Ecclesiastes 9:7

"Go then, eat your bread in happiness, and drink your wine with. cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works."

"eat your bread in happiness" -Far from being depressed or discouraged by the previous facts, Solomon exhorts the living to make the most of the wholesome pleasures of this life. "Go then"-Go to it then. "It is. summons to be up and doing and is directed against the tendency to brood and to ponder over problems" (Leupold p. 213).

"wine" -doesn't mean go out and get drunk. Even denominational sources, such as the Theological Workbook Of The Old Testament, notes: "All the wine was light wine, i.e. not fortified with extra alcohol. Concentrated alcohol was only known in the Middle Ages when the Arabs invented distillation ('alcohol' is an Arabic word), so what is now called liquor or strong drink and the twenty per cent fortified wines were unknown in Bible times….To avoid drunkenness, mingling wine with water was practiced" (p. 376). In addition, many writers note that the Hebrew word translated "wine" (yayin), simply can refer to all stages of the juice of the grape. It can describe simple grape juice, or. thickened syrup, etc…It is. generic term, which depending on the context can mean either fermented or unfermented drink. In this verse it appears that wine simply means "drink", for obviously, "bread" applies to all things that. person might eat.

"with. cheerful heart" -Compare with Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 3:12-13; Ecclesiastes 5:18; Ecclesiastes 8:15 and 1 Timothy 4:3 "which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth".

Point To Note:

Note that the righteous man has been delivered from so many of the worries which plague other people. How many people are so worried about their health, so determined to live long, that they can't enjoy the simple pleasures of today. How many people can't even enjoy. good meal, because they are trying to analyze everything to death? Isn't it ironic that. world bent on ignoring God and doing whatever it wants to do, has forfeited the ability to enjoy the simple and wholesome pleasures of each day? God doesn't want the godly to be eating their meal in terror or dread. Notice how being. Christian helps you to be relaxed!

"for God has already approved your works" -hence the promise of this verse and the following, only applies to the righteous. God is telling the righteous man or woman, "I know that good and harm happen to all, and. know that from outward appearances, there are typically no clear outward signs of Divine approval or disapproval, but rest assured righteous man, long ago God has accepted your course of conduct, so persevere in that course and joyfully use what God has given you.