03/26/2021 – Day 313 – Ecclesiastes 5 – 6 //A good start: Stand in the Awe of God…
The Opening “Stand in Awe of God” section through the first seven verses are really packed with God’s truth. The first verse: “… and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.” is further enlightened with this footnote: “Without the Law, it is almost possible to convince the ungodly that their heart is desperately wicked. Until it brings its light, they measure themselves by themselves, and the tragic result is that they proclaim their own goodness. See Proverbs 20:6 ; Mark 10: 17-19.”
I believe in the infallibility of scripture. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) That does not mean the everything that is said or done is infallible of course. And Solomon’s discourse is is the former. You can’t help but feel compassion for Solomon for an eternal perspective on God’s truth is a gift from the Holy Spirit. It is a gift , so we don’t earn it, and besides, Solomon is 1000 years before Christ, we have the A.D. perspective of history.
Let’s look at the last verse of our reading today, 6:12: “For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone? From a Christian perspective, what is good in any man’s life, as short as it is? Is it not to give glory to God in the spiritual battle we have been in since day 1. And if we praise him despite terrrible suffering in this life, is He not glorified the more?
From a worldly perspective, Solomon has taken an excellent step recognizing that worldly riches are meaningless. But then to refer to this condition as a “grievious evil”, in 5:16 and again in 6:2 , is a step backward. It misses the purpose of our life entirely. Let’s look at 5: 19 – 20: “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work – this is a gift from God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart. In essense, Solomon is saying “ignorance is bliss” , and that is a gift from God. The source of his joy and contentment through the gift of the Spirit is that : 1) God loves him; 2) God has redeemed him ; and life dedicated to Him is firmly entrenched in meaningfulness by definition.
An excellent gospel illustration is Luke 16: 19-31: Lazurus and the Rich Man. You certainly come away with the human riches in this world is meaningless, from the rich man in hell. But you are also given Lazurus who only knows eternal joy after a brief miserable suffering life that was dedicated to God. As St Teresa de Avila wrote late in life : “From the perspective of heaven, the most miserable life ever lived or to be lived is akin to a single night in a bad hotel.” That properity gospel just can’t hold water.
Soli Deo Gloria!