Ecclesiastes 3:9

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:9-10, “What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?[10] I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.” Solomon is searching to find a meaning to life and a value to the works that men do. He makes an important statement in verse 10. Where does the work come from that people do? Why did this fall into your hands instead of that? God is in charge, that is why. He gives to one person to do one thing, and to another person to do another. Each person has their own work given to them from God. “I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men.” One of the purposes of life is to work, and to thus fulfill God’s will for your life. Jesus said in John 9:4, “I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work.” When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul said to Jesus in Acts 9:6, “Lord, what will thou have me to do?” Do you want to have a meaningful life? Find out what Jesus wants you to do, and do it.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” As we have already stated, Ecclesiastes chapter three makes it very clear that there is a time for everything. “There is a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time for love and a time for hate.” Some people look for love and do not find it because it is not the time for love. Their timing is off. But God’s timing is never off. God is always right on time. It says about Jesus coming into the world in Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

An interesting statement is made about the ways of God and the work of God in the last part of Ecclesiastes 3:11, “also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” God is at work. He never stops working. His truth is marching on. He is accomplishing His purposes, which includes working in peoples’ hearts to draw them to Jesus. But people are not aware that God is at work: “no man can find out the work that God maketh.” Why are not people aware of all that the Almighty and Infinite God is doing? The answer to that is given: “he hath set the world in their heart.” The problem is the heart and how the world affects the heart. If the world takes over your heart, you will not be able to “see” God. Christians are told in First John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.[16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.[17] And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:12-14, “I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.[13] And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.[14] I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” In verse 12 the Word of God tells us that each person should have two goals: 1. To rejoice, and 2. To do good. Solomon has mentioned rejoicing before in his book. Of course, the spiritual application of this rejoicing would be to rejoice in the Lord Jesus for His gift of salvation. “To do good” is an important recommendation because of the principle of reaping what we sow. If you want to have a good life, then do the right thing. If you want to be successful in that which is important, then stay on the straight and narrow path of following Jesus. If you want to have the best results possible to your efforts, then make choices based upon what is the good thing and the proper thing to do.

In talking about God’s work, Ecclesiastes 3:14 makes a very important statement that contrasts God’s work to man’s work. It says, “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever.” The results of human effort will endure for only a very short time. But that which God does will last forever. One of the benefits of being a Christian is that we become co-laborers with God, which means that as we follow the Lord our efforts become part of God’s work, so that the results of our efforts will also last forever. Your life is in vain if your work is only for this life.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:15-17, “That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.[16] And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.[17] I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” Verse 15 gives us two very important principles about life. The first is something that Solomon has said several times already in the book of Ecclesiastes, and that is the fact that “there is nothing new under the sun.” History repeats itself. What people do today, they have already done in other generations and other centuries. Study history and study people, and if you have wisdom to interpret what really happened and why, then you will know what you should do in the situations that you face. Should you be a drinker of alcohol? Look at the people who have used alcoholic beverages to an excess and what has happened to them as a result. Look at the millions of alcoholics and their ruined lives and ruined health. They would have never become alcoholics if they had never started drinking. The same is true about illegal drugs and some legal drugs. Modern medicine has helped many people, but prescription drugs can also harm people when abused. Too bad that more people have not taken the Biblical admonitions such as Proverbs 20:1, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” On this particular principle of avoiding alcoholic beverages, you can learn from the Bible or you can learn from history and from observing human behavior: they both teach the same lesson.

The last phrase of Ecclesiastes 3:15 says, “God requireth that which is past.” There is a very important principle taking place that is a big part of what happens to people and why. God exists and He is holy. Because of that great truth, you will reap what you sow, especially from a moral and an ethical standpoint. There is a great moral force at work in the world. Try to go against that, and you will do so to your own peril and your own loss. That is one of the reasons to come to Jesus and receive His forgiveness. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Ecclesiastes 3:16 gives an important point in understanding the world in which we live. It says, “And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.” Both good and evil are intermixed in this world. It is impossible to totally separate them now. Christian young people find this out when they go to a Christian college as a student. Did they go to a place of learning where there is only good and no evil? No, because such a place does not exist. Christian parents find this out when attempting to raise children to become true Christians who learn to maximize their gifts and accomplish their full capabilities when they become adults. Is it possible to create an environment for such children to grow up where there is only good and no evil? No, that is impossible. Even these children will be exposed to some evil and to some good and will have to make their choices to turn to the Lord Jesus. Sadly, some of them will make the wrong choice. No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 10:21, “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” Jesus knew what would happen to families. There is no such thing as a guarantee just because you do your best to have a Christian family environment.

Yes, good and evil are intermixed in this world. That is one of the challenges to living a Christian life. We must be on our guard at all times. We must be vigilant watchmen, or we might fall into some evil. It says in First Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour.” Thank God that Jesus is stronger than all the evil forces, and the evil ones flee from Him and His precious name. Also, thank God that this situation where evil and good are intermixed is only temporary. Jesus explained this in Matthew 13:24-30, “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:[25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.[26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.[27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?[28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?[29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.[30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

When Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:16, “And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there,” we should remember that there is a good side to that truth. It means that there is also goodness wherever you go in this earth. There is no place will all evil and without any goodness. It means you must look for the good wherever you are. You can always look for the evil and find it, and then you will be negative and a constant complainer, if you are not careful. Of course, you should be aware of the evil in order to avoid it, but you should also be aware of the good in order to enjoy it and to thank God for it. One reason that good is everywhere is because God is everywhere and God is good.

It says in Ecclesiastes 3:17, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” This is one more reminder that we should not get discouraged when we see wickedness doing this or that in high places or low places. No one is going to get away with anything. Every single person will answer to God as it says in Romans 14:11: “As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” It says in Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

_________________________________________________