EW Commentary - Eccl. 2:12-26
B. The certainty and cruelty of death.
1. (2:12-17) Death makes equal the wise and the fool.
12 So I turned to consider wisdom, insanity, and foolishness; for what will the man do who will come after the king, except what has already been done? 13 Then I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness. 14 The wise person's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one and the same fate happens to both of them. 15 Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is futility." 16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will soon be forgotten. And how the wise and the fool alike die! 17 So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
a. I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly: The Preacher continued to search after meaning and life, and followed the lines of wisdom and madness and folly further, unto their ending point.
b. For what can the man do who succeeds the king: Solomon here spoke of himself as the son of David (Ecclesiastes 1:1); yet he also spoke of his own successor (who turned out to be Rehoboam, 1 Kings 11:43). Of both, Solomon understood that the new king can do only what he has already done. Even for a king, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
c. Wisdom excels folly... Yet I myself perceived that the same event happens to them all: The Preacher saw the meaninglessness of even wise living, pleasure, and accomplishment in a life lived under the sun - apart from the knowledge that eternity is real and God matters.
i. No matter how wise one is or is not; how much they do or do not accomplish; or how much pleasure one has or does not have, the same event happens to them all: they all die. Given the Preacher's premise - that eternity and God do not matter - this is the only possible conclusion.
ii. "Everything may tell us that wisdom is not on a par with folly, not goodness with evil; but no matter: if death is the end of the road, the contention that there is nothing to choose between them will get the last word." (Kidner)
d. As it happens to the fool, it also happens to me, and why was I then more wise: If death ends it all, then this life is robbed of true meaning. Even the good and great accomplishments of this world are unbelievably temporary, and therefore ultimately meaningless. The wise man dies just as the fool. Truly, the Preacher looked at this and said, "This also is vanity."
e. Therefore I hated life... for all is vanity and grasping for the wind: Given his premise of life under the sun, Solomon hated life because it was so meaningless (vanity and grasping for the wind).
i. Adam Clarke says that life is more literally lives. "The lives, both of the wise, the madman, and the fool. Also all the stages of life, the child, the man, and the sage. There was nothing in it worth pursuing, no period worth re-living and no hope that if this were possible I could again be more successful."
ii. Therefore I hated life: "If there is a lie at the centre of existence, and nonsense at the end of it, who has the heart to make anything of it?" (Kidner)
iii. "He has no illusions, though by rights it is we who should have none - we who have heard from the secularists themselves that our very planet is dying." (Kidner)
2. (2:18-23) Death defeats all accomplishments.
18 So I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is futility. 20 Therefore I completely despaired over all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun. 21 When there is a person who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then gives his legacy to one who has not labored for it; this too is futility and a great evil. 22 For what does a person get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 Because all his days his activity is painful and irritating; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is futility.
a. Then I hated all my labor... because I must leave it to a man who will come after me: Not only did Solomon hate life under this thinking (Ecclesiastes 2:17), he also hated his very accomplishments, saying of them, "This also is vanity."
i. The idea that Solomon might leave all his work and material wealth to a fool seemed to trouble him. This concern was well founded, because after Solomon's death, Rehoboam turned out to be a fool in many ways (1 Kings 12, 1 Kings 14:21-31).
ii. "Alas! Solomon, the wisest of all men, made the worst use of his wisdom, had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, and yet left but one son behind him, to possess his estates and his throne, and that one was the silliest of fools!" (Clarke)
b. There is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it: Under his premise, death haunted Solomon. Not in the sense that he seemed afraid to die, but he despaired of how death (if that ends existence) makes all meaningless.
i. I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun: "The only conclusion is that it is all useless. An abyss of despair results. He 'allowed [his] heart to despair' (as the Hebrew verb may be translated). This is one of the most moving points of the Old Testament, the antithesis of the New Testament's 'not in vain in the Lord' (1 Corinthians 15:58)." (Eaton)
c. All his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest: If death robs our work of meaning, then life is indeed sorrowful, work is burdensome, and there is no rest or relief from the despair of a meaningless life. Surely, this also is vanity.
i. Actually, it's worse than vanity. The Preacher also observed that in an under the sun world, this is a great evil.
ii. The Preacher hints at a vital question: why does this bother us so? If this is indeed man's lot and always has been; if every thought of an eternal meaning to life is a wish and a fantasy, then why does that idea cause discontent in most everyone? Man may wish he could fly like a bird, but there is little sense of meaninglessness in the heart of a man or woman because they cannot fly like a bird. This is because man was not designed to fly like a bird; but he is designed for eternity.
iii. "Incidentally, this bitter reaction is a witness to our ability to stand clear of our condition and to weigh it up. To be outraged at what is universal and unavoidable suggests something of a divine discontentment, and hint of what the great saying in 3:11 will call 'eternity' in man's mind." (Kidner)
C. How to live life "under the sun."
1. (2:24-25) Keeping a good attitude despite despair.
24 There is nothing better for a person than to eat and drink, and show himself some good in his trouble. This too I have seen, that it is from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?
a. Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink: This thought is prominent in Ecclesiastes, being repeated some five times. It seems that the Preacher advised us how to make the best of a bad situation. If life really is as despairing and meaningless as he has shown it to be, then we should simply accept that true meaning is impossible to find, and simply find contentment in moderate and responsible pleasures.
i. This thinking is prominent in our day. Few people live for true, eternal meaning in their life; so they live with under the sun rules. They try to work hard, to enjoy life, to have fun, to be nice, to not get caught doing wrong, and they try not to hurt anybody.
ii. This thinking may work in making a bad situation better; but it gives no true meaning to life in light of eternity.
iii. "This may seem to savor of epicurism, as may also some following passages of this book. For which cause some of the old Jew doctors were once in a mind to hide this whole book out of the way, and not suffer the common sort to see it any more." (Trapp)
b. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God: We again see that the Preacher is no atheist; he certainly believes in God. But the God of the Preacher is not the God who matters and gives meaning to life as it is connected to eternity. The God of the Preacher simply teaches us to make the best of a bad situation.
i. "Everything is vanity. To live under the sun is to decide at last that the natural thing to do is to take what comes. Materialism necessarily becomes fatalism." (Morgan)
c. For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I: Given the Preacher's premise, his life should be the best in a meaningless world. He could enjoy this world of despair better than anyone else. Yet his life was almost infinitely poorer than the most humble life lived with true meaning.
2. (2:26) Perhaps the seeming injustice of this world may work to one's favor.
26 For to a person who is good in His sight, He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God's sight. This too is futility and striving after wind.
a. God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good: Solomon reflected on how sometimes it seems that what the sinner has gathered and collected is given to him who is good before God. This might seem unjust, but even under the sun, sometimes injustice seems to work in one's favor.
i. "The fact that in the end the sinner's hoard will go to the righteous is only a crowning irony to what was in any case vanity and a striving after the wind." (Kidner)
b. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind: The Preacher knew that his seeming redistribution from God's hand was not enough to give true meaning to life lived under the sun.
Eccl. 2:18-23 - R. N. Donovan Exegesis
CONTEXT: The book that we know as Ecclesiastes is known in the Hebrew Scriptures as Qoheleth (sometimes spelled Qohelet or Koheleth).
The first verse ascribes authorship to Qoheleth, "the son of David"-leading many to presume that he is Solomon, who wrote the preceding book, Proverbs. Ecclesiastes, like Proverbs, is classified as a Wisdom book. Although the book is traditionally ascribed to Solomon, it appears to have been written later than Solomon's time-after Aramaic became the common language-"sometime after the sixth century BC" (Horne, 374). There are several reasons to question Solomonic authorship (Longman, 4-9).
The word Ecclesiastes is derived from the Greek word, ekklesia. The Hebrew word, Qoheleth, means a person who is qualified to address a public assembly, and the Greek word, ekklesia, means a public assembly. The early church adopted the word ekklesia to speak of the church, the assembly of believers. However, the emphasis in the book of Ecclesiastes is on the wisdom of the one who is qualified to address the public assembly rather than on the assembly itself.
Qoheleth begins by saying "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity" (1:2). While there is a time for everything (3:1), those times are beyond our understanding. Instead of trying to ascertain the meaning of life, we will do better just to seek happiness and to experience the joys of food, drink, and pleasure, which are gifts from God (3:10-15; 9:7-10).
Furthermore, life has a chaotic quality, so that "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all" (9:11).
Death is the inevitable end-and the great equalizer. The day of death is better than the day of birth (7:1) and no one has "power over the day of death" (8:8). "Neither do (the dead) have any more a reward; for their memory is forgotten" (9:5).
ECCLESIASTES 2:18-23. I HATED ALL MY LABOR IN WHICH I LABORED
18 I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. 19 Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun? 23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.
"I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me" (v. 18). In chapter one, Qoheleth found the human condition to be "vanity and a chasing after wind" (1:14). Now he gives a practical example of that. He hates his labor, because he knows that the day will come when he will die and will have to leave the proceeds of his labor to someone else-to "the man who comes after me."
Many of us feel quite differently. We are happy to know that we might be able to leave an inheritance to our children. We fear the possibility that an illness in our last months might wipe out our savings so that nothing will remain to pass on to our children.
As I write this, I am nearly seventy years old, so I know whereof I speak. I have worked hard for most of my years, and have a home and some modest savings that I hope to leave to my children when I die. I have lived a life full of meaning, and expect to gain one last dollop of meaning by leaving an inheritance for my children. But that isn't the way Qoheleth sees it! Not at all!
"Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity" (v. 19). Our depressive Qoheleth does not understand leaving an inheritance as something positive. Those who inherit his possessions might be wise or they might be foolish. They might invest their inheritance and gain security from it-or they might blow it on an around-the-world cruise. They might use their inheritance to start a business or to educate their children-or they might quit their jobs and spend the rest of their lives in drunken revelry. After his death, Qoheleth will have no control over the ways that his money is used, and that lack of control bothers him greatly.
• Qoholeth has claimed to be a king (1:1), and kings often enjoy great wealth. He might have been Solomon, and Solomon certainly enjoyed great wealth. Inheritances pose a special problem for very wealthy people. They often leave considerable amounts of money to foundations that use their money over a period of many decades. Seeing the liberal causes supported by foundations using money left by conservative industrialists, I often think, "If (John Doe) knew how his wealth was being used, he would turn over in his grave."
• And children of wealthy people seldom show the ability of the person who founded the family fortune. That was certainly true for Solomon's son, Rehoboam, who ignored his advisors, acted foolishly, and split the kingdom (1 Kings 12).
"Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun" (v. 20). Knowing that he will die and assuming the worst regarding the future of his work and possessions, Qoheleth falls into despair-wallows in pessimism.
"For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil" (v. 21). See the comments on verse 19 above. When Qoheleth speaks of great evil, he most likely means "a great injustice".
"For what has a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?" (v. 22). This is a rhetorical question that expects the answer, "They get NOTHING from all their toil and strain-NOTHING. Only GRIEF!"
• Labor and striving are two aspects of work. Labor is the effort that the person expends working. Striving is the stress that he/she feels while while grappling with work-related problems. Labor darkens his/her days. Striving darkens his/her nights.
"For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity" (v. 23). This verse answers the question of verse 22. Hardworking people get only pain, stress, and, sleepless nights for their trouble.
• "So what is the Christian preacher to do with this preacher's work? ...If the preacher finds it impossible to agree with Koheleth's conclusions about the futility of life, he or she can be sure that there are those in the congregation who at least now and then-if not always-experience such profound futility. Those voices deserve to be expressed and understood, even-and especially-in the context of worship" (Tucker, 357-358).
Ecclesiastes 2:12-26 - EXEGESIS
I. Introduction
Good morning, please turn to Ecclesiastes 2:12-26. Are any of you burned out on Ecclesiastes and all this negativity? You'll be happy to know that there's hope at the end of today's lesson. So let's go ahead and read this passage, and then we'll pray, and then discuss it.
Before we jump into new material, let's take minute to review. Remember Solomon's describing his quest for "net profit." What are some things he's learned along the way? Two weeks ago, we learned that work = striving for the wind and wisdom = striving for the wind. In other words, you can't work hard enough to make your life count, nor can you think well enough to make your life count. In addition, last week, we learned that you can't have enough or do enough to make your life count. I'd like to rephrase those points again.
Work will never satisfy you.
Knowledge will never satisfy you.
Possessions and experiences will never satisfy you.
And then today we're going to see that...
Prudent living will never satisfy you.
That's all because....
Only God can satisfy you.
He God gives satisfaction to those who are walking with Him.
TRANSITION: That brings us to v. 12, which starts off, "Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly." So it sounds like Solomon is about ready to evaluate his quest and hopefully arrive at some conclusions, which is exactly what he's about to do. Now the last half of v. 12 is very difficult to translate, but what Solomon seems to be saying is that he was uniquely qualified to embark on this quest. Therefore, he is obligated to answer these questions for the sake of future generations. The question is, what did Solomon conclude? I'd like to build Solomon's conclusions one phrase at a time. First, Solomon concludes that wisdom is better than folly.
II. Wisdom is better than folly (vv. 13-14).
In order to make this point, Solomon compares wisdom to light and folly to darkness. How is wisdom like light? (It helps us understand the world around us and to interact with it more advantageously.) Contrary to what some of our kids may believe, turning on the light does not change what's in the room. However, it's really nice to have the light on, especially if you need to walk across the room to find something! The same is true with wisdom. Wisdom helps us to understand the world around us and to get from here to there without tripping on something! The fool, on the other hand, is completely naïve. And because of that, he walks into all sorts of problems.
Now, as best as I can tell, Solomon is still talking about secular wisdom. Some people might challenge me on that interpretation, but I think it's the best way to interpret this passage. Knowledge and the correct use of knowledge is helpful, even for the unbeliever. However, it also has its limitations.
TRANSITION: So we might phrase it this way: "Although wisdom is better than folly, it is not ultimately unsatisfying."
III. Wisdom is ultimately unsatisfying.
Wisdom is ultimately unsatisfying, first of all, because it cannot cure death (vv. 14-15). When you see the word "wisdom" in these verses, think "prudence." Wisdom is knowledge that leads to shrewd life choices. You go to college and get a good job. You work hard and save for retirement. You read books and try apply them. You diet and exercise. You are an educated, disciplined individual. You say, "That sounds a lot like me, Pastor Kris." Solomon would say the same thing. He viewed himself as a prudent individual. But then he has this "aha moment." He says, "Wait a second. One day, the fool is going to die. And one day, I'm going to die." Did you know that's true? Prudent living won't save you from death! In fact, the lazy bum who lives off welfare might outlive you! So if that's the case, why be prudent in the first place? After all, prudent living is a lot more work! And that's the very question Solomon asks himself in v. 15. It's not that he's forgotten the benefits of wisdom that he mentioned in the previous verse. He's just frustrated with its limitations.
Not only is wisdom unable to cure death, but it's also unable to ensure a legacy (v. 16). History does not generally remember its wise men any more than it remembers its fools. You say, "But Pastor Kris, there are a number of wise men who have been remembered to some degree or another." That may be true, but there are also many wise men who have been forgotten. And what's more, there are many fools who have been remembered-even celebrated by future generations! The hard facts of life are that history tends to forget, and that prudent living doesn't change that or give you any kind of advantage as it relates to establishing a legacy.
Now, a couple of clarifications. Proverbs 10:7 says "The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot." And Psalm 112:6 says, "Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance." So we know from these two verses that the righteous will be remembered.
However, if my interpretation of Ecclesiastes 1-2 is correct, the word "wise" in 2:16 is not necessarily synonymous with the word "righteous" in those other two verses. But even more importantly, Proverbs 10:7 and Psalm 112:6 depend upon an eternal perspective. The righteous man cannot possibly be remembered forever unless there is life after death in a place called "heaven," where things are remembered that we could not possibly keep track of here on earth. However, in Ecclesiastes 2:16, Solomon isn't talking about heaven; he's talking about a person's legacy here on earth. And he concludes that prudent living does not make it any more likely that you will be remembered. Does that make sense? Are there any questions about that?
The third reason why wisdom (or prudent living) is ultimately unsatisfying is that the person who benefits from your labor may be a fool. And we find that in vv. 17-23. For the sake of time, we won't read those verses again. But let's discuss this idea. What's wrong with leaving the fruit of your labor to a fool?
First, it's a bad to leave the fruit of your labor to a fool because he won't appreciate it. Foolish children don't care how hard their parents worked in order to provide them with all of the gifts life has to offer. The only thing they care about is what they want in the moment.
Second, it's bad to the leave the fruit of your labor to a fool because he will probably squander it. If he's truly a fool, he's not going to invest your money wisely. Instead, like the prodigal son, he'll probably waste it on riotous living. Isn't it amazing how what took years to accumulate can be squandered in just a matter of days?
Finally, it's bad to leave the fruit of your labor to a fool because he doesn't deserve it. I mean, you spent your whole life working for what you have! What right does he have to get it all for free simply because he was born after you and happened to take your place? That's what Solomon says in v. 21 (v. 21).
So we see that it's extremely unsatisfying to give nice things to a fool! But as Solomon points out, you might not have a choice! I mean, you can try to choose your successor wisely and to train him well; but ultimately, you can't control what goes on after you leave! For example, let's say that a pastor pours his life into his church. But then after he retires, the next pastor makes a series of foolish choices and the church splits or dies off. The first pastor has no control over that! Or think about how hard our founding fathers worked and about how many lives were sacrificed in order to give us a freedom. And yet look at how so many Americans either don't appreciate what they have or else use their freedom to do unthinkable things! The founding fathers and veterans can't be held responsible for that! Think of Solomon's own situation! Who replaced him as king? (Rehoboam) And what do we know about Rehoboam's character? He was a fool! He ignored the counsel of the elders and listened to his buddies instead. He said to the people, "My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!" And in one day, he squandered the majority of his father's kingdom. Rehoboam was a fool! Now, let me ask you a question. Solomon is the wisest man who ever lived. Do you think he had some hesitations about Rehoboam's character? Of course he did! After all, character isn't forged in a day. And besides that, God actually told Solomon that after his death, most of his kingdom would be torn from his son. We find that in 1 Kings 10:11-13. So even as Solomon pens these words, he sees the handwriting on the wall-that the fruit of his labor will go to a fool.
The final reason why wisdom (or prudent living) is ultimately unsatisfying is that it's hard work (vv. 22-23). Not only is prudent living unable to preserve you from death or provide a legacy, but it also robs you of the fun you could have had along the way! Your days are sorrowful; your work, burdensome; and even at night, your mind keeps racing. Sounds discouraging, right? Solomon is worse than discouraged; he's downright depressed! He says in v. 17 that he hated life, in v. 18 that he hated his labor, and in v. 20 that he gave himself to despair. Commentator Michael Eaton calls this "one of the most moving points of the Old Testament."
TRANSITION: But then, like a bolt of lightning come vv. 24-26 (vv. 24-26)! As you read chapters 1-2 of Ecclesiastes, you begin to feel like Solomon is holding your head under water. At first, you think it might be some sort of game. But then, in chapter 2, you begin to panic; and by the time you reach vv. 17-22, the struggle is over, and you're ready to give up and drown. But then, in vv. 24-26, we finally get a breath of air! And the truth that breathes new life is this: God makes life worth living. Work will never satisfy you. Knowledge will never satisfy you. Possessions and experiences will never satisfy you. Prudent living will never satisfy you.
IV. Satisfaction is a gift that comes only from God (vv. 24-26).
These verses are bursting with grace. The idea of grace or of God freely giving something is found four times in these three verses. And that's a stark contrast to all that has come before since 1:12. Those verses were all about self-effort, which leads to despair. These verses are all about grace, which leads to happiness and contentment. So let's take a closer look.
There are two translation issues in these verses, and the first appears at the beginning of v. 24. My Bible says "nothing is better for a man." But the Hebrew text actually reads, "There is no good in man." "There is no good in man that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor." If it were left up to us, we could never achieve contentment and joy. We're not good enough. The other translation issue comes up in this passage appears at the end of v. 25. How many of your Bibles translate the last phrase in that verse, "more than I?" How many of your Bibles say something like, "apart from Him" or, "Who can eat and have enjoyment without Him"? It's not an easy decision, but I prefer the translation, "apart from Him." In other words, v. 25 is stating the opposite of v. 24. Verse 24 says that contentment and joy come from God. Verse 25 is saying that no one can be happy or content without Him.
Now, you may be wondering where I get the idea of contentment. It comes from the phrases that refer to eating and drinking. Do those phrases refer to literal to literal eating and drinking? If so, then v. 25 would be saying that no one can eat food apart from God. Of course, that would be true. No one can even breathe without God. Without God, the whole world would fall apart instantly, because Christ is the one who holds it all together! However, based on the context, it seems better to take "eating" and "drinking" as references to contentment-in other words, being satisfied with food and drink. These verses then become the answer to one of the major problems Solomon raised back in chapter 1. In v. 8, he said, "The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing." To that we could add, "The stomach is not satisfied with eating and drinking." You see, human beings are constantly doing stuff-remember the rat race? But resolution alludes us. Our lives are like a story with no conclusion, like a song that never ends. We feel a sense longing that moves us to action, but no sense of arrival, no peace, no joy. That's not to say that we don't experience moments of isolated happiness. A good meal, a funny joke, a captivating movie, some new experience-all of these things provide us with momentary happiness. But we can never squeeze out of them the deeper satisfaction which we so desperately crave. A perfect illustration of this is found in last week's passage. Look back at 2:10-11 (2:10-11). Did hedonism make Solomon happy? Yes and no. In v. 10, he says that he had pleasure and that his heart rejoiced! However, in v. 11, in a moment of deeper reflection, Solomon admits that he is unhappy. In fact, in this one verse, he heaps up all three phrases: "vanity," "grasping for the wind," and "no profit"-all in a row! Solomon is actually disgusted with his life. Satisfaction has alluded him.
That brings us to v. 26 (v. 26a). So we already established in vv. 24-25 that joy and contentment come only from God. Now the question is, to whom does God give those gifts? Is there any rhyme or reason to His generosity? In v. 26, we see that the answer is, "Yes." God gives His gifts of wisdom (this is probably the first reference to true godly wisdom), knowledge, and joy to the people who are good in His sight. Who is good in God's sight? The men and women whom He has redeemed. No one is innately good; Solomon is well aware of that fact. He says in Ecclesiastes 7:20, "For there I not a just man on the earth who does good, And does not sin." However, through justification and sanctification, God makes us good, and then He blesses us with joy and peace. So how do we apply this passage?
Number one, if you're not saved, believe in Jesus! He died on the cross to save you from your pitiful condition. Only through faith in His blood can you become good in His sight! And only He can provide the joy and peace you're looking for. Apart from Him, life is hopeless.
Number two, if you are saved, abide in Christ! I love that phrase from John's gospel, because it means, "Stay." I was working with my dog this past week. I'd say, "Summer, stay." And then I'd walk away from her 10 ft. She'd happily get up and start following me. "No! Summer, stay." If she obeyed, I'd give her a treat. Then I'd walk behind the corner, where she couldn't see me anymore. That's a real challenge! "Summer, stay!" In John 15, it's as if Jesus is saying to His disciples, "Stay!" Stay where? "Stay with Me." Not physically, because He had already told them that He was about to die, and that His physical presence would be leaving them soon. But He was adamant that through the ministry of the Spirit, they could still walk with Him, even after He was gone. And so He says to them, "Stay here-right here with Me, where the peace and happiness are. Obey Me. Read My Word. Pray. And test Me-your joy will be full! Don't wander away from Me into the desert of sin and despair. You will never find goodness there." You see, Solomon's quest was the opposite of abiding. He was already a believer, but he set out to find joy and satisfaction elsewhere. And now both he and Jesus are saying to you, "Save yourself the trouble! Just stay home, and you'll discover that everything you could ever want has already been provided for you. When you are abiding in Christ, the simple joys in life take on a whole new meaning. They used to frustrate you because you couldn't squeeze satisfaction out of them. Now, there's a nice cherry on top. You see, you're no longer counting on those things to fill you up. You're not walking into Yogurt Land on an empty stomach (some of you might actually enjoy that)-you just got out of Red Robin! Your belly is already full, so now you can appreciate dessert. Does that make sense? I hope I'm getting through to you because this is the main point of the entire section.
TRANSITION: The final thing we need to consider this morning is the grace that God mediates through sinners and also their plight (v. 26b).
V. Sinners are given the unhappy task of collecting good things for the righteous.
Since only the good man can truly enjoy God's gifts, who does the sinner's work ultimately benefit? (the good man) I was talking about this verse with Dave Houser once; and he said, "I'm sure glad someone invented smart phones, because I really like them." Meanwhile, a lot of people are trying to squeeze joy out of that little box and finding only frustration. You see? Who ultimately benefits? The righteous. This same principle is found elsewhere in Scripture. Proverbs 13:22 says, "The wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous." With reference to this verse, commentator Bruce Waltke says, "Eventually the wealth of every sinner will be transferred to righteous people, where it will endure forever." Jesus said, "The meek shall inherit the earth."
Now, that's good news if you're a meek person. But what about if you're a sinner? That's the unexpected twist that our passage takes right before Solomon closes and starts into chapter 3 (26b). What is vanity and grasping for wind? The job that God gives to the sinner! Now, some commentators park right here and say, "Look, Solomon is a jaded old skeptic. See! He's criticizing God." And it's not like that idea just comes out of the blue. After all, in v. 21, Solomon calls the idea that the wise leaves his wealth to a man who hasn't earned it not only vanity, but also "a great evil." So we see where those commentators get the idea that Solomon is unhappy with God's management of world. However, the word translated "evil" at the end of v. 21 could also be translated "misfortune"; and I think it would be premature at this point to accuse Solomon of shaking his fist at God. We ought to wait and hear him out. So for the moment at least, it's far better to assume that Solomon is simply shaking his fist (so to speak) at a broken world. In v. 26, Solomon reminds me of a duck named "Ferdinand" on the movie "Babe." Have you seen that movie? I watched it a lot growing up. If you haven't seen it, it's about farm animals in New Zealand. So you've got this pig who thinks he's a dog and a bunch of other funny dynamics. But Ferdinand is this philosophical duck who's unhappy with the status quo. There's a scene where all of the farm animals are watching through the window as the family eats Christmas dinner. And Ferdinand is getting all worked up because the main course happens to be a duck. So the horse says to Ferdinand, "The way things are is the way things are." To which Ferdinand replies, "Oh ya? Well the way things are stinks!" And he decides to run away. At the end of vv. 21, 26, Solomon says, "The way things are stinks!" It's not necessarily that he's blaming God for the way things are, although I wouldn't be surprised if that thought had crossed his mind. But for one reason or another, this world is messed up! Of course, who is to blame for this messed up world? We are! But this phrase is just a foreshadowing of things to come, so to discuss it fully now would only be to open a whole new can of worms that Solomon won't deal with fully until future chapters.
Eccl. 2:12-26 Extra Commentary (Bible Studies.org)
(In verses 12-16), we are shown that wisdom is better than folly, but both are useless when one comes to death. Human wisdom suffers another crucial shortcoming, it leaves both the wise and the fool empty handed at the threshold of death.
Ecclesiastes 2:12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] that which hath been already done.
About the highest honor a man can attain on this earth is to be king. Wisdom, in a sense, is no better than folly or madness, if it is worldly wisdom. None of them satisfy his soul. This to me, is saying Solomon does not want to start all over as king. He has done what he could, and going over it again would not help.
Ecclesiastes 2:13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
Proverbs 4:18-19 "But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." "The way of the wicked [is] as darkness: they know not at what they stumble."
Ephesians 5:8 "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:"
Ecclesiastes 2:14 The wise man's eyes [are] in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
The fool is not one who is mentally deficient, but is morally bankrupt. It is not that he cannot learn wisdom, but that he won't. He refuses to know, fear, and obey God.
"Eyes" speak of intelligence. The one event that "happeneth to them all" is death.
John 11:10 "But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him."
1 John 2:11 "But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."
Ecclesiastes 2:15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also [is] vanity.
Solomon knows that just being filled with wisdom will not extend his life. His speculation here, is if this is so, what advantage is it to be wise?
Ecclesiastes 2:16 For [there is] no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now [is] in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise [man]? as the fool.
Solomon is a little negative in this statement. This is not exactly true. Solomon was remembered above his fellows for the wisdom he conveyed to all of us, when he penned some of the wisdom he had into a book. Surely the wise and the foolish do die, when their time God has allotted them to die comes. They have no control over death. God is the Controller.
Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
(In verses 17-20), we see that part of the futility of trying to find fulfillment in material accomplishment is the fact that one must leave the fruit of his work to another who may well waste the accrued benefits.
Ecclesiastes 2:17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun [is] grievous unto me: for all [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
Because the work that is wrought: Since it had no more lasting value that the folly of a fool, Solomon viewed even the great rewards of his labor as a source of pain.
I hated life is translated correctly and should not be misunderstood as "I hate life". It is clearly the temporary conclusion about Solomon's historical experiment.
This is a climax of the other statements he has made. The word "therefore" connects the previous verses. Because death comes to all, I hate life, is what he is saying. He feels no accomplishment, in spite of the fact he has accomplished so much. He feels as if he has failed God.
Ecclesiastes 2:18 Yea, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
After reigning 40 years, Solomon will die, and someone else will take his place.
1 Kings 11:11 "Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant."
Ecclesiastes 2:19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This [is] also vanity.
When a man dies, the work he has wrought with his hands is another's. It is not very pleasant for him to realize that the works of his hands might pass to someone undeserving.
Since he does not know who God will choose to rule after him, he also does not know whether he will be wise, or a fool. All of his wisdom is gone, when he dies. He cannot pass his wisdom on to another. Wisdom is a gift from God.
Ecclesiastes 2:20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.
We can see that Solomon was greatly troubled, about what would happen to the things he had built by the wisdom God had given him. He is looking back and wondering what earthly good was all of it.
Ecclesiastes 2:21 For there is a man whose labor [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil.
This speaks of the portion of one's life that he must leave behind at death.
This is Solomon speaking of himself. The person who takes Solomon's place has not worked to build all of this. He receives this, because God is taking it from Solomon.
Psalms 49:10: "For he seeth [that] wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others."
Ecclesiastes 2:22 For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath labored under the sun?
There is a certain amount of pride that goes along with the finishing of some important project here on the earth. It is a known fact, that none of that follows us after our death.
The only treasures we carry with us, are those we have stored in heaven before our death. Things we do for ourselves, or for earthly fame, will be of no assistance in heaven. Solomon had great wealth and fame on the earth. All of that is left behind.
Ecclesiastes 2:23 For all his days [are] sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
Solomon has difficulty sleeping, because of his thoughts about the inevitable end that comes to all.
Job 14:1 "Man [that is] born of a woman [is] of few days, and full of trouble."
Jesus explains that this world is full of trouble. Our hope is in Him.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
In verses 24-26 we find the first of seven passages that give one of the solutions to life's problems: enjoy life and work as God's gifts. When a man toils in his own strength, he is bound to suffer pain and grief. The answer then is for him to enjoy his work by receiving it as a gift of God.
Elsewhere, work is said to be part of God's curse on man (gen. 3 17-19), but it can become the sphere of God's blessing.
To eat and drink, used five times in the book, must be understood in a good sense. Solomon always counsels the fear of God, and the concept is used in the Old Testament in a good sense.
Ecclesiastes 2:24 [There is] nothing better for a man, [than] that he should eat and drink, and [that] he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it [was] from the hand of God.
We find that even the everyday functions of eating and drinking can only take place at the will of God. The prayer that Jesus taught the apostles says, "Give us this day our daily bread". It is by the grace of God, that we have bread to eat.
We should be thankful for whatever God has provided us with. We should be like Paul and be satisfied with what God has given us.
1 Timothy 6:8 "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."
"Nothing is better": Even with the limitations of this present life, humanity should rejoice in its temporal goodness. "From the hand of God": Solomon's strong view of God's sovereignty brings comfort after an honest critique of what life in a cursed world entails.
Ecclesiastes 2:25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten [hereunto], more than I?
Possibly, Solomon had the most to be thankful for.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
God had thought very highly of Solomon. He had loved him so much, that He gave him wisdom above all his fellowmen. He gave him great wealth and tremendous fame. But Solomon did not stay faithful to God. The temptations of life were more than he could handle, and he sinned.
God will abundantly bless those who are in the will of God. The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous. God does not overlook the slightest thing you do to please Him. God is the Rewarder of those who follow Him.
"Give to him that is good". The qualifier "in His sight" makes God's prerogative the standard.
Eccl. 2:12-26 Easy English Commentary
The results of wise behaviour and of foolish behaviour - Ecclesiastes 2:12-17
v12 So I started to think about behaviour.
I thought about people who are wise.
And I thought about people who are mad or foolish.
A king can do only what previous kings have done.
v13 Then I realised that wise behaviour is better than foolish behaviour.
Wise behaviour is like light,
and light is better than darkness.
v14 The wise man can see where he is going.
But the fool walks along in the dark.
Then I realised that they both end in the same way.
v15 And I thought to myself,
'The things that happen to the fool will happen to me also.'
So I thought about what advantage my wisdom had given to me.
I said to myself, 'This also is a question that has no answer.'
v16 People do not remember the wise man for a long time.
Also, they do not remember the fool for a long time.
In the future, people will forget both of them.
We will all die, whether we are wise people or foolish people!
v17 So I hated my life.
Everything in my life brought trouble to me.
My work was worth nothing.
It is like someone who is chasing the wind.
Verse 12 The Teacher thinks about whether future kings would examine the same problems. They should examine the problems as carefully as the Teacher had examined them.
Verses 13-14 He thinks in the end that wisdom has value. It is better to be wise. Light and darkness show the difference between good things and bad things. Wise people know what they should do. Foolish people are like someone who tries to travel in the dark. But at the end, the same thing happens both to wise people and to foolish people. They all die.
Verses 15-17 The Teacher thought about whether wise people have any advantage. A wise person dies and a fool dies. It was a puzzle. Everyone soon forgets both wise people and foolish people. So the Teacher thought in the end that there was no answer to these puzzles at this time. It was like someone who tries to catch the wind. But the Teacher will get nearer to the answer later.
Thoughts about the value of hard work - Ecclesiastes 2:18-23
v18 I hated everything that I had worked hard for in the world. That was because I must leave everything. When I die other people will get it all. v19 And nobody knows whether that person will be a wise man or a fool. He will control everything that I have worked so hard for. This is not good. v20 So I felt desperate about all the hard work that I had done on the earth. v21 A man may be wise. And he may know how to use his skill. But then he must leave everything to someone who may not appreciate it. This means nothing, and it is not fair. v22 A man gains no advantage if he works hard during all his life on the earth. He does not get anything for all his worries. v23 Painful things happen every day. And at night his mind cannot rest. All this work means nothing.
Verses 18-19 The Teacher thinks that he must die soon. Then he will leave behind everything in the world. Another person will benefit from all his hard work. And he will not know whether or not that person appreciates his work. Perhaps that person will destroy the work. People do not always appreciate something that they have not worked for. King Solomon's son, Rehoboam, showed that, when he became king. He was so foolish that he destroyed the unity in Solomon's *kingdom (1 Kings 12:1-19).
Verses 20-23 The Teacher did not think that it was fair. Other people ought not to enjoy the results from the Teacher's hard work. He had worked hard and worried a lot during his life. He had suffered strain in his body and he had suffered mental strain. Every day, he had to think about difficult problems. At night, he could not sleep because he was worrying. So he thought in the end that hard work was not the satisfactory answer. He was still looking for the real purpose of our lives.
To enjoy our life is God's gift - Ecclesiastes 2:24-26
v24 So this is the best thing for anyone to do. You should eat all that you need. You should drink as much as you need. You should work hard until it satisfies you. That is how to enjoy your life. v25 I believe that these things come from God. So nobody can eat or enjoy his life without God's help. v26 God gives the power to be wise. He makes people able to understand things. He wants people to enjoy their lives. He gives these gifts to those people who please him. But people who do not consider God must work too. They will earn rewards and then they can store up their possessions. But these things will benefit only the person who pleases God. This is difficult to understand. It is like someone who is chasing the wind.
Verses 24-25 The Teacher is wise, but he has failed to discover the purpose of our lives. Pleasure has not satisfied him completely. Hard work has disappointed him because he must die. And he will leave behind all that he has achieved. Another person will benefit from his work and that person may not deserve it. The Teacher's experiments have all been about our life in this world. But it has been without reference to God. In these verses, the Teacher begins to change his attitude. Now he shows that our life is a gift from God. So he can enjoy his life. To 'eat' and to 'drink' means to be content.
Verse 26 People who please God will recognise God's gifts. They recognise that everything comes from God. And God wants people to enjoy his gifts to them. 'Everything that God created is good. You should thank God for it.' (That is 1 Timothy 4:4.) The foolish person, who takes no notice of God, must work too. The foolish person gets no satisfaction from his work. And he gets no satisfaction from all the things that he gains. They benefit 'the person who pleases God'. The Teacher does not explain how this would happen. Many people are without God. It is also difficult to understand what happens to them. It is like someone who is trying to catch the wind.
Extra Comments:
1. Ecclesiastes 2:12-16 - How does a person benefit if he is wise?
Solomon had learned to be wise, and he had also behaved in a foolish manner. Now, he compares the two experiences. They were similar in some ways.
Both Paul and James wrote about two kinds of wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18-30; James 3:13-17). One kind of wisdom is a gift that comes only from God. It causes a person to respect God and to refuse evil things. We read about that kind of wisdom in the Books of Proverbs and Job (Proverbs 3:5-6; Proverbs 9:10; Job 28:28).
But the Book of Ecclesiastes seems to have a lower standard of wisdom. Here, we read about the kind of wisdom that comes from this world. To become wise in this manner, a person must think clearly and study carefully. Like Solomon, that person must learn all that he can from this world.
So, a wise person understands what is happening. He is like a person who carries a lamp at night. The light may not actually make him safer, but at least he can see the dangers! But the foolish person pretends that there are no dangers. Or he does not care about danger. Or he is not patient enough to study about such things. Risks and dangers are unknown to him.
A wise person can protect himself from some troubles. But only a fool imagines that he can protect himself from every trouble. So a wise person realises that he will certainly die. He has learned from his study of this world that he cannot remain in this world. And then somebody else will receive everything that the wise man obtained by his wisdom. And after a time, people will forget both the wise man and the things that he learned in this world.
But the wisdom that comes from God brings life, not death (1 John 2:17; Proverbs 8:32-36).
2. Ecclesiastes 2:17-21- Can a person's efforts achieve anything that lasts?
Solomon had wanted to find a better way to live, by his careful study of this world. But this world and its wisdom disappointed Solomon. Neither wise nor foolish behaviour had taught Solomon a better way to live. These things had only taught him that he must certainly die!
Solomon does not say whether he felt any fear of death. His fear was of the things that would happen after his death.
A person works hard to earn his wages. It upsets him if he loses any part of them. Solomon had worked hard but, at death, he would lose everything. That might not matter if the new owner of those things used them wisely. But Solomon could not be sure about that.
We know from 1 Kings 12:1-19 that Solomon's son behaved in a very foolish manner. 1 Kings 14:25-28 tells how he lost much of his father's wealth.
What upset Solomon most was the loss of all his effort. He worked so hard because he wanted to achieve something during his life. But the things that he was achieving belong to this world. And nothing in this world lasts.
Jesus taught that people can achieve something permanent during their lives. But they will not achieve it by means of the wisdom that comes from this world. In other words, careful study, sensible thought and hard effort will not achieve permanent results. What we need is to have God's wisdom. God gives us that wisdom by his word (the Bible). And unlike the wisdom that we can learn from this world, God's wisdom will never disappoint us (see Matthew 7:24-25 and John 12:49-50).
3. Ecclesiastes 2:22-26 - Without God, can anyone have a good life?
Usually, a person's daily tasks are hard. People do not even receive a proper reward or payment for their efforts. That is the nature of life in this world. We cannot really expect anything else. What happens in this world is not usually fair, right or good.
But sometimes, for some people, life does not seem so hard. Their work feels pleasant, and they feel content. They begin to enjoy their lives.
God has been especially kind to those people, and they should be very grateful to him. All good things come from God (James 1:17). But those people should not imagine that their happiness will continue for their whole lives. They must still be loyal to God, even when their time of happiness ends. God deserves honour whatever the state of our lives may be.
Job was a man who had a very pleasant life (Job 29:1-6). Job 1:10 gives the reason. Job was God's servant, and God was protecting him.
But then Satan (the devil) wanted to test Job, and God allowed it. So Job suffered much. The purpose of the test was to see whether Job would still give honour to God.
Job proved that he really was loyal to God. Job praised God even when he was suffering most. He did not serve God just because God was kind to him. He served God because God deserves honour.
After Job's troubles, God showed special kindness to him again (Job 42:10-17).
We cannot earn God's kindness, and we cannot obtain it by human effort. It is God's gift; it is not a payment or a reward.
