1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity. 2I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”
3I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards. 5I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit. 6I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown. 7I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem. 8I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts. 9So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me. 10Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor. 11Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
Biblical scholars think it was most likely King Solomon who wrote Ecclesiastes. If that is true, this second chapter points to the fact that he felt as though everything he accomplished was meaningless.
Meaningless. How can everything be meaningless?
There is so much emptiness in the selfish lifestyle described in chapter 2. The seeking of pleasure and success is all about living for oneself. Solomon knows all about living for himself and pursuing success. He is said to have been filled with wisdom unlike anyone else during his time and well above all other kings of Israel. Yet he ultimately used the many gifts he had been given to glorify his own life rather than God.
For example, Solomon had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. Even though these numbers may likely serve as an estimation or even an exaggeration, the point it makes is significant. If we acknowledge and quickly move on from the fact that Solomon was directly disobeying God in these actions, we can see some of what is accomplished in this claim of 1,000 wives and concubines. Each wife of royal birth was likely married to him as the result of an alliance between kingdoms. This would have brought great wealth and peace to the kingdom. Also, in general, concubines in a kings court would often have been taken out of a much less beneficial situation and would be given greater power and provisions serving the kingdom in such a way. Maintaining such a large harem of concubines signifies Solomon’s care, even in a distorted and sinful way, for those of lower birth since it gave them something to strive for.
Solomon worked hard to use the significant station in life God had blessed him with to bring prosperity to everyone around him. Yet, in seeking prosperity and success, he ended up living for himself and experienced nothing but emptiness.
Have you ever worked really hard to succeed in something only to feel somewhat empty after it was achieved?
Are you possibly caught up in the cycle of success where you seek continuously greater things in order to feel like you are successful?
What sort of success does God call us to and how will you know if you have succeeded in his eyes? (See Matthew 25:31-46)
Seek to be faithful to what God calls you to today. Also remember that our worth in this life is not measured by what we have or have not accomplished. Our value is found entirely in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and our committed relationship to him. Pursue a relationship with Jesus today and every day.