QT 17/01/2025 Fri. Ecclesiastes 2. The incomprehensibility of similar outcomes. 相似结果的难以理解性。
QT 17/01/2025 Fri. Ecclesiastes 2. The incomprehensibility of similar outcomes.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/eccl2
In any promotion exercise, some of us would get angry at the perceived unfairness of who gets promoted and gets a raise. The one who worked hard? The one who pulled in the highest incomes for the company? Or the one who is good at polishing the boss' shoes, so to speak? One worked hard, but the fruits of that labour were credited to and enjoyed by others (2:18–23).
Not only was justice not given to the just (Eccl. 1), or demerit points given to the slacker, Qoheleth (the teacher, who is also meditating about the meaning of life) was also vexed about "the same event happens to all of them" (2:1), referring to death for both the fool and the wise. This similarity of outcomes nearly caused him to give up.
Ecclesiastes 2:15–17 [15] Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. [16] For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! [17] So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. (ESV)
EXPLANATION: The "wind" here ("hebel" in Hebrew) has the meaning of moving air or breath—the same effect when you "hoo" to blow out candles on a birthday cake. But it was not only wind, emptiness, meaninglessness, breath or vanity. It was "hebel hebalim", meaning "wind of all winds (plural)", meaning that of all the emptiness, this emptiness was supreme. It means that of all the meaninglessness nominations that were consolidated for the award, THIS particular meaninglessness WINS the prize!
Life's milestones or work projects or social outings might sometimes be followed by emptiness after the event, but this particular type of emptiness that Qoheleth mentioned was the most extreme:-
Ecclesiastes 1:2 [2] Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. (ESV)
APPLICATION: Note that Qoheleth did not totally forbid "pleasure" (2:1,10), "laughter" (2:2), "wine" (2:3), or projects dealing with planting (2:5), building (2:4, 6) or enterprise (2:7–11). However, Qoheleth pointed readers to the limited value of all these pursuits. If readers were not careful, the conclusion would be "there was nothing to be gained under the sun" (2:11). What should the careful reader do?
Ecclesiastes 2:24–26 [24] There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, [25] for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? [26] For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. (ESV)
ADJUSTMENT TO THOUGHTS: DO NOT embrace the lie that happiness and fulfillment can only be found by getting into this school, or accumulating this kind of wealth, or marry into this particular type of family, or setup a grand company. Despite the testimony given by Qoheleth, many people today, even Christians continue to focus on chasing after the wind (2:1, 2:11, 2:17, 2:26). We must recognise the boundaries and limits the LORD has set. We must also recognise our finiteness as humans. When we enjoy what we have as a sign of a gift from "the hand of God" (2:24) and leave the justice/injustice that we see in the world to Him ultimately to resolve at the end of times, we can start to see enjoyment and pleasure in what we do, instead of "wind of winds".
QT 17/01/2025 星期五. 传道书 2. 相似结果的难以理解性。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/ecc/2
在任何一次晋升活动中,我们中的一些人都会因为觉得谁得到晋升和加薪不公平而生气。谁工作努力?谁为公司创造了最高收入?还是那位为老板擦鞋的人?一个人努力工作,但劳动成果却归功于他人,由他人享用(2:18-23)。
不仅公正的人得不到公正的待遇(传道书 1),懒惰的人被扣分,“他们都有同样的遭遇”(2:1),指愚者和智者都会死亡。这也让正在思考人生的意义的教师(科希勒)感到苦恼。这种相似的结果(无论之前的行为如何)几乎使他放弃。
传道书 2:15-17 [15] 我自己心里说:“临到愚昧人身上的,也必临到我身上;那么,我为什么要更有智慧呢?”于是我心里说:“这也是虚空。” 16 因为智慧人和愚昧人一样,没有人永远记念他们,在未来的日子里,都会被人遗忘。可叹智慧人跟愚昧人一样,终必死亡。17 因此我恨恶生命,因为在日光之下所发生的事,都使我厌烦。一切都是虚空,都是捕风。
释义:这里的 “风”(希伯来语中的 “hebel”)有移动空气或气息的意思--就像你 “呼 ”地吹灭生日蛋糕上的蜡烛一样。但这不仅仅是风、空虚、无意义、气息或虚荣。它是 “hebel hebalim”,意思是 “万风之风(复数)”,意思是在所有的空虚中,这种空虚是至高无上的。这意味着,在所有的无意义提名参加选拔赛的人选当中,这个特别的无意义赢得了奖项!因为这是无意义中的最无意义。
人生的里程碑、工作项目或社交活动有时可能会在事后出现空虚,但教师(科希勒)提到的这种特殊的空虚是最极端的
传道书 1:2 传道者说:虚空的虚空。虚空的虚空,一切都是虚空。
应用:请注意,教师(科希勒)并没有完全禁止 “享乐”(2:1,10)、“欢笑”(2:2)、“酒”(2:3),或与种植(2:5)、建筑(2:4,6)或企业(2:7-11)有关的项目。然而,教师(科希勒向读者指出,所有这些追求的价值都是有限的。如果读者不细心,结论就会是 “都是捕风,在日光之下毫无益处(2:11)。谨慎的读者应该怎么做呢?
《传道书》2:24-26 [24] 人最好是吃喝,在自己的劳碌中自得其乐;我看这也是出于 神的手。25 离开了他(“他”按照《马索拉抄本》应作“我”;现参照《七十士译本》翻译),谁能有吃的呢?谁能享乐呢? 26 神把智慧、知识和喜乐赐给他所喜悦的人,却使罪人作收集和积聚的差事,把所得的归给 神所喜悦的人。这也是虚空,也是捕风。
调整思想: 不要相信谎言:只有进入这所学校,或积累这种财富,或嫁入这种特殊的家庭,或成立一家大公司才能找到幸福和满足的谎言。尽管教师(科希勒)作了这样的见证,但今天的许多人,甚至是基督徒,仍然把注意力集中在捕风上(2:1, 2:11, 2:17, 2:26)。我们必须认识到耶和华,和我们的身份(有限的人,而不是神)对我们所能做的限制。当我们享受我们所拥有的,将其视为 “上帝之手”(2:24)赐予我们的礼物,并将我们在世界上看到的正义/非正义留给上帝,最终在末世解决时,我们就能开始在我们所做的事情中看到享受和快乐,而不是 “风中之风”。