Eld Ko Swee Chay

Introduction

The book of Ecclesiastes focuses on the theme of life without God being vanity, written by Solomon, the third king of the united Israel. Solomon wrote this book in his old age after being brought back to repent and turn back to God.

After having lived a luxurious and comfortable life to the fullest, and doing a lot of good and great works for the nation of Israel, and years of delving into the mysteries, and searching for happiness and the true meaning and goal of life, Solomon came to this tragic conclusion that all his labour “under the sun” came to nothing - “vanity of vanities, all is vanity” and profited him not (Eccl 1:2-3). This reminds us of the emptiness and worthlessness of life when lived outside the will of God like what Solomon did prior to his repentance.

In Ecclesiastes 1:16-18, Solomon is lamenting his own folly and mistakes, the futility of the wisdom and knowledge that are built on humanistic and earthbound foundations that bring grief and sorrow rather than true joy and satisfaction.

Earthly Wisdom and Knowledge is Meaningless (Eccl 1:16-17)

¹⁶ I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. ¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Solomon communed or reasoned within his heart to diligently seek and search out all things that are done under the sun through in-depth thinking and research using the wisdom given by God (Eccl 1:13, 1 Ki 3:12).  Solomon as a King had all the resources that he needed to study and experiment everything on earth, and he had seen and experienced all the things that had happened in Israel under his kingship. He reflected and thought through within his heart concerning his great attainments in experience of wisdom and knowledge. He said to himself, “Look, I have attained greatness, I have gained vast wisdom more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; and my heart has understood wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” (Eccl 1:16). Solomon was not boasting or being arrogant but stated the facts. God had richly blessed Solomon with wisdom: “a wise and understanding heart” (1 Ki 3:12); “wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart … wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.… And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon from all kings of the earth…” (1 Ki 4:29-34). 

Solomon gave or focused his heart to know wisdom as well as madness and folly (Eccl 1:17 & 7:25). He did both probably to explore a full spectrum of human demeanour with “wisdom and knowledge” on one side and “madness and folly” on the opposite side. Matthew Henry’s Commentary explains: “I gave my heart to know the rules and dictates of wisdom, and how I might obtain it; and to know madness and folly, how I might prevent and cure it, to know the snares and insinuations of it, that I might avoid them, and guard against them, and discover its fallacies.” Sadly, and tragically, Solomon did not find happiness and satisfaction in all these. He said, “I perceived that this also is vexation of the spirit.” In other words, it was not worth the effort.

The root cause for Solomon to end up with this sad state of mind is that he did not live according to God’s Word and will. He failed the Lord, for his heart turned away from Him, went after other gods and disobeyed His commandments (1 Ki 11:1-11). Instead of using God’s gifts of great wisdom and wealth to glorify the Lord and to bless Israel and her people, he misused these gifts to try to know and control everything and to satisfy his own carnal pursuits, amusements, and entertainments. No one in his day had more God-given wisdom and more material resources than he did, and yet he was unable to find answers to all the questions of life – meaning, purpose, goal, peace and satisfaction, no matter how diligently he sought and searched. Solomon’s message was not to devalue things like work or wisdom, but rather to make clear that there is no firm foundation on earth on which we can find meaning and fulfillment. Such things will only be found when we live for and glorify our Lord God Almighty.

Much Wisdom is much Grief & Increased Knowledge increases Sorrow (Eccl 1:18)

¹⁸ For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Solomon had more capacity to acquire wisdom and knowledge and apply them in life than anyone who ever lived on earth apart from our Lord Jesus Christ, but sadly he concluded: “For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” (Eccl 1:18). Solomon was saying that the acquisition of wisdom concerning man’s various experiences increased his grief (mental anguish) and sorrow (sadness of heart). We know the saying, “Ignorance is bliss.” To some degree this is true. Old Testament scholar H.C. Leupold said: “gaining wisdom leads a man to find out many disturbing things that may militate strongly against his peace of mind.” – E.g. Things about the corruption of the world, the wickedness and cruelty of man, the injustice and oppression and genocide, and many kinds of human suffering. The main thing wisdom brings is a greater awareness of the futility of striving to know and understand life’s purpose based on human experience and reason.

Solomon (and God) was not condemning education, learning, and acquiring knowledge per se; he realized all these should be done in God’s Word and truth. This we do in fulfilling the duty of man stated in the Westminster Shorter Catechism that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Paul wrote, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Col 3:17). Whenever God is not honoured in our pursuits, the work of mind or hands leads to utter despair. But if we honour God in all we do through the grace He gives us, then everything becomes meaningful and joyful.

In Eccl 1:16-18, Solomon is talking about man’s wisdom, not God’s wisdom. When human knowledge ignores God and His Word, it only highlights our problems because it cannot provide answers without God’s eternal perspective and solution. Human wisdom does not provide all the answers. Worldly education and knowledge have their limits. To understand the true meaning and goal of life, we need God’s wisdom that can be found only in God’s Word the Bible. Godly wisdom is defined in James 3:17: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, and without hypocrisy.” To receive God’s wisdom, we must diligently get to know Him through His Word, honour Him, fear Him, and keep His commandments. 

Let us pray that our heavenly Father will bless us with heavenly wisdom to direct and guide our life, and that we will not seek and search to find meaning and satisfaction anywhere else other than in our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN.