Day 39: Ecclesiastes 7:23-241 min read

Solomon said, “I will be wise,” but even as wise as he was, he could not understand everything. “I said, ‘I will be wise’; but it was far from me. As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out?”

About two-thirds of the way through Ecclesiastes, Solomon concedes that some things in life just cannot be understood, no matter how hard someone strives to learn them. Up to this point, Solomon has spoken about the vanity of life and offered some general principles about life just as he did in Proverbs. He now reminds his readers that he doesn’t know everything, and he also gives a preview of the book’s conclusion…too much study is wearisome to the flesh.

Some things are genuinely helpful for us to learn. Other things cause us excessive sadness and grief. Other things are only for God to know.

I told myself that I would be wise,
But some things are too high for me.
I tried to gain wisdom by using my eyes,
But some things are too far to see.

I tried to gain wisdom by using my mind,
But some things are too deep to understand.
I did gain some wisdom, but some I can’t find,
Some knowledge in life is held fast in God’s hand.

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