Ecclesiastes 1:15 What is crooked cannot be made straight,
And what is lacking cannot be numbered.

Crooked and Lacking

Have you ever noticed that in life there are times when you find gaps and twists in logic? People who have sworn allegiance turn on you. Life is set to go a certain way, but then it falls through. Without the help of God, we cannot attain the understanding of these matters. This is why the Bible says, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” Solomon is writing these scriptures from the apex of human wisdom. And he is telling us that this kind of wisdom lacks!

Worldly Accolades

Ecclesiastes 1:16 I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.”

Solomon, in all his wealth, had plenty of time to stop and ponder life’s condition. He attained great stature and wealth through the great wisdom God had given him. This was not his doing, but God’s gift. With this wisdom, he accomplished feats no one before or after him had. These were God’s blessings, but he had abandoned God during this time. Ironically, the very gifts God had bestowed helped pride swell up in Solomon. This pride caused separation in their relationship.

Grief and Sorrow

Ecclesiastes 1:18
For in much wisdom is much grief,
And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

We are our own worst enemies. We take great gifts and let sin corrupt them. Then we take the tools God intended for good and use them for evil. As we increase in knowledge of worldly endeavors, our propensity for more sin increases. This folly only leads to more sorrow and grief. Not only upon ourselves but also on those we are around and influence. Vanity, vanity, all is vanity. See why this terminology is so prevalent with Solomon and his worldly point of view.

Psalm 38:4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Our burdensome sin becomes too heavy for us to carry. What can we do to escape them? Sadly, some turn to alcohol, drugs, sex, and even suicide. This is where the grief and sorrow over worldly wisdom leads. But we have a friend who sticks closer than any friend or brother. He came to this earth to be the scapegoat. Scapegoat for us, and He took the punishment for our sin. His name? Jesus! What will you do with Him today?