Introduction
Believe it or not, all of us are engaged in a search either for happiness or to find the meaning of life. Look around you and think about what you see going on. As I look at the media, liturature, and culture itself I notice these six things:
1) A culture attempting to define human existence
2) A culture which asks does my life have any meaning?
3) A culture will which is afraid to ask the tough question about life.
4) A culture which is afraid of nothingness.
5) A culture which is afraid to be honest about itself.
6) A culture which wants answers to the tough questions, answers on how to be happy, and answers to the meaning of life.
That too, is what King Solomon was looking for, and here in Ecclesiastes we read about his search. As we engage this book we must briefly draw back to chapter one and gain some basic insights about this book. We learn that he was very rich, he was a wise man, and he had plenty of time on his hands. Yet, Solomon knew that something was still missing from his life and he began "grasping for the wind"(1:17). Yet he did not find meaning so he sought after mirth, pleasure, wine, and folly. I think of the song "My Way" written by Paul Anka:
And now, the end is near; And so I face the final curtian. My friends, I’ll say it clear, I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.
I’ve lived a life that’s full. I’ve traveled each and ev’ry highway; But more, much more than this, I did it my way.Regrets, I’ve had few; But then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption. I planned each charted course; Each careful step along the byway, But more, much more than this, I did it my way. Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall; And did it my way. I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried. I’ve had my fill; my share of losing. And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing. To think I did all that; And may I say - not in a shy way, "No, oh no not me, I did it my way". For what is man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught. To say the things he truly feels; And not the worst of one who kneels. The record shows I took the blows-And did it my way!
The question we must ask is will Solomon, Frank, and us find the answer? If not what is the answer?
Now we are introduced to what Solomon learned from his human experience will prove the claim I have been making. You know what Solomon radiates from his life is exactly what we see in our culture today although, many will deny it. It’s true so, journey with me as together we seek to learn from the past and make changes for today.
The Search For Meaning
I. Pleasures
1. Pleasure is vanity
2:1-3 "I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.’ But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, ‘It is mad,’ and of pleasure, ‘What use is it?’ I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine--my mind still guided me with wisdom--and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven during the few days of life."
2. Enjoy Yourself - This is what I had
2:4-9 "I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted a me. ll kinds of trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourshing trees. I bought male and femals slaves and had other slaves who were born in the house. I also owned more herds and flocks then anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I aquired men and women singers, and a harem as well-the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far then anyone in Jerusalem before me. "
a. Palaces, houses, vineyards, orchards, water pools - 1 Kings 7:1- 12
b. 700 wives, 300 concubines - 1 Kings 11:1-3
c. 550 officals - 1 Kings 9:23
d. Money 120 talents of gold from Hiram - 1 Kings 9:14
420 " " from Ophar - 1 Kings 9:28
120 " " from the Queen of Sheba - 1Kings 10:10
e. Treasures such as spices and fine stones - 1 Kings 10:10
f. Food - for one day - Crops - 30 cors of flour & 60 cors of meal - 1 Kings 4:22
. 10 fat oxen, 20 Grade A cattle, 100 sheep, harts, gazelles, roebucks, chickens, ducks, and some birds - 1 Kings 4:22-23
3. Appearces are deceiving
Searching............Think about money, women, slaves, great feasts, and beautiful mansions. It appears to be a dream come true - I sure could adjust to eating all that food. Solomon appeared to have it all and yet he was not happy why? Today we see the drive to build large bank accounts, extended credit card limits, take luxurious vacations, have bigger cars, newer homes, and deny ourselves nothing. Sounds famaliar sure does? So why do we still feel a void in our lives? How come we do not truly enjoy our blessings? Solomon like so many of us end up say the following:
2:10-12 "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."
When it comes down to it all of it was meaningless. It did not bring happiness, nor fulfillment, nor peace, and not meaning to my life. I wonder how many of us have experienced this to some degree. Solomon honestly and openly admits what we will not. Pleasure does not bring lasting happiness. It is here for a while and then it is gone and if we are lucky it may reappear again. Yet notice something I believe is profound written by Ray Stedman when he writes:
"I (Solomon) did not lose myself in the wild search for pleasure. I was able to look at myself and evaluate it as I went along. But I was tried everything. I did not miss or set aside anything." He belonged to the jet-set of the day. "I enjoyed it for a while," he says. "I found pleasure in all my toil, but that was all the reward I got for my labor-- momentary enjoyment. Each time I repeated it I got a little less enjoyment out of it."
"My conclusion," Solomon says, "is that it was not worth it. Like a candle, it all burned away, leaving me jaded and surfeited. Nothing could excite me after that." He concludes that it was all emptiness, a striving after the wind. He was burned out."
4. The honest truth
a. Pleasure seeking usually becomes selfish, and ends up destroying true joy.
b. People who exploit others usually end up alone
c. Pleasure alone can never bring true satisfaction.
d. People always want more and more and more.
e. Pocessions, money, popularity, etc does not give lasting happiness.
f. People at the end will realize material needs have no value.
II. Wisdom
1. Wisdom is vanity
a.The commom fact is that both the wise and the fool die.
b.The wise no better then the fool
c. It is a chasing after the wind. What is the purpose of it?
2:12-16 " Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s sucessor do then what has already been done? I saw that wisdom is better then folly just as light is better then darkness. The wise man has his eyes in his head, while the fool walks in darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. Then I thought in my heart, ‘The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, ‘This too is meaningless.’ For the wise man, like the fool will not be longed remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die."
2. Honest reflection
We need to go through life with our eyes open. If you are going to enjoy your pleasures do not jump in head first. If you do you will get buried and will not be able to find you way out. It is like one author writes: "It is like the difference between light and darkness. If there is any advantage to walking in light versus stumbling in the darkness that is the difference between a wise and careful planning of pleasure and a foolish abandonment to it."
2:13 " Then I saw that wisdom exceeds fooly as light excels darkness."
2:14a " The wise man has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness;"
Plainly put, the wise man can forsee some of the results of what he/she is doing and perhaps avoid some of them so that the full impact of living for pleasure does not hit us as it does the fool. Think about it...........Television, newspaper, and newscasts reveal this is true. Yet, when it comes down to it both cannot buy their way out of death.
2:14b "but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both."
The words express the search Solomon and many of us are facing. Solomon like many of us have this to say about life:
a. I hate life - because we have been hurt by life
b. Frustrated with life - life does not seem fair
c. In despair - depth of despair
Think about it and these words will ring true. Look to people such as Ernest Hemingway, Elvis Presley, Jack london, and you can add a dozen other names. People who are poor or people who are rich and yet empty. Searching for hapiness...Searching for the meaning of life. The struggle is true then and the struggle is true now. Hear Solomon shout all is hopeless when he says:
2:17 "So I hated life, because the work under the sun was grevious to me. All ofit was meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
III. Money
1. Enjoy the good in your labor
Like many of us we can relate to Solomon for in verses 18-19 he tells us how much he hated his job. For many of us going to work is a drag and the only thing which draws us back it the paycheck which comes on Friday right? Solomon to faced the struggle of hating his work. He bgan wondering what is the purpose of working?
2:20-23 "So my heart began to despair over all my otilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then he must leave all that he has to someone else who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What does a man get for all his toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless."
This too is meaningless and has not helped him in finding any answers. Money does not buy happiness and the stories we hear today radiate this. Many of the wealthy are still searching for the meaning of life. How can we have true happiness? Listen to how Solomon and so many others declare how they and you and I can find true happiness.
2. Some honest facts
a. Working and leaving with nothing makes no sense.
b. Like Solomon many of you are concerned with what those you leave your estate too will do with it.
c. What is the point of working myself into the ground?
III. Sound Advice
It appears as we look at the deep issues in life that it is all lik "chasing after the wind" or that all is meaningless, but this is not quite true. As we draw to the end of Solomon’s struggle we see him introduce God into the picture. Listen when he says "under the sun" or without God. You see he went about it all the wrong way and misunderstood the whole picture. We need to recognize that:
a. Wisdom, Pleasure, and Money are gifts from God and should be treated this way.
b. Without God we cannot have lasting happiness.
c. Wisdom, knowledge, and joy is given by God to the righteous.
d. Without God all we seek after is vanity
e. We are not just living for today but the future as well.
To have it all must be wonderful, but our tells otherwise. If having it all makes us happy why are so many still searching. I think of people such as Frank Sinatra, Evlis Presley (took his own life, and the list can go. Solomon found the truth a truth our culture is to proud to admit. It is only when we humble ourselves and turn to God can we find true happiness. When we find God we indeed will be able to enjoy all that he has given to us.
Are we ready to consider what he requires of us? Let me close with Hebrews 11:6 where is reads:
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
