Wisdom for living.
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Read Ecc 1:1-18
Solomon is the author of three books: Song of Songs, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. These books show the different levels of maturity in his life. Song of Songs showed his time as a young man crazily in love with the Shulammite; the time of passion and dreams. Proverbs, written as a mature man shows his growth in wisdom. Ecclesiastes are the word of the old man, wise and experienced, reflecting on life and what really matters.
If he was born in 990 BC and started reigning in 960 BC, he became king at 30 years old. We know that Solomon reigned for 40 years. Therefore, if he died at 70, we may estimate he was between 60-70 he he wrote Ecclesiastes.
As we compare his three books, we see that he changed his way to see life as the years passed. Three different perspectives of life.
Any old man who never changed his perspective of life, never grew up!
That might be the case of the 70 years old man, who became a hippie in his youth, and that still dresses and think like a hippie; or the man who became socialist and revolutionary when young, but continues thinking the same way, despite the fact that life has shown him the failure of socialists economies or countries.
When we were young, the combination of our lack of experience and idealism did not let us see life clearly. We saw life like with very dark glasses. We were driven by emotion, following the crowds, and did things that, now, we see as stupidity. “How could I be carried by it?” is the question that probably we have asked ourselves many times.
The old wise Solomon teaches us wisdom principles for life. The first one is about:
The brevity of earthly life.
The brevity of earthly life.
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher.
Earthly life is like a vapor.
Earthly life is like a vapor.
The Hebrew word “hébel” literally means: vapor, breath. Used to describe something that does not last much, that is fleeting.
It seems like yesterday when I was 18 years old… when I got married, when I became a father for the first time. Time flew, at supersonic speed, and I am 65 now.
As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.
Not only life, but everything: “All is vanity.” (All is brief, all is a vapor)
A good car may last you 100K miles in acceptable shape.
A set of furniture or appliance, 10 years. Everything is made to last only a few year; otherwise, companies would not make business.
Earthly life is wearisome and unsatisfying.
Earthly life is wearisome and unsatisfying.
All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
No matter how much we may like to work (if we like it!), there is moment that are work becomes wearisome. Or to study…
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
or any other task, it becomes wearisome:
No matter what we like or what we do, the satisfaction it produces is temporary, fleeting, a vapor.
The only true and lasting satisfaction in life is to know that you have been obedient to the Lord or, at least, you have tried your best to please the Lord.
I can imagine the satisfaction of the apostle Paul saying, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”
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The successes in this life.
The successes in this life.
Some live like this life is everything. They think that the one who ends with most toys will be the winner. They are driven to be successful, but they forget one thing:
At the end, what you made in this life will have no worth!
What you made will value nothing.
What you made will value nothing.
What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.
With the fruit of your hard labor, you may have a lot of things you love, expensive and cheap, useful and nice… At the end, they will lose all the value you gave them.
Illustration: Cuando mueras… First portion
Any achievements will be forgotten.
Any achievements will be forgotten.
There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.
Although the verse refers to the past event or things of creation, it does not change the fact that it the same things for whatever we did in life.
Your degrees will be forgotten, how much money you made or kept, your triumphs. Whatever you did consider valuable will be forgotten:
Illustration: Cuando mueras… Second portion
Even what you did for Jesus will be forgotten here, but not in Heaven. Jesus, the Righteous Judge, will reward you!
Everything follow a cycle.
Everything follow a cycle.
Nature teaches it.
Nature teaches it.
Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.
You will no longer here, but life will continue because life is a cycle. That’s a truth that even a famous song expresses (It is possible that the composer had read Ecclesiastes):
Unos que nacen, otros morirán
Unos que rien, otros llorarán
Agua sin cauces
Rio sin mar
Penas y glorias, guerras y paz
Siempre hay porque vivir
Porque luchar
Siempre hay por quien sufrir
Y a quien amar
Al final las obras quedan
Las gentes se van
Otros que vienen las continuarán
La vida sigue igual
Pocos amigos que son de verdad
Cuantos te halagan si triunfando estás
Y si fracasas bien comprenderás
Los buenos quedan, los demás se van.
Siempre hay porque vivir
Porque luchar
Siempre hay por quien sufrir
Y a quien amar.
There is nothing new.
There is nothing new.
That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.
Have you noticed that new fashions are not really new? They are an imitation of fashions of the past: wide ties, narrow ties; pleated pants, tight pants, flowered dresses or shirts. I have wore what I saw my grandparents wearing. Nothing is new! Life is just a cycle!
One day, we’ll die, another day will come back to life. To life of eternal punishment if we did not receive Jesus, or to life of eternal joy if we truly believed in Hi,