“Vanity of vanities: all is vanity.”

“Vanity of vanities: all is vanity.”

Ecclesiastes

This short study on the book of Ecclesiastes is taken from F. W. Grant’s “The Numerical Structure of Scripture” which was first published in 1887.

In this book not only is man’s wisdom proved at fault, but the world itself is tried, and “vanity” is found written upon all. “Vanity of vanities: all is vanity.” The trial is made by one with all the resources of a kingdom such as Solomon’s. The men of the world require plenty of material to furnish out the happiness they seek; but in this respect, “what can the man do that cometh after the king?” He has wisdom to make use of these resources, and a heart set upon doing it. If the result is after all failure, who then shall succeed? Death is upon everything; and the more precious anything is, the more terrible to know that it must pass away. Whether lost wholly and at once, or filched away little by little by the flying moments, still all that we prize is doomed; and we are doomed. To everything there is a time, and for every thing the times goes by. And God has fixed the time and place of all in this cycle of things that pass and return, among the generations which yet do not return. Eternity too is set in man’s heart, compassed as he is by that which is for the moment; but eternity no wisdom of his can pierce: it is the wisdom of which death is the price paid, and it cannot elude or look beyond it. Death brings down all to its level---wise and fool, and man and beast: what difference? save that the beast can fill his place for a time with no regrets and no anticipation, and man cannot. Death he hates and dreads, and conscience forebodes judgment.

It is true, thank God ! that Ecclesiastes does not leave things here. God has spoken, and faith has keener sight than any wisdom of man. Still the world as such is gone, therefore, for faith also. To do God’s will in it, “this is the whole of man.”