Living Well
Death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:2
READ Ecclesiastes 7:1–4
Free funerals for the living. That’s the
service offered by an establishment in South Korea. Since it opened in
2012, more than 25,000 people—from teenagers to retirees—have
participated in mass “living funeral” services, hoping to improve their
lives by considering their deaths. Officials say “the simulated death
ceremonies are meant to give the participant a truthful sense of their
lives, inspire gratitude, and aid in forgiveness and reconnection among
family and friends.”
These words echo the wisdom given by the teacher who wrote
Ecclesiastes. “Death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take
this to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Death reminds us of the brevity of
life and that we only have a certain amount of time to live and love
well. It loosens our grip on some of God’s good gifts—such as money,
relationships, and pleasure—and frees us to enjoy them in the here and
now as we store up “treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not
destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20).
As we remember that death may come knocking anytime, perhaps it’ll
compel us to not postpone that visit with our parents, delay our
decision to serve God in a particular way, or compromise our time with
our children for our work. With God’s help, we can learn to live wisely.
By Poh Fang Chia |
What changes will you make in your life
today as you think about death? How can you be more conscious about
death amid the hustle and bustle of life?
Loving God, help me to remember the brevity of life and to live well today.
To learn more about what happens after death. | | | | |
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Scholars have heavily debated the authorship of Ecclesiastes. The opening verse identifies the author as “the Teacher” (Hebrew Qohelet),
but that is a title, not a proper name. The traditional view has
ascribed authorship to Solomon because of statements summarized well in The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
“The author also identified himself as a ‘son of David’ (1:1), a
‘king in Jerusalem’ (1:1), and ‘king over Israel in Jerusalem’ (1:12).
Moreover, in the autobiographical section (1:12–2:26) he said he was
wiser ‘than anyone who [had] ruled over Jerusalem before’ him (1:16);
that he was a builder of great projects (2:4–6); and that he possessed
numerous slaves (2:7), incomparable herds of sheep and cattle (2:7),
great wealth (2:8), and a large harem (2:8). In short he claimed to be
greater than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before him (2:9).” These
statements seem to provide more than enough evidence to support Solomon
as the author of Ecclesiastes.
Bill Crowder
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