Instrument-4-Christ

So Solomon “set [his] heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven” (1:13). Remember that Solomon was the wisest mortal to walk the earth.

II Chronicles 1 tells the story of how God gave Solomon all his wisdom: “And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, ‘Ask! What shall I give you?'”

Solomon could ask anything he wanted. In a sense, God was giving him one wish to be fulfilled. Solomon already had enough wisdom to recognize that riches and fame were vain things, and he said, “Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of yours?”

The result? The following verses say that God gave Solomon the requested wisdom and knowledge as well as riches and wealth and honor!

Solomon eventually fell away from God though and it is at that time that his wisdom, knowledge, riches, wealth, and honor became useless to him. When he had the wrong perspective on life, everything became vain. So in Ecclesiastes he recognizes how all those good things profited him nothing when he wasn’t living for God. He saw “all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind” (1:14).

Now two things stick out to me. First of all, imagine a life characterized by grasping for the wind! Whether I try to grasp for the wind or grasp at the wind, I always will come up empty-handed. I’ve tried to catch leaves out of the wind, and it’s often a fruitless venture. Trying to catch the wind itself is impossible. With that in mind, I don’t want to come to the end of my life empty-handed after simply grasping for the wind all my life. That would be devastating.

Secondly, what does Solomon mean when he refers to all things “under the sun”? Does he simply mean everything that’s done, or is he referring to earthly things, things that are not done in view of heaven (above the sun)?

In the context of the book, it seems like he is referring to earthly things. If that is true, am I devoting my time and energies to things under the sun or things above the sun?

Finally in this passage, Solomon says in verse 18, “For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” Sometimes, the more I know about life, the less I wish I knew. In a sinful world, not all knowledge is happy knowledge. The world is filled with sorrow and lies and destruction. Indeed, learning and being exposed to more wisdom and knowledge also brings a certain amount of grief and sorrow.

Several key ideas in a short passage. Well, am I grasping for the wind, or will I enter God’s presence with arms full of things done with Heaven in mind?

The things that I do under the sun
Will profit me nothing when life is all done.
But the things that I do with Heaven in mind
Will be worth something when I leave life behind.

As I read through this passage, a few things stuck out to me:

v.5- “The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose.” It’s so true that the sun almost seems to move from one side of the sky as quickly as it possibly can. We wake up and not much longer, we’re back in bed. We wake up again, and not long after we find ourselves asleep again. The days go by so fast that we don’t have time to stop and watch them pass. We must actively make the most we can of the little time we have for God’s glory.

v.9-10- “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, ‘See, this is new’? It has already been in ancient times before us.” These verses are somewhat confusing but seem to be loaded with significance. Can I truly take pride in anything I accomplish? Is there anything new on this mortal earth that is worth rejoicing over? The answer is, NO! Not apart from God! As I go through life, I may do some unique things or accomplish something of note, but in the long run, there’s no point in me making a big deal of what I do. Someday I will be in Heaven, and only the things done for God will count and will be remembered.

v.11- “There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who will come after.” This was already referred to in the last paragraph, but it’s worth briefly repeating. After I’m gone, people will largely forget about me and the things I accomplish. True, my name may live on after me- and if it does, I hope it does for the right reasons- but many of the things that I do may be forgotten as other things become more prominent in the minds of the next generation. Even more significant, someday the earth will pass away, and all that will be remembered are the things that God did of Himself and through His people. On the one hand the thought is a sobering one, but on the other hand it is a glorious thought! Only that which is done of and for God will be remembered! So the question for me now is: Am I doing for God things that will be remembered? Am I setting my “mind on things above, not on things on the earth” as Colossians 3:2 says?

The time is short,
It is passing away.
“Vanity of vanities!”
The Preacher does say.

What profit has man
In the things he has done?
What joy findeth he
In his toil ‘neath the sun?

All that’s accomplished
Will soon be forgot.
There’s no lasting value
In the works he has wrought.

But look to the Heavens
And work for the One
Who rewards all the things
That for Him are done.

And you will find joy
In the work of your hand.
For things done for God
Will not cease to stand.