Ecclesiastes 2:12-17

THE VANITY OF LIVING WISELY - "So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, 'What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?' And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind" (Ecclesiastes 2:12-17).

There is something to be said for making the wise choice.

We all strive to make wise decisions, for no one sets out to start his day with the sole purpose of making the poorest choices possible. We seek peace and comfort, not turmoil and collateral damage, because living wisely is a noble cause to which we should all strive to emulate.

There is the potential of misunderstanding what Solomon addresses in this passage though. Solomon is not supposing that wisdom has no value whatsoever. Wisdom flows from God and is to be sought after prayerfully.

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17).

In contrast, what Solomon distinguishes is that while wisdom is far superior to folly, wisdom in and of itself does not satisfy the longing of a man's heart. That is why Solomon deems living wisely as vanity. In other words, the attainment of anything under the sun, whether wisdom or folly, is meaningless and void of purpose or value because it does not change the fact that every man will die one day.

Death brings finality to life on earth, and the only substantiated reason to live is not to obtain wisdom or folly, but spiritual peace and salvation which are the only remedies to satisfy man's heart.

Solomon begins this passage with the assertion that there is nothing new that hasn't already been attempted. Now there are those who live to make new discoveries and inventions; who search the unknown for answers to life's questions and problems, and defy logic to prove the impossible is possible.

But there are those who seek the adrenaline rush of pushing life to the extreme, ignoring danger, and putting life at risk to discover a high that sets a new standard of what living on the edge looks and feels like. In either case, wisdom or folly can be the object of our desire. It simply all depends on who or what motivates a man to live.

Keep in mind, living for someone or something greater than our ourselves can be found in submission to God or enslavement by idolatry in our hearts. We cannot assume motivation is always a good thing, for many addicts would attest that the motivating desire for the next "high" or "hit" consumed and compelled them to make foolish choices that defy common-sense, in order to obtain the sinful object of their desire.

Conversely, what we can do as followers of Christ is filter our motivation through God's Word to discern whether we are living for ourselves or Christ. For Scripture reminds us, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions" (Romans 6:12), because what consumes our hearts and minds will motivate our behavior.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The true awakening Solomon experienced came in the revelation that the wisdom he acquired had no eternal value compared to the foolishness of man. How could it? Wisdom became an idol in his heart that he substituted God for. So whether he exhausted himself in all the foolishness of self-indulgence or the attainment of enlightenment through wisdom, he understood that death ultimately awaited him regardless.

Therefore, Solomon concluded that wisdom, while superior to folly, carried with it the same death-sentence as foolishness. Scripture declares, "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not" (Job 14:1-2).

It is sobering to realize that one day each one of us will die. For some, we give careful consideration to what our legacy will be and how will we be remembered long after we pass from this world. Therefore, God's Word reminds us, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children" (Proverbs 13:22a), so we should be intentional in how we live.

If we desire to pass on a legacy of integrity and character or the fruits of the spirit, then how we live for righteousness will testify to that legacy's worth. However, if we live selfishly for ourselves, we will quickly realize as Esau did that we've traded our birthright of blessing as God's chosen and beloved children for the temporary satisfaction of our heart's desires.

"Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, 'Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!' Jacob said, 'Sell me your birthright now.' Esau said, 'I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?' Jacob said, 'Swear to me now.' So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:29-34).

It is easy to confuse how living wisely would be considered by Solomon as vanity and striving after the wind. Too many passages of Scripture elevate the importance of wisdom and the role it plays in our sanctification.

"How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver" (Proverbs 16:16).

When we attempt to place monetary value on wisdom, we reveal how short-sided we are, considering wisdom and absolute truth cannot be obtained except through God. Rather, we would be better suited to proclaim in reverence our allegiance and devotion to the Father who is worthy to be praised. 

"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).

This should compel us examine our hearts to see whether we view wisdom as an entity in and of itself to be discovered through experience, knowledge and perspective, or if wisdom is simply a gift God bestows on His children per their request through prayer and faithful submission to His sovereignty.

That is why James proclaimed, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:5-6). 

Because God is the source of wisdom, we can easily determine the foolishness of the world that wages war against Him. Scripture clearly distinguishes that "folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him" (Proverbs 22:15).

That rod of discipline is held by the loving hand of the Father, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives" (Hebrews 12:6). The simple reality is that each one of us at one moment or another will find ourselves consumed by the allure and empty promises of foolish living. But we cannot be tempted to find our salvation in wisdom, for wisdom is vanity without recognizing who the source of wisdom truly is.

Yes, we can choose to journey through life under the influence of worldly wisdom that is self-centered and inevitably dead ends, but true freedom comes when we relinquish control to the Lord and His Word for absolute truth and divine wisdom that unconditionally satisfies.

Choosing to live for Christ acknowledges that we agree wholeheartedly with Solomon's determination that wisdom and folly are vanity. For just as Solomon understood in the end that life apart from an intimate relationship and submission to the authority of God is meaningless, we too must come to that realization if we are to begin living with proper perspective toward wisdom and apply God's will in our lives.

Because in the end, we are deceived if we believe living independent of God will give us spiritual peace and eternal rest when our day of judgment arrives. 

"Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness,' and again, 'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile'" (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).