Ecc 8:14 | KingComments | STEP | In the Preacher is back to his observations under the sun. He makes that clear by speaking about “what is done on the earth”. He has come to the conclusion that things are upside down, that things happen that are contrarian, that fill every sincere human being with disgust. It is about the situation that there are righteous men to whom it goes according to the deeds of the wicked and conversely that there are evil men to whom it goes according to the deeds of the righteous. If things happen like that on earth, it is pointless for one to make effort to make something out of life. When the existence of man would be limited to his life on earth, then it would indeed be “futility”, something like a vapor, which is seen for a short time and then disappeared. Only in the light of eternity the volatile transits into permanency. The observation of makes the Preacher lament that man is better off with simple forms of pleasure ( ). It does not change anything about the labor, but it makes it more bearable ( ). Everything is better than getting no gratitude or small gratitude or no appreciation because the wicked runs off with the honor you deserve. Pleasure is the most beautiful thing that a man, who is only focused on his earthly career, can achieve. He does not bother one single moment about the unsolvable mysteries of Providence, but he carelessly enjoys the good gifts of the Creator daily, even though it is without thanking Him for it. The joy of the new testament believer is not related to the things that the earth offers, but to heaven, where he can enjoy the fellowship with the Father and the Son ( ). That fellowship gives a full joy. Christ is the Source of our joy ( ). We can help one another to know joy and be a support to make others become joyful ( ), so that they can go their way with joy ( ). The research that the Preacher has done wholeheartedly, in order to find out the deeper meaning of life, has yielded only the awareness that all deeds done on earth produce no lasting results, even if someone would do things day and night without a moment’s sleep ( ). All effort, when seen horizontally, makes no sense. There is something else that the Preacher has discovered, and that is that God works ( ). It is not about His creation work, but about His hand in history. In the light of eternity, God’s work takes place in world history and also in our own lives, whereby God goes straight to His goal. There is where the deeper sense of life lies. The conclusion that God works, does not however, give the Preacher the answer to the question why God works as He does. To see that God works does not mean that we know how He works and what He is up to. Not a single person can discover that, no matter how hard he labors to discover it ( ; ). And if there is a wise man who claims that he knows it, it is arrogance, for no mortal man can discover the depths of God’s work. Still, the conclusion that God works, can give peace. We do not have to wear ourselves out to search the work of God. We simply cannot. With all the mysteries we can encounter in life, the distortion of good and bad, we can trust that right through everything God does His work and accomplishes His purpose. That we only have questions and no answers, does not have to make us desperate. Let’s realize that God is God and that He is not obliged to account to us for His actions. He can keep things to Himself because He does not find it useful that we know them. Job has experienced it in his search for the meaning of the suffering that came upon him. With all his why-questions he could only rely on God. God let Job rage till he was finished and then asked him more than 70 questions. Those questions make it clear that He directs everything in His creation, that He is at work and that nothing is out of His control. He Himself is the answer to Job’s questions.

‏ Ecclesiastes 8:14

Which Is Done on the Earth and God’s Work

In Ecc 8:14 the Preacher is back to his observations under the sun. He makes that clear by speaking about “what is done on the earth”. He has come to the conclusion that things are upside down, that things happen that are contrarian, that fill every sincere human being with disgust. It is about the situation that there are righteous men to whom it goes according to the deeds of the wicked and conversely that there are evil men to whom it goes according to the deeds of the righteous.

If things happen like that on earth, it is pointless for one to make effort to make something out of life. When the existence of man would be limited to his life on earth, then it would indeed be “futility”, something like a vapor, which is seen for a short time and then disappeared. Only in the light of eternity the volatile transits into permanency.

The observation of Ecc 8:14 makes the Preacher lament that man is better off with simple forms of pleasure (Ecc 8:15). It does not change anything about the labor, but it makes it more bearable (Ecc 2:24). Everything is better than getting no gratitude or small gratitude or no appreciation because the wicked runs off with the honor you deserve. Pleasure is the most beautiful thing that a man, who is only focused on his earthly career, can achieve. He does not bother one single moment about the unsolvable mysteries of Providence, but he carelessly enjoys the good gifts of the Creator daily, even though it is without thanking Him for it.

The joy of the new testament believer is not related to the things that the earth offers, but to heaven, where he can enjoy the fellowship with the Father and the Son (1Jn 1:4). That fellowship gives a full joy. Christ is the Source of our joy (Jn 15:11 ; Jn 16:22). We can help one another to know joy and be a support to make others become joyful (2Cor 1:24), so that they can go their way with joy (Acts 8:39).

The research that the Preacher has done wholeheartedly, in order to find out the deeper meaning of life, has yielded only the awareness that all deeds done on earth produce no lasting results, even if someone would do things day and night without a moment’s sleep (Ecc 8:16). All effort, when seen horizontally, makes no sense.

There is something else that the Preacher has discovered, and that is that God works (Ecc 8:17). It is not about His creation work, but about His hand in history. In the light of eternity, God’s work takes place in world history and also in our own lives, whereby God goes straight to His goal. There is where the deeper sense of life lies.

The conclusion that God works, does not however, give the Preacher the answer to the question why God works as He does. To see that God works does not mean that we know how He works and what He is up to. Not a single person can discover that, no matter how hard he labors to discover it (Ecc 3:11; Job 11:7-9). And if there is a wise man who claims that he knows it, it is arrogance, for no mortal man can discover the depths of God’s work.

Still, the conclusion that God works, can give peace. We do not have to wear ourselves out to search the work of God. We simply cannot. With all the mysteries we can encounter in life, the distortion of good and bad, we can trust that right through everything God does His work and accomplishes His purpose. That we only have questions and no answers, does not have to make us desperate.

Let’s realize that God is God and that He is not obliged to account to us for His actions. He can keep things to Himself because He does not find it useful that we know them. Job has experienced it in his search for the meaning of the suffering that came upon him. With all his why-questions he could only rely on God. God let Job rage till he was finished and then asked him more than 70 questions. Those questions make it clear that He directs everything in His creation, that He is at work and that nothing is out of His control. He Himself is the answer to Job’s questions.