What Profit is a Man’s Labor? - Ecclesiastes 1:3

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon began with the words, “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity”, and in chapter one and verse three of his book Solomon asked, “what profit has a man of all his labor”, where we read,

What profit has a man of all his labor which he takes under the sun?

The verse reads, “What profit has a man of all his labor…” Solomon began with the words, “what profit has a man” or “whatsoever advantage, excellence and gain does a male human being possess” “of all his labor” which means “pertaining to each, every, the whole and the entire amount of his, the man’s, toil, trouble and weariness whether of body or mind”. Solomon questioned the gain and advantage a person possesses from each and every act of work they accomplish according to the following. 

The verse goes on to say, “… which he takes under the sun?”  Solomon continued with the words, “which he takes” or “that he, the man, toils, labors and works severely and with irksomeness”; “under the sun” which means “beneath the sun in the sky”? Solomon referred to the severe toil and labor that a person performs beneath the sun in the sky.

When we consider the words in this verse, we see Solomon’s assessment of the toil and work that people do while “under the sun”. He questioned the gain and value of the troubles and weariness that comes with work. We should remember that Solomon tried multiple deeds and activities, and he found them all to be empty. God’s design for us was to have a personal relationship with Him through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and who He raised Him from the dead after three days, as we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us fulfillment in whatever we do toward Him as we live in the world. (See Colossians 3:23) 

Next time Solomon says, “one generation passes away, and another generation comes”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".