Ecclesiastes 9:1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them
What did you do yesterday? Did you get anything done? Was it work of value? Maybe that kind of thinking, reasoning, and questioning makes you feel a little discouraged like, “I don’t know what I did.” Or may you know precisely what you did, what came of it, and why it was significant.
Was God at work yesterday? What did God do? Maybe you can look back and say to yourself, “Wow, that was God” or maybe you are not sure what God is doing. In either case, does ignorance or the lack of meaning mean that it is meaningless?” That is to say, just because I don’t fully know the value of the work I did and I don’t even know what God did at all, does that mean God didn’t work, I didn’t work, and that the work we did do is meaningless?
Ecclesiastes 8:17 and 9:1 both talk about work, our work and God’s, and how they interrelate. Ecclesiastes 8:17 says, “Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.” God’s ways are beyond ours. It is hard to comprehend what God is doing and the significance of it. So, I can’t comprehend God’s work, it is beyond me.
Ecclesiastes 9:1, the next verse, talks about my work, “For all this [ignorance about the work of God] I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.” No one can discern by what you have at hand what is going to come after. In short, what these two verses are saying is that on the one hand, I can’t comprehend God’s work and on the other hand, God holds my work. The relationship between my work and God’s work is that God is at work but I can’t comprehend it, and I am at work and God is the one who holds that work in His hands. These two truths should inform our work ethic.
There are several elements that should be in any work ethic that is informed by the nature of life and the reality of God. The first element is faith. Sometimes as believers we contrast work and faith. When it comes to salvation, we certainly do this. It is not by our works of righteousness but it is our faith in what Christ has done. So, there is a contrast between work and faith, but in our daily work, the things we are doing and the energy we are expending, there ought to be some faith in that.
There is place in faith for work. Ecclesiastes 9:1 says that their works are in the hand of God. So, there is a place for hope. Verse 4 says, “For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” So, if you are alive today, there is hope. You may not always know the significance of your work, but that is where faith comes in. You cannot discount God from the work you are doing today because there is a bigger picture than merely the work you are doing and the energy you are expending. If we realize there is a God, that puts some hope in our work.
The proverb here says that a living dog is better than dead lion. You can look back at all the people who were greatest in their field, whether political, military, science, farming, labor, or whatever, and feel like you may never match them, but the fact is you are better than they are right now because you are going to work today and they are dead. They will not work today. So, there is hope for those who are living today, and faith really comes down to the fact that there is significance beyond today in the work that we do. So, don’t discount God from your work.
The second element is industry. Verse 10 says, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” So, there is no might in the grave where you go. Work is in itself noble. I often wonder, “What is the purpose of the work I am doing? I’m pounding nails, sweeping a floor, making decisions, working out problems. What will come of the work I’ve done?” That is fair and good. I don’t want to do pointless work, but there is a sense in which work itself is noble. Toil is sin’s curse, but service is heaven’s blessing. We will be serving in heaven. Work is something that God does. That should inform our work ethic.
Finally, there is pleasure. That may sound crazy, but you find it throughout the book. Verses 7-9 say, “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.” So, there is pleasure.
Someone says, “I’d rather rust out than burn out. I understand that. I don’t think there is nobility in being a lazy bum, but what is the difference in the conclusions of burning out and rusting out? There is no difference; either way you are out. So, some relaxation is strategic and important. Recently, I enjoyed Labor Day; I was busy all day long. What did I accomplish? Nothing, but I enjoyed the whole day. I enjoyed the pleasure that God had given.
So, faith, industry, and pleasure are all elements that should inform our work ethic because I cannot comprehend God’s work, but God holds mine.