- So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. -
So, verses 18-19 are almost a copy and paste of verses 20-21.
With that in mind, I’m taking the day off and asking you to go and read last Thursday’s post.
Didn’t believe me? Yeah, I wouldn’t either. Let’s dive in.
What do these verses contain? There’s a despair about working for the future, anxiety about how an heir will handle their inheritance, and the acknowledgement that all this fretting is vanity.
Now, if Solomon is indeed repeating himself, that’s good enough! It’s an old-fashioned rhetoric technique, calling attention to his point.
You know this is important because I’m going to say it again. I hope your hearing me state how important this is, that’s why I’ve said it twice.
It’s outdated, but in a print medium space is limited, meaning repetition cost something tangible; hard to remember in a digital age.
I do notice one piece in these verses that seems to provide a contrast between the two.
The first pair discuss a fool. The second refers to a sluggard.
By the way, it’s better to be a fool then lazy. The fool is useless, unorganized, and knows nothing. As long as he is cognizant or made aware of that, he can gain skills or knowledge.
A fool can turn lazy, but a lazy person must be foolish.
What can we learn from the one who refuses to toil?
First, we might have sympathy for him. How could they produce their father’s works? Surely Solomon is aware of this.
This apparent contradiction I think shines a light on how we think about our parents and grandparents.
Of course, your labor doesn’t grow the possessions of your parents, unless of course you work in a family business or give your paycheck to your parents.
Children are a drain on one’s resources for the hope of making the future brighter.
Here’s an interesting thought. Did you toil for your job?
I mean, surely you toil within your job, but what did you do to produce it?
Most of us, unless we happen to be entrepreneurs, can realize our job was created by others before us. Our boss needed someone to step into a gap of opportunity they created.
Even then, that boss typically has someone to thank who came before them! It’s rare to be someone who creates value out of nothing.
But, you toiled for that job before you got there. How?
You toiled on yourself. The gains of the position were yours to take because you obtained the skills to step into the position.
Yes, there is of course luck involved and an indeterminate amount of corruption in every industry, but if you’re not ready, the right opportunity will evade you continuously.
In short, the toil for that work is a combination of the provider and the laborer.
How we act in the world has the same affect. Did you have good parents who provided a better future for you? Do you have a duty to earn that better future from them?
How much more this responsibility weighs on us towards are Heavenly Father with the life and grace He has given us.
Housekeeping: Once again, you are all too kind! I’ve had several people tell me and say how much they are enjoying the audio recordings.
I’m going to keep trying to release two everyday we post in an effort to catch up the audio to the articles. Soon, we should be day and date.
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Thanks everyone, and see you again on Thursday!