The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. 3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. 7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. 8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. The Vanity of Wisdom 12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. Meditation The current covid-19 crisis will have implications reaching far beyond health. The next season of life in our culture will be uncertain and unstable and during the shifting season we must intentionally anchor in eternal truth. The book of Ecclesiastes contrasts the folly of grabbing the wind of the world with the wisdom of holding hope with godly perspective and practice. Are you a wind chaser or a hope possessor? The vanity proclaimed by the writer (2) means literally, “vapor, puff of wind, or breath.” Nothing with substance to be grasped! The folly of grabbing wind is questioned within an economic framework- What gain, or profit, is there in working under the sun? (3) Jesus asks this question, too, in Mark 8:36. You can gain the whole world and lose everything, at the same time! This is the danger, proclaims the preacher, of an “under the sun” perspective. We must anchor in eternal truth. “Under the sun” is repeated almost thirty times throughout Ecclesiastes and it condemns a ground level view of life, a flat worldview, absent of transcendence and vertical shaping. The futility of grabbing for hope from a horizontal perspective is equivalent to grabbing a breeze. Creation offers no answers (4-11) and has itself been subjected to futility (Romans 8:20). Everything under the sun is vanity, a chasing after the wind. Even the “wisdom” of the world. The wisdom from above (James 3:13-18) comes from the Creator and is clearly contrasted with an under the sun, flat, perspective. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is… Colossians 3:1 Richly Dwelling -Worldly wisdom, an under the sun perspective, looks for hope in what is seen and felt but godly wisdom says, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29) Where do you find hope- In what is seen or what is promised by God? -Worldly wisdom rejects trials and troubles but a godly perspective welcomes trials and troubles for sanctification, knowing our loving Father is sovereign. (Romans 8:28-29) What is your perspective on troubles and trials? Is it above the sun? -Worldly wisdom self-promotes and self-preserves but godly wisdom serves others and considers others better than ourselves, seeking treasures of heaven. Do you think of yourself more highly than you ought? How can you take God’s perspective more seriously than your own? Key Verse 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. Don't forget to check out this week's links on the Home Page. Comments are closed.
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AuthorPastor Mitchell celebrates twenty-five years of marriage with Lisa and together they have four adventurous children. |