Beyond the Sun
Polishing Brass on a Sinking Ship?
Category: Beyond the Sun (The Hope of Ecclesiastes)
And I turned to inspect wisdom and insanity and folly because what will the man who will come after the king do? That which already was done. And I saw that there is advantage for wisdom more than folly like the advantage of light more than darkness. The wise man? His eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I knew again that one happening happens to them all. And I said in my heart, "Like the happening of the fool, likewise it will happen to me. And for what advantage was I wise then?" And I declared in my heart that likewise this is vapor. Because there is no memorial of the wise man or the fool for everlasting, in that already the days coming all will be forgotten. And how the wise will die with the fool. (Ecclesiastes 2:12-16)
Again, our sage is describing life on two levels. For the here and now, a diverse investment portfolio with a long-term perspective is far better than putting every earned quarter into the slot machines at Cripple Creek. It's the difference between 20/20 vision and blindness. Yet, in the longer-term perspective there is no difference between them. Each investor will come to an unimpressive demise and fill his tomb in the land of the forgotten to be remembered no more. In terms of lasting significance, the sage and the fool are in the same cardboard boat.
For the wise man, he will sink to the bottom of the sea knowing that all of his astute decision-making has accomplished nothing of lasting value. The next king will have to deal with the same issues. Solomon's victories in battle will not mean that his successor will have no battles to fight. His days will be spent doing the same things that Solomon did because the work is never done. Nothing of perpetual significance is ever achieved.
Sound depressing? As we will see, Solomon certainly thought so. If there is nothing beyond the sun, then there is nothing.
Heir of Despair
Category: Beyond the Sun (the Hope of Ecclesiastes)
And I hated life, because the work worked under the sun was evil to me, because all is vapor, chasing after the wind. And I hated all my labor which I labor under the sun which I leave to a man who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will be master over all my work which I worked. And I acted wisely under the sun. Again, this is vapor.
And I turned to cause despair of my heart over all the works which I have worked under the sun. For there is a man who labored in wisdom and knowledge and success, and to a man which did not labor he gave his share. Again, this is vapor and much evil. For what becomes for man in all his labor? and the longing of his heart which he labors under the sun? For all his days are sorrow, and vexation his occupation. Likewise, in the night his heart does not lie down. Again, this, itself, is vapor. (Ecclesiastes 2:17-23)
Solomon crumbled under a severe case of depression. He hated life, he hated his work, he sought despair. Hopelessness was the deduction of living.
As a man (and especially a king), achievement and success in work was tied to the very core of his being. That's what men do, we work. It started with Adam. Who followed the example of God. Who worked six days before resting on the seventh. When God looked out at all of His work, He concluded, "It is very good." When Solomon looked out at all of his work, he said, "It is repugnant."
Solomon's despondency came from realizing that his hard work is all for naught. Someday, the person in control of his hard-earned estate may be a punk with pants twelve sizes too big and push-pins in the shape of Donald Duck sticking out of his forehead, who aspires to be a full-time video game player. Thinking of this wasted life kept Solomon up at night.
Such are the conclusions of an honest atheist. Not that Solomon denies the existence of God, but remember he is considering life "under the sun."