1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.
9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Solomon considered the benefits of pleasure and enjoying all the world has to offer and determined that it too is all meaningless. It’s not that he’s calling any of this bad (although some of what he did is) but that none of it has ultimate meaning.
He tried all manner of things while maintaining the restraint of wisdom (“my heart still guiding me with wisdom”). He tried using wine to cheer his body and living what would be considered a foolish or frivolous lifestyle to see if pleasure-seeking was worthwhile. He built great buildings, planted gardens and parks, bought slaves and had great flocks and great treasures of silver and gold as well as entertainment with singers and concubines to satisfy everything his heart desired. He said he kept his heart from no pleasure. If money could buy you happiness, Solomon could have bought it. And he did find pleasure in what he had done with his hands and all the work he had done and yet he still considered it all meaningless and of no ultimate gain.
We see messages all around us telling us that if we just had this or a new that or a bigger, better, shinier thing we’d be happy. We’re told if we go here or do that or buy this then life will be better. But Solomon tried all that. He didn’t only buy what his heart desired, he also worked hard to build and create and still when he considered everything, it was ultimately meaningless. Things and experiences will never bring deep satisfaction in themselves.