Vexation in Wisdom and Knowledge (Ecc 1: 16-18)

VEXATION IN WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE (Ecc 1: 16-18):

The book of Ecclesiastes records the emotions and expressions of the author, as it comes out of the author’s mind. There was a sudden change in the flow of the expressions. The author changes his expression at certain points, by shifting from talking about something and talking to himself. Self-analyze using self-reflection is much necessary for self-motivation, but it could not be possible, over a certain extent without God in life. The author may also have tried to do the same, but he could not be successful because he was doing it without God in life. The author says to himself in his heart full of emotions that he had acquired great wisdom that surpasses over all the people of Jerusalem before him and also he had had great experience of wisdom and knowledge, being king over Jerusalem. Even getting richer shall not appease a person after becoming great over all, but being knowledgeable and wise over all should appease a person as it could enable a person to do anything and become anything in the face of the earth. 

But the author continues to say that when he applied his heart after acknowledging the greatest knowledge and wisdom, he tried to know not only wisdom but also to know the madness and folly. The author had the greatest knowledge and wisdom of his ages but he failed to control it and his own limitation, as a human being. There are certain things that should not be experienced but learned from the experience of other people for being safer, as the human being is of the most complex nature with the combination of physical, emotional and intellectual aspects. When one aspect dominates, sometimes other aspects lose its vigor. God is much needed for a man to balance everything and find Joy and Peace in his life. But when the author reflecting the self, taking away the factor of God, everything was just useless including wisdom, like striving after wind.

If the author had applied his wisdom for getting a pearl of greater wisdom, there would be a feeling of insufficiency and curiosity to seek further, whereas the author seems to have tried to know the reason in unreasonable things, tried to find something that does not exist, tried to enjoy something the way it shouldn’t be and had lost the essence of many things of his life that could really fetch him Love, Joy, and Peace. The author says that he applied his heart to know madness and folly which is the most possible cause for his failure or vexation, by becoming a prey for it. He says that there is much vexation because of more wisdom as it continuously enables a person to be thinking and feeling without much satisfaction, without God. Also, the author says that he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. Everything and everyone in the whole world imparts knowledge at every time, but if a person starts seeking it, without the knowledge of God there will be endless search without the basic acknowledgment and finding.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.    What does the author say in his heart?

2.    How does the author acquire great wisdom and experience of wisdom and knowledge?

3.    For what the author applied his heart?

4.    What do you think when the author says that he applied to know wisdom and madness and folly?

5.    What was his perception after applying it? Why?

6.    What was there is much wisdom? Why?

7.    What does one who increases knowledge do? Why?

8.    Is it right to apply our hearts towards madness and folly? Justify?

9.    How Wisdom could be useful for satisfaction?

10. How the knowledge could be helpful to be Joyful?