God's voice to the world from the book of Ecclesiastes is this: No rest under the sun. Each book of Scripture has its lesson, its voice to us, from God; and I believe, that in a special way, this is true of Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon-God's voice to man as man. Who was Job? He was the most righteous man—had not his equal among men. That very man of whom God says, He has not his equal, has to learn, good as he is and righteous practically with his fellow men, one truth; and he is a long time learning it. What is that? That he cannot stand before God in his own righteousness. That is the simple lesson in the book of Job. It is a long book. He does not learn it until the end. God says, in effect, to you and me, "You are no Job. I cannot say of you, what I could of My servant Job—that you are perfect and upright and eschew evil, etc. If Job could not stand before Me in his righteousness, how can you in yours?" That is the lesson of Job.
What is Ecclesiastes? If Solomon with all his resources could not find satisfaction, what is the next man going to do? Indeed, that is the very question that is asked: "What can the man do that cometh after the king?"
What is the Song of Solomon? There it is an object that more than fills the heart.
The subject of the Song of Solomon, or the object of it, is, One is found in whom we find satisfaction—"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." It did not begin that way, you know. It began the other way—"My beloved is mine." We must not stop there. There is something better than that; that is, "I am my beloved's"-the heart finding its joy in the realization of its own worthlessness, and knowing that I am His. What is our joy as the children of God today? That Christ is ours? Yes, and what else? That we are His! "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine."
Now that is the lesson of those three books. How long it takes us to learn that our own righteousness is worthless in the sight of God, even if it be such that our fellow man cannot point a finger at us! It is all right in its place, but do not think to stand before God in that. Job said, My righteousness I will hold fast, and will not let it go. But he did, and was glad to let it go. Is it not well for us to see God's point in each book in this way?