This final section exhorts the reader to remember his or her Creator before the days of old age and death set in. “Nor is the exhortation to remember your Creator a contradiction to the exhortations to rejoice. Instead we have a warning against mindless self-indulgence and profligacy during the days of one’s vigor. To forget the Creator of youth is to invite bitter regrets and an empty existence in old age. To remember the Creator is to follow the path of wisdom and extend the joy of life” (Garrett).
“One of the frustrating things of life observed in 9:11f., was the fact that time and chance can overturn our finest plans. If that can be a paralyzing thought, it can also be a spur to action: for if there are risks in everything, it is better to fail in launching out than in hugging one’s resources to oneself” (Derek Kidner).
“Before the positive emphasis of the final three chapters can emerge, we have to make sure that we shall be building on nothing short of hard reality. In case we should be cherishing some comforting illusions, chapter 9 confronts us with the little that we know, then with the vast extent of what we cannot handle: in particular, with death, the ups and downs of fortune, and the erratic favors of the crowd. But first it asks the crucial question, whether we are in the hands of friend or foe…” (Derek Kidner).
“At every turn, this chapter will face us with our inability to call the tune and master our affairs. On one level after another, we find ourselves pinned down, hunted down, and disoriented” (Derek Kidner). Yet, throughout the chapter, Solomon knows that it will eventually be well with those who fear God (8:12), and eventually, judgment will catch up to the sinner, even if he was viewed as a hero in this life (8:10-13).
In this chapter, Solomon reminds us there are valuable lessons to be learned at a funeral. And be careful about nostalgia and longing for some mythical golden age of the past, for are you remembering the good of the good ole days or the bad? Also, in your life, you will get a mixture of good and bad days, so be grateful and mindful.
Ecclesiastes chapter six continues a very honest (too honest for many people) look at the shortcomings of wealth, especially placing one’s confidence or hope in earthly treasure. Chapter 5 ended with the point that not only does God allow people to prosper but God also gives the ability to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Yet when one looks to possessions for comfort and security and thus places his confidence in what he owns, he sets himself up for disappointment. This chapter begins with the person who gathers and collects much but never can enjoy any of it.
Some may think that verses 1-7 do not seem to fit in a book about vanity. Yet since God is the object of worship and therefore has ultimate worth, the ultimate vanity would be to worship Him unacceptably. (Matthew 15:1-9)
Apart from God, there is no answer to injustice or oppression. Apart from Him, we go to extremes when it comes to simple things like work--even our motives are corrupted. Oh, and human popularity and fame, sorry, they are fleeting as well.
We must come to terms with the seasons of life, for they might show up later or sooner than we expected. The wise person seeks to get the best from each, find the blessings in each, and realize that such is a test designed to bring out the best in us or reveal that eternity in our hearts.
There is indeed nothing new under the sun (chapter 1), including all false promises of happiness. Learn from Solomon, so you don’t have to waste a good portion of your life on what cannot make you happy. And don’t place false hope in “living through your children,” for they may be fools. Ultimately, it is impossible to truly enjoy life apart from God. Without God, you will just be a short-lived gatherer and collector.
What a startling statement, “All is vanity.” (1:2) Yet by the end of the book, we are told that everything matters. (12:13-14) So how do we get from nothing matters to everything matters? Strap on your seatbelts as we enter a wild ride with the Preacher, who spares no punches. Included will be the truth, and nature is not as free as it looks, man cannot fix everything, and technology and education will not save us. Rather, they come with their own headaches.