Title: Words of December 26th
Contents
Do not seek vain things (Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26)
I. vain knowledge
But this Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:15, "The crooked cannot be straightened, and the broken cannot be counted." Solomon speaks about the limitations of human wisdom and human knowledge. Human wisdom and knowledge cannot solve fundamental human problems.
You can't straighten this crooked and crooked human being. You cannot justify a fallen man. Modern people have a lot more knowledge than people of the past. That is why modern people are called civilized people. So, is the modern day, in which the so-called civilized people live, morally better than the old days of barbarism? Rather, it is more corrupt than before. People's consciences have been paralyzed, and in the past, killing people was considered a big deal, but now it is considered normal. Are you happier? Neither can it. Living better, more convenient, not happier.
How hard are people trying to acquire knowledge? How much time, energy, and wealth are you investing? Then why should it be so difficult to acquire knowledge? Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:17, "I again set my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and foolishness, but I realized that this was also a chasing wind." He confessed that the arduous life of pursuing wisdom and knowledge was nothing more than chasing the wind.
Going one step further, verse 18 says, "In abundance of wisdom, troubles abound, but he that increases in knowledge increases sorrow." Is Solomon a Wisdom Agnostic? Are you a knowledge agnostic? It's not like that. The problem is wisdom and knowledge without God. Wisdom without God This means that the more you have, the more trouble you get, and the knowledge of humans without God. Therefore, do not seek wisdom without God and knowledge without God.
Solomon said in Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." True knowledge begins with the fear of God. All knowledge without God is in vain. I pray that you will become blessed saints who seek true knowledge in God.
II. vain pleasure
What was Solomon's last confession after having done everything like this? “After that, I saw that all the work that I had done with my hands, and all the toil that I had toiled, was in vain, a chasing after wind, and nothing under the sun.” I laughed a lot, but after the sound of laughter disappeared, greater loneliness came over me, I drank hard, but after waking up, it was more painful, I worked frantically, but it was not enough, I had many wives, but I was not satisfied.
So Solomon confesses that the pleasures sought in the world were all vain and futile. Shouldn't Christians, then, rejoice? Should Christians Be Pessimists? Absolutely not. Ecclesiastes 2:24 says, “There is nothing better than to make the soul happy.” True joy is spiritual joy. Christian joy is not this worldly pleasure.
Ⅲ. useless material
Solomon told us not to pursue vain things. He lamented, "I have paid for all my hard work." I lamented anything about how I earned money while working so hard. “For all the toil that you have labored, you have made your heart disappointed” (verse 20). They are disappointed because of the futility of material things. It is said that a materialistic life that pursues only material things is foolish. Toil, toil, toil, and to collect wealth, but there are other people who spend it. You can pass it on to your children, but if you don't have the ability, you can't protect your property.
Everyone! If we focus on the material itself, we can only do as Solomon said, and in the end we will be disappointed. A Christian must have a clear view of materialism and philosophy. What are you going to do with the money? This purpose should be clear. And you have to make money. If business itself becomes the end, and money itself becomes the end, life is inevitably futile. It's like trying to catch the wind.
Martin Luther said, "Earn hard and spend good for God." Those who believe in Jesus must work hard. You have to work hard to earn money. And you need to save and save. The purpose is to use it for good for God. That's when it's rewarding and worthwhile.
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