Ecclesiastes 1-2; The Endless Cycle

"2 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity...12 I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, 13 applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. 14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.... 2:18 I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me 19—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. 20 So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 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. 22 What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? 23 For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity."

These verses summarize the message of Ecclesiastes 1-2. Though attributed to Solomon, the wise king, the words have the ring of a later period and author. In these words the author reveals the folly and uselessness of all human endeavor. Even if you think you have done something well, you will probably be succeeded in your position by others who will mess up your work or who will squander your good will. Rather than having a philosophy of progress, which is part of the American psyche, the philosophy of the author of Ecclesiastes is cyclical or despairing. Round and round goes human life. What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Even the mere act of exertion tires the author because the product of the exertion is nothing more than dust--a work that will not endure. We will be forgotten; our memory will cease; nothing will be left of all the energy, passion, love and desire that was part of our throbbing reality for the brief years of our lives.

The words of a famous hymn capture this sentiment well:

"Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the op'ning day."

The problem as the author sees it, is that God has put eternity in our minds (these are the words of the RSV, though the words of the NRSV differ a bit), but so that we cannot find out the work that God has done (3:11). The KJV of 3:11 reads, "He hath made every thing beautiful in its time, also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." The sentiment of this most important verse seems to be that we have a quest for understanding and knowledge of all things, but this quest is thwarted. That is the nature of life for the author, in a nutshell--it is thwarted. Riches don't fulfill. Satisfaction of sensual urges is illusory. Seeking wisdom itself only leads to sadness. We have a built-in quest to excel, to learn, to know the present and future, to have eternity in our hearts, but we can't find the things that the heart longs for.

Thus, for the author, the human condition is one of sadness and wretchedness. We cannot attain things of lasting value because eventually we must perish and a fool may take our place.

Is He Right?

The question that is on my mind as I study this text is this: Is the author right? Oh, you may say that his words here must be interpreted in light of the last words of the book--the end of the matter, fear God and keep God's commandments for that is human duty--but I think that is unhelpfully rushing to the end before we understand the issues of the book. It is like reading Job 42 right after we read Job 2. If we do that we will have missed all the riches of the Joban poetry.

So, we need to hear the word of Ecclesiastes today. He paints with a pretty broad brush. The quests for fame, fortune, sensual pleasure and wisdom are all tainted. I think we all secretly agree with the philosophy of the author, but we don't give ourselves much privilege or space to explore these beliefs. If I were to characterize life in America today with similar broad brush strokes I would say it was motivated by quests for money and status, and for the trappings which those things bring. Most of us are not worried about where the next meal will come from; we are concerned, however, about how we are perceived not only by friends but what our "legacy" will be. We are increasingly a "celebrity-oriented" culture, a culture which accords either respect or scorn, but always attention, to the antics and lives of the pretty people in our midst. We strive primarily for the things that material benefits can provide--for comforts; for nice vacations; for two or more homes. In this regard, Eccl. 1-2 is right on point with the NT reading for the week (Lk. 12:13-21). In that passage Jesus takes a person's request to divide the inheritance between him and his brother as an occasion to speak about the evils of greed. But we go on, rather oblivious to the words of Jesus (and Ecclesiastes) about the valuelessness of amassing wealth.

Conclusion

This is a week in which the readings denounce things. Greed is denounced in Luke 12; we are urged to "put to death" a lot of things in our lives in Col. 3; this passage shows that various human quests are worthless. We are in mid-summer, when the living is easiest and the pace is slowest, and the Scriptures denounce things. Sometimes we just need to hear that negative word. It can clear the mental decks; help lead toward reorientation of life; make us slow down long enough to ask ourselves on what we are basing our life anyway. In that regard, I am glad for Ecclesiastes 1-2. It helps put my own quests in perspective...

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