“The Good Life” - Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Shane Sowers

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In his book, Connecting, Larry Crabb writes:

A friend of mine was raised in an angry family. Mealtimes were either silent or sarcastically noisy. Down the street was an old-fashioned house with a big porch where a happy family lived. My friend told me that when he was about ten, he began excusing himself from his dinner table as soon as he could without being yelled at, and walking to the old-fashioned house down the street. If he arrived during dinnertime, he would crawl under the porch and just sit there, listening to the sounds of laughter.

When he told me this story, I asked him to imagine what it would have been like if the father in the house somehow knew he was huddled beneath the porch and sent his son to invite him in. I asked him to envision what it would have meant to him to accept the invitation, to sit at the table, to accidentally spill his glass of water, and hear the father roar with delight, "Get him more water! And a dry shirt! I want him to enjoy the meal!"

The Westminster shorter catechism question number 1 asks the question, “What is the chief-end of man?” The answer is very profound. “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” We spend a great deal of effort proclaiming the need to glorify God, but do we spend enough time declaring the need to enjoy our Lord. Some might say, well if you look at life there is not much to enjoy today. Sure there is difficulty in life but we cannot nor must not lose sight of all the gifts the Lord has given to us. There is still much to enjoy. There is still much to be thankful for. Solomon make this very clear today.

Ecclesiastes 9:7–10 NLT

So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne! Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

The grass withers the flower fades but the Word of our God stands forever.

Make the Most of It

Godly Pleasures

Gratitude

The first thing we will look at is how even though we are face to face with difficulty the Lord gives us enough to make the most of it. Second, we will uncover some of those gifts, not guilty pleasures, but godly ones. Finally, we will look at how in all enjoyment we should always give the Lord thanks.

Thesis: Even though sin and the pattern of this world may cause us to despair over life’s circumstances, the Lord continues to provide for us enough to enjoy while we live life under the sun and enough for us to see the wonderful life under the Son.

I. Make the Most of It

- Life’s enjoyments are not guilty pleasures but godly pleasures—or at least they ought to be.

Preaching the Word: Ecclesiastes—Why Everything Matters Making the Most of It

Life’s enjoyments are not guilty pleasures but godly pleasures—or at least they ought to be.

A. This may be surprising… Solomon shifts gears. From the very beginning of Ecclesiastes, he has been telling us mostly about the troubles of life. Our existence under the sun is meaningless, vanity, and striving after the wind. But it seems it does not stop there. This is not his only theme. He speaks to pleasure as well as to pain.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 NLT

So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!

This may seem like a surprising perspective for Qoheleth to take. From the opening words of Ecclesiastes, he has been telling us mostly about the troubles of life. Our existence under the sun is vanity and striving after the wind. Yet this is not the Preacher’s only theme. He speaks to pleasure as well as to pain,

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 213). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

B. Now there are a couple good reasons why we should be careful not to minimize what the Preacher says about joy. We also should take it seriously as part of the truth about life. The first reason. We need a balanced perspective. Yes Solomon has a lot to say about vanity, meaninglessness, and striving after wind. However, it should not surprise us that he also has something to teach us about joy… this is the way life really is. For all our difficulty, there are many things that we are able to enjoy in life. Life is bitter and sweet. We must not overlook this. If we fail to uncover this balance, we fail to experience life as it actually should be lived.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 212). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

There are at least two good reasons why we should be careful not to minimize what the Preacher says about joy, but rather take it seriously as part of the truth about life. First

It is true that Qoheleth has a lot to say about vanity and striving after wind. Yet it should not surprise us that he also has something to teach us about joy, because this is the way life really is. For all our difficulty and despair, there are also many things that we are able to enjoy. Life is bitter and sweet, and if we fail to perceive both of these tastes, we fail to experience life as it actually should be lived.

- Martin Luther - “the Solomon of Ecclesiastes is not urging a life of pleasure and luxury characteristic of those who do not sense this vanity, for that would be putting oil on fire; but he is speaking of godly men, who sense the vexation and troubles of the world. It is their downcast hearts that he wants to encourage.”

Martin Luther, the Solomon of Ecclesiastes “is not urging a life of pleasure and luxury characteristic of those who do not sense this vanity, for that would be putting oil on fire; but he is speaking of godly men, who sense the vexation and troubles of the world. It is their downcast hearts that he wants to encourage.”

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 213). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

C. The second reason. All the passages of enjoyment and pleasure given have the Lord at the center. Why should we enjoy eating and drinking and working? In chapter 2 it is because these activities come “from the hand of God” (v. 24). In chapter 3 it is because these activities are “God’s gift to man” (v. 13). The same is true in chapter 5, which also says that God keeps us “occupied with joy” in our hearts (v. 20). The Preacher may be frustrated with life in this fallen world, but he still acknowledges the gifts that come from the hand of God.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 212–213). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Why should we enjoy eating and drinking and working? In chapter 2 it is because these activities come “from the hand of God” (v. 24). In chapter 3 it is because these activities are “God’s gift to man” (v. 13). The same is true in chapter 5, which also says that God keeps us “occupied with joy” in our hearts (v. 20). The Preacher may be frustrated with life in this fallen world, but he still acknowledges the gifts that come from the hand of God.

D. We see this perhaps most clearly in , where the Preacher tells us to enjoy bread and wine because “God has already approved what you do” (v. 7). This is not a blanket endorsement of everything that people do, as if God would ever approve of wickedness. Primarily the Preacher is saying that our eating and drinking enjoy the blessing of God. Life’s enjoyments are not guilty pleasures but godly pleasures—or at least they ought to be. A merry heart has God’s approval. It is part of his gracious will for our lives.

II. Godly Pleasures

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 213). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

- Three pleasures: contentment, comfort, and companionship.

contentment, comfort, and companionship.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 213). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

A. Go. It is an imperative. It is a command. The Word of God is telling us to go and enjoy the gifts of God. It is not so much the eating and drinking that the Preacher is after, but the heartfelt joy. As we share table fellowship with one another—as we break fresh bread, sip fine wine, and taste all the other good food and drink that God provides—we are charged to receive each pleasure with God-centered joy in the heart.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 213). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

B. The celebration continues in verse 8:

We are hereby commanded to eat our bread and drink our wine (yes, wine) with joyful hearts. It is not so much the eating and drinking that the Preacher is after, but the heartfelt joy. As we share table fellowship with one another—as we break fresh bread, sip fine wine, and taste all the other good food and drink that God provides—we are charged to receive each pleasure with God-centered joy in the heart.

Ecclesiastes 9:8 NLT

Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!

Ecclesiastes 9:8 “Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.” White garments were the “dress-up clothes” of the ancient Near East. Many festive occasions were adorned with robes of white. They were worn by war heroes in a victory parade, by slaves on the day they gained their freedom, and by priests on the high holy days of Israel (e.g., ). To put this into a contemporary context, the Preacher is telling us to put on tuxedos and evening gowns so we can dance the night away.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 214). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

The celebration continues in verse 8: “Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.” White garments were the “dress-up clothes” of the ancient Near East. Many festive occasions were adorned with robes of white. They were worn by war heroes in a victory parade, by slaves on the day they gained their freedom, and by priests on the high holy days of Israel (e.g., ). To put this into a contemporary context, the Preacher is telling us to put on tuxedos and evening gowns so we can dance the night away.

Beged Lavan - White garments were the “dress-up clothes” of the ancient Near East. Many festive occasions were adorned with robes of white. They were worn by war heroes in a victory parade, by slaves on the day they gained their freedom, and by priests on the high holy days of Israel. To put this into a contemporary context, the Preacher is telling us to put on tuxedos and evening gowns so we can enjoy the night.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 214). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

C. Qoheleth also tells us to wear sweet perfume. To anoint someone’s head with oil (see ) was to pour out something richly scented, like cologne—what the Bible terms “the oil of gladness” (). This is an important part of getting ready for a celebration—not just looking good but also smelling good, especially in a hot climate. Enjoy having fun.

Qoheleth also tells us to wear sweet perfume. To anoint someone’s head with oil (see ) was to pour out something richly scented, like cologne—what the Bible terms “the oil of gladness” (). This is an important part of getting ready for a celebration—not just looking good but also smelling good, especially in a hot climate. The Preacher is telling us to prepare for a party.

D. The Preacher also commands...

Ecclesiastes 9:9 NLT

Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.

Literally he says, “with the woman you love.” The Preacher is commending the daily pleasures of marriage and family life. But specifically, life with your wife the one you love. Life with your wife implies her as well. Enjoy your wife. Enjoy your husband. Enjoy each other. Hear this all of you who are married or will one day be married.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 214). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

There is more. The Preacher also invites us to “enjoy life with the wife whom you love” (). Literally he says, “with the woman you love,” but he is not just saying, “Love the one you’re with.” As Tremper Longman has argued persuasively in his commentary, the woman in view is understood to be the man’s beloved wife. The Preacher is commending the daily pleasures of marriage and family life.

E. We are commanded to enjoy each other. Have fun with each other. You both should be best of friends. Spend time together as friends and in all the busy demands of life, set aside time to do things together that you both enjoy. But we don’t have anything in common, try harder. Find something. It means prizing one another as lovers. Speak terms of affection and get away—just the two of you—to fuel the fires of romantic love. We are commanded to enjoy each other.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 214). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

It means prizing one another as lovers. Speak terms of affection and get away—just the two of you—to fuel the fires of romantic love.

Spend time together as friends and in all the busy demands of life, set aside time to do things together that you both enjoy.

F. At this point some husbands (and not a few wives) will be tempted to complain that their wives (or husbands) are not always easy to enjoy. The romance of marriage is long gone, and sometimes even the friendship seems to be over. If that is the case, then we need to notice exactly how the Preacher words this command: the wife whom we are told to “enjoy” is also the wife whom we are said to “love.” The wife or husband you said you promised to love. Maybe your wife or your husband is hard to enjoy very much right now, but can you at least obey God’s command to love?

At this point some husbands (and not a few wives) will be tempted to complain that their wives (or husbands) are not always easy to enjoy. The romance of marriage is long gone, and sometimes even the friendship seems to be over. If that is the case, then we need to notice exactly how the Preacher words this command: the wife whom we are told to “enjoy” is also the wife whom we are said to “love.” Maybe your wife or your husband is hard to enjoy very much right now, but can you at least obey God’s command to love?

G. For husbands, this means loving their wives with the same costly, sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated when he died for our sins on the cross (see ). It is hard to see how any man will enjoy his wife (or how she can possibly enjoy him) unless he is committed to loving her in a Christlike way. Wives submit to your husbands even if he does not obey the word of God. This is obeying the Lord. Wives… you are not submitting and respecting your husband because he deserves it, but because the Lord commanded it.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 214). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 215). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

H. Love and enjoyment go together. If you love one another, be intentional about enjoying one another. But if you are having trouble staying in love, ask God for the grace to love again, the way you used to, or maybe the way you never have but know you should.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 215). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

I. The last pleasure that the Preacher mentions is work, which is part of our portion in life: “Enjoy … your toil at which you toil under the sun” (). The phrase “under the sun” does not refer to backbreaking labor in the heat of the day but to the regular calling of our earthly existence—whatever God has called us to do. Whether we labor in law or science or education or construction or medicine or ministry or the arts (or in all of these areas through the high calling of homeschooling or homemaking), God has given us good work to do. As the Preacher has said before, this work is a gift from God that we should enjoy as long as we can.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 215–216). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

J. He goes on in verse 10 to reinforce what he says about work by giving a strong command: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (). Here the Bible tells us what to do, namely, whatever lies near at hand. The point is not that we should work randomly or do whatever we please. Rather, in the course of God’s providence some things lie in the path of our duty—things that are pleasing to God.

Love and enjoyment go together (as we see from Solomon’s love poems in the Song of Songs). If you love one another, be intentional about enjoying one another. But if you are having trouble staying in love, ask God for the grace to love again, the way you used to, or maybe the way you never have but know you should. Here the Preacher says what the Bible says to husbands again and again and, frankly, what most husbands need to hear all the time: love your wives (cf. , , ).

K. But we can only do what God has given us to do, not the things that he has placed out of our reach.

- In his sermon on this verse Charles Spurgeon described a young man who dreamed of standing under a banyan tree and preaching eloquent sermons to people in India. “My dear fellow,” said Spurgeon, “why don’t you try the streets of London first, and see whether you are eloquent there!” Each one of us should do whatever work God has given us to do, not what he has given someone else to do.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 216). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Surprisingly, the call to marital love is only a short-term calling; it is only for this life, not for eternity. Thus the Preacher tells husbands to enjoy their wives “all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life” (). This is hardly the kind of statement that a woman is hoping to find written on her anniversary card! The Preacher is no more sentimental about marriage than he is about anything else in life. But this does not make him a cynic. On the contrary, he is giving a serious view of life that makes room for joy but also faces up to the sober realities of life in a fallen world and the inevitable reality of death.

K. The Preacher also tells us the way to do this work—not just what to do but how to do it: with all our might (cf. ; ). As we have the opportunity, we should work with all our strength. How easy it is to while away the hours, not focusing on the things we know God wants us to do but idling away our time with lots of little distractions. Are you giving God 100 percent of your working time, or are you giving him something less than your very best? The Puritan William Perkins said, “We must take heed of two damnable sins.… The first is idleness, whereby the duties of our callings … are neglected or omitted. The second is slothfulness, whereby they are performed slackly and carelessly.” is the perfect remedy for both of these sins because it tells us both what to do and how to do it: whatever we are called to do, with all our strength.

The Preacher also tells us the way to do this work—not just what to do but how to do it: with all our might (cf. ; ). As we have the opportunity, we should work with all our strength. How easy it is to while away the hours, not focusing on the things we know God wants us to do but idling away our time with lots of little distractions. Are you giving God 100 percent of your working time, or are you giving him something less than your very best? The Puritan William Perkins said, “We must take heed of two damnable sins.… The first is idleness, whereby the duties of our callings … are neglected or omitted. The second is slothfulness, whereby they are performed slackly and carelessly.” is the perfect remedy for both of these sins because it tells us both what to do and how to do it: whatever we are called to do, with all our strength.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 215). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

III. Gratitude

- Receive pleasure with gratitude, returning our thanks to God.

What it tells us to do instead is to receive pleasure with gratitude, returning our thanks to God.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 218). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

A. Admittedly, there may be some pleasures that some people should deny—not as an absolute rule for all Christians everywhere, but as a matter of personal wisdom. For example, it may be wise for someone who has abused internet use to impose strong boundaries. Or it may be wise for someone who watches too much television to lock the TV set in the closet for a year. Things that are not wrong in themselves may nevertheless be wrong for a particular person or at a particular time.

Admittedly, there may be some pleasures that some people should deny—not as an absolute rule for all Christians everywhere, but as a matter of personal wisdom. “ ‘All things are lawful,’ ” the Scripture says, “but not all things are helpful” (). For example, it may be wise for someone who has abused alcohol to vow never to take another sip of wine. Or it may be wise for someone who watches too much television to lock the TV set in the closet for a year. Things that are not wrong in themselves may nevertheless be wrong for a particular person or at a particular time.

B. In general, though, this is not the approach that the Bible teaches us to take with the good things of life. What it tells us to do instead is to receive pleasure with gratitude, returning our thanks to God.

Pleasure’s Danger

1 Timothy 4:4 NLT

Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.

One of the best ways for us to keep the good things of life in their proper perspective is to praise the Giver for all of his gifts. “Everything created by God is good,” the Scripture says, “and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” ().

C. This gives us a good test to use for all our earthly pleasures. We can ask ourselves: When I pray, is this something I would feel good about including in my thanksgiving, or would I be embarrassed to mention it? Am I thanking God for this pleasure, or have I been enjoying it without ever giving him a second thought? When we are enjoying legitimate pleasures in a God-honoring way, it seems natural to include them in our prayers. But when we pursue them for their own sake, usually we do not pray about them much at all (or about anything else, for that matter).

D. God alone “is the source of all the gifts of earthly life: its bread and wine, festivity and work, marriage and love.” Every pleasure comes from the God of all pleasure, and therefore it should be received with thanksgiving and praise.

E. This is why we pray before we eat (and maybe afterward, too, the way my grandparents always did). We are giving thanks to the God who put bread on our table and drink in our glass. We should view marriage the same way—as something good that is intended to point us to God.

F. This is especially true for everyone who knows the grace of God through the saving work of Jesus Christ—his death on the cross for our sins and his return from the grave with the free gift of eternal life. We have even more to celebrate than the Preacher of Ecclesiastes because we know “the good news of great joy” that God announced through the coming of Christ (see ).

This is especially true for everyone who knows the grace of God through the saving work of Jesus Christ—his death on the cross for our sins and his return from the grave with the free gift of eternal life. We have even more to celebrate than the Preacher of Ecclesiastes because we know “the good news of great joy” that God announced through the coming of Christ (see ). It is for this reason, most of all, that we are able to eat our bread with joy, drink wine with a merry heart, enjoy life with the people we love, and find enjoyment in the hard work of our daily calling. It is all because we know the Savior.

G. And that is what we have to be thankful for for eternity.

In general, though, this is not the approach that the Bible teaches us to take with the good things of life. What it tells us to do instead is to receive pleasure with gratitude, returning our thanks to God. One of the best ways for us to keep the good things of life in their proper perspective is to praise the Giver for all of his gifts. “Everything created by God is good,” the Scripture says, “and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” ().

The spirit of what the Preacher says about the pleasures of wine, women, and work is captured well by Eugene Peterson’s loose paraphrase in The Message:

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 218). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

H. From here to eternity, every pleasure we enjoy is a gift from our everlasting Savior.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 216). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 218). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 219). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

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