I recently re-read the book of Ecclesiastes and came away (again) almost depressed. Yes, there are many individual verses and portions that are enlightening, but for anyone who wants to believe that the whole Bible is directly and literally true, there are parts that leave me wanting an explanation.
All is vanity. According to a man who had direct contact with God, and whose respect for God's active intervention in individual lives, and his ultimate right to decied everything shines through the book.
Do the admonitions of the book apply to Christians today? If not, what other parts of Scripture do not apply, and which do? And who decides?
Chapter 3:18-22
I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
Or, is this really true?I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
Chapter 2: 24
Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
Nothing is better? Remember this is the man to whom God gave special wisdom, (Christians tell their children he was the wisest man who every lived) and according to this book, he made the equivalent of a scientific study of the purpose of life on earth, trying all sorts of things. He comes back several time to this - its best just to eat drink and be merry. Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
All is vanity. According to a man who had direct contact with God, and whose respect for God's active intervention in individual lives, and his ultimate right to decied everything shines through the book.
Do the admonitions of the book apply to Christians today? If not, what other parts of Scripture do not apply, and which do? And who decides?