Ecclesiastes 2: Disgusted with Life

●     Overview.

○      Solomon conducted his search for life’s meaning as an experiment.   He first tried pursuing pleasure.   He undertook great projects, bought slaves and herds and flocks, amassed wealth, acquired singers, added many women to his harem, and he became the greatest person in Jerusalem.  Yet, none of these gave Solomon satisfaction.   Solomon sought some wrong and some worthy pleasures, but he still felt the worthy pleasures in life were futile when he pursued them for himself only.

■      Solomon tested life.   He examined everything from the sublime to the ridiculous.   As he experimented, he used the wisdom GOD had given him.   Solomon explains his 3 stages of his experiment in Chapter 2.

○      Solomon had built houses, a temple, a kingdom, and a family.   Through the course of history, they would all be destroyed.   (Psalm 127:1).

○      Solomon refers to all his attempts at finding life’s meaning was as “chasing the wind”.   You can feel the wind as it passes, but you cannot hold onto it nor can you keep it.

○      Wisdom cannot guarantee eternal life.   Wisdom, riches, and personal achievement matter very little after death.   We should not build our life on perishable pursuits.   If GOD is our foundation and all our pursuits are taken away, we still have GOD.

○      Hard work bears no lasting fruit for those who work solely to earn money and gain possessions.   Everything we had will be left behind at death.   It is uncertain if it will be taken care of by those who receive it after our death.   It is possible for all that was gained will be lost.   Joy will only be reached if we work to serve and please GOD.

●     Verses.

○      Verses 2: 1 - 11      Solomon Tested Life - Pleasures are Meaningless

■      Hedonism - the pursuit of pleasure.

●     We instinctively feel that if we have fun, we will find happiness.

●     Solomon went forth in worth, laughter, and pleasure.   Solomon concludes that laughter is foolish.  After laughter is released and we go to bed, we can still feel empty.

●     Solomon concludes pleasure consumes our resources, resources acquired through hard work.   How often can we afford the cost of pleasure?

■      Solomon had the means and authority to do anything his heart desired.   He tested his heart in 2 common experiences of life: enjoyment and employment.

■      Enjoyment (verses 1 to 3).

●     GOD made man to enjoy the blessings of creation.   (Psalm 104, I Timothy 6:17)

●     Solomon encourages us to enjoy the life of our youth before old age sets in and the body begins to fall apart.   (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

●     Harvest time was a joyful season as the people reaped the harvest from the blessings of GOD upon their labor.   Wine and laughter are mentioned as 2 sources of pleasure for Solomon.   This included a splendid hall, eating choice food, drinking the best wine, and watching gifted entertainers.   When the party was over, King Solomon’s heart felt dissatisfied and empty.   How many of Solomon’s servants envied the King.   (Proverbs 14:13)

●     How much money do we spend to buy “experiences to escape the temporary burdens of life?”   Nothing is wrong with seeking innocent fun, the person who lives his life seeking pleasure only is bound to be dissatisfied at the end.   Pleasure-seeking becomes a selfish endeavor as selfishness destroys joy.

●     Enjoyment will decrease unless the intensity of the pleasure increases.   We then reach the point of diminishing returns, where there is little or no enjoyment, which turns into bondage (addictions).

●     Pleasure appeals to only part of the person and ignores the total person.   True pleasure (Godly) builds character by enriching the total person.

●     Through all of this, Solomon was still able to find fame.   He concludes the more fame he acquired, the enjoyment was lessened.

■      Employment (verse 4 to 11).

●     Solomon was involved in many projects, something that would help him discover something that would make life worth living.   He built his many houses, cities, gardens, vineyards, orchards and forests, water systems, and the Temple of Jerusalem.

●     Solomon had many workers.   He had slaves he purchased and slaves born in his household.   He drafted 30,000 Jewish men to work his various projects (I Kings 5:13-18), which his people hated. (I Kings 12)

●     Solomon accumulated great wealth in flocks, herds, gold, and silver.   He was the wealthiest man in the world, yet, he was unhappy.   His activities did not bring him lasting pleasure.

●     What happens when the project is finished?   Solomon only saw vanity.   The journey bought pleasure, but the destination bought only pain.

●     Work is a blessing from GOD.   (Genesis 2:15, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Isaiah 55:2)

●     Much of the wealth of David came from his military exploits.

○      Verses 2: 12 - 23      Solomon Hated Life - Wisdom, Folly, and Toil are Meaningless

■      “I turned myself to behold” means “I considered things from another viewpoint.

■      Solomon looked at his wisdom and his wealth in light of the certainty of death.   What good is it to be wealthy and wise if one is going to die?   Death is one of the obvious facts of life.

■      Solomon considered his wisdom.

●     Solomon concludes that both the wise and fool men die.

●     Solomon concludes that we leave our wisdom for the next generation.

○      Will the next generation value wisdom from the past?   There is nothing new under the sun, as the future generations will experiment with the same things of the past.

○      A wise man sees that death does eventually come; the fool walks in darkness and he is unprepared.   It takes a person a long time to learn how to live and then life ends.   Solomon calls this futile, both the wise man and the fool die.

○      The healthy Christian believer does not hate life, but loves life instead.   (I Peter 3:10, Psalm 34:12).

○      We may not enjoy everything in life, we may not be able to explain everything in life, but we live by promises.   (I Corinthians 15:58).

■      Solomon considers his wealth.

●     Solomon also did not like his wealth as a result of his toil.   Solomon was born wealthy and he attained additional wealth by being King.   Below Solomon gives 3 reasons why he did not like his wealth.

○      You cannot keep it, when you die it gets passed down.   (Luke 12:13-21, I Timothy 6:7-10)

■      Money is an exchange.  Unless you spend it, it does little for you.

■      We are stewards of our wealth.   GOD is our provider.   We are to enjoy it and to use it to glorify GOD’s name.   We will one day give an account of our stewardship before GOD.   (Deuteronomy 8:18)

○      We can’t protect it.   The money we leave behind can be wasted instead of used wisely.   Learning to cooperate with the inevitable, we can teach the next generation, but after our death they can make their own choices.   (I Kings 11:41-12:24)

○      We can’t enjoy it as we should.   If we worry about our wealth and what will happen to it, our life can be miserable.   We have worked hard for our money, but after our death, it will go to someone who has not worked for it or earned it.   The heirs to our money will not suffer the same griefs and sleepless nights that we have over our wealth that was passed down.

●     Through these verses, Solomon appears very pessimistic, but he changes his attitude with the remaining verses from this chapter.

○      Verses 2:24-26      Solomon Accepted Life

■      This will be the first of 6 conclusions that Solomon will make in the Book of Ecclesiastes.   Accepting life as GOD’s gift and enjoying it in GOD’s will.

●     Thank GOD for what you do have and enjoy it to the glory of GOD.   Our culture tells us, ‘Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow may die.”   (I Timothy 6:17)

●     The enjoyments from GOD are also a gift from GOD.

○      NASB Translation states “For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without him.”

●     We must seek to please the LORD and trust him to meet every need we have in life.

●     Sinner is translated from a Hebrew word meaning “to fall short, to miss the mark.”

●     A sinner can also become rich, but they can never truly enjoy their wealth without GOD in their life.   (Proverbs 13:22)

●     Conclusion.

○      This chapter concludes Solomon’s 4 arguments that life is really not worth living.   These can only be made from a human point of view without GOD in the picture: The monotony of life, The vanity of our wisdom, The futility of life, The certainty of death.   Bringing GOD into the picture of life changes one’s perspective on life.   GOD holds life, death, and wisdom.   GOD wants us to enjoy his blessings and to please GOD’s heart.   We are idolaters if we forget the giver and rejoice in our gifts from GOD.

■      The next chapters will look at each of these 4 areas in greater depth.   Solomon will conclude by saying “Be thankful to GOD and enjoy life.”

●     Solomon will address the injustices in life.

●     Solomon will not be pessimistic, nor will he be optimistic.   He will be taking a balanced look at life.

○      Enjoyment is a gift of GOD.   It is given from the hand of GOD to us.   (I Timothy 6:17)

○      True joy will not come from people, it is for those who please GOD and receive GOD’s gift of enjoyment.

○      Faith pleases GOD, believing that everything comes from the hand of GOD.   This will also include pain, sorrow, bereavement, and disappointment,   GOD can also give us gladness, happiness, and joy.   He will help us find the joy in our sorrow, pain, and grief through the hands of GOD.   (Romans 8:28, Proverbs 3:5-6)

○      Is our goal in life to search for its meaning or to search for GOD who gives meaning to our life?

○      As we examine our goals and projects, what is the starting point of our motivation?   Without GOD as the foundation, all of our living will be meaningless.

○      Where do we place our time and efforts in life?

○      What we do here has a great impact upon our eternal reward.

○      Those without GOD will have no relief from toil and no direction to guide them through life’s complications.   Without GOD, satisfaction is a lost search.   Enjoy life as it is a gift from GOD.   Take pleasure and enjoyment from the things GOD has blessed us with.

○      It is good to have the things that money can buy, provided we don’t lose the things that money can’t buy.

■      According to Solomon, it is vanity for sinners to heap up riches and ignore GOD.   Apart from GOD, there is no true enjoyment of the blessings of life.

○      Life is 2% choices and 98% consequences based upon those choices.

○      Quote from Chuck Colson: “Life isn’t a book, life isn’t logical, or sensible, or orderly.  Life is a mess most of the time.   And Theology must be lived in the midst of that mess.”   Some will provide this theology, “Be Satisfied.”

Ecclesiastes 1: Is Life Worth Living and Living in Circles

●     History.

○      Solomon was the second son of King David and Bathsheba.   King Solomon was the third King of Israel; after Solomon died, the Kingdom of Israel was divided into 2.   The tribes of Judah and Benjamin comprised the Southern Kingdom, the kingdom which was of the lineage of David.

○      Yedidia (‘Friend of GOD’) was the name given to King Solomon when he was born in 983 BC by Nathan the prophet.

○      Solomon had built the first temple in Jerusalem in 959 BC.

○      Solomon had 300 concubines and 700 wives.   He also had 3 children; Rehoboam, Bashemath, and Tefat.

○      Solomon was blessed by GOD with unique wisdom and he has been believed to be the wisest man that ever lived.   Solomon has written 3 of the books of the Bible: the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Songs of Song.  This book was written in 935.

○      Solomon became King in 970 BC and reigned for 40 years.  Solomon died at 53 years of age in 930 BC.

○      Solomon was a man of prayer.   (Psalm 72)

○      Solomon was promised great wisdom and wealth.   (I Kings 3;3-15)

○      Solomon carried out many costly building projects, including living in luxury himself.   He also managed all the national splendor in Israel while israel was one united kingdom.   He also devised twelve tax districts (I Kings 4:7-19); a system that became oppressive and corrupt which the people begged for relief after Solomon’s death.   Solomon’s heart turned to the false gods of the many foreign wives he had married (I Kings 11:1).    These marriages were more for politics than love as he sought alliances with other nations.

○      Even though GOD removed his hand of blessing from Solomon, GOD maintained his promised to David, that David’s family will rule upon the throne forever.  

●     Key verses.

○      Ecclesiastes 1:1-13 and Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.

●     Key words.

○      Vanities: used 38 times - emptiness, futility, a vapor, meaninglessness, blah-ness.

○      Under the Sun:  used 29 times - looking at life from a human perspective; not GOD’s perspective,looking at life horizontally instead of vertically.

○      Profit: used 10 times - that which is left over, surplus, advantage, gain, the opposite of ‘vanity’.

○      Labor: used 23 times - to toil to the point of exhaustion and experience little or no fulfillment in your works, grief, misery, frustration, weariness.

○      Man: used 42 times - man as made from the earth

○      Evil: used 31 times - sore, hurt, mischievous, greveous, adversity, wickedness and misery, the opposite of good.

○      Joy: enjoy, rejoice                  

○      Wisdom: used 54 times - opposite of ‘fools’ and ‘folly’ (fools and folly are used 32 times)

○      GOD: used 42 times - referenced as Elohim, the mighty GOD, the glorious GOD of creation who is sovereign.

●     Overview.

○      Solomon gives a brief explanation on why he writes Chapter 1 in Ecclesiastes 12:8-12.

○      Solomon’s kingdom was in its golden age.   Solomon wanted the people to understand that success and prosperity do not last long.   (Psalm 103:14-16, Isaiah 40:6-8, James 4:14)   All human accomplishments will one day disappear.   We should keep this in mind in order to live wisely.   If we do not, we will become proud and self-sufficient when we succeed or disappointed when we fail.   Solomon states that earthly possessions are ultimately meaningless; only the pursuit of GOD brings real satisfaction.

○      The Book of Ecclesiastes is claimed to be the most quoted by Atheists and Agnostics.

○      The Book of Ecclesiastes should help re-sensitive Christians.   This book tells of the aches of the unbeliever and it warns us about what we pursue in our life.   This book is about all mankind, not just the Jewish people.

○      Solomon emphasizes the certainty of death.   During Solomon’s time, he was frightened by the shadow of death; not having the knowledge of a savior in Jesus Christ; which gives us hope.

○      Solomon knew he had been blessed by GOD, yet he turned his own way.

■      He was looking at life from the wrong perspective.

■      A summary of Solomon’s warning can be found in the reading of Psalm 90:12.

●     Verses.

○      Verses 1: 1 - 3       The Search

■      Preacher comes from the Greek word Qoheleth, which translates the one who gathers, assembles, or collect things

■      Near the end of Solomon’s life, he looks back over everything he has done and most of it seemed meaningless.  A common belief was only good people prospered and that only wicked people suffered, but that was not true in his experiences.   This book was written after he tried everything, and achieved much; only to find nothing apart from GOD made him happy.  He warns his readers to avoid these same pursuits.   If we try to find meaning in life from our accomplishments instead of GOD, we will never be satisfied and everything we pursue will become wearisome.

■      Solomon had everything in life: wisdom, power, riches, honor, reputation, and GOD’s favor.   Solomon claims nothing in itself will satisfy the desires of man.   Solomon found no thing, no pleasure, no relationship, and nothing with an enduring value when we view life through the eyes of man; ignoring GOD.  Solomon is concluding there is nothing more emptier than life itself alone.

■      The ultimate question Solomon is asking is ‘Is there anything that will minister continually to his needs, and if he does find it, he will not have to look any further.

○      Verses 1: 4 - 8      Living in Circles

■      In these verses, Solomon concludes Nature is permanent, where man is not.   Nature has its cycles; the cycle of the seasons for example.   Since man has no control of life’s cycles, is life worth living?   Nature does not change, it continues regardless of man.   People die as the Earth keeps going like a machine.

●     The Sun continues in a circulation motion, rising in the east; setting in the west.   As the Earth is permanent and durable; its rotation around the Sun is predictable.   Man can be certain that the night will follow the day and the sun moves from east to west.

●     The winds and clouds move in circles over the Earth.   The wind is in constant  motion.   Man does not understand how the wind flows; where it comes from; where it goes.  The wind may change directions, but it still stays in motion.  We can hear and feel the wind.   The wind also continues where man does not.

●     Water also maintains its cycle as well.  going from the sea to evaporation; rising to the sky and clouds; then returning back to the seas as rain.   The sea helps to sustain our lives.   The oceans contain about 97% of the water on Earth.  The atmosphere only contains .0001%, which is only enough water for 10 days of rain.   The sun and the wind help water to evaporate into the air.  The rivers and rains pour water into the seas, but the seas still remain the same.

●     The next generation of man starts over; learning from beginning until death.  

●     Solomon concludes this is wrong that Nature continues while man does not.     He also concludes that life on Earth does not reward you.

■      The world becomes a closed system if you view life as “under the Sun”; leaving GOD out of the picture.   The world looks uniform, predictable, and unchangeable.   It appears nothing can break the cycle of life.   When GOD is in the picture, he can do all things, things that are great and wonderful.

●     GOD held the Sun in place for Joshua.   (Joshua 10:6-14)

●     GOD moved the Sun back as a sign to Hezekiah   (Isaiah 38:1-8)

●     GOD opened the Red Sea and the Jordan River for the Israelites   (Exodus 14, Joshua 3 and 4).

●     GOD turned the rain off for Elijah   (I Kings 17)

●     Jesus calmed the Wind for the disciples   (Mark 4:356-41)

●     GOD promises to meet our every need   (Matthew 6:25-34)

■      Solomon views this cycle as monotony.   He claims the universe is predictable, organized, and continues on and on.

●     Jeremiah, the prophet saw this as a sign of GOD’s dependability.

●     We have a perfect balance of oxygen and nitrogen here on Earth, which is need to maintain life.

●     The Earth has 365-⅓ revolutions around the Sun every year.  The Earth is tilted 22-½ degrees.

○      Verses 1:8-18       The Restless Life

■      Solomon concludes in these verses that all things are restless.  The human desire is never satisfied.  

●     The ear is never satisfied with hearing.  If it hears juicy gossip, it wants to hear more.

●     Nothing new never shows up in life.   Life is a repeat of what has already happened.   Life is old as it is played over and over again, repeating itself.  It may look new to man, but this has been done before in the past.    Solomon asks, is life an empty pursuit of that which never satisfies?   Can no breakthrough be made where by something can be found that will continually meet the hunger of the human heart?  Is there something to give an understanding, a sense of delight, or satisfaction?  This is the Heart of Solomon’s search.

○      Changes have brought about many modern conveniences: cell phones, pacemakers, medicines, Neil Armstrong walking upon the moon, microwaves

■      The modern advancements that have created a new set of problems: het planes, computers, insecticides, television.

○      Are we being historians instead of scientists?

○      The nature of man is too long for new things. something to deliver or distract us.   Man is still dissatisfied with life and he will do anything to find some escape.  

■      Entertainment   (Ecclesiastes 3:11, matthew 11:28)

○      Man is the creature, not the creator.    GOD can create a new creature from a sinner (2 Corinthians 5:17), and GOD can make a new Heaven and a new Earth (Revelations 21:1-5).

■      Solomon is testing our faith, he is challenging us to find true and everlasting meaning in GOD alone.   Many people become dissatisfied with life and ask:

●     If I am in GOD’s will, why am I so tired and unfilled?

●     What is the meaning of life?

●     When I look back at it all, will I be happy with my accomplishments in life?

●     Why do I feel disillusioned and burnt out?

●     What is to become of me?

■      “What is twisted cannot be straightened” refers to the ultimate perplexity and confusion that come to us because of all the unanswered questions in life.   Solomon discovered in his own life that neither his accomplishments nor his wisdom could make him truly happy.   True wisdom comes only from GOD.

●     The past cannot be changed and it is foolish to worry over it.   What is wrong cannot be corrected, it is water over the damn, and there is no use thinking of what might have been.   GOD can straighten out what has been twisted and GOD can supply what is lacking.  GOD does not change the past, but GOD can change the way the past affects us   (Luke 13:11-17, Matthew 12:10-13, John 6:1-13, Luke 1:37).

■      The more we understand, the more pain and difficulty we experience.   The more we know, the more we can see the imperfection around us.   We need to be ready to feel more, to think more, to question more, to hurt more, and to do more.   Wisdom does come at a price.

●     Life is tough at times, but it is a gift from GOD.   Since the fall of man, the whole creation groans and labors in pain.   The world was not cursed until after sin entered the world.

●     Life does not get easier if we try to run away from it.   We run away from reality through addictions.   We only make life harder with these escapes from reality.   The ultimate escape in life would be suicide.       

■      Solomon suggest there are two types of wisdom.

●     Human knowledge, reasoning, or philosophy.

●     Wisdom that comes from GOD.

■      Wisdom and experience will not solve every problem.  

●     Making an explanation for everything in life will only leave us unhappy.

○      Some things are unexplainable and GOD is not obligated to explain these things or events.

○      GOD wants us to live by promises and not by explanations.

●     Conclusion.

○      Life is short; life is difficult, so make the most of it while you can.   Life is not in vain if lived according to GOD’s will.

○      Solomon is trying to destroy people’s confidence in their own efforts, abilities, and righteousness; while directing people to a commitment to GOD as the only reason for living.

○      Why am I here?   What is the purpose and point of life?   Where will I be after I leave here?

○      When we look at the Earth and Nature, it never changes.  There is never any change.  There is always motion.

○      Solomon is referring to human wisdom in this chapter.   Human wisdom only highlights our problems because it cannot provide answers without GOD’s eternal perspective and solution.

○      Solomon’s society was no different than ours: injustice to the poor, crooked politics, incompetent leaders, guilty people allowed to commit more crimes, materialism, and a desire for the “good old days”.

○      This book should be an encouragement for the believer as well as the unbeliever. 

■      We can have wealth, education, or social prestige; life without GOD is futile   (Mark 8:36)

■      Solomon experimented with life and he had everything, but his life felt empty.   We can learn from Solomon and accept the conclusions he made to avoid the same heartache and headaches he had experienced.   These experiments can be costly and prove fatal.

○      A life is not monotonous if we are a member of GOD’s family through our faith in Jesus Christ.   Our adventure builds character and it enables us to serve others to the glory of GOD’s name.

○      GOD’s wisdom is available to us   (James 1:5).

○      Turn from the futility of sin and the world; put your faith in Jesus Christ.

○      Why do we think things are new?

■      We have bad memories and we ‘do not read the minutes of the previous meeting’.

■      Methods are many, principles are few; but methods always change but principles do not.

○      For a Christian, life is an open door and not a closed circle; there are blessings through our lives.

Bible Verses with a Promise

Bible Verse

Philippians 1:6         being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will                                    carry it on to the completion until the day of Christ Jesus,

Jeremiah 29:11       For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD, plans for                                    welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:13       You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 31:3b       “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with                                    unfailing kindness.”

Jeremiah 33:3        “Call to me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do                                  not know.

Proverbs 3:6           Seek God’s will and He will show you the path to take.

Isaiah 30:21           Whether you turn to the left or right, your ears will hear a voice                                    behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it”.

Isaiah 41:10            So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am                                      your God.   I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with                                my righteous hand.

II Timothy 4:18      The LORD will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me                                  safely to his heavenly kingdom.  To him be glory for ever and ever.                                 Amen