Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps occupied with the gladness of his heart.
Today is Thanksgiving Day. I am sitting in my little spot on the porch of my mother-in-law’s home, typing this blog. It is a beautiful view in the upstate of Abbeville, South Carolina. It is a lovely morning in late November. I was going to take the week off from writing, but I felt inspired while sitting here drinking my coffee.
Currently, I am reading through the book of Ecclesiastes (well, I have read through it), and the above verses struck me. They are a good reminder to remember how blessed we are. As C.H. Spurgeon once said, “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.”
The Preacher of Ecclesiastes understood this more than anyone. The Preacher is King Solomon, as he tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:1 and 1:12, I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. Ecclesiastes is a book of Wisdom Literature in the Bible. In this book, Solomon recounts what he has learned as he explored all different facets of life all over the world (1:13). Because of his request of God to have wisdom as king (2 Cron. 1:7-12; 1 Kings 3:1-15), I think Solomon’s mindset to seek and explore is a part of God’s gift to him. What has the Preacher learned?
The overarching theme of Ecclesiastes is twofold: 1) Everything that man does in his life on earth according to his plans and everything he obtains or accumulates because of his thinking and labor is vanity (3:19); 2) therefore, the essential thing man can do in this life on this Earth is to fear God and keep His commandments (7:15-18; 12:13-14). Throughout the book, Solomon observed good and evil people, wealthy and poor people, and old and young people. He watched them work or not work. Solomon noticed the skills and knowledge of people (or lack thereof). The conclusion always turned out to be the same: in the end, all that one acquires will be lost or given to someone else who did not earn it, whether it be an inheritance to his children or someone else he does not know (4:8). In other words, whatever man does is an attempt to satisfy his belly, power, popularity, or wealth and yet he is never satisfied with those things.
Nestled almost smack dab in the middle of this book are our verses. It seems they set a transition for chapters 1-5 of Solomon’s recounting of man’s vanity and chapters 6-9 of his recounting of God’s sovereignty over man. These verses teach us an astonishing implication: no matter what position of life God has given us, we should enjoy it and be thankful for what we have.
You may think, “well, that is all well and good, but that is easy for the King to say, especially Solomon with his vast wealth, concubines, and palaces.” That is not a new thought because Solomon agrees with you (2:1-11). Nevertheless, his conclusion is the same. The poor have what God gives them, and so does the rich. There are kings, and there are paupers. And no matter how great or lowly a man may be, he should enjoy what he has and be thankful for it. He should also worship God for whatever blessings he receives from his labor. J.I. Packer states: “We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the psalms, and that the habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal.”[1]
Finally, King Solomon reminds us of another aspect of being thankful for our life and its provisions; this is the gift of God. No matter how much or little a man has, it is a gift. And no matter how much or little a man has, it should bring such gladness of heart that he does not even consider the years of his life (5:20). Yet, all of Scripture teaches that God’s greatest gift is not the earthly provisions anyway. His greatest gift is salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ: God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall have eternal life and not perish (John 3:16).
The Apostle John summarizes God’s generosity in giving. Jesus Christ is a gift who came to be the Savior of the World. He came to give His life. His gift was death in our place, and by His substitution for the eternal punishment we deserve, we have a new life and will live eternally with God. Paul restates this whole salvation event as a gift of God: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Paul, like Solomon, came to the same conclusion. Man toils, not for himself. His work in obtaining knowledge or wealth or fame is vanity, for whatever one gets is given by the sovereign hand of God. God has created each man for a purpose—a purpose for His own glory. We cannot even work to obtain salvation. What shall we do then? We should be glad and thankful and enjoy what has been given for His glory. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism question one asks and answers: “What is man chief end? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” May you take this day, and every day, to live this out in your life as the Preacher tells us to do.
[1] J.I. Packer quote featured in https://quotefancy.com/j-i-packer-quotes. Accessed on November 24, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
Andrews PCA 