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Ecclesiastes 2 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Wow. As I studied this chapter, I began to picture how relevant these statements are for our world today. Many people today try and navigate through life by focusing on themselves. We are told to follow our hearts and dreams. We are told that true happiness comes from within. It’s not hard to follow this advice. It comes naturally to us. We want what we want. Take a look at the following snippets from this chapter. Pay attention to the word “I” and “myself.”
- I said to myself, “Go ahead, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good.”
- I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.
- I constructed reservoirs of water for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees.
- I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them.
- I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.
- I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men.
- All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles.
Do you notice a theme? I did ________ for myself. This is the sales pitch that we are sold from the very beginning of our lives. If you do what you want, you can be who you want, and do it all for yourself while you find true happiness. Solomon is calling bullcrap on this theory, and for good reason!
He experienced all of this and more. He chased every one of his wildest dreams to try and find significance and satisfaction in this life. But the truth still remained; he shared the same fate as everyone who didn’t accomplish these things. All his experiences could not interrupt the reality that this life was just a vapor and will soon cease to exist just like every other human being.
“When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 2:11 HCSB
Listen up Christians! This is why focusing on self never brings true meaning or satisfaction in this life. It’s time that the church separated itself from such shallow teaching. There is a disturbing trend among some who claim to be believers that these self-centered philosophies are Jesus-approved. The end results speak for themselves, both in the case of Solomon and by our own experiences.
When will we finally learn that this life has nothing for us outside of knowing and being known by Jesus?