SOLOMON ADDRESSES THE SUBJECT OF LABOR

SOLOMON ADDRESSES THE SUBJECT OF LABOR

Solomon meditates on the subject of labor in the book of Ecclesiastes, and it is apparent that he is in turmoil. Even though he had everything life had to offer, he seems to be depressed. He struggles to understand the role of labor in life. He is disheartened by the emptiness it brings. In the end he sees that labor does have some value, but that value is not in the material things that money can buy.

Solomon begins by saying, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” (Eccl. 2:10-11)

A few verses later he continues his lament by saying, “So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without HIM, who can eat or find enjoyment?” (Eccl 2:20-25) 

Solomon makes a profound statement in the 4th chapter where he says in the 4th verse, “And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor.” Today we call that “keeping up with the Joneses.” People make excuses to explain why they work longer hours than necessary, and the truth is that they want material possessions, they want to go to impressive places, and they want their kids to have the latest gadgets or toys. They may want no less than their neighbor or friend or family member or whoever they hold in high regard materialistically. Another way of saying that is “whoever they envy.” And they may want others to be envious of them. 

Solomon surmises in verse 6 that it is “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” We would be wise to come to the same conclusion. The stress that chasing the dollar brings cancels out any happiness that it brings.

Solomon builds on his reflections in Chapter 6, verse 2: “God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.” Of course their children eventually enjoy them unless they have too much themselves. Then the possessions and the man worked so hard to obtain are sold for a fraction of the cost at an auction or estate sale. His wealth goes to his children to fight over.

God gives possessions to each person, but God does not intend for those things to provide fulfillment in a person’s life, for they are not what is most important. Material possessions cannot fill the void that a relationship with God and family should fill. Those worldly goods eventually begin to rule their lives, for they must be maintained. The person becomes a slave to things. 

Some people spend their earnings on their addiction of choice and this too pulls them away from God and the family. Man cannot serve both money – or the things money can buy -- and God.

Solomon starts to finalize his thoughts in Chapter 9, the 9th-12th verses:

I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.

Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net,

or birds are taken in a snare,

so people are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them.

Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Solomon ends the book of Ecclesiastes with these words found in the 12th chapter starting with the 13th verse:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

--Becky O. Wall