Ecclesiastes 8 · The Lantern

Obey the King

Who is like the wise man, and who knows the interpretation of a matter? The wisdom of a man lights up his face, and the strength of his face is changed.

Moreover, wisdom, when it is found in a man, shows itself also in its possessor's face, and makes his countenance to shine; as, on the other hand, effrontery convicts the man in whom it has taken up its abode, so soon as he is seen, as one worthy of hatred.

"Who is like the wise man? And who knows what things mean? A man's wisdom lights up his face, and the boldness of his face is transformed. "He had taught above that it is hard to find a good man, and he had answered the question to the contrary, saying that men are made good by God, but that they fall into sin because of their own free will.

Above he described the vanity of concupiscence. Here against that vanity he intends to give the remedy of wisdom: for no one is rescued from concupiscence unless he walks with wisdom.

I say: keep the mouth of the king, and that because of the oath of God.

Do not be hasty to go from before him; do not stand in an evil matter, for he does all that he delights in.

Because the word of a king is authority, and who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

One who keeps a commandment will know no evil matter, and a wise heart knows time and judgment.

For every delight has its time and judgment, for the evil of man is heavy upon him.

For he does not know what will be; for as it will be, who can tell him?

There is no man who has authority over the wind to restrain the wind, and there is no authority over the day of death, and there is no discharge in the war, and wickedness does not deliver its owners.

In the direct and literal sense, there is no person who has power over the spirit so as to understand the movement of air, that is, the wind as breath. The human being has no great power as long as he does not have power over the wind. He can do nothing to cause it and nothing to prevent it when it wants to harm him.

"Man is powerless over the spirit-to restrain the spirit; nor is there authority over the day of death; nor discharge in war; and wickedness cannot save the wrong-doer. "Our mind does not have the power to prevent the spirit from being taken from us, and when the spirit leaves to the realm of God, it helps nothing to shut out mouth and hold in our fleeting life.

Neither can it be prevented, whence he says: Nor is it in man's dominion, that is, power, to prevent the spirit, namely from departing, because no one can prevent the time of death from coming.

All this I saw, and I gave my heart to every deed that is done under the sun, at a time when man had authority over man to his harm.

Fear God

And so I saw the wicked buried, and they came, and from a holy place they went, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is breath.

Because sentence on an evil deed is not done quickly, therefore the heart of the sons of man is full within them to do evil.

Let them rest assured that punishment shall be inflicted on the wicked, and rewards shall be bestowed upon the righteous, by him who deals with everyone as each deserves, and who will proportion his rewards to the good that each has done, and to the account of himself that he is able to give.

It is clear, then, that no one can be deceived by the devil except one who has chosen to yield to him the consent of his own will.

And he shows this: For because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the wicked, but they are kindly waited for, according to what is said in 2 Peter 3: "The Lord does not delay his promise, but deals patiently on your account, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to repentance." And without any fear the sons of men perpetrate evils, and so they…

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his days, yet I also know that it will be good for those who fear God, who fear before him.

And it will not be good for the wicked man, and he will not prolong days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

God’s Ways Are Mysterious

There is a breath that is done on the earth: that there are righteous ones to whom it happens according to the deed of the wicked, and there are wicked ones to whom it happens according to the deed of the righteous. I said that this also is breath.

"There is a futility that takes place on earth: sometimes there are righteous men who are treated as if they had done according to the deeds of the wicked; and there are wicked men who are treated as if they had done the deeds of the righteous. I declared, this, too, is vanity.

So Solomon bears witness, saying, "There are just men to whom many things happen, as though they had done the deeds of the wicked; and there are wicked, who are as secure as though they had the deeds of the just." God no doubt so ordains it of his inestimable mercy, that scourges should torture the just, lest their doings should elate them, and that the unjust should pass this…

Above he showed how security arises from the sight of the exaltation of the wicked: here secondly he shows how it arises from the sight of the adversity of the good. And indeed he does this in this order. First, the adversity of the good is set forth: second, from this the security of the wicked: third, vanity is concluded: fourth, pleasure is commended.

And I extolled gladness, because there is nothing good for man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be glad; and this will go with him in his labor the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

"So I praised enjoyment, for man has no other aim under the sun but to eat, drink, and be joyful; and this will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God has given him beneath the sun. "I have interpreted this more fully above, and now I shall just speak cursorily.

Now, to be made a sharer at the table is to begin to have life, as we see from a text in Ecclesiastes: "There is no good for a man except what he shall eat and drink." How can we reasonably interpret these words save as an allusion to partaking at the table which the Mediator of the New Testament, priest according to the order of Melchizedek, provides with his own body and bloo…

Here fourthly, from this, pleasure is commended in detestation of so great a vanity, from the fact that good things befall the wicked and evil things befall the good; and this is the praise and word of a troubled man.

When I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on the earth — for also by day and by night he sees no sleep with his eyes —

then I saw all the deed of God, that man is not able to find out the deed that is done under the sun; because though a man labors to seek it, he will not find it; and even if the wise man says he knows, he is not able to find it.

Ecclesiastes8

Obey the King

Fear God

God’s Ways Are Mysterious