Reading the Word
Ecclesiastes 9:1–3 (ESV)
9 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. 2 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. 3 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.
Understanding and Applying the Word
No matter who you are. No matter what you have done. There is one thing that is true for every one of us. We are all going to die. The wicked and the righteous, the moral and the immoral, as well as the religious and the irreligious all face the same end. This all seems like vanity. How can we make any sense of life where death is the reality for all?
The clue is in the first verse. We are all in the hand of God. It is God that makes the difference. Yes, we will all face physical death, but because Jesus conquered the grave, those who trust in him are promised that the grave is not our final destination. There is resurrection and eternal life for all who believe and belong to Jesus. So, the true final destination is not the same for all. The wicked and rebellious will face eternal condemnation, while the righteous and those of faith will live in the presence of God in a new creation where sin and death are no more. All is not vanity in Christ.
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