Truth Magazine

By Roman A. Madrigal

“Vanity of vanities, All is vanity!” This pessimistic generalization of the human condition provides the keynote to the interpretation of the book of Ecclesiastes and characterizes its author Qoheleth(1) as a despondent man of despair and depression. Indeed, the book as a whole is quite negative and evokes a forceful sense of gloom. It is this feature of distinct pessimism that has led most students and exegetes of Ecclesiastes to overlook the positive message of the work. And there is an affirmative side to this fascinating book. While the author is not the total pessimist that his opening sentence might suggest, I think that his uncompromising insistence that all is vanity is the necessary framework within which his positive message must be understood.

While the positive value of Qoheleth has been greatly neglected by biblical scholars who continue to interpret the spirit of the book to be one of “overarching resignation and despair,”(2) it is my belief that the negative thinking of Qoheleth yields positive goals and results. His negative stance is prerequisite to his positive admonition to enjoy life. He is demolishing to build. This type of negative thinking can be quite powerful and productive. Qoheleth’s advice to enjoy created life as a gift from God is a steady counterpoint to his central argument: man’s desperate search for order in a chaotic world is simply fruitless. This proposition does not necessarily conflict with “the end of the matter” in 12:13. It simply means that there is nothing better for man to do than to eat, drink, and to rejoice – for this is his portion! It is the purpose of our study to discover Qoheleth’s total world view by surveying these positive and negative motifs throughout the book. Our investigation will not attempt to be exhaustive, but rather suggestive an introductory. I believe a detailed examination of these themes would prove most fruitful, but such is not our purpose at this present time.

Point And Counterpoint

The Hebrew word for “vanity” in Ecclesiastes can be interpreted as “vapor.” This is, perhaps, even more depressing than the traditional translation of “vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” The characteristic of vapor is that it vanishes, disappears. Qoheleth observes that the same is true for human life. Nothing endures. Nothing lasts forever. Nothing remains. While other biblical texts note the transitory nature of human affairs (see Isaiah 40:6-7 and Proverbs 27), Qoheleth sets forth this common insight with an emphasis and consistency that is without parallel in the Old Testament Scriptures. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? What profit is there? What can be accumulated and stored up? Nothing! Qoheleth moves on to exclaim, “Therefore I hated life. . .” (2:17). Although this is the main point of the book, the author offers a secondary intent, or counterpoint. In spite of his inability to discover the key to life’s meaning, man is to enjoy life, for “this is his portion.” It is this uniform counterpoint that gives Ecclesiastes its overall equilibrium and sense of balance (2:24-26; 3:12-13; 3:22; 5:18-19; 7:14; 8:15; 9:7-9; 11:9-12:1).

Many scholars who have seriously studied Ecclesiastes maintain that the essential theme to the book is not resignation, but joy (simha), the enjoyment of life. Robert Gordis, for example, explains that “for Qoheleth, joy is God’s categorical imperative for man, not in any anemic or spiritualized sense, but rather as a full-blooded and tangible experience, expressing itself in the play of the body and the activity of the mind, the contemplation of nature and the pleasures of love.”(3) We shall notice both the negative motif of vanity and the positive motif of enjoyment throughout the remainder of our discussion.

Qoheleth reminds us through his various topics and themes that all religious affirmations which do not measure up to experience and the facts of life are naive and cannot be trusted. What he affirms in his blunt realism is the following three theses: (1) There are limits to human existence, especially death; (2) Man is thus disillusioned and begins to hate life; therefore (3) Man should recognize the reality of the present moment as a gift from God to be enjoyed.(4)

Death cancels everything. This is the common lot of all men. This is the fundamental limitation placed upon the human race. This realization brings Qoheleth to despair as he cries “all is vanity!” Another limit placed on man is the thinking can be quite power created life as a gift from God is a steady unpleasant fact that he lives in an indiscernible moral advice to enjoy order (cf. 7:15 and 8:14). Any casual observer can see that the world is crooked, where the sons of men do only what is right in their own eyes. These human limitations reveal ultimately that there is no new thing under the sun. Even wisdom, however beneficial and bountiful, has definite restrictions. Qoheleth demolishes the myth of progress with a single blow.

Any attempt by man to master his life is presented as folly and a striving after wind. Wisdom cannot be pursued as an end in itself because it too, has certain limitations (l:l8). Pleasure, wealth, honor, and fame(5) all are as the vapor which vanishes into thin air. There is no gain or profit from man’s labor in which he labors under the sun. Given all this, the arrogant effort of autonomous (modern?) man to control his fate is laughable.

“So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind (2:17).

Conclusion

Having noted a range of limits imposed on man’s existence and experience and the resultant folly of man’s attempt to master his life, Qoheleth reasserts the sage advice that man’s lot is to enjoy the life that God gives to him, fog this is his portion. Indeed, it is humanity’s only divided fog earthly existence; life under the sun. It is my belief that this theme of enjoyment provides a steady counter point to the main point of vanity, pessimism, and negativity in Ecclesiastes. “Enjoyment” can also be understood as the fruit of negative thinking in the book. That is, enjoyment and the transient pleasures of this life are highlighted in the context of Qoheleth’s desperate and dismal declarations. There is a certain power of negative thinking which gives Ecclesiastes its forcefulness, and this negative reflection yields the very positive product of pleasure. Of course the pursuit of life’s pleasures must always be realized in light of God’s Covenant (11:9; 12:13-14). Yet Ecclesiastes is concerned ultimately with the enjoyment of the present, not in any hedonistic sense, but in the context of life with all its toil and enigma. This is the life available to man. This is the life that God gives!

Endnotes

1. The purpose of this essay is not to discuss questions of authorship and date, but rather, to pursue the meaning of the book. For convenience, we shall refer to the author (probably Solomon) with the Hebrew “Qoheleth.”

2. Robert K. Johnston, “Confessions of a Workaholic: A reappraisal of Qoheleth”, CBQ 38 (1976), p. 15.

3. Robert Gordis, Koheleth – The Man and his World, (New York: Schocken Books, 1968), p. 119.

4. Johnston, op. Cit., p. 21.

5. Obviously, each of these items could use substantial examination and analysis, and I hope to pursue such a study in the future, Lord willing.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 12, pp. 362-363
June 16, 1983

By Lewis Willis

I read articles or hear preachers say, “I’m no longer surprised at anything.” Well, I have not reached that point yet. I still get surprised at the things I see happening. To be sure, the world does an awful lot of surprising things, but the things that surprise me the most are the things I see churches doing, supposedly to the glory of the Lord. The Akron Beacon Journal, on Saturday, October 16, 1982, printed an ad in the entertainment section from St. Vincent – St. Mary Catholic Church announcing, in large type, “Las Vegas Nights.”

On the nights of October 15, 16 and 17, the public was invited to a spiritual feast (?) of poker, chuck-a-luck, roulette wheels and blackjack. The doors opened for these “church activities” at “6:00 P.M. till ??.” And church gamblers were assured that “real money” would be used. The people of Akron were invited to “Cash in on the fun and excitement!”

Oh, there was one other thing. The ad said these “church activities” were for those “18 years and older only.” I remember when the movie industry responded to parental pressure and started rating their movies. A “G” movie could be seen by anyone. One rated “PG” suggested parental guidance. If rated “R”, admittance was restricted; those under 17 had to be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. If rated “X”, to be admitted one “must be 18 with valid LD. . . no children!” Therefore, if you used the movie rating system to rate this Catholic church’s activities, you could only rate it “X”! Thus, an “X-Rated Church.”

I haven’t been living in a cave, so I am aware that many churches conduct Bingo nights. Some of these jackpots are advertised as high as $1,400 guaranteed. But I can tell you one thing, this “Las Vegas Nights” thing pretty much takes the cake. We’ve heard an awful lot in recent years about the social gospel. Some might say this is the social gospel gone to seed and sprouted! However, the fact is, it is neither “social” nor “gospel.” It is a misnomer to give it that kind of designation.

Think about this a little bit. If you go to Las Vegas to gamble, you do not gamble against other gamblers, you gamble against the house. If this church activity justifies being called “Las Vegas Nights” then I suppose the church is the house. The object out in Nevada is to beat the house. So I guess the object here is to beat the church. The possibilities for this thing are mind-boggling. And, if the crime against God was not so great, it would be laughable. Can you imagine the priest promoting the activity. “Come one, come all. Bring your grocery money, rent money, car payment money, social security checks, unemployment checks, welfare checks and food stamps. Be a big winner and clean out the Lord!”

Obviously, the appeal of such activities is greed and covetousness. Paul called covetousness, “idolatry,” adding, “for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.” To escape God’s wrath, He said, “mortify (put to death) therefore your members which are upon the earth” (Col. 3:5-6). Isn’t it ironic that a religious organization that claims to be the religion of Christ would so brazenly lead its own people in a violation of God’s law? To say that people are ignorant of God’s will is an absolute understatement in this case. If the mission of the church is so completely misunderstood, it should not surprise us terribly that they misunderstand “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”

One wonders how long it will be before this kind of thing will completely replace “upon the first day of the week let everyone of you lay by him in store . . .” (1 Cor. 16:2). Those who still advocate God’s way of doing things, and who oppose “Las Vegas Nights,” might even be designated “antis” or “legalists.” I wonder if my opposition to this is Pharisaical? Our social gospel brethren need to plan their recreational buildings to accommodate such wonderful things as this or the remodeling costs will be monumental. Of course, one or two good nights on the part of the house would take care of that in a flash. These “X-Rated churches” might become the fad of the future. Watch out, brethren!

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 12, p. 361
June 16, 1983

By Larry J. Curry

What must be done once sin enters our life? This question must be answered by all of us since sin is a universal problem. Either we as Christians admit to sin or deceive ourselves as liars (1 John 1:8). We should ever be thankful that forgiveness is available to all men through the shed blood of Jesus (John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:4) and is applied conditionally. More will be said about this later. Sin brings with it both guilt and consequences. It separates us from God and causes grief and sorrow (Isa. 59:1-2). Our primary concern in this article is the overcoming of the consequences as seen in 1 Samuel 12:19-25 which reads as follows:

Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king,” And Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And you must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which cannot profit or deliver, because they are futile. For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king shall be swept away” (NASB).

The following illustration, heard by this writer long ago, will serve to demonstrate the difference between guilt and consequences. It seems a teen-ager decided that mom and dad did not know much about life, and were incapable of knowing what was best for him. (Sound familiar?) His refusal to obey put them in a quandary as to what would be most effective in bringing about a change in attitude. Their decision was that each act of rebellion would result in a nail driven into his bedroom wall. He bragged about the first few to his friends, but even they soon saw very clearly the awfulness of his actions. Finally, with tears in his eyes, he went to his parents, confessed his wrongdoings, and asked that the nails be removed. His happiness could not be complete since every nail removed left an ugly hole in the wall. And so it is with sin in our lives. The Father readily forgives us of our sins, but consequences remain even as those holes in the wall remained. Having demonstrated the difference between guilt and consequences, I submit to you that many who have received forgiveness of sins have trouble overcoming the consequences. Let’s now examine the text to see the divine remedy for this problem.

Confession of Sin (vv. 19, 20)

The Israelites here confess their sin of asking for a king (8:6-19). Without the acknowledgment of one’s sin, there can be no forgiveness. This was true in the Old Testament system of animal sacrifices and the annual atonement (Lev. 16:20-22). It is equally true in the New Testament. Lately we hear that God will grant forgiveness of some sins of the Christian automatically, but we have yet to hear the passage that so teaches! Brethren, let’s give that false doctrine back to the Calvinist from whence it came, and teach what the Bible teaches – repentance, confession, and prayer (Acts 8:22; James 5:16; 1 John 1:7-9). Further, let me suggest that this confession is equally necessary in overcoming the consequences. For example, such is demonstrated time and again when dealing with alcoholics. Until one admits (confesses) the problem (sin), he can never be helped. Admittedly some sins such as fornication, alcoholism, drug abuse, and use of tobacco have greater and more far-reaching consequences perhaps than others, but all have them (Prov. 13:15). We need to think of these consequences before we sin. In the case of fornication there is the possibility of disease, unwanted pregnancy leading some to justify (?) abortion, loss of one’s reputation, etc. In the case of drug abuse, alcoholism, and use of tobacco, there is disease, shortened life, loss of influence, etc. However, once committed and forgiven, we must forget it since God has. Israel’s request for a king was going to be honored and now they had to live with the consequences. Their sin amounted to a rejection of God even as our sins are a rejection of God’s way for us. Yet, forgiveness will be granted by God when we meet His conditions.

Returning To God and Staying (vv. 20b, 21)

In these verses Samuel admonished them concerning the present and the future since the past could not be changed. Their need now was to turn to God and not away from God. Turning away would lead to futility as they would sink further and further into sin. For a description of this process read Romans 1:18-32. We, too, must realize that the same thing can happen to us. Examples could be cited by all of us of people whom we helped to restore only to watch them turn away from God, thinking that the consequences were too much to bear. Let us remember that the pleasures of sin are only temporary (Heb. 11:24) and that to go back into the world is to become worse than when we started (2 Pet. 2:20-22; Luke 15:11-32). The solution for us is the same as it was for them – draw near to God (Jas. 4:8; 1 Pet. 3:12). And in doing so, draw near to His people who are concerned about our spiritual well-being.

Guaranteed By God’s Steadfastness (v. 22)

Lest we should ever doubt the soundness of this advice, let’s notice the divine guarantee. We are concerned about the guarantee that comes with the products we buy and rightly so, as a good guarantee brings peace of mind. The guarantee here is the Lord and His greatness and His promise to be with His people (Deut. 31:6, 8; Heb. 13:5, 6; 1 Pet. 2:9, 10). The problem then lies not with God but with us. We lose our faith (Heb. 3:12), cease to believe God cares (1 Pet. 5:7), or that He will stand by us even if nobody else does (2 Tim. 4:16, 17). God’s preservation is conditioned on our faith (I Pet. 1:3-5). Just as a product guarantee is good when acted upon, so also are the promises of God. Just as Israel needed reminding of this so do we! May we heed Samuel’s words.

What Can The Faithful Do (v. 23)?

Samuel assures the people that he will continue to pray for them. How easy it would have been for Samuel to be resentful of God’s forgiveness of them (cf. Jonah 4:Iff). After all they were not satisfied with his leadership. Let’s be sure that we react as did Samuel and not Jonah. Those who turn to God confessing their sin and relying on His steadfastness, need to also be able to count on us. Remember James said to “pray one for another” (Jas. 5:16), and Paul prayed for the loss of the Jews (Rom. 10:1, 2). Besides, as Samuel observed, to fail to do so is to sin ourself (v. 23). There is no room in the Kingdom for a smug, better-than-thou, I-would-never-do-that, attitude (Luke 18:10-12). We must remember that it could be me (Gal. 6:1)! Then, too, we must desire to help instruct them in “the good and right way” that is spoken of in v. 23 (NASB). As a child I remember occasions where confession was made in an assembly and after a prayer and dismissal, all who desired passed by to offer a word of encouragement, give a warm embrace, etc. Brethren, this is only the beginning of our work of strengthening them (Gal. 6:2).

The Choice Is Ours (vv. 24, 25)

As in every situation, man is free to choose the path ‘which he will pursue. Samuel reminds them in v. 24 of the many things God has done for them as a means of motivating them to make the right choice. Indeed, do we not have some precious blessings given to us that should motivate us to serve God – a Savior, the Bible, the Church, heaven and many others? Then let’s obey God cheerfully! Too many Christians have just enough faith to make them miserable to say nothing of nauseating our Lord (Rev. 3:15, 16). Samuel also warns of the consequences of continued disobedience (v. 25). History records that as a nation Israel made the wrong choice! We likewise must remember the goodness and severity of God (Rom. 11:22) and the wrath of God (2 Thess. 1:6-9). The choice is ours!

Conclusion

We all find ourselves at crossroads in our lives. Once sin has entered our life we must do what God has said and be forgiven. Then we must turn to Him and His people to find the strength to overcome the consequences. Suicide becomes the answer for many at this crossroad after sin has marred their lives. We must seek to show them the divine solution to their problem so they too can have life after sin.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 12, pp. 359-360
June 16, 1983

By Hoyt Houchen

Question: What does this verse mean: “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power?” (1 Cor. 4:20).

Reply: First, we need to consider the context of the verse. In the preceding verses (vv. 18, 19) Paul had written, “Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of them that are puffed up, but the power.”

There were some at Corinth who were “puffed up.” They were enemies of Paul and were gloating because they thought Paul was afraid of them; this was the reason that Paul had delayed his coming. They asserted that his letters were weighty and strong, “but his bodily presence is weak and his speech of no account” (2 Cor. 10:10). However, simply because Paul had sent Timothy to them (I Cor. 4:17) was no indication whatsoever that he himself did not intend to come to them. To offset the idea that he was afraid of these conceited false teachers, Paul assured his readers that he would come to them shortly, “if the Lord will” (v. 19). He would then put his accusers to a test. Since they denied his apostleship, he would have a showdown with them. He was not at all impressed by their vauntings but rather by what they could do. Their true character and power would be seen when he arrived.

With this before us, we can now see more clearly what Paul means in verse twenty, “For the kingdom of God is not in word; but in power.” The kingdom of God is spiritual in nature. Christ reigns in the hearts of His people, so therefore the kingdom of God does not consist of what is apparent and outward. “. . . for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). And, as David Lipscomb has well stated it, “God’s kingdom does not rest on eloquent and persuasive words (2:4)” (Commentary on First Corinthians, p. 70).

Whether or not “power” mentioned in our verse under consideration refers to the power to perform miracles is not certain. Some conclude that Paul would work miracles when he arrived at Corinth and would thereby confirm his message as the word of God in contrast to the boastful, haughty words of the false teachers. We can be certain that the kingdom of God is expanded by the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18) and by pure and holy living upon the part of those who are citizens in the kingdom. The kingdom of God is not characterized by the words of men, but by the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This is spiritual or true power. This meaning seems to be more in harmony with the context. Paul did not come to the Corinthians with “excellency of speech, or of wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:1), but he knew only “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (v. 2). He would return to them the same way.

Guardian of Truth XXVII: 12, pp. 358-359
June 16, 1983