Ecclesiastes #3

Introduction:

Connection:

Philosophers and Scholars are typically marked by unhappiness and sorrow. In all their intelligence and genius—the words of Solomon ring true: he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. There is no lasting gain in wisdom and knowledge. In order to properly find wisdom, we must first know that a misuse of wisdom leads to unhappiness—and that growth in knowledge of a fallen world leaves to sorrow.

Theme:

Applying our Hearts to Unhappiness

Need:

We need to stop trying to think that life under the sun can make us truly happy—that is a delusion. True happiness needs permanence and stability—Solomon is going to prove this point, again and again. As Gibson says: Life is gift, not gain.

Purpose:

To convince us all that there is no lasting gain in the endeavor for wisdom and knowledge under the sun; to rebuke us for trying to make a gust of wind our foundation in life; to comfort us in the abiding wisdom and knowledge in Christ; and to exhort us to true happiness in Jesus as we plod on through this weary hebel.

Recap:

Last Sunday morning we learned from Solomon that there is no lasting gain under the sun; that the cycles of nature mock our fleeting lives; that the created world cannot satisfy our weary hearts; and that novelty and legacy are poor idols. Our text for this morning begins Solomon’s autobiography of his search for happiness and satisfaction in this world of hebel, of vanity and vapor—starting with the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge.

Read Text:

Eccl. 1:12-18 ESV

PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

(1) Seeking Knowledge leads to Endless Sadness under the Sun - v. 12-13

Ecclesiastes 1:12–13 ESV

I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.

(1) Seeking Knowledge leads to Sadness under the Sun - v. 12-13

Here we begin the sketch of Solomon’s reflection on how nothing in this world leads to lasting gain, how nothing in this life leads to deep satisfaction in itself, how all is a vapor that fades away, and how all is vanity as a poor substitute for God.

He begins by telling us that I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven (v. 13).

I wasn’t content to half-heartedly seek—I applied my entire heart, the totality of my being, the fullness of my soul—I engaged all my faculties, my rational thought, my thinking reflection, my feeling affections, my reactive desires, my willful choice, my purposeful decisions—with my entire heart, soul, mind, and strength—I went out to seek for lasting gain by wisdom in this life of hebel (Eccl. 1:3)

But I didn’t just want to seek generally and superficially—I also wanted to search specifically and intentionally. I didn’t want to just gaze at the forest—I also wanted to study the bark on the trees. I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. I tried to find gain, satisfaction, rest, happiness, and joy this life of hebel. In turning my back on God, I sought to turn his world into my god. In turning away from the Creator, I sought to turn the creature into a lord (Rom. 1:22-23)

I searched far and wide, high and deep, generally and specifically—I went to the ends of the earth, to see the great wall of China; I went on a private jet to see the entirety of the plant—I went to the peek of Mount Everest, eaten by frost-bite; I went to the lowest shaft in the Earth, in the thick and heavy air—I went study all the maps of the world, and to look through the telescope at the expanse of the heavens; I went to the laboratory to study the molecules and atoms, the up and down quarks.

Job 28:12–17 ESV

“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living. The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

Where is happiness to be found? Is it to be ultimately found in wisdom and knowledge? In seeking and searching all that is under the sun? Can such things bring lasting gain? No, they are vain to that end. They are a fleeting mist and breath of air, a gust of wind. Build as much wisdom and knowledge as you can, soon your mental capacities will deteriorate so much that it will all be forgotten—it cannot provide what you are looking for—the finite cannot fill up the infinite. Alas—it is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with (v. 13b).

This too is toilsome, burdensome, weighty, depressing, saddening, unhappy, and joyless. This is the fruit of our sin. This is the result of Adam’s rebellion against God. Behold, says the Preacher, God made man upright, but he sought out many schemes (Eccl. 7:29)—he sought to make wisdom and knowledge his god, to make wisdom and knowledge in the abstract his king. He sought to make the pursuit of forbidden knowledge his hearts desire. He sought to be wise in his own eyes—in human autonomy and self-sufficiency. But behold, says the Preacher, this is an unhappy business that God has given to us, that God has afflicted us with, that is the just punishment for our sin. It is as if the Lord says: You won’t be satisfied in me and my infinite wisdom and knowledge? Fine—go and try and be satisfied in your poor and pitiful attempts to make autonomous wisdom and knowledge, human wisdom and eloquence, try to make these your god and see how it fares for you.

Study your natural sciences—work up your evolutionary theories—conjur up your theory of general relativity—study the night sky and the deep things of the cosmos—measure up the distance between stars and the speed of light—plumb to the depths of our biology at the cellular level—try to cure cancer with your pharmaceutical drugs—try to make the people civil by secular philosophy and godless society—try to understand the pysche of the human brain, of which they say we are merely meat-machines as evolved animals. Thinking they were wise, they became fools (Rom. 1). Solomon elsewhere says: “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Prov. 26:12).

Do you not yet see, says the Preacher? Have you not read? Do you not know? Behold—it is an unhappy business—it does not satisfy—it does not fill—it brings no gain—and it is the fruit of our ongoing rebellion against God by rejecting his Word, his Ways, his Will, and his Wisdom. Go get as many degrees as you can, go fill your library with good literature, go watch as many things as you can on youtube—and do you not yet realize that such things do not satisfy your weary heart and flesh.

Gibson says: The Preacher’s was a quest for satisfaction and meaning in life, and he pursued it by giving himself to wisdom and [knowledge]. As he did so, he held happiness in his hands—and then felt it slip through his fingers like water and vanish down the drain forever. Degree certificates line his study walls, but his tears are the same as the person working on the street who never even went to school.

Study, even good study, is not the cure to hebel. Science, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, physics, cosmology, whatever-ology you name—there is no lasting gain to be found therein. Truly, it is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with (v. 13b).

And oh how we busy ourselves with this unhappy business. Oh how we fill our days with vain pursuits, with fleeting pleasures, with wordly things, with vapor and mist. Trying to be satisfied in such things does not lead to true happiness. The first step to erasing our sadness under the sun is to stop trying to erase our sadness with more sadness. Fire doesn’t quench fire. Sadness won’t alleviate sadness. Unhappy business won’t make truly happy hearts.

This is Solomon’s story of trying to find happiness in the vapor of wisdom and knowledge—which proved to be vanity and vapor as a means to find lasting gain and rest, which made him sad and depressed.

(1) Seeking Knowledge leads to Sadness under the Sun - v. 12-13

This leads us to Solomon’s second point:

(2) Seeing Reality leads to Endless Striving under the Sun - v. 14-15

Ecclesiastes 1:14–15 ESV

I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

(2) Seeing Reality leads to Endless Striving under the Sun - v. 14-15

I’ve seen it all, says Solomon! I’ve seen all that is done under the sun! I’ve beheld the works of human achievements. I’ve seen the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom! I’ve gazed upon the never ending, unsatisfying, and profitless endeavors to find gain in wisdom and knowledge—behold: all is vanity apart from God—behold: all is vapor and fading away in God’s world. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity/vapor and a striving after the wind. (v. 14).

I went to parliament, I went to the universities, I went to the factories, I went to the museums, I went to the dig sites, I went to the conferences—and I realized, these too shall pass, these too shall fade away, these too shall crumble and fall, these too are fleeting and temporary, transient and misty (Ps. 39). In fact, they are a striving after the wind, an attempt to find satisfaction in a gust of wind. You probably have a footnote after wind—and it says that it can literally be translated as feeding the wind; essentially shepherding the wind.

Image with me for a moment this picture of feeding the wind. Image making a meal, cooking some good meat, a nutritious and rich diet, healthy and enjoyable. You’ve put in an hour or two. Maybe you marinated the meat. Maybe you added some special seasoning. Maybe you added your secret ingredients. And then you plate the meal; you put it on a dish, make it look nice and fancy and presentable. Then you grab a fork, and you feed the wind……….… You feel the wind pushing against your skin, you know it’s there. So you sort of toss the food at the wind. You try to make sure the wind makes contact with the food and that it leaves the fork. What happens? It falls into the abyss, to the ground, to be tramped underfoot.

What is life under the sun like? It is like preparing a rich meal and then having it fall into the dirty ground beneath you. Vanity of vanities, Vapor of vapors. Trying to find lasting gain in bare wisdom and knowledge, in seeing everything that is done under the sun, is like trying to shepherd a flock of transient wind. You can’t catch it—you can’t tend to the flock—you can’t help the flock—and you look like a fool trying to attempt such a thing. Don’t try to shepherd air. You can’t do it. We can’t fix it. Trying to make the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge our god is like trying to feed the wind. It’s a foolish endeavor in the first place: It is a striving after the wind (v. 14).

Solomon gives another little proverb and illustration to help us graft the folly and vanity of trying to shepherd the wind—of trying to find gain in this vapor and mist. He says: what is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted (v. 15).

Trying to shepherd the wind, trying to find lasting gain in human wisdom and knowledge is like trying to straighten a solid piece of bent rebar with your own hands—it is like trying to count inventory on items that have never arrived. It is like trying to iron out the wrinkles on a sculpture, it is like trying to grab food from an empty shelf.

We have the desire to fix things, especially men. We have the desire to claim at least some of the recognition. We have the desire to try and take some of the credit. We think we can make straight what is crooked. We think we can fill that which is empty. We think we can bring life out of death. We think we can undue the curse and the fall. We think we can usher in the new Eden and Zion. We think we can remove the guilt and corruption of our hearts. We think we can put a bandaid over the oppression and abuse of this world.

We think we can end poverty and sickness. We think we can cure all cancer and disease. We think we can restore relationships to peace. We think we can remove all strife and envy from our lives. We think we can overpower the principle of sin in our flesh. We think we can change our habits and produce true piety. We think we can stop the addictions on our own. We think we can mend the brokenness in our lives. We think we fix depression with positive thinking. We think we can bring wholeness by behavioral therapy. We think we can redeem ourselves by our efforts and devotion. We think we can build a tower to the heavens to appease the Lord. We think we can hide from the Almighty God.

Solomon says: what is crooked cannot be made straight (v. 15). We can’t do it. We don’t have the power. We don’t have the ability. We don’t have the strength. We don’t have the resources. We don’t have the divinity. To try and do what we cannot do is to strive after the wind in folly and a spiral of never-ending pain. But we lie to ourselves, delude ourselves with our self-strength and self-sufficiency, trying to convince ourselves that we have the power to snap our fingers and bring blessings—physical or spiritual. Dead men can’t raise dead men from the dead. We can’t do it. This leads to endless striving.

(2) Seeing Reality leads to Endless Striving under the Sun - v. 14-15

This brings us to our last point:

(3) Surpassing Others leads to Endless Sorrow under the Sun - v. 16-18

Ecclesiastes 1:16–18 ESV

I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

(3) Surpassing Others leads to Endless Sorrow under the Sun - v. 16-18

Here Solomon narrows in his pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, of vanity and vapor, but he adds an element of comparison and position. Well maybe the pursuit in and of itself won’t satisfy—but maybe if I meditate on the fact that no one else exceeds me in wisdom and knowledge, maybe that will bring true gain, lasting profit and spiritual rest to my weary soul. Maybe if I can show that I have surpassed all others, then my sorrow shall cease!

And you know what, part of this is true! Solomon did surpass all of his day in wisdom and knowledge. Hear from 1 Kings 4:29-34

1 Kings 4:29–34 ESV

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was 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 to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Solomon had wisdom and knowledge beyond measure, more than Mesopotamia, more than Egypt, more than the surrounding nations. Infact, even the Queen of Sheba came to visit him and to inquire of him for wisdom. Even the pagan rulers were flocking to Solomon for advice and counsel. Solomon had surpassed them all. But once Solomon leaned his weight on the fact that he had surpassed him all, it was his sure fall and demise. He who wrote the proverb: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18)—he who wrote the proverb became a living sermon of such folly. He who surpassed them all fell to the lowest of lows. He who was the blessed king of Israel, fell as a backsliding fool. He who walked with God became as one who was striving after the wind. He who has such great experience of wisdom and knowledge, also knew madness and folly (v. 16).

In comparing himself to others, he looked at his own righteousness, his own position, his own power, his own gifts, and he compared himself to others who were wicked, mad and foolish, low and despised, weak and downtrodden, lacking in gifts and grace—and his heart railed against the Giver, against the God of Israel. This too he said, is but a striving after wind (v. 17). But more than that, not only was it like shepherding the wind—it also brought much vexation and sorrow—frustration and distress—worry and anxiety. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow (v. 18). Placing his weight in his surpassing position and his supreme education, he realized that this too is no gain, that this too does not free me from the shackles of hebel.

Gibson again says: We are sure education can save us from all our ills and place us on the road to happiness. The Preacher shows us that this particular pursuit is as old as the hills. Get into the best schools, study hard, achieve the best results, learn and learn and learn, get up the ladder, and you’ll go far. Aim at the top and the sun will shine. Join the academic professions and you will surely soar on the new heights of your knowledge. It is not so, says the Preacher. The more I knew, the sadder I became.

Get your kids into Harvard! Get your kids into Yale! Get your kids into Queens! Get your kids into UoT! This will be the best thing for them! Well, maybe if you want to make them sorrowful. The more they know, the more more pain. The more they know, the more the frustration. The more they know, the more the vexation. The more they know the more the sadness. The more they know the more they realize that the amount of their knowledge still leaves them bound for the grace. The more they know the more they realize that the amount of wisdom they attain still leaves them in unhappy business. The more they experience the more they realize that it is vapor, vanity, fleeting, and nonsense. The more they increase in, the more they recognize that nothing that I do, nothing that we do, nothing that our society does, nothing that our city does, nothing that our nation does, nothing that our continent does, nothing that our world does, nothing can free us from the tyranical ruler of hebel. Maybe the old proverb has some truth in it: ignorance is bliss.

Like Solomon, if we place our weight on the mere advancement of wisdom and knowledge we will do no good to our souls. This too is vapor. Like Solomon, if we think that our chief problem is a lack of knowledge, we haven’t yet properly surveyed the human condition. Our problem is not lack of knowledge, our problem is sin. And until we address sin, rebellion, judgment, wrath, condemnation, hell , guilt, shame, enmity with God, and the need for salvation—until we look this dead in the eye all our wisdom and knowledge will just grow our vexed spirit, and our sorrowful soul. Philosophy and study still leaves you dead in your sins. Dare I say, theology and study still leaves us dead in our sins.

It’s not the bare study that fixes our problems! It’s Jesus! Only Jesus can fix our problems! Only Jesus can bring redemption and restoration! Only Jesus can bring true and lasting wisdom and knowledge. Only Jesus can bring happiness and joy. only Jesus can be satisfaction and rest. Only Jesus can bring true shepherding to our souls. Only Jesus can make the crooked straight. Only Jesus can fill the lack of our hearts. Only Jesus is the Supreme Lord over all. Only Jesus truly knows the depths of our madness and folly. Only Jesus knows how to turn striving after wind into the breath of the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus knows how to relieve us of our vexation. Only Jesus knows how to grow us in grace and knowledge and to free us from our sorrows when he returns as our blessed hope!

There is only One who can straighten out a Crooked piece of Sin. There is only one who can make crosses straight. That is Jesus. Christ Crucified. Immanuel. The Redeemer. The Holy One of Israel. The Godman. The Creator and Sustainer. The Lord and Saviour. He who spoke creation into existence, he who shone light into the dark world—he is able to shine the light of Christ into our dark hearts, he is able to re-create and to re-form and to re-bend our hearts of stone, into hearts of flesh. He is able to re-store and re-stock us with sufficient grace and mercy. He is able to heal and replenish our sin-stained souls, guilt-laden accounts, and shame-filled faces. He is able to make the light of his face shine upon us and give us peace. He is able to make all things new. He is able by the precious blood of the Cross—to make our crosses straight. And how does this happen? By faith and repentance. By resting and receiving. By turning and trusting. By believing and forsaking all else. By leaning the weight of your soul upon the promise of the Gospel of eternal life and salvation in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. How long shall you stay in your sorrow and sadness? In your sins and striving? How long shall you keep trying to find satisfaction and gain under the sun. Come to Jesus, the Son of God, and find grace upon grace, a never ending stream of living waters, the full remission and forgiveness of our sins, the fullness of the Spirit of God to lead us in paths of righteousness and wholeness. The love of the eternal Father to bathe our hearts in healing and peace. Come to the Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit—trusting in his sovereign and free grace, his absolute gift of life in Christ—come and drink deeply from the never-ending streams of eternal pleasures and delight.

Bridges says: “Nothing but the Cross of Christ makes other crosses straight. But where man’s own will is his law, woe unto him that striveth with his Maker. That will, which is in enmity against God must be the enemy to our own happiness. Never can we be happy, till we be clay in the hands of the potter; till there be no resisting material throughout the whole range of our spiritual perceptions. Let thy God, then, mould thy will, and he will frame thy happiness. And shrink not from that process—painful thought it be—that moulds it into conformity with the will of Omnipotent love”

Leave this idolatrous view of wisdom and knowledge behind, this sinful and vain approach to finding gain in concepts and theories—and come to the one who makes us truly wise, who teaches us with true knowledge—come to the One in whom are hidden ‘all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’! Listen to his reproof, his loving command, his gracious invitation:

Proverbs 1:20–33 ESV

Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Do not remain in your sins, says Jesus, do not die in your sins, or you will perish, you will suffer the wrath of God for all eternity (Jn. 3:36). Repent or perish (Lk. 13:5). Receive his admonition. He doesn’t call you to come to Him just for fun—if you turn you will be saved! (Isa. 45:22). If you trust in Him you will find life eternal (Matt. 25:46). How long will you wait? How long will you despise the reproof of the law? How long will you fail to trust in the Gospel. You will find calamity in the day of judgment if you stay—but you will dwell secure in my mercy if you come (Rom. 2:6-11)! Come to Jesus, and find grace, mercy, salvation, peace, restoration, and a living hope. Come to Jesus and grow in true grace and knowledge (2 Peter. 3:18). Come to Jesus, come and fear the Lord, come and be joyful in the Lord—and you will find the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Prov. 1:7). Come to the Fountain of Life and drink deeply from the streams of his beauty and glory (Ps. 36:9)—and don’t ever forget that all such blessings in Christ come to you from the Father, in the Spirit; not from your will-power or self-strength (Jn. 1:12-13). We cannot make straight what is crooked—only He can. What do we have that we have not received? (1 Cor. 4:7-8) Let our hearts rest in his superabundant grace—let our minds be transformed with heavenly knowledge—and let our wills be empowered to serve him in true holiness for all of our days (Rom. 12:1-2). True delight, true joy, true happiness is found in Christ alone (Jn. 15:24).

(3) Surpassing Others leads to Endless Sorrow under the Sun - v. 16-18

But oh trusting in Christ who is Preeminent over all things brings true spiritual joy in part now, and in full later.

(C) Wisdom and Knowledge Under the Sun produce Unhappy Business—but Wisdom and Knowledge in Christ produce Eternal Delight.

Matthew Henry writes: Solomon tried all things, and found them vanity. He found his searches after knowledge weariness, not only to the flesh, but to the mind. The more he saw of the works done under the sun, the more he saw their vanity; and the sight often vexed his spirit. He could neither gain that satisfaction to himself, nor do that good to others, which he expected. Even the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom discovered man’s wickedness and misery; so that the more he knew, the more he saw cause to lament and mourn. Let us learn to hate and fear sin, the cause of all this vanity and misery; to value Christ; to seek rest in the knowledge, love, and service of the Saviour. He that increases in heavenly wisdom, and in an experimental acquaintance with the principles, powers, and pleasures of the spiritual and divine life, increases joy, such as will shortly be consummated in everlasting joy.

As the old hymn puts it:

Jesus priceless treasure, source of purest pleasure, truest friend to me: long my heart hath panted, til it well nigh fainted, thirsting after thee. Banished is our sadness! For the Lord of gladness, Jesus enters in. Those who love the Father, though the storms may gather, still have peace within. Yeah, whate’r we here must bear, still in thee lies purest pleasure, Jesus priceless treasure.

(C) Wisdom and Knowledge Under the Sun produce Unhappy Business—but Wisdom and Knowledge in Christ produce Eternal Delight.

Amen, let’s pray.