The Painful Truth
For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases suffering. Ecclesiastes 1:18 ISR
Much grief – Well, it’s certainly not what we expected! The general consensus of our culture is that knowledge and wisdom lead to power and power leads to control and control leads to a prosperous life. If this weren’t the case, why would we push so many children into a university system that produces conforming adults? Why would we think that spending more money on educational fixes will make social problems disappear? No, everything about our view of wisdom and knowledge leads us to the opposite conclusion. The Bible seems to endorse “ignorance is bliss” while our society portrays increased knowledge as the elixir of the gods.
Just so we can feel the full force of this biblical point of view, we should recognize that the Hebrew expression is the combination of raba (great, much) and ka’as (grief). Actually ka’as has a wider umbrella than just grief. It really is about anger, vexation and provocation. Knowledge and wisdom make us angry? Provoke us? Cause us to be annoyed or disturbed? How is that possible?
In order to understand this verse from its own worldview, we must set aside the Greek idolization of reason and rationality. In the Greek world, man is set apart from all other creatures by his rational ability. He can reason his way out of the box. Rational solutions to problems come about because Man acquires insight and understanding. In other words, reason reigns supreme.
But the Semitic world doesn’t operate like this. Man cannot reason his way out of the box because the box is far more complicated than Man’s reason can handle. God alone understands the structure of the cosmos. It is not simply the arrangement of atoms. Everything has spiritual purpose. Everything is divinely connected. Unless and until we know all those purposes and connections, wisdom and knowledge only lead us to one end: we are inadequate. The more we learn, the more we know we don’t know. And finally, the greater our knowledge, the more we are faced with the impossible gap between us and a holy God. Not only do we discover the hubris that accompanies the myth of the supremacy of reason, we also discover that we are our own enemy and that God holds us accountable for our lack of humility. To know is to be confronted with our insufficiency. And that is grief.
This means the desire to pursue God will be accompanied by pain because our rationalism will be dismantled. The Bible is not a peaceful book. It is a book of radical confrontation, demands and the destruction of pride and arrogance. It hurts to read Scripture. To study God’s word is to suffer. God calls us to be burned. That’s what happens to a sacrifice. If you haven’t discovered this, then you’re standing too far away from the Fire.
Topical Index: grief, ka’as, reason, knowledge, wisdom, Ecclesiastes 1:18
Skip,
This word is like a punch in the stomach….I could not have said it better. I have dedicated so much of my life to studying and I feel more lost and inadequate then I did when I was oblivious to the ways of the Lord. The good thing is that I have really learned to let the spirit of God illuminate his word and be a lamp unto my feet. My life is now an adventure with plot twists and surprises at every turn…..And the creator of the universe is by my side the whole way!!!!! Baruch Hashem Adonai!!!!!!!!!!! God is good
Have you ever been lost in the middle of a forest? It is so frustrating (vexation) that you cannot see your way out for the trees. If only I could get higher, perhaps by climbing this tree in front of me, then I might be able to see ‘the way.’ Maybe if the “Preacher” would have sought higher ground, he could have experienced a share of the vantage point from the One already there, and thus not been grieved by yet another tree.
This is a message not often well received by many. I resisted it for years and it worked for a while…I lived like a queen…on top of the world, but yet, certain parts of the Scripture kept nagging me, so to speak…just didn’t fit my theology. I wondered why it was even in the Bible!
Suffering seems to be the part YHWH allowed me to miss, by His Grace, for a lot of years and He is now restoring me through it. Kind of odd, isn’t it? But I am reminded that the servant is not greater than the Master.
Blessing in the mighty Name above all- YHWH!
Skip, I loved this! The insights you share are amazing. This brings me to the Beatitudes where Yeshua taught that those who are mourning, poor in spirit, hungering for righteousness and merciful to others are in essence receiving the blessing. This makes sence of all my greif over my own human frailty and failure. God bless!
“To know is to be confronted with our insufficiency. And that is grief”
We know that we are insufficient and small and yet we hope that the next piece of knowledge or insight will make us sufficient, larger, and more capable to take on this world and conquer.
We think we have conquered the world, but are children who have been conquered by its cravings that will never be satisfied.
We are children who have become too large in our own eyes.
We are haughty children who are not satisfied in what our gracious and glorious Father has revealed and given to us.
We are selfish children who will not embrace what our Father offers, but despise those children of His that do.
We are the blind leading the blind, claiming there is no pit to fall into.
Thank you for this good strong prophetic word this morning!
I was recently listening to a Rick Spurlock teaching, and he was talking about how they were as a family reading the book of Matthew. He said that his seven year old, (I believe this took place a few years ago) who had not been raised with all the Christian lingo, was deeply perturbed about some of the things that Yeshua was saying. This little boy understood something of being near the living, on fire words of Yeshua!
We have become too comfortable and buddy buddy with the living words of God. We think and reason that we know so much. But we live out so little in radical dependency and obedience to His Spirit and the expansion of His kingdom, and the instructions and teachings within the boundaries of that kingdom.
May we leave an inheritance of obedience for our children to emulate and carry further into their generation and beyond. In His Care, Brian
“It is a book of radical confrontation, demands and the destruction of pride and arrogance. It hurts to read Scripture. To study God’s word is to suffer. God calls us to be burned. That’s what happens to a sacrifice. If you haven’t discovered this, then you’re standing too far away from the Fire.”
Boy, aint that the truth! I am realizing that the closer I want to get to Him, the more of my “self” that must be burned away. And yet, just a moment in His presence, and I’m willing to ask for more. He is worthy!
“The more we learn, the more we know we don’t know” is a true statement for me.
And “The Bible is not a peaceful book. It is a book of radical confrontation, demands and the destruction of pride and arrogance. It hurts to read Scripture. To study God’s word is to suffer. God calls us to be burned. That’s what happens to a sacrifice. If you haven’t discovered this, then you’re standing too far away from the Fire.” that is also true for those who take pride of the glory of G-d. However, Yeshua is a prince of peace we can depend on. If G-d is with us who can against us. I take it as a word of the encouragement. Thanks. Skip.
Pracha
Skip what a powerful word – and all of you above have Ricky, Fred, Mary, Cheryl, Brian and Glory (what a wonderful name) have spoken all my thoughts so I dont need to say anything but – ditto!
Christine
This is a profound and challenging word, Skip, thank you.
And, by the way, many of my students can identify with Eccl. 1:18 as well! 🙂
“To know is to be confronted with our insufficiency.” Thanks Skip, this is exactly how I have been feeling for quite a while, but what to do about it? Except dealing with the hurt, suffering, the fires and trying to learn the way back to The Way as fast as possible(very slow!!)?
Also, ” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom/ knowledge” (Ps 111: 10, Proverbs 1:7) seems to be working the other way around as well.
The more I know that I know not and I realized my total inadequacy, the bigger my hunger and thirst (Math5:6), and at the same time, the bigger my reverence and fear for the Lord grows.
May be this is why so many people have a problem with fearing the Lord? They don’t want to hear the knowledge offered or the suffering Scripture studies or how big the gap is, that needs to be filled 24/7.
How can one learn the fear of the Lord while only feasting on a banquet of “feel good about my religion” food or having permanent picnics under the tree of good and evil, doing “good’ of course – but still not doing “life”?
Eric Ludy – The Covenanters
In 1638, Scottish Christians were faced with a jarring challenge. They had to choose between their earthly king, Charles I, and their true “heavenly” King, Jesus Christ. To choose the “earthly” would mean comfort in this world, but death to the soul. To choose the “heavenly” would mean death in this world, but life to the soul. They chose Jesus. And these “Covenanters” modeled for each of us, as believers, the manner in which we are supposed to handle this same decision in our own souls. We must die in order to truly live.
http://vimeo.com/28854737
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“This means the desire to pursue God will be accompanied by pain because our rationalism will be dismantled.”
Skip, is it rationalism that will be dismantled or autonomous rationalism needs to be brought to an end, so that it might be replaced with the rationalism that Paul talks about when he says “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2. Cor. 10:5)?