Ecclesiastes 1:1 “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.” What’s the point? Wake up Monday through Friday, go to work, do you job, get in the car and go back home. Eat the same dinner, watch the same show and go to bed and do it all over again. Open up your phone and see everyone having fun, going to places you can’t afford to go, buying things that are too expensive to day dream about, and here you are, plodding along. What’s the point of it all? If only you could retire. If only some TV producer would ask you to film your own hunting show and you would travel the country tracking big game. If only you could get discovered by a Nashville record executive. If only you could have a happy marriage. If you could just spice things up, then, life would be good. If you could have the desires of your heart you’d be happy. Or would you? Would you really be happy if you could have it all? This is an age old question and Solomon has the answer in the book of Ecclesiastes.
Ever wondered what the name Ecclesiastes means? Get ready…it’s a Latin word, transliterated from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word qoheleth, which is translated “the Preacher” as translated in the KJV. So the book of Ecclesiastes is a sermon and the preacher is examining the meaning of life. There are some dark themes presented and tensions brought out without immediate resolution. The Preacher has a plan in his sermon. He’s not rambling on about this at that and before he takes off, the Preacher knows where he is going to land (a good preacher will). There is a point and there will be a resolution, so you need to stick around for the exciting conclusion.
The Preacher is also the son of the king, a wise man who is going to counsel you in the right direction. To call Solomon a wealthy man would be an understatement. There was nothing that was available to him that he couldn’t obtain. We can only dream of having that power and wealth. When Solomon speaks about possessions, pleasure, ambition, family, this was more that philosophy and theory, I believe he put it to the test. Solomon found there is not lasting satisfaction in things “under the sun.” Whether it be knowledge, wealth, work, dignity, or honor, ultimately these things do not fulfill the person and leave you saying that it’s nothing. Solomon wants you to see that you will waste your life trying to find satisfaction in temporary things. If you could attain all your aspirations in this life, you would look at all that you accomplished and be disappointed. Solomon tried it, and his conclusion was that it was all “vanity and vexation of spirit”. True happiness is found in God and satisfaction of the soul is found in Christ Jesus (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
