Ecc 9:7 | KingComments | STEP | These verses contain advice. Life has only death as a perspective. Well, that is why the advice is to make of life what you can make of it. Do not despair and gloom, but go on your way and enjoy life. Be happy if you have bread to eat and enjoy your wine. Bread and wine give strength ( ; ). You might as well remember that God grants it to you. He gives you the opportunity to enjoy it. It is all according to His plan, for He had already ordained it as a regulation for His creation. Therefore it is perfectly lawful for man to enjoy it. As new testament believers, we know that God “has created food to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer” ( ). Moreover, we can rejoice in a living hope, even in the midst of trouble, because our hope is Christ in Whom we rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory ( ). The Preacher advises us to make sure that our “clothes are white all the time” ( ). White clothes seem especially to refer to purity ( ). A life in purity also helps to ensure us that the joy in eating the bread and drinking the wine will not be disturbed. The first characteristic of wisdom from above, is purity ( ). Impurity corrupts the real joy. In addition, “let not oil be lacking” on our head. Oil is an ointment, which prevents dehydration, it keeps the skin smooth and spreads a sweet odor. Isaiah speaks about “the oil of gladness instead of mourning” ( ). He who sees life as a gift from God and enjoys it as such, will radiate that. The wearing of white clothes and oil on the head are the contrary of black clothes and ashes on the head, which are an expression of mourning. In a spiritual sense it means that the believer leads a life in which there is no room for the defilement of sin ( ). In addition to that, our life will spread a pleasant smell, as oil does. Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit ( ). If He can work in our lives, it will be noticed by our environment. People will find it pleasant to get in touch with us. The third advice refers to the marital relationship ( ). Also marriage is a matter that makes life pleasant and gives strength in a life that is full of frustration. Marriage is a gift from God and may be enjoyed as such, but exclusively “with the woman you love”. Never should life be enjoyed with a woman other than one’s own wife. Only toward her there can be talk of love. Love which is cherished toward another woman is not enjoying love, but satisfying one’s sinful lusts. Of all advices that are given in to enjoy life, it must be said that its enjoyment is limited to the “fleeting days” of life on earth. “This is your reward” indicates that it is a gift from God and that it is the best part of all earthly pleasures that makes one’s “toil” in which he has “labored under the sun” somewhat bearable. The addition “in life” implies the suggestion that man should look further than the earthly life and seek a better part in a future life. Marriage is an earthly pleasure that makes the labor with which one labors “under the sun” at least somewhat meaningful, no matter how temporary this pleasure may be. After eating and drinking ( ), purity and joy ( ) and a good marriage ( ), the exhortation comes in that we do our daily activities with all our might. “Whatever your hand finds to do”, not only means ‘do whatever you by accident find to do’, but also ‘do whatever is possible to work, and seize every chance you get to use all your might’. This must happen “with all your might”, means ‘with everything that lies within your power’, with the use of all capacities (cf. ; ). Death makes an end to all searching and all labor with all our might on earth. When death enters in a person’s life, “no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom” can be expected from him anymore. Every form of labor, whether it is handiwork or thinking, has ceased, forever. In the grave, where man goes, he lies motionless, lifeless. For us, the exhortation is that we always will be abounding in the work of the Lord, just because we know that there will be a resurrection where He will reward the results of the work that we have done for Him. Therefore it says that our “toil is not [in] vain in the Lord” ( ). ‘In vain’ has the meaning of ‘empty’, which means without result. That is exactly contrary to the conclusion of the Preacher, which in itself is right, because he only makes observations under the sun and passes on the results Because we know that there will be a resurrection, we shall work as long as it is day ( ). There comes a time that it will not be possible anymore, namely when we lie in the grave. Therefore we need to make the most of our time ( ; ) and not grow weary in doing good ( ).

‏ Ecclesiastes 9:7

Enjoy the Good and Work As Long as You Live

These verses contain advice. Life has only death as a perspective. Well, that is why the advice is to make of life what you can make of it. Do not despair and gloom, but go on your way and enjoy life. Be happy if you have bread to eat and enjoy your wine.

Bread and wine give strength (Gen 14:18; Lam 2:12a). You might as well remember that God grants it to you. He gives you the opportunity to enjoy it. It is all according to His plan, for He had already ordained it as a regulation for His creation. Therefore it is perfectly lawful for man to enjoy it.

As new testament believers, we know that God “has created food to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer” (1Tim 4:3-5). Moreover, we can rejoice in a living hope, even in the midst of trouble, because our hope is Christ in Whom we rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory (1Pet 1:3-8).

The Preacher advises us to make sure that our “clothes are white all the time” (Ecc 9:8). White clothes seem especially to refer to purity (Rev 3:4-5 ; 18). A life in purity also helps to ensure us that the joy in eating the bread and drinking the wine will not be disturbed. The first characteristic of wisdom from above, is purity (Jam 3:17). Impurity corrupts the real joy.

In addition, “let not oil be lacking” on our head. Oil is an ointment, which prevents dehydration, it keeps the skin smooth and spreads a sweet odor. Isaiah speaks about “the oil of gladness instead of mourning” (Isa 61:3). He who sees life as a gift from God and enjoys it as such, will radiate that. The wearing of white clothes and oil on the head are the contrary of black clothes and ashes on the head, which are an expression of mourning.

In a spiritual sense it means that the believer leads a life in which there is no room for the defilement of sin (2Cor 7:1). In addition to that, our life will spread a pleasant smell, as oil does. Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit (1Jn 2:20 ; 27). If He can work in our lives, it will be noticed by our environment. People will find it pleasant to get in touch with us.

The third advice refers to the marital relationship (Ecc 9:9). Also marriage is a matter that makes life pleasant and gives strength in a life that is full of frustration. Marriage is a gift from God and may be enjoyed as such, but exclusively “with the woman you love”. Never should life be enjoyed with a woman other than one’s own wife. Only toward her there can be talk of love. Love which is cherished toward another woman is not enjoying love, but satisfying one’s sinful lusts.

Of all advices that are given in Ecc 9:7-9 to enjoy life, it must be said that its enjoyment is limited to the “fleeting days” of life on earth. “This is your reward” indicates that it is a gift from God and that it is the best part of all earthly pleasures that makes one’s “toil” in which he has “labored under the sun” somewhat bearable.

The addition “in life” implies the suggestion that man should look further than the earthly life and seek a better part in a future life. Marriage is an earthly pleasure that makes the labor with which one labors “under the sun” at least somewhat meaningful, no matter how temporary this pleasure may be.

After eating and drinking (Ecc 9:7), purity and joy (Ecc 9:8) and a good marriage (Ecc 9:9), the exhortation comes in Ecc 9:10 that we do our daily activities with all our might. “Whatever your hand finds to do”, not only means ‘do whatever you by accident find to do’, but also ‘do whatever is possible to work, and seize every chance you get to use all your might’. This must happen “with all your might”, means ‘with everything that lies within your power’, with the use of all capacities (cf. Jdg 9:33; 1Sam 10:7).

Death makes an end to all searching and all labor with all our might on earth. When death enters in a person’s life, “no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom” can be expected from him anymore. Every form of labor, whether it is handiwork or thinking, has ceased, forever. In the grave, where man goes, he lies motionless, lifeless.

For us, the exhortation is that we always will be abounding in the work of the Lord, just because we know that there will be a resurrection where He will reward the results of the work that we have done for Him. Therefore it says that our “toil is not [in] vain in the Lord” (1Cor 15:58). ‘In vain’ has the meaning of ‘empty’, which means without result. That is exactly contrary to the conclusion of the Preacher, which in itself is right, because he only makes observations under the sun and passes on the results

Because we know that there will be a resurrection, we shall work as long as it is day (Jn 9:4). There comes a time that it will not be possible anymore, namely when we lie in the grave. Therefore we need to make the most of our time (Eph 5:16; Col 4:5) and not grow weary in doing good (Gal 6:9-10).