What has a Man of All His Labor? - Ecclesiastes 2:22

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon said, “there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that has not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil”, and in chapter two and verse twenty-two of his book Solomon asked, “what has a man of all his labor?”, where we read,

For what has man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, 

wherein he has labored under the sun?

 

The verse reads, “For what has man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, …” Solomon began with the words, “for what has man” or “because, since and on account that whatsoever does a person hold, own or possess” “of all his labor” which means “pertaining to each, every, the whole and everyone of their toils, troubles and wearisome efforts”, “and of the vexation” or “and pertaining to the longing, striving and desire” “of his heart” which means “belonging to his, the man who labors’, soul and mind”. Solomon began to question “what” a person actually possesses for the toils and efforts as well as the longing and desire belonging to his soul and mind. 

The verse goes on to say, “… wherein he has labored under the sun?” Daniel continued with the words, “wherein he has labored” or “in which he, the person, has toiled, suffered and had misery” “under the sun” which means “beneath the sun in the sky”? Solomon continued his question by including the wearisome work that was produced by the person beneath the sun in the sky. 

When we consider Solomon’s words in this verse, we discover how he questioned what a person actually receives from every one of their works beneath the sun which includes a longing and striving of their soul and mind. Because Solomon’s view was that everything ends in “vanity”, even work and toil become “vexation” when it’s only reward is “beneath the sun”. God’s desire is to give us an eternal work in His Kingdom through His Son Jesus who was sent into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. When we yield to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and teach us to “labor” in a manner that shall be rewarding forever.

Next time Solomon says, “all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief”, 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".