1 00:00:02,700 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:13,239 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,270 --> 00:00:16,870 Speaker 1: to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge 4 00:00:17,410 --> 00:00:21,689 Speaker 1: and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and we'll be 5 00:00:21,730 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: reading from the New King James Version. For I considered 6 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: all this in my heart so that I could declare 7 00:00:30,580 --> 00:00:33,989 Speaker 1: it all, that the righteous and the wise and their 8 00:00:34,070 --> 00:00:38,190 Speaker 1: works are in the hand of God. People know neither 9 00:00:38,290 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: love nor hatred by anything they see before them. All 10 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,739 Speaker 1: things come alike to all. One event happens to the 11 00:00:46,780 --> 00:00:50,339 Speaker 1: righteous and the wicked, to the good, the clean, and 12 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does 13 00:00:54,380 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner. 14 00:01:00,150 --> 00:01:03,190 Speaker 1: He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath. 15 00:01:04,330 --> 00:01:07,330 Speaker 1: This is an evil in all that is done under 16 00:01:07,370 --> 00:01:11,830 Speaker 1: the sun, that one thing happens to all. Truly the 17 00:01:11,890 --> 00:01:14,729 Speaker 1: hearts of the sons of men are full of evil. 18 00:01:15,350 --> 00:01:19,050 Speaker 1: Madness is in their hearts while they live. And after 19 00:01:19,090 --> 00:01:22,590 Speaker 1: that they go to the dead. But for him who 20 00:01:22,670 --> 00:01:25,569 Speaker 1: is joined to all the living, there is hope. For 21 00:01:25,610 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: a living dog is better than a dead lion. For 22 00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: the living know that they will die, but the dead 23 00:01:32,300 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the 24 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:40,830 Speaker 1: memory of them is forgotten. Also, their love, their hatred, 25 00:01:41,170 --> 00:01:45,210 Speaker 1: and their envy have now perished. Nevermore will they have 26 00:01:45,270 --> 00:01:49,970 Speaker 1: a share in anything done under the sun. Go, eat 27 00:01:50,010 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a 28 00:01:52,950 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: merry heart, for God has already accepted your works. Let 29 00:01:57,580 --> 00:02:01,100 Speaker 1: your garments always be white, and let your head lack 30 00:02:01,220 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: no oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love 31 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: all the days of your vain life, which he has 32 00:02:09,139 --> 00:02:12,430 Speaker 1: given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, 33 00:02:12,820 --> 00:02:15,850 Speaker 1: for that is your portion in life, and in the 34 00:02:15,910 --> 00:02:20,570 Speaker 1: labor which you perform under the sun. Whatever your hand 35 00:02:20,669 --> 00:02:24,190 Speaker 1: finds to do, do it with your might. for there 36 00:02:24,270 --> 00:02:27,820 Speaker 1: is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in 37 00:02:27,860 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: the grave where you are going. I returned and saw 38 00:02:32,460 --> 00:02:35,500 Speaker 1: under the sun that the race is not to the swift, 39 00:02:36,020 --> 00:02:39,430 Speaker 1: nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, 40 00:02:40,010 --> 00:02:43,609 Speaker 1: nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men 41 00:02:43,650 --> 00:02:46,929 Speaker 1: of skill, but time and chance happen to them all. 42 00:02:47,950 --> 00:02:51,690 Speaker 1: For man also does not know his time, like fish 43 00:02:51,780 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare. 44 00:02:56,300 --> 00:02:59,380 Speaker 1: So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, 45 00:02:59,919 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: when it falls suddenly upon them. This wisdom I have 46 00:03:04,540 --> 00:03:07,540 Speaker 1: also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 47 00:03:08,470 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: There was a little city with few men in it, 48 00:03:11,210 --> 00:03:14,310 Speaker 1: and a great king came against it, besieged it, and 49 00:03:14,350 --> 00:03:18,470 Speaker 1: built great snares around it. Now there was found in 50 00:03:18,550 --> 00:03:22,090 Speaker 1: it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom 51 00:03:22,190 --> 00:03:26,110 Speaker 1: delivered the city. yet no one remembered that same poor man. 52 00:03:27,070 --> 00:03:32,070 Speaker 1: Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless, the 53 00:03:32,130 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 54 00:03:37,220 --> 00:03:41,620 Speaker 1: Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard, rather 55 00:03:41,660 --> 00:03:45,620 Speaker 1: than the shout of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is 56 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:50,620 Speaker 1: better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. 57 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:57,100 Speaker 1: Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and 58 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege to be able to 59 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,020 Speaker 1: look at it together today, and for the fact that 60 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, you grant us 61 00:04:03,900 --> 00:04:09,750 Speaker 1: understanding into things that would be far beyond our natural understanding. Lord, 62 00:04:09,790 --> 00:04:12,770 Speaker 1: you call us to be wise, but you also illustrate 63 00:04:12,830 --> 00:04:15,290 Speaker 1: that many of the things that people spend their lives 64 00:04:15,370 --> 00:04:20,540 Speaker 1: chasing after are really just exercises in vanity. Lord, so 65 00:04:20,620 --> 00:04:24,470 Speaker 1: many people, the majority of us, spend so much time 66 00:04:24,570 --> 00:04:28,550 Speaker 1: chasing after things that have no lasting value. But Lord, 67 00:04:28,570 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: we pray that by your grace, we would be looking 68 00:04:30,770 --> 00:04:33,419 Speaker 1: forward to the future as we have the privilege to 69 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: live in eternity in your presence for all time. Lord, 70 00:04:37,980 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: we know that that's something that you want us to 71 00:04:39,740 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: be focused on during the course of our lives. And likewise, Lord, 72 00:04:43,660 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: you want us to live as men and women who 73 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: have hope beyond our current circumstances. So we commit ourselves 74 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,180 Speaker 1: to you today, and we thank you, Lord, for the 75 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,830 Speaker 1: reminders that you grant us of these things from your word. 76 00:04:54,350 --> 00:04:58,220 Speaker 1: We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.