Read Ecclesiastes 2:1–11
Questions from the Scripture text: With what did Solomon decide to test his heart (v1)? With what conclusion? What did he think of laughter and mirth (v2)? With what other things does he try to satisfy himself (v3)? Trying to figure out what? What building projects did he attempt (v4–6)? What possessions did he acquire (v7–8)? How does he assess his efforts in v9? What is his poetic summary of what he did (v10)? And what was his poetic analysis of it all (v11)? What did he try next (v12a)? What was the problem with trying new things (v12b–c)? But what was decidedly better (v13)? Why (v14a–b)? But what ultimately neutralizes this advantage (v14c–d)? What, then, does Solomon tell himself (v15)? What even happens to both after death (v16)? How does this affect Solomon (v17)? What does he conclude about his labor (v18a)? Why, what must he do with it all (v18b)? And what might be the case with the successor (v19)? How does he summarize this in broader application (v20–23)? But what is actually good (v24a)? Why (v24b)? What question does v25 ask? What answer does v26 give? To whom does God give this knowledge and joy? What does He give to the sinner?
What is the point of life? Ecclesiastes 2 looks forward to the hearing of Scripture, publicly read, in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twenty-six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the point of life is to receive it as from God, and to live it as for God.
Solomon tried joy (v1–3), not merely pleasure, but the best pleasures, tempered with wisdom (v3). Solomon tried productivity (v4–6). Solomon tried possessions (v7–8). And he did this better than anyone else had done (v9a); he even specifies that all of this was done in a wise manner (v9b).
But when the joy of the labor was the reward for his labor (v10), he concluded that this too was as fleeting as vapor and wind, without lasting benefit, because it was under the sun (v11).
So, if joy in all of these good things could not suffice as an end in itself, what about wisdom. Could wisdom be the purpose and profit of things (v12a)? After all, joy in accomplishments would never be ultimately unique (v12b–c). And while it was true that wisdom enabled one to live with eyes wide open (v13–14b), yet even wisdom was subject to the great equalizers.
Death is a great equalizer (v14c–d), equally occurring unto the wise and to the fool (v15a–d). So, under the sun, even wisdom is as fleeting as vapor (v15e–f).
Lack of remembrance is a great equalizer. Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away (v16c–d); they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day (v16b). This forgetting happens to the wise and to the fool alike (v16a).
Successors are a great equalizer. All of man’s labor must be left to those who come after (v18), but there is no way to ensure the wisdom of that man (v19a), so that whatever is left to the succeeding generation is as fleeting as a vapor (v19b). So long as all of this is done merely under the sun, there is no amount or quality of labor or success that will keep it from being s fleeing as vapor (v20–23).
Is the answer despair? Absolutely not! The answer is conscientiously to receive all good—and, additionally, the enjoyment itself of that good—as actively given by the hand of God (v24)! Only when it is not viewed primarily as our achievement (v25), but rather known as a gift of grace even in the effort itself (v26a) are fruitfulness and enjoyment substantial and lasting! The sinner’s labor is also assigned by God (v26b), so that his godlessness may expose all of his aims and efforts to be as fleeting as vapor (v26c).
Dear reader, you are surrounded by people who say things that have an appearance of wisdom; things like “as long as it gives you joy” and “the point is the journey” and “as long as you do things the right way.” But these only have the appearance of wisdom, and apart from the knowledge of God in Christ, they are neutralized by death, remembrance, and successors, so that they are fleeting as vapor.
God grant unto you, instead, to receive your life, the living of it, the fruitfulness of it, and the enjoyment of it, as so many different gifts directly from His hand—and all for the sake of Christ. Then, there will be nothing better for you than that you should eat and drink, and that your soul should enjoy good from His hand in all your labor!
What are the tasks that God has assigned to you? What is the ability in which you are depending upon Him to sustain you? What is the productivity for which you are depending on Him to produce? How is your heart taking joy in Him and His goodness in each of these good gifts of His? How and why have you been brought into such a wonderful life with Him? How are you responding to that?
Sample prayer: Lord, all of our joys, all of our efforts, and even all of our wisdom are pointless apart from You. Soon, we shall die, be forgotten, and our productivity under the sun eventually squandered by a fool. But You, Lord, give us to enjoy even our daily food and drink and labor. These are gifts from You, and the enjoyment of them an additional gift from You. Now, as we come to worship You, grant that we would only do so as a gift from You. Give us to know the worship as a gift from You, and our ability to do it as a gift from You, and the edifying produce of it as a gift from You, and our joy in all of this as an additional, super-added gift from You in Christ. So, help us to worship You, by Your Spirit, we ask in and through Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, AMEN!
Suggested Songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH222 “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”