The Book Of Ecclesiastes

I

“I said to myself, ‘Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.’ But I found that this, too, was meaningless. So I said, ‘Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?’

After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3).

For Solomon, the search for meaning in life wasn’t just an attempt to indulge himself in everything that life had to offer under the sun. Instead, he undertook a methodical, businesslike approach to the search for meaning in life by separating himself from his “experiments” in order to consider the evidence and render an appropriate judgment.

So what were the results? Well, Solomon first evaluated a life consisting exclusively of pleasure, enjoyment, and laughter. In other words, Solomon just partied all the time just as many people do today. But ultimately he found that this “…also proved to be meaningless” (NIV).

Next Solomon considered the value of a life centered around the consumption of alcohol. In Ecclesiastes chapter two, verse three (2:3) he said, “I wanted to find out what was best for us during the short time we have on this earth. So I decided to make myself happy with wine and find out what it means to be foolish, without really being foolish myself” (CEV). Of course, things have not changed very much in this respect have they? Most people probably know someone (or at least have known of someone) for whom the consumption of alcohol was a major part of life. Today there are bars, pubs, taverns, clubs, and restaurants that are filled with people who are attempting to cheer themselves with wine (to use Solomon’s terminology). And it’s still not working.

So having tried the drinking and partying lifestyle, Solomon next turned towards something else: building projects and public works…

“I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves” (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6).

It may be easy to think that Solomon’s “building projects” consisted of a few houses and some nice landscaping- but that would be far from reality. We’ll see just how extensive Solomon’s building program actually was next.

II

“I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. I constructed reservoirs of water for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees” (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6 HCSB).

Believe it or not, there are three chapters of the Bible (the Old Testament book of 1st Kings, chapters five, six, and seven) that describe the extent of King Solomon’s building projects. For instance, Solomon spent seven years constructing the temple of God in Jerusalem. This magnificent building was 100 feet (30.5 m) long and was constructed of stone overlaid with wood and precious metals. He also spent thirteen years constructing his own personal residence, a palace that was one hundred fifty feet (46m) long, seventy-five feet (23 m) wide, and forty-five feet (14 m) high.

In addition, it’s thought that Solomon may have been responsible for building reservoirs near the city of Bethlehem where three pools (or cisterns) still bear his name today. ₍₁₎ These reservoirs would help to irrigate the groves and vineyards he planted and supply the city of Jerusalem with water as well. But despite these impressive accomplishments, the Teacher still found no lasting value in these works for he was forced to continue his search…

“I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire!” (Ecclesiastes 2:7-9).

So Solomon not only accumulated a variety of things but he also acquired a variety of people as well. These people were not part of a life-simulation computer game where virtual humans interact in a make believe world- these were living human beings that Solomon actually owned. He also turned to the accumulation of wealth in his quest to find the key to lasting happiness for he said, “I also piled up silver and gold from the royal treasuries of the lands I ruled” (GNB).

Of course, making money -along with the status and privilege that goes with it- is a top priority among many people today. But does the accumulation of wealth really provide the ticket to happiness? Well, we’ll get that verdict next.

(1) Barnes Notes Ecclesiastes 2:6, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown Ecclesiastes 2:6

III

“Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere” (Ecclesiastes 2:9-10).

King Solomon was surely the wealthiest man on earth in his day, yet he found no lasting satisfaction from the wealth and possessions he had worked to accumulate. And while many things have changed since the days of Solomon, there is at least one thing that remains the same- money doesn’t buy true happiness.

Perhaps you may be familiar with the famous quote that was attributed to John D. Rockefeller, a man who was among the wealthiest people of his time. Mr. Rockefeller was alledgedly once asked, “Sir, how much money is enough money?” Rockefeller is said to have replied, “Just a little bit more.”

Solomon would undoubtedly agree with that answer, for later in the book of Ecclesiastes he will make this observation regarding wealth…

“He who loves money shall never have enough. The foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness! The more you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income. So what is the advantage of wealth– except perhaps to watch it as it runs through your fingers!” (Ecclesiastes 5:9-10 TLB).

So having tried and dismissed a lifestyle centered around things like drinking, partying, public works, and the accumulation of wealth as the keys to happiness under the sun, Solomon next stopped to consider the relative worth of wisdom and foolishness…

“So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king?). I thought, ‘Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.’ Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. Both will die.

So I said to myself, ‘Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!’ For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten” (Ecclesiastes 2:12-16).

Now at this point, Solomon may well have said to himself, “Look, I’ve tried everything else, I might as well consider what it’s like to live like a fool.” We’ll see the results of that experiment next.

IV

“I asked myself, ‘What can the next king do that I haven’t done?’ Then I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and stupidity” (Ecclesiastes 2:12 CEV).

The word “foolishness” or “folly” as seen above is defined as something, “resulting from or showing a lack of sense; ill-considered; unwise.” ₍₁₎ So why would Solomon spent time evaluating such a concept? Well, the teacher was clearly willing to consider any possible answer in his search to discover meaning in life and “foolishness” like pleasure, building projects, alcohol, and wealth was given full consideration.

But while the subject changed, the answer didn’t…

“I discovered that wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. Wisdom is like having two good eyes; foolishness leaves you in the dark. But wise or foolish, we all end up the same” (Ecclesiastes 2:13-14 CEV).

So wisdom (in the short term at least) was found to have more value than foolishness, a truth that most people instinctively realize. For instance, if you are a wise person who chooses to eat a healthy diet, that choice will probably cause you to live a longer and healthier life than you would if your diet consisted entirely of Ring-Dings and Pepsi-Cola. Nevertheless, Solomon concluded that wisdom has only limited or temporal value- and here’s why…

“I thought to myself, ‘If the destiny that waits for the fool waits for me as well, then what is the advantage in being wise?’ So I thought that even this is pointless. Neither the wise person nor the fool will be remembered for long, since both will be forgotten in the days to come. Both the wise person and the fool will die” (Ecclesiastes 2:15-16 GW).

The problem is that a wise man and a fool both share at least one thing in common: each will eventually die. While a wise person may delay death, he or she can never prevent death. But if that depressing reality wasn’t bad enough, there was another problem:“There is no eternal memory of the wise any more than the foolish, because everyone is forgotten before long…” (Ecclesiastes 2:16 CEB).

While there may be some short term benefits to living a wise life, wisdom cannot guarantee that a wise person’s life will be remembered after he or she has died. As far as our author is concerned, all of our human accomplishments simply go with us to the grave. And of course, this same fate befalls both the foolish and the wise, much to Solomon’s disgust as we’ll see next.

(1) “foolishness.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 05 Oct. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/foolishness>.

V

“So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind. I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world” (Ecclesiastes 2:17-19).

Earlier in chapter two, Solomon spoke extensively about the possessions that he had accumulated. Now it’s time to answer this question: “Who gets all this stuff when I’m gone?”

First, he considered the fact that his descendants may not manage their inheritance wisely. He said, “I came to hate everything for which I had worked so hard under the sun, because I will have to leave it to the person who replaces me. Who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? He will still have control over everything under the sun for which I worked so hard and used my wisdom. Even this is pointless” (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 GW)

In the end, Solomon’s fears turned out to be justified. As it turned out, Solomon’s son did not deal wisely with his subjects during his tenure as king. If you’re interested in reading the details of that story, you can find it in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings, chapter 12.

Next, Solomon stopped to consider a very difficult reality. That reality had to do with the fact that those who received his inheritance expended no effort to obtain it…

“Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless” (Ecclesiastes (2:21-23).

Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son provides us with a good illustration of the underlying truth behind these verses. If you’re not familiar with the story, then you can read about it in Luke 15:11-32. Perhaps the prodigal son would not have wasted his time living a reckless lifestyle if he had worked to secure the inheritance that he received.

VI

“What do people get for all their work and struggling here on earth? All of their lives their work is full of pain and sorrow, and even at night their minds don’t rest. This is also useless” (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23 NCV).

Now if everything we’ve read up to this point wasn’t already bad enough, our author comes to one final realization concerning earthly wealth- the more possessions you have, the more time you must spend maintaining them. One Biblical version of Ecclesiastes 2:23 puts it this way: “Then at night our thoughts are troubled. It just doesn’t make sense” (CEV). For instance, have you spent the night awake with concern over something you possesed? Well, that seems to be what Solomon had in mind when he said, “even in the night his heart takes no rest” (NKJV).

To illustrate this, let’s take the example of a person who is continually driven to obtain the newest, latest, or best example of some product or service. While this person may be satisfied with their purchase for a while, he or she is bound to be disappointed at some point. You see, there will always be something newer or better than whatever it is that person already has- and upgrading usually doesn’t come easily or inexpensively. Solomon came to this same realization centuries ago when he discovered that having a lot of “stuff” will often result in a lot of sleepless nights spent thinking about how to manage it.

So now that we’ve almost reached the end of Ecclesiastes chapter two, perhaps it might be a good time to step back for a moment to ask a question: “How do you feel after reading these things?” Well, if you’re like most people, you’d probably have to say that it’s been pretty depressing journey so far. The truth is that it can be a bleak, disheartening, and discouraging task to read the things we’ve talked about so far.

And you know what- it’s supposed to be that way! The point is that a life lived strictly on a horizontal level without regard to the Creator will eventually lead any rational person to the depressing conclusions we’ve just read.

You see, Solomon has spent almost two entire chapters discussing things like labor, money, possessions, wisdom, foolishness, and building projects- but he has done it all from his limited human perspective. Only now, as we approach the end of chapter two, will he begin to consider God and His perspective. We’ll see how this addition of the Creator changes Solomon’s perspective next.

VII

“There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and find joy in his work. I have seen that this also is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can find joy without Him? For God has given wisdom and much learning and joy to the person who is good in God’s eyes. But to the sinner He has given the work of gathering and getting many riches together to give to the one who pleases God. This also is for nothing, like trying to catch the wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26).

It’s been said that the “best things in life are free” and there is a lot of truth to that old saying. For instance, the Scripture quoted above tells us, “The best thing we can do is eat and drink and enjoy what we have earned. And yet, I realized that even this comes from God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24 GNB). You see, the ability to enjoy any good thing in life comes from God. Having nice things without the ability to enjoy them is worthless and without God, everything in life is ultimately pointless and futile. Building up a lot of money or possessions without regard to the God who is the ultimate provider of those things is foolishness.

What Solomon found was that the desire to achieve and attain more and more ultimately results in dissatisfaction and the desire for still more. It’s only when our possessions are viewed in the light of the eternal, can we really derive the ultimate pleasure from them. Perhaps this is why the Apostle Paul gave the following advice to a young leader named Timothy in the Biblical book of 1st Timothy…

“Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money. Money cannot be trusted. They should put their trust in God. He gives us all we need for our happiness. Tell them to do good and be rich in good works. They should give much to those in need and be ready to share. Then they will be gathering together riches for themselves. These good things are what they will build on for the future. Then they will have the only true life!” (1 Timothy 6:17-19 NLV).

One commentator was quoted as saying, “The natural man who has never taken God seriously falls into the delusion that this world is all that there is.” ₍₁₎ Unfortunately, our author was someone who also fell into this delusion- but we can avoid this same trap by listening to and learning from his experience.

(1) Gleason L. Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties

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Previous

I

Tucked away in the Old Testament near the book of Proverbs is an obscure little book known as Ecclesiastes (pronounced “eck-clee-see-az-tees”). Its probably safe to say that many people have never even heard of this book, much less read it. But anyone who takes the time to read through this little book will quickly find that it has much to say to anyone who lives and works in the 21st century.

In the original language used to write the book of Ecclesiastes, the author is identified simply as Qoheleth, a word that is difficult to translate but carries the idea of someone who leads or speaks to a congregation of others. Some possible translations of this word include, “The Teacher,” “The Preacher,” or perhaps even “The Leader.” In fact, the title “Ecclesiastes” is taken from the Greek form of Qoheleth that refers to one who speaks publicly in an assembly.

While its possible that Qoheleth served as a personal name, its more likely that this word was used as a sort of executive title, much as we might use a designation such as “Your Honor,” or “Your Excellency” today. Although the author of Ecclesiastes never refers to himself by name throughout the book, there is one piece of identifying evidence in the opening sentence of chapter one: “These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:1 NLT). This would establish the author’s identity as Solomon, the son of King David who reigned as king of Israel from 971 B.C. to 931 B.C.

While many scholars believe that Solomon personally authored the book of Ecclesiastes, there have been some objections to the idea that he was the one who was actually responsible for producing this work. Those who object to the idea of Solomon’s authorship generally believe that the style and grammar of Ecclesiastes point to a later author who wrote as if he were King Solomon. One example to support this is found in the Ecclesiastes 1:12 where we’re told, “I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem” (NLT). Since Solomon served as king of Israel until he died (1 Kings 11:42-43), it would seem to be incorrect for him to say, “I… was king of Israel…”

Another objection can be found later on when we’re told, “Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would. … the king can do whatever he wants. His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it.” (Ecclesiastes 8:2-4 NLT). The concern here is the assumption that Solomon (as king) would not refer to himself as a third person in this manner.

We’ll look at one possible response to these objections next.

II

“I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:12 NLT).

Any concern regarding Solomon’s authorship of Eccelesiastes may become less of a problem if we assume that the author’s intent was to write for the benefit of a future audience. For example, the statement, “I… was king of Israel…” would help future readers verify his authority to speak following his death. His advice on how to relate to the king in chapter eight would also help instruct future generations on the right way to interact with governmental leaders. For these reasons, this study will support the traditional view that the book of Ecclesiastes was authored by King Solomon.

If you read through the Old Testament accounts of Solomon’s life, you’ll find that his reign was very prosperous and peaceful. We’re also told in 1 Kings chapter 3 that God provided Solomon with great wisdom to rule over His people. This not only included great intelligence and technical skill, but also the ability to make the right choices at the right time. In fact, Solomon’s wisdom was said to be so great that representatives from all the kings of the earth came to hear what he had to say (see 1 Kings 4:34).

Unfortunately, Solomon did not continue in the wisdom that God provided him and eventually turned away from God as he grew older. Because of this, the later years of Solomon’s life proved to be very difficult. You see, Solomon had chosen to become involved in relationships with women who did not share his faith (1 Kings 11:1-2). These relationships helped turn him away from the one true God and as a result, he began to worship the false gods of the surrounding nations (1 Kings 11:4-8). The fact that Solomon chose to reject a relationship with the one true God in exchange for these counterfeits may help to explain some of what he will write about later in this book.

As a work of literature, the book of Ecclesiastes is written in a style known as “first person narrative,” a method that allows the author to directly share his thoughts, opinions, and personal experiences. Ecclesiastes also belongs to a category of Biblical books known as “wisdom literature.” This category includes other Old Testament works such as Proverbs and Job, two books that also feature a number of spiritual insights gained through personal experience.

One more thing: be sure to watch for two important phrases that are repeated throughout the book of Ecclesiastes. Those two phrases are “Under the sun,” and “Under heaven.” These seemingly unimportant terms will have a great impact on much of what The Teacher will tell us throughout this book.

III

Israel’s King Solomon was the richest, wisest, and most powerful man on earth during his time. He was an expert builder, a powerful political leader, an astute businessman, and a superior administrator. He was so successful with the opposite sex that he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (a sort of legal, live-in girlfriend). Yet despite these advantages, Solomon’s opinion of life was very different from what you might expect…

“These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem. ‘Everything is meaningless,’ says the Teacher, ‘completely meaningless!’ What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes” (Ecclesiastes 1:1-4 NLT and following).

Did you notice that immediately after he identified himself, the very next thing our author writes is…

• “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (NKJV)
• “It is of no use! All is for nothing.” (NLV)
• “Completely useless! Everything is useless.” (NCV)
• “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.” (HCSB)
• “Absolutely pointless! Everything is pointless.” (MSG)

How did a man who had as much as Solomon come to such a conclusion? Well, this is a theme that he will continue to restate throughout this book: “All is vanity.” Now a trip to the dictionary defines the word “vanity” as lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness and something worthless, trivial, or pointless.” ₍₁₎ Some synonyms for the word vanity in this context would include words like, futility, uselessness, or ineffectiveness.

So what occurred in Solomon’s life to give him such a cynical, fatalistic viewpoint? Well, he tells us that his opinion was developed (at least in part) by one simple question: “What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3). This is the first appearance of the phrase, “under the sun,” an expression that will be used repeatedly throughout the book of Ecclesiastes. In fact, this phrase (along with the similar term “under heaven”) appears not just once or twice, but thirty-two times throughout the twelve chapters of this book.

From a literary point of view, this terminology is important because it tells us that the author’s viewpoint is limited to our lives here on Earth and everything that occurs “under the sun.” This idea will help Solomon lay the groundwork in developing the main point of this book: a life lived without regard to God and the afterlife (or “under the sun” to use Solomon’s terminology) is ultimately pointless, useless, and fruitless.

(1) “vanity.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 29 Sep. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vanity>

IV

“What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes” (Ecclesiastes 1:3-4).

The person who lives in the “here and now” without regard for the idea of God or an afterlife will find it difficult to argue with the conclusion that anything we accomplish in life will ultimately prove to be worthless.

For example, have you ever considered what (if any) lasting impact your work today will have? Have you ever really thought about what the average person does in a typical day and how much of those efforts will continue after he or she is gone? For instance…

• You wake up, you go to work and produce the product, provide the service, or make the sale. Then you go home.
• You wake up, you feed the children, run the house, pay the bills, cook the meals, and put the children to bed when the day is over.
• You wake up, you go to school, you go home, do your homework, go to practice, and go back home.
• Then you get up the next day and do the same thing all over again.

These things are typical of life and work “under the sun.” While its possible to find some value in the tasks of our day to day lives (as Solomon will later demonstrate), “Generations come and generations go, but the world stays just the same” (Ecclesistes 1:3 GNB). And just in case you’ve missed the point, Solomon will go on to restate this idea in a more poetic form…

“The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea.

Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content” (Ecclesiastes 1:5-8).

So even nature seems to follow the commonplace routine of our day to day lives. The sun rises and sets, the wind blows in circles, and the rivers run into the seas- but the rivers never seem to run out and the seas never seem to fill up. This tiresome, monotonous activity is something that leads to Solomon to observe that, “Everything is boring, so boring that you don’t even want to talk about it” (Ecclesiastes 1:8 NCV).

V

“History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, ‘Here is something new!’ But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now” (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11).

In the scale of human experience, there is very little that is truly “new” in the sense of something that has never existed before. The reality is that a lot of what we call “new” is really just something old that’s been packaged in a different box. One reason for this is that fact that people often don’t know or remember what happened to others in previous generations- or to use the words of Ecclesiastes 1:11, “There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow” (NKJV).

To illustrate the truth of this Scripture, take a moment to think about your family members who have preceded you. Some may know very little (if anything) about their family, while others may be able to provide many details about parents, grandparents, or other family members.

But what about your great-grandparents; the mother and father of your grandparents? Do you know anything about them? How about the parents of your great-grandparents; do you even know their names? Well, unless you’ve done some genealogical investigation, the chances are probably good that most of us know very little about the family members who preceded us less than a hundred years ago.

This essentially means that all of the day-to-day details of our ancestor’s lives- their hopes, dreams, aspirations, and everything that made them who they were- passed away with them. They only live on in the memories of those who knew them and perhaps a few old letters or photographs.

But this sad reality doesn’t only apply to people of other generations because what is true for them will be true of us as well. While today’s age of social media may allow us to document our lives at great length, eventually there will be no one left who ever knew our generation personally. There will be no one left to speak of the countless hours invested in our lives and dreams under the sun- or as Solomon says, “There is no remembrance of men of old.”

This depressing reality will help lead our author to try a different approach- and we’ll look at that approach next.

VI

“I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered.

I said to myself, ‘Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them.’ So I set out to learn everything from wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.

The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow” (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18).

This passage finds Solomon taking another approach in his attempt to find meaning in life. To do this, our author will use what we might refer to as the tools of analysis and evaluation. In other words, Solomon will begin to engage in things like research, appraisal, reason, and critical assessment in his attempt to discover life’s meaning- and he will apply those tools in a number of different ways…

• He starts by telling us exactly what he plans to do: “I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven” (NKJV).
• His tools will include the instruments of observation and examination: ”I have seen all things that are done under the sun…” (NKJV).
• Finally, his search will be powered by the engine of his intellect:“My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge” (NKJV).

Although Solomon possessed a great mind and a strong desire to know the truth, one thing he discovered is that knowledge by itself failed to infuse life with real meaning. In fact, it could be said that Solomon actually discovered that the opposite was true, for he found that, “The more you know, the more you hurt; the more you understand, the more you suffer” (Ecclesiastes 1:18 CEV).

So it seems as if he’s hit a dead end- but The Teacher is determined to press on. And even though he has considered and dismissed things like labor and academic achievement in his attempt to find true happiness, there are still other avenues left to be explored- and we’ll travel those avenues with Solomon next in chapter two.

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