12 So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
- Why did Solomon consider wisdom, madness, and folly after his evaluation of pleasure?
- Which did Solomon consider best: wisdom or folly? Why?
- What is the fate of every person under the sun?
- Why did Solomon find this frustrating?
- How often do you find this frustrating in day-to-day life? - Why did Solomon hate life?
- What is the problem with life under the sun?
- How is the quest for knowledge (and maybe wisdom) seen in today's culture?
- What is the purpose for seeking more knowledge today under the sun?
- How is the quest for fame seen in today's culture?
- What is the fate of most who seek fame?
- If life under the sun is so bad and frustrating, what hope does the average person have? What hope do you have?
Interesting conclusion here. Wisdom is better than folly, but not really. At first glance, the passage seems to be about wisdom and folly, but then Solomon throws the curve. The foolish man and the wise man both die and no one remembers. For me, I would hope that wisdom would keep me from making foolish mistakes, like seeking fame. Yet it seems that others have their hope in this world and seek the fleeting warmth of fame. If Solomon was seeking fame, it seems that he was a fool walking in darkness. Yes, he was chasing the wind.
2 comments:
I find myself mis-understanding Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is a book that I don't wade around in very often. It's probably because I don't like some of Solomon's statements and I often misunderstand them. In 2:17, Solomon states, "So I hated life..." I don't like that statement. Perhaps he was saying if you don't serve God, you will "hate life." On the other hand, serving God will lead to joy and peace. I would like to hear your thoughts.
For me, Ecclesiastes is a view of life from a person approaching the end of their life under the sun. Under the sunis a phrase the Solomon will use many times. It means life on this earth, probably with limited recognition of God. God apparently gave Solomon the wisdom to realize the impact of his lifestyle along the way. You are jumping to the end, not seeing the journey. Solomon looked at all the wisdom he had gained and saw that under the sun he was not better than a fool. He hated life. I mean why bother if you cannot be better than everyone else. I definitely understand Solomon's feelings in many different ways. Granted, I have only one wife and no slaves, etc. so I cannot identify with that aspect. On the other hand, I have chased the wind and been so frustrated that I hated life, people, and things. I still chase the wind. All of mankind will chase the wind. We will all at the end of our lives look back and see just how empty it was. God has allowed us to see through the aged eyes of a man who had it all, did it all, and knew it all. I challenge you to walk along side Solomon as he experiences his life under the sun and see how empty that life really is. This is a message for the ages.
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