Ecclesiastes Chapter Seven "The End of all Men"

Ecclesiastes 7:1 “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth”.

“A good name is better than precious ointment…” but a good name is not automatic, it belongs to those with good character. Proverbs 22:1 relates to this same subject. What image is conjured up in the minds around us should our names be mentioned in their presence. The association of our name will most certainly be related to our works/behavior. And so, as a good name is greatly to be desired then we must strive to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord because that is the foundation of a good name.

"...the day of death than the day of one's birth". This certainly true if one has walked in the way prescribed by the Lord and they have a good name but it is not true if they, like Solomon, have lived a careless life and have lived recklessly. We will all have that appointed day when we depart this world; the question on our lips should be "Am I ready?" The answer very important question will depend on how one has lived their life. Solomon was a depressed man and this statement comes because he saw death as a way of alleviating the labor, suffering and toil of man, however, since he had not run the race well his death was not better than the day he was born.

2 “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart”.

"It is better to go to the house of mourning {a funeral} than to go to the house of feasting {a banquet}." This statement is coming from a depressed man and is partially true. In the sense that at a funeral you see "the end of all men"; there the living become sober and circumspect. At a funeral it is hard to be light hearted and carefree when we have a real life example of where everyone, man, woman and child is headed. However, that being said, it is not a statement that will always be true because there is coming a banquet called the marriage supper of the Lamb and those who miss it will mourn and so in that day it will be better to go the house of feasting than the house of mourning.

Predictions of the End of the World...credibility lost!

So the end of the world did not happen and once again Christianity gets a bad name. Because of this false prediction thousands have been disillusioned and 100 million dollars (one estimate) has been wasted! People are now faced with the humiliation of being horribly wrong in a very public way (It grieves me to the core to hear stories over and over again on how people quit jobs, sold homes, depleted life savings following this false prediction). Although I am sympathetic to the plight of many of these people, I cannot help but ask them “After the 1994 error, why did you still followed this man?”  Now people have to explain their humiliation; I heard one person over the weekend explain this false prediction this way “God is testing our faith”. Don’t blame God for this horribly erroneous prediction borne out of the heart of man (See Deut 18:20-22; he is identified as a false prophet). God does not deceive His people for the sake of testing their faith! He does however, send false prophets to test them, to see who will believe them and follow them (See Deut 13:1-3).

So is this a benign event that one can say “Oops, I made a mistake?” No, it is not!  People are now shaken, people are now broken and the world is once again laughing at the church and Christianity. If the Family Radio organization had any integrity at all they would issue a public apology and Harold Camping would be put out! Here is the problem in a nutshell. No Leadership! Harold Camping for years has been teaching people should leave their churches and be independent…that is horribly wrong at many levels and contrary to the scriptures (See Hebrews 10:23-25). My unsolicited advice to each one of the Family Radio staff is to flee from this man as fast as they can, find a good Bible believing church attend it faithfully and learn what the scriptures really say.

For those asking, is the end of the world near? Yes it is, however, two things must remain clear. 1) No man knows the day or the hour (See Matt 24:36) and 2) Certain events must take place first. (Matthew 24 is the best template to chronological events of the Last Days). Until those events come to pass you will not see the Second Coming (I recommend author Dr. Brian J. Bailey’s book on the Second Coming “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” for a clear account; it is available at www.amazon.com ).

My Prediction: More people are going to erroneously set dates, more people are going to believe those dates, false prophets are going to arise and more people are going to be deceived in spite of the fact that the scriptures give clear warnings… How can we avoid being deceived? Spend time in Gods Word, seek to love the Lord with all your heart and above all be obedient to the Lord. Those who with integrity of heart seek to do His will, will not be deceived (See John 7:17).

Ecclesiastes Chapter Six cont... Don't put your own personal happiness before the pleasure of God.

11 “Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better”?

Strong’s defines "Things" as relating to "Speech", for example: "seeing many things are spoken what is man the better for it?" In one sense this could be a true statement, of foolish words there is nothing to be gained. But it is obvious when you look at Ecclesiastes on the whole Solomon lost the value of good words, good doctrine, good teaching which produces good fruit (which benefits man considerably). This phrase "what is man the better" is a bit troubling because in the context of the Song of Solomon we see Solomon does have a serious focus problem, he is focusing on the benefits which “Man” may enjoy from the hand of “God” but very little is said about how “Man” may please his “Maker”. In short, it is not all about mans pleasure but rather it should be how we might please God!

12 “For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun”?

Again herein is the problem that many fall into; life does not consist in mans ability to seek pleasures and be fulfilled outside of the boundaries God has set. There are two primary objectives of man 1. Love the Lord our God with all our heart, our soul and our strength and our neighbor as ourselves, and 2. That Gods plans and purposes for our life be completely fulfilled. O' how we must remember how we are measured before Christ according to the plan of God for our lives and O' how we must seek the Lord that this plan be fulfilled. In order for it to be fulfilled we must do as we are bidden.

Concerning the plans and purposes of God lets consider Samson, he is for us an example of a man who through selfish living missed Gods greater plan for His life. The Lord graciously allowed him to recover somewhat in the end but O' what a tragedy that Samson was not in Gods harness, he could have exacted a much greater toll on the enemy. The point to our comment on this verse is that Solomon is focusing on man when he should have been focusing on his creator. If one pursues vanities then life for them will be vain and unfulfilling but if one lives a life with a heart seeking the Lord and serving Him seeking to please Him then they will have true peace and joy.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Six cont... DO NOT wander from the good path!

9 “Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit”.

Proverbs 30:7-9 might well be the impetuous of this verse; In other words better is a man who is satisfied with what he has than a covetous man who burns with desire for what he has not. 1 Tim 6:6 "but Godliness with contentment is great gain..." Solomon was a man who could not control his desires and it ruined him, many of his own proverbs now tormented him and he lived a life contrary to them now. His very life highlights the tragedy of one who ran after his lusts forsaking restraint and propriety then once he indulges in his lusts looks back longingly to the things he has forsaken along the way but is too ensnared in his indulgent lifestyle to return to carefulness and restraint. Like Proverbs 30:15-16 Solomon has lost his ability to restrain himself and to say, "Enough!"

10 “That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he”.

“That which hath been is named already” This is written in the spirit of 1 Peter 1:20 & Rev 13:8. The events of our lives have already been recorded in the foreknowledge of God. They have already been named, or recorded in a book (however, one must be careful to not misconstrue foreknowledge with predestination Rom 8:29 - predestined because of foreknowledge!) Whatever has come to be has already been named. 

“And it is known what man is” his frailties, his weaknesses are all known! Solomon is obviously depressed and speaking of the weaknesses and limitations of man in a spirit of gloom, however, for anyone who clearly understands the message from the beginning of creation knows that man was created and is a dependent creature and as such there should be no room for pride.

“And that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he”. This was the lesson Job learned; at one point he said "O' that he were before me, I would plead my case and He would agree with me (paraphrased)" but God concluded Job 4:17 "Shall mortal man be more just than God?"

God knows the beginning from the end; if we seek to please Him and set our lives in order before Him then He knows in spite of our frailties the end will be good but if a man, woman or even a child set themselves against Him then they will fail in this life no matter how strong. Let us develop this rest and confidence that if we do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord He will ensure our end is good. Do not be driven with the passions of this world but with all grace seek to remain on the good path.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Six cont... Do we just labor to satisfy our appetites?

7 “All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled”.

Here is an encouraging thought; all of the labor of man is to feed his mouth? No, this certainly should not be true of us, whilst we understand what Solomon is saying here (that mans labors are in vain) we must disagree with him. I have encountered people (who are earthly minded) who have concluded the same thing but here we must be careful. The question to ask Solomon is “What is man to labor for; is it just for the earthly appetite”? Certainly not, that would indeed be vexation of spirit; man is to labor for the eternal and to be able to say as Jesus “My meet is to do the will of Him that sent me”. Yes, we know Solomon is trying to make a point here about the futility of mans labor and how that one never seems to attain unto satisfaction. But here we must depart from the observation of Solomon because God’s gift to the laboring man who pleases Him is the power to enjoy even his earthly labors (Ecclesiastes 5:19).

8 “For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living”?

This seems a strange comment coming from the man who wrote "Wisdom is the principal thing, in all thy getting get understanding". Solomon has lost sight of the proper focus on life and the things that matter most. He is no longer striving to make right choices but is rather despairing because he has lost all discipline in his life and cannot live up to the wise counsels he once so freely advised others to follow, how sad. The mark of true wisdom is to be able to follow good counsel and to bear reproof:

Pro 14:16 "A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.";

Pro 10:8 "The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.";

Pro 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise."

Ecclesiastes Chapter Six cont... Ones confession is revealing

5 “Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other”.

Solomon is highlighting the benefits of a miscarriage over a man who has not seen "good things" or one who has lived a life of pleasure. One must be careful not to agree with Solomon in this statement; for one in this condition it is time to seek the Lord for a fresh personal reviving, this is in actuality a horrible confession. There are several righteous men is scriptures who in a weak moment in the midst of great personal suffering said in effect “I wish I were never born” (Job, for instance and also Jeremiah) but Solomon lived in luxury in a palace! No, something is very wrong with this mans walk and confession. It does highlight, for those who would strive to be rich with this worlds goods, that money, fame, and a luxurious lifestyle do not absolve a man of his own personal struggles. The fact of the matter is they amplify every weakness and in time that vice is fed into and their very soul comes into danger. O' there is no escaping the need for personal victory!

6 “Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place”?

The context of this book is how vain everything is, nothing has meaning. Here Solomon shows why he believes this error. He wrongfully concludes we all go to the same place (after the grave). However, the part of Solomon’s philosophy that is missing is on the other side of the grave, it is a splendid kingdom that is as real as the one he is currently living in. Where one goes in that world is entirely dependent on our godliness in this world. If he had lived a righteous life then he too could have been more hopeful about eternity.

Ecclesiastes Chapter Six cont... Solomon feared obscurity.

3 “If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he”.

Solomon is speaking of that which he himself feared; a meaningless existence. If a man lives his whole life in misery and does not see good then his life is in vain and it would be better that he was never born (bear in mind in order to see good in this life one must be good – God gives to the man that is good in His sight wisdom, knowledge and joy as we stated in Ecclesiastes 2:26). We can pick up where Solomon left off though, how much worse will it be for the man or woman who does not seek to love the Lord with all their heart; they too will live a vain existence but it will not just be limited to this life only but rather all eternity. This statement is not coming from the wise Solomon who made such astute observations of wisdom in proverbs; I would interject here that this statement comes from a man who had a warped sense of what was good (he tried all folly and madness to see what was good for the sons of men). At this point in his life he seems possessed by pleasures, parties and remembrance. These things, which seem to bring joy to men, actually do not add to the quality of life but rather wastes one existence. Colossians 3:2 “Seek those things which are above…” would have served Solomon very well. O' what a life was wasted in Solomon, he could have used his wealth and influence to make a profound impact in the world on behalf of the Lord God but instead he doted on selfish pursuits, pleasures and making for himself a name.

4 “For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness”.

He is talking about the same man in verse four that he spoke of in verse three; this is indeed the lot of those who forget God (although Solomon has not made that conclusion about this man, we observe it). There was a dark cloud that settled in on Solomon, I have seen this same cloud on men and women of our day. They conclude that just because a life does not sparkle and shine with many spectacular events of this world that it is a vain life, however, I would point out that history is full of men and women who never attained to much of what the word would call glitzy or glamorous and yet their lives were full and rich and their eternities sweet. They lived lives full of self sacrifice and piety and made a tremendous impact in this world (All the heroes of faith, to numerous to mention, who we love and hold dear throughout the ages). Solomon formed evil opinions about life; what was important and what was not. We should not think that just because one does not posses much of this worlds good or fame that their lives are wasted. In fact we need to ignore the circumstances of life all together because they do not tell the whole story; in all things seek the mind of Christ and formulate opinions based on that. Be careful about trying to assess things based solely on what we see or feel.