10 For he sees that even wise men die;
The stupid and the senseless alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.
11 Their [e]inner thought is that their houses are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have called their lands after their own names.
12 But man in his [f]pomp will not endure;
He is like the [g]beasts that [h]perish.13 This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who approve their words. [i]Selah.
14 As sheep they are appointed for [j]Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for [k]Sheol to consume
[l]So that they have no habitation.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the [m]power of [n]Sheol,
For He will receive me. Selah.16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,
When the [o]glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
His [p]glory will not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he congratulates [q]himself—
And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 [r]He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see the light.
20 Man in his [s]pomp, yet without understanding,
Is like the [t]beasts that [u]perish.
This would seem pretty fatalistic if it were not for one small, yet but massive, thing (which we’ll get to in a moment). Verse 10 sums it up pretty well, “even wise men die; the stupid and the senseless alike perish…” Verse 11 describes it further, men are consumed with the idea of making a name for themselves, of building something that will last, even naming lands (streets, towns, countries, etc.) after themselves.
Yet verse 13 tells us the truth: anyone who thinks what they do on this earth will last is fooling themselves. Everything on this planet is temporary, and even if it’s remembered for a few hundred years, then what? You’re dead, you can’t enjoy the fame…
At the end, we see a repeated refrain, yet with a twist. There’s this small bit added in verse 20 that wasn’t in verse 12, “yet without understanding”. Understanding of what? What are we supposed to know that would make this life worthwhile? What could possibly endure if all the earth is temporary?
Yes, there’s more to the story than physical death, and we find our “small” thing in verse 15. It’s not all doom and gloom, because God can (and will) redeem our souls. Even when our bodies lie dead in the grave, His power is stronger, and He sustains our very souls.
Whatever you do in this life, pursue that which is eternal. Not as foolish men do, trying to live longer and longer in their physical bodies, but looking beyond the physical, to the hint of eternity which is inside each of us. Only the things we do for God’s kingdom will last, and that makes all the difference. That’s something worth living for, some One worth everything.