So says the wise man of the Bible – King Solomon – that one who, given a choice of anything he could want of God, chose wisdom to rule his people. In exasperation over the monotony of life, He makes this statement that has been quoted by academia and political pundits alike. He continues his diatribe in verse 10 by asking, “Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new?” then in answer to his own question, he retorts, “It hath been already of old time, which was before us.” He then concludes in verse 14, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” In other words, he says that there is never anything new that happens, and the same ole same ole that does happen is all for nothing, empty, vain, worthless.
But God, in His infinite wisdom is using the musings of this worldly wise man to teach us a thing or two. Solomon, or the Preacher, as he calls himself, says that time goes on generation after generation and all things stay the same. The sun comes up and the sun goes down but all things stay the same. This could lead us to assume that even when new inventions come along, all things stay the same. So we can draw from this that the man of God in this passage is speaking of heart attitudes, not physical things. For there are new things constantly making the scene in the physical realm – things that Solomon could never even dream of – but all things stay the same. This precept is inscribed forever in the pages of Scripture. The fact of this precept remains – all thing stay the same – there is nothing new under the sun – and all is vanity.
First there’s the idea that man is the center of all things. Humanism is not a new idea! From the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, man has tried to assert himself over God’s sovereignty. He looked at the fruit of the tree and decided it would be better to do things his own way than to stick to God’s way. And he has been trying to do thing his own way ever since. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Man has constantly tried to subvert God’s will with his own. Cain thought he had a better way – Nimrod thought he had a better way – Korah thought he had a better way – Nadab and Abihu thought they had a better way – Balaam thought he had a better way – Hophni and Phinehas thought they had a better way – King Saul thought he had a better way. And they all paid with their lives. Even some of God’s own men thought they had a better way – David bringing the ark back – David with Bathsheba – Aaron in making the golden calf – King Uzziah in offering before the Lord – Demas in forsaking Paul for the world. And in each case, they paid dearly.
Then there’s the false heresies that run prevalent in the church today. These are not new ideas! There’s theistic evolution – there’s Gnosticism – there’s Agnosticism – there’s Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism – there’s Armenianism – there’s the Gospel of Judas and the Gospel of Mary – there’s the Docetics – the Arians – the Apollinarians – the Nestorians – the Eutychians. All these various heretical beliefs and dogmas have taken away from the truth of “Thus saith the Lord” and stamped upon Christianity “Thus saith man.” Satan has attacked the church through these many heresies, and the church has held firm. Now he’s attacking the church through the very Word of God, causing doubt in the inspiration and preservation of the Scriptures. But that’s a topic for another study. Needless to say, it reinforces the idea that “there is no new thing under the sun.”
Quote – “The Lord can work a radical change in you. He that sitteth on the throne can do for you what you cannot do for yourself; and, as he made you once, and you became marred by sin, he can new make you; for he saith. ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” – C. H. Spurgeon
