What Matters
The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes could be characterized as attempts to impart what matters most and why almost nothing matters at all. I can’t remember if I have ever read either book in the past, but I am familiar with several of the ideas and passages in both books. This time my reading and listening to them were both impacting and revelatory. The reason these sayings are more meaningful to me this time around is that I have experienced life more fully and have been enlightened by more intense thinking and meditation.
The Book of Proverbs focuses more on practical instruction and Ecclesiastes more on life reflections. Both have a common conclusion that wisdom comes from God and is the only thing of real value we can attain.
Solomon is probably the preacher or author of Ecclesiastes, although no one is sure. In my opinion, it stands to reason that he is undoubtedly the originator of this most insightful book of reason and reflection because the wisest among the great thinkers in history come to similar conclusions about life that all is vanity.
What qualifies Solomon to comment with such authority? Solomon is arguably the wisest, richest, and most foolish person to ever live. Let me elaborate on my thoughts on how these three attributes are related.
Solomon’s wisdom came from God first, coupled with deep thinking and keen observation. We can get wisdom from God the same way Solomon did. To obtain wisdom from God, we must desire and ask for it. Next, we must do the things we learn from God. We grow in wisdom when we observe the results of following the commandments and acting on the revelation and inspiration we receive. However, Solomon was in a unique position to observe how his decisions affected not only his life but the lives of those he commanded and judged.
I believe Solomon was extremely curious and ambitious. His wealth came from commerce, trade, tributes, and taxation. I think he used his wealth to satisfy his curiosity. When his income from his enterprises was not enough to explore his pursuit of wisdom, he turned to taxation to explore the extreme excesses of worldly wealth. He wanted to have more and do more than anyone who lived. I do not believe greed fueled this pursuit; it was an experiment to see if it would make him happier or make his existence more meaningful.
Solomon’s curiosity led him to try to discover how other cultures pursued meaning. I am sure he wanted to gain wisdom from outside his world. However, he was not satisfied with learning about these different cultures; he wanted to experience them. He took wives from heathen nations and obtained access to their belief systems. He experimented with things that he ought not to have done. Discovery of specific knowledge is one thing; implementing it is another.
How was Solomon the most foolish person to walk the face of the earth? Out of curiosity, he chose to disobey the counsels of God and follow after the gods of his heathen wives. After having obtained and experienced wisdom from the only true God, he became distracted. Seeking for and obtaining virtually everything the world had to offer, he found that it was all vanity. In other words, nothing had meaning except for the gift of wisdom that was freely given to him by God.
The results of Solomon’s insatiable pursuits are reflected in the Book of Ecclesiastes. He found that every worldly thing he sought was, or would become meaningless. The only thing that brought happiness was working to bring about the purposes of God. The gift of God that really matters is to take whatever portion we are given through our labor and to “eat thereof.” I think that means we need to be satisfied with whatever we are provided after we have made our best effort.
Another lesson I learned from these books is that we need to enjoy the here and now. We need to see the beauty of today because yesterday is forgotten, and tomorrow is unknowable. As we live in the moment and apply wisdom to what we see and experience, every day can be better than the last. If we fail to appreciate our current condition, we cannot grow and become who we are meant to be.
Understanding expands wisdom, and wisdom brings understanding. With God, everything is circular, or more accurately, a spiral upwards. As repetitive events happen in our lives, we can observe them differently each time, adding nuance and sophistication to our understanding, which in turn, increases the wisdom we possess.
Curiosity is a good thing, but if our curiosity gets the best of us, it can lead to a foolish fall, as with Solomon. I believe that a curious mind is a gift from God. However, being curious about what is in the darkness is dangerous, and I would instead want to know where the light is coming from.
So, to summarize my thoughts, the Book of Ecclesiastes is by far the most impactful for me. Don’t get me wrong, the Proverbs of Solomon is excellent advice in general, but it needs to be modified for our time and culture. I don’t think beating children is the most effective way to train them, but I agree that they definitely need to be trained and that, once appropriately trained, allows them to pursue a more meaningful life.
What matters? Almost nothing. The list of what matters consists of basically two things that Jesus said the best: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. That means to me to do the right things for the right reasons. What follows is that you will learn wisdom and serve those you love the most.