Reading the Word
Ecclesiastes 8:14–15 (ESV)
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
Understanding and Applying the Word
In verse 14, we read what has been stated earlier in Ecclesiastes. Life does not always give us the outcomes we expect. Sometimes the wicked live long and prosperous lives and sometimes the righteous live short and difficult lives. It all seems like vanity. Solomon’s conclusion is that we should simply seek to find joy in the days that we have.
The writer of Ecclesiastes seeks to find meaning and purpose and fulfillment in life from a naturalistic perspective. He speaks of his thinking as “life under the sun”. However, he also reminds us that life is more than this. He reminds us that our lives are given to us by God. It is because of God that we can find joy and contentment in this life that often seems unfair. It is because of God that we know that there is more and that the righteous will be rewarded and the wicked will be judged.
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