Ecclesiastes Chapter Three cont... Man is worth much more than the beasts

19 “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity”.

Once again we see the depressing conclusion of Solomon, that man is no better off than a beast because each will eventually die. This statement neglects the very purpose of man; that he is to fulfill the plan of God for his life. Of course we all know that everyone will die; the measurement is not that everything gets old and eventually dies, the measurement is how much of the plan and purposes of God are fulfilled in our lives before we die. We should live every single day with a core value that God has a purpose for us and we are worth much more than the beasts (Matt 10:29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows”) This is just one of the many distinctions between man and beast. Ask yourself this question: “Have I used my time wisely”; perhaps we need to re-evaluate and pray the prayer of Moses in Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom”.  If we believe (and we should) that God has a plan for every life then we must be actively seeking to have it fulfilled in our lives. This is what distinguishes us from mere beasts!

20 “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again”.

All go unto one place, however, it is not just to the dust, it is into eternity but it is not the same place in eternity for everyone. To one who fears God and has fulfilled His plan for their life it is eternal reward, peace and joy. To the wicked and unredeemed it is a place of punishment and torment; to the beast they simply die and return to the dust. However, this is not the only thing to be learned here; Solomon reveals what happens to someone who has backslidden participating in sinful behavior. Through sinful deeds a veil comes over one’s mind and they lose their vision for the eternal. Solomon, in his backslidden condition, retains his ability to understand concepts but all he can use it for is to see the futility of this life. We live, we die and turn to dust, says he, without purpose. And so he concludes that the best we can do is to enjoy this brief existence eating and drinking and making merry (Eccl 3:22). O' how much he missed because he lost hope in the life to come (1 Cor 15:17-19)!

21 “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth”?

One of the pitfalls of a backslidder is skepticism; this is because they have lost faith, “…the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Solomon is filled with self doubt and fears; as a result of this state he falls into depression. The basic understanding of Solomon would have been given to him from his father David who most certainly would have taught Solomon about the eternal resting place of the righteous and the wicked. Solomon, however, through his careless living had fallen into doubt. This is actually a warning sign for a believer who is turning backslider; they begin to lose a grasp on the things they once held dear and the formulate opinions that are very negative, they become propagators of the “Gospel of Doubt”.