Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Ecclesiastes 9:7-10, ESV
Hi Friends,
This has been my favorite passage in this season of life and, as we start 2023 together, I’d like to share a few of the reasons why.
Ecclesiastes is a book that helps us know how to enjoy life and be a good human. It’s about “life under the sun” and, although it can leave us longing to hear more about the Resurrection of Christ, it helps us not cheapen the existence God has placed us in.
This particular section (9:7-10) is one of five similar refrains in the book. It’s also the longest of them and helps us get at a couple of the book’s major themes: Life is about relationships, and joy is found in drinking deeply of God’s simple gifts like bread, wine, work, as well as basking in His freedom and favor. BTW, the featured photo is from a day this week in Princeton, NJ where my son Tim and I did just that!
As we begin a new year, “let your garments always be white; let not oil be lacking on your head” is a way of saying, “Put your best foot forward. Lean into brightness rather than hardness (8:1) and gloom. Wash your face and carry yourself in a state of blessing. If you have received God’s Son (Jn. 1:12), you are an anointed child of the King. Again, carry yourself as such. This is the year God has made; let us rejoice and be glad! (Phil. 4:4)
“Enjoy life with the wife whom you love” is a reminder to prioritize and treasure all primary relationships– especially marriage. And if you’ve lost a spouse or loved one, I’m truly sorry. Please know that, despite your grief and pain, this passage is still a reminder to take joy and invest in the relationships you have now, as well as thank God for the taste of the divine you once had. Also, remember that when “the Preacher” says “vanity” or “vain life” he is talking most often about the fleeting nature of our existence. This means we need to seize the day and enjoy the life we have now because life is a vapor or breath (what the Hebrew word for vanity literally means).
When it says “because that is your portion” another good translation of that word is “share.” Some translations have “lot” and that is NOT a good translation. The idea here is that we need to steward well the gifts God has shared with us. In other words, it helps remind us that we are too blessed to be depressed.
Finally, the “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” is a reminder to lean into the gifts, vocations, passion projects, etc. that God has given you. There will come a time when we won’t be able to work– when we have no more strength or “might.” When it comes to your “toil” this year, always remember:
- Work is not the problem (Gen. 2:15). It is how sin impacts our work.
- Work is a fundamental part of being human.
- Although it is ok to stop working for money, it is never ok to stop working.
Friends, again, I hope these few, simple thoughts are an encouragement. And if you haven’t picked up a copy yet, here’s a great addition to your 2023 reading list. Happy New Year!