We had meditated on the “Vain world” based on Ecclesiastes 1:1-11. Why is the world vain? We are taught in four ways: This world is vain because (1) It is useless and there is no gain, (2) life ultimately returns to dust, (3) there is no satisfaction with human greed and (4) people of the future will not remember people of this age. After we meditated on the vanity of this world in four ways, we learned four things about how to live in this vanity world. The first lesson of these four lessons is that we, as believers in Jesus, should seek wisdom from God and live wisely in this world.

 

Why should we seek wisdom from God? The reason is that only wisdom is profitable for success (10:10). Here we need to distinguish between two kinds of wisdom. In other words, we must distinguish between the wisdom God gives us and the wisdom of this world. As a good example, we can read James 3:13-18. The apostle James says of two kinds of wisdom:

 

(1) James pointed to the first kind of wisdom, saying, "The wisdom from above" (v. 17). The wisdom that comes from heaven is “first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (v. 17). The believers who possess wisdom from above show by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom (v. 13).

 

(2) The second kind of wisdom is "earthly, unspiritual, of the devil” (v. 15). In this kind of wisdom, there is envy, selfish ambition, disorder and every evil practice (v. 16). The reason why there is fighting and contention in this group of earthly, unspiritual and devilish wisdom is because of their ‘desires that battle with them’ (4:1). And they do not receive answers to prayer because they ask with wrong motives, that they may spend what they get on their pleasures (v. 3).

 

In today’s passage, Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, King Solomon the Teacher pursues the wisdom of this world. Look at verse 17: “Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly ….” Here we see that King Solomon relied on his own empirical research rather than relying on divine revelation of God (MacArthur). We can know this when we look at verse 16: “I thought to myself, ‘Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.’” Since King Solomon had a lot of wisdom that he gained through his life experiences more than those who were in Jerusalem before, he did empirical research as he relied on his great wisdom. So he had seen all the things that were done under the sun (v. 14) and he devoted himself to study and to explore by wisdom all that wad done under haven (v. 13). What was the conclusion he gained in his quest to see all that was done under the sun? In other words, what was the conclusion about his empirical research? The today’s passage says there are three things:

 

(1) First, this is what Ecclesiastes 1:13 says about the conclusion about King Solomon’s empirical research: “I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!” The first conclusion of his empirical research is that ‘all things in the world are painful to our lives and God has laid the heavy burden on men. This is what he said also in Ecclesiastes 3:10 – “I have seen the burden God has laid on men.”

 

(2) Second, this is the conclusion that King Solomon made in his quest to see all the things that he did under the sun: “What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted” (1:15). Here, the phrase "What is twisted cannot be straightened" means that wisdom and knowledge, except God, in fact, ultimately can not solve any problems. And “what is lacking cannot be counted” means there is no way to perfect things that are imperfect. In short, there is no way to save a human being through human wisdom (Park Yun-sun). King Solomon's second conclusion in his quest to see all the things under the sun was that we could not save ourselves by human wisdom.

 

(3) Third, the conclusion that King Solomon had in his quest to look at all the things that was done under the sun was, “all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (v. 14). How can a person catch the wind? It’s just as vain. Without God, all the things that are done in this world are in vain. Look at verse 17: “Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.” Eventually, after King Solomon explored all the things that were done under the sun with his own great wisdom (v. 16), he concluded that it was painful (God had laid on men), there was no way to save a damn human with human wisdom and it was chasing after the wind in vain. In a word, King Solomon’s confession was that the wisdom under the sun that is the wisdom of this world is vanity and vanity. Why is the wisdom of this world vain? I found the reason in 1 Corinthians 1:21 – “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” In a word, the wisdom of this world is vain because the wisdom of this world does not know God. The wisdom of this world is vain because the wisdom of this world we can not save ourselves. The crucified Jesus Christ preached by Paul and his co-workers to the Greeks (v. 22) who pursued this vain wisdom as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1: 22-23 by the Apostle Paul was "a fool" (v. 23). In other words, the gospel of Jesus Christ preached by Paul and his co-workers in view of the wisdom of this world was foolish. But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (v. 24). The Bible clearly says that Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God (v.24). Jesus Christ is our wisdom (v. 30).

 

Jesus Christ is our wisdom. God is telling me and you who believe in this Jesus Christ: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise …” (v. 27). Why does God choose a foolish man, in terms of the world, to shame those who have the wisdom of the world? Why? Look at 1 Corinthians 1:29 – “so that no one may boast before him.” Rather, God allows us to believe in Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God, so that "those who boast may boast in the Lord" (v. 31). The true wise therefore boasts only Jesus Christ. I hope that we may be able to accept humbly the fact that the wisdom of this world is vain, as the wisest King Solomon concluded after he saw the wisdom below, that is the wisdom of this world. Therefore, we should no longer seek the vain wisdom of the world. We must seek out only true wisdom. We must be saved through faith in Jesus Christ, our true wisdom. And since we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, we must grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The more we know Jesus, the wiser we must become. And the wiser we become, the more we fear God and obey God's commandments. And the more we obey the God’s commandments, the more we live in a personified life of God, so that we may live a life that manifests Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God, in this vain world. A true wise man is a true witness. And true witnesses testify Jesus Christ. Jesus' witnesses bring many people back to Jesus by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that we all become such wise people of God!

 

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and

those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever”(Dan. 12:3).