Dale Ridge church of Christ

                Solomon’s first experiment has been compared to building a sandcastle.  Why go through all the trouble of building a sandcastle when it will most likely be washed out by the tide?  Solomon set out to build his “sandcastles” through “madness and folly” (Ecclesiastes 1:17; Ecclesiastes 2:1-2) although he was still in control of this experiment as his wisdom remained with him (Ecclesiastes 2:3; Ecclesiastes 2:9). 

Solomon sought true and lasting satisfaction in life by attempting to “gain the whole world” (Ecc. 2:1-10; Matthew 16:26).  A reading of verses 1-10 of Ecclesiastes 2 indicates that Solomon was consumed with surrounding himself with almost every of the world.  Everything that was beautiful to the senses was added to Solomon’s world.  From a worldly standpoint, no one was greater than Solomon.  Did he find real meaning to life in his endeavors?   Solomon observed that such an attitude to the world and toward one’s labors was ultimately nothing but striving to catch the wind (Ecclesiastes 2:11).  It was like putting one’s all into building an extravagantly detailed sandcastle all the while knowing that the waves would soon move on to demolish all the builder’s many hours of hard work and effort.    

One area in particular that Solomon observed that such efforts are vain is that they can only be controlled for a short period of time.  One cannot live forever upon this earth.  Eventually, we all will die, and then, who knows who will come after us to take over the works of which had once defined us? This is the ordeal over which Solomon struggled (Ecc. 2:12-23).   So Solomon asks “Will the one who comes after be a wise man or a fool?”  After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam took the throne and was responsible for dividing the kingdom that his father had once given so much of himself in building and developing.  Today, there are only archaeological remains of Solomon’s great building projects.  

Not being able ultimately to control such things, Solomon despaired (Ecclesiastes 2:20).  Is there then any profit for man in his labor under the sun?  Is there any value in building a “sandcastle” that will eventually be washed out by the tide?  Solomon observes that there is value if we have the right attitude toward them.  He concludes that if we view our labor and the things of this world as the gifts of God and not as a means of power and control, then we shall find “profit” in this life.  In this, he reaches his first partial conclusion and says, “There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy the good in his labour.    This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God” (Ecc. 2:24).  To this, the apostle Paul would agree (1 Timothy 6:6). 

As will be seen in upcoming posts, Solomon will build upon this first partial conclusion in showing us how to find real meaning in this life.  The final two verses of chapter two (Ecclesiastes 2:25-26) seem to lead to his next experiment.   It appears that as stated in these two verses, Solomon states his view of the way things ought to be in an ideal word—that is, the good and the righteous should always receive justice, while the unrighteous should not.  Solomon concludes that this kind of thinking is vanity, because it’s not reality.  In the next experiment, then, Solomon will deal with how to find real meaning in this reality.   In earlier articles, we examined some introductory matter that can help us find our way through this wonderful book of the OT.  Below is the crossword puzzle to chapter 5.

Here is an interactive version of chapter 5 ecclesiastes_chapter_5.   Just click on the section of the puzzle you want to work on, read the question and write the answer in the blank.  When you’re ready to insert the answer in the puzzle, just click OK.  Or, if you prefer, you can download and print out a copy of chapter 5 eccl_chap_5.

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Filed under: Devotional, Michael Carter on September 14th, 2008