So now we can see that what was a clear and concise set of writings grouped by topical argument is more of a grouping of ideas that have a more random feel, similar to Proverbs.  Actually, it is kind of like reading a cynical version of Proverbs in a way.  What I’ll do is pull out things that really jump out at me while reading, like we’ve done with Proverbs, rather than focus on each topical idea, which would keep us in this text for months.

Here are two little sections that caught my eye:

4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. 5 The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. 6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

In this first one, we see a clear aim at the topic of envy, that it is a worthless pursuit to strive in envy, to chase others’ status or place in life, and it is foolish to do nothing as well; he says it is ultimately better to be quiet than envious though.  In reading this, I definitely would agree...when we are motivated by envy we are wrongly motivated.  It is okay to emulate someone, it is okay to have goals, but we have to live our lives as a whole with a more positive motivation.  Think about professional athletes, you see these stories of them slaving away in their careers, working and practicing 24/7 for 10-15 years from college through their career and then we hear stories about falling into depression, losing their way...it is sad.  They have thrown their whole life into the pursuit of this goal of being the best they can be and what happens is that they let that become their identity.  Envy is like that if we aren’t careful too, because if we envy someone and we push to get what they have and then we get there, we move the goal posts and we move on to the next person and the cycle begins again...it is a dangerous cycle.  And again, it isn’t bad to pursue goals and emulate...the problem it, we have to maintain balance in that pursuit, we have to maintain a focus on the one REAL goal, which is becoming the person God created us to be.  If we get off of THAT track, then our pursuit becomes a problem because it pulls us from our purpose and that will ultimately lead to empty envy, envy of the wrong things, and a pursuit of the wrong things, and potential disaster.

13 Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. 14 For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. 15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king’s place. 16 There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

And this is a great message as well, that we can’t stop growing, we can’t stop learning, we can’t become anything less than curious about life.  We have to remain young at heart as it relates to wisdom, ready to receive it, ready to be challenged and to accept responsibility for our decisions and outcomes.  It is vanity to assume we can ever know it all...when we stop being open to wisdom, whatever wisdom we have will start to wither, it loses its power.  What a powerful idea.  Wisdom is like a muscle, it needs use and it needs more wisdom stacked on top of it, repeatedly over time.  That’s how it is exercised.

Great stuff today.