Solomon conducted his search for life's meaning as an experiment. He first tried pursuing pleasure. He began grand public works programs, bought slaves, had many wives and concubines, set his mind on complex matters, became extremely wealthy, organized musical groups and supported the arts. But none of these gave him the satisfaction he was seeking. Some of the pleasures Solomon sought were wrong and some were worthy, but even the worthy pursuits were futile when he pursued them as an end in themselves. We must look beyond our activities to the reasons why we do them. Is your goal in life to search for meaning, or to search for God who gives meaning?
Read Ecclesiastes Chapter 2
Solomon went all out for pleasure. I suppose he could have put on a performance that would make Las Vegas look like it was a penny ante or just a sideshow in a small circus. Solomon used his fantastic resources to search for pleasure. He said, "I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure." But notice his conclusion: "Behold, this also is vanity"--empty. As soon as verse two, we begin to see his disappointing results.
Ecclesiastes 2:2 "For it is silly to be laughing all the time; what good does it do?"
He probably had a comedian or court jester to entertain him and tell him the latest jokes--probably many of them questionable. He said, "I found this to be a great waste of time."
My mom told me when I was young, "All of life is not a joke." I used to think I had to be laughing to be happy. I saw people laughing and looking like they were having fun, and I wanted to be like them. In reality, we can be content and joyful without laughing. Contentment and joy are deeper and more fulfilling than a simple laugh. The feeling you get when you know things are well is worth a lot. One of Satan's tools is to make us think we need something we do not. Don't discount contentment and joy if you are not laughing. Someone has said, "We should have a seriousness of purpose, but a lightness of heart."
Solomon had 1,000 concubines and wives available to him. He went for drinking and entertainment. He built houses and planted vineyards. Even today the ruins of the stables of Solomon can be seen right in Jerusalem and in several other places. At Megiddo a tourist guide will show you ruins of the troughs where the horses ate. Solomon had stables all over the land, although the Mosaic Law had expressly forbidden a king to multiply horses. He had irrigation. He had a ranch at the edge of town where he raised cattle. You may be wondering how he could afford all of this. Well, Solomon had cornered the gold in his day. He had plenty of spending money and he built in all of the comforts of life. It is now known that snow was brought down from Mount Hermon so that he could have cold drinks in the summertime. I think Solomon tried everything that a man could try for pleasure. I doubt that modern man could have anything that Solomon did not have.
You would think that all men in that position would be happy. Unfortunately, they are not. I am told that we have more suicides here in Southern California than the average for the country. One would think it would be the bums on skid row, the down-and-outers, who would be the ones to commit suicide. Life certainly wouldn't seem to be worth much to them. Actually, those are not the ones with the high suicide rate. It is the rich, the famous, the Hollywood movie and television stars, the folk who seem to have made it. They are the ones who commit suicide. Why? They have come to the same conclusion that Solomon did. He had tried everything in the way of pleasure and this was his conclusion:
Ecclesiastes 2:11 "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."
What a statement from a man who had everything! A great many people will not take Solomon's word for it; they have to make the same experiments--although not to the extent that Solomon did. Eventually they arrive at the same conclusion. They say, "Life is empty." Don't forget Solomon's words, "All was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."
It is important to remember that this term, "under the sun," refers to life without God. When we leave God out of the equation, we should check our math. Remember, pleasure promises more than it can produce. How often have we wanted to do something so badly and when we finally did it, we said, "well that wasn't so great after all." This is an important point. First, enjoy the process leading up to the event, but don't leave out God. More often than not, the process of getting from point A to point B takes longer than you spend at point B. If you can't enjoy the process, then the point is really not worth it. When we speak to God throughout the day, while working toward our goals, we can enjoy or at least cope with the difficult times of our lives. This is what "pray without ceasing" means. Of course we can't pray continually all day every day. But if we speak to God frequently and keep an attitude of prayer throughout the day, we will be accomplishing how Paul said we should pray.
Our goals should be aligned with God's goals. If we choose things only for our satisfaction, God is not in our plans. If we choose goals to glorify God and give Him praise all of the way, God is in our plans. A plan without God or a day without prayer is like taking a test without studying. You may make it to class, but when it comes time for the test, you will not be prepared. You may make it to work, but when someone steals your favorite pen or treats you unkindly, you may not react correctly. However, if you have spoken to Jesus or call on Him in your time of need, you may not need to learn the lesson again.
Ecclesiastes 2:16 "For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool."
They die just the same way. You may be innately intelligent. You may have a high I.Q. You may have been educated, even have several doctoral degrees, but none of this will help you when it is your time to die. Neither will any of that stop you from dying. When it is your time to go out the door, you will go, and there is nothing in this world that can keep you from it. Solomon realized that wisdom alone cannot guarantee eternal life. Wisdom, riches, and fitness matter very little after death--and everyone must die. We must not build our lives on perishable pursuits, but on the solid foundation of God. Then even if everything we have is taken away, we still have God, who is all we really need anyway. Incidentally, this is the point of the book of Job.
Because knowledge has its limits, the most important knowledge is found in knowing the infinite God. Amen? Amen!
Thomas A. Edison is an example. He worked in a laboratory and developed many things such as the electric light bulb and the Victrola. All of our recording instruments really go back to the work of Edison. He was a genius, but he died just like everyone else. What good did it do him after all? His laboratory is preserved in Fort Myers, Florida. If you are ever down there, it is worth the time to visit the Edison home and laboratory. He worked in that laboratory day and night. He had insomnia of the worst kind, so he had a little bed in his lab where he would lie down for little naps. He spent day and night, trying out many, many things that never worked out. I don't get the impression that life was a thrill for him. I think that Thomas A. Edison found life very boring. What was missing from his life?
Work bears no lasting fruit for those who work solely to earn money and gain possessions. However, if we pursue God and do our works in His name, we can reap blessings on earth and eternal rewards in Heaven. For information on eternal rewards, see Psalm 37:18, Job 36:7, Jeremiah 17:10, and Luke 18:22, 23.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 "For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that He may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for wind."
It is God who determines what kind of lot we have in life. And He does this on the basis of His evaluation of us. His decisions are final, though it is our duty to seek to please Him. Since He alone knows what is best for us, we must surrender to His decisions and make the best of the lot He sends us.
This final word of counsel summed up the wise man's opinion: Do not expect anything better. We only brand life's results as vanity--as futility--if we hope for too much. Someone once said, "Don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed." It is false optimism that wounds us, according to the Teacher. If we try to guarantee our own permanence, if we try to build timeless pyramids through wealth, wisdom, pleasure or achievement, we are doomed to futility. If we take God's gifts and decisions as they come and do not try to outwit God, we can snatch a measure of enjoyment from each day.
Memorize:
Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."