- for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? -
I tell you what, after last week’s post, I’m in the mood for a pick me up!
Let’s dive-in.
Remember, Ecclesiastes is about examining the vanity of life. It takes seriously the suffering of our existence and attempts to posit an answer.
Here, in verse 25, we begin to see a glimmer of that hope.
Last week, we learned that the best man could hope for is the enjoyment of the “now.” Those are the “nows” of both working for and the future when we enjoy the fruits of our labor.
We constantly find ourselves within that pattern, shifting between excess to meager, good to bad, and joyful to fearful.
The point? It never gets better than that, and that’s all you have to offer the next generation.
But, how can one eat or find enjoyment? Undoubtedly God bestows the capability and experience.
Why then?
Why give us endless toil? Why give us momentary bliss?
Cruelty? Are we subjugated by a sadistic Lord, teasing us with glimpses of pleasure to make our unavoidable damnation sweeter?
Perhaps nature is hypnotizing us to ward off mental illnesses and keep the species continuing.
All of these theories could be true. All of them fall to morality.
If the world solely arose from one of these cruel or non-caring processes, then morality would sit in a void.
What do I mean? I mean the good things we all agree to would be tricks or false for some cruel or manipulative purpose.
In short, Nihilism would explain the universe. If Nihilism is true, then Hedonism is acceptable. There’s no point in living a good life.
In fact, it would be foolish not to live like the fool.
But, our souls disagree. Try acting against your conscience. Wake up in a cold sweat from what you’ve done and say it doesn’t matter.
You can’t. A force rests upon you emanating the foundation. Better yet, you can act in a noble way, listening to your spirit, and watch your life come together.
Note, belief in it is not required, just dialogue and honesty.
Now, could all that be smoke and mirrors? A distraction? A harmony with the universe - a lie?
Yes. It all could be.
To believe the universe has a foundation – that’s faith.
To take that faith and put it into the name Jesus is to align your being with the greatest story ever told.
Why do you experience bliss and peace? Why can they not be experienced apart from God?
Now we see a mirror dimly. Now we hear and see with vessels not made to behold the face of God. Now we believe in things unseen.
The pale reflection is not all that we were meant for and our souls know it, far deeper than we know 2+2=4, the grass is green, and oxygen keeps us alive.
Live knowing your created intent.