Ecclesiastes 1:18 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Ecclesiastes 1:18

Comments

There is a mystery about earthly wisdom that is not immediately apparent to the one who seeks it. It holds out the promise of being able to lift us up above the mundane, of being able to free us from the shackles of the drudgery, the dreary monotony of mere physical existence. It seems to offer us access into a world of joy and fulfilment that sets us above our fellow man and shows us life from an elevated perspective.But, says Solomon, this is an illusion, and in reality it is a restless path. Hidden within all earthly wisdom is grief and in much wisdom is much grief; the two cannot be separated. Why is that so? Because knowledge of this world cannot go beyond what this world is. Since this is a fallen world, then to become familiar with it and the way it works, is to become familiar with a world which is subject to the law of vanity. The further we advance in our study of this world’s wisdom, the sharper that vanity comes into focus. Solomon has already spoken of the interminable cycles that imprison this world. This knowledge came to him through the exercise of wisdom. What it revealed was true but it was not comforting or reassuring. The world cannot deliver itself from that law of vanity, neither can it offer us a way of escape from this tyranny. To know this world thoroughly is to know vanity thoroughly, for vanity runs through this world like a powerful dye that permeates all its fabric.

Application

All earthly wisdom is incomplete and never gives the satisfaction of assuring its seekers that their quest is finished. It leaves a hunger in the heart that longs for more. But the wisdom of God is so different, for from the start those who possess Christ know that in him they possess all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Certainly, Christ has more wonderful secrets to show us, but all of these already belong to us and when we are in heaven, we will be shown these as fast as we can appreciate them. Earthly wisdom has no answer to the problem of sin, how past sin can be forgiven or how we can overcome it in the future. It has no answer to the problem of death, that last enemy which contradicts our existence and renders the whole of life meaningless. When mere human wisdom has climbed as high as it can, it still cannot provide an answer to any of these ultimate questions.

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Ecclesiastes 1:18 Commentary and Bible Study