Many people believe that the Book of Ecclesiastes is basically depicting a wise approach to life if there were no resurrection from the dead. This Easter weekend, we celebrate the fact that there is a resurrection from the dead, and of course, that changes everything. But it is useful to think about how we would value things and decide things if there was not. I found this verse very instructive:
“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?” (Ecclesiastes 2:24–25 ESV)
According to Ecclesiastes, in a world without the resurrection, the best gift from God that could be received by human beings would be meaningful work.
That’s interesting.
Why not family?
Why not wealth?
Why not health?
I suppose Kohelet (the preacher and author of the book, likely Solomon in his old age) might argue that it is unwise to delight too much in a family since they can break your heart like no one else. Wives can betray, sons and daughters can disappoint etc.
I suppose Kohelet might say that wealth can’t really satisfy. Just like you can only enjoy so much honey before you get sick of it, so too with toys, stuff and accoutrements.
As for health, perhaps he would say that health is always for something else anyway. You want to be healthy enough to enjoy your family or to use your wealth. It isn’t a thing unto itself.
So that leaves meaningful work.
Meaningful work would be the greatest gift from God in a world where people were not raised from the dead.
So how does that change in a world where people are raised from the dead?
I think that meaningful work is still important, but the nature of that work would now have to be informed by the reality of Christ’s resurrection. It would need to be work that will stand up under the scrutiny of final judgment – meaning it should benefit people, serve God’s glory and conform to God’s Word – and it should connect in some way to the requirements of the Great Commission. If our work offers us no opportunity to expand the kingdom and extend Christ’s invitation then it may fail to qualify as meaningful work in a world in which there is a resurrection.
In a world that has a resurrection, I might transpose Kohelet’s statement by saying:
“Enjoy all of God’s gifts – the greatest of which is everlasting life in Jesus Christ. Work hard with all the gifts he has given you – in particular the gift of life. Make the most of your everlasting life and do all that you can to include others in it. Your family, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbours, and even your enemies. This is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can live or who can have enjoyment” (Ecclesiastes 2:24–25 PCRREV)
Where PCRREV = Paul Carter’s Revised Resurrected English Version
Thanks be to God!
Pastor Paul Carter
To listen to the most recent episodes of Pastor Paul’s Into The Word devotional podcast on the TGC Canada website see here. To access the entire library of available episodes see here. You can find his personal blog, Semper Reformanda, by clicking here.