In my journey through God's Word, I've landed on the Book of Ecclesiastes. I have to admit, I never read it in its entirety before. I am very familiar with chapter 3. I've used it often and quoted it many, many times...but that's the extent of my knowledge of this book...and I have to say, now that I'm almost finished reading it...I find it extremely intriguing.
It is not at all what I expected it to be. I am not sure what I expected it to be, frankly, but whatever my imagination did not know how to imagine, is not that.
Bible scholar, Jon Courson says in his commentary, "the Book of Ecclesiastes is actually a journal of Solomon's journey into carnality." I would like to add, it records Solomon's journey from wisdom to foolishness as well.
I think Ecclesiastes was the place where we see, through King Solomon's experiences and misguided contemplations, how meaningless it is to place our focus, our efforts, our aim on the things under the sun. Everything under the sun evaporates...we, ourselves are nothing more than a thin vapor that dissipates in an instant. This is what King Solomon keeps reflecting upon. And these thoughts make him sound really depressed...and such estate of being can easily transfer to the reader. The key is, however, to remember, that it is all about perspective.
For example, let's look at a verse that perplexed me when I first read it:
A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything. (10:19)
Is Solomon saying that we are to party, drink wine and find the answer for everything in money? When taken out of context, well...yes. But the thing is, Solomon is giving us the perspective of what life is like when our emphasis and focus is completely worldly-oriented. When our eyes are fixed on the things under the sun...well...there isn't much else than to try to please your carnal instincts and mortal desires. That's all that life has to offer when our sight is on this world. There's nothing else. (For more illustrations, look at what's happening to our society today, right?)
As children of God, however, our eyes must be fixed on eternity. Our sight must be on the One who opened up the gateway to Heaven: Jesus. Life without Him is a vapor. Life without Jesus is meaningless. Life without Jesus only leaves the material...the perishable...the things that decay. And after all that has evaporated like the foam of the sea...there's nothing but total and complete emptiness.
Life focused on the things of this world is the life of a fool.
I believe that's the perspective Solomon is offering in Ecclesiastes: the carnal point of view, like Courson suggests.
For all his wisdom, Solomon made tons of mistakes in life. He ended up being a pretty big fool. But, perhaps, Ecclesiastes in a way, is the book that contains his reflections on those mistakes, as a warning to us not to do the same. So, today, I pray the Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom to recognize when we are being fools and gently, but promptly brings us back to the path that takes us to the One who makes all things new. In Jesus Precious Name. Amen!
