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.