The Solomon Project-- Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:2

The Solomon Project is a blog that attempts to apply the age-old biblical book of Ecclesiastes to addiction and compulsive behavior. While I come at the book from an evangelical perspective the thrust of the blog is an attempt to help those of all faiths come to terms with the issues facing people who suffer from these disorders. The author has much to tell us about life and how to live it.

In the last section Solomon encouraged us to embrace life for all it is worth in spite of the fact that we may not know everything. He urged us to seize the moment in our endeavors and pursue life with diligence and prudence.

"Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless." (Ecc 11:7-8 NIV) Solomon speaks here of life. Those who are alive see the sun. He calls the reader to enjoy these days. He must also remember that as throughout the book days of darkness will come. These will include oppression, fleeting enjoyments, financial loss and death. The final days will be meaningless. As always he holds out hope though especially for the young.

"Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment." (Ecc 11:9 NIV) This does not refer to eschatological judgment. This is the old testament "under the sun." Solomon is saying Youthful exuberance and its in-the-moment passion which the author espouses will bring consequences since life is never lived perfectly.

"So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless." (Ecc 11:10 NIV) The NET Bible translates anxiety here "Emotional stress." This fits very well. Solomon, as throughout the book, sees youthfulness as having strength and vigor but ultimately it is meaningless because does not provide the true answers to the deep questions of life.

"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"--" (Ecc 12:1 NIV) Solomon is urging those in their prime to acknowledge God's sovereignty over their life before hard times come all of the things that he has spoken about in the previous sections of the book: surprising and curious twists of fate, undeserving jobs events superior and authoritarian capriciousness. These bouts of reality bring a seasoning of our view of ourselves God and the world.

"before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain;" (Ecc 12:2 NIV) This is a somewhat enigmatic statement what does the light refer to and clouds usually dissipate after a rain. the structure of the verse belies a parallelism and thus may be there for structure more than for anything else. the light may simply refer to the day light than anything else and serve to form the parallelism. the clouds form a reverse to what we would think would be there after a rain which would be sunlight but for those "under the sun", the older mature grief and reality stricken life-educated people would acknowledge the clouds rather than the sunlight. (I'm sorry I had another four paragraphs that were deleted before they were saved. I simply don't have the strength at 12:30 AM to go back and rewrite them. This is all I can do. So until next week. Keep coming back it works if you work it and you are worth it.