Ecclesiastes 1 (5)

Pray Psalm 104.24.
O LORD, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.

Read Ecclesiastes 1.14, 15.

Reflect.
1. Notice that Solomon went from “under heaven” (v. 13) to “under the sun” (v. 14). What does this imply?

2. What is he trying to say in verse 15?

Meditate.
From the beginning of his story in verses 12 and 13, Solomon here jumps to (near) the end. He began well, seeking the wisdom of God, to understand and rule according to the divine economy (“under heaven”, v. 13). His efforts paid off, and Israel became the envy of all the nations (cf. 1 Kgs. 10).

However, as we read in 1 Kings 11, Solomon got off track at some point, and he continued to veer into the path of self-indulgence apart from God, as we shall see in Ecclesiastes 2. Thus, even as successful, loved, honored, wealthy, and wise as he was, when he turned from God to the things of the flesh, nothing had any meaning or permanence for King Solomon. And nothing that he could do or fix (“crooked”, “lacking”) would have made any difference, because to him, nothing appeared to be going wrong.

Under the sun, the satisfaction men seek is always fleeting (vanity) and elusive (wind). Of course there are rewards and a certain amount of happiness, but in the end, all is weariness and leaves men still searching for something more than what this temporal, material age can provide. Or as Paul would say, people, as long as they remain strangers from God, are without hope in the world (Eph. 2.12).

Ecclesiastes is thus a book of contrasts. Solomon wants his son to think very carefully about the path of self-indulgence and self-serving he has embarked upon. He’s been there, done that, and it left him with nothing but longing for something all the pleasures and riches of this world could not provide. And that’s not where God wants us to be anyway.

Men hope to attain a certain measure of wholeness and satisfaction through temporal means and material ends; yet no one will ever be as successful as Solomon was. And still his life “under the sun” was empty.

Here is a warning also for those who confess faith in God: You may be sound in your convictions at this point, but if you do not ground yourself in the Lord and guard your way against the temptations of the world, you may end up groping for meaning and happiness at the end of your days, with no satisfaction to give peace to your soul. You can’t have it both ways: it’s either “under heaven” or “under the sun”.

Reflect.
1. Why do the things people do apart from God – make a living, enter relationships, acquire things, make a name for themselves, and so forth – not provide the deeper satisfaction they seek?

2. To the crooked man, everything he does seems straight; to the one who lacks wisdom, everything he does seems wise. Why is it so hard for unbelieving people to see the folly of their ways?

3. What is Solomon trying to say about life apart from God? About life under God’s Word?

An accurate understanding of these verses does not mean that human nature lacks anything unbecoming from God; rather, they censure our power of free choice which in itself is good and a gift bestowed by God to human nature. But as a result of indiscretion, free will inclines towards the opposite way. John Chrysostom (344-407), Homilies on Ecclesiastes 2

I want to live under the heavens throughout this day, Lord, so that I will…

Pray Psalm 104.24-30.
What works are before you today? What activities? Appointments? Chores? Commit them all to the Lord, and ask Him to be at work within you, willing and doing according to His good pleasure (Phil. 2.13).

Sing Psalm 104.24-30.
Psalm 104.24-30 (Creation: Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim)
How many are Your works, O Lord, which You have created by Your Word!
The earth and sea with creatures teem – they look to You to care and feed.
You give to them, they gather all; You hide Your face, they fail and fall.
You take their breath, they gasp and die; You send Your Spirit, they revive.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).