- Ecclesiastes 8:1-10:2
- Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 – How to interact with a king. Obey authority and try not to find yourself at odds with it. There may be a right time and place to try to influence the king (Ecclesiastes 8:5-6). Compare Esther asking the king for a favor (Esther 4:14).
- Ecclesiastes 8:11 – Punish evil quickly or evil will be encouraged.
- Ecclesiastes 8:12-15 – Compare Psalms 73. Sometimes good happens to wicked people and evil happens to good people. God will eventually make it right.
- Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 – This sounds like Solomon is tired. One man can’t know everything!
- Ecclesiastes 9:1-9 – Death comes to everyone. Enjoy life with he one you love.
| Under the sun | In eternity (left unspoken here) | |
|---|---|---|
| Fate of righteous and wicked | “same for all … one fate” | Luke 16:19, 31; John 5:28-29 |
| The living | “there is hope … enjoy life … this is your reward” | Hebrews 9:27-28; I Thessalonians 4:16-18; Matthew 6:19-21 |
| The dead | “the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward” | Luke 16:19-31; Philippians 2:9-11; Luke 23:43 |
- Ecclesiastes 9:10 – Work with all your might on earth because our life is the only chance we get!
- Ecclesiastes 9:11 – Time and chance happens to all of us! It’s not fair. John the Baptist is a prime example of this!
- Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 – Wisdom is good, but not always respected.
- Ecclesiastes 10:1 – A little foolishness ruins a lot of good. See I Corinthians 5:6.
- Ecclesiastes 10:2 – The right side is the side of protection and good. Compare Matthew 26:64.