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VIRTUAL SUKKOT
POSTED 28 SEPTEMBER, 2007

Sukkot Reflections on Ecclesiastes: Day Two

by Mark Huey
mhuey@outreachisrael.net

Ecclesiastes 2

Let us begin today’s reflection by first reading the opening verses of Ecclesiastes 2. Allowing the Preacher’s words sink into your thoughts, I will make some comments:

“I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.’ And behold, it too was futility. I said of laughter, ‘It is madness,’ and of pleasure, ‘What does it accomplish?’ I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines. Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).

If you will recall from the previous reflection, the opening chapter of Ecclesiastes ends on a sour note. The Preacher (who I conclude is King Solomon), summarizes his pursuit of wisdom and knowledge with these discouraging words:

“Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain” (Ecclesiastes 1:18).

We need to remember that Solomon has already been given the most wisdom ever given to anyone according to the Holy Scriptures. In multiple places in the Tanakh and the Apostolic Writings, the wisdom of Solomon is beyond comparison. Just one good example of his wisdom, discernment, and knowledge is recorded in 1 Kings 4:29-34:

“Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations. He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish.  Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom” (1 Kings 4:29-34).

For those who believe in the inspiration and veracity of the Holy Scriptures, the record is absolutely clear that Solomon probably received more wisdom, more discernment, and a greater breadth of mind than any person who has ever lived. We have an admonition given to Timothy from the Apostle Paul that elevates the benefits of taking these words to heart:

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:1-17).

What Paul tells Timothy could possibly be restated like this: Learn from the words of the authors of Scripture. Take those teachings to heart and recognize that from those words you should order your life. This was excellent instruction for Timothy, and for those of us who read the words of Qohelet even today. After all, the life experiences of Solomon that are recorded in the Book of Ecclesiastes should be more than enough to keep someone from seeking to indulge themselves in a manner similar to Solomon during his lifetime.

When you consider that Solomon essentially tried everything available to him to satisfy his fleshly desires—and still concluded that it was all vanity—perhaps we should avoid the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the Devil, and find our own satisfaction in the Lord. Here is what he says to confirm the vanity or futility of seeking pleasures of the flesh:

“All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11).

A few verses later, Solomon actually concludes that he hates life itself because of the futility of his efforts:

“So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:17).

When you think about it, this is a horrible commentary on life emanating from the purported wisest man who ever lived. Here was the king of Israel, endowed with not only great wisdom and knowledge, but also the financial resources to buy anything, or do anything that his heart desired—and yet his conclusion was that it is all vanity and just striving after wind. This is not a very good testimony on the benefits of wisdom and misspent riches!

As a modern-day Believer in Yeshua, you have to ponder these words in lieu of the life you now live in Him. After all, the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the Devil—things which Solomon contended with during his lifetime—still exist today for all who are called into godliness. We need to remember that even though we have the words of Solomon, and the other authors of the Holy Writ, we still struggle against powers and principalities in high places. Paul mentions this in Ephesians:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17).

We must put on the full armor of God to combat the unseen forces that war against our souls. This includes knowing the truth embodied in the Word of God, by consistently spending time in the Scriptures giving the indwelling Holy Spirit an opportunity to instruct us in all righteousness.

By just taking the time during Sukkot to reflect on the Book of Ecclesiastes, we can each let its wisdom redirect our understanding about our current relationship with the Holy One of Israel. We can remember how important it is to love the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength—as we seek to serve Him during our Earthly sojourn.

Another admonition comes from the Apostle John, and summarizes some of the challenges that each of us has with the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the Devil:

“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

Here in a very succinct way, John describes three enemies of our souls that emanate from the world where we live. These are worthy adversaries who innately wage war against us. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life are aspects of our common humanity that everyone must contend with during their lives. Perhaps the conclusions that come from the heart of Qohelet in Ecclesiastes will remind the student of Scripture that when any of these inclinations are given free reign in our lives, that the result of our efforts will be vanity.

We need to understand and embrace some of the other great words of encouragement that have been given to us in the Apostolic Writings. By believing in these statements from the heart of our Father, our ability to deal with the relative vanity of life makes life worth living. Here is how the Apostle Paul explains it:

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Messiah (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Messiah Yeshua, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Messiah Yeshua. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:1-9).

We know that the Father in His great mercy toward us has made us alive and has placed us in Heavenly places with the Messiah Yeshua. This was a gift of God that resulted not from our human works, but by His grace alone. We now have the opportunity to share this reality with those the Lord brings along our path.

Life is no longer vanity and striving after the wind for those who have been redeemed. Now in the Messiah, life has meaning. Each of us has been given a purpose for living as we share the truth about the forgiveness provided in His atoning blood.

May we each take this to heart as we seek His face during this season of joy!

Mark Huey (B.A., Vanderbilt University in History and Graduate Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) is the Director of Outreach Israel Ministries (www.outreachisrael.net). He is the author of several books, including: TorahScope, Volumes I & II, and Counting the Omer: A Daily Devotional Toward Shavuot. He is also co-author of Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study.