Commentaries:
Ecclesiastes 9:10 commands us to do everything with our might, all of our vigor and strength. Where does this strength come from? From food or exercise? No! Ultimately, God gives us our strength. Everything we are comes from Him, giving us the ability to work and play. Notice Psalm 68:35: "The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!"
God provides the power to gain strength through training, through discipline. Just as bodybuilders train with weights, doing what is called "resistance training," so do we, as we resist the selfish pulls of our bodies. In resisting, we become stronger.
We also need mental strength. The secular society we live in has its own agenda, one that promises freedom, but which is really license in rebellion against God. At the same time, powerful forces also want to restrict the ideas and activities of Christians and traditionalists. Political and cultural groups try to convert others to their way of thinking and acting, even going so far as vigorously pursuing and pressuring them. Due to such pressure, many have weakened and been caught off-guard, unable to provide sound reasons for following what is right.
However, God wants us to be strong, to resist and guard our minds. The apostle Peter writes, "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." We need to be strong because behind these forces and groups is Satan, the ruler of this secular world. He uses them to wear down all of mankind.
But God gives us strength and power, as promised in II Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." God supports us by His Spirit. We must be of a willing mind to accept God's way of life, making the changes in our thinking that will give us strength to resist those who would try to bring us down. Mental strength comes through exercising our mind with the Word of God. The more of God's Word we read, absorb, and practice, the stronger our minds become.
We need moral strength, too. Every day, we are bombarded with immorality. A co-worker may make a statement about gross immorality. A television show we watch may make fun of infidelity. Our boss may lie to superiors regarding an important project. We may hear of an abusive spouse or parent. The news may cover a story about a politician accepting bribes for personal gain. These sins are all caused by a lack of moral and spiritual strength.
We are stricken by this society's lack of moral and spiritual strength. In Ephesians 6:12, the apostle Paul informs us where it comes from: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places." This evil influence is all around us. The overwhelming effects of this immoral and debased society have touched each of us.
Righteous character is rare these days, yet we are admonished to be strong. How? We must put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). We cannot fight against this prevailing tide in the culture alone. We must stand against it in faith, trusting in what God supplies.
We will not be able to endure if we try to face it with our own strength. We must rely on God as our source of strength, as David did: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (Psalm 18:2). He writes in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer."
Gary Montgomery
Necessary Strength
Solomon is teaching us that now is the time to work with care, energy, and purpose to get the most and the best from life and to prepare for the hereafter. His basic reason is that the clock is ticking. Time is running out.
We let our requests for what we think we need from God be made known to Him with ease. In other words, they are at the forefront of our minds, and it is very likely that before we actually get down on our knees—or however or wherever we pray—we have been thinking about what we are going to request of God for a long time. We have many reasons to give to God why we want or need what we are asking Him for.
Thanksgiving in prayer requires prior preparation too. It is not something most of us tend to work at with all of our might. This is because of the human proclivity to merely accept things—especially things that we might consider as blessings—as due us. In other words, in some cases we go to God with the thought that we deserve it. This attitude is there, and this is what makes so many of our prayers nothing more than "the gimmes." Other vital elements that are needed to make an effective prayer before God are often overlooked, forgotten, and neglected, and sometimes never used, or maybe they are just brushed over in the rush to get to whatever we want to ask Him for. Nevertheless, true thanksgiving—an expression of sincere gratitude for what we have been given undeserved—needs to be a part of every prayer.
John W. Ritenbaugh
New Covenant Priesthood (Part Three)
We do not have to become skilled at everything we put our hand to. Not everybody is gifted to do everything skillfully, even as the various parts of the human body cannot do every other part's designed function. God gifts and places each member of Christ's Body as it pleases Him. However, He expects us to grow, overcome, and function well where He places us. So, we should work diligently to improve in our prayer and Bible study through practice, practice, and more practice, even to the point of devising exercises that train us to think and become better organized. Prayer is work and so is study. We must strive to be more than merely functional at them.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Two): Works
The Bible shows that the dead know nothing, and even their very thoughts perish when they die. In other words, all mental and physical processes cease when an individual dies. Solomon's definition of death concurs with Webster's Dictionary: "a permanent cessation of all vital functions: the end of life."
Earl L. Henn
Basic Doctrines: The Fate of the Wicked
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Ecclesiastes 9:10:
Malachi 1:6-10
Matthew 6:19-21
Matthew 25:3-4
Mark 8:24-25
Luke 23:46
John 5:9
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
