It's Vanity - Earthly Wisdom
Wisdom Literature for Application • Sermon • Submitted
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· 17 viewsAll is vanity; Solomon brings home first point of it, regarding earthly wisdom
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What is our purpose?
What is our purpose?
Man has always wanted to know what is my purpose? Why am I here? And when we seek that it just opens the door for many other questions and we seek the wisdom to be able to answer those questions. Solomon (Koheleth) shares from his own experiences here in Ecclesiastes so we may learn and apply today.
Stop: ask the question
(What on earth am I here for slide- already saved)
Take a few minutes, that can be an overwhelming task to try to figure it out, can’t it? As we look at this passage tonight I think you will see it was for Solomon too.
We have already seen the conclusion (Ecc1:2)
2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
He is going to start to develop and proof that statement tonight first in the vanity of earthly wisdom.
Tonight we see the preacher ID and initial quest (Ecc1:12-13)
From the historian in Proverbs to the philosopher here in Ecclesiastes, Solomon the wisest man, wealthiest man with all the resources of the world at hand sets out on a journey, a quest, to see what in life is life worth living for.
He is going to get into some quests, but it starts with stopping to contemplate wisdom, and the meaning of life, and wants to do it from all sides.
May we remember though that he is writing from view of “under the sun” and not from a spiritual view but a worldly wisdom, worldly logic view.
If anyone could find the answers, handle the difficulties in life it would be Solomon the wisest man who ever lived, but as we go through this tonight, see what he tells us, what he discovered and what we can learn.
Other points will cover tonight are
Preachers preliminary conclusion (Ecc1:14-16)
Life doesn’t get any easier if you try to run away from it (v.14)
Not everything in life can be changed (v.15)
Preachers intensified quest (Ecc1:17-18)
So now may we look at the passage in context then we will look at each of the points above.
12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
So now may we look at the passage in context then we will look at each of the points above.
14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind.
18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.
17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. 18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
The Initial Quest
The Initial Quest
Set your mind. Solomon, who indirectly identifies himself in the passage set’s his mind, and because he did we can learn what he set his mind on and for and learn from him.
Have you ever set out on a quest? What kind of quest, and did you find the answer, or achieve the quest?
Let me give you the verses for this initial quest and ask some questions.
12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
What do we learn about the writer? (He is king; and where he is king)
What is his initial quest? (wisdom about everything under heaven)
What does he tells us about the quest? (it is grievous and it is an affliction)
Things seen, things to learn from this.
All the wisdom in the world does not always come with all the answers
God has set , or instilled, in every man the desire to know the answers to life’s ultimate questions. To know it’s origin, destiny, purpose, and the why and how of things.
But God does not answer all those things so this is a grievous task.
Life is tough, but it is a gift from God
Since the fall of man, man has travailed, looking for the answers.
Solomon acknowledges God here, but he is looking at things from “under the sun” vantage point. Seeking earthly wisdom to answer the questions, but knows that earthly wisdom is vanity of vanities.
The gift is grievous and we have been afflicted with it (tasked with it) (Gen3:16-19; Rom8:22; Mt6:26)
(add in some note lines on the handout here)
So man rebelled against the commandment of God and sin has entered the world and the results we can see here.
16 To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life.
18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”
From the perfect relationship with God, walking in the garden to the grievous task that has been given because sin entered the world.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
Rom8:
Now we do know that one day the Lord will return or we will pass from our earthly kingdom life to our heavenly kingdom life and there will be no more bondage to the flesh, no more tears, no more pain, no more sorrow.
I recently read this illustration and it is pretty good. adapted it and made it mine.
Sitting one day in the 4-seasons room contemplating the things done, but more so the things undone, things to do and the burdens of life as a minster, the trials and tribulations people are going through and carry into the office, sometimes it can be overwhelming. I sit there looking out the window and see the birds gathering at the bird feeder and I can even hear them singing (Ah sounds like Spring is in the air). It’s beautiful to listen to. Now the birds task each day is to survive, he hides from his enemies, he searches for food, cares for his little ones and when his day ends he sings about it. Gives me some perspective that regardless of my day, i should be singing too. Singing God’s praises! If God cares for the birds, provides for the birds, he cares and provides for me too.
26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
Jesus goes on to say to carry everything to Him, sometimes we need to get perspective even when we don’t have all the answers, we know the One who does! May we stop and rejoice in Him!
Preliminary conclusion
Preliminary conclusion
Have you ever drawn a conclusion only then to have more questions and make more inquires because of your first conclusion? Solomon is making some preliminary findings to prove his original point that everything is vanity of vanities.
14 I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
Solomon claims to have seen and done everything under the sun and everything in vanity and striving the wind.
His discovery is that all human work, efforts, endeavors are of no use, they are unsubstantial and ultimately unsatisfying. No regard for how much, how far you go and check things out, it end result is just fruitless.
Solomon says some things cannot be changed. Man cannot change the course of events by his power or his intellect. There are too many problems and events that are unexplainable.
Solomon with all his increased, God given wisdom could not answer life’s hard questions.
All of this, lead to an intensified quest.
Intensified Quest
Intensified Quest
Ever start searching something out and that leads to more and more searching? Solomon (Koheleth) continues the quest with more zeal, more intensity. Let’s glimpse and see what we can learn.
17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. 18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.
What did he set his mind to know (v.17)? What does that mean.
Solomon set his mind to know wisdom, and not only that but folly too.
Solomon found like like the original quest it was like striving after the wind, it was fruitles.
He earnestly set out to pursue wisdom and follow to learn. He wanted to look at all sides of an issue, still trying to answer life’s big questions.
What were the results (v.17)?
Solomon discovers that this quest, from wisdom to folly resulted the same it was like striving after the wind, it was fruitless like the previous of searching out all things.
With all his efforts, with all his earnestness, he could not salve all man’s problems, or answer all man’s questions.
Even with all the wisdom of the world, man cannot control the issues of life
With much wisdom comes what (v.18)? why do you think that?
Increased wisdom can be frustrating. It can cause us grief. The more we know the more fruitless and unsatisfying our work, our efforts, our endeavors can be.
Increased knowledge leads to learning and knowing some unpleasant things, unpleasant realities that can disturb our peace of mind.
With much wisdom comes as we today say “information overload” and we don’t know what to do with all the information, for we cannot change things that we have no control over and oftentimes we worry about things too that we need not worry about.
Wisdom quest conclusion/application
Wisdom quest conclusion/application
Do you find it interesting that Solomon, the wisest man ever (1Kn4:20-34) sought wisdom? What is our application from this passage, what conclusion can we draw?
Solomon first sets his heart (mind) to search out wisdom. His conclusion was it was fruitless like grasping at the wind.
Wisdom is not bad, for there is God given wisdom that we should seek (Pro2:1-9; Jm1:5)
1 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course.
add to that one
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Oh I have a freebie not on your outline
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
God given wisdom and bless one’s life (Pro3:13-18)
13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.
This passage is an indictment against human, earthly, wisdom.
Wisdom that seeks to understand life, but leaves God out of the picture
Wisdom that can only leave one “grasping for the wind.”
May we finish tonight with some wise words from Paul
31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
(Encouragement Slide) prayer (exit slide)