Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 (The Vanity of Wisdom)

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

There is one thing that is very difficult for me to do with regard to the Old Testament, and that is to fully wrap my brain around what they say. It seems to me that it takes them several paragraphs, all to end up saying what they want to say in one sentence. Anyway, I think verse 18 is the one that has the most impact on me today. It seems to be the summation of this little passage of scripture, discussing wisdom and what not like that.

As I think about what verse 18 says, I realize how true it is that as my knowledge increases, so does my sorrow. Now let me explain, I have a huge problem with guilt over sin, when I mess up, I feel so guilty. I also have a great desire to seek out God, and find him in the scriptures. Here is where the problem begins, as I dive deep into scripture, and learn about God's justness, greatness, and goodness, and as I read more and more about the things that do not bring glory to God, I find that I become increasingly more uncomfortable, because often I find something that I am doing is really probably not the most pleasing thing in God's sight. This is hard for me, struggling as I do, I discover a great conflict: the more I want to seek God, the more guilty I seem to become (at least to myself).

"For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression." Romans 4:15

This brings up another interesting point, would we know what sin is without the law (Bible). I don't think we would, because all to often we discover that actions we take and thoughts that we have do not line up with the will of God when we read the bible. So when the writer of Ecclesiastes is talking about the increase of knowledge bringing sorrow, it seems to me that this is appropriate application of this for today. I think that we need to be aware that our study of scripture and our growing in a relationship with God will not always be the easiest road, but it is the road that leads to holiness I think. For Paul says in his letter to the Romans:

"So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." Romans 7:21-25

We are to delight in the law of God, but we must also realize that sin, beaten by Christ on the Cross, can still creep in and trip us up from time to time. We do not need to be afraid of the bible condemning our actions, because I don't think that is the intent. The Hebrew word Torah literally means instruction, we should remember that. The word of God was given to us for several reasons, one of which would be instruction on following God. We are to learn and obey the law of God, and when we stumble, we must turn around. The Bible is meant to increase our knowledge of God and what pleases him, it is not to bring about more sorrow, for we should rejoice that our Lord brought to our attention sin that we knew not.

LORD, help me to seek you out in your word. Help me to become disciplined enough to seek you and learn what your word reveals about your will. Lord, please don't allow me to feel beaten down by your law God, but let it be something that I delight in. Lord, bring to my attention those things in my life that, though they may cause discomfort and guilt, need to be thrown out of my life because they don't line up with your holiness. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 (All is Vanity)

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

I think this is the passage in the book is probably one of the more famous, at least it seems to be the one I always hear referenced, the "everything is vanity" passage. I think quite obviously it seems to hold great value for humanity today, us being a generation that seeks material gain probably like none before us. I find this passage continuing to prove to me that the Bible is still authoritative, because it still talks to problems and issues in our day, though originally written at least 2500 years ago.

I try so hard to no strive after vanity. I know that the material things in this world, even my wisdom of things other than God, all really amount to nothing at the end. I, and we as humans, try so hard to accomplish things, to be known, to obtain money and power, and for what? Now I would not say that everything we strive for in this life are all bad, but I do think that there is a lot of stuff in this world that we chase after way more than we should, when all we should chase after is God and the knowledge of God. Personally, I feel if I spent the amount of time I sometimes spend chasing after getting the next cool thing I want, spending it instead chasing God, my relationship with him would be far better than it is, especially as of late.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servantof Christ." Galatians 1:10

I think we seem to strive to just please other people way more than we should. I praise God that a considerable majority of the time, I do not so much care what other people think, but I do find myself falling to thinking about how I look to other people. Our culture is one of a "mine is better than yours" mentality, we always have to have the bigger and better thing that the next person, and then when we get it, we move on to the next thing.

I think Christians today, and humanity in general would do good to heed these words of Solomon. None of this stuff is permanent, none of it will be coming with us to heaven. The Hebrew word in the text for vanity could actually be translated as vapor, which I think shows how temporary material things are. I think something we need to take from this would be that in the span of eternity, our lives are barely a dot on a map, so how much less eternal our the things we strive to get? My computer, my truck, my money, all will fade away, most even quicker than my life.

I do not want to be someone who is seeking after things that are not eternal. I want my focus shifted to seek after the one thing that eternal, God. Cause when I look back on my life so far, I distinctly remember how the times when I felt like I had accomplished the most, the times when I feel like I had gained the most, were not times when I had a lot of money (certainly not) or times when I had a lot of stuff, but the times when I was seeking after God and my relationship with him was in a time of prosperity. So why don't I continue to do that? Cause I am human, cause I turn on the T.V. and something shiny catches my eye. Cause I see things others have and I want what they have or something better.

Running this particular race is tiring. Chasing after the things is this world takes it right out of me. I spend so much time trying to get things I want, to be known, to just be able to say I accomplished something, and it wears me down to the bone. I am hunched over and I can't breathe. It's like I am in one of my Cross Country races in high school and made a wrong turn on the course. I am running so hard, trying to get to the goal, only to arrive at the goal, and realize that its not the right goal. What do I do? Do I turn around and go back to where I made the wrong turn, or do I continue on hoping the way I am going will eventually lead back to where I am supposed to be going. It can be a very disheartening feeling.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is zet before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith," Hebrews 12:1

I need to refocus, I need to set my eyes on the goal that was given to me, to seek God. I know how to give something my all, but I struggle to give the right thing my all. It is high time I fess up to the wrong race I have been running, turn around (repent), and get back to the right course.

God, help me today seek after you and you alone. Help me to not seek the things of this world with a passion that consumes, but let my one passion be for you. The things in this world will pass away Lord, but you are eternal, you are forever, you are Great. God you are the greatest thing that I could seek after. Lord help me to remember that everything is temporary God, anything I strive for on this earth will eventually pass away. God help me to turn around and seek the true course in this race, the one where the finish line is you. Amen

P.S. I find it interesting, that Solomon, who is arguably the wisest King of Israel, seemed to lead a pretty extravagant life. Just a thought.

New Direction

So, I am a horrible blogger, but i am going to try to change that. I think from now on, i am going to use the blog to publish my journaling about what I am reading in scripture. So look for starting tomorrow in the book of Ecclesiastes.