Here is an encouraging thought; all of the labor of man is to feed his mouth? No, this certainly should not be true of us, whilst we understand what Solomon is saying here (that mans labors are in vain) we must disagree with him. I have encountered people (who are earthly minded) who have concluded the same thing but here we must be careful. The question to ask Solomon is “What is man to labor for; is it just for the earthly appetite”? Certainly not, that would indeed be vexation of spirit; man is to labor for the eternal and to be able to say as Jesus “My meet is to do the will of Him that sent me”. Yes, we know Solomon is trying to make a point here about the futility of mans labor and how that one never seems to attain unto satisfaction. But here we must depart from the observation of Solomon because God’s gift to the laboring man who pleases Him is the power to enjoy even his earthly labors (Ecclesiastes 5:19).
8 “For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living”?
This seems a strange comment coming from the man who wrote "Wisdom is the principal thing, in all thy getting get understanding". Solomon has lost sight of the proper focus on life and the things that matter most. He is no longer striving to make right choices but is rather despairing because he has lost all discipline in his life and cannot live up to the wise counsels he once so freely advised others to follow, how sad. The mark of true wisdom is to be able to follow good counsel and to bear reproof:
Pro 14:16 "A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.";
Pro 10:8 "The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.";
Pro 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise."
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