Useful Bible Studies > Ecclesiastes Commentary > chapter 2

Without God, can anyone have a good life?

Ecclesiastes 2:22-26

Usually, a person’s daily tasks are hard. People do not even receive a proper reward or payment for their efforts. That is the nature of life in this world. We cannot really expect anything else. What happens in this world is not usually fair, right or good.

But sometimes, for some people, life does not seem so hard. Their work feels pleasant, and they feel content. They begin to enjoy their lives.

God has been especially kind to those people, and they should be very grateful to him. All good things come from God (James 1:17). But those people should not imagine that their happiness will continue for their whole lives. They must still be loyal to God, even when their time of happiness ends. God deserves honour whatever the state of our lives may be.

Job was a man who had a very pleasant life (Job 29:1-6). Job 1:10 gives the reason. Job was God’s servant, and God was protecting him.

But then Satan (the devil) wanted to test Job, and God allowed it. So Job suffered much. The purpose of the test was to see whether Job would still give honour to God.

Job proved that he really was loyal to God. Job praised God even when he was suffering most. He did not serve God just because God was kind to him. He served God because God deserves honour.

After Job’s troubles, God showed special kindness to him again (Job 42:10-17).

We cannot earn God’s kindness, and we cannot obtain it by human effort. It is God’s gift; it is not a payment or a reward.

Next part: A time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

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© 2019, Keith Simons.