Hey blog-readers, I’m picking this up again. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten how fun it was reading the Bible, but now I definitely remember!
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent among men — a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner enjoys them. This is vanity and a severe affliction. People work and work all their lives, but those people end up simply giving their riches to another person to enjoy. It’s okay if it’s a rich person working and their tax money goes to the truly disabled, but there are cases where working-class people give their money so some person who just doesn’t like working can enjoy them. I heard about a guy who was a lifeguard half the year, and lived off of government assistance the other half. He could have gotten an education, in fact, it’s just that he didn’t want to work.
If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he, for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he. The writer must really be hating the world. Imagine – the man with a long life and a lot of children is worse off than the child who never saw daylight! If existence is really what the writer says it is, then consider how awesome heaven will be.
Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not enjoy good things — do not all go to one place?” Ashes to ashes, dust to dust (the end of Genesis 3).
All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind. Isn’t it interesting how when we use our own hands to build our fortresses, we dig our own grave in order to use the ground for our sand castles? That’s truly what earthly treasures are: sand castles. Sand castles are beautiful, but they crumble.
Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few years of his futile life? He will spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun? When it’s all said and done, most people want to have done more than they have said. Except for talking, because then it wouldn’t really matter. This is the writer’s point. It’s not really of any use just filling the air with your words. Who are we to judge what is best for us in our short lives? We have no idea what the next chapter of our life will bring, so what is there to do but enjoy everything as it comes? ❤
Remember your Creator always, and have joy with each new day. Having wisdom is great, but the truly wise can look at the world and see all there is to celebrate. Have a great day!
–The Jesus Freak Girl
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