Day 34 Would Solomon want an I Phone?

Day 34 of my Spiritual Journey through Lent

Would Solomon want an I Phone?

Reading of the day – Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes was written by Qoheleth Hebrew, (Ecclesiastic), or “preacher” to an assembly of wise men of Israel. Most believe it was Solomon who wrote it though Luther led the view that it was someone else.

The message of the book can seem depressing until you get to the end, so hold on. This is man’s view without a hold on eternity.

1:2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."

That is the first theme of the book. When you look at life like this it has such aimless cycles.

³ What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

⁴ Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

Does your job really matter? Does your life? What is the purpose of all that you do anyways? Are you really making a difference?

⁸ All things are wearisome, more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

⁹ What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

I love this last line, “nothing new under the sun.” Spoken like a true cynic, Solomon (or whoever) is at the end of his life, has seen it all.
Wait, he never saw an IPHONE? Does it really matter. Does an I phone really improve our lives that much? No. Its really cool though. My Android can scan any bar code and tell me where to get that item, for how much and I can actually order online right there. So amazing. But who cares? Does that speed, knowledge and efficiency really give me so much more time? Meaning? Remember that futurists in the 1950s were predicting that the new technologies would save us so much time that we would have tons of time in our lives. The washer, dishwasher, vacuum, microwave, etc . . .hmmm – nope.
One of the greatest and repeated errors of our modern culture is the belief that technology brings meaning to life. Like a new toy, it loses its excitement after a while, everything does.

This chapter is humbling to man.

¹¹ There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered by those who follow.

Dang it! After all the work I have done? Yea, our life is but a vapor. We can try all we want to make a name for ourselves, to leave a mark in history, but its all meaningless.

What about wisdom? Look at what he says:

¹⁶ I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge." ¹⁷ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

¹⁸ For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

Meaning in life is not about getting things. No car, relationship, job, vacation, trip etc . . .can bring you meaning alone. Meaning in life doesn’t come from man, the world or ourselves. Meaning in life only comes from eternity, what lasts. That is what brings true meaning, true satisfaction. We will discuss this in chapter 12 but I can’t leave you depressed, meaning comes from serving God and doing good.

Lord, bring me to a place of understanding of life. I don't want to chase after the wind, I wand your Spirit (wind) in me. Show me how I can have meaning and bring a smile to your face.