Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

The book of Ecclesiastes

Chapter 1

***Eccl.1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem: 1:2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

Many dislike Solomon's writings calling them negative. In fact, those same Christian's find the apostle Paul's writings negative, and even some words of Christ, but are they negative, or rather truth none of us can get around? Optimism is not always the truth, nor is being a pessimist the truth, truth stand because God Himself calls it truth rather we like it or not!

1 Timothy 6:5 constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such.{NU omits "Withdraw yourself from such."}

Habakkuk 2:9 Woe to him who gets an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil!

Mark 8:36 For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?

God's creation was subjected to futility, or vanity because Satan made a challenge that human's are god's, and/or creators. That they could live without God by chosing in their life what was good for their life, and what was bad for their life. However, leaving out one big point? Was mankind created too depend upon God for life or not? We are not talking here of just living a few short years of vanity, where all our efforts perished at death? Unlike God YHWH who is our creator and his words stand for ever.

Ps.90:4 For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past, like a watch in the night.
90:5 You sweep them away as they sleep. In the morning they sprout like new grass. 90:6 In the morning it sprouts and springs up. By evening, it is withered and dry. 90:7 For we are consumed in your anger. We are troubled in your wrath. 90:8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
90:9 For all our days have passed away in your wrath. We bring our years to an end as a sigh. 90:10 The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away.

All then, truthful on earth, that is, apart from God, is vanity in God's estimation of human affairs. In other words, are human satisfy with a lie, the lie of our sinful flesh that life just goes on, and what we do in building, working, and so forth, goes with us? Well, God's truth speaks! Death comes to all of us, and with death goes all of our activities for good or bad upon this earth. Is then, our life not vanity as god's! Is not all of our works we do for recognition, vanity, and/or flattery to ourselves without the God's the source of life?

Ps.5:4 For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness. Evil can't live with you. 5:5 The arrogant shall not stand in your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity. 5:6 You will destroy those who speak lies. Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
5:7 But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house. I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.

1 Thessalonians 2:5 For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness).

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says Yahweh.

This is the process Solomon and Christ Jesus spoke about we humans go through from birth into death. Mankind cannot lay up enough treasure on earth to influence even the next generation without being forgotten. Satan and his demon schemed with mankind's to try unsuccessfully through every level to project into government, commerce, and religion some way to extend human influence over others for more than one generation. By creating trust, corporation, monuments, laws, putting their names on streets, and building to extend human lives after their death. Subsequently, it is vanity, the next generation quickly forgets, they forget the history, and the mistakes of the last generation, why? Because when man makes themselves equal to God, or a god they must steal words lying about eternal life, oppressing others, they do evil for power and control to make a lasting name that goes beyond death a godship!

James 4:1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your pleasures that war in your members?
4:2 You lust, and don't have. You kill, covet, and can't obtain. You fight and make war. You don't have, because you don't ask.
4:3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it for your pleasures.
4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"? 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."{Proverbs 3:34} 4:7 Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Subsequently, such lust cannot take sin out of mankind, sin cannot be taken out of mankind, human are dead in sin, do you actually understand what this means? It means that if you have a tree that is corrupted it cannot produce fruits that gives a person eternal life. Hence, once a sinner always a sinner, one cannot work their way out of not being a sinner. All one can produce is fruits for this life, which ends in death, i.e. dead works. However, those fruits are very deceptive, why? Because they do good for the living on earth, but they do no good for taking sin out of us, or the world, they cannot give a person eternal life with God.

Psalms 49:7 none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.

So the grand scheme “religion” which justifies mankind's evil as good claiming God must accept our good as merit towards eternal life. The first lie! God YHWH is the one true God whom is our creator, we must obey him for life. God is the only one that take sin away, he can make a person new free of sin, and he can give us everlasting works that endure in heaven where moth and rust cannot consume. This truth is found in all the holy writings. Solomon is speaking to this profound truth. To those promoting life on under sin earth is from God, false religion will find Solomon's word very negative. Those storing up treasures on this earth will not like Solomon words, but those seeking truth and Spirit from above Solomon's words are powerful, in full harmony with Christ Jesus words, and his apostles. No Solomon did not flatter our fallen flesh with greatness, he did not lie telling how wonderful man's work are, and how they would obligate God in the next life if we did enough good works upon this earth justfying our bad ones.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don't find it doing that which is good.

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

He told us the truth, all in this life is vanity a chasing after the wind that will end up in death where our thoughts will perish towards this earth and everyone upon it. We are not gods!

Rom.3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.
3:11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. 3:12 They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not, so much as one."{Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20}
3:13 "Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit."{Psalm 5:9} "The poison of vipers is under their lips;"{Psalm 140:3} 3:14 "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."{Psalm 10:7} 3:15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood.
3:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways. 3:17 The way of peace, they haven't known."{Isaiah 59:7-8} 3:18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."{Psalm 36:1}

Luke 12:19 I will tell my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry."' 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared--whose will they be?'

Matthew 10:28 Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.{or, Hell.}

***Eccl.1:3 What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

Here Solomon starts speaking about the cycle of life on earth the truth of truths, why the truths of truth? It is because most people are in denial about the cycle of human life, they simple cannot accept how vain it is?

Isa.40:6 The voice of one saying, "Cry!" One said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.
40:7 The grass withers, the flower fades, because Yahweh's breath blows on it. Surely the people are like grass. 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever."

So Solomon starts with the most obvious human life, our working to gain material things upon earth in recognition after we are gone. Then he compares us to the earth's endless cycle instead of the illusion of human wisdom of comparing ones cycle of life to other humans. But why? Simply put, the illusion of endless life on earth does not exist, for sinner. Moreover, he compares us to reality, not human reality, but God's reality the creator of heaven and earth to the few short second we actually have on earth, to the endless life of God, and his creations. So what does a person gain for their hard work of 70, or 80 years of toil, and worry in how they are going to be remembered by the next generation? The real question is not the next cycle, a generation, but what of the next four generation after us? Who will remember us then? How many people sit and talk about people that lived just a few generation before them daily?

Ps.90:10 The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away. 90:11 Who knows the power of your anger, your wrath according to the fear that is due to you? 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Not many, and if they do its because of some contribution they have made, but not as though they have daily influence in our lives like a family member does, a mate, or parent, no! They exist only in a illusion of the our mind that we project in how they may have been like, doing so so our own hope, that we to might be remembered. Truth is, vanity of hoping in vanity a crap shoot of chasing a rainbow!

Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

***Ecclesiastes 2:15 Then said I in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?" Then said I in my heart that this also is vanity.

The truth wins out, back to the dust we go, and our thoughts, works, loves, and hates, perish with us, to be remembered no more. We have no influence over our lives, let alone some else life in the future, we are not a god, we are what we have been told by God, dust, to dust as human under sin. No we are not the earth that we ca recycle ourselves that is not the message of Solomon here or of God our creator! Solomon is saying: “ I am the wisest of all kings on earth, God has given be his own wisdom, and here is the truth, which is, if the wised man cannot find hope that all his efforts and wisdom from God cannot extend his work on earth where indeed does that place the average person?”

James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let's go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit."
4:14 Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 4:15 For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that." 4:16 But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil. 4:17 To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

But Solomon gives no illusion, no lies, he speaks truth, our hope of any life after death is placed into the greatest Kings hands, the wises of all Kings YHWH the Almighty creator. Without him nothing we can do on earth matters, because it will perish just as God has said. For at some time in God's future he will make all things new, not all thing man in vanity thinking, vainly struggles, and toiling in for all the days of their lives, but instead all things new from God through the His freedom of human works under sin which has corrupted the whole of God's creation into death, but rather in God setting us free into life by the freedom of the son's of God.

Luke12:15 He said to them, "Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man's life doesn't consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses." 12:16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly.
12:17 He reasoned within himself, saying, 'What will I do, because I don't have room to store my crops?' 12:18 He said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 12:19 I will tell my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry."' 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared--whose will they be?' 12:21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

***Eccl.1:4 One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever. 1:5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises. 1:6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses. 1:7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again. 1:8 All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

Why is the eye and ear of mankind not satisfied? It is an everlasting quest for more seeing, more hearing, like a glass that cannot be filled the more one pours the greater the hunger! But the earth has a never ending cycle one that has long been here before we were, our own generation that can never be satisfied by simple truth of our existence. Those living think they are greater than the earth they were placed upon, they seek ways to change build new things, and implant new ideas without them all cycles of life would stop with them on earth to prevent all problems!

Psalms 97:9 For you, Yahweh, are most high above all the earth. You are exalted far above all gods.

Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, before you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

However, they leave into death, leaving behind all the good, and the evil of their ways. In a short 70 to 80-years they may have waged war, built and instrument of destruction, or invented as vaccine to help mankind, but still dying unsatisfied, wanting more time on earth. But the earth cycles on for the next generation in never ending cycle. It as if mankind is drunk with the lust of pushing a head, being the first, the best, the greatest, they simply cannot comprehend in any real fashion soon they will be history, they unlike the earth will at some point be remembered no more. They can't imagine they are not more important than the generation before them, they can't even truly do enough good to help the next. No! Man is not satisfied, the best government every built will not satisfied the next generation, they will tear down the old ideas for the new one they believe they are the first to try and think up, and much more so take credit for creating them.

Prov.30:12 There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness. 30:13 There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up. 30:14 There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men. 30:15 "The leach has two daughters: 'Give, give.' "There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don't say, 'Enough:' 30:16 Sheol, the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that doesn't say, 'Enough.' 30:17 "The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother: the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.

This is the endless cycle of human life, we just cannot except its vain pursuits of thinking because we are here we are the first, the best, the smartest to have ever existed on earth. This is the generation that must see the end of earth, why? Because we are here, we are far more important, we seek truth greater than any before us. We cannot repeat the evils of the past, we know better, here is the foolish vanity of this generation because the next will think and feel the same.

Proverbs 26:11 As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.

Proverbs 26:12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 27:22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

What can we say about Solomon depth of wisdom from God? Well, we think in this generation we are smarter, but we are not, why? Because foolishness, and death abounds in this generation as it has in all mankind's generations. Evil persist, wars, hatred, and prejudices still run ramped mankind cannot make straight what is born crooked, they can build new things, but they cannot remove sin that causes us the evil in mankind's hearts. We can do amazing things medically to help others yet we war over religion. We can plant food enough to feed the world yet let children die over greed and power of a few evil men. There nothing new under the Sun when it comes to mankind action towards his fellowman. The same mistakes are repeated generation to generation, knowledge, wealth, power, greed, has not changed the evil under the Sun found on every page of mankind's sorted history.

Rom.3:9 What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin. 3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.
3:11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. 3:12 They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not, so much as one."{Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20}
3:13 "Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit."{Psalm 5:9} "The poison of vipers is under their lips;"{Psalm 140:3} 3:14 "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."{Psalm 10:7} 3:15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood.
3:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways. 3:17 The way of peace, they haven't known."{Isaiah 59:7-8} 3:18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."{Psalm 36:1}

Man is a materialist never satisfied, he thinks the more is the better it will change human nature under sins. The magic potion is condoning evil by doing good bigger, better, greater! More knowledge will make the world a better place. Today the earth is filled with abundant knowledge greater than all generations previous, still violence is ramped, hatred and ignorance rules most of our earth. The cycle of mankind habits are the same since Adam sin, nothing changed, not one step up in removing the problems of evil found in mankind's heart.

Matt.15:15 Peter answered him, "Explain the parable to us."
15:16 So Jesus said, "Do you also still not understand?
15:17 Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body? 15:18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. 15:19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

The earth goes on, but few understand Solomon words, he also stated mankind continues in his evil acts towards his brothers, a never ending cycle from one generation to the next. Yet, mankind in his arrogance will not submit to God YHWH. He refuses the truth of his condition as given to Solomon by God's wisdom. The earth speaks of wisdom, it witnesses to God's wisdom, and glory, but equally so, mankind must except the witness they have given in all the history of mankind, the good and evil. Was Satan the Devil a liar, or a lover of truth when he stated mankind is a god, he can rule his life, and live for ever in peace and prosperity, and that God was lying when he said:

Gen.2:15 Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 2:16 Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die."

1Pet.1 Peter 2:25 For you were going astray like sheep; but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer{"Overseer" is from the Greek episkopon, which can mean overseer, curator, guardian, or superintendent.} of your souls.

***Eccl.1:9 That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

How can there be no new thing done under the Sun? The question should be from who's point of view nothing new has been done under the Sun, God's or mankind's? From mankind there has been vast amounts of new things done from knowledge, science, medicines, inventions, which have changed the world.

Psalms 92:6 A senseless man doesn't know, neither does a fool understand this:

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who is wise listens to counsel.

But let us remember here Solomon is speaking not from his own wisdom, but God's wisdom the same wisdom Christ had, and the wisdom all Christian's are to have. So from God's point a view mankind in like a never ending cycle just like the earth where rivers run into the sea, and the waters are evaporated in clouds carrying the water back to the mountains to return to the sea once more.
Proverbs 26:11 As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.

Proverbs 27:22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

What is mankind's cycle, from birth to death is a repeat of human under the sins of Adam, never improving out of sin, and all the lust of our flesh, returning to the dust from which they came. Humans believe godship is found in building new things, new ideas, but not from God's point a view.

Daniel 5:18 You king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty:
5:19 and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he killed, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.
5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 5:21 and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals', and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky; until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whoever he will.

The issue wasn't if mankind could build new things in his world, at the fall into sin at Adam's time, but rather if mankind could be a god sustaining himself on earth in eternal life? What is a god that does not have eternal life? He is a man that builds greedily as much as he can on the earth to be remember in the next generation for his godship.

James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let's go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit." 4:14 Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 4:15 For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that." 4:16 But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.

If you are a student of history it has been man's goal in every major project ever built by a man in wanting godship to be remember into the future, what vanity! Why vanity? Who built the great wall of china? How many lives were taken for a man to make a great name, but the question is if you are a righteous thinker? How many lives were destroyed by God to created the heavens and earth, none!

Psalms 104:24 Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom have you made them all. The earth is full of your riches.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

Whom does mankind compare his works against? The righteous God of the heavens or another great person who destroy lives to make a name for themselves? None are innocent, none can says: “I have no blood on my hands!” This goes right into those building big names for themselves in religion, business, politics. Somebody always suffers for the person creative ideas pushed by their lust for greatness!

Ezek.28:1 The word of Yahweh came again to me, saying,
28:2 Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you did set your heart as the heart of God-- 28:3 behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from you; 28:4 by your wisdom and by your understanding you have gotten you riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasures; 28:5 by your great wisdom [and] by your traffic have you increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches-- 28:6 therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have set your heart as the heart of God, 28:7 therefore, behold, I will bring strangers on you, the terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they shall defile your brightness.

There is nothing new under the Sun from generation to generation when it comes to the corruption in mankind, their lust for recognition, their lust for power, their lust for greatness. Their very lust proves they are not a god, but instead flesh living a few short years on earth having power over other humans deceived themselves such power make them better, greater, special allowing them to take rights from others created in God's image. Now we know the truth in finding God's wisdom when we stop comparing ourselves against fallen mankind, competing with them for winning or in greatness, and instead look up, and make the righteous comparison against the God of all,YHWH, whom can stand?

Isa.40:6 The voice of one saying, "Cry!" One said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.
40:7 The grass withers, the flower fades, because Yahweh's breath blows on it. Surely the people are like grass. 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever."

Then, and only then, do we bow down and worship the great, and good God, whom created the earth and all that in it from love, not for power, not for worship, not to make a name for himself. He did not boast in his greatness, like little puny mankind that always pushes and pushes in every conceivable way to make their names known. There great works known, blowing a trumpet into the ears of those who themselves want too create an image of themselves as false idol! Yes, like a dying vine, they will have you worship them, they will have you follow them, they will take what is yours to maintain a name onto the next generation. They will cover up, lie, cheat do what ever they have to do to keep a good name, and their works remember. But all is vanity a chasing after the wind, nobody cares accept those that want the same life seeking glory and fame in their own life willing to worship the creation rather than the creator of it!

Isa.40:17 All the nations are like nothing before him. They are regarded by him as less than nothing, and vanity.
40:18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him? 40:19 A workman has cast an image, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it.
40:20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks a skillful workman to set up an engraved image for him that will not be moved.
40:21 Haven't you known? Haven't you heard, yet? Haven't you been told from the beginning? Haven't you understood from the foundations of the earth? 40:22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in; 40:23 who brings princes to nothing; who makes the judges of the earth like meaningless. 40:24 They are planted scarcely. They are sown scarcely. Their stock has scarcely taken root in the ground. He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble.

Ps.90:1 <<A Prayer by Moses, the man of God.>> Lord, you have been our dwelling place for all generations.
90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, before you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. 90:3 You turn man to destruction, saying, "Return, you children of men." 90:4 For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past, like a watch in the night. 90:5 You sweep them away as they sleep. In the morning they sprout like new grass. 90:6 In the morning it sprouts and springs up. By evening, it is withered and dry. 90:7 For we are consumed in your anger. We are troubled in your wrath. 90:8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
90:9 For all our days have passed away in your wrath. We bring our years to an end as a sigh. 90:10 The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away. 90:11 Who knows the power of your anger, your wrath according to the fear that is due to you? 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

***Eccl.1:10 Is there a thing of which it may be said, "Behold, this is new?" It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
1:11 There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

Why do human want to be remember after they died? The answer is a little complex because even those not believing in God and life after death often want to be remember for their work, their contribution to society, having a head stone to remember they once walked upon earth. Here Solomon was contemplating his own life and what it would be remember for or not?

Luke 12:15 He said to them, "Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man's life doesn't consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses." 12:16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly.
12:17 He reasoned within himself, saying, 'What will I do, because I don't have room to store my crops?' 12:18 He said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 12:19 I will tell my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry."' 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared--whose will they be?' 12:21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Today we have the writing of Solomon his greatness as a king of Israel admired by many throughout Israel and Christianity
as the wises of all kings to ever live. So why would he be so gloomy saying there is no remembrance of a person once dead? Human are superficial when it comes to death, a label, a head stone, street named after the person seems to be enough glorify them upon earth to satisfy the needs of those that have passed into death.

Ecclesiastes 9:1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn't know it; all is before them.

Ecclesiastes 9:6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy has perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.

But Solomon contrast life with death, not death with death, instead a living life with the billions of things alive in our world. The affect of one person life upon ours, the hope of one person that can change our world, when compared with death, having no control over it, and having no impute into the world any longer, where our loves, hates, jealousy, and life ambition are no more there truly is no real remembrance when its comes to life our effects on other spiritually, mentally, physically all is gone forever, and no one that has ever meant us can remember something from a stone, a book, or a monument they can only imagine what the person may have been or what they want to make us into to fit into their life dreams.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.

This is the prospect for all human under sin, this is the lot of all of us, unless we have faith in God. Human may not believe in God, they may think they have beaten the fear of death, perhaps some have, but how many don't want to be remember at all? Even the vilest of human want something remembered of them, but why? Simply put the thought of nothingness is terrifying to human to think not one thing we have did in this life will have any effect or remembrance in just a few short years to anyone under the Sun?

Proverbs 26:12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let's go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit."
4:14 Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 4:15 For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that."
4:16 But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.

No! We were lied to, by birth, we are not gods, we are not immortal, we are not going to be remember, no matter who we are, no matter how much power we have gained, this is the truth Solomon was facing up to. There is only one person that can remember us to give us life. There is but one almighty God with the power of life and death, he has not changed, but Oh how mankind has manipulated everything in his world to get around the ultimate fear of dying and not being remember any more! What contrivance in religion, philosophy and every other scheme under the Sun, and yet there is nothing new when it come to death through sin under the Sun; all are found in the hands of God, and we better hope he does not live in a fancy like so many do when it comes to this truth of death?

Matthew 10:28 Don't be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.{or, Hell.}

*** Eccl.1:12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
1:13 I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.
1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

There is a lust born of mankind to seek out knowledge like precious stones, but here the wisest of kings says it is an affliction, not a gift, not a blessing, as we have all been taught, but why? There is an old adage that states: “The deeper you dig the deeper you go.” In other words, instead of coming up one goes down, there is no end to the digging, or the reading of many books.

Here is the quagmire Solomon found himself in, how was all his knowledge gained going to help others if it was not important to them? How was he to remove foolishness out of a person heart if God himself refused to remove it? What value is knowledge if it cannot be used because of the inherited nature of mankind under sin? And to add insult to injury the next generation wouldn't even know of it, let alone use it to benefit themselves.

Yet, each generation without understanding thinks its the only generation of mankind, the best, the first, the greatest, and what it does matter and what was done before them outdated, now that is vanity and a chasing after the wind. And our generation is no different, we can read history and find the same mistake repeat time and again, but blindly we go forth as if we are the first, shocking!

We find ones deeply involved in research of the scriptures hoping to unlock the end time prophecy wasting a whole life preaching and teaching and pounding upon one subject to the exclusion of all the wonderful counsel and wisdom of God's word, why? The lust for knowledge, the lust to find the gold, the lust to be special, to be known as faithful, a scholar, and go down in history recognized by others as a faithful great preacher, like Daniel in the bible or another prophet, how foolish, childish, and a chasing after the wind. Forgetting the revelation of truth is an ease thing when God chooses to give it. Its not a life along ambition, it is God's compelling from his own originality to make a man give his message.

Hundreds before us have thought they were the one, the person given such knowledge of the end of our world, the generation that must see Christ coming, but they died, and their thoughts of importance perished with them to be remember no more, but to be mocked, to be looked down upon with disdain and presumptuous. But let us not forget, if that person was still alive they would still be preaching the same message although proven wrong a thousand's years. God is with the modest one, he is with the humble, Christ was exulted because of humility in his flesh. He did not follow the nature of human lusting for knowledge, or power, nor recognition, he followed after a servant position to a King, he waited upon the source of knowledge to lead, and teach him his will, and for that, he is now highly exulted unlike those that exult themselves in God's name.

***Eccl.1:15 That which is crooked can't be made straight; and that which is lacking can't be counted.

The flesh competes with everything on this earth to prove it wrong, and beat it for superiority that is its sinful nature. Those lead by Spirit of God accept what the Spirit says and teaches them, simply, because of the Father YHWH it comes from is love. There is no fear in love, or the Father of his children.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
The fleshly minded person thinks and wars its entire existence upon earth to make straight that which cannot be made straight, and what is that? In context to Solomon thoughts in the first chapter of Ecclesiastes; there is nothing new under the Sun, so we must be talking not about technology or building, not even government, religion or commerce, but humans as sinners.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Matthew 15:18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. 15:19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

Can that which was made crooked at Adam fall into sin be made straight by works of man, or cycles of our earth as though evolution will remove man's sinful hurtful nature out of them? That man will evolve into a sinless person that will never died, like Adam was created by God to live forever upon earth in a paradise?

James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.
3:15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.

The hard truth is no! There is nothing new found with in a heart under the power of sin, but death, such cannot be made straight! Mankind has with its best effort tried to reform mankind into a person that does not sin against themselves and neighbors, but what is the truth of every generation upon earth under every type of human rulership, war, hate, violence, jealousy, and death. Not one person since Adam's fall into death by sin has redeemed even one brother. No matter how great or noble has been the person life to help the human race nothing new has came from their efforts when removing the nature of humans.

Jer.17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? 17:10 I, Yahweh, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

Great laws, great institutions all produce the same old person generations after generation because flesh is against the Spirit of God and it must compete like sport to prove God's words wrong. But those with the wisdom of Solomon, that is, having the mind of Christ know the truth, and what is that? God word cannot fail, Solomon spoke here from God's wisdom when stating that which is made crooked cannot be made straight.

Luke 11:31 The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and will condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, one greater than Solomon is here.

1 Corinthians 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?"{Isaiah 40:13} But we have Christ's mind.

Thousand's of years later with the greatest science, government, religion and commerce we find the highest amount of dysfunctional families on earth, the most selfish and terrifying violence being done on earth, nothing new under the Sun when mankind's heart still controls and lead the world under the rulership of man and Satan. Every level of of this world has proven not to remove sin from human heart and reasoning the best Satan can offer human is justification by some good work they have done to cover up the evil they will causes that is the best! This is the reasoning of false religion, the same reasoning of the hardest criminal on earth, and world leaders.

Matt.:7 "Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
7:9 Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

God offer each person on earth a new life, free from sin. He does not try to make straight that which is made crooked by Adam's sin. No! God makes all things new, don't be fooled, don't believe the lie being taught by most religious people. God kills our sin, by atonement and makes us into a new creation. God does not say, crooked will be made good, no! Christ says a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, its impossible the same wisdom found in Solomon, have you made the connection?

Matt.7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 7:16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 7:17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. 7:18 A good tree can't produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that doesn't grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.

***Eccl.1:16 I said to myself, "Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
1:17 I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.
1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

There is an old adage that says: “too much honey is not good”. However, people don't believe that when it comes to knowledge and wisdom. For that is the quest on every level of human society to get as much knowledge and wisdom as one can for power, position, wealth, and the glory of men.

Isa.40:6 The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. 40:7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass.

When Solomon speaks here he is referring to a knowledge and wisdom of human nature, not new technology, science, medicine and/or political science, etc. It is the wisdom and knowledge Solomon was given about mankind nature under sin that bring with it increase sorrow.

Rom.3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.
3:11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. 3:12 They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not, so much as one."{Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20}
3:13 "Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit."{Psalm 5:9} "The poison of vipers is under their lips;"{Psalm 140:3} 3:14 "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."{Psalm 10:7} 3:15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood.
3:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways.
3:17 The way of peace, they haven't known."{Isaiah 59:7-8}
3:18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."{Psalm 36:1}
3:19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

Solomon made profound conclusions about human nature in his writings, some think Solomon was very negative person, many think other prophets of God were equally negative; the apostle Paul being one of them. In other words, those loving self more than truth find it impossible God could be so negative towards our condition of sin in us. The negative of speaking truth overwhelms their logic imputing personal bad motives too the words of the writer.

Matt.19:16 Behold, one came to him and said, "Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" 19:17 He said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

Truth is if one lived a thousand's years, and loved truth more than self, which self is the lie. They would find much sorrow in human conduct which repeats itself generation after generation. They would find an element that permeates all human which is sin according to the bible, each generation believing they are smarter, better than the one before them, as they sink into lowere and lower into greater corruption, while at the same time believing; defying all truth they are becoming more enlighten!

Ecclesiastes 1:15 That which is crooked can't be made straight; and that which is lacking can't be counted.

This contradictory behavior defies all common sense and truth. In other words, it is the lust of ones flesh, its emotions and feeling that drives the human race, not truth, and wisdom. Wisdom is being able to apply knowledge making it truth. Not having ones head filled with knowledge, teaching, and repeating it for show. What is knowledge without love, self-idolization, it is a tool to control others with. Yet, this false love of knowledge, and wisdom is accepted generation after generation, do you understand why?

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

John 3:21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God."

The bible is clear on this matter, Eve wanted to be a god, she wanted all God had given in love to make herself independent of God. Mankind in sin follows that rail, track never deviating from it throughout the history of mankind. We are not talking about a handful of God's people throughout the same history; most are on a board road leading off into destruction because they simply can't imagine their ways are death, and there is nothing new under the Sun when it comes to sin. Their ways are not so bad, as long as they are better according to self-judgment than someone they look down upon. This faulty judgments is the truth mankind follows, looking for evil in others to justify some good in themselves.

2 Corinthians 10:12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?

Isaiah 46:5 To whom will you liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

Completed on: March 5, 2015

by: Daniel a Slave of Christ