"And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity." (Ecclesiastes 2:19 KJV)
"I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces." (Psalm 34:4-5 NLT)
Looking at this from a laymen's point of view, Solomon is putting himself in the crosshairs, as he points to the concerns, he might have for what happens to all of his labor, under the sun. None of this, whatever this might be, belongs to us; everything belongs to God! He made it all and He owns it all!
Sometimes we forget to remember that none of what we own is really ours! Not that it takes too much to find ourself thinking that way, because it is just the way we are, have been that way ever since we were a little child, saying, "Mine," to anything we thought was or should be ours.
Maybe you don't see it the same way. But God has allowed us to be a steward of all that we have, including the loved ones, we love so dearly! With that, Solomon is also admitting that the one that will take over all of his labor, will rule over it, as if it was his, but that too is vanity!
Thirdly, the thought of having done everything based upon his wisdom, saying, "wherein I have shown myself wise," this too is vanity, seeing that it was God that gave him the wisdom and the ability to be wise! We really don't have much to take any credit for, except not doing right! As a matter of fact, when it comes right down to it, when we do what is good, we do so because we are doing what God wants us to do!
I know, maybe there are some independent thinkers out there that think they can be good on their own, as if they don't need to be told how to be good; but James says...
"And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession." (James 1:13-18 NLT)
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