The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes is a jewel among God’s revelation of divine wisdom. Written by Solomon, considered the wisest man who ever lived, it gives us a unique and realistic look at the human condition from a practical, down to earth perspective.

Solomon begins by asking the question in Chapter 1 verse 3 “What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? Said another way, Solomon is asking, does all our labor as human beings really fundamentally change the nature of life for the better? After all, human life is a cycle of certain unchanging events, one generation comes another goes, the sun rises and sets, the wind blows this way then that, rivers run, clouds form, rain falls and on and on... No matter how hard we work, this does not change, we are never satisfied with filling our senses, the past slips away from us, those who follow will not long remember us. What purpose and value is it all?

Solomon states in verse 13 “I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven.” Solomon was not only the wisest of all men but perhaps also the richest. I can think of no man more qualified to judge the value and purpose of life than this man which may be why God chose him for this task. In Chapter 2 Solomon tests himself with pleasure, he built great works: houses, vineyards, gardens, orchards he accumulated servants and possessions great and small, he denied himself no joy (2:10).

Solomon considered wisdom and madness and folly and realized that the same thing eventually happens to all men. That there is a time and a purpose to everything under heaven. He considers the rich and the poor, the righteous and the sinful. He proclaims that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. Bread is not to the wise nor yet riches to those of understanding. Favor is not to men of skill but time and chance happen to them all.

Solomon closes his thoughts with these admonitions: remember thy creator in the days of thy youth before our eyes lose their vision, our hands begin to shake, before our bones cause us to bow down and our teeth become few and the sound of grinding is low. There will come a time, for most of us, when our usefulness on earth will deminish. We will not be able to earn a living or provide for ourselves or others. Then these bodies we now inhabit will return to the dust from which it came and our spirit shall return to God who gave it.

Solomon’s conclusion after considering every aspect of human life is vanity, all is vanity. Life is like grasping for the wind, we end up with nothing. The only thing we take with us when we leave this world is our standing before God, therefore he concludes with these words. Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man. (12:13)

Send comments or questions to the Clintwood Church of Christ, POB 746, Clintwood, Va. 24228 or E-mail me at bryanwa@ntelos.net Check out our web page at clintwoodchurchofchrist.com