Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Read: Ecclesiastes 9:1-12
TODAY IN THE WORD

C. S. Lewis is considered one of the great Christian thinkers of the modern era. His writings, both fiction and nonfiction, continue to be influential in Christianity and culture. But his death, less than ten years after the publication of the last volume of the popular Chronicles of Narnia, received little media attention. It was November 22, 1963, the same day John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
Lewis’s death is a picture of how fragile life and the glory of livelihood can be, even for the famous. Life slipped from his grasp, and the world barely took notice. That aspect of death may have been King Solomon’s greatest fear. He had accumulated incomparable wealth, renown, and wisdom . . . and wives. His accomplishments in building, writing, agriculture, and art stagger the senses. But as recorded in Ecclesiastes, he realized that his final resting place would be no better than that of a slave.
Ecclesiastes 9 is not exactly a pick-me-up. Solomon bemoans the grave’s robbery of every aspect of life. Religion, evil, reward, memory, consciousness, love, hate, envy, celebration, work, food, drink, planning, knowledge, wisdom, and hope all cease at the point of death. How ironic that the great king of God’s chosen people and the ancient author of several books in the inspired Word of God would come to the same basic logical conclusion as a modern atheist. No one knows how or when they will die, they only know that it will come; so enjoy life while it lasts (vv. 7—10).
Of all the things from which we need salvation, is not this hopelessness the greatest and most relevant to our lives today? We can learn to accept sin. We can avoid thinking about eternal judgment. We can even allay our fears about the afterlife with manufactured hopes of reincarnation, nirvana, or automatic entry into heaven. But the fleeting nature of life is evident to all. There is much more to existence than life “under the sun.” These words are honest—our time on earth is short, and it ends suddenly and mercilessly.
TODAY ALONG THE WAYDo you believe in the certainty of death? Everyone knows of its truth, but people generally refuse to accept it. Whether you are assured of heaven or you are skeptical of eternal life, each day is precious. There is much wisdom in Solomon’s advice: whatever task you have before you, give it your all. Whatever opportunities you have to celebrate, enjoy them. Most of all, do not delay your decision to believe in Jesus Christ and be saved from the otherwise hopeless finality of death.

2009 Copyright Moody Bible Institute • www.todayintheword.org