Neville Goddard on Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Ecclesiastes 9 in context

Scripture Focus

7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Biblical Context

The verses invite you to enjoy daily bread with joy, keep pure attire, embrace love, and do your work with all your might now. It reminds you that life’s opportunities are the only stage you have until the grave.

Neville's Inner Vision

Within this chapter, the words are not external commands but the arisings of your inner state. Go thy way becomes the direction of consciousness: move through life from the assumption that joy, grace, and purpose are already yours. When the verse says, God now accepteth thy works, hear it as: your inner I AM recognizes and approves the imaginative acts you perform in the mind. The white garments and ointment are not garments of cloth but the state of pure awareness, unmarred by fear or doubt; keep your mind dressed in whiteness, keep your attention oiled and fresh with an ointment of gratitude. The instruction to live joyfully with the wife you love points to harmonizing with the state of loving partnership within your own being—your male and female aspects reconciled in a single center of delight. Finally, Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might calls you to invest your entire attention in your present imaginal act, for the day is your only realm, and the grave a reminder that time is brief. In this view, labor, pleasure, and devotion are all states of consciousness you enact now.

Practice This Now

Assume you are already living this day: you eat with joy, work with might, and wear the whiteness of your assured self. Feel that God now accepts thy works in your own awareness.