Ecclesiastes 2:12-26
The Preacher starts today offering a glimmer of hope, that wisdom is better than folly: Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. (v. 13) That idea is of course entirely consistent with Proverbs, where wisdom is treasured and folly is shunned. But that glimmer of hope is short-lived, as we then run full force into the great equalizer, Death: How the wise dies just like the fool! (v. 16) And there’s the rub.
The Preacher then goes further. In recognition of his own future death, he begrudges leaving the result of all his toil — his estate or legacy — to the man who will come after [him] (v. 18), who may well be a fool (v. 19) and who most certainly did not toil for it. (v. 21) This begrudgement reveals the Preacher’s focus on self, and we see again that his question is, “What’s in it for me?” But it also forces him to further recognize that what matters cannot be what he leaves behind.
So the Preacher turns to the here and now and finds a truth: There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? (vv. 24,25) Indeed, apart from Him, is there any enjoyment at all? Any satisfaction? Any meaning? Any any?
There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? (vv. 24,25)
That statement has helped me with the never ending tasks that life is full of daily! It changed my feelings towards the toil of daily tasks. While to be honest I can easily leave a sink full of dirty dishes till morning, I do find that I’m not minding as much doing the toil (whenever I get around to it). And finding enjoyment in it!
Both John and Kathy posted on verses 24-25: There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? I was also struck by those verses, especially the notion of a person finding enjoyment in his toil. Truly, during my work years I found enjoyment in my toil. Somehow the Lord (from the hand of God, v. 24b) put two pleasures together in my life– numbers and teaching – and I found great joy at the end of the day (not every day!), at the end of each semester, and at the end of my career. I considered teaching to be my ministry field; what I left to the student “who came after me” (vv. 18-19) was knowledge, guidance, and (hopefully) a positive example. I trust that my toil was not in vain.