Ecclesiastes 1
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 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! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 15 What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. 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." 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. 18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
Questions:
Why is the wisest man unfulfilled?
Is the acquisition of wisdom a dangerous pursuit?
Is this comparable to the tree of Good and Evil?
Reflections:
In my circle of influence it seems that health is the topic of the day. I can’t remember a time when more people in my life have been dying, sick, or dealing with a family member’s drama. Many church workers have prematurely passed away. I have been watching how people have reacted to their traumatic situations. Some turn to prayer. Some turn to grief. Some stand in shock.
In two cases I have observed what truly seems like miracles. When I left the charismatic movement I didn’t leave the idea that God could heal. But I did stop looking around every corner for a demon or a miracle. One person lay on the hospital table receiving CPR for 30 minutes. Most people don’t normally come back. Another person involved in a typically fatal motorcycle accident, still lives. The man is in his late 60’s not his 20’s.
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