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*Guarding Against Vanity*
*Ecclesiastes November 3, 2002*
* *
*Scripture Reading:*
*Introduction:*
Ecclesiastes is a difficult book to understand and sometimes seems outright self-contradictory, yet understood in the proper light is chock full of wisdom.
The name of the book itself is a Greek word meaning 'teacher of the assembly – or church'.
But just who is the teacher?
Many have understood it to be King Solomon, but there are many inferences that do not support this.
It seems clear the book was written after the exile in Babylon.
It seems best to understand the book written by an anonymous author who takes on the personification of Solomon as he teaches us some of the wisdom that Solomon discovered in his life.
You remember that Solomon as a young king asked God for wisdom (1Kings 3:12) and so God gave him 'a wise and discerning heart'.
As the ruler of the greatest empire Israel would ever see until Jesus comes, Solomon indeed amazed the known world with his wisdom (1Kings 10:23-24).
Solomon, without the knowledge of the entire Bible as we know it, and without the teachings of Jesus about salvation and resurrection, discovers some amazing secrets about life under God.
These are the very things that such a king might discover.
He had absolute power and wealth and time on his hands to think and ponder about the nature of life – and life is confusing at best.
Solomon agonized and sorted through all the confusion to arrive at the only sure conclusion that could be said to be true in all instances in the times that he knew.
His conclusions along the way sometimes seem contradictory because life is contradictory.
His conclusions are therefore true to life – like proverbs – only we must understand that proverbs can be considered to be true only in the instances where they apply.
Proverbs do not provide wisdom at no cost to the intellect – you have to think about them.
He is responding to a messy universe, which is why, in the end, his book is somewhat messy, nonlinear, and nonsystematic.
It is difficult to see how any author of intelligence and integrity could approach a complicated universe in a markedly different way.
What Solomon eventually had to discover – what his agonizing search for the meaning of life had to lead to – was that all wisdom is God's wisdom, given by God to lead to God.
Wisdom stolen for yourself to exalt yourself leaves only frustration.
Solomon had to discover his limitations – that he wasn't God.
The Bible as a whole sets the entirety of human existence as we know it within the context of our failed human attempt to become like God, derived from our refusal to accept divinely ordained boundaries.
The Teacher wants to save us from this ongoing human quest and thus save us from a life characterized by futility.
This is true wisdom – that your life is not your own.
God has – always has – the upper hand.
Sovereignty is his.
God defies our control of him.
This is an important thing for a king to discover.
It is an important thing for each of us to discover.
The main obstacle to living well in the world is that mortal beings consistently refuse to accept their mortality – that they are finite.
Our ultimate purpose is not our own gain, but to know God, fear God, serve God – and be happy about it as long as we have life 'under the sun'.
So how can we break into Solomon's wisdom, through the confusion, to discover and apply it to ourselves?
The most consistent theme in Ecclesiastes is the constantly recurring phrase "everything is meaningless" in the NIV.
It occurs 38 times in 30 verses throughout the book and only once elsewhere (Job).
This is an unfortunate translation because it implies a futility of life that Ecclesiastes doesn't really intend to promote.
The word (hebel) in the Hebrew means "breath" or "breeze" which by extension means things that are insubstantial or fleeting or actions that are vain or to no ultimate purpose.
It is a "chasing after the wind."
It means an ephemeral quality.
The nature of reality is elusive.
The word is translated "vanity" in most English translations.
The "Teacher" wants us to understand all that he discovered via Solomon about the vain things in life and how they conflict with ultimate truth.
He wants us to be under no illusion about the nature of the universe or what can be humanly achieved within it.
Human goals should be set in accordance with the nature of reality, not in defiance of it; otherwise human existence becomes embroiled in pointless striving.
ILLUS: Discovering the 'zeroes' along the maze of life --- from the Maze at the Glenview Covenant Church last Sat.
eve with the youth group.
*Big Question:*
/What are the vain things in life that I must guard against – and why?/
| *Lbh **occurs 38 times in 30 vv. in Ecclesiastes* | *Commentary* |
| 1:2 (NIV) "Meaningless!
Meaningless!" says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless." 2 (NASU) "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities!
All is vanity." 2 (NRA) Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, {Heb [Qoheleth] , traditionally rendered [Preacher] } vanity of vanities!
All is vanity.
1:14 (NIV) I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
14 (NASU) I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.
14 (NRA) I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
{Or [a feeding on wind.]
See Hos 12.1} 2:1 (NIV) I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good."
But that also proved to be meaningless.
2:1 (NASU) I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure.
So enjoy yourself."
And behold, it too was futility.
2:1 (NRA) {The Futility of Self-Indulgence} I said to myself, "Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself."
But again, this also was vanity.
2:11 (NIV) Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
11 (NASU) Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.
11 (NRA) Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, {Or [a feeding on wind.]
See Hos 12.1} and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
2:15 (NIV) Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
What then do I gain by being wise?"
I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless."
15 (NASU) Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me.
Why then have I been extremely wise?"
So I said to myself, "This too is vanity."
15 (NRA) Then I said to myself, "What happens to the fool will happen to me also; why then have I been so very wise?"
And I said to myself that this also is vanity.
2:17 (NIV) So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me.
All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
17 (NASU) So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
17 (NRA) So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
{Or [a feeding on wind.]
See Hos 12.1} 2:19 (NIV) And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?
Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun.
This too is meaningless.
19 (NASU) And who knows whether he will be a wise man 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 vanity.
19 (NRA) -and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish?
Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun.
This also is vanity.
2:21 (NIV) For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it.
This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.
21 (NASU) When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them.
This too is vanity and a great evil.
21 (NRA) because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it.
This also is vanity and a great evil.
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