Solomon's counsel to honour marital fidelity in Ecc 9:9
Solomon's counsel to honour marital fidelity in Ecc 9:9
Solomon's counsel to honour marital fidelity in Ecc 9:9 is also Paul's counsel in the New Testament (CP 1Cor 7:1-5; He 13:4).
New Testament Christians construe V 10 in Ecc 9 as encouraging them to labour diligently, whether it be for God or man, and this conforms to scripture (CP V 10 with 1Cor 10:31; Col 3:17, 23).
But in the context of V 7-10 in Ecc 9, Solomon, in his backslidden state was encouraging his readers to seize every possible pleasure while they could, because they would not be able to do so once they died.
Solomon was not contrasting life with afterlife here, but life with death. As far as he was concerned everything ceased with death (CP Ecc 9:11-18).
Here again Solomon observes the iniquities of life from a worldly perspective, and again they underscore the futility of life apart from God.
The teaching here for New Testament Christians is not to let any injustices they may suffer in their walk with God deter them from earnest, dedicated work, because they serve God, not men.
In life after death God will right all wrongs, and reward their righteous deeds (CP Psa 58: 10-11; Pr 11:8; Ro 2:4-10; Eph 6:5-8; Col 3:23-24).