The King’s Search and Rescue Mission
Book of Ecclesiastes • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Text: Ecclesiastes 1:12–2:26
Text: Ecclesiastes 1:12–2:26
Welcome to our study of Ecclesiastes
Please turn to Ecclesiastes when you find it hold your spot and continue on to Romans 8. Longest passage in our series.
Core Seminar on Wed Night / available online / supplemental material
Helped more than I ever expected.
I do not think I will be the same. Honestly, I do not want to be the same.
Following in the example set by the author and be brutally honest; I struggle at times wondering if I am supposed to or even allowed to enjoy this life.
Read about the challenge of college students in England while the world was on the brink World War II
Does anything really matter?
God has given us Ecclesiastes to help widen our view or perspective about this “unhappy business” of life. Ecclesiastes 1:12-13 “12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.”
No direct quotations of Ecclesiastes in the New Testament
Paul’s introspection in Romans 7, both probing humanity's moral struggle and quest for meaning.
As if Paul read Ecclesiastes in his Bible reading plain that day. Romans 8:20–21“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
Those sincerely searching for meaning
Sermon Introduction
Sermon Introduction
Joe Jones of Benton, KY was my great uncle. He and my Aunt Nelline did not have any children, but their home was often open to us.. “Bible contains lies.”
What are we to do with the things Solomon is saying?
Dismiss and continue searching for satisfaction from this world
Crawl into a hole, hide, and wait until the end of life.
Review
Last week was a poem about the cyclical nature of life by the Teacher.
This week is a story by the King. / The statement "I the Preacher have been king" signifies the speaker’s broad authority and wisdom.
This week we are walking verse-by-verse through 32 verses.
Asked to a much older pastor, “Asked how to I move on the platform and use hand gestures so as to keep the attention of the congregation?” His answer was, “I have never bothered myself with any of that. I work as diligently as I can to explain the Text and it is their responsibility to care about what the eternal Word of is telling them.”
I. The Search for Identity and Purpose
I. The Search for Identity and Purpose
A. The Urgency and Scope of the Search
A. The Urgency and Scope of the Search
Ecclesiastes 1:13“And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.”
The Preacher dedicates his heart, mind, and resouces.
The tone is one of solemn investigation, not casual curiosity, highlighting the seriousness of the quest. / Not just looking outside the window reflecting on life. Active search and rescue mission.
B. A Summary of His Findings
B. A Summary of His Findings
Doesn’t want you to miss it. Will state, explain it, and review it. Maybe he is speaking to a room of teenagers.
Ecclesiastes 1:14“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
Helped by a better understanding of “under the sun”
Let’s not think of “under the Sun” as only a spatial distinction but chronologically.
One day the sun will be no more; we will live in a new creation, a new world order. Revelation 21:23“23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”
But for now, the Teacher is simply commenting on what this temporal life is like.
Helped by a better understanding of Vanity
“Vexation of spirit” can be understood as the struggle to gather the wind
Considered bringing to fastest people up here. I could place a large commercial size fan beside them. After turning it on I would ask them to gather the wind and bring it back to me. Their frustration would help us realize the frustration described here.
Look at the word used in different passages. Psalm 144:3-4 “3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! 4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.”
Insubstantial and fleeting rather than just meaningless actions have that have no purpose.
Two proverbs illustrating the limitations and frustrations of life
Ecclesiastes 1:15“That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.”
Crooked made straight: some things are beyond our ability to correct.
What is wanting cannot be numbered: we do not even have access to all the data that we would need to make sense of it all
C. Not a Matter of Chance, but a Consequence
C. Not a Matter of Chance, but a Consequence
Ecclesiastes 1:13 “13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.”
The Preacher/King traces this futility back to God's design, suggesting that the struggle is not the result of meaningless chance.
Romans 8:20–21 “20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
God subjected the world to futility. But why?
The material universe is temporal. It didn’t always exist, and it won’t always exist (at least as we presently know it).
The futility to which God subjected His creation is designed to aid us in longing for and seeking for something more.
At the same time, the sense or notion of eternity that God put in our hearts gives is the hope to pursuit it. Ecc 3:11 “11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”
Those moments when we deeply struggle in our pursuit of happiness and meaning don’t just reveal our brokenness—they also remind us that we live in a world subjected to futility. This brokenness is not without purpose but points us toward the hope of something greater. Just as creation groans in longing for deliverance, we too are called to yearn for the day when God will set everything right. Though we are subjected to frustration, we are also subjected to hope—the promise that we, along with all creation, will be freed from bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
At tis time the joyful anticipation deepens.
II. The Paradox of Wisdom and Pleasure
II. The Paradox of Wisdom and Pleasure
A. The Pursuit and Limitations of Wisdom
A. The Pursuit and Limitations of Wisdom
Ecclesiastes 1:16–17“I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.”
Solomon reflects on his great wisdom, surpassing others before him, and sets out to understand both wisdom and folly. 1 Kings 4:31 “31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.”
Comical to me that the only mentioned of this man was to be compared to Solomon. I imagine meeting him and Heaven and telling him his name sounded familiar.
The Paradox of Wisdom
Ecclesiastes 1:18“For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”
Notice no mention of the fear of the Lord. We are speaking about “under the sun” wisdom. / we saw in the book of James their are different types of wisdom.
Wisdom does not bring clarity or answers — it only increases vexation and sorrow.
If knowledge alone brought happiness and meaning you would expect those in Academia to be most happy and fulfilled people.
B. The Search for Fulfillment in Pleasure
B. The Search for Fulfillment in Pleasure
Ecclesiastes 2:1–2“I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?”
An unashamed hedonistic approach to life
Hedonism: the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life. / this is the theory that your children will embrace if they are not taught God’s word
He tests laughter and pleasure as means of escape from the darker realities of life.
Conclusion: Laughing your way through life while not addressing the deep questions is madness.
Scripture is not opposed to laughter, it is even seen as a medicine. But it should not be used as a means of escape.
Exploration of Hedonism Continued: Wine, Folly, and Self-Delight
Ecclesiastes 2:3“I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.”
Grabbed a bottle of wine and a philosophy book. Seeing if the answer is in a combination of the the two.
This approach is more sophisticated, but still did not give him an answer to what the sons of me should do with their lives.
C. A Failed Attempt to Recreate Eden
C. A Failed Attempt to Recreate Eden
Building and Creating (2:4–6)
Ecclesiastes 2:4–6“I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:”
Stopped partying, left the coffee shop and his books, and is now going to put shiplap on all his walls and get the pool his family wanted. / can you imagine how many projects around the house a man with 700 wives have
The houses, vineyards, gardens, parks, pools—represented a creative effort to impose meaning and order on the world.
These projects are not merely for personal pleasure but to construct a lasting legacy of achievement.
Instead of avoiding work, he seeks fulfillment in being a general contractor.
Wealth and Possession (2:7–8)
Ecclesiastes 2:7–8“I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.”
Demonstrating an exhaustive attempt to possess everything that could bring pleasure and success.
Not limited to material goods but also include singers and concubines, emphasizing the pursuit of every conceivable form of satisfaction. / you think your new sound system is cool, check this out
Achievement and Satisfaction
Ecclesiastes 2:9–10“9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.”
He didn’t with hold anything from himself, every day is a “yes day”
It is as if he rebuilt the garden, back to the time after the fall.
He created his best version of a utopia.
Soundtrack might have been the same as the song Garth Brooks sung at Jimmy Carters funeral.
Imagine all the people
Livin' for today
Imagine all the people
Livin' life in peace
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
But then we get to the lines, “Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try, No hell below us. Above us, only sky.”
Solomon would have to exclaim, “Not it isn’t easy and I have tried.!!”
Ecclesiastes 2:11“11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.”
III. The Resolution of Finding Joy in God’s Gifts
III. The Resolution of Finding Joy in God’s Gifts
A. A Comparison of Wisdom and Folly
A. A Comparison of Wisdom and Folly
Ecclesiastes 2:12–14“And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.”
Solomon compares wisdom and folly once more, recognizing that wisdom is superior to folly as light is to darkness.
However, both wisdom and folly ultimately lead to the same fate—death. The wise man and the fool both perish, and their legacies fade into obscurity.
The Futility of Wisdom
Ecclesiastes 2:15–16“Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity. For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.”
Wisdom does not prevent death, and neither the wise man nor the fool will be remembered in the long run.
This finality of death renders wisdom itself vain, since both wise and foolish meet the same end.
Frustration with Life
Ecclesiastes 2:17“Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
Death levels everything, stripping meaning from all human efforts, including wisdom, toil, and achievement.
Solomon has been brought to a place of hatred for life.
Realization he may built those houses for a fool to dwell in
Ecclesiastes 2:18–19“Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.”
This further intensifying his frustration he considers he may leave it all to fools.
No shortage of stories of great fortune wasted by those who inherited wealth but not work ethic
Maybe even worse than a fool
Ecclesiastes 2:20–21“20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.”
Not only a fool, but someone unwilling to work.
Life’s work is filled with pain and vexation. Even at night, the mind does not rest, signifying the mental and emotional toll of striving for success.
These thoughts followed him even into the night
Ecclesiastes 2:22–23“22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.”
B. The Beauty of Contentment in God’s Simple Gifts
B. The Beauty of Contentment in God’s Simple Gifts
Solomon does not only give us a needed life lesson, but he even gives the application to the lesson. What?, So What? Now What?
Ecclesiastes 2:24“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.”
Solomon recognizes that the simplest pleasures—eating, drinking, and finding enjoyment in work—are gifts from God.
While life may be futile, basic pleasures provide moments of satisfaction, but only when received as gifts.
Solomon will express it like this Ecclesiastes 4:6“6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.”
Solomon reflects on how he has he has received from the hand of God.
Ecc 2:25-26 “25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? (My new life verse when I go to a buffet.) 26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
Solomon reflected on how sometimes it seems that what the sinner has gathered and collected is given to him
Takes the idea of not knowing where what you will live for an inheritance even further.
It all belongs to God and will be distributed as he pleases.
I do not know the person who lived in my home before me. But I know it is mine today. I know that is is a gift from God.
God as the Source of Joy and Meaning
Ecclesiastes 2:26“For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy..”
For the believer, the work we do and the things we have are meaningful, for it is a gift from God.
The sinner’s labor, on the other hand, is fruitless, and only seen has heaped up or hoarded wealth.
Christians “count their blessings and name them one my one and see what Christ has done.” The unbeliever counts his blessings, see them as what he has done, and continue his search for more hoping that the next procession or experience will give him the fulfillment he is seeking.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
As piano player comes I want to share one closing story.
After my fathers funeral there was a small group of friends laughing outside in our drive way. In my immaturity I scolded them for laughing. One of them asked me, “when you never laugh again.”
Back to that original question, “Knowing what we know about the futility of life how do we continue with our lives?”
Our lives our not only submitted to futility but to hope. Our lives should be an expression of understanding both!
How about this? We accept what we have and the seasons of our life as a gift from God?
How are you receiving simple gifts from the hand of God?
How are you receiving simple gifts from the hand of God?
God’s gifts of enjoyment aren’t random; they are from His hand. James 1:17 “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
God blesses us in our work with enjoyment.
Pleasure in a delicious meal, and in the dishes all cleaned and put away? You guessed it: from the hand of God.
Happiness in a deadline met, a budget balanced, or a report filed comes down from the Father of lights.
Those things alone will never satisfy, but seeing your life as a gift from God will bring you to where Solomon and more importantly God wants you to be at today.
