Ecclesiastes 2:22-24
“What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.”
An intriguing book of the Bible is Ecclesiastes.... Attributed by many to Solomon - Ecc 1:1 “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.”, 12 “I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.” Describing his search for meaning in life - Ecc 1:13 “And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven (or under the sun). It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.” His search pertains to life “under the sun”.... A phrase used 29 times in 27 verses suggesting a look at life from mostly a worldly point of view - Ecc 1:3 “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” His message may seem to be rather negative.... A major theme is the vanity of life (vanity used 35 times in 29 verses) – see Ecc 1:2,14. Yet he mentions such words as joy (3), enjoy (3), enjoyment (2), rejoice (4), joyfully (1). In fact, this book provides counsel on how to get the most out of life...to find joy in a life that is vanity! (cf. Ecc 2:22-24)
To find such joy, one must first face the reality of the vanity of life. The Preacher’s experience:
The vanity of pleasure - Ecc 2:1 “I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity.”
The vanity of industry (labor) - Ecc 2:11 “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.”, 22-23 “What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.”; 4:4 “Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.”
The vanity of human wisdom - Ecc 2:15 “Then I said in my heart, "What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?" And I said in my heart that this also is vanity.”
The vanity of all life - Ecc 2:17 “So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.”
The vanity of leaving an inheritance - Ecc 2:18-21 “I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.”
The Preachers observations:
The vanity of earthly existence - Ecc 3:19-21 “For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?”
The vanity of acquiring riches over family - Ecc 4:7-8 “Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is vanity and an unhappy business.”
The vanity of political popularity - Ecc 4:16 “There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.”
The vanity of many dreams and many words - Ecc 5:7 “For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.”
The vanity of loving abundance - Ecc 5:10 “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”
The vanity of wealth without the gift of God to enjoy it - Ecc 6:2 “a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.”
The vanity of wandering desire - Ecc 6:9 “Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.”
The vanity of foolish laughter - Ecc 7:6 “For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.”
The vanity of injustice in this life - Ecc 8:14 “There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.”
The vanity of the days of darkness - Ecc 11:8 “So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.”
The vanity of childhood and youth - Ecc 11:10 “Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.”
The Preacher’s conclusion:
As stated in the Prologue - Ecc 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
Prior to describing his search for meaning - Ecc 1:14 “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.”
Many people have come to the same conclusion and fallen into despair and despondency. Yet the Preacher would have us learn and know how to find true joy in life. The joy of life as the Preacher experienced. In our next part of this lesson we will examine how the Preacher found true joy in life.
