‘Everything that has been done under the sun’
[Ecclesiastes 8:9-13]
What are you seeing and feeling as you live in this world day by day? And what do you say when you think about what you see and feel? I personally can not but agree with Psalm 90:10 that one of the things I see and feel is indeed the burden and sorrow of this world. I also fully agree with the one of the Korean hymn saying, ‘There are many sorrows in this world.’ I am totally agreeable with the hymn saying that the world is filled with sorrows, hardships, and sins, and death, because it is what I see and hear and feel as I live. So, I have concluded that while I live in this world that is like a wilderness, there is nothing but the Lord who I can look to and depend on. Therefore, I have the heart that I should make the Lord my hope and prepare to live for the world to come. What kind of mind do you live with? As you live in this world, what conclusions do you make when you think deeply about what you see, hear and feel?
As we look at Ecclesiastes 8: 9, we can see a glimpse of King Solomon looking at everything he does under the sun with all his heart. We see King Solomon making his own conclusions about the things he has wrought in God's wisdom. The conclusion is, in one word, that those who fear God will do well.
Look at Ecclesiastes 8:12 – “Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.” King Solomon looks after all the things that are done under the sun with all his heart (v. 9). His conclusion is that the wicked are not good (v. 13) but those who fear God will be well (v. 12). Look at verse 13: “But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.” King Solomon clearly states that it will not be well for the evil man. The Bible says that even though the sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life (v. 12), it will not be well for him and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow (v. 13). Why is that? The reason is that the sinner does not fear God (v. 13). The sinner who does not fear God is bold to do evil because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly (v. 11). His heart is given fully to do evil (v. 11). What is the point? The punishment is not carried out so quickly that the heart of the sinner is bold to do evil. If God's punishment comes quickly when we are not repenting after sin, then we will not speed up sinning in fear. But God is waiting for us to repent and return because he is slow in anger and longsuffering. So since God doesn’t punish us quickly, we commit sins boldly.
In today's text, the evil wicked man who was able to do the evil that King Solomon had spoken of is the evil king who rules his people (Park, Yun-sun). How can we know this? When you look at the second half of verse 9, you can see from King Solomon's whole heart that he looked at everything that he did under the sun, that he saw a man has exercised authority over others to his own hurt. Here, “a man” who has exercised authority over “others” refers to the king who ruled the people of a nation. King Solomon saw that this king was hurting himself by ruling the people. Why is that? Look at verse 10: “Then too, I saw the wicked buried--those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.” The reason is that the evil king himself will also die (Park Yun-sun). And he will also be forgotten among the ruling people, so King Solomon is saying, "This too is meaningless."
How shall we live? Look at 3 John 1:2: “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” How can we receive this blessing? How can our soul prosper? King Solomon teaches us the secret in Ecclesiastes 8: 12-13: “Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.” The secret is to fear God. As a result of examining all the things King Solomon has done in this world, the wicked who boldly commit sin without fearing God will seem to live long, but never will live long and his life will be like a shadow. But it will be well with those who fear God. In order for our souls to be well, we must fear God. We must fear God and obey God's command in order for our souls to be well in all circumstances (12:13). I hope and pray that we all enjoy the blessings that are good in all things because we all fear God and obey God's Word.