Jump Start # 718

Ecclesiastes 2:14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both.

The world Solomon saw didn’t look so great. He was the king and a son of a king. His father, David, was a national hero, well loved and respected. Solomon’s journal of life, we call Ecclesiastes, looks at life from mostly a secular viewpoint. “Life under the sun,” is a constant theme in his book.

One thing that didn’t make sense to Solomon was death. It seemed that death ruined everything. There was no advantage in life because of death. Solomon often referred to death as “one fate.” He saw that one fate happens to both man and beast (3:19). He also saw one fate happening to the righteous and the unrighteous (9:2). Our verse contrasts the wise and the fool. One fate befalls them both Solomon said.

This thoughts need to be considered. What is the difference between an animal and a person? In the end, both die. Why be wise and careful if in the end you die like a fool who lives for himself? Why be righteous if you die like the wicked? I suppose Solomon thought that wise and righteous living ought to somehow escape the same fate as those who were foolish and wicked.

Those same thoughts are disturbing for some today. Two men are neighbors. One is kind in heart, goes to worship and tries to do what God says. The other is a mean old cuss. He’s selfish, obnoxious and opinionated. Both die. It doesn’t seem right. And without a view from God’s perspective it isn’t right. God changes everything.

The journey doesn’t end at the cemetery, it ends with God. There is an advantage that man has over animals. There is an advantage that the righteous has over the wicked. That advantage is God. Without God in our lives, there is very little difference between the wicked and the righteous, the wise and the fool, the man and the animal.

There is an advantage to walking with God. Not just in the eternal but now. Solomon missed that. He didn’t see that. He had the 10 commandments but he didn’t see how God’s law not only governs man, it brings out the best for man. God knows what He is talking about. God is always right. The best marriage is when a man and woman are each walking with God. Today, because of Christ, the best life is one that follows Jesus. The best citizen is one who follows the precepts of the N.T. God’s word shapes our thinking and adjusts our attitudes. Grace, forgiveness, kindness and joy are the hallmarks of godly living. Those things make a difference, even now. They make home a safe haven. They soften rough edges and calms unsettled nerves. God’s word gives us a purpose and a place.

There is one fate that befalls all. There is also One God that makes all the difference. The discouraged often wonder what’s the use. Why keep trying? The answer lies with God. Walking away from God leaves one empty, alone and addicted to selfish living. Godly living is the difference. God is the one element that makes all the difference.

For a smart guy, sometimes Solomon seems rather dumb. Don’t forget God! God changes the discussion. The one fate looks differently when you remember God.

Roger