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Ecclesiastes 1:13, 18. "I applied my mind to seek and search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to the sons of man to be busy with. ... For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow."

 

God does ask us to seek wisdom and search out truth. It is a task that is solely human ("given to the sons of man") because only we are created in His image and likeness. Solomon was, of course, uniquely gifted with wisdom, so his words (if he is indeed the author of Ecclesiastes) can help us as we seek it ourselves.

 

Reading the Bible in general is a great first step on the path to wisdom and, I believe, helps counter the vexation and sorrow being described here. Those things can and often do come with increased wisdom as we begin to see the futility, vanity, and corruption of most human conduct and endeavors. Increased wisdom thus can increase our conviction that "what is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered." (Ecclesiastes 1:15)

 

But the story of salvation history told in the Bible is the story of God leading His people back to straightness. That He wants to do this comes through loud and clear. And unlike Solomon, we know of Jesus Christ, who shows us the lengths that God will go to in order to accomplish this. God is not finished straightening us yet, but He won't stop until everyone who will accept it is straightened.

 

As we pursue wisdom and increase our understanding, we can become a bit cynical. We should, however, remember who is in charge and is granting us this wisdom. We may be seeing things as God sees them (a good definition of wisdom), but we do not have His power. He will correct humanity in His time and way, and will use our increased wisdom to aid in that task, which is not at all an unhappy business!