9:1 So I reflected on all this, attempting to clear it all up. I concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated— no one knows what lies ahead.
Solomon explained what life was like “under the sun,” meaning how life would be if there was no God. The unregenerate man does not reflect much upon eternity. He concentrates on the “here and now.” He does not want to know much about eternity. He certainly does not want to hear the parts about hell, eternal damnation, and the Lake of Fire.
9:2 Everyone shares the same fate— the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the ceremonially clean and unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. What happens to the good person, also happens to the sinner; what happens to those who make vows, also happens to those who are afraid to make vows.
The man under the sun does not think it makes any difference in which path a person goes. It all leads to the same death. This is not God’s view, but it was Solomon’s view while he was king and living a life as though God did not exist. He found this kind of life empty with no meaning or pleasure. The only men who have pleasure in this world are those who are doing the will of God.
9:3 This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives—then they die.
Solomon gave some more details about life “under the sun.” Those who do not believe in God believe in good luck or bad luck. They believe in random chance. They believe in karma. They believe in superstitious rituals. They do not believe in God’s sovereignty. This is the philosophy of Hinduism, Buddhism, Epicureanism, Renaissance humanism, evolutionism, and the modern secular humanism of today.
9:4 But whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion.
The philosophy of satanism is that this is a dog-eat-dog world, so one might as will live for the gusto.
9:5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything; they have no further reward—and even the memory of them disappears.
Jehovah Witnesses and many of the cults misinterpret this verse to teach soul sleep. Their belief is as such. When an unbeliever dies, that is it. There is no heaven, hell, judgment, or eternal punishment. However, the Jehovah Witness who come to your door do not tell their listener that this verse deals with Solomon’s philosophy of a godless life “under the sun.”
9:6 What they loved, as well as what they hated and envied, perished long ago, and they no longer have a part in anything that happens on earth.
Evolutionism and uniformitarianism are religions which teach that dead fossils reveal the origins of mankind. Since there was no God, and since man is only an animal, then one should “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow they die.”
9:7 Go, eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, because God has already approved your works.
Those who reject Christ are so depressed, that they must drink alcohol and call it a “happy hour.”
9:8 Let your clothes always be white, and do not spare precious ointment on your head.
The people of the satanic world system dress up and put up a good front. They look good on the outside, but they are miserable on the inside.
9:9 Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth.
Those who live in the satanic world system should enjoy their marriages, because their eternity will literally be steaming hot.
9:10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.
Those who live in the satanic world system need to work with their hands as much as possible, because they will not be able to pick up a hammer in the grave.
9:11 Again, I observed this on the earth: the race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest, wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge— for time and chance may overcome them all.
Those who live in the satanic world system believe that life is nothing but a big lottery. All that exists is time and chance.
9:12 Surely, no one knows his appointed time! Like fish that are caught in a deadly net, and like birds that are caught in a snare— just like them, all people are ensnared at an unfortunate time that falls upon them suddenly.
Those who live in the satanic world system believe that their entire birth and deaths are just pure luck. They are just like a fish who is caught in a deadly net. They are like birds who are caught in a snare. Everyone is snared. Everyone will die. It is all just a matter of time and chance.
9:13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, and it is a great burden to me: 9:14 There was once a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it. 9:15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom, but no one listened to that poor man. 9:16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.
The one who has greater wisdom than Solomon is the Messianic King. He came to earth as a peasant. He could actually say, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay His head.” No one would listen to Him. His advice was despised. Despite the prophetic warnings of the Messianic King, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. At His second coming, the Messianic King will be heard.
9:17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools.
One has to be humble and quiet to listen to the wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. He can be heard only through the written Word of God. Eventually the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ will prevail. When He comes, His voice will be like the shout of the archangel and like the sound of a trumpet.
9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.
The words of Christ will be much better than nuclear bombs. Adam’s one sin effected all of history. Achan's one sin caused an entire nation to go down in defeat. Rehoboam’s one sin split the kingdom of Israel. The one sin of Ananias and Sapphira weakened the entire history of the church.
What will your one sin do to humanity?