Ecclesiastes 1:3

"What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?"What advantage" -"lasting advantage" (Sept). Carefully note this isn't. statement issued by. lazy person,. teenager trying to get out of their chores, or someone who is against commercialism, private enterprise or capitalism. The writer is not saying that man's labor results in no profit. But rather, what "kind" of profit does. man really get from his labors in this life? Whatever profit gained in this life is short-lived at best (Matthew 6:19-20; 1 Timothy 6:17).

"under the sun" -here is the realm of vanity! It will be used 25 times in this book. Leupold writes, "Each time the phrase occurs it is as though the author had said, 'Let us for the sake of argument momentarily rule out the higher things'" (p. 43).

Point To Note:

Often people in this world will say, "It doesn't get any better than this", or, "You only go around once, so grab all the gusto that you can get!" To all such attitudes Solomon replies, "Well then…if this world is all there is, let us find out by experience whether there is anything ultimately worthwhile in this world---anything that yields real satisfaction. The result of his extensive experiment, carried on under the most favorable conditions possible, was that nothing but meaninglessness and profound disappointment await the…materialist" (Archer p. 255). "'You spend your life working, labouring, and what do you have to show for it?' --so runs. free translation of this verse" (Kidner p. 25)

And Solomon doesn't merely make the claim---he offers the proof. This is the story of experience,. man who had unlimited earthly resources, and attempted to find meaning in this physical life, and came back empty-handed! He doesn't merely make the claim, but backs it up with concrete proof and life experience.

The Treadmill

Kidner notes, "Ah, but one hopes to make the world. better place, or at least leave something for those who follow. As though expecting that reply, Qoheleth points to the ceaseless making and unmaking that goes on in human history: the wave after wave of generations with their rise and fall, their coming men who are soon forgotten men" (p. 25).