Apr 3, 2018
Back in chapter 3 of his book Solomon made the wise and perceptive pronouncement that God “has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.” He was right. God has put a longing for eternity in the hearts of all men, but in our current fallen state, we have a difficult time comprehending what that might look like. We are stuck in the here-and-now, unable to see beyond the grave. What little we know about life after death, we find in the Word of God. But much of what we have heard is nothing more than the blind conjecture of men. No one knows. And so, Solomon, unable to see beyond the grave, puts all his emphasis on the present. But as usual, he misses the point. He fails to comprehend what God has placed in the hearts of all men: The reality that there is an eternity awaiting each and every one of us. Because God is the god of eternity. And we are eternal creatures whom He has made. Solomon had no problem discerning the divine power of God. He was fully aware that God was in control of all things, including life and death. But what he couldn’t understand is how the seeming injustices of this life would one day be worked out in the next life. He saw life as a struggle that ended in death, and nobody knew what lay beyond death’s door. So, Solomon recommended making this life your main point of emphasis. As he so aptly put it, “A living dog is better than a dead lion.” But what Solomon failed to recognize was the hope we have in an eternal God who has promised eternal life to whose faith is in Him and His promise of salvation.