Man and Death

Friday, April 4, 2025

Theme: "Man and Death."

Text: Ecclesiastes 7:1-8

1. A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death than the day of birth. 2. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a feasting house, for that is the end of every man, and the living lays it to heart. 3. Sorrow is better than laughter, for with a sad countenance the heart can be glad. 4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, and the heart of fools in the house of mirth. 5. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. 6. For as the rattling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This also is vanity. 7. Oppression makes a wise man foolish, and a gift corrupts the heart. 8. The end of a matter is better than its beginning; a patient spirit is better than a haughty one.

Remember:

Formerly, some peoples, such as the Thracians, mourned greatly at the birth of children and rejoiced at the death of men. This explains why the day of death is better than the day of birth. Indeed, birth symbolizes the arrival of an innocent person into a world full of challenges, jealousy, sin, and murder. As for death, it symbolizes the end of sorrow and the entry into rest. But it is, of course, the death of the righteous who has feared God all their lives. Feasts can be an occasion for trouble in a person's life. The book of Job describes the moral dangers that feasting poses (Job 1:5). Let us conduct ourselves with care to meet God's requirements that would prevent us from dying a shameful and eternal death. Let us be careful to have a good reputation, for it is better than fine perfume. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting; for the end of every man is death, and that is the way of everyone. Every child of God must take this to heart. Let us fill our hearts with divine light so that our lives may be illuminated. The face may be covered with shame, but the heart must be filled with faith, which is a great joy coming from the Word of God. It is said: Sorrow is better than laughter; for with a sad face the heart can be glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, and the heart of fools in the house of mirth. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a haughty one. Excellent Friday and a good start to the weekend. Amen.

Alain Louz.-