©Bonnie LaBelle
Chapter 6 (ESV) - There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place?
All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Question to consider: What do you think it means that the man had one hundred kids but was not given a burial when he died?
What is translated as evil is the Hebrew word רָעָ֔ה (rā·‘āh) which is the opposite of shalom. Although we commonly think of shalom in terms of peace, the essence of shalom is that something is whole, in good order, and without blemish. Solomon is not saying that God performs evil acts in the world. He is recognizing that for a reason unknown to him, God allows for injustices to happen— things to be broken by sin. In the book of Job, we receive the spiritual insight of Satan receiving permission to bring calamity upon Job’s life so that the reader understands that Job was actually faithful to God and not guilty of committing some grievous sin.
In Solomon's example, the man was not merely left broken and sick, but his life had been taken from him. Job’s friends would have assumed that the man did something to deserve this calamity, but Solomon, like Job, considered it a tragedy that the man obtained wealth but died before being able to enjoy it. In turn a stranger didn’t do anything to deserve the inheritance. Solomon described these things as vanity and a grave injustice because there is no rhyme or reason to these things if all we have is life under the sun.
Even more tragic than a person whose life is suddenly cut short before he could enjoy it is one who lives many years and fathers a hundred children but lives only for himself so that he dies alone. Being left to rot on the ground as carrion for the wild animals was considered a curse because that meant no one cared enough to bury him. For this man, Solomon thought it was better to have died at birth. At least a stillborn baby is mourned and finds rest.
The final questions of this chapter bring up the frustration of not being able to see beyond this life. Whether a person lives one day or two thousand years, whether he is content with what he has or craves more, whether he is wise or a fool, hungry or satisfied, strong or weak, nothing matters under the sun if that is the extent of life, for in this case the end is the same for everyone.
Job experienced injustice and saw it as an opportunity to hope for a Redeemer to vindicate him. It gave him hope for resurrection. Solomon will eventually get there, but as he looks at life strictly under the sun, he brings us to the brink of despair.
Dear heavenly Father, we thank You that our Redeemer lives and has made atonement for our sins. Thank You for the resurrection of the dead and the blessed hope of His return. Thank You that we need not despair but can look forward to life everlasting with You. Amen.