The Vanity of Acheivement

Call to Worship: Psalm 19:14 // Prayer

Adoration: Great I AM, our Rock and our Redeemer, maker of heaven and earth: it is fitting and right to sing to you, to bless you, to praise you, to give thanks, to worship you in all places of your dominion. For you are God, indescribable, inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, existing always and in the same way, you and your only-begotten Son and your Holy Spirit. You brought us from non-being to being; and when we had fallen, you raised us up again!

Confession: And so, knowing your limitless mercy, we come to you with our sins: the meditations of our hearts have been selfish and prideful and lustful, and you have seen all this; the words of our mouths to often have been arrogant and hurtful rather than loving and filled with praise for you; and you have heard all this. Father, forgive us, for we have sinned against you.

Thanksgiving: And we see, with astonishment, that we are forgiven. The records of our hearts are searched diligently for guilt, but none can be found, because you have pardoned every sin and struck all guilt from the record of every heart that has hoped in Christ. It is gone, and all that is left is our status as children: forgiven and loved.

Supp: And as we walk together as your forgiven children, we ask for grace for those who serve among us as deacons and deaconesses: we praise you for their quiet and faithful labor, their humble sacrifice on our behalf, and the cares they shoulder for our sakes — and we ask that you would supply them with wisdom, holiness, and energy, and a steadfastness in their faith as they serve // and we ask for CTC in Uganda, that you would grow them in depth of holiness and knowledge, in hope and comfort, and in passion to reach their neighbors for Christ, for the glory of your name in Uganda // and we lift up to you the nation of Israel: we remember our brothers and sisters there, both Israeli and Palestinian, and ask that they might be a light in the darkness of the war; we remember the suffering of the Israeli hostages and the Palestinian refugees, and ask that you might mercifully bring the conflict to a swift close, and provide for the orphan and the widow there, and shine the light of the gospel of peace // and now, as we open Ecclesiastes, please give us hearts to hear, that we might follow your path through sorrow to wisdom and joy…

Family Matters

One more summer event to add to your calendar: Cross Creek has invited us to join them for a Sunday evening potluck, 5 pm on June 2nd.

Music ministry lunch next Sunday shortly after the service, anyone who participates in our music ministry highly encouraged to come… if anyone else is interested you are welcome to come, just let me know first for logistical purposes

Benediction

You who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! You who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing your sheaves with you.

From Psalm 126:5–6

Sermon

Read: Ecclesiastes 2:1-17

Intro

Where is Solomon going to take us as we go through Ecclesiastes? And why does his message matter for us?

Well, picture yourself hiking through the woods of Tillamook National Forest. It’s a new trail — one you’ve never taken before. You come up over a hill, and suddenly the trail opens up to a small clearing. And branching off from that clearing are 8 or 9 possible paths to take… and to continue your hike, you’re going to end up taking one of those paths.

Life is like that — we choose between different paths.

But the trouble is, some of the most important choices we make in life are choices we don’t even know we’re making: choices buried deep in our hearts. Last Sunday, Solomon showed us that, “All human labors are vain.” And he said this in order to bring those hidden choices to the surface: Have I been living like I’m immortal? Have I been working as though my labors will bring me lasting gain, or actually fix what’s broken in the world?

And so now, after hearing the bitter truth from Ecclesiastes 1, it’s like we’re standing in that clearing in the forest, looking at the different paths available to us. But now, King Solomon is there with us. He’s been down each path. And if we will listen, he wants us to know something: each path, save one, is vain. And so what he’s going to do over the next seven or eight chapters is tell the story of each path to show us why it is vain, and so one-by-one he’s going to close each path until there’s only one left. And along the way, he’s going to start illuminating the good path for us also.

So today, the path he’s going to close for us is the path of achievement. He’s going to tell us the story of his own achievements in earthly joys and in wisdom, in order to expose the vanity of those things. And so he’s going to show us that achievement is vain, and yet that enjoyment is God’s gift.

The Vanity of Achievement in Material Joys

***Now before we jump into this, I want to point something out: Solomon’s words here — at least, at first — are disorienting and confusing. Most of you will probably find yourselves resisting what he has to say, maybe correcting it in your minds, or trying to find a way around it, or trying to spiritualize it, or something like that

***That is a very natural way to react to Ecclesiastes, for both Christians and non-Christians alike. If you find your heart protesting what Solomon says here: on the one hand, don’t feel too bad about it — you’re not the only one; but on the other hand, know that you have to take him at his word, and allow him to teach you, in order to gain his wisdom. You have to sit under Ecclesiastes and allow it to shape you.

[The Quest for Material Joy] So how does he start? He tells us about his quest for material joys.

Ecclesiastes 2:1–2 ESV

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?”

Now, those two verses are a summary statement. And the word “pleasure” there really means anything that is pleasing to the heart all the way from good food and drink to that sense of joy you get after completing a large project. Something that pleases you. So Solomon is saying, “I followed that path of material joys, and found it to be vapor.”

And then starting in verse 3 he gives us the whole story:

Ecclesiastes 2:3 ESV

I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life.

So he went down this path, testing his heart with every kind of material joy — and as you hear his list of accomplishments, you’ll recognise some of it as wise, and some as foolish; some as good and some as bad. But the overall point is just how much he accomplished and how much he seemed to gain:

In vss. 4-6 he tells us of an incredible network of palaces, gardens, parks, vineyards and orchards — all built for his own pleasure, and with a sophisticated irrigation system to boot.

And in vs. 7 we hear of countless flocks and herds, and of countless slaves to manage the whole estate.

And in vs. 8, great stores of sliver and gold and tribute from lesser kings, and from all this wealth, many musicians and many concubines.

And so Solomon’s accomplishments in architecture, in agriculture, in engineering, in management, in wealth, and in opulent living went far beyond anyone who had ruled over Jerusalem before him, as he says in vs. 9:

Ecclesiastes 2:9 (ESV)

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem.

But the second part of that verse says what? “Also my wisdom remained with me.” — in other words, he still had the wits to remember the quest he had started out on — the quest to gain something through material joys — and he still had the wits to evaluate the results of the quest. And given just how successful he was, we might expect a very positive evaluation.

[The Vanity of Material Joy]

But here’s the evaluation he gives us in vss. 10-11

Ecclesiastes 2:10–11 ESV

And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 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.

So it was all vanity. But as a reminder, that isn’t quite the same thing as saying it was totally meaningless (if you weren’t here for Ecclesiastes 1, I recommend…)

It means that all of his astounding achievements in material joy were vapor — a mist, a wind which cannot be grasped or held or controlled.

All of his achievements gained him nothing, and all of his achievements fixed nothing of what is broken about this world.

In that sense, his achievements were vain

And that truth is bitter, especially because of what it implies about our own achievements — either things we’ve done, or things we’re planning to do:

Maybe establishing or expanding a comfortable home

Maybe working hard toward success in business or a career

Maybe owning the latest and greatest entertainment systems, or having the heart of the one you love

Or many other kinds of material joys...

Whatever they are, Solomon says, they are a vapor which gains you nothing. Achievement in material joys is vain.

The Vanity of Achievement in Wisdom

***So Solomon turns to try to find something else worth achieving***

[The Goodness of Wisdom] Look at vss. 12-13

Ecclesiastes 2:12–13 ESV

So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness.

So what’s he thinking? ‘I came to the height of material achievements, and found no “gain” in them (vs. 11). But still, there is “gain” to be had in wisdom (vs. 13).’ And that word, “gain” is the same in the original language in both verses. So it’s a deliberate contrast: ‘Maybe the gain I wanted from material joys can actually be found in wisdom instead.’

Why? Because, (vs. 14)

Ecclesiastes 2:14 (ESV)

The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.

[The Vanity of Wisdom] But then the preacher realizes something: “And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them.” — What’s he talking about? Death. The wise man and the fool will both die. So now he changes his mind and says:

Ecclesiastes 2:15 ESV

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.

Then he explains:

Ecclesiastes 2:16–17 ESV

For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Think back to chapter one here: in this age, all humanity is trapped in the cycle of birth and death, and subject to the crookedness of the curse on the world. And so, what Solomon is realizing here is that no amount of wisdom gets you out of that. Wisdom itself is a vapor — here today, gone tomorrow, and unable to produce any lasting gain.

And this is another bitter truth, hard for us to swallow:

You know, I just got a second master’s degree — but my thesis is now gathering dust on a library basement shelf. It was exciting to write! And after I die, no one will remember it, or care that I wrote it.

And in the same way, there’s an idea which has been around for a couple thousand years at least, often called ‘gnosticism.’ In it’s most basic form, it’s the idea that you can transcend this world by obtaining a secret knowledge about how things really work. It’s an enticing idea, because — whatever the knowledge is that is offered to you — the idea is that you’re in the know. You have eyes in your head, unlike most folks walking around out there.

But if even Solomon’s legendary wisdom — the envy of the ancient world — if even that wisdom was unable to break beyond the bounds of death, then neither will your wisdom, or mine.

Just like achievements in material joys, so also achievements in wisdom and knowledge are vain.

Sorrow over Achievements

***OK, so where does this leave us? Maybe you’re fighting hard against Solomon at this point. Or, maybe you believe him, but you feel like it’s leading you to despair.***

Well if you’re struggling, fighting against Solomon’s words and wondering why such a bitter book is in the Bible, and thinking to yourself about how the gospel might overturn everything that Solomon is saying, I’d ask, please — just suspend your doubt for a time. It’s wrong to one part of the Bible to flatten another part, and so we need to hear Solomon on his own terms.

But if you find yourself in agreement with Solomon, but don’t know what to do with all this bitter truth, then I’d say, we’re about to see how Solomon himself was driven to despair. But we’re also about to see how that despair then makes way for the first glimmer of real joy in the book. So stay with me.

***There are three things specifically which bring Solomon to the point of despair:

First, there is the Despair of the Next Guy Destroying It:

Ecclesiastes 2:18–19 ESV

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.

It’s an age-old story:

a man works himself up from poverty to build an industrial empire, and then dies, handing it over to a son who is a fool and destroys is.

A generation which works energetically to defend truth, followed by a generation that seems to compromise everything that was defended.

Or, more on our level — some project that you’ve dedicated years, maybe decades to, and when you’re forced to hand it off to the next person, you have no assurance that it won’t be destroyed, or deformed in some way

You are trapped within the shortness of your own life, and so all your labor is vain.

Second, there is the Despair of Losing it When You Die:

Ecclesiastes 2:20–21 ESV

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.

So you’ve toiled for all that material joy, and for what purpose? To soon leave it behind, for someone else. You’re going to leave it to someone else, who will probably be clueless just how hard you worked to put it together, and may even be careless with it.

But the point is, even if you are able to enjoy it for a short time, you will soon leave it behind. And so, it is a vapor.

And third, there is the despair of the sorrow you spent on these achievements:

Ecclesiastes 2:22–23 ESV

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.

So the tragedy here is that you’ve spent that much sorrow, those sleepless nights, that mentally exhausting frustration as you pursued your achievements… and the result is? Achievements that are only smoke, that make no real gain for you, and that fail to straighten out the crookedness of the crooked world.

And there’s a reason this despair was so sharp for Solomon, and can be so sharp or us:

It’s because as human beings we were not originally created to live in a crooked world where our labors are vapor. Rather, we were made to rule the whole created universe with joy, for God’s glory. But when our first parents turned away from God, with their rebellion came death, and a curse on the world. And that’s the reality that we now live in. And this causes us sorrow for two reasons:

First, when we set out to do the things we were designed by God to do — to nurture life, to build, to produce, to achieve new things in this world — we find ourselves frustrated by the world’s crookedness from the curse, and frustrated by the shortness of our own lives. And that’s a legitimate frustration.

But second, we set out to try to

fix what is broken about this world

transcend the limits of death

find ultimate satisfaction

by our own achievements; and this ultimately leads to anxiety and despair. Why? Death and the curse would be overturned some day; but not by Solomon. The world will one day be made new; but not by us. So we engage in all this busy toil trying to fix what is broken, trying to achieve true satisfaction — and it leaves us in despair, because we’re trying to do something utterly beyond human ability. All human achievement, in this age, is vain.

Joy from God

But it’s interesting to stop at this point and do a thought experiment. If Solomon reached the point of despair by realizing all of this, where do you think he’ll go next? Here’s the moves we might expect him to make:

We might expect him to say, in the midst of his despair: “So it really doesn’t matter if you live or die, because life is a pointless vapor.” But he doesn’t say that.

Or, we might expect him to spiritualize his message: “This life is all vapor, so put your hope entirely in the next life.” That might sound a little more biblical. But he doesn’t say that either.

[Material Joy from God’s Hand] Instead he says what?

Ecclesiastes 2:24–25 ESV

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

So what’s the best way for you to live your life, under the sun? To eat, and to drink, and find enjoyment in what you do. So, achievement is vapor. But enjoyment is good.

Why? Because food and drink and enjoyment are from the hand of God. And so Solomon gives us two themes that he will build on throughout the book: remembering your Creator and enjoying what he gives.

So, as much as it is vanity to try to make some ultimate gain from your toil, or to try to satisfy your heart with material joys, yet it is good to receive these very same material joys from the hand of God, and to enjoy them in that way. What does that look like in practice?

Build or buy a nice house in pursuit of lasting joy, and you will find vapor and despair. But own that same house and receive it as a gift from the hand of God, and you’ll be walking the path of wisdom, knowledge, and joy.

Kids, what should you do at snack time? Whatever snack mom puts in front of you: eat your snack and drink you milk with joy, and do your chores with joy, and then go outside and ride your scooter with all your might, and with joy — you’ll be on the path of wisdom and joy, the path that Solomon wants you to take. Why? Because your snack and your chores and your scooter and everything you have is from the hand of God, a good gift from him.

And this truth applies to everyone:

Are you poor? Drink your water and eat your beans and rice with joy! And take joy in the work that God has put in front of you, and you’ll find that you are on the path of wisdom and joy

Are you rich? This passage says the same thing to you: if you receive your wealth humbly, as from the hand of God, you should not feel guilty about it. Rather, you should eat and drink and find enjoyment in all that God has given you.

Human achievement is vapor, but enjoyment is God’s good gift.

[Two Paths] And so at the close of this chapter, we find there are two paths to take when it comes to material joys:

Ecclesiastes 2:26 ESV

For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

So there is the path of the sinner — busy and full of anxiety as he gathers and collects, as he tries to find some lasting significance in his work and in his possessions. But his life is more about frustration than joy — and in moments of honesty, despair.

And in the end, Solomon says, God is just going to take that wealth and use it for his own purposes anyway — to give it to someone who will receive it with joy and thanksgiving

But then there is the path of those who please God.

It’s not that they pretend that everything is OK. They know the world is crooked, and they long for the day when curse will be lifted.

But they know that this world is still God’s creation, and that he still loves it and cares for it — and cares for them. As Jesus taught:

Matthew 6:26 ESV

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

God created you, and he delights to provide you with food and drink and joy, even in the midst of this crooked world. And he is delighted when you receive these gifts from him with humble joy, and enjoy them. That is the path of wisdom.

But there’s one more thing that we can say about all this: when you enjoy the good things that God gives you in this world, you are actually experiencing a small preview of the New Creation — that day when God heals all that is broken in this world, and makes it new. And this should prompt our souls:

Are you a believer already? Each small blessing you enjoy here is a preview of your abundant inheritance in Christ — until the day he returns, and you receive it in full.

Are you not a believer? Then a question you must ask is, “How can I gain a heart of thankfulness toward God in this life, and an inheritance in the world to come?” You see, the darkness of our hearts excludes us from the goodness of that place, where the light of God’s glory shines. But Jesus came and died to cleanse and forgive all who come to him for mercy, and to grant them entrance into the presence of God and an inheritance in the New Creation forever.

In that sense, Jesus achieved what non of us could or can — by his labor on the cross, he brought real gain into the world, because all who belong to him will some day see the crookedness of the world made right. Human achievement is vapor, but enjoyment is God’s good gift, as we look forward to that day.