“I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.’ And behold, it was futility”(Ecclesiastes 2:1).
In I Kings 1:38-48 David, in his old age, had his son Solomon anointed king. Although it is not specifically mentioned how old Solomon was when this happened he refers to himself in a dream he had with God as being but a little child who was to be king of a great people who could not be numbered or counted. So faced with the challenges of ruling over such a great number of people he asked God for an understanding heart to discern between good and evil (I Kings 3:7-9). What he had asked of God pleased Him because it indicated Solomon’s concerns were focused more on others and God than about himself. He wanted to rule God’s people well in the way he had been instructed to do so by his father David in I Kings 2:1-4. He had not asked for a long life nor for riches or victories over his enemies but rather discernment to understand justice (I Kings 3:10-11). Impressed with such a request God gave Solomon a wise and discerning heart which was greater than any before him or after him as well as bestowing on him riches and honour (I Kings 3:12-13).
Near the end of his reign Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. It is a book often regarded by many as being negative because it continually states that one’s life has no meaning or lasting fulfillment in and of itself. Such is the conclusion Solomon has after reading his words in the second chapter of this book. In it and other places throughout Ecclesiastes Solomon uses the phrase, “I said to myself” at least sixteen times as he pursued the meaning of life. The goal of that pursuit has not changed even to this day as mankind, in his wisdom, still seeks what he believes will bring him lasting happiness and contentment in areas such as pleasure, possessions and accumulated wealth.
I find it interesting that God permitted Solomon to indulge in every pleasure available to him so he could experience, reflect and share with us how those pleasures could or could not satisfy his longing for the true meaning of life. There’s a reason why God allowed him this indulgence. It was to teach him and the world after him that nothing on earth will ever bring lasting joy and fulfillment to anyone. They only cause one to realize and admit that there has to be something else in life, something better that satisfies more than them.
In the parable of a certain rich man Jesus said this man thought thus to himself, “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God” (Luke 12:19-21).
So why do people long for things in life that are only temporally satisfying? Well, they bring immediate joy, right? That’s why in Ecclesiastes 2:1 Solomon said to himself, “Enjoy yourself in pleasure.” He knew pleasures brought joy. There are pleasures out there in the world just waiting for you and I to try them out; to see if what they promise us is really the type of pleasure that will bring us the kind of contentment we’re searching for in life. However, Solomon discovered in that pursuit that the joy found in any pleasure he participated in was empty and void of any lasting usefulness. Again and again every pleasure he participated in lasted only for a while. So, as one continues to read this chapter, Solomon concludes that any form of pleasure cannot provide us with what we need – eternal contentment and peace.
The apostle Paul warns against seeking contentment and fulfillment on earth when he says, “For the love of money is a root of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness” (I Timothy 6:10-11). When one’s love for money is greater than one’s love for God then they need to hear these words of Jesus: “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds” (Matthew 17:25-27). He also states, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches)” (Matthew 6:24).
I remember the story of a very wealthy man who had a terminal illness. Prior to his death he made his wife promise that she would put all of his achieved wealth in the coffin with him before he was buried. Obviously, this would leave her with nothing. She agreed to his wishes and when the rich man died she wrote him a cheque for the amount in his bank account and placed it in his coffin. We laugh at this story but there is a real lesson here to be had. Nothing here will ever bring us as much joy as what has been prepared for us by God in heaven. It is eternal and does not fade away over time. There will be no tears, sorrows of any sort, no worries, or fears of any kind. We will dwell in the absence of evil and there will be no night there in heaven.
Solomon’s wisdom from long ago is just as true and useful today as it was then because his wisdom came from God. When he spoke it was God speaking. So, we need to receive his instruction about what constitutes a meaningful life. Here it is: nothing in our life will ever fill that empty spot we have in our heart which always longs for something better. And that better cannot be found in the physical allurements of this life but only in the spiritual life that Christ provides. Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.” Whoever lives on this earth should always feel like there’s something missing that brings meaningfulness to their life and that that something is the abundant life they can have in Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Do you have meaning in your life? Are you satisfied with your existence on earth? Do you have anything to look forward to after you die? Remember, you can’t take your money with you but you can take your faith in Jesus right into heaven where you’ll realize and experience every eternal pleasure from the Lord God.
Owen Sound, ON