I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.Solomon's quest, as it is recorded in this book, is devoid of heavenly revelation. This is what he means by the repeated use of the phrases "under the sun" and "under heaven"-life lived on earth apart from revealed truth. Solomon was the perfect subject to make this experiment. He had a godly heritage, and reigned as king over Israel in an era of peace and prosperity. He was extremely wise and fabulously rich. He lacked nothing, intellectually or materially, in his quest to find the meaning of life "under the sun." Who better to "go for the gusto" of life? Solomon thus set out to "seek and explore"-to seek in depth, to explore in breadth-all that life had to offer. Exploration was intended to bring information that would make life a joy to experience.
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge." And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.This man succeeded in everything he attempted. He decided to become more knowledgeable than anyone who had ever lived, and he did. He enquired, studied and read, and became supremely wise. No one has ever surpassed him in knowledge. The chastening thing about the experiment to which he gave himself was that although he succeeded in his quest, he was forced, upon reflection, to conclude that it only resulted in grief and pain.
So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly, for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done? And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light exceeds darkness. The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity." For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me, because everything is futility and striving after wind.As he thinks of those who will follow him, the Preacher, aware that "wisdom exceeds folly as light exceeds darkness," knows that there is no guarantee his successor will be any the wiser for all that he himself has discovered in his quest. Further, he has seen that, despite the truth of what he has uncovered, he has at times observed that fools get along quite well in life, while many wise people seem destined to fail. Thus it is by no means certain that all that he has accomplished-wisdom, treasure and architectural marvels-will last even one generation after him. He cannot ensure that his successors will appreciate any of his accomplishments and will want to perpetuate them.
Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored wisely under the sun. This too is vanity. Therefore I completely despaired of all the fruit of my labor for which I labored under the sun. When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to the one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.
For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.His discoveries in the area of wisdom and knowledge only served to make him aware of the wickedness of the human experience. No matter how far he hiked through the woods, he failed to find his way out. "What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted." He tried pleasure, but he ended up with a rotting pumpkin carved with a stupid, hollow grin."Everything is futility and striving after wind." So he turned his attention to his posterity, the next generation, only to discover that there was no guarantee that they would listen to or inherit his wisdom. He must conclude that he has failed. And yet cannot stop asking questions, despite the profoundly unsatisfying answers he is getting.
There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that He may give to one who is good in God's sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.The greatest challenge to a life lived without revelation from God is to encounter a person whose life is filled with His presence and approval. It was true for Solomon, the ancient man with the modern lifestyle, and it is true today. Despair is most often challenged by encountering a man or woman who, in New Testament terms, "manifests the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him" (2 Cor.2:14). Solomon had acquired vast wisdom and knowledge. What he had not found was "wisdom and knowledge and joy" (2:26).
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;May our thanks be genuine and our song a source of hope to others.
Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
That my soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever.
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