WEBVTT - Ecclesiastes 9

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening

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<v Speaker 1>to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge

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<v Speaker 1>and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and we'll be

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<v Speaker 1>reading from the New King James Version. For I considered

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<v Speaker 1>all this in my heart so that I could declare

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<v Speaker 1>it all, that the righteous and the wise and their

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<v Speaker 1>works are in the hand of God. People know neither

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<v Speaker 1>love nor hatred by anything they see before them. All

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<v Speaker 1>things come alike to all. One event happens to the

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<v Speaker 1>righteous and the wicked, to the good, the clean, and

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<v Speaker 1>the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does

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<v Speaker 1>not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner.

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<v Speaker 1>He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.

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<v Speaker 1>This is an evil in all that is done under

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<v Speaker 1>the sun, that one thing happens to all. Truly the

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<v Speaker 1>hearts of the sons of men are full of evil.

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<v Speaker 1>Madness is in their hearts while they live. And after

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<v Speaker 1>that they go to the dead. But for him who

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<v Speaker 1>is joined to all the living, there is hope. For

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<v Speaker 1>a living dog is better than a dead lion. For

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<v Speaker 1>the living know that they will die, but the dead

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<v Speaker 1>know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the

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<v Speaker 1>memory of them is forgotten. Also, their love, their hatred,

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<v Speaker 1>and their envy have now perished. Nevermore will they have

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<v Speaker 1>a share in anything done under the sun. Go, eat

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<v Speaker 1>your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a

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<v Speaker 1>merry heart, for God has already accepted your works. Let

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<v Speaker 1>your garments always be white, and let your head lack

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<v Speaker 1>no oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love

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<v Speaker 1>all the days of your vain life, which he has

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<v Speaker 1>given you under the sun, all your days of vanity,

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<v Speaker 1>for that is your portion in life, and in the

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<v Speaker 1>labor which you perform under the sun. Whatever your hand

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<v Speaker 1>finds to do, do it with your might. for there

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<v Speaker 1>is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in

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<v Speaker 1>the grave where you are going. I returned and saw

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<v Speaker 1>under the sun that the race is not to the swift,

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<v Speaker 1>nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise,

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<v Speaker 1>nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men

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<v Speaker 1>of skill, but time and chance happen to them all.

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<v Speaker 1>For man also does not know his time, like fish

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<v Speaker 1>taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare.

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<v Speaker 1>So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,

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<v Speaker 1>when it falls suddenly upon them. This wisdom I have

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<v Speaker 1>also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me.

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<v Speaker 1>There was a little city with few men in it,

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<v Speaker 1>and a great king came against it, besieged it, and

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<v Speaker 1>built great snares around it. Now there was found in

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<v Speaker 1>it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom

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<v Speaker 1>delivered the city. yet no one remembered that same poor man.

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<v Speaker 1>Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless, the

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<v Speaker 1>poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

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<v Speaker 1>Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard, rather

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<v Speaker 1>than the shout of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is

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<v Speaker 1>better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for the privilege to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>look at it together today, and for the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, you grant us

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<v Speaker 1>understanding into things that would be far beyond our natural understanding. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>you call us to be wise, but you also illustrate

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<v Speaker 1>that many of the things that people spend their lives

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<v Speaker 1>chasing after are really just exercises in vanity. Lord, so

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<v Speaker 1>many people, the majority of us, spend so much time

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<v Speaker 1>chasing after things that have no lasting value. But Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we pray that by your grace, we would be looking

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<v Speaker 1>forward to the future as we have the privilege to

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<v Speaker 1>live in eternity in your presence for all time. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we know that that's something that you want us to

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<v Speaker 1>be focused on during the course of our lives. And likewise, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>you want us to live as men and women who

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<v Speaker 1>have hope beyond our current circumstances. So we commit ourselves

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<v Speaker 1>to you today, and we thank you, Lord, for the

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<v Speaker 1>reminders that you grant us of these things from your word.

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<v Speaker 1>We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.