傳道書1章4-18節

傳道書1章4-18節: 講義(朱國鈞長老)

都是短暂虚空 (传1:4-18)

經文﹕
吕振中译本
ESV
MSG
4一代在过去，一代又到来，地却永远存立。5日出，日落，喘嘘嘘地跑回它所由出之地。6风往南刮，又向北转；不住地旋转，又循其旋转道返回原处。7溪河都往海里流，海却没有满溢；溪河流到哪一个地方，还再流到那里。8万物（或译∶万事都有）都疲劳困乏；人也不能说得尽；眼看，看不饱，耳听、听不足。9必有的事、是曾经有的；必行的事、是曾经行过的∶日光之下并无新事。10哪里有一件事人能指着说∶「看哪，这是新的」？哪知在我们以前的世代早已有了。11先前的世代无人怀念着；将来的世代后来的人（原文∶他们）也不怀念。
智慧的虚空
12我传道人、我曾在耶路撒冷作过王管理以色列。13我专心一志用智慧去寻求窥探天下所发生过的一切事，就知道上帝给世人所劳碌的是多么吃力的劳苦。14我见过日光之下所发生过的一切事；都是虚空！都是捕风！15弯曲的不能变直；缺少的不能足数。16我、我心里自己说∶「我得了大智慧，胜过我以前所有管理耶路撒冷的人；我的心也经验了许多有智慧有知识的事。17我专心一志要明白智慧，要明白狂妄、和愚昧，就知道这也是捕风。18因为多有智慧，就多有愁苦；增加知识，就增加痛苦。 All is vanity 4A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. 5The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. 6The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. 7All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. 8All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. 11There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. The Vanity of Wisdom 12I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. 15What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. 18For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
4One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes - it's business as usual for old planet earth. 5The sun comes up and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again - the same old round. 6The wind blows south, the wind blows north. Around and around and around it blows, blowing this way, then that - the whirling, erratic wind. 7All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea never fills up. The rivers keep flowing to the same old place, and then start all over and do it again. 8Everything's boring, utterly boring - no one can find any meaning in it. Boring to the eye, boring to the ear. 9What was will be again, what happened will happen again. There's nothing new on this earth. Year after year it's the same old thing. 10Does someone call out, "Hey, this is new"? Don't get excited - it's the same old story. 11Nobody remembers what happened yesterday. And the things that will happen tomorrow? Nobody'll remember them either. Don't count on being remembered. 12Call me "the Quester." I've been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there's not much to write home about. God hasn't made it easy for us. 14I've seen it all and it's nothing but smoke - smoke, and spitting into the wind. 15Life's a corkscrew that can't be straightened, A minus that won't add up. 16I said to myself, "I know more and I'm wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I've stockpiled wisdom and knowledge." 17What I've finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless - nothing but spitting into the wind. 18Much learning earns you much trouble. The more you know, the more you hurt.
破冰 ﹕
• 你觉得现在你最宝贝的是什么？你的名誉？地位？你的家？你的配偶？你的孩子？
• 你觉得你的生活很平常吗？每天三餐？工作日工作八小时？每天晚睡早起？
• 智慧对你有什么意义？什么是智慧的人生？你觉得你所过的是有智慧的生活吗？
分段 ﹕
• 一切全是虚空 (传1:4-11)
2
• 属世智慧的虚空与短暂 (传1:12-18)
观察、解释、应用 ﹕
一切全是虚空 (传1:4-11)
4一代过去，一代又来，地却永远长存。5太阳上升，太阳落下，急归所出之地。6风往南刮，又向北转，不停旋转，绕回原路。7江河都往海里流，海却不满；江河从何处流，仍归回原处。8万事令人厌倦，人不能说尽。眼看，看不饱；耳听，听不足。9已有的事，后必再有；已行的事，后必再行。日光之下并无新事。10有一件事人指着说：“看，这是新的！”它在我们以前的世代早已有了。11已过的事，无人记念；将来的事，后来的人也不记念。
一代一代的时间非常匆促地过去！比较起来地球存在的时间就长久多了。一天一天日出日落也是迅速的运转，没有任何短暂的停留。风和日丽或飓风无日的变化也是十分的单调，没有新奇不曾看见过的景象。从天上下雨到地上，集聚成为江河而流到海里。海洋受到太阳晒热而蒸发到天上，所以海洋也是永远填不满而继续不断有江河的水注入。这些大自然的变迁，从古时到现在都一样，没有变出新的花样。不能从眼睛所看见的、耳朵所听见的得到一些心灵上的满足！
「已有的事，后必再有；已行的事，后必再行。日光之下并无新事」指出过去、现在、将来都一样！就好象旧账翻新一样，没什么可稀奇的。就是有人挑战说：“看，这是新的！”也马上会被驳回、被指出那不是新的，它在我们以前的世代早已经出现过！没什么值得提的、也不会被纪念的。
思考：你觉得一天一天过得很快？还是相当的慢？是不是每天过得差不多都是一样？十分的单调无聊？什么事会使得你惊奇？觉得十分有趣？你会不会觉得这次的选举相当特殊？尤其是在冠状病毒那么严重的这段时期就要大选，会不会受到病毒巨大的影响？你自己怕不怕冠状病毒？对你的生活有没有产生一些负面的影响？你认为加州这一阵子的空气是不是十分的可怕？自己有没有解决的办法？北部及南部的火灾呢？你认为加州以后的情况是会改善？还是会更糟糕？
应用：既然日光之下并无新事，你可以计划怎么把以前做不好的事，计划一下下次再度遇见时可以怎么做好。如果有可能，想一想圣经有没有相关的原则可以使用的。摩西在诗篇90篇教导我们怎么数算自己的日子，请仔细研读并选择一、二项实际可行的工作开始去行。
属世智慧的虚空与短暂 (传1:12-18)
12我传道者在耶路撒冷作过以色列的王。13我用智慧专心探寻、考察天下所发生的一切事：神给世人何等沉重的担子，使他们在其中劳苦！14我见日光之下所发生的一切事，看哪，全是虚空，全是捕风。15弯曲的，不能变直；缺乏的，不计其数。16我心里说：“看哪，我大有智慧，胜过在我以前所有统治耶路撒冷的人；我的心也多经历智慧和知识的事。”17我专心想要明白智慧，想要明白狂妄与愚昧，方知这也是捕风。18因为多有智慧，就多有愁烦；增加知识，就增加忧伤。
从「我传道者在耶路撒冷作过以色列的王」这节经文知道本书的作者是在以色列还没有分裂成南北国之前的王，因为以色列是南北国分裂后的北国而首都不是耶路撒冷。这里说是在耶路撒冷作以色列的王，所以必定是在一国的时期而可确定是所罗门王。
3
所罗门王开始作王时寻求智慧，可以作正确的审判(王上3:9)。他这个祈求是神所喜悦的(王上3:10)。很可惜他晚节不保离弃神去拜偶像而遭神的愤怒 (王上11:1-13)。也就是说他晚年是在没有智慧，所以才犯了那么多惹神愤怒的事件。从这个角度来看，他这里所说的智慧是世俗上的聪明而已 (参林前2:6)！
如果不依赖神，个人所挑的担子会觉得十分的沉重。这样的生活会是劳苦愁烦不容易过的日子，所以觉得生活没有意义、其实虚空、全是捕风。这种依靠自己，认为自己的见识多、本领大的自大狂只会活在自己的黑暗世界！最后什么也没有，遗憾地离开这个世界。
在圣经中所提到的真智慧是与神有密切的关系的！如箴言提到「敬畏耶和华是智慧的开端，认识至圣者便是聪明。」 (箴9:10) 整本箴言是一本生活处世的智慧书，其中包括了许许多多值得背诵的金玉良言。 使徒保罗在哥林多前书1-3章中也花了极大的篇幅讲智慧的人生！
思考：你认为所罗门在这里所说的智慧是什么？你怎么为真理作见证？你自己的生活所依靠的动力是什么？你最喜欢专心一意花时间探索的东西是属于哪方面的？你每天花多少时间在神的话语上？花多少时间在事业上？在你作决定的时候，有多少时候是靠自己以往的经验或书上看到的解决办法？有多少时候是安静等候在神的指引之下？
应用：请好好精读箴言，把4-5节你十分喜欢有关智慧的金句抄写下来，并且试着能够完全地背诵出来。