A very interesting text to our pastor and for us as well is found here. This is the Word of God as it addresses us and Ecclesiastes speaks to us as it ends the book telling us the purpose of man is to fear God. To show God's glory as it is our purpose. Our verse is a paradox (something that makes a statement that at first glance seems to make no sense.) It is a "seeming" paradox to us!

Seemingly so. There are two things here. 1-The house of mourning. A funeral or that which brings back the issues of death and disease. Our text speaks to the occasion rather than the particular event. 2- The house of banqueting and feasting. This is NOT as some believe the house of debauchery or partying but rather wants us to draw a comparison. "Both are part of the life of the child of God but one is better than the other!!" We would choose a family get-together over a funeral although a funeral would be better! There things are not wrong as God gives us a zest and zeal for life and not to be lived in solely, but ALL these things hinge on having been into the house of mourning FIRST and foremost as it puts ALL of life in perspective. Romans 2 speaks of those who treasure up the wrath of God against all their sinfulness and that is why they do not go to the house of mourning/death and see/face their sinfulness and the very meaning of life. We MUST attend the funeral of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Apart from Christ and His funeral we can have no joy in ANYTHING in life. We would ONLY see the wages of sin and death at a funeral service. We have to remember the message Jesus spoke to Martha at Lazareth's death! He had willingly walked to death and the cross and took it to task making warfare against sin, death, and the grave and was a victor drastically changing death and the grave! Read John chapter 11! "I AM the resurrection and life and though you die...yet shall you live and never NEVER die!"

"Do you believe this?" When you face death first go to HIS DEATH and resurrection and there you will hear the gospel message. Though we die we LIVE!!! And the living, not the dead, take this to heart! The world will never take this to heart, but we understand that the Lord died that we might be redeemed and live and delight. That all of our fellowship and feasting is in the light that Christ died for us that we might have heaven as we here have a foretaste.