Ecclesiastes 2

I think Solomon must never have heard his father’s psalm that included this line: “You [God] make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Ps 16:11) Or maybe he did, and he decided to test-drive his father’s theory. We may have everlasting pleasures at God’s right hand, but can we find them without Him? That’s what Solomon attempted to do, and he wrote about it in this chapter.

Have you ever said to yourself, I’ll be happy when… ? How would you finish that sentence? Do you think life would just be “perfect” if you were rich, had a job, lost some weight, were married, were single, could travel more, or have children? What are you “waiting for” so that you can start living? What are you “waiting for” that you are just sure will make you happy?

As I mentioned yesterday, nobody has ever been in a better position than Solomon to test out the theory of whether having “something else” would make you happy. He was very open and honest about his experiment: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil.” (vs 10)

And let’s find out how that worked out for him. Here’s a list of everything Solomon said he attempted in the pursuit of happiness. He just “knew” he would be happy if:

He laughed more. (vs 2)
He partied and got drunk. (vs 3)
He acquired real estate. (vs 4)
He took up a hobby. (vs 4-6)
He had other people to do his work. (vs 7)
He bought a zoo. (vs 7)
He acquired massive wealth. (vs 8)
He went to every concert. (vs 8)
He had all the sex he wanted. (vs 8)
He did anything he wanted, whenever he wanted. (vs 10)

The result? “When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” (vs 11) None of it meant anything. A lifetime of achievements and partying, and it all came to nothing!

Solomon learned firsthand that what his father had said was absolutely true—at the right hand of God are the eternal pleasures. Everything we do, everything we strive for… if it is not rooted in Him, you will discover one day that it has all been totally worthless. It will all blow away in the wind, and you will have absolutely nothing.

Don’t limit your pursuits to only those that may be found “under the sun”! God wants you to have lasting happiness—and it is only found through a relationship with Him. He is the only pleasure.