Where is my Goodness? Ecclesiastes 6 P

Ecclesiastes 6

Where is my Goodness?

Is it in the common-hood of man?

Does it dwell in my treasures,

Or in the honor of my name?

Where is my goodness?

Does it lie hidden in my wealth?

Or in the family of my hundred children?

If I live one hundred years will

I find my goodness?

Where is my goodness?

Does it come with my birth?

Does it leave me at death?

How will my name be remembered?

Where is my goodness?

If I look to the Sun

Will it be there?

Will it bring me rest?

Where is my goodness?

If I live one thousand years

And find myself with you

at that one place

Will I have found goodness?

Where is my goodness?

If I work all my days to feed my mouth

How do I fill my appetite, for goodness?

Where is my goodness?

Am I a fool if I know it not?

Am I a poorer man for not knowing

the walk of the living?

Where is my goodness?

Will my eyes see all that I have

And be content?

What will my desire seek?

Will it wander?

Where is my goodness?

Has it been named?

Has it been in man?

Or does my goodness come

from him that is mightier?

Where is my goodness?

For am I not but a shadow

If I cannot know from

whence my goodness comes?

Am I not but a shadow

If I cannot discern

goodness from vanity?

Where is my goodness?

With all my wealth?

With all my honor, and riches?

How will I give goodness

To whom shall be after me

If I have not goodness

Under the sun?

Goodness come from God. When I watch and play with my littlest grandchild I know that goodness comes from God. We are born with it. We choose our lives and weather or not we will die with it. Solomon saw that many of us are never content with the goodness in our lives. We always want more. We call it different things: ambition, drive, success, career, hobby etc. but the truth is we are merely feeding our vanity. We often have enough to live one day at a time. We have enough to share, but it is because of so many other "obscure things in our lives" that we forget to be content. We let our desires wander.

Words and Phrases

vs 1 - common among man - I believe discontent is very common among men. Once we have what we want we always want something more. Toys rarely last very long before we seek a newer model, a newer twist on an old need.

vs. 2 - all that he desireth - Solomon knew that the key to what we have in our lives is what we desire. Those who desire wealth usually find it. In this verse he wants us to understand that God will give us what we desire. Be careful for what you pray for because you might just get it. Then once you have it, you can not enjoy it "not power to eat". And then to make it all the more frustrating, we watch another enjoy what we have but cannot enjoy because they have desires that are appropriate. We can be wealthy and miserable or wealthy and full of joy.. It depends on what our ultimate desires in life are focused on.

vs 3 soul be not filled with good - We can have a long life, a large family, and wealth and if we don't know what good is, it will mean little to our name, our family, or our long life.

vs 5 he hath not seen the sun - He does not know the power, the warmth, the glory that the sun can bring to his life. He has not taken time to look up from his dreary work load to recognize from where his blessings, his food, and all he that he has comes from. He has not understood the goodness of God. How can we understood goodness in our lives if we have not understood that goodness comes from God.

vs 7 appetite is not filled - needs and wants again. We can have all our needs taken care of and still hunger for the appetite of our soul

vs 8 wise more than the fool? - spiritual knowledge and the belief that our spirits rule our bodies, not the other way around

vs 9 wandering of desire - this is a key phrase in this chapter and has to deal with our ability to be content with the sight of our eyes. We really cannot physically be responsible for more than we can see with our own eyes. So why do we obtain riches and then want more than we can see, hold, or care for?

vs 11 many things that increase vanity - There are so many things that tend to feed our hunger of uncontrolled desires. Whatever attends to our senses: sight, smell, taste, lust, touch, pride, etc... will serve to increase our vanity if it is used without goodness of intent.

vs 12 as a shadow - We are but shadows if we cannot separate out the good from the vanity in our life.

vs 12 - who can tell a man- who can tell the future and in knowing the future we understand the difference between what will be vain(without use in the future) and what will be remembered and of use to those who come after us.