Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
THE VANITY OF WISDOM - "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" (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18).
Wisdom remains one of the most prized possessions a follower of Christ can seek to attain. It helps us discern the right course of action in a given situation, and conversely protects us from making the wrong decision.
Wisdom is proven true through application, for what good is it to know the right thing to do and fail to do it? More importantly, wisdom is a gift God bestows on those who not only seek understanding for the purpose and intention of living for righteousness, but who sincerely ask for it.
As we learned in our study of the book of James, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5). For God is the fountain from whom wisdom springs forth and Solomon began his kingdom reign over Israel by asking God for wisdom to govern his people justly (1 Kings 3:1-15).
He understood that wisdom was built upon submission to God's authority and faith that the Lord would guide his ways. Solomon trusted that God would fulfill His promise to protect the covenant He established through Abraham. Therefore, Solomon's great riches and success of a peaceful 40 years under his reign were a result of his choice of wisdom as the gift he most highly esteemed from the Lord.
Scripture declares, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33). In order to be wise or possess wisdom, we must first realize how fallible we are compared to an infallible God who does not fail or err in judgment.
It was no mistake that God graciously anointed Solomon king over Israel and granted him the pure desire of his heart for wisdom, but we must understand that wisdom is multifaceted and carries with it far greater responsibility than we could ever imagine.
Proverbs states, "Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars" (Proverbs 9:1). These seven pillars provide the framework for understanding the characteristics that define what wisdom practically looks like so that we would apply it to our lives.
"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight (understanding); I have strength" (Proverbs 8:12-14).
This should compel us to examine our hearts thoroughly concerning each one of these pillars to ensure we are seeking and applying wisdom accordingly.
Prudence - Am I cautious to consider and examine the reasons for or against a decision? Do I foresee evil on the horizon? Am I discerning the most suitable means?
Knowledge and Discretion - Do I have a teachable heart willing to learn? Do I have clear perception for what is true and what is not? What is my standard for absolute truth? How do I critically judge what is the correct and proper action to take?
Fear of the Lord - Do I revere God in His majesty? Do I acknowledge Him as Creator and respect Him as Lord and Savior? Am I obedient to God as my ultimate source for absolute truth?
Counsel - Do I seek the advice, opinions, and instruction of those who are wise and qualified to help direct and guide my judgment in decision-making? Do I seek the Lord's counsel in prayer? Do I listen and discern when I receive counsel from others?
Sound Wisdom - Is wisdom reflected in my day-to-day behavior? Is my behavior modeled by righteousness, understanding and honesty; proven true by application?
Insight/Understanding - Is God's Word my source of truth? Am I able to discern good and evil between the Holy Spirit's voice of conviction and Satan's lies of condemnation?
Strength - Do I recognize how powerful the ability to reason and make sound judgments are in my life? Is my intellect submissive to God or competing with Him? Do I rely on my own strength for wisdom or seek the Lord in all things?
When we reflect upon these personal application questions, we realize that wisdom is a powerful gift God bestows on His children that requires application. The privilege of possessing great wisdom mandates a responsibility to use it. For Jesus said, "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more" (Luke 12:48b).
It is fair to assume that no man understood this truth more than Solomon. The weight of responsibility he possessed due to his immense wisdom left him completely exhausted and agitated. What began as a gift from God to rule his nation justly, morphed into a pursuit of self-fulfillment in wisdom itself.
Of course, people from far and wide came to him for answers throughout his life. His wisdom undoubtedly became an expectation for many, leaving him wondering if the attainment of more and more wisdom coupled with the title of being "the wisest man who ever lived" was worth it. But it is his surprising statement that much wisdom = vexation, and knowledge = sorrow that is striking.
Why would wisdom and knowledge be such a burden that he would declare them meaningless? The evidence lies in the perspective he gained when he lived solely for himself through the attainment of wisdom, and the complete emptiness he discovered as a result of his pursuit. It is important we understand that the desire to "know" was the bait Satan used in the garden of Eden to tempt Eve (and Adam) into eating fruit off the forbidden tree of knowledge.
"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Genesis 3:6-7).
All of mankind down through the generations can point back to that one decision as proof that knowledge apart from God is vanity. We understand from Adam and Eve's mistake that "knowing" is not always a blessing, especially when we seek wisdom for our selfish gain.
Sometimes knowing is a curse because we see the good, the bad, and the ugly of our world simultaneously. We witness wars, famine, natural disasters, chronic disease, epidemics, terrorism, abortion, etc., and wonder why God is not putting an end to them all.
What we fail to understand is that God's protection is stripped away when we live for ourselves and the pursuit of fulfillment, ecstasy, and enlightenment apart from our Creator. In essence, we are left with the embarrassing reality of our spiritual nakedness, thinking that a garment of sewed fig leaves will suffice to fix our heart problem.
How foolish! But that is why Solomon in his unparalleled wealth of wisdom emphatically testifies to wisdom as vanity. The attainment of more wisdom devoid of God does not satisfy, because wisdom and knowledge are simply a dead-end rather than a doorway for spiritual peace.
"Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:7-8).
If we desire to receive wisdom from the Lord, we must first set our priorities straight and seek to KNOW the Lord above all else.
"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:7-11).
Our goal should not be so short-sided as to live for merely peace and tranquility, but to count ourselves blessed beyond measure for the gift of salvation God has graciously and mercifully provided. That is wisdom we have at our disposal that Solomon did not, which is enough to make all the difference in the world if we accept and apply it to our lives. For we know Jesus defeated sin for our salvation, and we can live in eternal peace because we know only Christ satisfies our every need.
As Solomon accurately stated, wisdom is vanity apart from God, but we can praise the Lord that He has revealed that truth to us by His Word and made known the mystery of His love which surpasses all understanding to those who humbly receive it.
