X“Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. 20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.” (Ecclesiastes 2 :17-21 )
XWe see here in Ecclesiastes, that Solomon uses the words, “I hated life.” What a hard statement that is! Solomon was the wisest man of his day; he should have loved life. He had great knowledge, wisdom and riches. So, why would he make such a statement? Let’s look and see why..
XThe answer is right in verse 18, which says, “Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.” Solomon hated life because the things that he worked hard for, the things that he had built were going to be left to the man that followed after him. Verse 19 says, “And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.” Solomon did not want to leave all of his great labor to a man that was a fool. He did not want a fool to tear down what he had built.
XThe rest of the story is very sad because Solomon left the kingdom to his son Rehoboam. Rehoboam, through unwise counsel, split the kingdom that Solomon, his father, and David, his grandfather, had built. Verse 21, of Ecclesiastes 2, illustrates exactly what kind of man and lady that America and other countries around the world need to propitiate God’s work. America needs a man full of wisdom (having the knowledge and understanding that God gives), knowledge (able to make wise decisions in life’s situations), and equity (adding good things to something already built).
X Harvest Baptist Bible College is a college that desires to produce men and ladies who have these three qualities so that the work of God can continue. Then the old men of God can say, “Our labor had not been in vain because we have young men full of wisdom, knowledge and equity that will take what we have built and do greater works than these.”
XCome join our effort for the Lord to produce young people such as these.
XYours for Christ,
XBro. Buchanan