Macbeth & Solomon – Two Kings, Two Views of Life

Ecclesiastes 2:11 “Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was not profit under the sun.”

“Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more.”

What is life worth anyway? Abigail recently came home with some memorization homework. In studying the Shakespearean play, Macbeth, she was asked to memorize some famous quotes. As I helped her practice the above quote I couldn’t help thinking of another famous person, the rich and wise King Solomon, who also pondered similar thoughts.

Any person who removes himself from the trickery of his mind – the one that says his life is of great importance – and takes a look at the enormity of the whole world, will be forced to face reality. There are millions of people living across the face of the globe. There are hundreds of millions of people who have lived in years past. And there are many, many more to come. In the span of 70 years or so our lives are like a drop in a bucket – a piece of dust on a map – a brief candle on a stage. How depressing!

King Macbeth felt he was unconquerable until he heard of the Lady Macbeth’s death, and suddenly he realized the brevity of life. King Solomon after taking part in all of life’s pleasures understood that everything we live for on this earth is vanity and striving after the wind.

Is this all we have to look forward to? NO! If you read farther in the Bible’s book of Ecclesiastes you will notice another phrase, which gives hope to this seemingly futile life. All of the things the great King Solomon took part in that gave him no satisfaction were done “under the sun.” Upon further investigation he realized that the only thing that can give meaning to this time of our “brief candle” is to look beyond the sun. The One Who created us for a purpose gives worth to our short lives.

When we remove our attention from our personal flickering flame and focus beyond the sun then everything changes. The gift of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ to anyone who believes provides abundant eternal life beyond our short moments on this earth. And while here faith the size of a tiny mustard seed can move mountains. Holy Spirit power available to God’s children brightens our witness of the truth with a ripple effect throughout the world. Praying in Jesus’s name results in enormous life and even history changing answers. That’s not bad for a walking shadow!

As we play our short part on the stage of life making every move, every labor, every activity fall in line with the heavenly Script Writer’s directions we can be more than a brief flicker of candle light. By uniting our flame with the One Who lives beyond the sun we will leave our mark on eternity.

When you consider all the millions of people who have ever lived, it’s true, your candle may burn for only a scarce second. But when you align yourself with the One who lives beyond the sun your brief candle could be a turning point in the whole play.

Love,
Mama