Invariably the Preacher speaks of riches, coveted and toiled after by men everywhere, but how often do they prove the vanity of it. “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase.” Then he remarks that “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.” A man might prosper and acquire a great deal of wealth in a lifetime, yet death comes and he must leave it all. “As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.” And so he says, “what profit hath he that hath labored for the wind.”
As he progresses through the book he begins to realize that there are some things that are better than others. “A good name is better than precious (or expensive) ointment.” Chap. 7:1. Also “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to heart.” Furthermore, he says, it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools, for it soon passeth away.
In verse 20 we read: “there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” We learn from Romans 3 that apart from the grace of God taking hold of one, “there is none that doeth good, no, not one,” but in Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23), we get, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” At the close of chapter? he concludes, “that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions” (or devices). In this he is not referring to things physical or mechanical, but man has searched out ways and means in attempting to justify him. self instead of owning his wrong before God.
In chapter 8 he speaks of man’s responsibility towards kings and those in authority and says that their commands or laws should be respected on account of the oath of God.
“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Men take advantage of the longsuffering and patience of God to sin the more. Then he says, “I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea, further, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.” Even a wise man like Solon, as he views the vastness of the works of God, reaches a point where he realizes that with all his learning, how little he knows. There are those things which are far beyond the powers of even great minds to explore or understand.
In chapter 9 he sees that the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and that madness is in their heart. It is wearisome to contemplate all this not knowing from the Word that God honors the faith of those who have turned to Him. He is able to see, however, “that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong....” v. 11.
ML 12/03/1961