Ecclesiastes 1:12-15
I, teacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to examine and explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven. God has given people this miserable task to keep them occupied. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun and have found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
Solomon- Jedidiah- the son of David, beloved by God was the third and last king of Israel, after King Saul and King David his father –who begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon wrote 3 of the 5 books of wisdom and reigned over Israel for 40 years. King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom; and all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. Solomon wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. His fame was in the surrounding nations, he spoke 3 thousand proverbs and his songs were in the thousands, he spoke of tree, animals, and creeping things and of fish.
(1 king 4:21-34).
Solomon professed things that are seen, tangible things, earthly things, are fleeting. God has given us the task to explore through wisdom all that is done under heaven to keep us occupied. He said what is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted, meaning the world is out of the order of God’s original design because of sin, therefore, what God has ordained as out of order, no human wisdom and put it back in order, except through Christ, who has become for us the wisdom from God-righteousness, sanctification and redemption. God created male and female and blessed them and give them authority over the works of His hands to tend and keep it and enjoyed fellowship with Him as depicted in His relationship with Adam and Eve before they sin. After they sin against God, sin brought sorrow, pain, thorns and thistles to life and made life more difficult than it should be. However, in Christ we are Abraham seed according to the promise; God promised to bless the works of our hands (Deuteronomy 28:12) bless the fruit of the ground (Deuteronomy (28:4) and expect us to work on the earth as His workmanship (utilizing the gifts he has given us) to bring Him glory. (Ephesian 2:10)
“How manifold are your works on Lord! In wisdom you have made them all, the earth is full of your creatures.” Psalm 104:24
The Lord gives wisdom to the heart and understanding to the mind. “For the Lord gives wisdom and out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding”. Proverbs 2:6, Job 38:36
I know that whatever God does it shall be forever: nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. Ecclesiastes 3:14
That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, see this is new? It has already been in ancient times before us. Ecclesiastes 1: 9-10
“The new creation is the only new thing under the sun” Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Pause & think
- Why are things beneath the sun, futile, a passing wind?
- Why did God tell us to ask Him for wisdom?
- What is your life purpose?
- How do you find meaning in life?
Ecclesiastes 2:18-21
Then I hated all my labor in which I toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This is vanity. Therefore, I turned my heart and despised of all the labor in which I toiled under the sun. For there is a man whose labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labor for it. This is vanity and a great evil.
Solomon eyes were never satisfied, what ever his eyes desired, he did not keep from them. He did not withhold his eyes from worthless things. He did not withhold his heart from any pleasure, he searched in his heart on how to gratified his flesh with wine, while guiding his heart with wisdom as he lay hold of folly to see what was good. He explored both folly and earthly wisdom. Whatever he desired or thought of was given to him – imagine never getting no for an answer to life inquiries. Solomon was the pinnacle of Israel wise men, his works were great works, he builds many infrastructures including the temple of Jerusalem, fleets of ships and acquired tons of gold. 1 king 7:1-12,9:15-26
Solomon a wise and famous man perceived physical pleasures, accolades, and luxuries were vanity of vanities, all is vain. He saw wisdom excel folly and light excel darkness. His pursuit of wealth and accomplishment, made life distressing and turned his heart against the labor in which he toiled, and lead him to pose several questions:
- What do people gain from all their labors? Ecclesiastes 1:3
- Will the beneficiaries of his heritage be wise or foolish? Ecclesiastes 2:19
- What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? Ecclesiastes 2:22
- What do workers gain from their toil? Ecclesiastes 3:9
Solomon realized everything he had toiled for under the sun might go to someone else who may not have the same wisdom, knowledge, skills and passion he had invested in his accomplishments. Solomon found the outcome of life disquieting and perceived that nothing is better than a man should rejoice in his own works for that is his heritage- he thought of life originated and ended under the sun.
For who can bring him to see what will happen after him. Ecclesiastes 3:22.
The person, who labors, labors for himself, for his hungry mouth drives him on. Proverbs 16:26
I know that nothing is better for them than rejoice and to do well in their lives. And ever also every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of his all his labor –it is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3:24,12,13
The one who is greater than Solomon said: I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger (spiritually or physically) and He who believes in me shall never thirst (out of their belly shall flow rivers of living water). Life apart from Christ is fleeting, void. Life with Christ yields abundant life here and now and in the age to come. Jesus said do not labor for food that would perish but for food that endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because the Father has set His seal on Him. Jesus came down from heaven not to do His own will but the will of Him (Father) who sent Him. Consequently, He said, my food was to do the will of Him who send me and finished His work, knowing that He would see the labor of His soul and be satisfied. Christ was not self reliant in accomplishing His works under the sun, rather He walked in union and was submission to the Father’s wisdom to accomplish His works, therefore, the works of Christ under the sun were not burdensome. “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does the works.(John 14:10, 38). Christ life was justified by wisdom from above as He went about the Father’s business under the tutelage and power of the Holy Spirit. “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Acts 10:38
Pause & think
- Why did Solomon hate all his labor he toiled for under the sun?
- What are the works of Christ?
- What are the differences between earthly and heavenly wisdom?
Ecclesiastes 2:22 -26
For what has man for all his labor for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This is vanity. Nothing is better for a man that he should eat and drink that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. For who can eat or who can have enjoyment, more than I? For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Solomon, yet again question the eternal significance of labor under the sun. He acknowledged the burden of work, the sorrows of life, and the daily routines of life, which leads to unrest. He acknowledged labor is a gift from God, labor originated from God – He worked 6 days to create heaven and earth and rested on the 7th day. Solomon encouraged labor, a gift from God, is to be enjoyed with moments of rest, modeling after God, who still works. He expounded it is not the gift (labor), but the Giver (God) who gives value and meaning to life; when he gave an analogy of a person whom God gives knowledge and joy to enjoy the gift of labor versus a person who toil under the sun apart from God- his pursuit is like grasping for the wind- here today and gone tomorrow. Solomon encouraged the pairing of wisdom from God in conjunction with labor to live a fulfilled life foreshadowing life lived under the sun through Christ-in whom is hidden all the treasures and wisdom and knowledge, for the excellence of knowledge is this: wisdom gives life to those who have it. Therefore, search and seek out wisdom from above, to labor and discover things under the sun to bear good fruits that will remain, fruit of righteousness, fruits that are better than gold and silver.
The one who is greater than Solomon said: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:33
The one who is greater than Solomon said: Do not lay for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.Matthew 6:19
The one who is greater than Solomon said: Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; He who does not have the Son does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:14
Contrary to human perspective on the significance of life, our purpose and reward in life can be found in Christ, who came to give us life, which can be attained from the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:13, Galatians 6:8)May He give us wisdom from above as we walk with Him and obey His commandment and live! Jesus said: a new command I give you: love one another, as I have loved you, so you must love each other. May we enjoy the gift of God: labor and life and love those whom He has given us to the praise of His glory. Amen.