Ecclesiastes Part Three
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for 2nd October 1997
Web page: http://www.eternitymag.com/etinsp.htm
Tell your friends to subscribe!
Ecclesiastes Part Three
(Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 NIV) I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in
Jerusalem. {13} I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all
that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
{14} I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of
them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. {15} What is twisted
cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. {16} I
thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more
than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced
much of wisdom and knowledge." {17} Then I applied myself to the
understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned
that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. {18} For with much wisdom
comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
When I first read these verses years ago the impact of verse 15 was
stunning. "What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking
cannot be counted.". If you look at human lives and look at all the
people who have been "twisted" by hurt, sin, and dark choices it is
truly astonishing. Humanly speaking "what is twisted cannot be
straightened" as soon as you fix one person another is damaged
somewhere else. It seems hopeless. What is lacking cannot be counted.
Who can count the lack of food, clean water, unpolluted air, basic
finance, education, in the world today - or the lack of love,
kindness, co-operation and civility? Or the greatest lack of all -
people to take the good news to those who have not heard so that they
may be saved.
This was a piercing observation and it threw me into despair just
like it did to Solomon. However it is an "under the Sun"
perspective. It leaves God out. There is a Redeemer, Jesus God's own
Son. He can straighten out what is twisted. He can make up what is
lacking. He will not be frustrated by the mess the world is in. The
world will achieve all that God has set out for it and then He will
return and all things will be made new and the Fall and all its
power to twist and to cause lack will be undone. God is not defeated
by an untidy room. He does not see an untidy mess of a planet as
hopeless. He will decisively intervene to create a new heavens and a
new earth where righteousness dwells and where there is no more
sickness or death or crying or pain.
In verse 18 Solomon notes "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief." Wisdom can be a burden. There
are times when it brings the sense of knowing too much. The
illusions of life at times make it bearable and to be wise means to
have set many of those illusions aside. The innocent joy of
childhood cannot be captured by most "wise" adults. On a human level
therefore wisdom is an unhappy thing and philosophers traditionally
have been gloomy. In Christ however Christ is our wisdom and
sanctification and redemption. In Him we have a wisdom greater than
all the wisdom of this world. A wisdom of God unto salvation.
Einstein cannot get you to Heaven, neither can Marx, Engels or
Nietzsche. Whatever wisdom they have is good but it is as nothing
compared to the foolishness of God in Christ. The wisdom that is in
Christ is a happy wisdom. It brings us love and joy and peace. It is
a wisdom better than the 'under the Sun' wisdom of Solomon. (see
also 1 Corinthians 1:18-31)
Prayer:
Holy Father who knows our hearts and minds give us a boundless
optimism in Christ that we may know the extent His redemption will
affect this shattered world so that we may have hope. Lord let Jesus
Christ be our wisdom. May His light in our hearts cause us to
rejoice. Amen.
---------------------------------------------------------------
This devotional may be freely distributed for ministry purposes
Questions and comments may be sent to:
[email protected]
(not to the list please)
John Edmiston ([email protected])
Editor - Eternity Online Magazine http://www.eternitymag.com/
A Biblical Corner of The Internet
Eternity Inspiration - Free daily devotionals
http://www.eternitymag.com/etinsp.htm