Part 8 of 8 of the theme "Lessons from Ecclesiastes.' by Gijs van den Brink
Only God can oversee all things, only He controls what happens. Man may have questions about that, he may become gloomy or rebellious about that. But the way things are, a man cannot fathom God and the universe. That is the preacher's message in the book of Ecclesiastes. He rebukes the autonomy, the self-determination of man and shows that sooner or later this path leads to a dead end and is an overestimation of human abilities.
Life is not engineerable. Ultimately, what matters to man is that he or she lives in awe of and trust in God. From this attitude of life, one may live and act in freedom (Pr. 11:7-12:1).
Life is but short, a fleeting vapor that is soon over. The preacher sees that so many people lose themselves in the desire for ever more, forgetting to actually live in the short time they have on earth. Could it be more topical? This message is as apt and instructive today as it was in the days of Solomon.
The message of the book of Ecclesiastes is: live fully and enjoy the good creation that God the Creator has given, for that is the good with which God has blessed you during the few days you are here on earth. Do so knowing that one day He will judge your life.
That will happen when Jesus Christ will come as heavenly King and Judge and there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
See also: Part 7 of 8 of the theme 'Lessons from Ecclesiastes' 'worship, reverence and obedience'

Author: Gijs van den Brink
From: Study Bible Magazine
This is part 8 of 8 concise blog on the theme "Lessons from Ecclesiastes" from Study Bible Magazine, Some of which we will be posting online in the near future. We hope this will help you understand the Bible better!
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