08/06/2026
God’s Word for Today
9 June, 2026
16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?
-Ecc 3:16-22 ESV
TO DUST ALL; RETURN
In the exercise of justice on earth, there are loopholes. Our judges and justice systems are imperfect. Either they err in declaring a wicked person righteous or a righteous person wicked. But, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for in due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds. There is an end to everyone – death.
Death is an equalizer to every creature. Man and beast are equally mortal. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. All are destined to one place. Death is interesting in the animal world. An anteater feeds on ants. When it dies, the ants will eat its decomposing body. A bird feeds on worms, but worms will consume its decomposing body.
Solomon asks a rhetorical question that sounds uncertain. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? Yet, it points us to the limits of human observation “under the sun” (Ecc 1:3). Solomon is highlighting how, from a strictly earthly vantage point, the destinies of people and animals look identical. We see bodies die, but we do not directly see what happens to the spirit. Only the Scripture lifts the curtain for us to see. Paul affirms that “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). Jesus assures, “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Mat 22:32), underscoring that our confidence rests on what He declares, not merely on what we observe.
Unlike animals, human beings, created in God’s image (Gen 1:27), possess an eternal spirit that “rises upward,” entering God’s presence upon death. This truth does make life here on earth meaningful and purposeful. Otherwise, a life of indulgence in pleasure and immorality would be justified. Solomon warns, “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.”[Ecc 11:11]
Death is inevitable. Judgment is sure. To live for God is the best choice. [Phil 1:13]
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