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. 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. 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. But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.
Comment: The wisdom literature is for us to ponder over and think about. That is not to say that we can think about it and then, out of hand, say ‘Well, that’s wrong!’ And yet taken absolutely literally it is sometimes wrong. For instance does ‘their deeds are in the hand of God‘, mean that whatever happens is handed out by the hand of God? Then it talks about – love and hate; righteous and wicked; good and evil; clean and unclean; practicing sacrifices or not; those faithful and those unfaithful to their promises; the good person and the rotter – it doesn’t seem to matter the same sort of things happen to all – from the Hand of God. What do you think the author means when he talks about us all being wicked in our hearts and not only on earth but we take our perverse and evil natures into the after life?
‘For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.’ Their character, good or bad, has passed (perished) and their affect on and effectiveness of ‘all that is done under the sun‘ has ceased. Many think like that! But you may ask ‘Do the deserted, maltreated, suffering children who struggle through life never think about the effect their parents’ behaviour had on them? And beyond that is there purification (purgatory) or judgement to come?
We are left thinking but remembering that such passages need to be read remembering i) why did the author write it? ii) what is the ‘book’ context? iii) what does it mean in the whole context of the Bible? This is a provocative passage – challenging deep thought!
Prayer: Help me to put these writings to Your intentioned purpose of having them in the Bible.
As I read it! 