"Life Leads To Death. That's It!"

Slowly, over the last few years, I have begun to actually see the end of my life. And although I really don't spend much time thinking about it or sinking into some dark depression because of it, I think its a spiritually and emotionally healthy process to give it some serious room to exist in my life. As a person of genuine faith, death to me isn't a morbid prospect that breeds a mix of anxiety and resentment.

Not so with Solomon. He seems to have spent so much of his waking hours during his final years trying to view death through his "meaningless" life, that it made him somewhat resentful toward God. At least, that's how I interpret much of what he said.

"Well, I took all this in and thought it through inside and out. Here's what I understand; the good, the wise and all they do are in God's hands - but day by day, whether its love or hate they're dealing with, they don't know. Anything's possible...is it any wonder that people go crazy right and left. Life leads to death. That's it." Eccl 9:1-3 MSG

I think Solomon could see and feel the end of his life and it all left him severely depressed. He seems to write with a sort of resentment towards God that his life is ending. Quite honestly, all of this really puzzles me. Maybe he thought, like many of us, that his deepest inner thoughts would never see the light of day and come under such critical scrutiny by someone like me. Maybe Ecclesiastes is his sort of personal diary where he felt comfortable speaking all that was in his heart. I still tend to think he was essentially writing to teach unbelievers, both Jew and Gentile, about his God. But, I may only be giving him the benefit of the doubt. At any rate, his words do make me sad for him in his old age.

I'm sure none of us really wants to die - because we can't see the beyond. UNLESS, we are people of true faith, trusting in the love and promise of God our Father, who has forever given us all that we need to know through His Son. I think Peter said something like that at 2 Peter 1.

Here is something else I take great comfort in - in my near 70 years I have been at the bedside of several people who breathed their last and never, I said never, have I seen a person of true faith die in fear or anger. Solomon believed "Life leads to death. That's it". Well, I don't believe "That's it"! I'll take the words of Paul at 1 Corinthians 15 over those of Solomon - EVERY DAY! Jesus makes it ALL happen and that's a really big HALLELUJAH!