Ecclesiastes 1-3, 11-12
A Worthy
Purpose

For being God's favored servant, David sure had his share of frightening times. It looks like God has forsaken him and his enemies are closing in. (71:9-11)

David bolsters his confidence in God by recalling that God has been his hope and help and source of praise from youth. Having a good foundation of trusting God gives him confidence to not only wait for God, but ask Him to turn the tables on his enemies (quickly please). We'll see how it turns out in the rest of the Psalm. Odds are, it will have a happy ending.

When physically sick, one's spirit, as in emotional outlook, can sustain him/her, with hope or expectation of recovery. But, a crushed/broken spirit, doesn't sustain a person, but contributes to their demise. A crushed spirit can be due to sorrow/wound of the heart (Proverbs 15:13), or false hopes and dashed expectations. Some people view a wounded spirit as arising from bitterness due to real or perceived ill-treatment. The context is too limited to make a decisive determination of what causes the crushed spirit, but the solution is found in

Psalm 147:3 "He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds."

The discerning and wise weren't born that way, nor got there by accident, but purposefully sought knowledge, and continue to do so. The word for “gift” in verse 16 is usually used for an offering or present to secure favor, and not in the modern sense of talent or ability. However, having something to offer, such as knowledge, skill, wisdom, etc, does open doors, for those are things of which the great have need, and usually desire.

Since Solomon's thesis is that all is vanity, it might be a good idea to get a firm grip on it. Problem is, vanity is an elusive vapor, a breath, nothing substantial, and therefore meaningless. What does man gain from all his labor? He expends all his energy and comes up empty. There is no enduring gain or profit.

The cycles of life yield a pessimistic fatalism, far different from the joyful contemplations  of creation in the Psalms and other Scriptures.

Solomon uses his great wisdom to the wrong ends, and rather than resulting in joy and peace and gratitude, he finds himself in grief and sorrow. God and His will isn't in the picture.

Solomon takes all his wisdom and wealth in the pursuit of the three innate (pre-Fall) desires of power (security/significance), pleasure, and possessions in his futile quest for happiness and joy in life. And when he evaluates what he's gotten (1:11), he concludes “goose egg” :( It isn't worth it.

He does conclude that wisdom is better than folly, but meaningless in death (that's because he's not considering the possibility of laying up treasure in heaven).

So having everything he desires, he despairs of life, and hates it. Most people are caught up in the chase, and never consider if what they are chasing after will satisfy them if they get it (like a dog chasing a car). You probably don't have Solomon's wisdom, nor wealth, so what makes you think you'd do a better job of enjoying your attainments?

Solomon reaches a conclusion that is restated throughout the book, that there is nothing better to do than please God, because He is the one who gives the ability to enjoy food and drink and satisfying labor. Poor Solomon, he never quite figured out how to enjoy God.

There is a time for everything. We tend to cause ourselves problems by having our own timetable, rather than embracing God's timetable. We will always have time to do God's will. If you've sought God's will, depended upon His grace and prioritized your time to do it, then at the end of the day, you've done what God expected, even if some things are undone (unless, of course, you've squandered the time God entrusted to you as a stewardship, and done your will rather than His). For help see the Time Of Your Life Seminar on Truthbase.net.

God gives people a sense that there must be something more, yet they can't comprehend God's purposes, apart from Revelation. So Solomon defaults to just enjoying what life has to offer, but recognizes that such a path isn't satisfying. God has eternal purposes in what He does (such as attaching blessing to obedience and cursing to disobedience), which are irrevocable, therefore men should fear Him.

At this point you begin to wonder if Solomon had a little too much wine, because he isn't being too smart. He knows that there is eternity, and that God's purposes are eternal, but has a very materialistic view of the future. He ignores revelation, and the spiritual aspects of both the present and the future, and concludes that men and animals share the same fate. If that's the case, then all you can do is find pleasure in your work. He misses finding pleasure in God and in the future He's promised to those who are His loyal servants. Silly Solomon.

Solomon correctly warns that life is fleeting, so gather rosebuds while ye may, but know that God will bring everything into judgment. He suggests we follow our desires (like he did) but admonishes us to remove sorrow and evil, so we can better enjoy life. Somehow he misses the emphasis in the law (oh, he didn't read it) that the blessed and prosperous life is the result of doing God's will, and not our own. He never learned to rejoice in God as David did, so His view of God is mainly that of a judge, and not a joy.

It is wise to remember our Creator every day, because life is short, and then we die. Solomon seems more concerned with temporal desire being jaded than the eternal delights and joy in the presence of God. He recognizes that the spirit returns to God, but doesn't seem to understand that eternal life goes on. Perhaps he was so stuffed with the temporal, he had no appetite for the eternal.

Despite viewing life as a fleeting vapor, Solomon still taught the people wisdom, because that's what wise people do. In verse 12 he mentions what every good student knows.

He sums up his perspective of life under the sun with a final look above the sun. The whole duty of humans is to fear God and keep His commandments, because God will bring everything into judgment (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). That's the duty, but delighting ourselves in God should be our wholehearted desire.