of the universe and knows all things, we ought to treat him as such. Therefore, we must fear him, obeying the things that he has commanded us to do. Furthermore, we ought to obey and submit to the authorities he has set over us in this life. This is a wise and godly way to go through life as we know it.

Do Right Because It’s Right (Ecc 7:15–29)

One of the frustrating and confusing mysteries of life is why those who do wrong sometimes seem to prosper, while those who do good sometimes suffer hardship (7:15). The Preacher’s answer is that fearing God is never a foolish choice (7:16–18). God will punish sin, even if he does not do it immediately. Wise and godly living is a benefit to any person (7:19). Despite our best intentions, each of us is a sinner and in no way perfect (7:20). We are easily offended by what others say of us, but we have often wronged others with our words (7:21–22). Perfection eludes all of us because we are sinful (7:23–24).
Even when we try to do what is right and pursue God in our lives, others may lay traps and try to lure us into evil (7:25–26). It is rare to find a person who is committed to obeying God and pleasing him in all things, and it is even more rare for a person to avoid the snares and temptations around him (7:27–28). God created us to obey him, but we have desired “our own way,” trying to be our own little “gods” (7:29; cf Isa 53:6).
In your life, it may seem difficult or even impossible to do what is right. Others may be trying to trap you or lure you into sin, and you feel like you are constantly beleaguered by temptation. Your own sinful desires rise up and want to disobey God. Your personal failures in the past discourage you and cause you to want to give up. But godly living is not something we pursue for immediate gratification, personal satisfaction, or physical pleasure. Rather, a life lived to God’s glory is a tribute to the longevity of eternity, doing what is right because it’s right.
If you look around and wonder what the benefit here on earth of obeying God is, you may become frustrated and discouraged. We must keep our eyes on our Creator, who commands us to live wisely, and do what is right because it’s right.