©Shannon Gist
Chapter 1:12-18 (ESV) - I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.
I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.
For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Question to consider: Why does an increase in wisdom and knowledge cause vexation and sorrow?
The Preacher (Qoheleth), the teacher of all the assemblies of Israel, proclaimed that his life of decadence was merely an experiment in wisdom to teach everyone else that all worldly things are meaningless. Part of me thinks this would make for a good Babylon Bee article, for it is both true and funny to think that Solomon “took one for the team” when he amassed all that treasure, took all those wives, and lived the life of a celebrity. Something tells me he didn’t get a lot of sympathy in being burdened with this “unhappy business”.
Of course, there is a different experience for those who engage the world according to wisdom over those who merely seek pleasure or entertainment. If someone watches a movie to understand its motivations, message, and artistry, they are going to have a different experience than someone who longs to escape his own life to laugh at the misfortunes of others or feel like an action hero.
Regardless of whether Solomon’s experiment was pure, his inevitable conclusion was that this knowledge is as futile as chasing the wind. Nothing changes in acquiring this knowledge. What is crooked cannot be made straight. I could amass all of the wealth in the world and benevolently redistribute it to everyone who had need, and I would still not eradicate poverty. People would squander it, have it swindled or stolen away, or experience some tragic event that cost them everything. This is not saying we don’t strive to help others. It’s merely recognizing that we live in a crooked world that cannot be made straight.
Solomon also recognized the curse of having wisdom and discernment. The result is vexation and sorrow. Knowing that someone is on a path to destruction and that they will not heed your advice against it is frustrating and sad. My prayer from the beginning of this study has been that we can learn from Solomon’s wisdom and avoid some of the tragedies of his reign. Our nature is to rebel against God and His word, but it is a blessing to be able to learn from the mistakes of others rather than learning them the hard way on our own.
Dear heavenly Father, we ask for knowledge of Your word and the wisdom to follow it so that we can avoid some of the pitfalls of sin. When we do sin, please bring Your Law to us so that we will desire to repent and turn back to You. Thank You for Your mercy and grace in Christ Jesus. Amen.