The Imminence of Death and the Beauty of Life

Transcript

Good morning, Saints. Wonderful to be with you. For those of you visiting, if we haven’t met yet, my name is Andrey. I’m a member here at Trinity Church of Portland, and I have the immense privilege of serving here as one of the staff pastors. If you’re visiting, welcome. It’s wonderful to worship with you. We’d love to meet you and see how we as a church can serve you. I’d love to get to know you a little better.

Friends, we continue our study of the book of Ecclesiastes this morning, focusing on chapter nine. If you have your Bible, please open to Ecclesiastes 9. If you don’t have one, there should be a Bible in the seat in front of you. If you don’t have a Bible at home, please take it as our gift to you. I encourage you to read it and grow to love the words on those pages—the very words of God.

We’ll be looking at the first ten verses of Ecclesiastes chapter nine as we continue our series, Hevel Under the Horizon. If you have your Bibles open, please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Ecclesiastes 9 reads:

“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. Go, eat your bread with joy, drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white, let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life, and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol to which you are going.”

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Please be seated.

Would you join me in prayer? Father, we ask that you would speak to us. Open our minds, our ears, and our hearts to receive the truths you want to shape us by, into the image of your Son. In His name, amen.

I’ve always been somewhat fascinated by existentialist philosophy, which looks at life’s challenges and absurdities and says we should lean into them, embracing struggle and pain as necessary aspects of existence. Søren Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism, grounded his thought in Christian faith, unlike later existentialists like Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre, who were atheists and embraced nihilism.

A modern Romanian philosopher, Emile Cioran, took this nihilism further into despair and hopelessness, seeing life as ultimately pointless because it ends in death. If this life is all there is, and life is hard, that conclusion seems logical.

If you’ve been following Ecclesiastes, you might sense a similar resignation from the Preacher, who struggles with life’s fleeting nature and the pointlessness of earthly pleasures. Yet, there is a glimmer of hope woven throughout the book, culminating here in chapter nine, where the Preacher acknowledges the inevitability of death but commands us to enjoy life because it is good.

Let’s first look at verses 1 through 6, where we see the stark reality: you will die. The Preacher begins by reminding us that the righteous, the wise, and their deeds are in the hand of God. God is sovereign over all things, including the timing of our lives and deaths. This sovereignty can be uncomfortable for some, but for believers, it offers profound peace and comfort.

Charles Spurgeon said, “There is no attribute of God more comforting to His children than the doctrine of divine sovereignty.” Even in our trials, God ordains, overrules, and sanctifies our afflictions.

God has not abandoned His people in suffering or death. Psalm 23 comforts us with the reality that God walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death. We do not face it alone.

The Preacher frees us from the false idea that living righteously guarantees a trouble-free life. Jesus Himself lived perfectly yet suffered betrayal and death according to the Father’s will. Scripture repeatedly assures us that God works all things for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

All lives and their outcomes are under God’s control. Death comes to all—righteous and wicked, clean and unclean, those who keep oaths and those who do not. Eventually, even the memory of the dead fades. The Preacher calls this leveling of fate an evil, an unfair reality.

Why? Because, as verse 3 says, the hearts of all people are full of evil. This echoes Genesis 6:5 and other Scriptures teaching total depravity—sin affects all of us, and death is the consequence.

Yet, those who are alive have hope. The Preacher uses a striking metaphor: “A living dog is better than a dead lion.” Dogs were despised scavengers, while lions were majestic. But life, even in lowliness, is better than death because the living have the opportunity for hope and change.

If this life is all there is, the meaninglessness of everything in light of death is fitting. But thanks be to God, in Jesus we have meaning, hope, and assurance that this is not all.

This brings us to verses 7 through 10, where the Preacher calls us to enjoy life despite death’s certainty. Michael Eaton calls this “the remedy of faith.” Because God is sovereign, we can live boldly and joyfully.

“Go, eat your bread with joy, drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.” This is not a license for reckless living but an invitation to gratefully receive God’s gifts.

Life is a gift. Food, drink, work, marriage, clothing—all are blessings from God to be enjoyed with thanksgiving. The Preacher encourages us to wear white garments, a symbol of celebration, and not to lack oil on our heads, a sign of God’s blessing.

Enjoy your spouse, your work, your daily bread. These are good gifts from a loving Father.

The extremes of hedonism or asceticism both dishonor God. True joy comes from receiving His gifts with gratitude and glorifying Him.

The word “Sheol” here refers to death, the grave—the end of this life. While we have life, we must live fully and with all our might.

Those with hope in Christ live meaningfully, investing in others, rejoicing, working, loving, and glorifying God.

Why live this way if death awaits? Because God is good and has given you today as a gift. Even if this were your last day, praise Him for His kindness.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Ecclesiastes presents two sides: life’s vanity and the call to enjoy God’s gifts. There is a season for somber reflection and a season to rejoice. The Preacher wants us to know that death will come, likely sooner than we expect, and in light of that, we must consider where our hope lies.

If you are in Christ, your hope is eternal, and the beauty of life’s gifts is a foretaste of the joy to come. If you are not in Christ, hear this call: repent, turn to Him, and receive the gift of life while you still can.

Though life is painful and death certain, life is worth living because these realities point us beyond this world to the goodness and joy God intended.

God calls sinners to Himself, revealing His love and inviting us into relationship. He not only gives gifts but opens our eyes to see them as such.

In Christ, food tastes better, relationships deepen, and blessings abound. Even death and being forgotten lose their sting because our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

When life is hard, it’s natural to ask why. But Ecclesiastes teaches us not to measure God’s love by our circumstances. Death comes to all, and God’s sovereign hand is at work.

Rejecting God’s gifts out of fear or grabbing them selfishly both dishonor Him. Joyfully receiving them is obedience and love.

Walter Kaiser asks, “Why should anyone who fears God have the joy of life stolen because of unresolved perplexities in God’s plan?” We don’t know all God’s reasons, but we can rejoice in His gifts.

God fixed the brokenness of this world through Jesus, who entered our suffering and died for us. Jesus ate and drank, celebrated marriage, worked, and instituted the Lord’s Supper, all pointing to the joy and hope we have in Him.

In Revelation, we see a time when death will be no more. Until then, live fully and joyfully.

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Do you believe this?

Would you pray with me? Our great God, we come before you in awe of your generosity, kindness, grace, and abundant gifts—the greatest of which is your Son, through whom we have eternal life. Open our eyes to your blessings and give us grateful hearts. Help us live meaningfully, showing the world what eternal hope looks like. We need your strength, Lord. Open our eyes to your work in our lives. To the glory of your Son, in whose name we pray, amen.