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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Been there, done that, now I pass it on...

Some thoughts on Ecclesiastes 1:1-3...

*Solomon calls himself "the Preacher", as he writes Ecclesiastes.  He had, until now, been"the Gatherer" of life and experiences, but now it's time to "show and tell."  All of us, from the moment we are born, will begin our own "gathering of experiences" but for what purpose?  A student gathers facts and information regarding a subject.  He then looks for an outlet to "tell" others what he has found...so he writes a paper or gives a talk.  So it is with us...life experiences have a way of pressing us to "tell" and so Solomon does here.

*Solomon also calls himself:
         "son of David" - a godly heritage does not guarantee a godly walk and might even prove more "damning" to our own shameful souls.
         "king of Jerusalem" - position, wealth and power do not guarantee a fulfilled life either, but might add the shame of failure to be a good example.
We must beware of what we put our trust and reliance on, for  heritage, power, fame, etc...will become snares around our feet when devoid of a relationship with God Almighty.

*If, as Solomon states, "All is vanity," meaning the whole of it, the totality of it is a vapor...like a breath, then satisfaction and fulfillment must come from beyond this world.  He had tried everything, he knew more than anyone else and yet this world proved to be unsubstantial...empty fodder devoid of true nutrition...vapor...

*In earlier times Solomon had said, "In all labor there is profit..." Prov. 14:23.  As "profit" that will aid us in survival in this world, it is true.  Now, years later, as he writes Ecclesiastes, Solomon says, "What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?" Ecc. 1:3.  Soul hunger cannot be satisfied with fleshly trifles.  This world is full of fleshly trifles...true soul food and substance must be beyond it.  

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."  C.S.Lewis







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