Ecclesiastes 1 – 2
Although Solomon does not explicitly identify himself in these writings, after reading the first two chapters you will agree with most of the scholars that he wrote this book. Solomon is in a funk and is writing his reflect some intense introspective looking at his life. Verse 1:2 opens with looking at vanities:
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
Solomon looks at the vanities in life and puts them into perspective with everything. We tend to live our lives without really thinking of the true “big picture”. We get self-absorbed or “vain” in our view of the world, instead what we feel is importing is all about us. Not saying that this is wrong, but when you look at life from what happens in the end and we are just dirt. Sure our soul and spirit will live on, but the bodies we have today are plant food for tomorrow.
Verse 1:8 is something that can be argued to a point:
What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
One would say in the past 100 or so years there has been more new stuff created “under the sun” than from the time of Moses to 1900. But consider how this “evolution” has happened, what has changed? Technology has made life easier to get things and do different type of work. Really the major change has been how we communicate, travel and kill people. At the same time if you look at the legal system, literature, art and other aspects of life you see the roots have not changed since this was written. People have advanced, yet the same basic desires drive them, so this is still true in a sense.
Verse 2:16 really makes a great point:
For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool!
As we read these words you have to remember they are almost 3000 years old, so even though Solomon is dead we still have his enduring words. Most of us just die and become dirt but a few have their words, images or thoughts live forever. Also, one must realize that although the body is not going to survive our souls will. So again Solomon is partially correct, but makes a great point.
Verse 2:26 is fun to look at the different interpretations:
For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
The phrase “striving after wind” is interpreted in many different ways. You find “chasing” (NLT, NIV), “grasping” (NKJV), “spitting into” (The Message) and “feeding” (CJV) as different interpretations of “striving”. No matter how you look at it, what you do, it all is like fighting the wind. The wind will not change no matter what we do. The only person recorded to have calmed the wind was Jesus, and he still lives today.