No 16

(Is Life Really All Vanity? – Ecclesiastes)

The book of Ecclesiastes (one of my favourites) paints a very grim picture of what life is here on earth. Words such as vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit appear quite often during the book and the writer of Ecclesiastes (probably Solomon) even stated“wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive” (ch 4:2). I believe the writer had come to a point in his life where he was disgusted with what he had done and was feeling guilt, shame and remorse for the lifestyle that he had had. God had made him the wisest of all kings and had blessed him with earthly riches “I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.” (1Kings 3:12,13). For Solomon to have all this, God had only one condition: “And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk” (v14b).

Life is a wonderful gift of God; He created mankind to adore and honour Him so that, one day, He would welcome us into His eternal resting place, heaven. Solomon had abused this gift and was actually not that dis-similar from how we could come to a point in our lives where we feel the same way he did. However, toward the end of his book, he gives us a formula to avoid having to go through difficult periods; he said “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (ch 12:13b). Wiser words were never spoken.