Solomon's World View

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Ecc 4:9-10 . .Two are better off than one, in that they have greater benefit from
their earnings. For should they fall, one can raise the other; but woe betide him
who is alone and falls with no companion to raise him!

Webster's defines "synergism" as: interaction of discrete agencies, agents, or
conditions such that the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual
effects.

John Nash put that principle into his Nobel Prize-winning economic theory. He felt
that it is possible to not only do yourself the better good, but at the same time to
do it in such a way that your efforts mesh with the efforts of others so that all
benefit.

Marriage is a synergic arrangement. Partners are more secure, and usually
accomplish much more together than an individual on their own; and they look out
for each other too. When a wife gets a muscle spasm in her back, and can't walk,
then the husband can put her on a blanket and drag her down the hallway to the
bathroom. When the husband's car blows a heater hose on the way home from
work, the wife can use her own car to come and get him at the repair shop and
bring him home for dinner. Plus, if both work, their combined income makes it
possible to carry a mortgage instead of throwing money away on rent.

● Ecc 4:11 . . Further, when two lie together they are warm; but how can he who
is alone get warm?

To be warm, as in Ecc 4:11, implies more than merely warding off a chill. It means
to be comforted. There is very little solace to be found in solitude. Loner type of
people often end up plagued with feelings of isolation, depression, and dark
thoughts.

● Ecc 4:12 . . Also, if one attacks, two can stand up to him. A threefold cord is not
readily broken!

All he's saying there is that a single strand of hemp by itself is weak; but when
woven together in multiple strands, becomes very strong; viz: the combined
strands become force multipliers.

In the darkening days in which we live in America, jogging, hiking, and bicycling
alone can be very dangerous in a City, State, or National park; especially after
sundown. It's far more sensible to mingle with others; even if they're strangers.
People alone are easy marks. Nobody's invincible. Even tough guys like Chuck
Norris and Jason Stathan can be taken down. As Arnold Schwarzeneggar said in the
Hollywood movie Predator, "If it bleeds, we can kill it".

● Ecc 4:13-16 . . Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no
longer has the sense to heed warnings. The youth may have come from prison to
the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that
all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor.
There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came
later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after
the wind.

That passage observes the instability of political power, and the fickleness of
popularity. The incumbent ruler may have at one time heeded his advisors' input
and lead his country wisely. But when he got old, he stopped listening to them. As
a result, a younger generation despised him for being egotistic, out of touch, and
insensitive to his countrymen's feelings. His arrogance and egotism made him a
prisoner of his own foolish mind and eventually, he was either deposed, or voted
out of office.

A younger man, unknown till now, an underdog, whose platform preached political
reforms, a hope you can believe in, environmental improvement, and economic
recovery; made impressive speeches and won the people's hearts. He took over,
led his country out of economic depression and to great victories over their
enemies. His country enjoyed worldwide prestige and great prosperity.

But the younger leader's popularity didn't endure. He himself aged and stopped
listening to the voice of the people and his advisors' input, and he too then became
unpopular with a younger generation; who then began clamoring for his overthrow
just like his own generation had done to his predecessor. It's an endless cycle.
Politicians are loved when they are voted in, and hated when they are voted out.

Oliver Cromwell, who took the British throne away from Charles l, and established
the commonwealth, said to a friend: "Do not trust to the cheering, for those same
persons would cheer just as much if you and I were going to be hanged."
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Ecc 5:1 . . Be not overeager to go to the House of God: more acceptable is
obedience than the offering of fools, for they know nothing [but] to do wrong.

"What is more pleasing to The Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your
obedience to His voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to Him is
much better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as bad as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols". (1Sam 15:22-23)

Old Testament Judaism was built around a fully functioning Aaronic priesthood
whose duty was to collect sacrifices and offerings from the people. But the
worshippers abused the system because they lived like the Devil during most of the
year and tried to make up for it with liturgy. To see how God feels about that kind
of religious hypocrisy, just read the first chapter of Isaiah.

In no uncertain terms, God angrily spurned his people's offerings-- their prayers,
their holy days, their festivals and feast days, and yes even their sacred Sabbath
observances because although they were very religious, they were, at the same
time, a hard-hearted, stubborn pack of scofflaws.

The very same thing can be osberved in modern Christianity. A number of pew
warmers live utterly worldly lives all year long and expect that church attendance
on Easter Sunday will somehow make up for it. That day is the most heavily
attended in church. People who normally wouldn't step over the threshold of a
church door all year long, will attend on Easter Sunday so they don't feel
completely heathen. Easter service, to them, is some sort of redemption day,
somehow wiping away a whole year's worth of secular impiety and is supposed to
convince Jesus they truly love him after all.

NOTE: Just for the fun of it some day, position yourself where you can watch the
front of a church when it's let out Sunday morning and observe the number of
Christians who J-walk back to their cars. (chuckle) You might be surprised.

● Ecc 5:2-3 . . Keep your mouth from being rash, and let not your throat be quick
to bring forth speech before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; that is
why your words should be few. Just as dreams come with much brooding, so does
foolish utterance come with much speech.

If you've really nothing to discuss with God in prayer, then skip it: say nothing;
remembering that God is a king, and kings shouldn't be treated as if they're dumb
enough to suffer fools and fritter away their time lending audience to bombastic
rhetoric.

● Ecc 5:4-6 . .When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. For He has no
pleasure in fools; what you vow, fulfill. It is better not to vow at all than to vow and
not fulfill. Don't let your mouth bring you into disfavor, and don't plead before the
messenger that it was an error, but fear God; else God may be angered by your
talk and destroy your possessions.

The "messenger" is translated from a somewhat ambiguous Hebrew word. It can
mean an angel, a prophet, a priest or a even just a teacher.

In this location, mal'ak likely refers to a church officer to whom you made a pledge,
e.g. a faith promise.

A sacred vow is between you and God, not between you and your church. So don't
be rash with your promises to God nor make excuses for reneging. A promise is an
obligation; and God will hold you to your vows even if you can't afford it. You just
try to be lax in your payments with a shylock and see what happens. You risk
fractured ribs by men who are very good at breaking things over people's heads.
When the points are due, that's when they're expected; not later. If shylocks are to
be feared, then God ought to be feared even more.

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the
honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord
Almighty." (Mal 1:6)

Better not to make a promise than to make one without resolve to keep it. (cf. Matt
5:33-37)

● Ecc 5:7 . . For much dreaming leads to futility and to superfluous talk.

Flowery prayers, and showy vows and pledges don't please God near as much as
just simply being a man of your word.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Ecc 5:8 . . If you see in a province oppression of the poor and suppression of
right and justice, don’t wonder at the fact; for one high official is protected by a
higher one, and both of them by still higher ones.

Existing alongside America's elected officials, is a shadow government called the
bureaucracy. Bureaucrats are non-elected officials who are actually the ones
conducting much of the government's business. High profile bureaucrats would be
the President's cabinet. But many others operate completely invisible to the general
public until they become implicated in a news-worthy scandal.

Too many bureaucrats are looking out only for themselves; most especially their
jobs. So they tend to make every effort to please their superiors; often to the
detriment of the voting public's best interests. No one should be shocked at this.
It's pretty normal because after all, human government is staffed by human beings.

● Ecc 5:9 . .The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from
the fields.

Government officials are sometimes said to be feeding at the federal trough. Like
greedy swine, they gobble up a large percentage of the gross national product to
pay their own wages, perks, and benefits; and to finance ear-marks and pork. But
citizens benefit in many ways from taxes too. So the government is not the only
one taking a piece of the country's wealth.

● Ecc 5:10 . . A lover of money never has his fill of money, nor a lover of wealth his
fill of income. That too is futile.

Money may not be the number one thing in life; but it's way ahead of whatever is
number two. When Shia LaBeouf's character asked Josh Brolin's character-- in the
movie: Wall Street/Money Never Sleeps --what his number is; viz: the number of
dollars that would be enough for him to walk away from investment banking and
retire; Brolin's character answered: More.

People obsessed with money actually love and revere it; and make any and every
sacrifice to get it. They stay up late, work long ridiculous hours, disconnect from
their families, and even betray their friends' trust to get it. Their minds are filled
with thoughts about money, their lives are controlled by getting it and guarding it;
and while they have it: they feel a great sense of pride, achievement, security, and
independence.

The amount of money they possess pales in importance compared to their rabid
desire to simply amass it. I've heard it said that success is the best revenge. There
are too many people out there in the business world who need money simply to feel
better about themselves, and to get one over on their rivals.

● Ecc 5:11a . . As his substance increases, so do those who consume it;

The wealthy often find themselves hounded by foundations, causes, charities, and
freeloading relatives and friends. MC Hammer, a very popular rapper in the 80's
and 90's, was quite rich at one time but spent it all on not just himself, but on his
entourage as well. Making money in a big way involves the employment of a staff;
and those kinds of staffs aren't cheap. They all average six figures; not to mention
their bonuses which commonly run up to seven.

● Ecc 5:11b . . what, then, does the success of its owner amount to but feasting his
eyes?

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis was heard to say: I don't like
money actually, but it quiets my nerves. Yes, money is good for feasting the eyes,
and provides a certain sense of security. However, money is no guarantee your
nerves will be calm, nor that your sleep will be sound; nor that your security is
assured.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Ecc 5:12 . . A [slave's] sleep is sweet, whether he has much or little to eat; but
the rich man's abundance doesn't let him sleep.

Rich folks typically don't perform any manual labor during the day, and they can
choose their own hours. Unfortunately that can lead to trouble sleeping due to a
lack of adequate exercise.

Plus; when you have nothing, you don't worry too much about losing it. But when
you have a lot, then you fear going broke; and along with riches comes rich foods
which sometimes cause indigestion and acid reflux.

I know a man who, as he got older, became concerned about dying before owning a
really good timepiece. So, he took some money out of his home equity line and
bought four high-end watches totaling roughly $20,000. He was happy with the
watches, but now worries all the time they might get lost, stolen, or damaged. He
didn't have that kind of anxiety when he wore drug-store timepieces.

● Ecc 5:13-14 . . Here is a grave evil I have observed under the sun: riches
hoarded by their owner to his misfortune, in that those riches are lost in some
unlucky venture; and if he begets a son, he has nothing in hand.

That is so sad. The ENRON scandal brought to light the dangers of investing in a
retirement system that is solely dependent upon just one company's prosperity.
When the stock price of ENRON plummeted, the value of its employee retirement
system plummeted too; and so steep was the collapse, that many of the energy
giant's rank and file were left with virtually zero dollars in their retirement accounts.

A veteran electrician with PGE (Portland General Electric) related how his account
was worth something like $348,000 before ENRON's value began to fall. He couldn't
do anything about it because his account was frozen while the executives at ENRON
were permitted to move their money to safety. By the time the PGE electrician's
account was unfrozen, its value had dropped to $1,200.

The sub-prime Wall Street disaster back in 2008 did the very same thing to a pretty
good number of vulnerable retirement accounts. Though the Government bailed out
the big investment banks, it did nothing for the little banks nor for the innocent
folks who were ruined by the collapse.

● Ecc 5:15 . . Another grave evil is this: He must depart just as he came. As he
came out of his mother's womb, so must he depart at last, naked as he came. He
can take nothing of his wealth to carry with him.

I once heard a story about a very famous rich man who died. At the reading of his
will, newspaper reporters were required to remain outside and not allowed to
interview the heirs until later. When the reading was over, a reporter approached
one of the lawyers and asked how much the old gentleman left. The lawyer replied:
He left it all.

Yes, the rich man couldn't take a single dime of his wealth into the next life. It all
stayed here and he went into eternity penniless not knowing whether the
beneficiaries would manage their shares of his wealth wisely or fritter it away on
trivial pursuits..

● Ecc 5:16 . . So what is the good of his toiling for the wind?

It isn't intrinsically evil to save and invest. After all, Solomon wrote in Proverbs that
it's wise to look ahead, and parents are wise who lay something aside for their
children. But the people who hoard, and who amass wealth simply for the sake of
possessing it for themselves, are laboring for the wind. They can't possibly keep it
into the next life, so the best thing for them to do is share it while they are here
where it will do the world some good. It's okay to keep enough for yourself for now
and for the future, but when there's a ridiculous surplus, find a way to disperse it.
Otherwise, your hoarding serves no useful purpose, and at death your wealth is
surrendered anyway.

● Ecc 5:17 . . Besides, all his days he eats in darkness, with much vexation and
grief and anger.

Wealthy people don't usually eat in the dark. Many have very nice chandeliers over
the table. But in their hearts often lurk evil thoughts, bad memories, regrets,
grievances, resentments, disputes, hard feelings, and a bad conscience. They're
really no different than the common man in that arena. Like they say: So and so
puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Ecc 5:18 . . Only this, I have found, is a real good; to wit: that one should eat
and drink and get pleasure with all the gains he makes under the sun, during the
numbered days of life that God has given him; for that is his portion.

Solomon mentions death so often that you might think he was obsessed with it. But
really, he wasn't. His philosophy of life was such that he took death into
consideration so that his days weren't spent as if they were infinite and he expected
to live forever. A balanced philosophy of life has to include the very real possibility
of imminent death to keep things in proper perspective.

For example: actor Treat Williams was recently killed on his motorcycle after
colliding with a car approaching in the opposite lane made an unexpected left turn
practically right over him. Ten seconds earlier and the car would've missed him,
and ten seconds later it would've missed him too. But no, Treat and the car met at
just the right moment to end his life: he never saw it coming.

Man is but perishable fruit like peaches, pears, strawberries, cantaloupe, avocado,
and oranges; no amount of refrigeration will keep him fresh. Regardless of the
amount of rest, fresh air, good diet, and exercise; man begins to wither right
around the age of 32 or 34.

Youngster's can't really appreciate their expiration date as three brief decades: to
them, 32 or 34 years seems long and way out in the distance. As a result, the
withering process often sneaks up and takes them by surprise like starting a frog
off in cool water and slowly bringing it up to a boil. Of a sudden, one day it swats
them in the face like a rolled up newspaper that they're "old school" and replaced
by a younger, hip generation wherein they've been accustomed to thinking all along
was themselves.

The aging process, once it starts, is relentless. Its personality is sort of like that of
the robot in Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie "The Terminator" which is a machine
that can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with, it doesn't feel pity or
remorse or fear, and it absolutely will not stop-- ever! -- until you are dead.

The aging process is a cold as steel wake-up call that your tenure on this planet is
rapidly winding down to a close; and one day, it will be like you were never here.

● Ecc 5:19-20 . . Also, whenever a man is given riches and property by God, and is
also permitted by Him to enjoy them and to take his portion and get pleasure for
his gains-- that is a gift of God. For [such a man] will not brood much over the days
of his life, because God keeps him busy enjoying himself.

Within the context of the book of Ecclesiastes, a "gift of God" should never be taken
literally. It's just a colloquialism, like the common term "act of God" that labels the
cause of natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, storms, miscarriages, and stuff
like that.

I'm in my retirement years, and one of the things I avoid is keeping too busy
because I don't want the final years of my life to pass quickly. They'll pass soon
enough; but when you keep busy, time really has a way of flying.

On the flip side is one's mental health. Keeping busy does have a way of preventing
people from doing too much introspection and reminiscence thereby developing a
chronic case of the blues. One's mind can atrophy too if they never do anything to
exercise their intelligence. So I try to strike a balance: I keep somewhat physically
busy, and I keep somewhat mentally busy too; while avoiding excess in either area.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Ecc 6:1-2a . .There is an evil I have observed under the sun, and a grave one it is
for man: that God sometimes grants a man riches, property, and wealth, so that he
does not want for anything his appetite may crave,

Here we go with that "gift of God" thing again; but these are typically a genre of
gifts that Solomon observes "under the sun" rather than in the sphere of true
providence. Just because somebody is rich is no indication their prosperity was
engineered by God. Even career criminals, Wall Street barracudas, predatory
lenders, and corrupt politicians are often rich; no thanks to God. Some feel the
Kennedy clan is blessed-- yes they are very well off, but only due to grandpa Joe's
lack of scruples.

● Ecc 6:2b . . but God does not permit him to enjoy it; instead, a stranger will
enjoy it. That is futility and a grievous ill.

That is the classic "the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name
of the Lord" attitude. Calling any act of God "futility and a grievous ill" would
normally be considered accusing God of sin, except that in this case, Solomon
doesn't really mean it that way. To an intellectual, the concept of God is merely
academic; and an "act of God" is really no more literal than pie in the sky or the
man in the moon.

A common example of this "evil" about which Solomon spoke is someone who
worked hard all their life, saved and invested wisely, and then one day WHAM,
during a routine physical exam, their doctor shocks them with the life-changing
news they have on-set Alzheimer's. Guess where that person's savings and
investments will end up now. Yes, towards medical attention and long term care.
The health care system, and it's medical professionals, will make a big dent in their
life savings.

● Ecc 6:3-6 . . Even if a man should beget a hundred children and live many years
- no matter how many the days of his years may come to, if his gullet is not sated
through his wealth, I say: the stillbirth, though it was not even accorded a burial, is
more fortunate than he. Though it comes into futility and departs into darkness,
and its very name is covered with darkness, though it has never seen or
experienced the sun, it is better off than he-- yes, even if the other lived a
thousand years twice over but never had his fill of enjoyment! For are not both of
them bound for the same place?

One advantage a stillborn child enjoys over and above the living is that although it
never had a chance to live; it doesn't know what it missed either. In its case,
ignorance is truly bliss. The person who had the means and the wherewithal to
enjoy life, but failed to take advantage of it before they died, will suffer
unspeakable mental anguish throughout eternity for missing their chance to enjoy
life before it was too late. In that respect, the miscarried child is much better off
because it has more peace of mind than others even though it never owned
anything; no, not even so much as a name to call its own.

I knew an older man once who owned a very expensive wrist watch that he
reserved for special occasions. Well; that is short sighted if you ask me. He should
wear that nice watch whenever he gets the chance because life is so uncertain.
People should enjoy their nice things while they can rather than wait till they're at
the point of death. Life is not a do-over. You've got live it as you live it: not wait till
a more opportune moment; which, as sometimes happens, quite possibly may
never come. Carpe Diem: seize the day. People who put off living life to its fullest
till later often find out it's too late to do so.

● Ecc 6:7-8 . . All of man’s earning is for the sake of his mouth, yet his gullet is not
sated. What advantage then has the wise man over the fool, what advantage has
the pauper who knows how to get on in life?

Food and water are two things in life that, like sleep, cannot be taken just once
because once is not enough. You have to eat again, you have to drink water again,
and you have to sleep again. That is a law of life for both the stupid and the
intelligent, for both the rich and the poor, for both the female gender and for the
male gender. No one is exempt from that law-- all are equal in those respects--
except for the reticent 17 year-old Twilight vampire Edward Cullen of whom it's said
never needs sleep.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Ecc 6:9 . .What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is
futility and a striving after wind.

Sometimes I think the most content people are the blind because they go shopping
with their heads instead of their eyes. People invariably buy things that are far
more expensive than what they could get by with if they had to.

* Apple Computer pioneer Steve Jobs once said: "People don't know what they
want till you show it to them."

This same weakness of the eyes will compel a boy to marry a beautiful girl who is
totally wrong for him. The Creator made women to be a man's very best friend
first, his lover second, and the mother of his children third. But some men just can't
get past a girl's looks; and as all women know, when it comes to love; men use
their eyes much better than they use their heads. They often pick a wife without
thinking because looks mean almost everything to the average man; and a
woman's personality is only secondary, if it's taken into consideration at all.

Women, as a rule, focus on the aspects of intimacy and relationship; but men, as a
rule, focus on the physical aspect. One of Billy Crystal's lines from "City Slickers"
says it all: "Women have to be in the mood, while men just need a place."

Take a look around the magazine racks in Barnes & Noble some time. The regular
racks contain lots of magazines with girly covers; and inside them are lots of girly
photographs; while over in another aisle away from the racks, are shelves
displaying the romance novels. Most guys don't care for romance novels; those are
for the women; because romance novels are to women what girly pictures are to
men; just in a different way. Photographs stimulate men through their eyes, while
novels stimulate women through their feelings; which easily explains why some
men would rather walk the neighbor's dogs than sit through a chick flick with their
wives and girlfriends.

● Ecc 6:10 . .Whatever happens, it was designated long ago and it was known that
it would happen; as for man, he cannot contend with what is stronger than he.

I guess you could call that attitude fatalism.

Some things really are predestined and often we just have to face the facts; e.g.
old age and death are two of life's unpleasant realities. Everyone is stuck with
debilitation and there's no use in fighting it. Menopause is another chipped-in-stone
fact of life that is just as real as the air we breathe all around us. If couples aren't
careful, and let too much time slip by, menopause will steal away their chances for
a baby.

And on top of that, the older a woman gets, the more her eggs age and become
less viable than when she was young. The same problem exists for men, just in a
different way. Men aren’t born with all their sperm cells. Fresh ones are
manufactured by their bodies all the time. However, those fresh cells are the cells
of an aging man. So if a man waits to have children when he's old, his chances of
producing a child with birth defects increase.

Some people enjoy toying with death; and go hiking in the wilderness all alone
and/or jump off high places with a bungee cord. Some say people like that have a
death wish. No, what they really have is a wish to flirt with death and live to tell
about it. Their attitude is: If you aren't walking on the edge; then you're taking up
room.

Personally, I don't want to die like a fool. People who tempt fate by participating in
extreme sports are just asking to be dead and/or crippled for life before their next
meal-- and then what? Is existence strapped to a wheel chair and a respirator really
their idea of fulfillment.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Ecc 6:11-12 . . Often, much talk means much futility. How does it benefit a man?
Who can possibly know what is best for a man to do in life-- the few days of his
fleeting life? For who can tell him what the future holds for him under the sun?

Solomon's comment pertains to a man's time "under the sun" rather than after his
death.

They say for every action there's a reaction; and that's generally true. But who can
really predict the repercussions of their decisions? In other words: when a butterfly
flaps its wings in England, does it put in motion other acts of nature that eventuate
in a typhoon in Samoa?

Life isn't like a chess game where the masters can see twelve moves ahead. No, life
is oftentimes a gamble. A young fellow contemplating the risks and responsibilities
of marriage once lamented to me how chancy it is to get married in these days with
the world in such turmoil and the economy uncertain. But I said to him: Life goes
on.

My friend realized of course that life does go on even under the extreme threats of
nuclear war, terrorism, air and water pollution, drug cartels, road rage, brown-outs
and water shortages, insane oil prices, acid rain, pandemics, activism, crime,
prejudice, drive-by shootings, global warming, unemployment, economic collapse,
and reactor melt-downs. People do manage to somehow cope and keep going.

Well, not long after that, he married his best girl; who proved to be just the right
one for him too. His pretty bride made him forget all about the dangers of lay-offs,
spiraling medical costs, and mortgage debt. My young friend never felt better in his
life. Carpe Diem.

● Ecc 7:1a . . A good name is better than fragrant oil,

A companion to that saying might be a proverb also authored by Solomon.

"Like a gold ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman bereft of sense." (Prv
11:22)

Cosmetics, fashions, jewelry, hair, manicures, wonder bras, pantyhose, killer
curves, and/or Spanx and scents can't make up for a bad name. No matter how
dolled up, or shined up, nor how good a person smells; if they are a pig, they will
continue to act like a pig and be known as a pig. Better to be a plain Jane with a
sweet personality than a super model who affects everyone around her with a
witchy demeanor.

● Ecc 7:1b-2 . . and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to a
house of mourning than to a house of feasting; for that is the end of every man,
and a living one should take it to heart.

Nobody under the age of twenty-one is ever going to take that one seriously.
Birthday parties and beer busts are far more fun than funerals; although as I get
older, I tend to dread my birthdays more and more. When I was young, birthdays
were fun, and getting older was exciting. But aging is not so fun anymore. Age is
turning me into an ogre, and I can't stand the sight of myself in a mirror; especially
one of those large full-length bathroom mirrors they invariably install in motel
rooms.

But a funeral can really make you aware of your own mortality in a very special
way. My wife's mother died in 2005, my own mother one year later as well as a
good friend at work; and my favorite nephew dropped dead to the floor in 2015. All
those passings disturbed me because I realized the grim reaper was closing in, and
had started picking us off one by one. It's only a matter of time now before my own
number comes up.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 7:3-4 . .Vexation is better than revelry; for though the face be sad, the heart
may be glad. Wise men are drawn to a house of mourning, and fools to a house of
merrymaking.

Those kinds of "wise men" are well known as party poopers and wet blankets. While
it's true that revelry can't make a person truly happy on the inside, it would still
seem a much better choice than one's mind dwelling upon Death. You know; it's
only natural that Solomon would believe that mourning is better than revelry
because he was a gloom-caster to begin with.

Solomon didn't even know how to have fun. The problem is; he was just too smart
for his own good; so smart in fact that all his knowledge and intellect clouded the
man's spirit and prevented him from having any fun at all.

Solomon really needed to get out and paint the town once in a while; see a good
movie, ride a pony, go to Las Vegas, stroll the beach, take in a Broadway play, roll
the dice, joust a windmill, drop a coin in a wishing well, go boating, let his hair
down, play a video game, maybe even get plastered sometime-- anything but sit
around thinking about old age and death. No wonder the poor man was so
negative!

In the movie "Titanic", Leonardo DiCaprio convinces Kate Winslet that there is more
to life than being rich, privileged, and pampered. He suggests she learn to ride a
horse like a man and learn to spit like a man. Sure: why not take off the Spanx,
lose the Silkies panty hose and Jimmy Choo heels, and try something silly like
skipping a stone across a pond?

I once heard Billy Graham say: The smallest package in the world is a man all
wrapped up in himself. Well . . amen to that! Billy was so right. And I would add
that the most unimportant man in the world is one who is totally self-absorbed.
Some people really need to get out and do a little mixing and have a good time
once in a while: break the monotony, do something stupid, get out of their rut; live
a little.

But Solomon just couldn't do it. There are some people not only fun-impaired, but
they can't permit themselves to indulge in fun. It's like a mental block-- a hang-up.
They're afflicted with fun-impotence. They feel guilty about having fun, they scorn
fun, and look down upon themselves for letting any into their lives.

● Ecc 7:5-6 . . It is better to listen to a wise man's critique than to listen to the
praise of fools. For the levity of the fool is like the crackling of nettles under a
kettle; for that too is transitory.

The "praise of fools" is from a Hebrew word that means a song; singing; viz: a
lullaby. I guess you could liken a fool's praise to the chirping of a bird-- tweet,
tweet, tweet. Birds make sweet sounds; actually very soothing and entertaining at
times, but nonetheless, they only serve to help us escape reality-- they don't tell
the hearer very much truth about himself.

Nettles, like tumbleweeds, make very poor firewood. They burn very brightly, go up
with a woosh almost as soon as they're thrown into a fire; but produce very little
heat and soon go out. Oak and Beech are far better. Those sturdy woods burn
slowly and quietly, make good coals, and produce lots of usable heat for a long
time. The praise of fools is like birds twittering and nettles burning: noisy,
momentarily soothing, a brief caress with no long-lasting usefulness; while a wise
man's critique may not be so cheering, but can result in life-changing
improvements.

● Eccl 7:7 . . Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

Extortion and bribes aren't always illegal. Take America's political system for
example. It gets questionable things done by one hand washing the other, i.e. you
scratch my back and I'll scratch yours; so to speak. In other words: done by
incentives to persuade men in power to agree to things that when left to their own
better judgment they would refuse.

● Ecc 7:8-9 . .The end of a matter is better than the beginning of it. Better a
patient spirit than a haughty spirit. Don't let your spirit be quickly vexed, for
vexation abides in the heart of fools.

For some people, every disagreement is an act of war to be won at any cost. Those
folks sometimes lose sleep at night by rehearsing quarrels and debates over and
over again in their minds for the Nth time.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 7:10 . . Don't say: How has it happened that former times were better than
these? For it is not wise of you to ask that question.

The problem with the good old days is that we often conveniently forget the bad
parts and sometimes invent good parts to take their place; viz: the good old days
are often a combination of poor memory and a good imagination.

● Ecc 7:11-12 . .Wisdom is as good as a patrimony, and even better, for those who
behold the sun. For to be in the shelter of wisdom is to be also in the shelter of
money, and the advantage of intelligence is that wisdom preserves the life of him
who possesses it.

* Solomon's comment is for those who "behold the sun" as opposed to those who
behold the face of God.

Wisdom isn't solely an accumulation of information like a journal or an
encyclopedia. It's a combination of knowledge and understanding gained through
experience. That's why so many young people are air-heads. Although they're
better educated; they just haven't lived long enough to really know the score.

Wisdom is a far better inheritance for a young person than money and property.
Wisdom will enable a wise youth to get the money and property later. But no
amount of money will enable a dunce to attain wisdom.

"What good is money in the hand of a fool to purchase wisdom, when he has no
mind?" (Prv 17:16)

Good sense is far more important than money. A young co-worker of mine, who
had been out of work for quite a while, took his very first paycheck to a sound shop
and spent the entire thing on a $700 stereo system for his car. The car was an old
clunker and the stereo was actually worth more than the car. Now there was a boy
who seriously needed help revising his priorities.

"There is desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man
squanders it." (Prv 21:20)
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 7:13-14 . . Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has
made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity
consider: surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can
find out nothing that will come after him.

Solomon's references to a God are mostly rhetorical in the book of Ecclesiastes.
When he says "consider the work of God" I suspect he's just referring to the natural
order of things under the sun.

The Scottish poet Robert Burns noticed that life sometimes throws a curve ball at
you in spite of your best precautions. Fate often casts its long shadow when human
beings set about planning their lives.

Burns was out one day plowing in the field and uprooted a mouse's underground
nest who was all set for the oncoming winter. The mouse had picked a fallow field
as the site for its winter retreat thinking it would be safe and snug; unmolested
during the cold. But it didn't (or maybe we should say it couldn't) know the
workings of powers higher than itself-- in this case, human beings and their farm
machinery.

But, mousie, thou art no thy lane
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men [Oft go awry]
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain for promis'd joy.

Take for example Job (Job 1:1-3). He was all set to enjoy retirement when of a
sudden, without the slightest warning, his world fell apart even though he was the
most righteous man of his day and deserved only the best of luck rather than bad.
But completely unknown to him were higher powers-- God and the spirit world --in
a contest of loyalties; with 'ol Job right smack in the middle of their contentions.
Consequently; he lost everything-- his family, save for his (un)loving wife, his
livestock, all his houses; and his health. In very little time, Job went from wealthy
retiree to disabled pauper.

Job surely knew he didn't deserve the bad luck that came his way. But like Robert
Burns said: The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry. Why? Because as
Solomon indicated; you can neither predict nor fathom the ambitions of powers and
circumstances beyond your control. The spirit world is a higher power than Man,
just as Man is a higher power than mice. However, as mice cannot control the ways
of Man, neither can Man control the ways of the spirits. Therefore; both men and
mice are subject to the whims of powers beyond their control so that neither one is
superior to the other in that respect.

It's not uncommon to see property owners forced out and/or displaced because of
Eminent Domain; the power of a state, provincial, or national government to take
private property for public and/or economic use. So then, like the mousie in Burns'
poem; your land is never really your land. Higher powers are at liberty to condemn
your property and take it away from you at will for what they inevitably categorize
as the so-called "greater good".

NOTE: Redevelopment can be just as heartbreaking sometimes as outrageous. For
example when the City of Los Angeles cleared Chavez Ravine of all its residents so
a portion of the land could be used for a new Dodger Stadium.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 7:15-16 . . In my own brief span of life, I have seen both these things:
sometimes a good man perishes in spite of his goodness, and sometimes a wicked
one endures in spite of his wickedness. So don't overdo goodness and don't act the
wise man to excess, or you may be dumbfounded.

Some ultra ascetic types are obsessed with self denial-- don't do this, don't do that,
don't go here, don't go there, don't look at this, don't look at that. I once knew an
ascetic type who actually felt guilty simply by walking through the door of a
Blockbuster video store; and was so offended by young people's music that he
made his teen-age son listen to his boom box outside; even in inclement weather.

Dr. Laura (who's normally pretty level-headed) says that any parent that would
take their child to a mall that has a Victoria's Secret store is a bad parent. That's
asceticism (not to mention bigotry). Well; asceticism can guarantee no one long life
nor does it necessarily make one a better person. Asceticism can, in fact, result in a
superiority complex and, maybe even neurosis.

It would seem that the best way to enjoy) a long life, as opposed to merely
existing, is by sensible practices in diet and health. But those things, as sensible as
good diet and healthy habits may be, won't guarantee good health and a long life.

I once worked in a family-owned boatyard in San Diego run by a man and his three
brothers, and his two sons. One of the sons was a model citizen and the picture of
health. He was married and had a little girl, didn't run with a bad crowd, didn't
smoke or drink, didn't stay out late, didn't eat fatty foods or sweets, jogged
regularly, attended church every Sunday and played piano for the choir, and he was
young; barely twenty-six years old.

Well, one day he complained of stomach pains and upon examination there was
found in his abdomen a cancerous growth as big as a child's nerf football. He
underwent surgery, lost a testicle, suffered through chemo-therapy, and last I
knew, was doing okay. The cancer was in remission but they had to keep an eye on
him all the time.

In contrast, the vaudeville, TV, and movie star George Burns smoked a cigar every
day of his life until he died at age 100. Go figure.

You know, life is short. If us "good" people deny ourselves every little pleasure, one
day we'll regret it, especially if our own life ends too soon and those we consider
wicked live full, prosperous lives long after we ourselves are passed away.

● Ecc 7:17-18 . . . On the other hand, don't be too wicked either-- don't be a fool!
Why should you die before your time? So try to walk a middle course-- but those
who fear God will succeed either way.

The recommendation in that passage is to do everything in moderation. That's the
key. Excess is what ruins people-- too much tobacco, too much coffee, too much
gambling, too much education, too much ignorance, too much quarreling, too much
sugar and fatty foods, too much alcohol, too much work, too much play and even
too much religion.

Too much of anything is bad; even too much recreation. Everyone knows that, but
no one takes it to heart. Some abstain from everything thinking to make
themselves ultra pious. But piety is not found in excessive self-denial. After all, God
created all things for Man to enjoy, rather than to abstain from. (1Tim 6:17)

● Ecc 7:19 . .Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city.

Far too many State and Federal government officials are very good at winning an
election while neither sensible nor apparently capable of exercising good judgment
in their capacity as leaders and managers.

They say that two heads are better than one, but in this case ten are inferior to one
when that one head is the only smart head hereabouts.

The wise man is circumspect; which Webster's defines as careful to consider all
circumstances and possible consequences, i.e. the wise man is smart enough, and
prudent enough, to decide upon a course of action that's best for everyone rather
than only for himself and/or special interests; and there are times when the wise
man is so clever with words that he can persuade ten block heads to do the right
thing.

NOTE: The advice given in Ecclesiastes, while suitable for folks "under the sun" may
not be suitable for folks following Christ. Caveat Lector.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 7:20 . . For there is not one good man on earth who does what is best and
doesn't err.

Solomon was a keen observer of people in power. He knew they couldn't be
trusted. Too many people look to government to improve their quality of life and to
remedy society's ills. That is a bad habit because human government is made up of
human beings, and human beings cannot be trusted to always do what is right
because they have prejudices and biases, private ambitions, axes to grind, hands to
shake, boots to lick, favors to repay, promises to keep, opportunities to grab, and
friends to curry.

They also have mental, physical, and emotional problems that affect their judgment
and sometimes put them in a contrary mood. Sometimes they drink, which loosens
them up and often disposes them to do things that are not in the public's best
interests.

Only the foolish believe their government to be as pure and honest as the angels of
God. They aren't. They weren't in Solomon's day; and they sure aren't now. The
voters who put their hero in office, believing him to be a Messiah capable of healing
their country's ills and giving people hope, are often very disappointed to discover
he's just another cheap politician with a charismatic persona, and feet of clay rather
than gold.

● Ecc 7:21-22 . . Finally, don't pay attention to everything that is said, so that you
may not hear your slave reviling you; for well you remember the many times that
you yourself have reviled others.

There are some instances in life where ignorance is truly bliss; and this is one of
them. Some people just have to know everything others are saying about them.
That's not a good idea. People are only human, and humans love to gossip and say
negative things about others. If you are prone to talk about others, then it is a sure
bet others are prone to talk about you, because they are just as human as you.
Solomon advised against being overly wise and overly foolish. I would add: don't be
nosey and don't be overly sensitive.

The golden rule applies here as well as any other place: Do unto others as you
would like it done unto you. So don't crowd people or monitor their conversations
like Big Brother or something. They need to be free to talk about you; just as you
need freedom to talk about them.

But beware of vicious gossips and rumor mongers. Some of us talk about others for
fun and don't really mean anything by it; but some are out to stir up trouble and
deliberately assassinate reputations. They come up to you and say: "You should
hear what so and so is saying about you". People like that are a menace to society.

● Ecc 7:23-25 . . All this I tested with wisdom. I thought I could fathom it, but it
eludes me. [The secret of] what happens is elusive and deep, deep down; who can
discover it? I put my mind to studying, exploring, and seeking wisdom and the
reason of things, and to studying wickedness, stupidity, madness, and folly.

Well; Solomon is not the first one to grapple with the mystery of life and fail to
make any sense out of it. Many famous philosophers of the past came up empty
handed too. The happiest people seem to be those who don't think very deep. They
just live out their lives like a nutria or a dragonfly without the slightest concern
about their origin nor the way things are, nor of the future. Maybe they have the
right idea after all.

● Ecc 7:26-27 . . Now, I find woman more bitter than death; she is all traps, her
hands are fetters and her heart is snares. He who is pleasing to God escapes her,
and he who is displeasing is caught by her. See, this is what I found, said Koheleth,
item by item in my search for the reason of things.

Most men "under the sun" would agree with Solomon that women are a necessary
evil; and mostly evil. "You can't live with 'em, and you can't live without 'em." How
many times I've heard unhappy men sound that lament.

According to Gen 2:18-24, God created Woman so the male would have a
supportive friend; a certain somebody who understands him and relates to him;
someone he could lean on. Adam discovered that animals can't relate to Man,
unless of course a particular man happens to be an animal himself. One of my all
time favorite bumper stickers goes like this:

MEN ARE NOT PIGS!
Pigs Are Gentle, Sensitive, Intelligent Animals.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 7:28a . . As for what I sought further but did not find,

Apparently, the thing that Solomon sought further (in addition to the investigations
he has made up to this point) was a human being free from the foibles of human
nature. Is it actually possible that the world cannot produce even one single human
being who is 100% rational and sensible?

● Ecc 7:28b . . I found only one human being in a thousand, and the one I found
among so many was never a woman.

(chuckle) If left up to Solomon, America would never have a female President.

His comment doesn't mean Solomon did actually find a truly 100% percent sensible
person; only that he found one that was sensible in his own opinion; which is a
subjective evaluation. That kind of determination has no value in reality because it's
a judgment based upon one's own personal (and possibly biased) point of view.
Although it appears in that verse that Solomon is being terribly sexist about the
intelligence of women; he isn't actually suggesting there are no sensible women at
all, but that in his own personal experience, sensible women were even more rare
than sensible men.

In the movie "As Good As It Gets" one of the main characters (a writer played by
Jack Nicholson) was asked by an admirer how he was able to understand women so
well-- knowing what goes on in their hearts and minds and putting it down on
paper. He answered; "I start with a man, and take away reason and
accountability." (chuckle) Nicholson's character, by the way, was a very self
centered, obsessive-compulsive individual who harbored some strong anti-social
opinions about women and gay men.

● Ecc 7:29a . . But, see, this I did find: God made men plain,

Plain can mean simple or uncomplicated; which seems to be exactly what he's
saying. God made Man an uncomplicated being; but he didn't stay that way.

● Ecc 7:29b . . but they have engaged in too much reasoning.

The Hebrew word for "reasoning" basically means: a mental or mechanical
contrivance, i.e. a warlike machine or a mental machination, e.g. sophistry and
rationale.

Some people do tend to complicate everything by over-thinking; thus they engage
themselves in a sort of mental bull session that never gets to the bottom of
anything. They can't just take things as they are, and let things happen. No, they
have to complicate everything.

Then there are those who can't permit themselves to accept anything they don't
understand. So their minds remain forever vacillating in a limbo between two
opinions. They're indecisive, and oftentimes insecure, because for minds like that,
there are no absolutes and no way of knowing what's for real and what's not for
real. So they're forever stalling with yeah-but, maybe, possibly, could be, and
what-if.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 8:1-2a . .Who is like the wise man, and who knows the meaning of the
adage: A man's wisdom lights up his face, so that his deep discontent is
dissembled? -- I do!

There's another way to say some of that.

"Crafty people are good at hiding their true feelings."

Every day I'm asked by somebody; "Hey, how's it going?" or "How are you today?"
Of course I always smile and say; "Great" or "Okay" but inside I might not be
having a good day at all. People don't want to hear about your problems.
Sometimes just for fun I'll answer those kinds of greetings with; "I'm blue,
depressed, overweight, in ill health, despondent, and wish I was never born." Or I'll
say; "I feel pretty good; for a guy my age." (chuckle) Those always gets a reaction.

● Ecc 8:2b . . Obey the king's command, I say, because you took an oath before
God.

An oath taken "before God" may not seem valid to an atheist, but when the
wording is formal; as in legally binding oaths required for various government
positions, then the oath becomes enough rope to hang yourself with if you go back
on it.

● Ecc 8:3-5a . . Leave his presence; do not tarry in a dangerous situation, for he
can do anything he pleases; inasmuch as a king’s command is authoritative, and
none can say to him: What are you doing? One who obeys orders will not suffer
from the dangerous situation.

In Solomon's day, it wasn't wise to provoke a king, nor to interfere with his
business, nor to block his way when he came down your street. Kings were despotic
monarchs: they answered to no one, and could have people executed at whim all
without the bother of due process. This is still true today in a number of nations.
Dictators throughout the world practice a degree of tyranny that you definitely do
not want to oppose if perchance you're a citizen in their country.

● Ecc 8:5b . . A wise man, however, will bear in mind that there is a time of doom.

No matter who you are, or how high your station in life; ultimately no one is above
the law. Those who become just a little too familiar with kings, dictators, and
presidents, sometimes think their association with those high-ranking leaders gives
them some sort of immunity. That's when they get careless, goof up and cross over
a line; and the ruler, who in the past was their friend, then becomes their dread
enemy. If for no other reason than political considerations; they don't want to know
you anymore.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 8:6 . . for there is a time and a judgment for everything.

That's kind of superstitious in a way. It's like saying "So and so had it coming to
him." or "What goes around comes around" or "God is gonna get you for that."

● Ecc 8:7 . .Yet it is a great affliction for man that he is ignorant of what is to
come; for who will make known to him how it will be?

We have to expect to get caught up sometimes in circumstances beyond our
control. Often those circumstances are unforeseen and blindside us-- they catch us
off guard, and unprepared to cope with them.

Sometimes in the performance of duty, or in compliance with the law, (serving
King, country, employer, and/or the greater good) people have to do unpleasant
things in order to avoid unpleasant consequences; e.g. young men in the Marines
may be called upon to go kill non combatants; or construction workers may have to
destroy wildlife habitat for a suburb; or friends may be subpoenaed to testify in
court against their buddies.

Sure they could refuse to kill non combatants, and they could refuse to drive a
bulldozer through wetlands, prairies, and pastures, and they could refuse to testify.
But there is a price to pay for anarchy and insubordination. The young Marine could
be court-martialed for dereliction of duty, the construction guy would most likely be
fired, and the friend who refuses to help the law convict their buddy could be
hauled into court for the crime of misprision.

Those kinds of circumstances are cold, hard facts of life; they are a normal part of
the human experience. They come at us like juggernauts; big-foot trucks that crush
us under their tires; permanently altering our personalities and the way we feel
about ourselves.

● Ecc 8:8 . . No man has authority over the life-breath-- to hold back the life
breath; there is no authority over the day of death. There is no mustering out from
that war; wickedness is powerless to save its owner.

The ultimate life-changing event-- DEATH --is the supreme circumstance, the
undefeated champ, rated as among those beyond our control. No king can stop it
from laying claim to his life; as if it were one of his subjects. No draft dodger can
run away to Canada to avoid Death's induction. Death's time cannot be delayed by
failure to appear in court.

One day; in spite of anyone's strong objections to the contrary, our number will
come up-- at that time no matter who we are, or who we were, we will die; and it
matters little how, or when, or where we depart. The world was getting along just
fine without us before we arrived, and it will do just fine without us after we're
gone. A supervisor once told me; "Don't ever think you can't be replaced."
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 8:9 . . All these things I observed; I noted all that went on under the sun,
while men still had authority over men to treat them unjustly.

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin eliminated threats to his power through Purge Trials and
widespread secret executions and persecution of his own fellow Soviet citizens. He
left behind a legacy of repression and fear as well as industrial and military power.
Stalin rid himself of all potential rivals in the party, first by having many of them
condemned as deviationists, and later by ordering them executed.

To ensure his position and to push forward "socialism in one country" he put the
Soviet Union on a crash course of collectivization and industrialization. An estimated
25 million farmers were forced onto state farms.

Collectivization alone killed as many as 14.5 million Soviet people, and Russia's
agricultural output was reduced by 25 percent, according to some estimates.

Stalin is only one example of the many oppressive rulers in the course of human
history, like Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe, Hosni Mubarak, and Kim
Jong Il who use and abuse their citizens; instead of managing countries for the
country's good, these kinds of rulers manage countries for their own personal good.
Their citizens are valued as commodities rather than fellow men.

● Ecc 8:10a . . And then I saw scoundrels coming from the Holy Site and being
brought to burial

It is truly amazing how the wicked of the world have the nerve to attend church
and synagogue. And then their families have the chutzpah to apply for honorable,
Church sanctioned funerals when they die! (e.g. Paul J. Castellano-- John J. Gotti's
predecessor as boss of the Gambino clan)

● Ecc 8:10b . . while such as had acted righteously were forgotten in the city.

Many good people often live out their lives in total obscurity, never basking in any
limelight nor making a name for themselves. Their funerals? You won't see them on
a nationally televised broadcast and probably not in a newspaper's obituary column.

● Ecc 8:10c-13 . . And here is another frustration: the fact that the sentence
imposed for evil deeds is not executed swiftly, which is why men are emboldened to
do evil-- the fact that a sinner may do evil a hundred times and his [punishment]
still be delayed. For although I am aware that it will be well with those who revere
God since they revere Him, and it will not be well with the scoundrel, and he will
not live long, because he does not revere God.

If justice were as swift as electricity, there would be less crime. The thing is:
current flows just as soon as it's given a circuit within which to do so; no delay. A
light switch is a good example: Switch on, Switch off = Lights on, Lights off:
current flows to the fixture and/or stops flowing right then, not later, not tomorrow.

If justice were ready to pounce on evil doers the moment they crossed over a line,
that would be very helpful in a world one mad with evil. For example if cruel
dictators like North Korea's Kim Jong-Un knew they would be punished for their
human rights abuses the very moment they caused one, they'd be highly motivated
to stop mistreating their country's citizens.

● Ecc 8:14 . . here is a frustration that occurs in the world: sometimes an upright
man is requited according to the conduct of the scoundrel; and sometimes the
scoundrel is requited according to the conduct of the upright. I say all that is
frustration.

I recently viewed a movie on cable television about the Chernobyl catastrophe. A
key scientist towards the end of the movie commented that in a just society
honesty is rewarded and dishonesty punished. The reason he said that is because
his society, the Russian society, rewards liars who assist with propaganda that
protects the State's image.

Had the scientist suppressed information related to the reactor accident, he
would've been honored as a hero. But he chose to disclose certain embarrassing
facts related to the reactor's design and its regulatory political machinery;
consequently he and his career were destroyed.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 8:15 . . I therefore praised enjoyment. For the only good a man can have
under the sun is to eat and drink and enjoy himself. That much can accompany
him, in exchange for his wealth, through the days of life that God has granted him
under the sun.

There are some things in life; like injustice, that we just have to accept. To fret
about it is totally a waste of precious life and energy. It is far better to cope, to
adjust, to adapt, and to enjoy life as best as possible with what you have at hand to
work with and within the circumstances wherein you find yourself unable to avoid.

● Ecc 8:16 . . For I have set my mind to learn wisdom and to observe the business
that goes on in the world-- even to the extent of going without sleep day and night

Well; Solomon was one of the filthy rich and could afford to lose some sleep now
and then, but working men dare not deprive themselves of sleep. They need their
rest; and don't need to lay awake nights fretting over things in the world that are
beyond their IQ, and beyond their control.

● Ecc 8:17 . . and I have observed all that God brings to pass. Indeed, man cannot
guess the events that occur under the sun. For man tries strenuously, but fails to
guess them; and even if a sage should think to discover them he would not be able
to guess them.

The View Point Inn, perched along the rim of the Columbia Gorge in Oregon, was
slowly sinking into financial ruin for lack of business. Then, out of the blue, the
production company of the first of the Twilight series of movies selected the inn for
Edward's and Bella's prom scene. Subsequently the inn became a popular tourist
attraction, and co-owner Geoff Thomson said the inn's business improved 30 to 40
percent. You just never know what a day will bring forth.

Chess masters can often see twelve moves ahead. But they cannot see into their
opponent's mind. Just when the master thinks he has the game figured out, his
opponent launches an unsuspected strategy and throws the master's calculations
off and he must begin to calculate a different twelve moves ahead than before.

Solomon may have been just a bit too superstitious in this regard. He seemed to
think that God's hand is in everything. Although that really isn't true, it is a pretty
good way for a philosopher to explain away things that we can neither control,
alter, foresee, understand, nor do anything about. He can just say: "It is Allah's
will." or he can say: "The gods do as they please."

● Ecc 9:1 . . For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men,
wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether [it
will be] love or hatred; anything awaits him.

That was certainly true of Joseph. He was a very good boy; favored by God, yet
sold into Egyptian slavery by his own kin. Same with John the baptizer. He too was
a good, and wise, man-- the forerunner of Christ. Yet at the young age of thirty,
still in the prime of his life, he was beheaded at the whim of a silly young girl whose
dancing happened to please a tetrarch. God did nothing to prevent it. Are any of us
any safer?

● Ecc 9:2-3a . . For the same fate is in store for all: for the righteous, and for the
wicked; for the good and pure, and for the impure; for him who sacrifices, and for
him who does not; for him who is pleasing, and for him who is displeasing; and for
him who swears, and for him who shuns oaths. That is the sad thing about all that
goes on under the sun: that the same fate is in store for all.

Oftentimes when people contract fatal diseases, they whine: "Why me?" Answer:
Why not? Yes, why not because we're all just lobsters in one of those fish tanks
they have in sea food restaurants.. The cook gropes about and the lobster he
catches is just a matter of chance. But eventually he gets them all, one by one.

It seemed to Solomon that good people shouldn't have to die. But actually, death is
merciful. What if people lived forever? They would continue to age more and more
till they were totally debilitated and looked like emaciated mummies. They would
have to be carried around like baggage, completely dependent upon the young for
subsistence; and forever enduring an unbearable quality of life similar to Stephen
Hawking and his magic wheelchair.
_

 

[atpollard]

● Ecc 1:4 . . One generation goes, another comes, but the Earth remains the same
forever.

I was once out climbing with my brother and carried a small rock in my pocket to place on the top of a mountain that we were climbing. As I placed the rock on the ground, my brother asked what I was doing. I explained that it had taked the wind and rain hundreds if not thousands of years to transport that rock from the top of the mountain to the bottom and in less than an hour, I had just returned it to the top. Now it would take nature another hundred to thousand years to transport it back to the bottom.

It was a small victory, but it was a victory against the forces of entropy. So Ecclesiastics 1:4 is only "sort of" true.

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Ecc 9:3b . . (Not only that, but men's hearts are full of sadness, and their minds
of madness, while they live; and then-- to the dead!)

The Hebrew word for "madness" actually means folly; not insanity. Webster's
defines folly as (1) a lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight, (2)
criminally or tragically foolish actions or conduct, (3) a foolish act or idea, and (4)
an excessively costly or unprofitable undertaking.

If we take the far view-- if we weigh the value of Man's thoughts and endeavors
against the depth of eternity --then nothing a man under the sun does has any real
meaning and purpose. After the earthly man lives out his pointless existence, he
dies and rots away like common road kill.

● Ecc 9:4 . . For he who is reckoned among the living has something to look forward
to-- even a live dog is better than a dead lion--

As long as people are still alive, there's always the thought that one day their ship
might come in. But once you're dead, there are no more ships other than the one
that ferries people across the river Styx.

● Ecc 9:5-6 . . since the living know they will die. But the dead know nothing; they
have no more recompense, for even the memory of them has died. Their loves,
their hates, their jealousies have long since perished; and they have no more share
till the end of time in all that goes on under the sun.

On the face of things, those who have passed on experienced the final phase of life;
the last item on their bucket list: and now have nothing left to do. They're all done.
They were born (we all are) they lived (we all do) they died (we all will). And
everybody not only experiences the final phase, but most everyone also
experiences the common experiences of life-- love, hate, envy, and jealousy. Every
generation goes through the very same things while they're here.

NOTE: There is a technical difference between jealousy and envy. The first is
territorial, i.e. possessive. Whereas the second is begrudging of another's good
fortune.

● Ecc 9:7-9 . . Go, eat your bread in gladness, and drink your wine in joy; for your
action was long ago approved by God. Let your clothes always be freshly washed,
and your head never lack ointment. Enjoy happiness with a woman you love all the
fleeting days of life that have been granted to you under the sun-- all your fleeting
days. For that alone is what you can get out of life and out of the means you
acquire under the sun.

Sheol is often interpreted "grave". That's a good choice of words for the man under
the sun, i.e. a rational man thinking to himself whose perception of reality is
moderated by what he can see going on around him in the physical universe rather
than what he cannot see going on under his feet in the non-physical sphere.

The man under the sun generally understands that he needs to squeeze every drop
of juice out of the orange of life before it's too late. That is both sad and frustrating
for many because circumstances will not permit them to enjoy life as much as they
would like. They will never achieve their highest potential, never eat right, never
dress right, never have a family of their own, never be pretty, never be handsome,
never be thin, never be rich, never be intelligent, never be famous, never be
popular, never have good health, and never have a home of their own-- the grave
ends any and all dreams of ever achieving any of that.

Since a lifetime is so little time to enjoy life, it's tragic that the good life is taken
away from us so easily because there's simply not enough time in life to make up
for lost time.
_