Solomon concludes his observations of his search for the pleasures of this world in his search for satisfaction from Chapters Three through Six. Perhaps it is best to bear in mind what values were in those days. They are not much different than today. He also uses exaggerations to make his point before he moves on to other matters. Things are not the way they seem to be in this world. We may think things are a certain way, when, in fact, they are not. In verses 1 through 6, the example given of a man is described as the epitome of wealth and success in the view of the world.
Verse 1: I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weights heavily on men: God causes his sun to shine upon the evil as well as upon the good. Why does God allow those who do what he considers evil to prosper the same as those he know are doing the right thing? In a sense, it is a sense of God's fairness to all people. 2: God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. So God provides and blesses all people, but only those who study and attempt to follow God's instruction receive joy. Those who follow these pleasures for their own sake, do not gain pleasure from them for long. Idleness and being a workaholic are both vexations. Do you want to know who your God is? What do you spend the bulk of your time thinking about or doing. There is no ultimate satisfaction in things of this world. We end up needing or wanting more and do not end up satisfied. God does not give those who do not seek him the power to enjoy. Gratitude is a fruit of the spirit, not of vanity. It is one of the most important elements of our lives for joy. Faith is what pleases God, believing him and acting upon his word. Obedience based on faith. Things unseen and not known for certain. How are we certain that material things bring joy?
Our God wants us to enjoy life. We have it all wrong. There are those who profit from the manipulation of our desires. They convince us there is satisfaction to it. We believe it. Verse 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 stillborn child is better off than he. These examples reveal what was considered wealth in Solomon's time. Here, he gives an example that exceeds any reality: a long life, lots of children and grandchildren and a in contrast to the greatest tragedy: a stillborn child who has no chance of having a life and in our death receive no proper burial. It was an abomination to people in those day to not have a proper burial. 4: It (the stillborn child) 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? Adam Clarke's commentary on this is: When a man learns to provide for his soul as he does for his body, then will he be happy. Worldly sinful desires are insatiable.Is there any real doubt about all of this? This is what Solomon considers wealth in retrospect. 7: All man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.
Verse 8: What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others? Solomon spoke of wealth and now shifts his focus upon wisdom. You may receive God's blessing of wealth; you may chase pleasures with restraint, but if that is all you have, you are no better off than the fool. Even a poor man can learn to attract others to himself by means of charm, but he is still empty, lonely and miserable. 9: Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This, too, is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. How often to we get what we have planned, wished and worked for to find its pleasure soon passes and we have another desire to pursue? If only, and when this happens, I will be happy...think again. We waste our lives this way. It hasn't changed in 13 centuries. In our appetites, the intellectual seeks wisdom, the miser seeks money. Both seek permanence and significance in the face of death and tumble in meaninglessness. Smoke.
Verse 10: Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known: no man can contend with one who is stronger than he. Can this be at the root of what we desire, to be greater than the next man? Solomon is telling us God has decreed that enjoyment can't be found by effort, work and the pursuit of pleasure. It is just the way it is and always will be. Enjoyment of life can only be taken as a gift from God. It is as concrete as the law of gravity. You can't argue it successfully, change or beat it. Solomon has spent much time in trying to tell us to enjoy life for what it is as a most precious gift from God. God made our lives to be enjoyed, not collected.
Solomon is exclaiming three points in this lesson: 1.) God decided what is so before man was created. God created this law before man was present on earth. Understand it and don't try to figure out ways around it. It won't happen. 2.) God made us, he knows what we are and how we function, what we like and what we don't like. Jesus says, "A man's life does not consist of the abundance of things which he possesses." He gave us those things to enjoy our life and he takes away that enjoyment when we don't know or accept what is so. 3.) How are you going to change the laws of God? He is stronger than all of us put together. C. S. Lewis states, "To argue with God is to argue with the very power that makes it possible to argue at all." We can talk back to God all we want, but we end up frustrated. Life is to know God.
Ever hear the adage, be careful what you ask for? Or God answers our prayers, but not in the way we ask for it? Verse 12: For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone? Who knows the true meaning of life? We don't even know what we should wish for. Riches, wealth and honor are given to some and not others as God sees fit. These gifts are given to some who don't make good use of them. To those of us left out of this blessing, he gives us other gifts which are not as harmful as those he gives these gifts to and has them misused. Who is better off? Those who can collect those gifts, may not enjoy them and they are left to others who benefit from his labors is no better off than the fool.
Which of these has more value, the riches and fame of this world or the person who is grateful for everything he/she has? Who is truly richer? Any of us can be a millionaire, any of us. The question is, do we want to spend our lives doing what it takes to accumulate this wealth and forsake the things which suffer when money becomes our quest and goal? Solomon was indeed wise to set these examples, questions and observations to the greatest of our desires and the deepest purposes of our psyche. It is the root of the evil he saw as a king over Israel.
AdamOsbourne.net was utilized in the structure of this blog.
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