Wisdom and Light vs. Folly and Darkness

Continuing with our study of Ecclesiastes:

Eccl. 2:9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

The whole chapter to this point has focused on feeding the desires of the flesh, and in this verse we see a bit of boasting in the flesh. Solomon’s fame spread throughout the ancient world. The visit of the Queen of Sheba gave evidence to this truth.

1Kings 10:1, 6-7 “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions…. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.”

It seems that Solomon has totally lost sight of the fact that his wisdom, wealth and fame were a gift from God. At this point his focus is entirely on self. The pitfall of pride is a sin that every Christian needs to guard against. Scripture is clear in telling us that every thing we have worth having is ours only as a gift of God.

Psalms 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Eccl. 2:10-11 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

These are the words of a man who could honestly say that he could get anything he desired. He possessed the authority and wealth to overcome any obstacle that might stand in the way.

In the end, he had to admit that the joy of attaining so much was short-lived; he had served only to feed the lust of his flesh. Once you’ve got it all, so to speak, what’s left to look forward to? In honest reflection, feeding the desires of the flesh provide no meaning to life. I think the very public lives of so many of those in the category of the “rich and famous” today give very vivid evidence of this truth.

Eccl. 2:12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

As Solomon assessed all his attempts at finding satisfaction through worldly pleasure, wine, material wealth and fleshly indulgence, he didn’t see how any one who followed him could experience more than he had. At best they could only hope to duplicate his experiences.

Eccl. 2:13-16 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

These verses give indication that Solomon did have a bit of spiritual insight. Based on personal experience, he recognized that wisdom and folly are as different as day and night. To act with wisdom and walk according to the light is far better than to act foolishly and try to walk in the darkness. The eyes in your head give obvious testimony to that truth.

Solomon then observes that both the wise man, including himself, and the foolish man are going to die. So in that regard, what is the benefit of exercising wisdom? As he saw it, both the wise man and fool would soon be forgotten after death. Very few from the pages of history are remembered by future generations.

I think it is important to remind ourselves all the way through this study that the Holy Spirit is preserving the record of Solomon’s thoughts to help us understand that apart from God there is no meaning to life.