Ecclesiastes 9:1-10:7
Dear RTB’ers,
More proverbs from the Preacher today – and his reflections on various thoughts. He always seems to come back to “vanity”, as I had suggested in my first post over Ecclesiastes. All that we do is vain – the good and the bad, the wise and the foolish, no gain for our efforts. Everything seems to be a waste of time to him, except seeking God – that is worthwhile.
So for today, more on those thoughts of wasted effort… 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. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time.. (vv. 9:2-3a, 11-12a) No matter what we do, same outcomes to us all.
So, my dozen years of post-high school education and nearly forty years of classroom teaching, all a waste of time? I hope not. But maybe C.T. Studd (1860-1931) had it right: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Your thoughts?
Blessings!
Fred