Ecclesiastes: Wisdom and Life's Questions

When our daughter Lara was young, she needed to know the answers. “Lara, get in the car. Let’s go!” was followed by a long string of questions— “Where are we going?” “Why are we going there?” “What will we do while we are there?” “Who else will be there?” “How long will we stay?” And she was just getting warmed up! It was exhausting! Thankfully she grew out of that stage, but, honestly, some people never do. In today’s passage, Solomon addresses the person who needs concrete answers to all life’s questions.

Ecclesiastes 6:10-12 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

There are five questions that Solomon addresses in this passage. Warren Wiersbe helps flesh this out.¹ I will take the liberty of paraphrasing and rewording some of Wiersbe’s work.

Question #1: What’s going to be will be, so, why bother? God is sovereign and in complete control, but that doesn’t mean we have no freedom to act. God desires that we work with him as he provides meaning and satisfaction in our lives. However, we must know that every action has consequences.

Question #2: Why disagree with God? No one can oppose him and win. God is omnipotent. But to conclude that we are in a sort of unfair wrestling match with God misunderstands his person and his power. He is for us, not against us. He uses his power on our behalf. He empowers us, through his Spirit, to live a life that pleases him.

Question #3: Words! Words! Words! Does all this talk solve any problem? Many words and much discussion can indeed lead to confusion. And certainly, talking just to hear yourself talk is fruitless. However, as we live under the sun, God has given us his Word to get us on the right path. Our words anchored in the truth of God’s Word will always bring needed clarity.

Question: #4: Who really knows what’s good for me? God does! A wise person reads his Word and follows his instruction.

Question #5: Who knows what’s coming next? In 2019, The New Yorker published a lead article titled “Astrology in the Age of Uncertainty.”² According to the piece, astrology is making a comeback among millennials. Many want to know what’s next. We want certainty in the uncertainty of living under the sun. But we don’t know and can’t know the future. We depend on our heavenly Father—who does know what’s coming next—to guide us all the way home.

If you must know the answer to every question about life and God before trusting in him, guess what? You will never trust in him. One thing we do know about the future is that death is certain. Here’s the main question. When your body has breathed its final breath, where will your soul go? Father, I pray now for the person who asks all kinds of questions about you and life except the most important one— “Where will I spend eternity?”. Help us nail that answer down through a transforming trust in Jesus, your Son. In his name, we pray. Amen.