“There is a time to be begotten and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted;”

(Ecclesiastes 3:2)

Solomon now illustrates his point about the nature of the passage of time based on human events with a series of extremes — one event at the very beginning and one event at the very end of a season of one’s experience. And, thus, with extremes in place, everything in between is implied. And so Solomon goes on with a series of events in the cycle of life.

The initial pair that Solomon chooses is that of life and death — first in the animal world and then in the plant world. What is interesting is his choice of words. For example, while ילד (yalad), or “beget,” can refer to the birthing process, it also can be used to speak about the origins of something’s or someone’s existence. Given God’s commands to protect the life of the unborn (see Exodus 21:20-29), it seems perfectly natural for Solomon to recognize life as beginning at conception and not simply at childbirth — again, a reflection of the totality of a person’s lifespan.

This would parallel with the agricultural imagery he also uses. He does not speak about when a plant sprouts, but when the seed is planted into the ground. And, though our English Bibles sometimes imply that Solomon is paralleling planting with harvesting, a more literal translation is that when the plant is uprooted from the ground, something done at the very end of the season so that the stalks can be tilled under. Again, the fullness of the life-cycle is reflected in his couplets.

What is also interesting about Solomon’s choice of illustrations is that the timing of the first couplet varies from person to person…or perhaps I should say, from couple to couple. Children are brought about in the ordinary way all through the calendar year, but for plants, there are specified seasons in which the seed must be laid into the soil. In most areas of the world, one cannot wait until mid-summer or autumn to plant one’s crops because they will not have long enough in the ground to sprout, mature, and then bear fruit. Similarly, while people die at all times during the calendar year, the time to tear down a field and allow it to go fallow is dictated by the crop and by the climate in which you live. 

And so, while both sets of seasons are very much part of the human experience, what we have here is a pair of one season governed entirely by the experience of people and the other governed by items in the natural order. And for each there is a time and a season.

Why is it so significant for Solomon — and now for us — to explore this notion about time and its passing? The simple answer to that question is that we live within time and God governs time and the times in which we live. While some cycles are predictable (planting and harvesting, for example), there is much in life that is unpredictable (how many beautiful babies have been born into this world who were originally “surprises” to their parents). The first are things we can ordinarily control; the second are in the providence of God. And thus, the lesson for us all is to focus our energies in those areas in which we have some control and learn to trust God in those areas in which we have no control. We exist “in time;” God does all things “in His time.”

“For to a man that is good before him, he gives wisdom and knowledge and jubilation. But, to the sinner he gives the obligation to harvest and to gather to give to the one who is good before God — this is also vanity and exasperates the spirit.”

(Ecclesiastes 2:26)

Sometimes, when we read passages like this, we walk away scratching our heads. We look around the world and see that the wicked prosper and the righteous often under the boot of those who have power in society. We find the church also, often being battered about by the whims of fallen society and we wonder how is it that Solomon can write that the wicked find themselves in failure and having to serve those who are righteous.

A big part of the answer is that Solomon once again is looking at eternal things. In the end, no matter the power the wicked develop in this life, it will fall by the wayside and they will enter judgment. Yet, there is another aspect to the question, which is that Solomon is most commonly writing here about general principles, much like you find in the book of Proverbs. And so, there is a principle at work…do the wicked always end up serving the righteous on earth? No. But, in the grand scheme of things, when one looks at the events of all of history, you will often find the norm is that God causes failure in the works of the wicked and raises up those who serve him.

Of course, there is truly none “good” but God…which means that the ultimate model of this is found in Christ. And though the wicked put him to death, he raised from the dead and one day all of mankind (even the wicked) will bow at his feet and proclaim Him to be Lord to the glory of the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). And, in this case, Solomon’s final phrase does not apply to all man, but to the exasperation that the wicked feel when they are laid low before the righteous. Indeed, all of their works will be brought into total frustration.

“Is it not good for a man that he eat and that he drink and that he make known to his soul the goodness of his toil? I saw that this also was from the hand of God, for who eats and who hustles more than me?”

(Ecclesiastes 2:24-25)

Solomon shifts to a rhetorical question. He has been exploring the idea of how all of the things he labors for will pass into the hands of others and it tempted to despair in that reality — it is vanity indeed! Yet, the common sense wisdom is that eating and drinking and finding satisfaction in one’s labors is good. How does one reconcile these two ideas.

The answer is indeed, that this comes from God. Do not miss what he is proposing. Solomon is not just saying that food and drink comes from God (it does), but he is saying that the satisfaction that we find — the goodness of these things for which we labor — also comes from God. But, how does God bring that pleasure and satisfaction to us? Therein lies the great deception of the west — a deception that we Americans are prone toward.

I have to think that there was a time in his life that Solomon would have gotten along splendidly in America — work and labor to amass as much wealth as possible. Yet, as we read Ecclesiastes, Solomon is clearly beyond this stage in his growth; many (if not most) Americans are not. Because there is work to be done and money to be made, businesses are now open seven days a week. And because money isn’t the only thing that consumes us, there are also activities that take place seven days a week. 

And so, people go, go, go. Yet, God set for us a different pattern of living. In God’s economy, we would go, go, go six days a week, but when it came to the seventh, we would have the opportunity to rest. This is the pattern that God modeled for us in creation. And how did God exercise rest on the seventh day? He had already pronounced his work of creation to be “very good,” now he sets the day apart as holy — a day for his purposes. This makes the Sabbath day not only a day of worship but a day for taking satisfaction in the things that God has permitted your hands to complete.

Without that day set apart, work leads you into a rat race. Solomon understood that satisfaction comes from the hand of God and we will never truly appreciate that unless we follow God’s model of work and rest.

The final verse of this passage is translated in various ways, depending on the translation one is working with. Literally it translates: “for who eats and who hastens outside of me?” Many of our Bibles will take the term חושׁ (chush) to derive from the Akkadian word meaning “to be glad,” yet, when used elsewhere in the Hebrew text, it is translated as “to hasten” or “to hurry.” Thus, I have translated this as “to hustle” reflecting the nature of Solomon’s labors. Not only has Solomon enjoyed life more fully than any of his subjects, but he works harder (he hustles) than his subjects as well. In other words, he is saying, “Who knows this better than me?” In Solomon’s day, no one could say they did.

Yet, my concern is for our day and the desire that Christians take to heart the importance of the Sabbath as a day (a whole day!) set apart for the things of God and not for the things of man. If we pursue the things of God on the day set apart for God, then surely he will show us how to properly be satisfied in the earthly things he sets before us.

“So I turned my heart to despair over all the anxieties with which I had been anxious under the sun. For there is a man who has troubled himself with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill but a portion will be enjoyed by a man who has not toiled over it. This is also vanity and it exasperates the spirit. What then is it to a man who has had every anxiety and exertion of his heart, who is anxious under the sun? For all his days are suffering and his work is vexation. Also, in the night his heart does not rest. This too is his vanity.”

(Ecclesiastes 2:20-23)

As we have worked through this passage, I have chosen to translate the word עָמָל (amal) as “anxiety” rather than “toil” as is often done. The reason behind this is that it seems that Solomon’s focus is not just regarding the things that we might sweat and labor to accomplish, but the things that we sweat and labor to accomplish because they are a burden upon our hearts to do so. As I have often noted here before, work is not a product of the Fall (Genesis 2:15), but frustrated work and the sweat of our brow (Genesis 3:19) — that which makes us anxious over our labors. 

And so, when people inherit that which they have not worked for and for which they have no appreciation for the anxiety and toil required to create such a thing, how often do they value what they receive? How much more often do they squander their inheritance and lay it to waste. As the old saying puts it: “Easy come — easy go.” And as Solomon looks over his great empire, seeing the inevitability of this taking place, he feels a burden on his heart and realizes that if you build an empire simply for your own ends, it is vanity because it will not last.

This language anticipates the language later in this book where he speaks about enjoying the little pleasures of life — the wife of your youth, for example. We will not get ahead of ourselves, but how often, when amassing an empire, when building a business or even a reputation within a business, or while simply pursuing your goals, the simple pleasures of life and the pleasure of a rich family life is sacrificed. And, beloved, to what end? How many people have wealth and success, but in their later years are miserable because they have sacrificed far more valuable things on the altar of their vanity. Heed the wisdom of Solomon. Jesus poses the matter this way — what gains a man to win the world if he loses his soul in the process? Solomon seems to be putting it similarly in this book by asking, what gains a man to win the world if he loses the simple pleasures of life, his friends, or his family in the process? 

Take heed, beloved, of the wisdom of Solomon.

“Then I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom over foolishness as light is advantageous over darkness. The wise one has eyes in his head and the fool walks in darkness; yet, I knew also that there is one fate that befalls all of them. I spoke to my heart, ‘The fate of the fool will also befall me; so why have I been so wise?’ And I spoke to my heart, ‘This is also vanity.’”

(Ecclesiastes 2:13-15)

Light and darkness play an important role in the scriptures from beginning to end and they are often used to contrast truth from lies, God’s ways from the the Devil’s, and righteousness from sin. Here, Solomon uses the analogy to contrast a life of wisdom with a life of foolishness — they are set apart from each other as night and day are set apart from one another. And thus, the wise man has eyes in his head (he sees clearly) but the fool walks about in the darkness (he is like a blind man, stumbling through an unfamiliar room).

The thing that disturbs Solomon’s soul as he reflects on this is that in the end, both the wise man and the fool are both laid in the ground. It has often been said that death is the great equalizer — rich and poor alike, wise and foolish alike, educated and uneducated alike, the accomplished and the sluggard alike — no matter your ethnicity, the color of your skin, the bloodlines you have, no matter what you have done, death will claim you. 

So then, why has Solomon bothered being wise? Now, do not be tricked into thinking that Solomon is embracing a kind of fatalism here — one that says, ‘we are all fated to die, so why bother in this life?’ That is not consistent with the rest of the text. Solomon is posing a rhetorical question with these words…one that he has already answered in the verse that has gone before it. Why bother being wise? It is worth the bother because life in the world will be better as it is filled with light. Remember, wisdom is better than folly and walking in the light is always better than walking in darkness. 

So why then is all of this vanity? Again, as we have seen thus far, from a purely worldly perspective, everything fades and passes away. If you strive to know all human knowledge and learn to apply it well, you will indeed live a better life than that of the fool, but without a relationship with God it avails nothing on an eternal scale. Wisdom is indeed better than folly, but true wisdom begins with a fear of the Lord — without it, all human wisdom is vanity.

“Then I turned away to see wisdom and madness and foolishness because what is there for the  man who comes after the King? He does that which is already.”

(Ecclesiastes 2:12)

Once again we find Solomon turning away from one pursuit and moving on to another. And, while in modern culture, people often glory in playing the fool, in a Biblical worldview, there is little worse than you can do or be. If wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10), foolishness begins with the denial of God’s existence (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). While the wise are an honor to God and a blessing to those around them, the foolish bring shame and ruin (Proverbs 13:20). 

While it is impossible for someone truly wise to play the fool (theism and atheism are mutually exclusive notions), a characteristic of Solomon’s wisdom that we find in this book is that he is willing to explore the ideas and notions of competing worldviews. And as such, he seeks to give them a fair hearing. So, be aware that he is not trying to combine madness and foolishness with wisdom; he is exploring the contrast between the two poles.

The rabbinic writers often parallel the idea of madness with the judgment of God. Indeed, there is much to be said about this notion, for when God withdraws his grace and blessing, irrationality follows. Only the briefest survey of western society is needed to illustrate that great truth; as we have rejected God as part of education and life, people have thrown reasoned argument and logic to the wind, embracing an extreme post-modern notion that all things are relative — even the language we use to describe such things. Jeremiah speaks of the madness of the nations that are under God’s judgment (Jeremiah 25:16; 50:38; 51:7); indeed, such words could be said about America today — and even of the American church which is endorsing immorality rather than opposing it.

Solomon concludes this verse with an interesting conclusion. Essentially, he is saying, “Look folks, you try and innovate, but your king has already done all of these things.” In other words, the king with his wisdom and resources can do more than you can do; you cannot rival him. So what is there left to do? He leaves that open-ended, though the rest of the book will be leading you to the answer. Or, if we look back to Proverbs 13:20, we find ourselves a summary:

“The one who walks with the wise, he will be wise; but the companion of fools does evil.”

As we listen to the words of wise Solomon, may we become wise by learning from his wisdom.

“I bought manservants and maidservants and sons of the house; it was mine. Also, there were great herds of cattle and sheep that were mine — from everything that was before me in Jerusalem.”

(Ecclesiastes 2:7)

The purchasing of these servants indicates that these men and women are slaves. “Sons of the house” is a bit of an unusual phrase for us, but most identify that this is a reference to the children of slaves that became a part of his household. Some sources understand this not so much as the children of the slaves, but as a reference to stewards that are also purchased by Solomon as he establishes his court. The grounds for this understanding can be found in Genesis 15:3, where Eliezar, Abraham’s steward, is referred to as a “son of his house.” Either way you understand this phrase, the overall conclusion remains the same: Solomon established a court that was the awe of his world. Truly, it must not have just been the Queen of Sheba who was impressed, but the world itself (hence Solomon’s many brides…typically the results of treaties in ancient times).

You will notice the emphasis on the first person in this text…twice within this verse. Solomon declares that these things are “mine” (literally: “to me”). He is making it abundantly clear that all of these things belongs to him, that there is no rival to him in all of the land, and that the best of everything in Jerusalem was at his disposal. And many people in our world today would only dream of living in such opulence…yet, Solomon will very clearly say at the end of all of this, it is vanity.

How easily our hearts are swayed by the wealth of those around us and how often we think to ourselves, “if I just had some of that person’s wealth…” Yet, not only is that a breaking of the tenth commandment, it betrays a false assumption — that earthly wealth and resources brings happiness. They don’t. So, the real question is not what you would do with wealth if you had it, but what are you doing with the resources you do have. 

“I enlarged my works. I built for myself houses and planted for myself vineyards. I made for myself gardens and orchards. I planted in them trees that bear every fruit. I made for myself pools of water and I caused the forest drink from them as the trees sprouted.”

(Ecclesiastes 2:4-6)

Solomon was famous in his time and even today for the building projects that he laid out. While he is likely best known for the building of the Temple of his day, he spent twice as much time building his own palace. In addition, he had the a number of cities rebuilt from the ravages of war and had a series of “store cities” built for keeping his possessions. Further, there were places for his chariots and horses and he commissioned the building of a fleet of ships to acquire even more wealth and prestige for his name. That is not to mention the orchards and gardens he built outside the walls of the city (it was forbidden to plant an orchard inside Jerusalem’s walls) What Solomon did, he did big, there is no denying that.

But do you notice a theme here? The first-person is used repeatedly through this text. And in each case, he emphasizes the first person when he says repeatedly, “I made for myself…” Therein lies the problem. Solomon is speaking of building to suit his own reputation and thus his own vanities rather than building to pursue God’s glories.

Isn’t it interesting how we fall into the same trap as did Solomon? We pursue our own agendas and our own wealth rather than pursuing God’s Kingdom an this glory. And then we wonder why we are not satisfied. We labor and build, but to what end? If you are more concerned about your own status, reputation, or legacy than you are with God’s, then you need repent of your sin and reevaluate your life…simple as that. The real question is, “Will you?”

“Of laughter, I said, ‘It is senseless,’ and of joy, “What is there to do?” I surveyed my heart to restore my flesh with wine (my heart was still leading me with wisdom) and laid hold of stupidity until I saw that which is good for the sons of man — what they should do under heaven in the number of the days of their life.”

(Ecclesiastes 2:2-3)

First of all, some may be tempted to say, “What’s wrong with laughter? It’s not senseless.” No, laughter is not senseless if understood rightly. Many studies have been done that suggests people who laugh a lot are healthier and live longer than those who do not. As a pastor, I have also oftentimes used laughter to take the tension off of a difficult situation before people exploded at each other. Also, for people who have anxiety issues, my counsel has often been to “take a deep breath and smile as you let it out — laugh even.” And, often it works.

But this is not the kind of laughter of which Solomon speaks. Here he is focused on laughter for the state of laughter. The term that he uses here, שְׂחוֹק (sechoq), implies a level of derision. It is a laughter that laughs at the expense of another…and that, dear friends, is senseless.

And so he essentially goes on to ask, “What is there left to do to find joy?” He turns next to wine, to (literally) “lay hold of stupidity.” That indeed is the end of man when it comes to much drink. It matters not whether you have very little education or a great deal of it, whether you are a young man or an old one, or whether you are rich or poor. The stupidity that accompanies drunkenness is one and the same.

What I find particularly interesting about this statement is that Solomon insists that he is operating in wisdom when he experiments as he does. He wants us to know that even in the context of seeking fleshly gratification he has not left or abandoned the wisdom he had. It is a reminder to us that the whole man is always engaged in the things we do. Thus, if you have studied to gain wisdom, that wisdom is still present no matter how strongly you seek to suppress it. And for Solomon, it can be sure that his wisdom was not happy with his actions the “night before” given his likely hangover in the morning.

We live in a culture that always feels like it needs to reinvent the wheel. Parents tell their children, “Don’t do this it is a bad idea,” and children do it anyway. Not to mention breaking the Fifth Commandment, it is foolishness, for how can I build upon what someone else has learned if I need to relive their every mistake? A large part of growing in wisdom is learning to listen to those around you who have made mistakes and then to apply that counsel to similar situations in your own life. May we listen to and learn from Solomon, our guide…no…our preacher…Qoheleth.

“I spoke to my heart, ‘Come now, let us try out joy and see what is good.’ And I beheld that this was also vanity.”

(Ecclesiastes 2:1)

Solomon continues this little dialogue with himself. Note that chapter and verse divisions are artificial and external additions to the text to make passages easier to identify and find and thus easier to reference and to study, so do not draw a hard and fast line between the end of chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2. In many ways, Solomon is continuing the train of thought that began in the previous chapter.

Having explored wisdom and finds that to be folly, now he seeks out a life of pleasure and the verses that follow are once again the earthly things in which Solomon seeks to find satisfaction. We will explore each in turn, but recognize that what follows is all tied back to this initial statement.

The Targum translates the word נסה (nasah) as “to experiment,” reflecting on Solomon’s seemingly “scientific” approach to discerning how to find meaning in life. He tries this and then eliminates it, then he moves on and tries that — he experiments with such things. I have simply rendered it, “try out,” which again captures the notion of testing a hypothesis but reminds us as well that Solomon is committed to the experiment personally, not as an outside observer. All I can say is what it must have been like to dwell in Solomon’s court, we cannot tell, but I imagine from the text here, that we would all marvel and cringe at the same time. 

It also seems that the majority of the English translators prefer to translate שִׂמְחָה (simchah) as “pleasure.” Yet, the more commonly found usage of this term has to do with joy and there is a difference. Indeed, joy does have the power to create pleasure (while the reverse is not necessarily the case). In fact, this word is often used to communicate the joy we have as we worship God. 

That leaves us really with one of two ways to understand this reference. It may be seen as a stand-alone statement referring to worship for the sake of worship and being utterly disconnected the things or cares of this life. Indeed, as we have already stated, finding pleasure in eternal things is far better than finding pleasure in temporal things. At the same time, we cannot ignore or escape this temporal world — we have a mission in it to make disciples of the nations. So, just as some go too far and lose themselves in worldly pleasures, it is just as much a danger to go too far and lose yourself in eternal ones.

While the above interpretation is an acceptable option, I prefer an alternative interpretation, as I mentioned before, that views this as a kind of blanket statement that prefaces what will be said next and joins with the language in verse 15, when Solomon again addresses his heart with the conclusion that comes from seeking after joy in its various earthly forms.

And, what is Solomon’s conclusion? Well, a little later on in the chapter he will give a fuller explanation, but for now, let us summarize the answer the way he does here. It is vanity — it is empty or without any substance. And such is the discovery that every man or woman makes when they pursue the wealth of the world apart from pursing God.

“I spoke to my heart, saying, ‘Behold! I have become great and I have surpassed the wisdom of all of those who are before me in Jerusalem and my heart has observed much wisdom and knowledge.’ I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and foolishness. And I know that this too is what exasperates the spirit. For with an abundance of wisdom, there comes an abundance of grief and with an increase in knowledge comes an increase of suffering.”

(Ecclesiastes 1:16-18)

There is much to be said for the simple life. The Rabbi’s imply that Solomon relied too much on his supernatural gift of wisdom in ruling over Jerusalem rather than relying on the wisdom that comes from daily petitions in prayer. Is that not the trap that all of us tend to fall into? The more knowledge and understanding we amass, the more wisdom we are given, the more we feel as if we can live life on our own strength. Yet, God only gave a day’s worth of Manna in the wilderness and our Lord teaches us to pray for our “daily bread.” As believers, we must be a people committed to a daily reliance of the Lord’s wisdom and strength that comes through prayer and meditation upon the Word.

And so, Solomon spoke to his heart…in other words, he reflected and pondered an idea…and said, “Look, I am wiser and more knowledgeable than everyone else in Jerusalem…I have even surpassed those who have gone before me — the wise men of old — but I am still not satisfied.” He recognized that his pursued of wisdom and knowledge for the sake of wisdom and knowledge simply exasperates his spirit — it vexes his soul. Why? The answer is that our world was created by an infinite God, so there is a near-infinite body of knowledge to learn. Further, as more is discovered, we only discover how much more there is to know.

When I began seminary, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the Bible — I had been preaching as a layman for five years and I could hold my own in conversations with most of the pastors that I knew. Then, in my first semester of seminary, I was trounced in a debate with a second-year student. It was a that point, I realized that I had come to the right place for Biblical training. And so, I became like a sponge and absorbed everything that my professors could offer to me. Yet, by the end of my seminary experience, I came to terms with the reality that I had only scratched the surface. At this stage in my life, not only have I graduated from seminary, but I have spent twelve years in full-time ministry, I have taught Bible and theology on both a High School and a seminary level, and have been a conference speaker on several occasions. I have written a handful of books and have begun doctoral studies and most people look to me as an authority on that which I speak. But the more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to know and the less I feel like an “expert” (whatever that is).

If the pursuit of knowledge were an end in this life, life would be exasperating. We would be overwhelmed by the immensity of the task and the impossibility of completing said task. Most would give up in despair. That is the heart of what Solomon is getting at with these words. Yet, knowledge and wisdom are not an end in and of themselves…in fact, they are not an end at all. They are a means to an end. The end is to know God — to know Christ and Him crucified, as Paul writes to the Corinthian church. So, if your pursuit of knowledge and wisdom simply leads you into a deeper love and appreciation for Christ, then the endlessness of the task is a blessing and a joy because it reminds you that you will never in this life (or in the life hereafter) exhaust the means of knowing and loving God better. And this we ought to celebrate. Yet, if we are bound by the earthly pursuit and it points us nowhere beyond nature, then we will just become more and more aware of suffering and grief in our midst — a depressing end for those who reject God.

“I have seen all the work that is done under the sun and, behold, all is vanity and exasperates the spirit.”

(Ecclesiastes 1:14)

In another place, Solomon writes:

“The one who walks with the wise will be wise and the friend of the stupid will do evil.”

(Proverbs 13:20)

Who is wiser says the old sage? The one who learns from his own mistakes or the one who can learn from the mistakes of others? Solomon has seen the folly of his own errors and offers it to us as a great gift, worthy of our cherishing it and holding it up high. As we have noted before, this is not so much a book that espouses a kind of nihilism, but one of great hope…so long as we learn from the lessons of this ancient king who has gone before us. If we lose sight of that reality, we will miss the point of these words. The Jewish Midrash describes the reader at a crossroads with Solomon standing before him saying, “Do not take this path.” Shall we not rejoice in such counsel? 

The first portion of this verse is fairly straight-forward. Solomon, as king of Israel has the opportunity and the means to see all sorts of works done “under the sun” and to consider them vanity. But, let us also not forget the perspective of the author. As king watching the labors of his people, he is not unlike a man watching the labors or a colony of bees constructing a hive. The bees come and go, assembling the hive and then filling its combs with honey, only to have the honey extracted by an animal or man. And, if we take that at face value, it is a vain labor. Yet, from another perspective entirely, this is what God has designed bees to do and their labors not only are such that they preserve the colony, but they also provide enduring food for man and beast alike (and indeed, who does not cherish the sweetness of the honey!).

Now, apply this to the labors of men. If men just labor to labor, it is meaningless. Yet, if this is what a man were designed to do (we would word this, “what he was called to do” — vocation) and his labors provide food and shelter for his family, then are his labors truly meaningless? Indeed, not. There was a point in seminary, to provide for my wife and newborn son at home, I worked five part-time jobs while carrying a full-time course load. It was not always pleasant and most of the jobs I was working were menial labor — I turned rugs in an oriental rug store and mowed lawns, for example, neither of which required much brainpower. And, at times, I was tempted to be discouraged. At the same time, I had a wife and child that were relying on me to put food on the table, pay the rent, and keep the electric bill paid.

Meaning is found in the reason that hard work is engaged it — to fulfill your calling, to provide for your family, to minister to others, etc… Have you ever considered what a great ministry your trash collector provides to you and to your family? Often they get looked down on by society because they have a dirty job. But, where would we be without them? While I suppose that those of us who live in the countryside would simply burn our trash, what of those who live in the cities? This may seem an empty job, done thanklessly week in and week out, but is it not a job for which we are grateful? This is the distinction we must make and is the question of perspective that we must have as we read these verses.

There is a little debate as to how to translate the final clause to this verse. The Hebrew word רוּחַ (ruach) can either mean “spirit” or “wind” depending on the context. Most of the time, our English translations parallel this passage with Hosea 12:1 and thus speak about “striving after the wind…” In other words, even if you could catch the wind, it is intangible, so you could not grab ahold of it — it is vanity. Instead, I prefer to render this as “soul” along with some of the Rabbinic interpreters. The overall implication is the same — work for the sake of work does nothing but exasperate the soul of man — it is vanity. Yet, the use of the idea of “soul” here over “wind” preserves the heart of Solomon’s wisdom, that indeed, if you work only for the sake of work, you do nothing to feed your soul. But if your work has meaning and purpose, then your soul will be satisfied in your labors. 

Paul the Apostle will write:

“And when you do all things, in word or in action, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

(Colossians 3:17)

Here is the heart of the doctrine of vocation. If we do all things (great and small, important and mundane) to the glory of Christ, they will not be vanity. We were created for good works (Ephesians 2:10), let us glorify God with them and in them.

“What has been is what will be. And what has been done, it will be done. There is nothing all new under the sun. There is a word that says, ‘See this! It is new!’ But it has already been forever. It is what has been before us. There is no mention of the first things. Also, of the last things there will be no mention of amongst that which is at the end.”

(Ecclesiastes 1:9-11)

Indeed, there is nothing new under the sun. This is one of the most powerful pieces of wisdom that is uttered in this book. How often we look around us and say, “this generation is rebelling against God!” And, while indeed that is true, it has been true of every generation throughout the history of mankind. As a pastor, it is easy to lament that people aren’t reading their Bibles as much as they ought to be or that they are not attending church as faithfully as they should be, but is this a new conundrum? One of the things that I appreciate about reading theologians from ages past is that they complain about the same kinds of things as we do. J.C. Ryle, for example, complained that in the age of technology people had grown Biblically illiterate — how true that is of our age. Yet, Ryle was writing this 150 years ago.

One might tend to find that discouraging — we have not made much headway in reforming the corporate soul of man over the past 150 years or more, and perhaps that is so. But I take it as a word of encouragement that the problems I face within my own congregation are not new and unique to me, but they have been engaged by ministers in every generation that has gone before me. And, if the problem is much the same, and the nature of man’s sinful heart is much the same, the solution, too, needs be much the same. And the phrase, “there is nothing new under the sun,” reminds me that I need not invent a solution that is unique to my day and time, but must faithfully labor with the Truth as my forebears did.

Our problem as church leaders is that we are often poor historians and we do not know the solutions with which our forebears labored. Every time a new challenge raises its ugly head or a new heresy raises itself up in the church a slew of new books get written to address said matters. And while I do not object to new books, I often say to myself, “Wasn’t this heresy addressed in the Council of Nicea or by Irenaeus or another?” In most cases, the heresies have been refuted for more than a thousand years, but they keep on raising their heads because we don pay attention to the words of those who have come before us. How often there is no mention of first things. As others before me have written, “We must drink from the fountainhead if we are to nourish our souls and reform our lives.”

So, yes, we will face challenges due to sin in our lives and sin in the life of our society. And, as technology advances, it will be used to promote and facilitate the sin of man’s heart. But be encouraged, there is nothing new under the sun. The Gospel is still as relevant today as it has ever been and the word of God will still cut men’s souls to the quick. And the faithfulness of a man shepherding God’s flock is still measured not by attendance but by his faithfulness to the Word of God — despite what some “church growth” mentors might happen to say. Church worship is not a gimmick, it is the place where God’s people gather together to draw near to God in accordance to His Word. Anything apart from that or in addition to that becomes a show. So, be of good cheer weary pastor or weary Christian, Christ has overcome this world where there is nothing new “under the sun.”

“A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever. The sun rises and the sun comes, but to the place from which it rises it presses on there. It goes to the south and again around to the north, around and around the wind goes, overall its surroundings the wind returns. Every river goes to the sea but the sea is not full. To the place from which the river goes, to there they return. All words are wearisome and a man is not able to speak them; the eye is not satisfied with seeing and the ear cannot be filled by hearing.”

(Ecclesiastes 1:4-8)

How often we simply read words like this with a tone of despair — a kind of fatalism wherein all things are futility. Yet, to do so would be to miss what it is that Solomon is addressing to us. Essentially, these words are an expansion of verse 3: earthly things done for earthly reasons, it is that they avail you nothing. But, if you are using these earthly things to store up treasure for yourself in heaven, then we are talking about an entirely different conversation.

What you have here is a mention of cycles. One generation goes (as a pastor, I officiate far more funerals than I would like to!) but with the departure of one generation comes another (in most years of my ministry, I have been privileged to conduct more baptisms than funerals!). And so, in the cycle there is a continuation in which we can find joy and hope. The sun rises and it sets (with amazing regularity!). And so, even though one day is ending, there is yet a new day on the horizon and perhaps we will be able to accomplish in that day those things that were not accomplished in this one. The wind blows with amazing irregularity (see how Jesus applies this idea in John 3:8), but it blows consistently. The water rushes to the sea in the streams and rivers, but then evaporates into the air and is deposited back on the mountaintops through rain and snow.

If one looks at these elements in nature and in life as a burden, then these words of Solomon will seem dreadful…yes, another day, another year, another season, etc… Yet, if we see them as resources in which to be used for the glory of God, they are something to be celebrated. I heard a preacher once say that “Sundays come around with amazing regularity.” So, preacher — pastor — church member, if Sunday morning worship is something you do as a matter of duty, yes, what a drag that can be. But if Sunday is a day of worship and rest from your weariness, what a wonderful thing it is! So, friends, for you, which is it?

Verse 8 is often treated as a new paragraph, but it really continues the thought of those verses before it. We are people who live by words. We use language not only to communicate with others, but even our thoughts are constructed with words and phrases. And once again, we cannot speak all of the words that run through our lives, and if you leave that idea there, you will be dragged down into despair. But if you realize that all our words (thought or spoken) are an offering to God as a sacrifice of praise, then is it not wonderful that we are so filled with such words that we cannot get them all out? Like the cycle of the water, our words flow from us in an unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and still more come to us as we are so led by the Holy Spirit to pray (Romans 8:26) and there is no end to the communion we have with our great maker.

We must recognize that we also use our words with one another and that the words of others can weary us at times. Sometimes we think, “Oh, if I could just have a moment of peace and silence from the endless complaining of the people around me!” Yet, when people find themselves stranded alone and without people to talk to, or they find themselves placed in solitary confinement in a prison, people tend to go mad. How indeed we desperately need the words of others and even the wearying ones are a blessing from God when you realize the damage that comes from being deprived of them.

Finally, there is the language of the ear and the eye and them not being filled with that they hear or see. Again, this is sometimes seen as a negative statement, but truly it is not. And this is the problem with scientific empiricism, which states that the only things you can know are those things that can be plainly demonstrated to the senses. This, friends, could not be further from the truth because we need our reason and our language to describe those things we see and hear. Furthermore, God has made us in his image, so when we observe something take place with our senses, we are compelled to think about those events and draw conclusions about them (the basis of scientific inquiry!). And again, this is a truly wonderful thing to do and experience. Sadly, oftentimes learning is restricted to a classroom, but how much more meaningful learning is when it is discovered! Discovery happens because the eye or the ear is not satisfied with a simple observation without conclusions.

In the end, though, this more optimistic mindset only makes sense if there is an overarching meaning and purpose to life — a purpose that is drawn from something that is eternal. So the resources of the natural world are meaningless if your only end is to serve yourself (because you, too, will die). But they are of great meaning if you are using them to glorify God and build his Kingdom. In the same way, words can weigh us down — countless study can be a burden to our souls — but endless study of God’s word when one realizes that this word draws us closer to God and teaches us more about the God we adore, that is a refreshing promise indeed! I have often told my children that in any job — any vocation — there will be things you dread. But you do those things you don’t like so that you can do the things you are most passionate about. If the spiritual things of life (prayer, Bible study, Christian worship, etc…), then no matter how mundane and dull your vocational responsibilities, if they enable you to do the spiritual things, then purpose can be found even in these matters. Even as a pastor, one can easily fall into a trap. For me, the teaching and preaching aspects of the ministry are the things for which I live — conflict counseling, administrative tasks, etc… not so much. But if you recognize that these “things that go with the territory as a pastor” are tools to enable you to  better preach and teach due to the relationships they build, then meaning is found, not dread. This principle applies to all of our lives, regardless of our vocation.