The Inevitability of Death
Eccl. 9:1-10
Introduction
Life is full of uncertainty. We all don’t know what will happen any moment from now. Righteous man
and wicked man alike have no idea what is going to happen next. This is the reality of life under the
sun which all of us must accept no matter how wise or smart we are. The Lord Jesus Christ made it
this way so that we may fear Him. Some things however are sure to happen, and one of them is
death. Death is a topic people don’t want to talk about but we must all face it at some point because
death is the end of life.
I. Death
A. Death is commonly defined as the cessation or end of physical life.
B. The basic meaning of death is separation. It has three different usages in the Bible in
reference to man:
1. Spiritual death-separation from God because of sin (Eph. 2:1; Jn. 5:24; Col. 2:13)
2. Physical death-separation of the spirit from the body (Mt. 2:15; Gen. 35:18; Jas.
2:26).
3. Eternal death or Second death-the final, eternal separation of the unsaved from
God and life (Rev. 20:14; 21:8; 2Thess. 1:9).
C. Death happens to all
1. Life and death are in the hand of God. As it is written “the righteous, and the
wise, and their works, are in the hand of God:” (Eccl. 9:1)
2. Only Christ knows the future. He knows whether it will bring blessings (love) or
sorrow (hatred). (Eccl. 9:1)
3. Death is an appointment. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to
die, but after this the judgment. When it is time for you to die, you cannot even
add even a single breath to prolong it unless it is allowed by the Lord Jesus
Christ.
4. Christ gave us freedom to make a choice. All have been given discernment to
know and to choose what is right and what is wrong.
5. The decision we make today will determine our future which only the Lord Jesus
Christ can see.
6. The problem is the hearts of men are full of evil and madness is in their heart
(Eccl. 9: 3, Mt. 15:18-19, Jer. 17:9)
7. Good man and bad man, Godly and ungodly, righteous and unrighteous both
share the same fate – death.
8. However, they have different eternal destiny. Righteous man goes to heaven,
and wicked man goes to hell.
9. Spiritual death can be avoided by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 5:24).
When we believe on Christ, the Holy Spirit works the miracle of regeneration in
our lives transforming us into the children of God (Jn. 1:12)
10. Physical death can be avoided by the rapture of the Church. (1 Thess. 4:13-18). If
we die before the rapture, Christ promised us through the experience of death
(Ps. 23, Heb. 13:5).
Illustration: Death is Universal
When you have had a loved one go to be with the Lord, do not feel like you’re the only person who
has had this experience.
There is an Eastern legend about a Hindu woman whose only child had died. She went to a prophet
to ask for her child back. The prophet told her to go and obtain a handful of rice from a house into
which death had not come. If she could obtain the rice in this way, he promised to give her the child
back. From door to door she asked the question, “Are you all here around the table—father, mother,
children—none missing?” But always the answer came back that there were empty chairs in each
house. As she continued on, her grief and sorrow softened as she found that death had visited all
families. yes, death is universal; our painful experience is not the only one of its kind. Because God is
faithful, because Jesus Christ is alive, so is your loved one and mine.
Through Sorrow into Joy, Hugh Salisbury, p. 58
II. Life better than death (Eccl. 9: 4-6)
A. As long as there is life, there is hope, you can look forward for better things that
would happen. Surely to be a live dog is better than being a dead lion. Why?
Because the living at least knows they will die and can prepare for it while the dead
know nothing.
B. The living has the opportunity of serving God and enjoy His gifts. They can make the
most out of everything God has given them
C. There is nothing left for the dead in this life; even the memory of them is forgotten.
Their love, their hatred and their warm emotion are gone and they can no longer
participate in the work or joy of the activities of the living.
D. The above reason does not support the false teaching of cults about soul sleep. Our
spirit is conscious after death (2 Cor. 5:1-8, Phil. 1:21-23, Lk. 23:43-46).
E. Though life is better than death, for the child of God, death is the entrance into
heaven and eternal life where we will be with Christ and to a place beyond our
imagination.
Illustration: High Watermarks
Francis Patton (1843-1932, a former president of Princeton University, observed that whereas the
high watermark of the Old Testament was Psalm 23:4, that of the New Testament was Philippians
1:23. David was willing to go, but wanting to stay, but Paul was willing to stay, but wanting to go.
III. Enjoy Life (Eccl. 9:7-9)
A. While death is inevitable, we should still enjoy life. (Eccl. 9:7-8)
1. Once more Solomon tells us to eat, drink, with a merry heart. He wants us to
enjoy the short life we have here on earth. The fruits of our labor in the form of
material blessings can be a source of our enjoyment too.
2. The Jews wore white garments during festivals, as emblems of joy and
innocence. Be always pure, and always happy. Avoid sin, we cannot control the
circumstances in this life but we can control our reaction to them.
3. Ointment or oil is a sign of gladness (Ps. 23:5; 45:7; 104:15; Isa. 61:3).
4. Live joyfully with the wife God has given you. (Eccl. 9:9, also Prov. 5:18-20)
5. Work diligently while you are here. (Eccl. 9:10). God does not expect more than
we can do, but He has required that we do whatever we can do “heartily as to
the Lord” and that we do it with our might (Col. 3:23).
IV. Conclusion:
Truly death is inevitable and life here on earth is shorth. However, we can still enjoy life
if you are with Christ. There is always hope in Christ. Come to Jesus Christ and be saved
from eternal damnation.
