Death Comes to All

 

 

Ecclesiastes 9:1-6

 

Death Comes to All

But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him.   It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.   This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that, they go to the dead.   But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.   For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.  Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

What we do know about our Father in heaven is that He alone is the giver of life and that He saw us before we were and number the days on planet earth.  We also know that God desires all people to repent and turn to Him for forgiveness, and yet though He desires that no one perish, the heart of man is evil and desires to not have authority over them; God calls that person wicked.  We understand these things about the wicked; The wicked despise wisdom and instruction.  Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  The wicked despise the commands of Scripture. Proverbs 13:13 says, “The one who despises the word will be in debt to it, But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.”  The wicked despise God Himself.  Proverbs 14:2 says, “He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.”  The wicked despise their fellow man.  Proverbs 14:21 says, “He who despises his neighbor sins, But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.”  The wicked despise family.  Proverbs 15:20 says, “A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother.”   The wicked despise discipline.  Proverbs 15:32 says, “He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.”  The wicked despise authority.  2 Peter 2:9-10 says, “Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.  Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties.”   The wicked despise Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 53:3 says, “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”  (This portion was taken from Relevant Bible Teaching, not in the whole but in part.)

 

It seems to this writer that Solomon, is giving each of us some great information, the life God has given you on planet earth, choices, and you get to choose in fact, we have Joshua 24:14-15 to direct us.  “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  And in case you missed it, no redoes, it's your time to make that choice, and for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

 

From the Back Porch, 

 

Bob Rice