Day 125: Ecclesiastes 2- Realign Your Hope

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

The Vanity of Living Wisely
12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

The Vanity of Toil
18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.22 What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.
24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Meditation
Last week I spoke to a discouraged man who recently lost the majority of his retirement portfolio. He was in despair. The economic casualties of the COVID19 crisis will be indiscriminate, affecting everyone. (14) Where do we anchor our hope in hard times?

The preacher of Ecclesiastes predicts despair for people who anchor their hope horizontally. (20) The author’s testimony reveals how he looked for purpose and profit in countless pleasures of the world- work, wild living, wine, works (building), workers, wealth, women, and whatever his heart wanted. (1-24) All was a breath, no substance, a chasing after wind. 

There is no profit, all is vanity, when we look to good things in the world to get from them more than they are designed to provide.  When good things become a destination our hope is misdirected. Your 401k is good but never designed to give security for your future. Savings are good but are never able to be your sanctuary in the storm. Focusing your hope on fallen creation is folly, living with an under the sun perspective. We must realign our hope.

God is Creator, the headwaters of goodness. God is the right direction and destination of every good thing in creation. In God alone are true wisdom, knowledge, and joy. (26) Futility and folly are found in gathering what we cannot keep and hoping for security in what will be blown away. 

Wisdom compels us to anchor our hope in Heaven, fully trusting God and His word for an above the sun perspective.

Richly Dwelling
-Where are you experiencing despair during this season of COVID19 crisis?

-Does your despair reveal where you are looking for hope horizontally, misdirecting God’s good creation as a destination and therefore misdirecting hope?

-God is the Creator and in Him alone is wisdom, knowledge, and joy. How can you remember your Creator, redirecting the good things of this world towards Him and realigning your hope?

Key Verse
25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

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