How does God feel about brave people? Bible ecclesiast 9 5 clarification church.
“The righteous and wise and their deeds are in the hand of God”;
1 . I turned my heart to all this to study that the righteous and wise and their deeds are in the hand of God, and that a person knows neither love nor hatred in everything that is before him.
“there is one fate for the righteous and the wicked... they go to the dead”;
2 . Everything and everyone is one: one fate for the righteous and the wicked, the good and the evil, the pure and the impure, the one who sacrifices and who does not sacrifice; both the virtuous and the sinner; both the one who swears, and the one who fears the oath. Acts. 7:11, Acts. 27:1,20
3 . This is what is evil in everything that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all, and the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart, in their life; and after that they go to the dead. Eccl. 8:11
4 . Whoever is among the living, there is still hope, for even a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 . The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any retribution for them, because the memory of them is forgotten, Job. 14:21
6 . And their love and their hatred and their jealousy have already disappeared, and they have no more part forever in anything that is done under the sun.
“everything that your hand can do, do it according to your strength”;
7 . So go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with joy in your heart, when God is pleased with your deeds.
8 . May your clothes be bright at all times, and may the oil not fail on your head. Mat. 6:17, Matt. 25:4
9 . Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your vain life, and whom God has given you under the sun for all your vain days; because this is your share in life and in your labors, which you work under the sun. Prov. 5:18, 1 Pet. 3:7
10 . Whatever your hand can do, do it according to your strength; for in the grave where you will go there is no work, no reflection, no knowledge, no wisdom.
“the agile do not get a successful run ... but time and chance for all of them”;
11 . And I turned, and I saw under the sun that not the agile get a successful run, not the brave - victory, not the wise - bread, and not the prudent - wealth, and not the skilled - goodwill, but time and chance for all of them. Eccl. 3:1, Luke. 12:25
12 . For man does not know his time. As fish are caught in a pernicious net, and as birds are entangled in snares, so the sons of men are caught in a time of distress when it unexpectedly comes upon them. Onion. Luke 12:39 21:35, Eph. 6:13
"the wise poor man ... saved the city with his wisdom."
13 . Here is another wisdom I saw under the sun, and it seemed to me important:
14 . The city is small, and there are few people in it; a great king came up to him and besieged him and made great siege works against him;
15 . But a wise poor man was found in him, and he saved this city with his wisdom; and yet no one remembered this poor man. Prov. 29:8
16 . And I said, Wisdom is better than strength, and yet the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heeded. Prov. 21:22, Prov. 24:5
17 . The words of the wise, spoken calmly, are heard better than the cry of a ruler among fools.
18 . Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner will destroy much good. Iis.N. 7:25
C. Man does not know what awaits him (9:1 - 11:6)
1. THE FINAL DESTINY OF ALL IS ONE (9:1-10)
Eccl. 9:1. It is more correct to read this verse as follows: And considering all this in my heart, I realized that both the righteous and the wise, and the deeds that they do, are all in the hand of God, and a person does not know what awaits him ahead: love or hatred. In whatever edition it is, the first sentence of verse 1 links this section to the previous one.
Everything that Ecclesiastes "saw" (8:9,10,17), everything to which he "turned his heart" (8:9,16; 9:1), convinced him that people are not "masters of their fate"; depending, it would seem, on the time in which they live, and simply on chance, they and all their deeds ultimately depend on the will of God (they are in His hand; compare with Prov. 21:1). And in his feelings a person is not free (in love or hatred), just as he does not know whether love or hatred (on the part of others), prosperity or disaster brings him the future.
Eccl. 9:2-3. Such is the fate of all, the Ecclesiastes sadly states - both highly moral and immoral people, both those who offer sacrifices to God and those who do not, both those who are afraid to mention the name of God in vain, and those who are not afraid of it ("those who swear" and "those who fear oaths" have in verse 2 this is the meaning).
The phrase "All that is done under the sun" in verse 3 implies this common lot "both the virtuous and the sinner" (verse 2). This is bad, in the reasoning of Ecclesiastes, because, not understanding how the law of retribution works, and foreseeing the same fate for themselves, people in the course of their lives are more and more filled with evil and madness, until they finally go to the dead.
Eccl. 9:4-6. Meanwhile, it is better ... for a living dog than a dead lion, he proclaims, proceeding from the fact that dogs (dogs) were considered in the ancient East almost the most contemptible animals (1 Sam. 17:43), while lions were revered for strength and beauty (Prov. 30:30). This allegory means that it is better to live in contempt than to die surrounded by honor and respect. For the memory of the great ones is fading, and only the living have hope ... because only they have consciousness and feelings. And therefore great person who is in sheol, half asleep, is less valuable than the least of the people on earth.
Beyond the grave there is no recompense, the Ecclesiastes asserts, for it, like feelings, good or evil, like consciousness and memory, is connected in his view only with being under the sun. The author's joyless reflections on the afterlife should be perceived in the context of opposing life to it with its possibilities for joy and the very ability to rejoice (due to the "action of the senses") inherent in the living.
In other words, Ecclesiastes was not so much describing what the afterlife is (what it is) as what it is not. And he did this in order to draw the reader's attention to the opportunities he was losing along with his life. To serve God and enjoy His gifts is the main such opportunity (Is. 38:11,18-19). Some interpreters see a contradiction between 9:4-6 and 4:2-3 ("the dead are happier than the living").
But in essence there is no contradiction here. Ecclesiastes only meant that for the oppressed and suffering (4:1) death may be preferable to life. On the other hand, only with life is hope and the opportunity to rejoice. That is, life and death are simply considered by him here and there from different positions, from different perspectives.
Eccl. 9:7-10. In the light of the uncertainty of the future and the incomprehensible alternation of joys and sorrows in a person’s life, in the face of his inevitable death, after which there will be no joy, Ecclesiastes again calls on the reader to enjoy life while it is given to him as a gift from God (compare these verses with 2: 24-26; 3:12-13,22; 5:18-19).
It seems that here, more than elsewhere, he emphasizes those aspects of everyday life that should be enjoyed: this is bread ... wine (compare Ps. 103:15), beautiful clothes. "Light" clothes (according to other translations - "white"), perhaps, symbolize here (as well as the constant anointing of the head with oil) a joyful mood, prosperity.) And, finally, life with a beloved wife (compare Prov. 18:22).
All this, being urgent need every day, is also a kind of luxury given by God. (Note that Russian when in verse 7 in English translations of the Bible corresponds to "since".) All of the above should be enjoyed, especially since human days are short, and it is in this sense that they are called "vain" here. In verse 10, the author repeats (compare verses 4-6) the idea of the emptiness and barrenness of the afterlife, and in view of this calls on the reader to work according to his strength and ability while he lives under the sun.
2. MAN DOES NOT KNOW IF HE WILL SUCCESS THANKS TO HIS WISDOM (9:11 - 10:11)
Eccl. 9:11-12. But at the same time, he encourages him not to forget that success does not always come to the one who, it would seem, deserved it: the "agile" do not necessarily win in the run, but the strong ("brave") do not always win in the battle, not always the wise there is bread, and the reasonable have wealth, just as the “skillful” (in the meaning of “knowledgeable, educated, skillful”) do not always enjoy authority. And yet, reminds Ecclesiastes, none of the people knows his time, that is, the time when disaster will suddenly overtake him, and he, like a fish, will get entangled in a "pernicious net", or a bird - in snares.
Eccl. 9:13-18. Apparently, an important example of the fact that the wise do not always receive a well-deserved reward is the case known to Ecclesiastes, when a poor but wise man who saved his city from the great king who besieged him was soon forgotten by his fellow citizens. It is difficult to say whether the author was referring to any specific historical event, or whether he is illustrating here the point he made in verse 11 with a possible situation.
Verse 16 should be read in the sense that despite the neglect of the wisdom of the poor, wisdom is still good; it is, for example, better than strength (meaning military strength; compare 7:19, and also Prov. 21:22). The eulogy of wisdom continues in verse 17, and in verse 18 Ecclesiastes, again stipulating that more can be achieved by wisdom than by the use of weapons of war, notes that, however, much good, gained at the cost of wisdom, can be destroyed by one sinner (in other words, , someone's one sinful, stupid act, action).
Asks MichaelAnswered by Maxim Balaklitsky, 12/10/2010
As to any others: saves them from their sins.
The Bible and people understand courage differently.
According to the Bible, courage is NOT recklessness, and certainly not self-will, self-confidence and boasting. Such brave men God will dishonor:
deprives princes of dignity and overthrows the brave
Woe to those who are brave to drink wine and strong to make strong drink,
Cities will be taken and strongholds conquered, and the heart of the brave Moabites will be in that day like the heart of a woman in childbirth.
On the third day, when they were in sickness, the two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, brothers of Dinin, each took his sword, and boldly attacked the city, and killed all the male sex;
What is the courage to attack the defenseless? Explicit satire and condemnation of the meanness and cruelty of the brothers.
Absalom ordered his youths, saying: look, as soon as the heart of Amnon is glad from the wine, and I will say to you: "smite Amnon", then kill him, do not be afraid; It is I who command you, be bold and courageous.
Absalom administers lynching, and his calls of servants to audacity do not make his plot against his brother legal.
Satan in figurative form is twice called a daredevil:
There is no one so brave who would dare to disturb him; Who can stand before My face?
Job 41:26 boldly looks at everything high; he is king over all the sons of pride.
Proper courage is the willingness to follow God's will:
and what is the earth like, is it fat or thin? is there a tree on [it] or not? be bold and take from the fruits of the earth. It was at the time of the ripening of the grapes.
And such people God blesses with real self-control:
Jesus Jesus and all the people capable of war got up to go to Ai, and Jesus chose thirty thousand brave men and sent them out at night,
So also Saul went to his house, to Gibeah; and the brave ones went with him, whose hearts God had touched.
The wicked one runs when no one is chasing [him]; but the righteous is bold as a lion.
Joseph of Arimathea came, a famous member of the council, who himself was looking forward to the Kingdom of God, dared to go to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.
Seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and noticing that they were unlearned and simple people, they marveled, meanwhile recognizing them that they were with Jesus;
And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all boldness,
Barnabas, taking him, came to the Apostles and told them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and what the Lord had said to him, and how he had dared to preach in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
And he dwelt with them, going in and out, in Jerusalem, and he boldly preached in the name of the Lord Jesus.
However, they stayed [here] for quite some time, daring to act in the Lord, who, as a testimony to the word of His grace, worked signs and wonders with their hands.
Acts 14:19 some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when [the Apostles] dared to preach, they persuaded the people to leave behind them, saying: They say nothing true, but they all lie. And, rousing the people, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, believing him to be dead.
Acts 18:26 He began to dare to speak in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they received him and explained to him more precisely the way of the Lord.
Acts 26:26 For the king knows about this, before whom I speak boldly about. I do not at all believe that any of this was hidden from him; because it didn't happen in the corner.
Romans 10:20 And Isaiah dared to say: Those who did not seek me found me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask about Me.
Romans 15:15 but I wrote to you, brethren, with some boldness, partly as a reminder to you, according to the grace given to me from God
I ask that at my coming I do not resort to that firm boldness which I think to use against some who think of us that we are walking according to the flesh.
for whom I carry out an embassy in bonds, that I may dare to preach as I ought.
Phil.1:14 and most of of the brethren in the Lord, being encouraged by my bands, they began to speak the word of God with greater boldness, fearlessly.
Heb.13:6 so that we dare to say: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid: what will a man do to me?
Courage is not always the key to victory:
And I turned, and I saw under the sun that not the agile get a successful run, not the brave - victory, not the wise - bread, and not the prudent - wealth, and not the skilled - goodwill, but time and chance for all of them.
In the hour of God's judgment, everyone will be afraid, except for the righteous:
and the agile will not have the strength to run, and the strong will not hold his strength, and the brave will not save his life,
The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and it hastens greatly: the voice of the day of the Lord is already heard; then the bravest one will cry out bitterly!
Christ was bold BECAUSE he acted according to God's will:
And when He arrived on the other side in the country of the Gergesins, He was met by two demoniacs who came out of the tombs, very fierce, so that no one dared to pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, What have you to do with us, Jesus, Son of God? You came here before the time to torment us. 30 Far from them, a large herd of pigs pastured. 31 And the demons asked him: If you cast us out, then send us into the herd of pigs. 32 And He said to them, Go. And they went out and went into the herd of swine. And so, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep into the sea and perished in the water.
Sincerely,
Maksim
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The Book of Ecclesiastes or Preacher
Book of Ecclesiastes, or Preacher, Chapter 9, Verse 11
ATTITUDE TO THE INJUSTICES OF LIFE >Making the best of life > 11 The vanity of effort and success in lifeComments:
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This little book is called in Heb. Bible "Word of Kohelet, son of David, king in Jerusalem." However, the word "Kogelet" (cf. Ecc 1:2 and Ecc 12; Ecc 7:27; Ecc 12:8-10) is not a proper name, but a common noun and in its own way grammatical form- female. Its meaning is not entirely clear. According to the most likely explanation, it denotes the professional duty of the speaker at the meeting and comes from the Hebrew "kagal" - meeting. Therefore, it is translated from the Greek word "Ekklesiast" ("ekklesia" - the assembly, and then the Church). Hence the explanatory name in the Russian translation - Preacher, borrowed from Luther's translation of the Bible into German. The author is identified with Solomon, there is an indirect indication of this in the text (Ecc. 1:16 cf. 1 Kings 3:12; 1 Kings 5:10-11; 1 Kings 10:7 or Ecc. 2:7-9 cf. 1 Kings 3:13 ; 1 Kings 10:23). But according to all evidence, we are dealing with a technique characteristic of the literature of that era: the authors put their thoughts into the mouth of the most famous of the sages of Israel, as if showing by this that they continue his tradition. Both the language of the book and its doctrinal content do not allow us to attribute it to the pre-captive era. It has often been disputed that this book belongs to the same author. At present, more and more refuse to dismember it and recognize the unity of meaning, style and vocabulary Ecc. However, judging by the first and last verses, where the "wise Ecclesiastes" is spoken of in the third person, we owe to his disciple that this book has been preserved for subsequent generations.
In this work, as in other books of Wisdom, for example, Prince. Job or the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, not to mention the multi-component Parables of Solomon, the thought moves freely, sometimes repeating itself, sometimes correcting itself. There is no definite plan in the book. It is a variation on the theme of the futility of all things human (see Ecc 1:2 and Ecc 12:8). Cohelet, like Job, is intensely pondering the problem of retribution for good and evil on earth. But if the book Job is a tragic dialogue between man and God, then in the book. Ekk we see the reflections of a man of sound mind, a believer in the justice of God, well-read in the Scriptures and at the same time predisposed to skepticism.
In all likelihood, Prince written in Palestine in the 3rd century. BC, when Judaism already had some contact with Hellenism. The Ecclesiastes himself is a Palestinian Jew, most likely from Jerusalem itself. He writes in late Heb. a language speckled with Arameisms. There are two Persian words in the book, which suggests that it was written after the Captivity, but before the beginning of the 2nd century, when the son of Sirach used it. This is supported by paleographic data dating to approximately 150 B.C. fragments of the book Ekk found in the Qumran caves. At that time, in Palestine, subject to the Ptolemies, a humanistic trend was developing, but the religious upsurge of the Maccabean era had not yet begun.
The book of Ecc is of a transitional nature and is a turning point in Jewish thought: much of the traditional certainty has already been shaken, but the searching mind has not yet found new points of support. It has been suggested that Ecclesiastes sought to find this kind of support in the philosophical currents of Stoicism, Epicureanism and Cynicism, but he cannot be considered sufficiently thorough, because in his mindset the author is very far from the Greek philosophers. Apparently, parallels with such works of Egyptian poetry as "Dialogue of the Suffering with His Soul" and "Song of the Harper", as well as with the Mesopotamian wisdom writing and the epic of Gilgamesh, are more justified. The rapprochement takes place around very ancient themes that have become the common property of Eastern wisdom, thought out by the Ecclesiastes himself, as evidenced by his disciple in Ecc. 12:9.
This work reflects only one moment in the development of Jewish religious thought. Holy the writer is no longer satisfied with some traditional concepts and he raises problems, the perfect solution of which could only come from the NT teaching.
Taken separately, the book of Ekk - the pathos of which is aimed at debunking earthly ideals and values - carries nothing but hopelessness. Included in the general context of Scripture, it marks one of the most important moments in the OT consciousness: a reassessment of the value of this worldly goods. This is a necessary stage in the inner dialectic of faith. If there is nothing for a person outside of earthly existence, then his life is vanity and vanity. Disappointment in the self-sustaining value of earthly goods was a tragic precursor to the revelation of eternity given to man, and prepared people to accept the gospel commandment of blessedness for the poor in spirit (Luke 6:20).
Five books are called "Books of Wisdom" or "wise": Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Jesus son of Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon. They were joined by the Psalter and the Song of Songs, in which we find the same direction of thought, expressed in poetic form. Works of this kind were common throughout the ancient East. In Egypt, during its centuries-old history, many books of wisdom appeared. In Mesopotamia, starting from the Sumerian era, parables, fables, poems about suffering were compiled, to some extent reminding us of the book. Job. This Mesopotamian wisdom made its way into Canaan: Akkadian wisdom texts were found at Ras Shamra. The "Wisdom of Ahiakhara", which appeared in Assyria and spread in Aramaic-speaking circles, was then translated into several ancient languages. This kind of wisdom is essentially international and is not properly religious. The focus of the wise is life path of a person, but their method is not philosophical reflection, as among the Greeks, but the gathering of the fruits of life experience. They teach the art of living and being at the intellectual level of their environment and era; teach a person to conform to the order of the universe and indicate how to achieve happiness and success. However, their advice does not always lead to the desired results, and this experience is the starting point of pessimism, which permeates a number of works of wisdom both in Egypt and in Mesopotamia.
Such wisdom also flourished among the Israelites. Characteristically, the Israelite sages recognized their connection with the wisdom of the "sons of the East and Egypt" and the best praise of the wisdom of Solomon considered the assertion of its superiority over the wisdom of the pagans (1 Kings 4:29). The wise men of Arabia and Edom were widely known (Jer 49:7; Bar 3:22-23; Obd 1:8). Job and his three wise men lived in Edom. The author of the book Tobit knew the Wisdom of Ahiakhara, and Proverbs 22:17-23:11 are reminiscent of the Egyptian sayings of Amenemope. Some of the psalms are attributed to Heman and Ethan, who, according to 1 Kings 4:31, were Canaanite wise men. The Proverbs contain the Words of Agur (Proverbs 30:1-14) and the Words of Lemuel (Proverbs 31:1-9), both of whom came from the tribe of Massa, who lived in northern Arabia (Gen. 25:14).
Therefore, it is not surprising that the first Israelite works of wisdom are in many ways related to the works of neighboring peoples. The most ancient parts of the book. The parables contain only the prescriptions of human wisdom. The most important theological topics Old Testament: Law, Union-Covenant, Election, Salvation - in these books are hardly touched upon. The exception is the book. Jesus the son of Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon, written much later. Israeli sages seem to be not interested in the history and future of their people. Like their eastern brethren, they are more concerned with the personal fate of man, but they consider it on a higher plane - in the illumination of the religion of Yahweh. Thus, despite the common origin, there is a significant difference between the wisdom of the Gentiles and the wisdom of Israel, which increases as Revelation gradually unfolds.
The opposition of wisdom and madness becomes the opposition of truth and untruth, piety and wickedness. True wisdom is the fear of God, and the fear of God is synonymous with piety. If Eastern wisdom can be defined as a kind of humanism, then Israeli wisdom can be called religious humanism.
However, this religious value of wisdom was not immediately revealed. Hebrew content. the term "Hochma" is very difficult. It can denote dexterity of movements or professional dexterity, political flair, insight, as well as cunning, skill, the art of magic. Such human wisdom can serve both good and evil, and this ambiguity explains to some extent the negative judgments of some prophets about the wise (Is 5:21; Is 29:14; Jer 8:9). This also explains that in Heb. in writing, the theme of the Wisdom of God (Heb. “Hochmot” is a plural number used in the meaning superlatives) appears quite late, although the origin of wisdom from God has never been denied, and already in Eel, wisdom was considered a property of the great god El. Only after the Captivity did they begin to assert that God is wise with the Wisdom of the world, the effect of which man sees in creation, but which in its essence is inaccessible and “unsearchable” (Job 28; Job 38-39; Sir 1:1-10; Sir 16:24 ff. ; Sir 39:12ff; Sir 42:15-43:33 etc.). In the big prologue of the book. Proverbs (Proverbs 1-9) The wisdom of God speaks like a certain person, it is inherent in God from eternity and acts with Him in creation (ch. arr. Proverbs 8:22-31). In Sir 24, Wisdom herself testifies that she came out of the mouth of the Most High, dwells in heaven and was sent to Israel from God. In Wis 7:22-8:1 it is defined as an outpouring of the glory of the Almighty, the image of His perfection. Thus, Wisdom, being a property of God, is separated from Him and presented as a Person. For an Old Testament person, these expressions are, apparently, vivid poetic comparisons, but they already contain a mystery that prepares the revelation of the Holy Trinity. Like the Logos in the gospel of John, this Wisdom is both in God and outside of God, and in all these texts the name "Wisdom of God" is justified, which St. Paul gives to Christ (1 Cor 1:24).
The question of the fate of a person is closely connected with the problem of retribution among the sages. In the ancient parts of Proverbs (Proverbs 3:33-35 ; Proverbs 9:6 , Proverbs 9:18) Wisdom, i.e. righteousness certainly leads to well-being, and madness, i.e. wickedness leads to ruin, for it is natural for God to reward the good and punish the evil. However, life experience often seems to contradict this view. How to explain the disasters that befall the righteous? The book is devoted to this problem. Job. The same questions, although in a slightly different aspect, trouble Ecclesiastes. The son of Sirach is mostly traditional and praises the happiness of the wise (Sir 14:21-15:10), but he is haunted by the thought of death. He knows it all depends last hour: "It is easy for the Lord on the day of death to repay a man according to his deeds" (Sir 11:26, cf. Sir 1:13; Sir 7:36; Sir 28:6; Sir 41:12). He vaguely anticipates the revelation of the final fate of man. Soon after him, the prophet Daniel (Dan. 12:2) already clearly expresses the belief in the afterlife reward associated with the belief in the resurrection of the dead, since Heb. thought does not imagine the life of the spirit separated from the flesh. A parallel and at the same time more developed doctrine appears in Alexandrian Judaism. Plato's doctrine of the immortality of the soul helped Heb. thoughts to realize that "God created man for incorruption" (Wis 2:23) and after death the righteous will taste eternal bliss from God, and the wicked will receive their well-deserved punishment (Wis 3:1-12).
The original form of writing of the wise can be considered mashal (in Russian translation - a parable). Such, in the plural, is the title of the book which we call the book. Proverbs. Mashal is a short, expressive saying, close to folk wisdom preserved in proverbs. Ancient collections of parables contain only such brief sayings, but over time, the mashal develops, reaching the size of a small parable or allegorical narrative. This development, clearly expressed in the additional sections and especially in the prologue of the book. Proverbs (Proverbs 1-9), accelerates in subsequent books of the wise: kn. Job and the Wisdom of Solomon are major literary works.
The original origin of wisdom is to be found in the life of the family or clan. Observations on nature or people, accumulated from generation to generation, were expressed in sayings, in folk sayings, in proverbs that had a moral character and served as rules of conduct. Similarly, the origin of the first formulations of customary law, which are sometimes close not only in content, but also in form to sayings of wisdom. This tradition of folk wisdom continued to exist in parallel with the emergence of written collections of wisdom. It owes its origin to, for example, the parables in 1 Samuel 24:14; 1 Kings 20:11, fable in Judg 9:8-15, fable in 2 Kings 14:9. Even the prophets drew from this heritage (eg Isaiah 28:24-28; Jeremiah 17:5-11).
Short sayings imprinted in memory are intended for oral transmission. A father or mother teaches them to their son at home (Prov 1:8; Proverbs 4:1; Proverbs 31:1; Sir 3:1) and then the wise continue to teach them in their schools (Sir 41:23; Sir 41:26 ; cf. Proverbs 7:1 ff; Proverbs 9:1 ff). As time goes by, wisdom becomes the privilege of the educated class: the wise and the scribes figure side by side in Jer 8:8-9. The son of Sirach Sir 38:24-39:11 praises the profession of a scribe, which gives him the opportunity to acquire wisdom as opposed to manual crafts. The royal officials came out of the scribes, and the teaching of wisdom was first cultivated at the court. The same thing happened in other centers of Eastern wisdom, in Egypt and Mesopotamia. One of the collections of Solomon's parables was compiled by "the men of Hezekiah king of Judah", Proverbs 25:1. These sages not only collected ancient sayings, but also wrote them themselves. Two works, most likely compiled at the court of Solomon - the history of Joseph and the history of the succession to the throne of David - can also be considered as writings of the wise.
Thus the circles of the wise differ greatly from the milieu in which the priestly and prophetic writings originated. Jer 18:18 lists three distinct classes—priests, wise men, and prophets. The wise are not particularly interested in the cult, they seem not to care about the misfortunes of their people and are not captured by the great hope that sustains it. However, in the era of the Captivity, these three currents merge. In the prologue of Proverbs, the tone of a prophetic sermon is heard, in the book. Sir (Sir 44-49) and Prem (Wis 10-19) contains much reflection on Sacred History; the son of Sirach honors the priesthood, is jealous of the cult, and even identifies Wisdom and the Law (Sir 24:23-34): we already have the union of a scribe (or a wise one) with a teacher of the law, which can also be seen in Heb. gospel environment.
This is how it ends long haul, which began in the OT by Solomon. All the teachings of the wise, gradually taught to the chosen people, prepared the minds for the perception of a new revelation - the revelation of Wisdom Incarnate, which is "greater than Solomon" (Matthew 12:42).
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9 Peering closer into the fate of the righteous, Ecclesiastes finds new evidence of vanity human life and the need to be content with the few pleasures that are available to people.
9:11-12 But, looking with joyful eyes at life, a person should not for one minute forget his dependence on time and chance; he must prepare himself for every eventuality, since it usually happens that external success does not correspond to the internal dignity of a person. Due to the complete uncertainty of the future, a person is not able to prevent a sad combination of circumstances for him.
The book of Ecclesiastes, as can be seen from its beginning, contains the words of Ecclesiastes, son of David, king in Jerusalem. Since only one son of David was king, namely Solomon, it is obvious that this latter is called Ecclesiastes here. Solomon at all times of Jewish history was considered the greatest sage and, as the creator of many instructive parables, a teacher of the people. With this character, he appears in our book. He "himself was wise and taught the people knowledge," the writer of the book remarks in Ecc 12:9. Accordingly to this trait, Solomon was given the Hebrew name Kogelet. It comes from the root kahal, which in the verbal form means: to convene, to gather (= Greek ἐκκαλέω ) cf. Lev 8:3; Numbers 1:18; Deut 4:10 etc., in the form of a noun (like Greek ἐκκλησία Greek ἐκκλησία and lat. concil ium have a common root with Heb. kahal.); assembly in general, religious assembly in particular, e.g., Numbers 10:7; Ps 21:23; Ps 34:18; Nehemiah 5:7 etc. Hence the Heb. koheleth, like the Greek. ἐκκλησαιστής, means: convener of the meeting, speaking in the meeting, church orator, preacher. A highly significant fact described in 3 Kings 8(cf. 2 Par 5-6), when Solomon, at the consecration of his temple, having called (jakhel) the Israelites, said his most wonderful prayer for sending down the mercy of God to all who come to the temple, both to the Jewish people and to foreigners, then, having blessed the assembly (kehal), turned to him with a speech, in which he prayed to God that He direct the heart of the people to the preservation of the statutes and the observance of the commandments. Here, in this way, in a visual, tangible form, Solomon appeared to be what he was for his people and in all subsequent times, that is, a cohelet, a preacher. female form heb. name indicates either the implied noun chokma (wisdom) or more likely Solomon's official mission, as folk teacher, since names denoting position often took the feminine form among Jews. Probably, the symbolic name of Solomon formed in this way - Kogelet - (Ecclesiastes) gave the name to the book itself.
The entire content of the book of Ecclesiastes serves as an answer to the question: what is happiness on earth, is complete, perfect happiness possible for a person ( Ecc 1:3; Ecc 3:9; Ecc 5:15; Ecc 6:11)? To this question Ecclesiastes emphatically answers in the negative. Ithron - this is how he calls perfect happiness - in contrast to temporary and fleeting joys - is impossible for a person. Nothing in the world and in human life can give such happiness. Hence everything is vain, everything is insignificant, everything is useless. Vanity of vanities, everything is vanity. This is the conclusion reached by Ecclesiastes after long and difficult searches, and which he expresses equally decisively both at the beginning and at the end of the book ( Ecc 1:2; Ecc 12:8). But why is absolute happiness unattainable, why does everything turn out to be useless and vain in this sense? The reason for this is that everything in the world is subject to immutable and at the same time uniform laws and, as a result, is in constant circulation, which does not give anything new, nothing that could at least in the future ensure the achievement of Ithron ( Ecc 1:4-11). Movement is not forward, but around, progressive circulation is observed not only in external nature, but also in human life, where mental phenomena alternate with the same sequence as the phenomena of nature, depend just as little on the will of man, where there is also a time for everything ( Ecc 3:1-8). This inevitability of the natural course of things, the impotence of the human will to change its direction, to subdue it, makes the happiness available to man fragile, unstable, accidental, fleeting. A person cannot guarantee for one minute that happiness will not betray him. Of course, such happiness is not Ithron. Exploring then particular cases from his own life and the lives of people, Ecclesiastes is even more convinced that nothing can give a person true happiness. Wisdom? But it brings torment to people, exposing ugliness and insignificance both in the world and in man, hiding behind visible beauty and expediency, giving rise in a person to a heavy consciousness of the limitedness of his mind and the incomprehensibility of everything that exists ( Ecc 1:13-18). Careless fun, enjoyment of all sorts of pleasures and entertainments? But it leaves in the soul of a person a painful feeling of emptiness and emptiness ( Ecc 2:1-2). The joys of work, varied activities? But they fade from the consciousness of the insignificance and randomness of the results of labor ( Ecc 2:3-11). The latter depend not so much on the person himself, his talents and energy, but on time and chance ( Ecc 9:11). It does not depend on a person and the good is to eat and drink ( Ecc 2:24). Wealth? But it belongs, in fact, not to man, but to life. At the death of the owner, it passes to the heir, who may be stupid and abuse the inheritance ( Ecc 2:18-19). And even during their lifetime, the rich often feel lonely, tormented by envy, strife, greed ( Ecc 4:4-8; Ecc 6:1-6) or suddenly lose wealth ( Ecc 5:10-16). But over all these human sorrows and vicissitudes reigns the greatest evil - death, which equally strikes both the wise and the foolish ( Ecc 2:14-16), and the righteous and the wicked ( Ecc 9:1-3), thus destroying any difference between people and making their happiness illusory. And what follows death, the state in Sheol, is life without knowledge, reflection, without love, hope and hatred, a life in comparison with which even a sad earthly existence is good, since a living dog is better than a dead lion ( Ecc 9:4-6.10). Where death reigns, there cannot be lasting happiness. But what follows from this? Should a person come to a gloomy despondency, to a conscious disgust for a life that so ruthlessly shatters all dreams of happiness? No. Where, apparently, extreme pessimism was supposed to hang like a hopeless fog, for Ecclesiastes, a living hope for the possibility of some happiness, faith in a certain value of life, shone. Ithron - perfect happiness for Ecclesiastes still remained unattainable, but he found in life a comparative good, relative happiness, something that can be said with certainty that this is something better. In place of the unattainable Ithron is the possible for man Tob. What is this Tob? In order to understand and be able to achieve this Tob, for this it is necessary to look at the world and human life from a completely new point of view, from a religious point of view, it is necessary to put God-consciousness, the living consciousness of the Divine force acting in the world, in the place of world consciousness. Everything in the world is subject to certain unchanging laws, but these laws are nothing but an expression of the Divine will. Man does not depend on blind fate, but on Divine providence. Everything is from the hand of God. Without it, a person cannot even eat and drink ( Ecc 2:24-26). Man is incapable of arguing with God Ecc 6:10), change what God does ( Ecc 3:14; cf. Ecc 7:13). He does not know the ways of God Ecc 3:16-17), knows neither the future nor the goals of the present ( Ecc 3:11; Ecc 11:5; Ecc 7:14). But if the ways of God are incomprehensible, then in any case they cannot be unjust. God will reward everyone according to their deserts, reward those who fear Him, and punish the wicked ( Ecc 8:12-13). As soon as a person begins to look at the world from a religious point of view, his mood changes radically. Convinced that the fate of man is in the hands of God ( Ecc 9:1), he leaves all restless worries and fearful expectations of the future, all irritation, chagrin and annoyance ( Ecc 5:16), which, without leading to anything, spoil the present, poison all joys, and sees the surest means to ensure the future in acquiring the grace of God with heartfelt prayer, reverent fulfillment of rituals, observance of commandments and vows ( Ecc 4:17-5:4). Calm for the future, he serenely enjoys the joys that God sends him ( Ecc 7:14). He eats his bread with joy, drinks his wine in joy, considering both as a gift from God ( Ecc 9:7; Ecc 3:13). He enjoys life with his wife, which God gave him for all the vain days under the sun ( Ecc 9:9). At all times his clothes are bright, and the oil does not fail on his head ( Ecc 9:8). The light is sweet to him and the sun is pleasant to him ( Ecc 11:7). If God sends him misfortune, he meditates ( Ecc 7:14) and reconciles with it, fully convinced of the expediency and justice of Divine Providence, of the educating and purifying power of suffering. Knowing that with the sadness of the face, the heart is pleased ( Ecc 7:3), he deliberately seeks that which arouses sadness. He prefers the day of death to his birthday, the house of weeping to the house of feasting, lamentation over laughter, reproofs of the wise over the songs of fools. Ecc 7:1-6). In relation to people, he is imbued with a feeling of gentleness, condescension, goodwill. He seeks moral unity with people, knowing that two are better than one ( Ecc 4:9-10). Confident that his fate also depends on the fate of other people, he contributes in every possible way to their well-being, generously distributing his property ( Ecc 11:1-2).
Such a state of mind, when a person, having completely surrendered himself to Divine Providence, serenely enjoys life, calmly and safely enduring all the trials sent to him, and there is the only happiness possible for him, his Tob. But this happiness is not complete, it cannot fully satisfy the striving for eternal happiness embedded in a person ( Ecc 3:10-11). Ithron is unreachable. All is vanity and vexation of the spirit. This is the result that Ecclesiastes arrived at. With his teaching on Sheol, with his vague notion of the judgment of God, with his total ignorance of the resurrection of the dead, Ecclesiastes could not come to a different conclusion. He was looking for perfect happiness "under the sun", that is, within the limits of earthly existence, but he could not be there.
The book of Ecclesiastes in its inscription ( Ecc 1:1) is assimilated by Solomon. But the inscription of the book itself does not finally and unconditionally solve the question of its writer. In ancient times it was customary to reproduce the thoughts and feelings of remarkable historical figures in colloquial or poetic form. This was a kind of literary device, a special literary form in which the author, caring about the identity of the spirit, and not about the identity of the letter, took only a general idea from history, subjecting it to independent development. An example of such a peculiar presentation of prophetic speeches can be found in the books of Kings and Chronicles. Some features of the book of Ecclesiastes convince us that in it we are dealing with a similar literary device. First of all, the language of the book shows with certainty that it appeared after the Babylonian captivity, when the Hebrew language lost its purity and acquired a strong Aramaic coloring. The book of Ecclesiastes is filled with Aramaicisms even more than the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and other post-captive writings, contains a lot of abstract and philosophical expressions, and even has something in common with Talmudic word usage (see language features in Keil, Bibl. comment bb. d. poet, V. A. T. IV V, pp. 197-206 and M. Olesnitsky. Book of Ecclesiastes. pp. 156-157. One scholar is right when he said that if Solomon had written the book of Ecclesiastes, there would have been no history of the Hebrew language. In any case, then it would be impossible for Solomon to assimilate the book of Proverbs. And in the very content of the book we will find many signs of its later origin. Ecclesiastes says about himself: I was king over Israel in Jerusalem (Ecc 1:12). Solomon himself could not use the past tense here, since he remained king until the end of his life. Thus, a person who lived after him could say about him. The same should be said about the expression: I have exalted myself and gained wisdom more than all that were before me over Jerusalem (Ecc 1:16). Before Solomon, only one David was king in Jerusalem, therefore, during the life of Solomon it was impossible to talk about all former kings in Jerusalem. By Ecc 2:3.9 it seems that Solomon indulged in sensual pleasures for the sake of philosophical experiments, for ideal motives. The historical Solomon could not say this about himself. Talking about religious failings modern society, our book is completely silent about idolatry, so widespread in the time of the kings, and notes the pharisaic, soulless performance of rituals ( Ecc 4:17; Ecc 5:1-19), about which the prophet Malachi often speaks. It is incomprehensible for the time of Solomon and the warning against compiling and reading many books ( Ecc 12:12). The very content of the book, complaints about the vanity of everything, a general feeling of dissatisfaction, an exhortation not to succumb to gloomy despondency, to be content with a little in life - does not fit well with the glorious and brilliant era of Solomon, when the Jewish people lived through the time of their youth, full of strength and hope, proud of their successes, never known disappointment. It was rather the general dissatisfaction of the post-captive period, the general fatigue in the constant struggle with the difficult political and socio-economic conditions of life. Don't tell me why the old days were better than the present, instructs Ecclesiastes. In no era has this been said so often as after the captivity. All this prompts us to admit that the book of Ecclesiastes was written not by Solomon, but by a person who lived in the post-captive period. Already M. Filaret allowed some doubts about its belonging to Solomon. "Unfortunately," he wrote, Solomon's conversion is not as certain as his error. The book of Ecclesiastes, apparently, is a monument to his repentance» ( Ink. church bibl. stories. Ed. 9. S. 230, 231).
As can be seen from the content of the book and from the historical circumstances of its appearance, the goal that its writer set for himself was to console his contemporaries who fell into despondency, on the one hand, clarifying the vanity and perishability of everything earthly, on the other hand, indicating the means and with the existing difficult conditions to create a more or less tolerable existence. This means consisted in living, working, enjoying all available joys, every minute, so to speak, feeling your dependence on Divine Providence and drawing for yourself a source of moral courage and peace of mind. This task of the book, as well as all of its content, which is in complete agreement with the God-revealed Old Testament teaching, does not give any reason to doubt the canonical dignity of the book. If some ancient rabbis, followed by Christian writers (for example, Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen) are completely silent about the book of Ecclesiastes and doubt the canonical dignity of the book, this is due to the fact that they took and interpreted some passages that seduced them fragmentarily, without connection with the general content of the book, and as a result found in them signs of epicureanism, fatalism and pessimism . Nothing of the kind appears in the book, if it is properly understood.
See Understanding the Bible.
The third section of the Old Testament sacred books in the Greek-Slavic Bible consists of “educational” books, of which five - Job, the Psalter, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs are recognized as canonical, and two - the Wisdom of Solomon and the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach The modern order of teaching books in the Greek-Slavic Bible is somewhat different from the ancient one. It is in the Codex Sinai that they are arranged in this form: Psalter, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Job; in the Vatican list for the book. Song of Songs follows Job and further Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach. non-canonical. In contrast, in the Hebrew Bible, the last two, as well as all non-canonical ones in general, are not at all, the first five do not bear the name “educational”, do not form a special department, but together with the books: Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Esther, Daniel, Ezra , Nehemiah, the first and second Chronicles, are ranked among the so-called "ketubim", "hagiographs", - "holy writings". The name “ketubim”, which became the technical designation of the third part of Scripture among the Talmudic rabbis, was replaced in ancient times by others, indicating the instructive nature of the works included in it. So, in Josephus Flavius, modern teaching books, except for Job, are known under the name " other books containing hymns to God and rules of life for people» (Against Appion I, 4); Philo calls them “hymns and other books by which knowledge and piety are established and perfected” (On the contemplative life), and the author of the 2nd Maccabean book - “ τὰ του̃ Δαυιδ καὶ ἐπιστολὰς βασιλέων περὶ ἀναθεμάτων ” - “the books of David and the letters of the kings about the offerings” (2:13). The name “τὰ του̃ Δαυιδ" is identical with the gospel title of the teaching books psalms" ("it is fitting for all those written in the Law of Moses and the prophets and psalms about me to die"; Luke 24:44), and this latter, according to Gefernik, also took place among the rabbis. The fathers and teachers of the church, who, according to the LXX translation, allocate teaching books to a special department, they also do not wear modern name, and are known under the name "poetic". That's what they call them Cyril of Jerusalem(4th catechetical word), Gregory the Theologian(Σύταγμα. Ράκκη, IV, p. 363), Amphilochius of Iconium(Ibid. p. 365), Epiphanius of Cyprus and John of Damascus An Accurate Statement of the Orthodox Faith. IV, 17). However, already Leonty of Byzantium(VI century) calls them "teaching", - "παραινετικά" (De Sectis, actio II. Migne. T. 86, p. 1204).
With the didactic nature of everything Holy Scripture the assimilation of only some books of the name "educational" indicates that they were written with the special purpose of teaching, enlightening, showing how one should think about a known subject, how it should be understood. This goal, as applied to religious and moral truths, is indeed pursued by instructive books. Their view, the main point of view on the teaching of faith and piety, is the same as in the law; its peculiarity lies in the desire to bring the revealed truth closer to the understanding of a person, to bring him, with the help of various considerations, to the consciousness that it should be presented in this way and not otherwise. Thanks to this, proposed in the law in the form of a commandment and prohibition, it is alive in the teaching books by the conviction of the one to whom it is given, who thought and thought about it, is expressed as truth, not only because it is revealed in the law, as truth, but also because it completely agrees with the thought of a person, has already become, as it were, his own property, his own thought . Bringing God-revealed truths closer to human understanding, instructive books, indeed, "improve consciousness and piety." And as for examples of such coverage of them, they are primarily observed in the book. Job. Its main position, the question of the relation of God's truth to human truth, is interpreted by the author from the point of view of its acceptability for human consciousness. Initially doubting divine justice, Job turns out, as a result of conversations, to believe in the inflexibility of divine truth. The objective position: "God is just" is raised to the level of personal subjective conviction. A similar character is distinguished by the book. Ecclesiastes. Its purpose is to instill in man the fear of God ( Job 12:13), encourage them to keep the commandments of God. The means for this is, on the one hand, an explanation of the position that everything that distracts a person from God, leading to His forgetfulness - various worldly blessings do not constitute true happiness for a person, and therefore one should not indulge in them, and on the other hand, the disclosure of that truth. that the keeping of the commandments gives him a real good, since it leads to the blessedness after death, which is given for a good life, this eternally abiding good. Likewise, the book. Proverbs contains reflections on the principles of revealed religion, law and theocracy and their influence on the formation of the mental, moral and civil life of Israel. The result of this reflection is the position that only the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Holy One constitute true wisdom that calms the mind and heart. And since the various rules of religious and moral activity serve as an expression of this kind of wisdom, they are based on the conviction that the revealed truth agrees with the requirements of the human spirit.
Revealing God-revealed truth from the side of its agreement with human understanding, teaching books are indicators of the spiritual development of the Jewish people under the guidance of the law. In the person of his best representatives, he was not only a passive being in relation to the revealed truths, but more or less pondered them, assimilated them, that is, brought them into agreement with his inner convictions and beliefs. Plunging his heart and thought into the realm of revelation, he either presented the objects of his contemplation for teaching, for the development of religious knowledge and the advancement of the purity of morality required by law, as we see in the book. Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and some Psalms (78, 104, 105, etc.), or noted, expressed the impression that this contemplation made on his heart, in the lyrical form of religious feelings and heartfelt reflections (Psalm). The fruit of God-enlightened reflection on the divine revelation given to the Jewish people in the law, teaching books are predominantly subjective, in contrast to the objective presentation of the truths of faith and piety in the law and the objective description of the life of the Jewish people in historical books. Another difference between teaching books is their poetic form with its characteristic feature- parallelism, defined by researchers of Jewish poetry as the ratio of one verse to another. This is a kind of rhyme of thought, the symmetry of an idea, usually expressed two or sometimes three times in different terms, sometimes synonymous, sometimes opposite. According to the various interrelationships of verses, parallelism can be synonymous, antitic, synthetic, and rhymic. The first kind of parallelism occurs when parallel terms correspond to each other, expressing the same meaning in equivalent terms. An example of such parallelism is Ps 113- “When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob (from among) a foreign people, Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his possession. The sea saw it and fled, the Jordan turned back, the mountains jumped like sheep and the hills like lambs. Antitic parallelism consists in the correspondence of two members to each other through the opposition of expressions or feelings. “Sincere reproaches from the one who loves, and deceitful kisses from the one who hates. A well-fed soul tramples on a honeycomb, but to a hungry soul everything bitter is sweet. Proverbs 27:6-7). “Some with chariots, others with horses, but we glory in the name of the Lord our God. They staggered and fell, but we got up and stand upright ”( Ps 19:8-9). Parallelism is synthetic when it consists only in the similarity of construction or measure: the words do not correspond to the words and the members of the phrase to the members of the phrase, as equivalent or opposite in meaning, but the turnover and form are identical; the subject corresponds to the subject, the verb to the verb, the adjective to the adjective, and the meter is the same. “The law of the Lord is perfect, it strengthens the soul; the revelation of the Lord is true, makes the simple wise; the commandments of the Lord are righteous, gladden the heart; the fear of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes" ( Ps 18). Parallelism is, finally, sometimes just apparent and consists only in a certain analogy of construction or in the development of thought in two verses. In these cases it is purely rhyming and lends itself to endless combinations. Each member of the parallelism constitutes a verse in Hebrew poetry, consisting of a combination of iambs and trochees, and the most common verse of the Jews is heptasyllabic, or of seven syllables. Poems of this type are written in the book. Job ( Job 3:1-42:6), the entire book of Proverbs, and most of the Psalms. There are also verses of four, five, six and nine syllables, sometimes alternating with verses of various sizes. Each verse is, in turn, part of a stanza, the essential property of which is that it contains a single, or main, thought, the full disclosure of which is given in the totality of its constituent verses. However, in some cases, now two different thoughts are combined in one stanza, then one and the same thought develops and continues beyond this limit.
9:1
To all this I turned my heart to find out that the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God,
Solomon, analyzing the ability of a person to do righteous deeds, came to the conclusion that a person by himself without God's guidance could neither live wisely, nor do good deeds before God. The righteous and wise with their deeds are in the hand of God because they are an “extension” of His hand: they do His will on Earth, doing good, and therefore God looks after them especially.
And if someone does good in his life, not knowing anything about God's guidance, then it simply means that the law of God is written on his heart: without the intervention of the hand of God, none of the people will be able to do good. Why?
and that man knows neither love nor hate in all that is before him.
By itself, a person, even love from hatred, at times, cannot distinguish, just like the right hand from the left. He thinks he loves, doing, as it seems to him, good. And in fact, it turns out that he hates. For example, to punish a disobedient son with a rod - hatred for a son? Or love?
A person himself will not understand this until God enlightens him with His instruction:
He who pities his rod hates his son; and whoever loves punishes him from childhood.(Prov. 13:25)
9:2
Everything and everyone is one: one fate for the righteous and the wicked, the good and the [evil], the pure and the unclean, the one who sacrifices and who does not sacrifice; both the virtuous and the sinner; both the one who swears, and the one who fears the oath.
This text well shows that in this age the God-fearing righteous have no advantage over the obvious wicked: both are equally subject to the influence of death. Because of this, the Devil managed to convince almost the whole world that there is no point in living God-fearing and trying to fulfill God's commandments if everyone has the same end:
9:3
This is what is evil in everything that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all, and the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart, in their life; and after that they [depart] to the dead.
It is precisely because of the similarity of the end in this century for everyone - many people choose life in complete isolation from God's principles - the life of "wolves" in herds of "sheep": both satisfying and free, and you can "bleat" with the suffering of "sheep" do not pay any attention, destroy them one by one slowly, even without worrying about looking for a reason, as in Krylov's fable: "you are to blame for the fact that I want to eat."
That is why for the righteous, life in this unjust age is like a testing ground. Only an understanding of the meaning of one's life in this age FOR the SAKE of gaining God's just age in the future helps to worthily pass this field of trials of faith.
9:4
Whoever is among the living, there is still hope, for even a living dog is better than a dead lion.
A living dog can still correct something in his life, but a dead lion, although the king of beasts, can neither feel nor correct anything in himself.
So a living person has an advantage over a dead person in that he still has some meaning in life and the hope of correcting something in his life or in himself for the better.
9:5
The living know they will die, but the dead know nothing
This verse dispels any speculation that the dead supposedly continue to live even after death, and have consciousness in some other form: this text shows that the dead have no knowledge, which means that he cannot have any consciousness, and continuation of conscious life after death - also.
The advantage of the living over the dead lies in the fact that they are still able to reasonably manage their lives in accordance with the knowledge of impending death. For example, if a living person learns about God’s intention to resurrect people to eternal life and wishes to live forever, he may still have time to correct his way of life and be noted in God’s book of life as striving for righteousness and having a chance to achieve eternity with God.
And the dead have already missed this chance, they no longer have the opportunity to do anything useful for themselves.
Even believers in the afterlife, after reading this truthful text about the state of the dead, may have time to do something more useful with their religion and correct it while they are still alive.
and there is no more recompense for them, because the memory of them is forgotten,
There is no benefit to the dead from the fact that life on earth continues in principle: they are not among the participants in life, no one will reward them with anything - neither attention, nor care, nor anxiety, nor even indifference can they be seen in the grave. And the memory of the departed is completely erased over time, and it is impossible to distinguish in the dust of the earth who was who.
9:6
and their love and their hatred and their jealousy have already vanished,
This verse refutes the theory that the dead feel something and can somehow influence the living.
No one was anyone - in the dust of the earth under their feet it is impossible to make out, no one breathed anything, no one loved whom, no one hated whom - everything disappears in the darkness of death, the most stormy, poetic, sublime and base boiling passions of the living - go out in the bowels man's last rests:
And if a person dies
with him his first snow dies,
and the first kiss, and the first fight ...
He takes all this with him.
Yes, books and bridges remain
machines and artists canvases,
yes, much is destined to stay,
but something is still missing!
Such is the law of the ruthless game.
Not people die, but worlds .... (E. Yevtushenko, "Irrevocability")
and they have no more part for ever in anything that is done under the sun.
In this age of the devil's reign, man will never return, for God will destroy this age. That is why it is said that the deceased has no more FOREVER part in anything. If God wishes to bring a person back to life, then the resurrected person will fall into another world, not in this ungodly age, but in the age of God's rule over the Earth, in an era of prosperity and eternal harmony.
Therefore, it is a great evil for a person to know that the end is inevitable, and that nothing will remain of him, and everything that was dear cannot be taken with him.
Such realities of the hopelessness of being human can imprison anyone into an endless depression and bring them to complete exhaustion .... if you think about the inevitability of death from birth.
Therefore, Solomon advises a person to drive away these black thoughts and live taking into account the finiteness of his being, focusing on the positive:
9:7
[So] go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with joy in your heart, when God is pleased with your deeds.
He proposes to use those earthly joys with which God has endowed a person - for the benefit of oneself: after all, if a person is alive and can find joy in life, it means that for now God favors him, for the ability to enjoy what you have is a gift from God.
9:8
May your clothes be bright at all times, and may the oil not fail on your head.
However, Solomon is not talking about the unbridled revelry of the wicked, who do not care what methods to receive earthly joys from life: a person who finds joy must not stain his clothes with the impurity of a vicious lifestyle.
Oil on the head means "may you be the chosen one of God." That is, Solomon advises a living person to take care of God's goodwill towards him, only in this case the joy of life will also be full from realizing the correctness of his path before God.
9:9
Enjoy life with the wife you love
all the days of your vain life, and which God has given you under the sun for all your vain days;
The wife you love in everything the vain days of his life are given, therefore, by God. If we ourselves choose our life companions at our own discretion and without knowledge from God about the essence of the family, then there are no guarantees that we will be able to love our chosen one in all the vain days of our life. And if we initially marry not out of love, but out of calculation, for example, or out of stupidity, then it will be impossible to experience those pleasures from life in the family that God put into man during creation.
because this is your share in life and in your labors, which you work under the sun.
God set such a program for a person's life: to live, work and enjoy life together with his wife.
Hence another conclusion: look for life partners for yourself, taking into account the knowledge from God about the essence of creating a family, about the criteria for choosing a marriage partner, about the conditions for the strength and durability of marriage. Otherwise, it’s not enough depression from the fact that everyone who was born has already stepped on the finish line to death, but also enjoying neither his wife nor life with her may not work out.
9:10
Whatever your hand can do, do it according to your strength;
Everyone has different strengths and abilities, you need to be able to calculate them wisely so as not to overstrain yourself and not overshadow the joy of a short life because of this. One can pull a burden of 100 kg. and at the same time enjoy life, and the other - and from five kg. life's problems will overstrain. And just doing nothing in life is unreasonable. Why?
for in the grave where you will go there is no work, no reflection, no knowledge, no wisdom.
Because such an opportunity - to carry the load of the many-sided aspects of life - falls only to a living person: afterlife no, and after death a person does not pass into any other form of life, unfortunately for many. That is why it is said about the deceased that he has nothing. Like himself, no.
In total: everyone will have time to leave on a “long-term vacation” called “non-existence”, and therefore, while living in this century there is something useful and interesting within reach, this should be done with your hands and mind.
9:11
And I turned, and I saw under the sun that not the agile get a successful run, not the brave - victory, not the wise - bread, and not the prudent - wealth, and not the skilled - goodwill, but time and chance for all of them.
For all time and occasion
You never know exactly what awaits you, success or failure in any business. Blind chance and circumstances that you cannot influence in any way change, at times, the picture of life beyond recognition; and what you aspire to and, in theory, deserve by your work - can simply pass by and get to someone who did nothing for this.
SoSolomon described the essence of life in this age of accidents and the complete absence of patterns, except for three:
1)
whoever comes into this world will surely die.
2)
and the dead will never return to this world.
3)
if God wishes to bring a person back to life, then the resurrected person will fall into another world, not into an ungodly age, but into the age of God’s rule over the Earth, into an era of prosperity and eternal harmony (see 9:6)
Should we expect miracles from God today? And, climbing into a burning furnace, to think that God will not allow to burn in it? It's not worth it, the outcome is known - we'll burn.
But if we keep away from the red-hot furnace - the chance not to burn out from its flame - will present itself with a greater probability. This is precisely the miracle of God for us today: prudence will protect us from unpleasant cases. (Prov. 2:11).
9:12
For man does not know his time.
If the problem of a person was only in chance and in the impossibility of fateful planning, this injustice could still be somehow experienced. But no, the problem is also that a person does not even know when in time he will fit into this or that event of his own life, so that it does not happen out of place.
It is not even possible for a person to know what will happen to him or in his life in a second, minute, hour, day, etc.; at any moment in time, anything can happen and often - far from everything and not in the way that a person counts on.
As fish are caught in a pernicious net, and as birds are entangled in snares, so the sons of men are caught in a time of distress when it unexpectedly comes upon them.
The trouble does not ask permission for its arrival, but its strength lies largely in its suddenness. A person is often not ready for trouble, and therefore his terrible situation only worsens.
Such is the picture of the “king of nature” and the “crown of creation” of this age: crushed by the will of chance and unforeseen circumstances, a person, having been born, struggles all his life to his own grave. And all this is very unpleasant to realize.
9:13,14
Here is another wisdom I saw under the sun, and it seemed to me important:
14 The city is small, and there are few people in it; a great king came up to him and besieged him and made great siege works against him;
This sometimes happens in the history of mankind: it seems that the situation is hopeless and on the verge of death, those few who are unlucky, who, by chance, found themselves in the wrong place, at the wrong moment and in the wrong situation in which nothing would threaten their well-being .
And here is the miracle of salvation:
9:15
but a wise poor man was found in him, and he saved this city with his wisdom; and yet no one remembered this poor man.
Alas, what was important in the time of Solomon is important and relevant to this day:
the human world is the most ungrateful phenomenon of this age, wisdom is not valued here if it comes from someone who does not have the “royal” authority to be wise. Poverty at all times of this century was neglected, and even the best mental abilities in the ability to solve very complex problems and tasks did not make life easier for those who own them.
9:16
And I said, Wisdom is better than strength, and yet the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heeded.
And why? Because the people of this age look at WHO says, and not WHAT says. The words of a carpenter's son do not have the power that the words of a merchant's son have in this age. Power is good, but wisdom is better, because it knows exactly how and where to apply the same power for the benefit of business and society.
Jesus, the bearer of the wisdom of God, appeared in the world as a poor man. All those who loved the glory of man more than God's - did not perceive him as a messenger of God, did not recognize in him the prince of heaven, speaking wisely. This means that they themselves were not princes: the impostors from the representatives of the “princely family” among the people of God were weeded out simply by reaction to the wisdom of God.
9:17
The words of the wise, [spoken] calmly, are listened to [better] than the cry of the lord among fools.
Listeners are of decisive importance: if the listeners are stupid, then no matter who, what and how they are told, they will still not understand it or not quite the way it should be.
Wise words will reach reasonable ones, even if they are spoken quietly and calmly. And with fools, even a cry - you can’t solve things, and even if a cry comes from someone in power, you won’t solve it either.
Conclusion: you should not recruit stupid subordinates to the king.
9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner will destroy much good.
Wisdom knows a lot more than just shooting and killing. She also knows how to make military weapons always silent.
During the war, the presence of a fool in command is unacceptable: all the efforts of the wise can come to naught.
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