Ecclesiastes, the purported writings of an older and reflective King Solomon, is a fantastic book filled with a wisdom unlike any other book of the bible. Solomon’s story, filled with the great promise of a young king, is markedly dark by the end, and we wonder, when we get to the end of his story, how Solomon could have fallen so hard. First, Solomon was set up from the beginning to do great things. Selected by God, trained by David, Solomon was to deliver the temple to the Jewish people, giving them, for the first time in their existence, a permanent place to worship God. He accomplishes this, and it seems that God’s blessing is on him. But in the lavish and excessive way he is blessed, there is also a curse: Solomon, blessed with wisdom, is also a man, and in that he begins to be seduced b his own power and wealth. He soon turns from worshipping God exclusively to being lured into a life of excess. Soon we see him enraptured by the gold, building thrones to himself, decorating his palace- in short, using his resources for himself, for his own pleasure. It is the beginning of his end. In 1 Kings 11, we see Solomon’s hard fall. Because he allowed ungodly things into his life, he has in turn fallen away. He descends so acutely they we see him worshipping other gods, erecting altars to them, completely turned away from God. Why? A thread that flows through his story is the one of acquisition. It is one of creating alliances he shouldn’t have, of collecting women, of turning away from he Godly road of a king (Deuteronomy 17:14-20.) So, when we get to Ecclesiastes, we see a very different Solomon. In fact, we see an older man reflectingon his life, trying to squeeze some sort of wisdom from existence. His question is a good one: if I were to live a life without God, what would matter? The question of Ecclesiastes is not whether God exists; we’ll see that Solomon plainly understands that God does exist. The question in the king’s mind is this: does God matter? He examines the emptiness of a life that is lived without an eternal mindset. In other words, if eternity is not valid, then what can a person find meaningful in his life? So Solomon takes an interesting approach: he will look at a life lived without the idea of eternity. This is key to understanding Ecclesiastes. Solomon employs the strategy of a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess, containing an if/then statement. The experiment, based on the declarative statement, must then be tested until a trend or conclusion is reached. The conclusion credits or discredits the original hypothesis. Solomon’s hypothesis: If life is lived without God, then it is meaningless.
Three Unique Phrases: Meaningless! Meaningless! (Vanity) (39 times) Under the Sun (29 times) Chasing of the wind (multiple times)
Chapter 1
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (NIV)
Solomon tells us his conclusion right away. Everything in life is meaningless. His concept is that everything in life suffer from a meaninglessness that is unrepairable. Pretty bleak stuff. The rest of the chapter supports this conclusion. Solomon is presenting the Temporal (Temporary) perspective of human existence (material world). In other words, if God is out of the picture, can we find anything of value? Here, we also see the first instance of “under the sun.” This phrase (also written as “under the heavens”), is a reference to the temporal (material) world.
4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
In this section Solomon lays out the cycle of nature. his contention is that nothing changes in the unending cycle of nature. Unending cycles of nature express the unending monotony of life.
All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. 11 No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.
This is the unending cycle of labor. Despite our efforts, we are still not satisfied. Futility of life extends to the past and the future. Man works hard, never makes a lasting difference, and is forgotten.
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. 18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
Solomon makes a search for what matters by using Human Wisdom. This is important because this is the basis of his experiment. He is looking at life through the prism of someone who does not have an eternal outlook. This is a person who only sees life from birth to death. Human wisdom does not include eternity. Human wisdom shows us how to live our life better, but sheds no meaning on life. Brushing your teeth is wise. Changing the oil in your car is a wise thing to do. Saving for the future is also wise. These are things we try to do in our life. Why? Because the preparation you put into brushing your teeth will get you stronger teeth for your older age. Changing your oil helps your car to stay running. Saving for the future helps you to have easier times later on. All of these things are good, but none of them shed any light on deeper meanings in life. They simply help us live better. When we jump down to verse 15, we see the pointlessness Solomon arrives at. What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. There is a hopelessness that we ultimately arrive at when we are living from pole to pole (birth to death). We can’t straighten our lives, we’re overwhelmed by the the uncontrollable nature of existence, we can’t reduce life to an easy and manageable system. Pretty hopeless, eh? Well, even in our hopelessness there is an eternal component that we end up missing. If we scroll back up to verse 13, where Solomon is measuring things via human wisdom, we also see that he pops out of the temporal view and injects God into the mix: What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! This is interesting because Solomon says that God has laid a burden on mankind. But what is the burden? Is the burden our endless toil? The monotony of life? No. The burden is actually our understanding of the the monotony and meaningless of life. Why would God do this? Why would he allow his creations to come to this conclusion? We have to pop over to Romans to get a little more insight.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
God places this restlessness in us for a very specific reason. Paul, echoing what Solomon is suggesting, frames it in the present suffering of the believers under Roman rule. If you look at verse 20, you’ll see that people (the creation) are subjected to frustration. Frustration can mean many things, but in this context means that God injects this understanding of meaningless into his creations, for the sole hope that when you arrive at a meaningless time in life, when all hope seems lost, you’ll find God (the will of the one who subjected it). Have you ever wondered why life seems meaningless? Felt like there was something vital missing. Pondered that you’re just a cog in the machine and there is really no consequence to your actions? You may remember a time in your life when this was true. When you came to understand that life, the way you were living it, had no real value. It could have come about when you were working, maybe going to school, when life was settling in and becoming monotonous. When you finally looked up and saw that you have been headed in a direction which has no end, and even more so, no meaning. This is more universal than you may think. If you talk to people with any sort of depth, you’ll find that most people, especially followers of Christ, have gone through this. They’ve reached a point in their life when operating in the temporal world is just not enough. They reach this plateau of meaningless and don’t know where to go. You see, understanding meaningless causes us to ultimately seek God. Is this universal? Does it happen to everyone? I believe it does. Here’s why: We are designed in a a broad way by God. First:
We are designed to be social (Gen 2:18-25) We are given work to do (Gen 2:15) We are designed to have fellowship with God (Gen 3:8)
So, if we are designed a certain way, then to operate at full capacity, we must accept and operate the way we’re supposed to. A car cannot fly. Well, perhaps it can for a very short time; but it isn’t designed to fly. It very specifically is built to run over the road. If we use a car in the way it is designed to be used, then it is very effective. In the same way, we are built to work in a specific fashion. If we remove any of the basic ways we are built, then the machine breaks down. Men, think about how you operate when you are out of work. You go a little crazy, don’t you? That’s because you are built to work, to produce, to take care of things. When you remove the social aspect of the way we are built, what do you have? Someone who climbs into himself, becomes a hermit. But let’s say you have the work and you have the social. Many people can operate well with these two things and forget the third, the fellowship with God. Can a person exist without this component? This is where God intervenes. The meaningless of life can overtake one here, for even the best parties and gatherings and trips and experiences grow stale over time. Even the best work situation can grow monotonous and boring, can become tiresome, even irksome, and one can get anxious to move on, to do some more worthwhile. God intervenes in our lives. He builds the monotonous nature in us, stirs the meaninglessness of life until we are moved to action. This is indeed a God thing, because we are built for eternity, and when we deny that eternity and try to live without it in our lives, we deny our design. When we deny our design, we’re not operating at the full capacity in our lives.
Chapter 2
2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly— my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
We have to remember that the kings of Israel were saturated with pleasure. There was nothing denied them. Solomon, of course, was no exception. In fact, he could have very well been the most indulgent king. When he says the word pleasure, there are things that pop up in our mind. Whatever the individual idea of pleasure is, we first have to ask if there is anything wrong with pleasure. The answer to that is no. Pleasure, unto itself, if something given by God. We need moments of pleasure, respites from our work, times to power down, so to speak, to reconnect, recharge, revitalize ourselves. So there is nothing inherently wrong with pleasure. But when does it become a problem? Pleasure (or, in modern terms, comfort), can be a very alluring problem for us. We all need and crave it. But when we move from it being an element of our life to chasing after it, it can become idolatrous. If it becomes that, then it gets in the way of God and affects our relationship. So in the case of Solomon’s study, he first looks at laughter and calls it madness. Why would laughter of all things be considered madness? Laughter here is equated with entertainment. So, if someone is always chasing laughter, then they are chasing some sort of entertainment, which he determines as meaningless. Next, he cheers himself with wine, in which he also finds no meaning. Then folly, which is really a lack of good sense. Foolishness. On these things, he finds a futility in pleasure, simply because these things are all distractions.
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart.
Next, he experiments by trying to find pleasure through accomplishment. You see that he creates and acquires many things. But even through creation there is an emptiness. So he moves onto acquiring the things that will fill his soul. But this too proves to be fruitless. In our own lives we can relate to this. In our rich society we oftentimes try to fill the deeper voids of our life by buying things. But if you’ve ever really wanted something, did all the research, saved up the money, dreamed about that thing relentlessly, and finally got it, you know the end of the story. It never lives up to the hype, and you’re left with a feeling of letdown. So you go onto the next thing, hoping that will satisfy.
9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. 10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve,everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Solomon became wiser than any other king and denies himself nothing. We know, in our lives, when we let a multitude of things into our lives, it usually doesn’t work out too well. If we remember Nehemiah’s gates, we’ll remember that story is one big metaphor for our spiritual wall we have to keep to this world. The gates regulate what is let in. As leaders of our house we are the gatekeeper. If we simply let anything and everything into our lives, we become desensitized, open to anything, and it can destroy us over time. As Solomon found, he devoted himself to the pursuits of this life, and ultimately discovered vast amounts of his life were lived in a meaningless way.
12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done? 13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. 14 The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. 15 Then I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said to myself, “This too is meaningless.” 16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered; the days have already come when both have been forgotten. Like the fool, the wise too must die!
Solomon schools us on the certainty of death. Death comes to the wise as well as the fool. So his question becomes, “what is the gain of wisdom?” Since the same fate visits the wise and the foolish, what good is wisdom? From this temporal viewpoint, life has no true meaning, even good accomplishments are temporary, and every accomplishment will one day be forgotten.
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
In understanding the fruitlessness of life, Solomon finally begins to hate human life, viewed through the prism of the temporal world. His accomplishments will go to another, possibly a fool and he is quite concerned about this. In this scenario, human work is meaningless, since its accomplishments have no eternal rewards. This becomes a deep issue with many people when they get older. What will they do with the money they amassed? Who will they leave it to? This is one of the instances where we fall into temporal thinking. We fall into the very issue Solomon is talking about. Money, riches, accomplishments are all temporal. When someone is on their deathbed, they typically aren’t thinking about their net worth. This also shows us the struggle of the eternal being verses the temporal being. Just as our spirit battles the flesh, our eternity battles against the temporal outlook.
24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
If life is indeed despairing, if there is nothing more that life from pole to pole, then the best we can make of this terrible situation is to make the best of it. This is because the true meaning in life is impossible to find. We must find contentment in comfortable pleasures. This, of course, is looking at life through temporal eyes. When we can’t see eternity, there is a sense of despair to our lives. We can ignore our eternal design, but God tends to want his people, so if we ignore and simply live “under the sun”, then God may want to get our attention in larger ways. Sometimes our life has to collapse before we can understand the truth of respecting our design. It certainly happened to Solomon.
Chapter 3
1There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Solomon begins chapter three with one of the most poetic and moving pieces of scripture ever written. His assertion, spoken from the temporal viewpoint, is also relevant to the eternal viewpoint. There is a time for everything. In other words, the seasons of our lives come to us all, and continue through our entire life. But is this a set pattern, something that comes around and eliminates randomness and free will? Are we just placed on a cosmic template?
When we view life on the temporal plain, it could certainly appear so. If there is a concept of God in us, we can view life as something out of even His control. But let’s look at it closer, as Solomon toggles in and out of both viewpoints, to see if we can determine what he means.
First, when we look at this piece, we see a few unique things. Each piece of scripture is fit with a positive and negative aspect, or an opposite element to each. Right in the first verse, we see that Solomon asserts that there is a “set time” for each of these “seasons” of life. The positive and negative elements reinforce really what happens in each life: we all go through ups and downs, tragedy and triumphs, times when our faith is weak and is strong. Essentially, life is not good if we have too much of one and not enough of the other. In fact, we need both good and bad in our lives. The bad teaches us what is good, and vice versa.
As an example, in our life we often have bad jobs. We all have stories of some of the worst places, and people, to work for. But you need to go through those experiences to understand what a good job is. When I got out of business school, I got a dream jo right off the bat. The pay was good, the company was great. We got off early on Fridays in the summer, there was a gym and a restaurant on site, travel agency, general store. There were all kinds of opportunities to advance and switch into different departments. But being my first legitimate business job, I didn’t know how good I had it. In time I left and got another job, and was flabbergasted that this job had none of the perks my original job did. That began an odyssey of jobs that came in all shapes, but reinforced the reality that the first job I had was a pretty good place. But I couldn’t understand that until I had more input- in other words, I needed bad jobs in order to appreciate the good ones.
We need the bad in our life as much as we need the good. The bad teaches us about the good, and the good drives us toward thankfulness. Thankfulness pushes us towards God, and that’s really where God wants us. To appreciate His gifts.
In the first verse, we see that Solomon lays out the parameters of the temporal life. “There is a time to be born and a time to die.” As soon as we are born, we begin to die. Between these two poles the seasons of our life occur.
And throughout the verses, we have the specifics. Mourning, dancing, weeping, laughing, searching, giving up, war, peace- all of us experience these in varying degrees. The point is this: we will experience seasons as we go through life- it’s the only deal we get. But what happens if we choose not to endure a season of life? What does that look like? Let’s look at a relationship. Perhaps you have had a relationship with your significant other and it comes to an end. Your heart is broken. You’ve gone from a time in your life that is loving and close to a darker and lonelier place. You’ve entered a new season, one that’s contemplative and deep.
But you don’t want to do that. In fact, spending that time alone really scares you. Instead, you go out to bars and find people who will help you forget, who will give you momentary amnesia while you heal.
So what’s the problem here? It is this: if you don’t go through the season to properly heal, you will repeat the same issues. I knew a man who did this relentlessly. He would find a woman, fall madly in love, move in with her, then a few months down the road his dissatisfaction would mount. He would be looking for a way out, and that way out was always another woman. He would begin another relationship, while in his existing relationship, and nurse it along until his primary relationship collapsed, then just move the new one in.
The questions is this: what did he learn? The answer is nothing. What ultimately happens in this scenario is this: one arrives at a place where relationships are useless, women are horrible, and none of it works. He learned to bypass a time when he was supposed to be alone, when God wanted to heal him and bring him into a new understanding, a stronger foundation.
We do this all the time with a variety of things. The problem is, when we don’t understand the season and don’t allow ourselves to live in it, it breeds meaninglessness. And as we look at ways to shift and shimmy and avoid, we also do something else that is detrimental: we try to control the situation.
Control is very bad for us. We’re not talking about self-control, which is very much biblical and necessary in our lives, but bald-faced control. It’s when we choose to remove the unstable nature of a situation into something manageable.
That doesn’t sound bad really; we all do it to some extent. But control becomes a snare for us because it is our grimy attempt to remove the mystery of life into something easily understandable. It scrubs away the trust God so wants us to have in our lives and replaces it with accomplishment. What happens, over time, when you try to control a situation is that you remove the true fellowship of God. In other words, you begin to remove the eternity element of your design.
Remember, you are made to work, to have relationships with others, and to have fellowship with God. When we try to control our outcomes, we’re taking that trust element away and saying “I can do it myself.” God is placed up on the shelf while you accomplish, and the eternal part of your design is denied.
Then something incredible happens in life. You begin to wonder why you are suddenly miserable. Why life doesn’t seem fun or enjoyable. It is because you’ve placed yourself in prison. You’ve thrown away the mystery. The very part God meant you to trust Him with, and decided you could handle it. Once the mystery, the trust, and dependence is gone, what do you have left? The understanding that you cannot do it on your own. Life becomes meaningless.
From a Christian point of view, control isn’t something we should indulge in. Control is in opposition to submission. In scripture we see that submission is an important foundational piece to the faith puzzle. We are to submit to earthly authority (1 Peter 2:13-14), Wives are to submit to their husbands (1 Peter 3:1-6), Young men to elders (1 Peter 5:5), and Christians to submit to others out of reverence to Christ (Ephesians 5:21). When we submit, we humble ourselves to a greater authority. So, when we try to control our outcomes, who are we submitting to?
It works for our benefit to submit. After all, in the Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12), Jesus Christ lays out the groundwork for what a follower of Christ looks like. Before we can get to a point of truly following God, of standing up for God, we have to first submit. Verse 3:9-17
What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him. 15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. 16 And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there. 17 I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”
In this piece, Solomon again asks the question, “What do workers gain from their toil?” The answer is quite interesting. He pops in and out of the temporal view here, complicating the matter. He understands that it is a burden. He knows that God has set eternity into our hearts, a longing to understand this part of our nature. But he comes to the conclusion that we cannot figure it out. So what’s the solution? From the temporal viewpoint, it is easy: don’t think about it, just find enjoyment and peace in what you do, realizing that this too is a gift from God.
There is a sense of helplessness in this piece of scripture, one which is difficult to reconcile. If we look at it from the temporal view, we see Solomon exploring this idea, where there is wickedness, helplessness, a sense that no one can ever figure out the end result of God’s decisions, of what he allows and doesn’t.
18-22
18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” 19 For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. 21 Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? 22 So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his [b]heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
And finally Solomon ends on the fact that our fate is no better than the animals. We perish, we die and dissolve away. For the temporal point of view, it is quite dismal and final. It has no real meaning. We can’t claim a superiority above anything else alive, since our fate is the same, brining us to a point of helplessness, meaninglessness.
Chapter 4
Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed-- and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors-- and they have no comforter. 2 And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. 3 But better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
Solomon begins again with “under the sun” mindset. The oppressed are his next target on the road to finding what is meaningful, and in the temporal mindset, there isn’t much hope. His conclusion: because of oppression and sadness, it is better that man never is even born.
4 And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 5 Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves. 6 Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
In this part of scripture, Solomon brings our attention to achievement. He makes the case that whatever path we choose, whether it be idleness or action in achievement, both lead to the same meaninglessness. The achievement of others also brings envy and hate into the mix. If you look at our society, you’ll see this in action. As a society we build up individuals only to ultimately bring them down. We do this because of our dual nature. We want to see others succeed, but once they succeed we feel inferior. In this inferiority we become jealous, envious and ultimately devious. We find a way to demonize achievement so we can feel better about ourselves.
When Solomon says “Fools fold their hands,” he draws attention to another trapping of society, and ultimately, our own impure motives. That is the act of envying without any action toward it. Sometimes we simply envy and just allow it to fester and further complicate our conscience. We stew. We let it eat away at us. It consumes us, or ruins us internally.
Solomon’s assessment: it is better to be content with less than to be constantly grasping for more (chasing of the wind).
7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: 8 There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless-- a miserable business!
Have you ever known people who are completely consumed by work, so much so that they’ve sacrificed having a family, friends, and any sort of life outside work? Work becomes such a cornerstone to his life that, to remove it, is to remove the largest part of him?
Solomon drills down on his argument that toil (work) is meaningless in this “under the sun” mindset. Why? Because in this case, the the work is all there is. The person doesn’t have the connection with anyone else, thus work is meaningless without connection to others.
We have to stop here for a moment and investigate our design. We are all created for work, for connection with others, and for fellowship with God. If any of those elements are missing in our life, we get a little out of whack. Just like if our devotion to God is so full it knocks away the reason we are here (work) or the people we need to affect (connection), then we are acting against our design.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Solomon doube-downs on this concept by explaining that accomplishments, although ultimately meaningless, are further meaningless when not shared with others. The elements that others bring to our lives are important: partnership (good return for their labor), lift each other up (if one falls down), give and receive help, give comfort (keep each other warm) and security (two can defend themselves).
A cord of three strands cannot be broken. If you imagine a one-strand rope hanging over a cliff face, you can imagine, that if someone is hanging at the end, the part that is against the rock at the lip of the cliff gets frayed and can break. But imagine that same rope that is spun with two other strands. Even if one strand is frayed or even breaks, the power of the rope will hold.
This is the picture Solomon wants us to see in regards to our relationship with others and God. The three elements of a strong life has God at the center and relationships with others. It helps us through life and helps us play to the way we were designed. 13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
The first strike in this passage tells us something important: if Solomon could have done it over, he would rather have been poor and rich rather than a rich and old fool. It is important because, in our society, what do we generally strive for? We often times strive for those very things Solomon cautions against. Money, power, ambition, success, acclaim, adoration. These things culture tells us to chase, but what culture is really telling us is to get on a hamster wheel and chase something that you cannot catch.
This passage is essentially about the fleeting promise of fame. The young man rises and is applauded by the people, but the successor does not like or recognize the former leader. And so the cycle goes. We aspire for fame and glory and then, over time, our accomplishments are erased.
It has happened all through time. In ancient Egyptian politics, the incoming Pharaoh would systematically erase the previous Pharaoh’s accomplishments by scratching his name out of the stone records, scrub him away from obelisks, destroy his monuments. In our current society, we demonize the last administration, overturn its accomplishments. The idea is this: fame is a temporary state, no matter how long one has it. And as said before, our society tends to take down someone who reaches a certain level of fame.
Chapter 5
I am going to skip over verses 1-7 for the moment and come back to them after chapter 6. The reason is that I want to show the unending stream of “under the sun thinking in these chapters. When we bop back into the eternal (1-7), it will all make sense.
8 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
Solomon makes the case that oppression is a part of life, so don’t be surprised by it. Why? Because we all depend on the oppression. Through all of the bureaucratic layers, all the way up to the king, each person relies on the oppressed person in the field. So in the “under the sun” thinking, mode, there is a hopelessness that is associated with oppression, because even though it is widespread, we can’t do anything about it because we too depend on it.
10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. 11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? 12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
Let’s take these verses one by one.
Verse 10: The contention is this: when we focus on the temporal, greed is a natural answer to creating a rewarding life. Whoever loves money never had enough is a real thing! John D. Rockefeller, arguably the richest man America has ever producer, was once being interviewed and asked the question, how much is enough money? His answer: just a little more. It shows us that this hamster wheel we get on with money doesn’t have an end. It’s never enough. Greed is selfish.
Verse 11: The problem is laid out: The more you make, the more your expenses increase. So think about it in these terms: you have an idea in your mind of the amount that you require for a perfect, happy life. It may be triple what you make right now. When you ultimately achieve that, you realize something: the shiny and perfect life you thought you’d have looks different from what you came from, but it is essentially the same in regard to personal riches. You need more to get above your expenses. The point: greed is endless.
Verse 12: This verse shows the dynamic between those who worry about money and those who do not. The contrast is this: those not consumed by finances aren’t bothered by maintaining a certain lifestyle. Those who are consumed are worried about maintaining their lifestyle, thus are never content. Here, greed is the focus.
13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, 14 or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit. 15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. 16 This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind? 17 All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.
These verses are concerned with the uncertainty of wealth. Wealth worries the owner to the point of physical harm. But it can also go away suddenly. He reminds us that we come into this world with nothing and will leave with nothing. So the question becomes, if this is the reality, why do we spend so much of our time worrying over it all?
One of the reasons why males have a life span lower than females is because men fall into this problem area all the time. We worry about finances, worry about how to provide, fall down that hole of believing we are about to fall down into homelessness. It harms us physically. Instead of putting our foundation on Jesus, we set it in the sand of uncertainty.
18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.
Solomon agains tells us the way to cope with all of this in an “under the sun” mindset. The best thing to do is enjoy life, see it as a gift, don’t think about it too much. Because you have amassed all of these things around you, it will make you happy and distract you from the inevitability of death.
Chapter 6
I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: 2 God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them, and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil. 3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?
We work for ourselves, but in the end we cannot satisfy ourselves. There is no advantage for the wise over the fools. It is better to be content with what you have. But even these things are meaningless.
Whatever exists has already been named, and what humanity is has been known; no one can contend with someone who is stronger. 11 The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? 12 For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?
There is nothing new. Nothing new to learn. No one can overcome someone stronger. The more we try to learn, the less we comprehend. Can’t know what’s good for a person in life. Can’t understand what happens to a person once they’re gone.
Pretty bleak. When Solomon comes to the end of these chapters, we find that there isn’t much the temporal life offers. But there is an eternal component to this, and we’ll have to go back to chapter 5, verse 1-7 to understand. Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. 3 A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool. 4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
Solomon’s eternal musings are important, because when we drop back into the eternal we see a stark contrast. Against the cold and indifferent guise of the temporal world, there is a call to seriousness in finding God.
Guard your steps: First, if you are to reach out to God, he implores that your motives are pure in it. In other words, be serious and authentic in reaching out to God. The question is, how many of us are?
Do we truly understand the serious nature of following God? Is God the nucleus of our being, or simply an element of our lives? This is at the heart of what Solomon is getting at. He says when you go near the temple don’t speak, but listen. The Hebrew word that is used has a dual meaning: to listen and obey. So in other words, be serious about coming to God. Make sure your motives and thoughts are pure.
Sacrifice of fools: When we offer sacrifices without thinking about them, we are essentially giving an empty gesture to God. God doesn’t want empty religious gestures. This is a very important point, because we are all guilty of this in degrees. “I need to go to church because I haven’t been in awhile.” “I want to make sure Bill sees me put some money in the offering basket.” “It’s important that people in the church know how many committees I’m on.” Although we may associate empty gestures with many different things, the problem is that our motives are the culprit. Because we accomplish something “I went on a mission trip” and that may be a good thing, our motives could have been corrupt “I wanted to go to Mexico.” Yes, it may have accomplished some good, it also was an empty gesture to God. It looks good to others, but the real motivation behind it was corrupt.
In 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel addresses this very thing:
Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
To obey is better than sacrifices. To follow with authenticity is the path.
2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. 3 A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.
Don’t speak without consideration (James 1:19-21). Solomon warns us, in a serious attempt to understand and follow God, we have to be serious first about our motives, but secondly about our words. Be concise, serious and focused in our petitions.
Focus is important. We can all say “I am a sinner” without ever going any deeper than those words. The words are true, but there is no focus to them. It’s like saying “I have problems.” What are the problems? Until we articulate what those problems could be, we can’t ever solve them, right? So focus is important in this walk.
A dream comes: When we are obsessed with things, it is difficult to focus. Therefore, one thing that could happen when overwhelmed with problems is this: we could make a rash decision, a vow, and shipwreck ourselves further. This too is a problem of focus.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
When we make vows, we have to understand the importance of them. A vow honors your word and also honors God. The bible tells us it is better not to make a vow than to break one, so we have to be serious about what we say and do before God. We have to make a valiant effort to keep our promises.
For the close of these chapters, I like to bring it back to a passage in Luke:
Luke 14:25-35 New International Version (NIV) The Cost of Being a Disciple 25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. 34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
What Solomon is getting to is a very important matter. He talks about the seriousness of coming to God. Jesus talks about the same thing in this passage. In verses 25-27, Jesus says that we must hate mother and father, hate even our lives in order to follow him. Jesus, of course, is using hyperbole to make an important point: the serious matter of following Jesus means you must put him first, above all else. Even the good stuff, like family and relationships. He says that we have to take up our cross, which means, if we truly want to follow, we have to be willing to go, even to death, to follow him.
Verses 28-33:
Jesus doesn’t want us to simply follow without understanding the implications. Like the builder or the king going to war, they both have to understand the reality of what they propose to do. One has to have enough money and building material to complete the tower, the other enough soldiers to win the fight. If either does not have the capacity to complete, then they must abandon it. Christ wants us to understand what we are getting into. Following is not for the timid or flippant. It is for those who understand the seriousness.
Verse 34-35:
Christ again talks about salt. Salt in the old world was very important. It was used in preserving food. When salt does not have the chemical compounds to do its job, then it is considered useless. It is thrown out. So what does Christ mean?
As Christians, Christ wants us to be useful. If our entire dedication is not to him, then how useful can we be? Let’s go back to Matthew 6:24:
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
In this verse, Jesus is talking about money. His point is this: if our interests are split between two things, can we give a dedication to either? The answer is no; the dedication is minimized between both. If we are not solely dedicated to God, then can we truly follow? Again, the distinction Christ makes is no. Our allegiance must be singular, and everything else in our life a subset of this relationship.
So getting back to salt, if we are divided between our allegiance to God and something else, then our usefulness is minimized. And if we cannot be useful to God, then can we be effective for him? If our hearts and minds reside elsewhere, how can we bring ourselves to the useful spot God wants us to be in?
Again, it all comes back to focus. Focus on God first. Make your dedication to him authentic. Walk that walk each day, developing yourself into the strength God needs you to be fitted with. If you strengthen the relationship, then everything else that is good will flow from it.
There is a path to follow, however. James 4:7-10:
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
First, we as Christians need to submit (or resubmit) ourselves completely to God. What happens in our life, over and over is we slip back into a temporal way of thinking, we look for satisfaction away from the true foundation, and find ourselves in the weeds. Submission, true submission, comes along with repentance, and when both are true, we make a life change that is obvious and strengthened over time.
Resist the devil: James implores action, not passivity. Resistance means to oppose when sin and darkness rise in our lives. These things are inevitable, but taking the action to oppose sends the devil elsewhere.
Come near to God: Again, action. We are to draw near, which implies a willingness. God wants the willing, not those who believe they must (1 Peter 5:1-4). So our willingness, out true motives play a large part.
Double-Minded: This is the central idea. When we are double-minded in our walk, then are we truly following? If we are giving power to something else in our life, something that crowds God out and dilutes our walk, then is God our focus? Chapter 7
In chapter 7, Solomon begins to lay out some hard truths about wisdom. First, wisdom is split in two different practices: human wisdom and spiritual wisdom. Human wisdom is the type of wisdom that helps us in life, but doesn’t really offer any truths about eternity. For instance, changing your car’s tires is a wise thing to do. It prevents problems on the road, ensures your safety, etc. It is a wise thing to do, and makes life better, but doesn’t answer any of our eternal questions. Spiritual wisdom, on the other hand, is that understanding to deal with issues in life with a Godly foundation. It is normally seen through discernment, which is the proper way a Christian should understand and implement topics in life.
So, moving forward, we have to remember that Solomon is still distilling life through the temporal mindset. The wisdom he calls to attention is based on the “birth to death” scenario to test its meaningfulness.
A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. 3 Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.
Each section that we will explore in this chapter has a theme to it. Verses 1-3 are primarily about death. First, Solomon tells us that a good name, a reputation, your character, is more important than the things you have, or what the world values. But he launches into this business about the day of death being better than the day of birth. What’s that about? What Solomon is setting up is this idea, articulated in verse 2, that there is some value to reverse engineering life. Let me explain: If we understand that we are going to die, we can learn from this fact to change and better our life. This is a wise platitude in Solomon’s opinion, because if there is a finite end to it all, then what are we going to do with the time we have? That is what the “House of Mourning” means. It is better to have this concept rather than a “House of Feasting” mentality. When we are feasting, are we learning? Do we typically learn from the good times? Good times are really a respite from the bad, which happen far too frequently than the good.
Under the sun thinking: Understand that death is coming, so try to learn from this truth.
Of course, this is wise human thinking. But as in most of the human wisdom Solomon will impart, there is an eternal component. Psalm 90:12 helps us understand:
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
We need to understand our finite nature, for the ending of our days can be a benefit to us. What will we do with the time we have? Scripture tells us to act with immediacy.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. 5 It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools. 6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.
The house of the wise is in the house of mourning. This is contrasted in the other house, pleasure, where a fool’s heart resides. The house of mourning is really about adversity, and that is how we learn in this world. Do we really learn in the good times? No, our lessons come through hardship and overcoming obstacles. If we reside in this “house”, of understanding that the foibles in life contain the best life lessons, then we can learn and grow. If our heart is in pleasure, entertainment, going from one party to another, do we really learn? It is a life of perhaps avoiding the question of death and hardship, and no growth will occur.
We find wisdom in adversity rather than in comfort and ease. This is Solomon’s contention and it works well for the eternally-minded as well. Bad times teach us. But why? Why are we wired that way? James has the answer (James 1:2-5):
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
James tells us that the adverse times are there for a specific reason: it is to build us up. It is to help us to persevere. But why? To make you mature and complete. God is building us into the person we need to be, and He does this through trials. We become stronger so that we can face the obstacles, when they come again, with a stronger will. It teaches us to lean on God during those hard times. It guides us towards what God wants for us. And if we don’t know what to do, we pray for the ability to understand and deal with the issue. Bad times build us up, strengthen us.
Think about this: ten years ago, were you as strong as you are today? If you think about the things that derailed you so easily back then, do they still derail you today? Probably not, as you have grown stronger over time.
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. 11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. 12 Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.
We romanticize the past. It is a common human practice. Our memories are gold-tinged and lovely, but there is an army of ugliness around them that we don’t remember. When I was newly married, I remember how wonderful it was to go to the store and get about a hundred dollars worth of food that could feed us for a few weeks. It was like hitting the jackpot. We’d go home and cook a big meal and relax and it was wonderful. But if I remember the reality, we had no money, were buried in debt, lived in a sketchy part of town, didn’t have a lot of hope in the future. My romantic memory was in a sea of pain.
Solomon’s under the sun thinking is this: former times were no better, so prepare for the present. He presents it like this: money and wisdom is the best life one can achieve. This is a very human wisdom thing, but we can certainly relate. We like our creature comforts, we like money more than poverty. But is it the right way? Let’s go to Proverbs 3:7:
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
Solomon himself tells us that spiritual wisdom, God’s view, is more important than human wisdom. Although it seems wise that we build up our portfolios, we invest and create wealth, and this seems very practical and necessary, God says not to rely on human wisdom. Why? Because, human wisdom isn’t rooted in God. It is rooted in making life easier for us.
Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? 14 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
As we dipped into the past in verses 10-12, we push into the future in 13-14. First, Solomon starts on a hopeless note. If God has made things crooked, then what hope do we have in figuring it out? So, his advice is this: when times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, consider the important point that God has made those times too. Because God is in control of all of this, we can’t hope to avoid those times, have to endure them. So we can’t know our future because God is controlling it all.
If you really think about this, you will see the hopelessness in it. There is no control you can exert over things. In the temporal, pretty depressing. But in the eternal, we have a different perspective.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 shows us there is a future. Although the specifics aren’t clear, there is a future for the followers of God. A good future, meant to help us. Those who have a temporal mindset cannot understand this.
In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. 16 Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise-- why destroy yourself? 17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool-- why die before your time? 18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.
In this set of scripture, Solomon addresses moderation. First, he begins on another sour note: life is unfair. We know this. But he also contends, since there is an obvious unfairness to life, we need to moderate it. In Solomon’s contention, moderation is key. Don’t be too over righteous, overwise, overwicked.
First, let’s understand the two components of moderation. First, in life, moderation is good. If we eat too much sugar, we will eventually get sick. If we spend too much money, we will go into debt. If we overeat, we will get unhealthy. Moderation, in life, is good. But, let’s look at it from a spiritual set of eyes.
Number one, Solomon says “don’t be overrighteous. In other words, don’t be self-righteous. Don’t lord wisdom over people. Don’t be legalistic. But what about the overwicked? What does that mean?
Solomon is contending that we should pick the middle of the road. Don’t be too righteous, too wise, too wicked. What’s the flip side? Tone down your righteousness. In other words, don’t be too wise, too righteous, too wicked. Just tone it down, pick the middle lane.
This may be a wise human practice, but it certainly isn’t what God wants of us in our walk. God doesn’t want us lukewarm.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 puts it best. This is on the heels of a great verse on managing worry and trusting God with your provision. Our walk must be one in trust and fearlessness. He doesn’t want us to pick the middle of the road, or else this could happen:
16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. -Revelation 3:16-18
God will refine us, if we are willing to accept the correction. He wants us to be useful to his kingdom. We can’t do that by taking the middle of the road.
Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city. 20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins. 21 Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you-- 22 for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
A wise man understands the value of wisdom. Wisdom makes us strong. But a wise man also understands the sinfulness of others/himself. In dealing with others, we often take others words too harshly. The value of wisdom is on display here, and dealing with others in this world is important. We must understand that wisdom in dealing with others is necessary.
But what if all we have is human wisdom? Can that really guide us properly? If our wisdom is only rooted in what can improve our life, is there any depth to our being?
2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. -Colossians 2:2
True wisdom is rooted in something deeper than improving our life. It is rooted in the deep understanding of God. In spiritual wisdom the true treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found.
23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise”-- but this was beyond me. 24 Whatever exists is far off and most profound-- who can discover it? 25 So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
Here is Solomon’s conclusion: first, even though someone wants to be wise, it isn’t always attainable. But as we finish out the scripture, we see the confoundedness that Solomon finally arrives at: wisdom does not add to meaningfulness. In other words, wisdom is good, it improves our life, but does not add to any eternal meaningfulness. But what does?
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9 gives us a glimpse into our power. As a follower of Christ, you are part of a royal priesthood. That does not mean you should run out to join a monastery. What it means is that you have a duty in this world, placed in the circumstances you are in, with the abilities, talents and gifts you have, to be that shining light to others. When we begin to understand the depth of our duty, then we can move from simply existing to truly leading and living.
26 I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare. 27 “Look,” says the Teacher,[b] “this is what I have discovered: “Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things-- 28 while I was still searching but not finding-- I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. 29 This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
Solomon has one last thought and it is an important one. First, he gives us a great allegory of sin. He disguises it in the skin of a woman who snares a man. Remembering what Solomon went through in his life, and how women ultimately untied his relationship with God. The sinner will be trapped, and that is a powerful reality. Proverbs 5 gives a great illustration of what sin is like and how easily ensnared in it we become. Solomon contends that man was made upright, without sin (Adam) but ultimately, because of the fall of man, man chases after sin.
In the under the sun scenario, mankind is doomed by his own hand. There is no hope in it. But in the eternal viewpoint, we find a much better deal:
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
Through Christ’s sacrifice we have the ability to repent and move into an authentic relationship with God. We are not doomed, but can enter into a relationship that has the power to improve our life and guarantee the eternity of it.
Chapter 8
Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.
Verse 1 begins with Solomon’s refrain of hopelessness. We can’t figure out, from the temporal viewpoint, anything that God has planned for our lives. Not even the wisest can figure it out. So, his temporal viewpoint suggests that human wisdom offers contentment.
2 Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?”
Obeying the king, according to the temporal viewpoint, is interesting. First, king’s in the time of Solomon had absolute power. When they came into power, whatever they said went. Also, once in power, they would gather their people together and the people would declare an oath of loyalty to the king. So, from the temporal standpoint, it’s good to follow the king and his edicts. You shouldn’t get out of there quick, or stand up against the king, or complain about what he is doing. All of this would carry a death sentence.
When we pop out of the temporal view and into the eternal view, we’re struck with the picture of God’s authority. God. like the king, has ultimate authority.
The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. Psalm 135:6
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. Proverbs 16:33
Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. Romans 9:18
We see that God holds the ultimate authority. In these verses, we may even look at them with a sense of unfairness. Why does God operate this way?
We have to look at the very idea of authority. Why does authority exist? Let’s go to Romans 13:1-7:
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
In this, we see another reason for unfairness. God’s word tells us not only that he will have authority over us in this life, but we need to submit to it. This seems particularly unfair, given the quality of leaders we sometimes encounter. God says we are to submit even to those bad leaders. Why? Because even the bad ones are put there by God for his purposes. Our opposition to them is an opposition to God itself.
Why would God construct such a system? For two reason: One: we need to understand how to submit. And secondly, we must understand who holds all the power.
The submission to authority is key. If we cannot submit to human authority, then can we truly ever learn to submit to God? Can we ever recognize His power? We sometimes don’t agree with every policy that our government has. Do we agree with all of God’s policies? As Christians, we are to accept the entire word of God. Not just the parts we agree with. This is at the heart of submission. We need to learn to submit to God in total surrender. Our training ground is this world, and it begins with the authority over us.
Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. 6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a person may be weighed down by misery.
Under the sun, Solomon states that good will come to those who obey. For those who go along with whatever the king is proposing, they will be seen as loyal followers. In the temporal mindset, this is obvious. Following the king’s criteria is healthy for the followers.
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:19-20
If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. Exodus 23:22
The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. 1 John 3:24
In our day and age, we can equate it with following the law. If we don’t run red lights, speed, or create situations where we are operating outside the law, we won’t get tickets, fines or jail time. This is human wisdom. We stay within the parameters, we will be fine with the authority over us. From the eternal perspective, we see the “good” is not just following the laws of the land, but following God’s law brings a deep -felt good to our lives that involves sustenance, protection and guidance. He also states that there is a proper time and place for all events. For instance, we break a law. In the temporal mindset, the wheel of randomness spun around and landed on us. It was just one of those things that happened. But in the eternal mindset, we see a different picture. We see that these appointed times of conflict are part of a bigger picture, one which the temporal mindset can’t see.
This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:5-9
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
The big picture is something that eternal-minded people can latch onto. Our struggles, foibles and concerns all play a bigger role in the story of our lives. They aren’t just a random sequence of events, put part of the tapestry God is building over time.
Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come? 8 As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so[a] no one has power over the time of their death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
Here we have a new train of thought. No one knows the future, therefore no one can predict it. This is true from the temporal view. Life is a random series of events and no one can predict randomness. But from the eternal, we can predict the future:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
In these two passages there is a path to the future. Although the specifics aren’t noted, we see two predictions: if we follow God fully, he will make our path straight (improve our life and purify our thoughts to what He desires for us) and He will clarify our path to eternity. The future is eternity with Him. The specifics look different for everyone.
Also, no one has the power over death. In our results-based society, we often miss this. We believe that our actions always affect our outcome. In some cases this may be true. If we have an active life, eat right, abstain from cigarettes, drinking, etc., we will improve our chances of survival. But is this true? Or are even these attempts at improving our chances in vain, because our time is locked in.
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Tim 4:8
Paul says there is some value to our physical nature, but the real value is in our spiritual health.
As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.
Sin does not easily release us. For those who willingly practice it, it will envelope and destroy them. This is as much as a temporal thought as an eternal one.
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:15
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
Sin can creep in and kill us spiritually. When it jumps from practice to lifestyle, then it has the potential to end us.
All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise[c] in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless. 11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
Solomon has a few thoughts that culminate in a larger point. Verse 9 tells us that part of our problem on planet earth is that we are always oppressed by authority.
Verse 10 reveals that we easily forget what bad people do when they are alive. This is true in that when someone passes, we typically remember the good things and forget the damage they may have caused. But this is Solomon’s big point, and it is revealed in verse 11: If we forget about the bad stuff, and there is nothing after this life, then do the wicked go on unpunished? If that’s the case, then righteousness, and wickedness, really have no value. His eternal advice is that it is better to follow God, just in case there is something more.
14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.
The ideologies of the righteous and the wicked are mangled in this lifetime. So if the wicked get what the righteous deserve and vice versa, then where is the meaning?
15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun. 16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the labor that is done on earth—people getting no sleep day or night— 17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.
So what’s Solomon’s advice in the temporal sense? Don’t think about it too hard, eat, drink and enjoy your life. If nothing truly has meaning, then it’s upon you to enjoy what you have and stave off the inevitable as long as possible. Because we can’t figure it out anyway. We worry over these things and they don’t produce any good results. Hard work, seeking and wisdom ultimately add nothing to our understanding and only lead to confusion.
When we see it from the eternal perspective, life is crystal clear:
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. -Hebrews 10:19-25
Chapter 9
So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. 3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope[b]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. 6 Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.
This section is called “A common destiny for us all”, and that is a very appropriate title for what Solomon has in store for us. In verse 1 he begins with the concept that the wise and righteous are in God’s hands, but no one knows their true fate. From the under the sun premise, we see a turn in Solomon’s thinking. Remember, the experiment Solomon is conducting is to see what is meaningful without God in the picture. But now God is sneaking in again, this time entering his thoughts with those who are righteous. If we buy into the idea of God, do the righteous have a leg up on their future? Unfortunately, from the UTS premise, the righteous have no deeper understanding of their fate than do the wicked. From this perspective, we can perhaps buy into the concept of God creating everything, but does this creation, so evident around us, show us that God indeed loves us?
Next, in verse 2, Solomon attacks the idea that God’s love, if it indeed exists, cannot be measured by what happens to us in this life. We all enter the same destiny (death), no matter how we conduct our lives. In verse 3 Solomon calls this “evil”, and the evil he is pointing to is the fact that it isn’t fair that the good and the bad share the same fate. This could easily lead to the UTS thinker believing God doesn’t care. Verse 4 shows us the illustration of a live dog and a dead lion. The lion is the most ferocious animal in this era, the dog perhaps the most reviled. But even though the dog is useless, it still is better off than something that has died. In other words, to the UTS thinker, survival is the most important thing. Why? Because in verse 6 we learn that the dead know nothing Existence ends with this life. In the end we are forgotten. Nothing matters but our survival, and in the end even that is taken away.
Pretty bleak, eh? When we indulge in UTS thinking, we can get there pretty easily. Eternal thinking, however, is filled with a deeper purpose.
1 John: 5:13-14 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 11:25 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
Philippians 3:20-21 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
John 14:23 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
When we approach scripture, we find a much different picture. God wants us to understand that there is an eternity for us, something deep and rich and far beyond the temporal world. Existence does not end at death but goes on.
7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
In verses 7-10, Solomon, from the UTS premise, again announces that all we can do, in this tired and horrible situation we are in, is to find joy in the moment. Since life is meaningless, living in the moment is paramount. God doesn’t care about you, and all of the things you do are meaningless. So the idea is to just enjoy life.
We can see, from an eternal perspective, that the UTS view becomes one of purposelessness. If we are only to live for survival and pleasure, then life truly has no meaning. Both will one day be stripped away. God gives us a much greater purpose in this life:
1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
First, as directed by Peter, we are dealt a very important purpose. We are to show others who God is.
Galatians 5:13-14 13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Next, Paul tells us another key element to our purpose. To serve others.
James 1:12 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James, the brother of Christ, has another piece of the puzzle. Our duty isn’t to fold when things get tough. It’s to learn to trust and persevere through our trials.
1 Corinthians 10:31 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Finally, returning to Paul, we see the very foundation of our purpose: to remember the source. To glorify God. To remember what God has done for us. Be thankful for his mercy.
11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. 12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.
Next, in verses 11 and 12, Solomon turns to chance, and states that life cannot be understood when luck, chance, randomness is involved. The race doesn’t always go to the fastest or the bout to the strongest. In his eloquence he makes the argument that we are all prone to chance rather than order.
But you’ll also notice that Solomon begins to undermine his argument here. In 9:1, when he spoke of the righteous being in God’s hands, he was eluding to a sense of order. Now that order is gone. Is God absent from us? Is life random? Let’s look eternally.
Isaiah 41:10 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
In this verse from Isaiah, we see that God is not uninterested in our life. As a matter of fact, God helps us.
Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When we can see with clear vision, we see that God provides for us.
Joshua 1:9 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Proverbs 16:9 9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
Finally, in Solomon’s own words, he acknowledges that humans like to make plans, but really it is orchestrated by God.
13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
Solomon tells a story of wisdom from an old but poor man. His wisdom saves an entire city, and Solomon sees this as a great thing. But the man is forgotten. His wisdom, although great for the moment, has no lasting value. Perhaps the last vestige of something of value in this life, from the UTS perspective, is being remembered.
19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
God remembers us. Whatever this life offers us, whatever legacy we leave or do not leave, God remembers who we are and what we’ve done.
The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Wisdom should be stronger than the bellowing of a madman. It is often forgotten. But wisdom, in a sense, is a fragile thing. It can be easily ruined by an outside source, or more often than not, ourselves.
Chapter10
As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. 3 Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are.
Solomon doesn’t mince words here. He calls out foolishness as stupidity. But he also shows us that foolishness can destroy a wise man. How? Like a fly in the ointment, a little foolishness has large consequences. We don’t have to look any further than our culture. There are many people who have achieved fame and fortune, who are undone by a series of foolish mistakes, or even undone by one. I recently saw a story about a NFL football coach who was well-respected. In one game, his team was losing, and as an opponent was running by him, he stuck out his knees and tripped him up. The move caused a minor foible in the field, did not affect the game, but had long-lasting implications for the coach. The game was well-televised, and upon countless replays it was obvious, by the commentators and spectators alike that the coach cheated. He copped to it, expressed shame and left his fate to the commissioner. He was banned for the rest of the season and never returned to the NFL. Small foolishness can have these devastating consequences to us.
In out Christian walk, we must be careful about our steps. The wise man leans towards God, where the fool doesn’t contemplate the consequences.
If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest. 5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: 6 Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. 7 I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.
From the Under the Sun premise, this seems very negative. If a superior has something against you, Solomon’s answer is to simply stay there and take it. Ride out the storm. This adds to the oppressive nature of life. We can’t ever get out from under the oppression that life brings. We must endure fools above us.
In Solomon’s assessment, fools are often put in positions of authority over us. This is absolutely true in waking life, for we can all point to times in our life when we had to work for foolish people, when we quietly mulled over why such an idiot was given such a high position. In the UTS premise, this is a great injustice, an evil that can’t be reconciled. In the Christian perspective, of course, we understand that all authority is given by God, for his purposes. It is our job to submit to it, because opposition to it is to be in opposition to God’s plan.
Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.
Foolishness isn’t something thrown on us. It isn’t something that we stumble upon. Foolishness is something we do to ourself. If we never dig the hole, how can we fall into it? If we aren’t quarrying rock, there is no chance rocks will fall on us, right? If we choose to be foolish, whatever that looks like, we will ultimately fall into the pit of our own making.
If we don’t indulge in foolishness, then we haven’t the chance of being injured by it.
If we are splitting logs with a dull axe, won’t it takes a long time to get through the log? A foolish person continues hitting the log with the dull ax, without thought of sharpening it. In other words, the foolish person doesn’t give thought to the future. Instead, he only looks at his present situation. The wise person will stop and sharpen the ax. He will use his present situation to improve his future.
If a snake bites before it is charmed, the charmer receives no fee. 12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. 13 At the beginning their words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness-- 14 and fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming-- who can tell someone else what will happen after them? 15 The toil of fools wearies them; they do not know the way to town.
Ever know someone who talks all the time? Whether we know someone, or am that person, Solomon expresses that someone who babbles relentlessly also expresses a type of foolishness. He says that talk that begins as folly can ultimately turn to wickedness. But how? How can idle talk turn to something evil? When it incites, slanders, gossips, or otherwise brings a conversation to a point of divisiveness, it becomes evil. In other words, a person may begin with a fun little diversion, but through a constant jabber ultimately creates hostility. He says this type of foolishness, like others, has no sense of direction. The talker simply talks himself into a form of evil.
Woe to the land whose king was a servant[a] and whose princes feast in the morning. 17 Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time-- for strength and not for drunkenness. 18 Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks. 19 A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything. 20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
If you have noticed, Solomon began this chapter with a fly in the ointment. In this final passage, he discusses how foolishness can destroy a nation. It isn’t only our small, seemingly inconsequential foolishness, but a systemic problem that has deep and far-reaching implications.
Foolishness can corrupt a nation. When he talks about a king of noble birth verses a servant, what he is saying is this: the one who isn’t fit to lead will drive the kingdom to ruin, whereas the one who is fit to lead (the noble) will bring the country into success. A nation needs a strong and mature leader, one who is fit to lead, or the land suffers. Our very foolishness can corrupt the entire land, a vast amount of people, based on our level of foolish behavior.
But that isn’t the only corruption. Our motives matter. Those who rule for strength and not for drunkeness (v. 17). The motivation must be to make the country stronger, not for our own personal pleasure or ego.
Laziness can also bring a country down. If a leader is not devoted to leading his country with a strong and moral hand, then the rafters will sag (v.18). Laziness is another type of foolishness.
The corrupt leader, bent on his own personal agenda, drunk on his power and prestige, does not rule with a hand devoted to his people. It is for his own personal glory. Therefore, verse 18 tells us the heart of the corrupt leader, one who is obsessed with his own pleasure, who is ruling through a misguided love for money and power. Foolishness. A cause for ruin.
Foolishness is rooted in disobedience. The dictionary calls it “a lack of good sense or judgement.” A biblical definition would be “The misuse of intelligence given by God.”
The bible doesn’t deal with foolishness lightly. If you remember the Parable of the Rich Fool Luke 12), the rich fool is an old man who is already rich but received a new windfall. He has the opportunity to share it, but instead stores it for himself. God himself calls the man a fool. It is a lifestyle choice he has made to be foolish with his resources.
In the same sense, foolishness can be associated with some actions:
Denying God (Psalms 14:1, 1 Corinthians 1:18) A quick temper (Proverbs 14:16-17) Perverse Speech (Proverbs 19:1) Disobedience (Proverbs 15:5)
Foolishness is rooted in Disobedience. But there is an antidote: Discipline.
Discipline (Proverbs 22:15)
Our ability to accept correction is key. This is how we combat the foolish nature we are plagued with in our youth. If we are willing to accept correction, then we have a chance at combatting foolishness in our life.
But why is it important to combat foolishness? Because being a fool, creating a foolish lifestyle for ourselves, will eventually ruin us.”
• Foolishness leads to ruin: (Proverbs 19:3)
If we choose to be foolish (yes, it is a choice), it will show in our life:
Is foolishness a sin? Well, if sin is disobedience to God in some way, if it is truly us saying “I don’t want to do it your way, I want to do it mine,” and that practice creates a lifestyle for us that is obvious, then it is opposition to God’s law, it is lawlessness, and therefore sinful.
•Foolishness is the practice of sin: (1 John 3:4)
Chapter 11
Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. 2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
In chapter 11, we begin to see Solomon’s experiment beginning to articulate, and it starts with some pretty good business advice. Solomon says that a return on your profit may take a long time, so invest in a number of ventures to get you the return you desire. But he is saying something a little deeper here, and if we switch to the eternal side of things, we get an entirely different concept.
When we look at it eternally, Solomon is telling us that we need patience in waiting on a return on investment. Our investment, spiritually speaking, is in people. The good work we do isn’t immediately seen. So we must invest in many things (people, circumstances). In other words, our generosity to these focuses is what is important.
If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie. 4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
Verses 3-4 and 4 deal with CAUSE AND EFFECT. When he talks about the clouds or the falling of a tree, there is an evident cause and effect we can measure in this life. If the wind blows and a tree whips around and falls, wherever it falls it will stay. It won’t move until someone comes to cut it up. In the same way, circumstance happen in our life. If we are watching and understanding how things work, the result is fairly obvious.
But in this same scenario, we can hesitate and do nothing. When we get to verse 4, we see a farmer looking at the clouds. He knows rain is coming. But if he doesn’t plant, if he allows the circumstance of that storm to cause hesitation or inactivity, then he cannot harvest. In the same way, if we let our circumstances rule our lives, instead of trusting God with them, then we can fall into disobedience.
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed[a] in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
There is a limit to human knowledge. In this life, we have to come to the conclusion that we will not and cannot know everything about God. This is a hardship for some people. If they cannot understand the inner workings of God on every level, then they cannot follow. But God wants us to follow without knowing everything, which requires faith.
Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.
Solomon says to invest your time wisely by investing in many things. Why? Because we know less about the future than we like to think. We must always move toward trusting God with our eternal future.
Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. 8 However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.
The Under the Sun premise of life doesn’t bring any additional life. When we take God out of the equation and try to live independent of him, we bring no greater clarity to life. In fact, we invite more darkness. Les accountability isn’t the answer to life. Pleasure itself brings a meaninglessness that confounds us. We must live with a deeper purpose.
You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.
This is the pivotal piece in the entire book. First, Solomon begins schooling us on the good life when young. Live it up. Give into your heart, follow what your eyes see. You may remember, back in chapter 2:10, that he says something very similar to this. But back in that chapter, he understands that following his heart, indulging in anything and everything, led to his own ruin. Why is he taking this mantle up again?
The key is in the last line of verse 9: But know that for all these things, God will bring you into judgment.
Most of our lives are lived with a sense of living it up. Saturating ourselves with experience, both good and bad. When we are young, we fill ourselves up with experience, feeling in some sense that these experiences make us whole. But in looking back, we realize that these experiences, following our heart and eyes, have the opposite affect.
We can’t live our lives without accountability. Even if we don’t believe in God, it doesn’t mean judgment doesn’t exist. If God brings all of our actions into account, then it doesn’t mean that life is meaningless, but meaningful. Everything is meaningful.
Therefore, if life is meaningful, if everything we do has significance, then we must turn to holiness. Cast off anxiety, he says, meaning that living with an eternal mindset removes the sorrow that rests in us. There is a greater purpose to all things, to the things we do, to the circumstances, to all that happens in this world. We must live with this purpose.
Chapter 12
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”--
This is the first time God is mentioned as the Creator. He says to remember God in your youth. Why? Because when you are young, this is the most likely time to shrug God off. That’s why it is important to establish a foundation in God when young.
before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; 3 when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; 4 when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when people rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; 5 when people are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets.
Here Solomon describes the aging process. We are all headed to the same fate. His argument is this: remember God before the hard times in life begin, before you are bogged down with existence, with aches and pains and fear. Remember God, set that foundation, or you may just get bitter.
Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, 7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!”
Remember God before the end comes. Before all of those things you pined after in life lay shattered. The things of this world have little meaning in the end. Eternity is what matters. Why? Because eventually, whether you believe it or not, you will return to your creator. And those things you have done in your life will be brought into account.
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.[b] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
Solomon continued to teach and instruct to bring people to a deeper understanding of God’s word. He didn’t passively accept but used his knowledge and God-given wisdom to think eternally.
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
What is Solomon’s conclusion? After testing all of the things we chase after in life, after this grand experiment of removing God from the fabric of his life. The conclusion is to Fear God and keep his commandments. Why? Because that is what we are designed to do.
When you use a car like a plane, it doesn’t work. You can jump it off a cliff and get some airtime, but a car isn’t designed to be a plane. It isn’t designed to fly. Like that, we are designed to be in union with God. Most of our life we run away from that truth. We fill ourselves up with things that aren’t God. But our entire life is designed to point back to God, and when life ultimately becomes meaningless and we run out of places to run to, we find that we have to run back to our design. Not filling our life up with pointless endeavors, but with eternal conquests. It is the conclusion king Solomon reached, and on some level, we all reach in our life of experimentation.