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God said to him, “. . . Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. (NASB) 1 Kings 3:11-13 Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. (NASB) Eccl. 2:9 God gave him great wisdom and great wealth. Yet, Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to tell us what he discovered about the reality of life. He starts the book with a surprising summary,
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (NASB) Eccl. 1:2 The Hebrew word for “vanity” has the idea of emptiness. Therefore, the verse could be rewritten as, “Empty of empties. All is empty.” That is, life is like a soap bubble. Eventually, it goes “pop” and there is nothing. Life is a “big fat zero.” Life is empty. The book of Ecclesiastes describes life for the man on this planet without God. Those who know God have something better for which to look, but it is not found in this world.
The Details of Life. After his summary, Solomon then proceeds to tell us that there is no benefit in our work. He starts by asking a question.
What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun? (NASB) Eccl. 1:3
His question assumes a negative answer. The answer is, “None!” There is no benefit in our labor! The next series of verses explains why.
A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever. (NASB) Eccl. 1:4
Next, he adds that are we born into this world and then we die. A generation is born and then it dies, and the cycle is repeated and repeated, but the world always remains. We come and we go, but not the earth.
Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
And hastening to its place it rises there again. (NASB) Eccl. 1:5
Now he says that the sun rises and sets and the next day does it all over again, but we do not. We are born and then we die. We come and we go. That is all that there is. We are no more, but not the earth or the sun. They remain.
Blowing toward the south,
Then turning toward the north,
The wind continues swirling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns. (NASB) Eccl 1:6
Then he reminds us that the wind also comes and goes. We do not know where it came from or where it is going. The wind flows from one place to another and eventually returns. But we come and we go! After we leave, we do not return.
All the rivers flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers flow,
There they flow again. (NASB) Eccl. 1:7
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