[Ecc 2:12-26] From the Hand of God(Lim)

John C Lim

Ecclesiastes 2:12-26 

12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
       and also madness and folly.
       What more can the king's successor do
       than what has already been done?

 13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,
       just as light is better than darkness.

 14 The wise man has eyes in his head,
       while the fool walks in the darkness;
       but I came to realize
       that the same fate overtakes them both.

 15 Then I thought in my heart,
       "The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
       What then do I gain by being wise?"
       I said in my heart,
       "This too is meaningless."

 16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
       in days to come both will be forgotten.
       Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Solomon started with a great zeal to find some kind of meaning and satisfaction in all the wonderful endeavors in life.  He sought worthy construction projects to bring him sense of accomplishment and accumulated all kinds of wealth to satiate his hunger for prosperity.  He also sought pleasure through harem full of women.  But he came to a conclusion that nothing was gained under the sun and that everything was a meaningless, merely a chasing after the wind.

As he came to this conclusion while still retaining his insights and wisdom which came from God, he reflected in deep thought.  The more he thought about all that he accomplished and gained throughout his life to this point, more he realized how futile and empty all that he achieved truly were.  Now, he is looking at his life from an outsider’s view or from a detached perspective.  Look at verse 12.

Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly.   What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done?

Solomon accomplished and achieved so much because of his extraordinary gifts and blessings from God.  He thought about all these things and saw that the one who will follow couldn’t do a whole lot more.  It is not boasting but resignation of how meaningless life is.  He sees limitation of man in pursuit of dreams and goals.  Presumably, the successor will come along to put his mark while he reigns as king and go at it with all that he can muster.  And in the end, what has he done that is so different from what Solomon has already achieved?  Solomon would conclude that it wouldn’t be all that different.  So as he bounces these thoughts in his mind, he is becoming more distraught. 

While he thought with his keen wisdom, he comes to a deeper revelation.  Look at verses 13-14.

I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness.  The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. 

Because of his keen intellect and philosophical musings, he is able to ponder consequences of wisdom and folly.  He concludes that indeed wisdom is preferable to folly but he also goes one step further and observes that in the end both wisdom and folly come to the same fate. 

He spent his lifetime engaging in both productive and some not so productive pursuits.  In a sense he has acted both wisely and foolishly.  As he looked back at his own life, he could have mentioned many proud moments where he was led by his wisdom and embarrassing moments where he was led by his own folly. But in the end, regardless of the paths chosen, all roads lead to the same fate.

As we continue to live in this world, we strive to find meaning in life through worthy vocational goals and honorable pursuit of various kinds.  And most certainly, these pursuits are what drive people to succeed in life, however we define success.  As the years go by, we accomplish our goals and are filled with sense of pride for what we’ve been able to do.  We look back and can recount to those who would lend their ears what hardships and what obstacles we were able to overcome to achieve all these notable milestones.  Then, there are those who lived rather foolishly throughout their lives pursuing mere pleasures of flesh in life.  Yet, in the end, they all come to the same fate.  And we can almost see Solomon shaking his head in disbelief thinking how sad that is.  Look at verses 15-16.     

Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also.  What then do I gain by being wise?"  I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless."  For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten.  Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

When we look at life in general, we know what Solomon is saying here.  Every day through the media, we are reminded of those famous people of yesterday who are no longer with us as their deaths make the headline news.  For a brief moment, we remember those famous athletes, actors and politicians who once wielded tremendous influence over our world.  But one by one they are gone from our world. Solomon realized that whether a person is wise or foolish, death comes to both in the end.  And he laments how being wise doesn’t change the fact that all must face death.  And he also notes both wise and foolish will not be remembered as time passes.  Other than perhaps very few famous people in our world, we don’t continually remember those who have died.  Those people drew much attention and fame but after their deaths, we slowly begin to not remember them.  And eventually, those people are forgotten from our memory.  If we were to ask younger generation of some well known people of our generation, we would probably get a blank look in their response.  They would wonder who those people are.  And so the memory fades from generation to generation. 

Whether we accomplish a great deal or not, in the end we all must die.  The wise as well as the fool comes to common destiny known as death.  Such is the reality of life here on earth.  Who can refute this?  Can we argue that this is not so?  As we look around us, this observation is true. On any given day, people die and funeral homes are kept busy with people coming in and people going out.  Though Solomon lived foolishly at certain times in his life, he came to his senses towards the end of his life.  But as he evaluated his own life, he realized that he too must face the same fate of death.    He concludes, “This too is meaningless.”  So far, Solomon is painting a gloomy picture of life in general.  This is coming from someone who had everything a man could possibly dream of.  Look at verses 17-18. 

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.

He reiterates the futility of all that he had accomplished and achieved.  As he approached the sunset of his life, he realizes that he doesn’t have any control over what happens once he is gone.  It is as if he worked all his life and now must leave everything to someone else who likely operates on different set of values and principles.  There is no continuity from generation to generation as we are unique in our own ways from someone else.  So, Solomon confesses that he hated life as all of it is meaningless.  What is the purpose and what do we really gain?  All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind, Solomon says. 

As we age in life, the very words of Solomon ring truer than ever before.  The things that brought much satisfaction start to subside slowly but surely.  We begin to ask life’s more perplexing questions and find that there are no satisfying answers.  Indeed life is a journey and a brief one at that when we really think about it.  For some, we have less than half or quarter left in our constantly burning candle of life.  With that precious time here on earth dwindling down day by day, we may conclude as Solomon did that we hate life.  Let’s go on and look further what Solomon says in verses 19.

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.

Solomon continues with his stark observation of not having any control over what happens in the future.  We can relate to this as we more than ever can attest to current economic meltdown in our world today.  Who would have thought that greatest economic engine of the world would sputter and cough?  From those would prey upon the ignorant but greedy to unsuspecting naïve dreamers, we have seen the wealth of the nation melt away in very short time.  For some who worked all their lives to save for future retirement saw their wealth evaporate in short time.  It seems nothing is guaranteed.  We’ve seen people who lost everything become so distraught that they would commit suicide as if that solves their current problem not realizing that they are merely escaping their present predicament but sadly leaving behind trail of misery for their loved ones who must live with consequences for the rest of their lives. 

And Solomon continues to share what is in his heart that troubles him deeply in verses 20-21.

So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun.  For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.

What is unique about Solomon is that he is able to make an assessment of his life and what he observed from life.  His sharp mind allows him to evaluate and assess life’s perplexing issues and draw some conclusions whereas others may live and die without much reflection.  Because Solomon has been to the top, we can give him our undivided attention to hear what he has to say.  Solomon states that his heart began to despair.  When heart begins to despair, life is no longer fun or exciting.  Dark cloud hangs over our head when we begin to despair.  We even cast that dark cloud over those we come in contact with as well.  This is not healthy but troubled heart begins to weigh down everything we do.  And Solomon experienced this in his own life.   

Solomon observes further that the fact he has to leave behind all he owns to someone who never worked for it is meaningless in the end.  I’ve heard many stories of people who would share how their family fortune has been washed away because of a foolish member of the family who made a poor decision at a critical time and caused misfortune for the entire clan.  Then, there is a story of a woman who in times of economic hardship burned her family’s heirloom books to heat the house, not realizing she had burned through the family heritage and fortune.  But if we were to share tell Solomon these accounts, he would probably nod in agreement how foolish those people were but then add that such events in the end are all meaningless.  We might even ask Solomon what he means.  We would claim those books and the wealth represent our family’s heritage and our hard work.  But still, he would insist in the end it is all meaningless. 

Unless we are able to step back and filter our life through the Solomon’s conclusion that all is meaningless, momentary setbacks in life can cause some real despair for us.  If we were to define our life based on worldly values, we may even become depressed when we don’t have much to show for our effort.  But if we are able to see what life is all about from Solomon’s perspective, we would not fall into that trap of despair.  Instead we are able to see what is truly important in life and it is not about things.  So, we must be willing to listen to what Solomon has to say more carefully.  Look at verses 22-23.

What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun?  All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

 

Solomon asks what we would gain from all the toil and anxious striving with all that we labor under the sun.  Aren’t our days filled with pain and grief when we truly think about it?  We’ve been working since our younger days, mowing neighbor’s yard here and there for a few dollars and babysitting neighbor’s kids for some spending money.  As we grew up, we worked at fast food places and cleaned tables at a restaurant paying into social security.  As we finished our school, we found work to support our families and find modicum of happiness and satisfaction.  In our spare time, our mind doesn’t stop but is filled with anxieties especially now, not knowing whether we would have jobs 6 months from now or 2 years from now.  Our body aches as days go by and we start to show signs of aging from naturally occurring side effects of aging to more insidious and sinister diseases with devastating impact in some cases.  At a moment’s notice, our security can be yanked from under us and we are left with nothing basically.  But Solomon concludes that all this too is meaningless.  And finally, he offers us a gem in the verses 24-25. 

 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

The answer is in the simplicity of life in God.  From the days of Creation in Genesis, we were to subdue the earth, meaning we are to work.  Obviously with the Fall of Adam, our toil has become more challenging as thorns and thistles abound but the fact remains we are to work for our living.  Indeed the work is hard and incessant.  We cannot eat without working unless we have millionaire parents who are willing to give us a great deal of wealth where we may not have to work at all. In most cases, we work to support ourselves and our families.  There is nothing inherently shameful about that.  We overcome challenges at work places and muscle aches so that we can support ourselves and our families.  Work is noble no matter what that work is as long as it is not unethical, illegal or immoral.  All work is God sanctioned that we might provide for our loved ones with dignity and honor.  From this work, Solomon observes that we can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in our work.

After hard day’s work, we come home to eat and drink.  We draw such satisfaction knowing that we’ve done our best for the day.  We find satisfaction from a day’s demand and challenges.  We battled valiantly to put food on the table and taste the fruit of our labor when we sit around the table with our loving family. 

And Solomon says that this too he sees is from the hand of God and that without him, he asks who can eat or find enjoyment?   This is the key to understanding Solomon’s gem of wisdom here.  God is the one who grants us measure of enjoyment from our lives here on earth.  Without God’s presence in our lives, we can never fully find happiness and satisfaction.  Everything we have comes from God including our vocation and our family.  After a hard day’s work, we come home and as we look around the table and see our children and our spouse, we are filled with gratitude.  Although we came into this world naked, by the grace of God, we’ve come to this point where we are surrounded by people who care, love and accept us as we are.  As we break bread together and share our day’s triumphs and defeats, we laugh and cry together praising God for His goodness in our lives.  So, we eat and drink around the table while giving thanks to God who gives us all things.  We may not have steak and lobster every dinner but over our simple meal, we can hear laughter and encouragement from one another while we renew our bond as a family to continue this journey with sense of happiness and satisfaction. 

Every second that we have in this life is a gift from God.  When our hearts are filled with joy and gladness that come from God, our work and our toil in this life seem surmountable with strength and courage that God gives us through our loved ones.  As time goes by, every meal and every breath we take seem more precious and satisfying than ever.  This has been my observation thus far.  Time seems to run away from us faster and faster and yet each moment of happiness seems to flee us more quickly.  Our days are numbered and we are racing to the end of life.  While our days are numbered, we can still draw great satisfaction and happiness from our life which God has given us.  Look at verses 26-27.

To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.  This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Solomon claims that God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness to the man who pleases him.  Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon juxtaposes contrasting opposites from wise to foolish and wisdom to folly.  Today, there are people in this world who seem to have everything from great wealth to fame but if they do not belong to the camp of those who please God, they are living life that is devoid of happiness.  Even if we don’t have much but we belong to those who please God, we are living life of wisdom, knowledge and happiness. 

Happiness in life does not necessarily result from abundance of wealth.  We see many people whose lives couldn’t be more abundant in terms of wealth and fame yet they die of overdose and other self-destructive behaviors.  How do you explain such things?  Obviously it was not because of lack of wealth.  The question we must ask is whether our life includes God’s presence or not.  Everything in life from health to wealth can be taken away from us in an instant.  Nothing is eternal except the love of God shown to us through Jesus Christ.  The most important truth of the matter is whether we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ or not.  Without love of God manifested through Jesus Christ, we have nothing.  All the wealth in the world will not bring us true happiness if we do not have Jesus Christ.  There were many believers who perished during the great persecutions in the early days of Christianity.  They had neither wealth nor fame and perished in anonymity but our Heavenly Father knows them all and remembers them all.  Many believers in the past have died in abject poverty and in sickness while they still clung to their Savior, Jesus Christ in their dying moments.  They may not have enjoyed what we consider good life but they had something far more valuable than all the millionaires in the world did not have.  They believed in Jesus Christ and acknowledged their need for Jesus. 

As we continue to look at the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon provides us with words of encouragement in this rough journey in life here on earth.  Today, our hearts might be filled with sorrow as we look at our own difficult circumstances but we are reminded from Solomon that in the end, it is not about how much we have but how we find meaning and satisfaction through God.  Security we find based on possessions and accomplishments is ultimately meaningless, Solomon would remind us.  If we acknowledge God’s hand in our lives and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we no longer find meaning in things but in our relationship with God through Christ.  Others may evaluate our life based on worldly values but that is not how our life will be judged by God.  When our life comes to an end someday and when we are able to look back, we want to be able to say that in our brief time here on earth, we came to realize what a terrible sinners we were and accepted God’s unconditional love through Jesus Christ.  We may believe that whatever we’ve achieved is a big deal but Solomon would remind us even that is meaningless. Everything is meaningless when God is not included in our lives.   

Let us repent humbly of our worldly views of good life and renew our absolute trust in His love shown us through Jesus Christ.  Let us remind ourselves that though we may have nothing of value here on earth, if we have Jesus Christ, we indeed have everything for we can take nothing out of this life when we depart it.  While we have life on earth, let us enjoy the lot God has given us.  Let us work hard in our field of vocation that God has called us to and draw satisfaction from our work.  And let us derive much happiness from our family that God has given us in our numbered days here on earth.  Happiness in life is not in abundance of things but in small things as our hearts are filled with gratitude for each and every precious moment God has given us.