You'll see the word "vanity" used again this week. As we've discussed, this word frequently occurs in this book, and in the Hebrew translation, it is hebel. Hebel means emptiness, vanity, or something unsatisfactory. Cynical Solomon is writing about his perspective of how everything he sees is without importance. This week he speaks of the weakness of wealth, and we’re going to emphasize additional Time and Reflection so we can let God’s Word seep into our hearts.
1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.
We see Solomon's perspective to still be "under the sun." All things in this world will be "heavy on mankind" unless we learn to take on an eternal perspective and follow Jesus' words from Matthew 11:28-30 which say,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
It's essential to call out in these verses how God gives wealth, possessions, and honor -- it is not acquired by human strength, knowledge, or get-rich-quick schemes. Yet, without knowledge of the Giver, wealth, possessions, and honor can quickly become an idol. This is why they do not satisfy.
TIME AND REFLECTION
There is evil in this world, and it can be heavy to experience and hear about. Read John 17 and think about how Jesus' perspective was not "under the sun," but was eternal.
3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place?
In the Old Testament era, many children and long life were considered some of the highest of all earthly blessings (ESV Study Bible). Solomon quickly speaks of how a discontented heart will even be unsatisfied with excessive blessings.
That is what discontent does to one's spiritual life: it causes blessings to be seen as curses.
There is a bitter statement here about a stillborn child, and it's similar to what Job cried out in Job chapter 3 when he cursed the day of his birth. It's interesting how Job did have everything taken away. Solomon didn't, yet, they both had similar despairing outlooks over a season.
TIME AND REFLECTION
Speaking of our friend, Job. Let's read Job 38 when the Lord responds to Job's questioning after 35 chapters (since Job 2) of His "absence." If you believe the Lord is missing from your crises, or the Great Comforter isn't showing up, then this chapter is for you.
I shared in the Intro to Ecclesiastes of how I have unanswered questions about the Christian faith. Having faith does not mean we don't have doubts, and Job had his share, too. However, we can't dwell in doubt. We must allow the Word of God to change our perspective. In Job 38, God tells Job up front, "If you can't answer these questions, then you do not have a place to demand answers from Me." That is humbling, to say the least.
There have been seasons where I wanted “the answer.” I tried to understand the past. I wanted to see pieces of the puzzle I couldn't see. I craved to know what I couldn't figure out. However, through the years, I have learned to rest in the work of the Cross. It was all seen —and paid for — on Calvary. It is not for me to understand it all, but it is for me to trust in the reconciliation process. There are simply things I won't see made whole until I see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Name a few experiences where you need to rest in the work of the Cross v. your work.
7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. 8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
I love verse 9. I highlighted it, underlined it, and circled it in my Bible: Better is the sight of the eyes than the wander of the appetite. Application: be grateful for and enjoy what's presently given than fantasizing about what else you could have.
TIME AND REFLECTION
1 Peter 5:8-9 tells us, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."
The phrase be sober-minded means being calm and collected of spirit. If we aren't mindful of what we watch or spend our time doing, our soul can become disturbed. And, in desperation for peace, we self-medicate. Self-medication can take several forms: drugs, alcohol, binge-watching Netflix, scrolling mindlessly on social media, shopping, overeating, pornography, constructing other realities in our mind, continually staying busy, excessively exercising...the list goes on.
But the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. We are created to worship (see Genesis 2:15, and God's establishment of work as a form of worship). When we're amid anxiety, fear, distrust, skepticism, cynicism, chaos, pain, anger, and other dark nights of the soul...our sinful nature wants to find quick-relief. It's hard to sit with the pain. It's hard to be still. It's hard to go against the flesh and seek sobriety and run to our Refuge to re-establish that calm and collected spirit. Being still through suffering is the process of sanctification. And it's absolutely worth it.
"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
In what ways are you self-medicating instead of Spirit-medicating? How can you practice Spirit-filled sobriety?
10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
I like what David Guzik has to say about these final passages: "Many today refuse to know what the Preacher knew. They believe that when they face God (abandoning Solomon's under the sun premise) they will in fact contend with Him, and tell God a thing or two. Such are seriously and sadly deluded."
Let us not be so infantile in our thinking that we can reason with the Lord about our lifestyle based on our own works. To put it in Solomon's words, "What is the advantage to man?" There is none. That is why, only through the work of Jesus, we are counted as worthy. If you need a reminder of Whose you are in Christ, I've pulled together this list of Scriptures below. I've prayed them over you, asking God to reveal each Truth in your own hearts, and in my own. Amen.
Love
I am God's child (John 1:12).
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15).
I have been bought at a price; I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20).
I am a saint (Ephesians 1:1).
I have been adopted as God's child through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5).
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins (Colossians 1:14).
I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10).
Security
I am free forever from condemnation (Romans 8:1-2).
I am assured that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28).
I am free from any condemning charges against me (Romans 8:33-34).
I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected (Philippians 1:6).
I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18).
Significance
I am the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14).
I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15:1, 5).
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16).
I am a personal witness of Christ and receive power through His Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
I am God's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16).
I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-20).
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12).