1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; …
9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.
14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
REFLECTION:
Solomon’s point in this chapter is to say that God has a plan for everyone. God has arranged different stages for our lives, and each stage has something we should do. Although we will encounter many difficulties that seem to conflict with God’s plan, these difficulties should not become an obstacle to our faith, but should be an opportunity for us to rely on God. Without God, there will not be a satisfactory solution to the problems in life! The secret of reconciliation with God lies in having wisdom to discern, accept, and appreciate the time God has set. Suspicion or resentment of the time set by God is dangerous. This can make people disappointed, rebellious, and even disregarding God’s will and acting on their own. God has “put eternity into man’s heart” (v.11) means: we can never be completely satisfied with the pleasures and pursuits of the world. Since we were created in the image of God, we have spiritual hunger and thirst, and only the living God can truly satisfy us. God places the desire for eternity in our hearts and allows us to see the beauty of His creation, but we cannot see into the future or fully understand God’s plan. Therefore, we must fear God, be joyful and beneficent in the world, and be blessed by God as you walk the journey of life with Him.
PRAYER:
Come to God quietly, ask God to give you confidence, patience, and wisdom, and understand that God has made everything beautiful in its time according to His will. Ask God to lead you, no matter if your current situation is good or bad, that you will fear God, and not deviate from the path God destined for your life.
4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.
9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
REFLECTION:
Solomon used his life as an experiment to explore the meaning of life. He first tried to pursue pleasure: he did major projects, bought servants, cattle and sheep, gathered wealth, gathered singers, added many concubines in the harem, and became the most prominent king of Jerusalem. But none of this satisfies him, so he said, “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” (v.11). The pleasure he pursued may bring him short-term satisfaction, but if it was the purpose of life, all these pursuits were in vain. Solomon exhausted all his methods to find the meaning of life, but the result was “a striving after wind.” When the wind blows, we can feel it, but we cannot hold it firmly in our hands. All our achievements, even great achievements, are similar. Only in the love of God, not in human achievement, can we find true peace and self-worth. Please reflect in your life what do you think is valuable and make you spend your time, energy and money on it? One day when you look back on the past, do you realize that these are also “a striving after wind”? Is your goal in life to pursue the meaning of life in your own way, or to pursue God who gives true meaning to life?
PRAYER:
Pray for God to enlighten you so that you can clearly see that the things you are currently working on are like “a striving after wind” and are of no benefit to your life? Ask God to give you the confidence and courage to let go of the love in your heart, strive to seek God who gives you peace and eternal blessing, and live according to His will.
Ecclesiastes is the collected words of a “teacher” or “preacher.” The Teacher is described as having been king over Israel in Jerusalem, and as the son of David. Both of these mean that he was in the royal line of Judah. He is not further identified, and while tradition identifies him with Solomon, it is appropriate to leave this cloak of anonymity in place.
The repeated phrase Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless! Warns us that life’s rewards are uncertain and ultimately unsatisfying. The Teacher pursues this insight in a long discourse that shifts between prose and poetry, and between autobiography and straightforward teaching. The book makes observations and poses questions, returning to themes like the wind— round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
When the Teacher says what is crooked cannot be straightened, he reminds us that something wrong has intruded into our world. This fits the larger Jewish story told in the rest of the Scriptures. Setting things right again is what this bigger drama is about. The Teacher, however, does not tell us about God’s attempts at straightening the world. He is content to say that God is sovereign over all things and it is our duty to follow his ways for living, since God will bring every deed into judgment.
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem…
12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.
18 For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
REFLECTION:
The author of Ecclesiastes is Solomon, “the king in Jerusalem, son of David”. He called himself a preacher, gathered the people to listen to his message, and collected words of wisdom (Proverbs). He is the person in the Bible who has everything in the world (including wisdom, power, wealth, honour, fame, and God’s favour), but he said that everything in the world is ultimately vanity. Although the state of Israel under Solomon was in its heyday, he wanted the people to understand that success and prosperity cannot last for a long time. All human achievements are like chasing after the wind, and one day they will disappear. We should keep this truth in mind so that we can live wisely. His purpose in writing this book is to show that only knowing God can bring true satisfaction and declare that this is “great wisdom.” “What is crooked cannot be made straight” refers to the confusion and chaos caused by the many unanswerable questions in our lives. When Solomon described his life, he found that neither his achievements nor wisdom could make him truly happy. The true wisdom is in God, and true happiness comes from pleasing God. We should respect God in words, thoughts, and all actions, and obey God’s will. Think about whether you have such great wisdom in your heart and really live according to this great wisdom?
PRAYER:
Come to God quietly, just like Solomon asked God for wisdom back then. Ask God to give you true wisdom in life, so that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you can gradually understand that everything in the world is emptiness. You have to walk with God and live according to His will to get true peace and joy.
