Monday, January 02, 2006
Perspective
Eccl 1:1-18 - The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.I am drawn to Ecclesiastes often. I find comfort in its seemingly cynical abandonment. I have been told this is because I am a failure, that I denigrate the accomplishment of the successful as vanity to make myself look good. And yet that misses the point of the book as well, for ALL is vanity, even my declaration of it.
"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." 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. 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.
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. 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. Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new"? Already it has existed for ages which were before us. 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.
I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 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. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge." And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain. (NAS)
I find the viewpoint of this book especially appropriate at the beginning of a new year, a time when we set goals, make resolutions, and charge ourselves up for the tasks ahead. In the end, this is not a book of cynicism, but of hope, hope in the right place, for it concludes
Eccl 12:13-14 - The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.Vocation, ministry, preaching, blogging, working or resting - fear God and keep His commandments - that is not cynical, that is the only source of hope and fulfillment.
