Ecclesiastes 9:4
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
The book of Ecclesiastes is written from an "under the Sun perspective." It shows the vanity and meaninglessness of a life that lives and dies under this sun and never knows anything of life beyond this earth. Truly, if this were all the life we could ever know it would be all vanity and vexation of spirit. In this chapter, Solomon finds another perplexity to ponder: whether a man leads a good life or a bad life, both lives will end at the same point of death. He says in verses 2 and 3 that there is one event to the righteous and the wicked, the good and the clean. We all have life and in this life, there are ups and downs and then we die. If this was all there was to life we would be of all men most miserable, but our verse today shows us where there is hope beyond this seemingly meaningless madness.
"For to him that is joined to the all the living there is hope." This is the crowd who still has something to hope for, something to keep them pressing on, if there is life then perhaps tomorrow will be brighter, perhaps the troubles of this current season will fade and the next season of life will be brighter, if you have life there is hope of a brighter day. This is true of our natural life but more so of those who are spiritually alive. Men are facing a greater dilemma than the death of this body, men are right now dead in trespasses and sins and have been since our Father plunged us into this spiritual dead state in the garden. Spiritual death is what makes this life so meaningless. We were created to walk with and work for God and without that essence of our being fulfilled, we are left empty and wandering about with no purpose. Until we are resurrected in the likeness of the second Adam and the purpose-giving life that Our first Father Adam lost is reagin and we are "Joined to the living." At the moment of new birth, we are literally "joined to all the living," for there is no one alive spiritually outside of Jesus Christ. Now there is hope! I have a purpose to live, I have a purpose to die, I have life now and when death comes to take this body it cannot take my soul, so there is hope beyond the setting sun of death.
Life and death cannot be compared, they are further apart than light and darkness. Life was the one thing that Solomon could see gave a creature an advantage over another. Life makes such a difference that a living Dog is far better than a dead lion. I've known powerful men and women whose stature is more like that of a lion, but they have no hope, they are struggling to find purpose, they have no life, they've never been joined to the living. Then I've known poor men whose lives were more like that of a dog's, men who live in mud huts, who eat a diet of mostly vegetables and once a week or even once a month, they may have a piece of meat. Yet, their lives are more fulfilling because they have something the others don't, life. They have been joined to the living and now there is hope for today, they know what it is to live in the purpose they were created for and to rest in the hope of eternity spent with all the living.
Vance Havner once said, “The scholars ransack libraries, looking for the secret of peace, while the janitor down the hall may have found it long ago by way of the cross of Christ." My question to you this morning is not are you a lion-like man, living on top of the food chain as the King of the Jungle, or if your life is poor and miserable and your days are spent looking for a meal? My question is, have you been joined to all the living or are you still dead in your trespasses and sins? "For a living dog is better than a dead lion."
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