In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon said, “I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me”, and in chapter two and verse nineteen of his book Solomon said, “who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool?”, where we read,
And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
The verse reads, “And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool?” Solomon began with the words, “and who knows” or “and what person is aware, has learned, perceived, found out and discerned” “whether he shall be a wise man” which means “if and in case he, the man that shall be after Solomon, will exist as a shrewd, prudent and understanding person” “or a fool” or “or a dullard, simpleton and foolhardy”? Solomon questioned if the person who comes after him would be “wise or foolish”.
The verse goes on to say, “yet shall he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.” Daniel continued with the words, “yet shall he have rule over” or “still and at the same time will he, the person who follows Solomon, obtain and possess dominion, power, mastery and lordship above” “all my labor” which means “each, every, the whole and everyone of my, Solomon’s, toils, troubles, grievances and wearisome work” “wherein I have labored” or “in which I, Solomon, have toiled, grieved and tirelessly worked”, “and wherein I have showed myself wise” which means “and in which I, Solomon, have demonstrated and revealed my own self as shrewd, skilled, understanding and prudent” “under the sun” or “beneath the sun in the sky”. “This also” which means “the idea of person following him having dominion over his toils even so and indeed” “is vanity” or “exists as vapor, breath and transitory emptiness”. Solomon shared how he understood the person who follows him will have dominion over everything for which he tirelessly worked and exposed his “wisdom” beneath the sun”, and he considered this grasping for the wind and empty.
When we consider the words in this verse, we discover through Solomon how he considered the inheritance he would leave to a person of which he did not know their character. They might be “wise”, and they may be “foolish”. Either way they would have dominion over his toils and wearisome works, and for this reason, Solomon concluded that it was as soap bubbles or grasping for the wind. God knows the things in this life are temporary at best. God owns everything, (See Psalm 24:1) and whatever we gain in this life will be left behind when we leave through death. Only when we yield our lives to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was resurrected from the grave after three days will we receive forgiveness of sins, everlasting life and the Holy Spirit of God who will guide us into all truth and help us to invest in riches that will not fade away. (See Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 16:11)
Next time Solomon says, “I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor”, 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".
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