8 All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
9 That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one might say,
“See this, it is new”?
Already it has existed for ages
Which were before us.
11 There is no remembrance of [k]earlier things;
And also of the [l]later things which will occur,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come [m]later still.
Many of us have probably heard Solomon’s famous, “there is nothing new under the sun.” or some variation thereof. It is a reminder for us still today, as there are plenty of “new” things, or so we think. While our world looks very different, and technology has changed a lot about how we do life, the same problems remain. If anything, our societal problems are amplified.
At the same time, we have easier access to historical records, and could learn from them, if we wanted to. I’ve also heard it said, “that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” On a larger scale, many bury their heads in the sand, and think, “Oh, let’s try this! Sure, that country tried it already, but we’re better and smarter!” Are we?
At the personal level, so many of us could learn from the mistakes of others. Again, with technology and the proliferation of books, you can find someone who has gone through what you’re facing right now. But too often we’d rather learn the hard way. As Solomon aptly stated in v. 11, “There is no remembrance of earlier things…”
There are several things I think we can glean for our own lives. Most obviously, learn from those around you. Don’t isolate yourself when you’re going through a difficult time. Technology or not, God has put people into our lives on purpose. We were not meant to “tough it out” and try to take on the world all by ourselves. We were created to need relationships, even us introverts, and we can only thrive when we intentionally embrace that.
Beyond that, lean on God, and learn from the lessons He has given us in the Bible. It is not full of perfect people, but of flawed people, just like you and me. These were people that God loved, and He loves us the same, and wants to help us just like He did for them. Don’t ever be afraid that God will reject your cry for help. Instead, let Him equip you for “life and godliness”, and “put on the full armor of God”. (Eph. 6)