Reflections

Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 (MSG)

(18-19)And I hated everything I'd accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can't take it with me—no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. Whether they're worthy or worthless—and who's to tell?—they'll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke."

 (24-26) The best you can do with your life is have a good time and get by the best you can. The way I see it, that's it—divine fate. Whether we feast or fast, it's up to God. God may give wisdom and knowledge and joy to his favorites, but sinners are assigned a life of hard labor, and end up turning their wages over to God's favorites. Nothing but smoke—and spitting into the wind.

When I think of hard work, I think about the great effort people put forward to establish a city. The time it takes for all to unite and build homes, roads, parks and basic utilities; the energy it takes to both establish and maintain laws. It's a sobering thought that all this activity can be considered nothing but dust. I also think of two famous cities of the Bible: Sodom and Gomorrah. This well told story (Genesis chapter 19) sometimes is used to argue exclusively against homosexuality; however, i think we can take a broader view and say it's a lesson about total depravity and sin. The passage seems more about a response to the outcry of injustice(see Gen. 19 : 12-13). It's just unfortunate that the only sin mention in the passage is homosexuality. I can imagine these cities had other sins that add fuel God's wrath. Can you imagine the work, and achievements of these two cities? All lost due to a moment of immorality? The conclusion:

 27-28 Abraham got up early the next morning and went to the place he had so recently stood with God. He looked out over Sodom and Gomorrah, surveying the whole plain. All he could see was smoke belching from the Earth, like smoke from a furnace.

From Genesis Chapter 19 we can witness the truth of Ecclesiastes. God can consume a life of Labor in a matter of moments. In this instance it's the life of two cities accumulating to an untold multitude of people and their individual stories, their individual accumulated accomplishments measure up to nothing against God's wrath. It shows the authority and power of God. Thinking on these two cities gave me the opportunity to question priorities. It makes me ask personal questions(I hope you ask yourself): Do I work with Joy? Do I work with the sole interest of accumulating wealth? Do I work for the future of others? Does the thought of others taking what I work for anger me, and should it anger me?

Once heard a story of a man that put a sticker on all he had. The sticker read, "Soon to burn." Don't know if this is a true story; however, doing such would be a constant and proper reminder of the true value our possessions hold.  Like the author of Ecclesiastes states, without God, we find ourselves hating everything we accomplish and accumulate. Not only is this natural, but I believe this to be a healthy realization. There is nothing worth having outside of God.