在知識中尋求滿足
傳道書一章12至18節
12我傳道者在耶路撒冷作過以色列的王。
13我專心用智慧尋求查究天下所做的一切事,乃知神叫世人所經練的是極重的勞苦。
14我見日光之下所做的一切事,都是虛空,都是捕風。
15彎曲的不能變直;缺少的不能足數。
16我心裡議論說:“我得了大智慧,勝過我以前在耶路撒冷的眾人,而且我心中多經歷智慧和知識的事。”
17我又專心察明智慧、狂妄和愚昧,乃知這也是捕風。
18因為多有智慧,就多有愁煩;加增知識的,就加增憂傷。
信息分享
然而,他卻再次來到一個「死胡同」。他獲得的一切知識,都無法滿足他的需要。他在本章最後一節所下的結論,令人更覺唏噓。它令人想起聖經其他經文所道出的真理,例如詩篇一百十一篇10節說:「敬畏耶和華是智慧的開端;凡遵行祂命令的,是聰明人」。
保羅在哥林多前書一章,提出了他對世俗智慧的看法。聖經當然不是反對教育或高等教育,但是,人世間的一切學問,都無法幫助我們認識神。若有人以為世間的學問能滿足他永恆的需要,他從一開始便選錯了門徑。
保羅給哥林多教會的書信便清楚道出這點。哥林多的信徒顯然被世俗的智慧所吸引,但保羅卻開宗明義地指出:「我知道,對那些在滅亡道路上奔走的人來看,十字架的信息是很愚昧的道理。然而,對我們得救的人來說,這信息卻是神的大能。那麼,世上的哲學家、學者和聰明的辯士又如何呢?神已經使他們變成愚拙了……」(New Living Bible中譯)
只有藉著基督的十架,我們才能得著救恩、滿足和永生。你是否已接受耶穌基督呢?你需要今天就如此決定。
SEEKING SATISFACTION IN HUMAN WISDOM
Ecclesiastes 1: 12-18
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, And what is lacking cannot be numbered.
16 I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.”
17 And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
Message
But again he faced the same “dead end”. All that accumulated knowledge did not meet his need. The last verse of the chapter is almost tragic: It brings up the truth as in other passages in God’s Word such as Psalm 111:10, “The fear (reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, all who follow His precepts have good understanding.”
Paul had much to say in 1 Corinthians 1 concerning the wisdom of this world. The Bible is in no way opposing education or higher learning but all the philosophy of the world cannot help mankind to know God. He is beginning at the wrong place who thinks the wisdom of this world can meet his eternal need.
Paul’s words spell this out clearly. Apparently worldly wisdom had crept into the church at Corinth and Paul was writing to set the matter straight. He wrote, “I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognise this message as the very power of God. So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish...” (New Living Bible)
The only way to salvation, satisfaction, and eternal life is through the cross of Christ. Have you taken your stand there? You need to do so-today.

