Ecclesiastes 1:1-3, 12-14 MSG Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That’s what the Quester says.] There’s nothing to anything—it’s all smoke. What’s there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone? … 12-14 Call me “the Quester.” I’ve been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there’s not much to write home about. God hasn’t made it easy for us. I’ve seen it all and it’s nothing but smoke—smoke, and spitting into the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 NIV The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 3 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? … 12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Philippians 3:7-9 MSG The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.
Observation
Ecclesiastes is believed to be the writing of King Solomon (“Questor” or “Teacher”) and represents his philosophical outlook on the world and on life in general toward the end of his life. He had everything the world could offer in abundance – worldwide renown and respect, wealth, wives, a palace or two, horses and chariots and so on. He was the wisest man of his time, but he had fallen into the very human trap of allowing his acclaim, pride in his accomplishments, material possessions and his wives to turn his heart away from remembering God’s part in it all. All that he possessed was suddenly purposeless and meaningless.
He starts Ecclesiastes by stating that all you can gain in this life by your own efforts is “hevel” (smoke, vanity, meaningless). It is like “Spitting into the wind” or chasing after the wind, which is defined as wasting time doing something totally pointless, fruitless or futile, without substance or value. For King Solomon, despite his riches and fame, the joy was gone from his heart and all that he possessed and did was hevel.
On the other hand, then we have Paul, a man who gave up everything – status, power, authority, recognition among his peers – to know and serve Jesus. “Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung.” Like Solomon, Paul recognized that all earthly accomplishments and acclaim are hevel, but, unlike Solomon, Paul was willing to trade it all in to fulfill God’s will and purpose in his life. “I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him.”
Impact on Me
So, now I face the uncomfortable question of which of these two do I most resemble? Am I, like Solomon, chasing after the wind, looking for the praise of my culture, doing what will increase my wealth, status, authority, power over others OR am I willing to be like Paul and submit all I am and have to fulfill God’s will and purpose? Is knowing and serving Jesus enough for me? Do I secretly crave the praise and adulation of people or am I willing to let the Holy Spirit be my promoter – setting me where I need to be doing what I need to do at the precise moment God needs me to be obedient regardless of the cost to my reputation, financial position, comfort, perceived abilities? Am I willing to appear a failure, if necessary, to accomplish God’s will and purpose?
Jesus was willing to do all these things. His obedience, His sacrifice, provided us with righteousness that cannot be gained on our own. “I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.” Do I trust God enough to give it all? Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!
Prayer
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, All-Wise, All-Knowing, Gracious and Merciful Father, You know my heart. I am human, fallible, inconsistent, selfish, unfaithful, but the Holy Spirit lives within me and is working on changing me so I can be more like Jesus. I pray that You will give me insight, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and strength to believe in You when what You ask me to relinquish seems too hard to do, too much to give up. May I stand before You on that day and know that I lived a life of substance and purpose in Christ. May I remember that all I have is Yours and You are the rewarder of the faithful. I am safe and secure in Your hands. Make it so, in Jesus’ name.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 