Morning Devotion - Eccl 2

Read Ecclesiastes 2

The book of Ecclesiastes has an introduction and a conclusion, both of which include the motto of the book. That motto - very loosely translated - says something like this:

"Fleeting, fleeting, all is fleeting!" says the one calling us to gather in God's presence - the Assembler of God's Assembly.

The body of the book is made up of three cycles, each with an introduction on futility. The cycles grow in complexity from the first to the third, but each of them has a gem at the center that contains something very important for us to learn as we honestly face the challenge of the human condition in the presence of the Almighty.

At the center of the first cycle is chapter 2, an extended testimony of Qoheleth, translated "the Preacher" in the ESV, which I have translated with a much longer phrase! The Hebrew word is related to the word for the covenant assembly of God's people. Who is this gatherer of the gathered church of God? Who is this Assembler of God's Assembly? Ecclesiastes 2 seems to be something of his account of his own pursuits. He has already identified himself as the son of David, king in Jerusalem. He has also said, "I have been king over Israel in Jerusalem." Together with his account of his great wealth, wisdom, and women, it seems fair to see this man as Solomon, as most people have assumed.

Here, King Solomon, presumably after many years of consideration (12:1-7), tells us about his pursuits. He has gone after pleasure, great projects, and abounding possessions. He did what few can do. Whatever his eyes desired his hands acquired. What did he find?

Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

He also considered the matters of wisdom, madness, and folly. While he concluded that wisdom was clearly better than folly, yet he was troubled by the fact that the same event happens to both the wise man and the fool - his death (2:13-14). The result of his exploration of wisdom was a deep grief that caused him to "despair" about what he confessed to be the "great evil" of human futility because of the great reality of death. He says:

Ecclesiastes 2:17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

But he also made this assessment from his own life - words that are more positive, while retaining the assessment of realistic truth of the mortality of man:

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

The importance of the testimony of this one man is that here we have one who had it all. We delude ourselves into thinking that our happiness or sense of purpose or meaning is just beyond our reach because of the constraint of resources. If we had a little bit more - more money, more and/or better relationships, more wisdom or intelligence or connections, then everything would fall into place. All would be well. Ecclesiastes 2 shows us that this is a false way of thinking. Even the life of a very wise and powerful man will run into the wall of death.

There is One Man who came from the place of wisdom and power, who in love consented to live under the sun, who denied himself for the greatest purpose. This great man has given himself for you, and is no loser. He ran into the wall of death to defeat it for you. In his death and resurrection we find life. Believing in him does not change the truth of Solomon's observations (both positive and negative). Nonetheless, something of the sting is gone for the one who believes.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.