Ecclesiastes 4:4 "And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
With all the oppression he sees in the world, the writer declares that the dead have it better than the living. Those who have come and gone are happier than those who are. But better off yet are those who have not yet come. Those who have not had to witness the wickedness in their lifetime. Pretty depressing. Everyone alive, or who has been, has suffered through wickedness. And for what? Life under the sun...
Also, a hopelessly cynical opinion that all achievement and prosperity springs from a man's envy of his neighbor. Really, do we strive and cultivate ambition just so we can be better than someone else? And is being better than someone else the only drive? Man...I have to think about that.
Verse 6 re-emphasizes how important tranquility is over riches. Riches which are gained by meaningless toil.
Being alone is sad. One person does not have a second person to pick him up when he falls. To keep him warm. Or help him not be overpowered. Two can defend themselves. A cord of three is not easily broken.
The final verses appear to me to describe David's situation. He was a wise youth, and King Saul was a knucklehead, not open to warning. Despite David's constant walk with God, the people eventually fell away from God, and away from listening to David. Which made it all meaningless.
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Ecc. 3: Enjoy your Work
Ecclesiastes 3:22 "So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?"
Ecclesiastes 3 is probably best know for comprising a majority of the 1959 Pete Seeger tune "Turn! Turn! Turn!" The first 8 verses are a Proverbs-like set of couplets, declaring that there are times for everything. At one time, there is a time to plant, and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. They all seem to be opposites. Something we would declare good, and something that could ostensibly be bad. There are times for all of them.
In keeping with the context of meaninglessness, of vanity, is the writer saying it doesn't really matter what you do? Maybe its not to do one thing full time. If you are going to do one thing, you should do the other.
Again there is the emphasis to find satisfaction in our toil. To be happy with that. God created man with this burden. To only know life. To only know time. To be unable to fathom the eternity of God and his works. This is why eternity is so mind blowing. It was meant to never be understood by mere men. We have one go-around. Life is temporary, while God, who transcends life, is eternal, not to be grasped.
Life under the sun, is not ideal, where judgment and justice should be rightfully, wickedness exists. God, who also transcends time, sets our time. And everything will happen in his time.
The writer has faith in God, and appears to trust God with eternity, but still doesn't know. He wonders if man and animal are truly so different. Both die (like the wise and the fool). Both are composed of the dust to which they will return. Man doesn't know what happens after him. Man can only know history, not future.
Ecclesiastes 3 is probably best know for comprising a majority of the 1959 Pete Seeger tune "Turn! Turn! Turn!" The first 8 verses are a Proverbs-like set of couplets, declaring that there are times for everything. At one time, there is a time to plant, and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. They all seem to be opposites. Something we would declare good, and something that could ostensibly be bad. There are times for all of them.
In keeping with the context of meaninglessness, of vanity, is the writer saying it doesn't really matter what you do? Maybe its not to do one thing full time. If you are going to do one thing, you should do the other.
Again there is the emphasis to find satisfaction in our toil. To be happy with that. God created man with this burden. To only know life. To only know time. To be unable to fathom the eternity of God and his works. This is why eternity is so mind blowing. It was meant to never be understood by mere men. We have one go-around. Life is temporary, while God, who transcends life, is eternal, not to be grasped.
Life under the sun, is not ideal, where judgment and justice should be rightfully, wickedness exists. God, who also transcends time, sets our time. And everything will happen in his time.
The writer has faith in God, and appears to trust God with eternity, but still doesn't know. He wonders if man and animal are truly so different. Both die (like the wise and the fool). Both are composed of the dust to which they will return. Man doesn't know what happens after him. Man can only know history, not future.
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