An Analysis of Wisdom Through Ecclesiastes, Job, and Moses Abbey Crowley College

Wisdom as defined in Ecclesiastes is somewhat of a paradox: the pursuit of Wisdom is a vain “pursuit of wind” (Ecclesiastes 2.11). The repeated mantra that Ecclesiastes offers is “All is futile!” (Ecclesiastes 1.2) and thus “there is nothing worthwhile for a man but to eat and drink and afford himself enjoyment with his means” (Ecclesiastes 2.24). Ecclesiastes, determined by given identity traits to be King Solomon, deems everything futile- accumulation of material possessions, sadness, and even attempts to understand God’s plan. He talks about his own experience in trying to gain happiness through wealth: he acquired “more wealth than anyone before [him] in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 2.9) but ultimately determined that “all the fortune my hands had built up… it was all futile and pursuit of wind; there was no real value under the sun!” (Ecclesiastes 2.11). While he rebukes shallow attempts at happiness, he also condemns wallowing in sadness, “for what does a man get for all the toiling and worrying he does under the sun? All his days his thoughts are grief and heartache, and even at night his mind has no respite. That too is futile!” (Ecclesiastes 2.22-23). All of this worrying is worthless, for God has a plan. Solomon says that...