Finding Enjoyment in God (Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26)

Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Finding enjoyment in God

Introduction

In every human life there is one common thing that we all seek. We all seek to be happy. Our whole lives are spent pursuing and chasing after happiness. Just think about the different ways that we chase after happiness. We chase after wisdom, we chase after the self-indulgence of laughter, alcohol, art, nature, money and possessions, music, sex, affirmation, and work. In one or a variety of these we toil and chase after hoping to find lasting happiness. Lasting joy.

And of course the reality is, each of these has a good and right place. However, as we will soon see, none of these bring that lasting happiness and joy. For each of these fades away. Each of these leave us still longing for more. With each of these, death is still the end for us all.

Now, as Christians, we are intended to be living our lives not as residents in this world, but as sojourners who are wandering on the earth as we wait to enter the promised land, to cross over Jordan’s stormy banks. And it is on the other side of those banks where our possessions are to lie.

And yet, David Gibson in his book Living Life Backward captures the reality for most of us in saying, “People who follow Jesus often lose sight of the world to come. We become resident Christians rather than nomadic Christians. We become fully integrated in this world rather than viewing ourselves as passing through, and we do this by living as if our greatest treasures are the here and now.”

The danger for each of us is that we begin to seek our purpose, our happiness, our joy in chasing solely after these areas. And this is where the preacher seeks to wrestle with. He seeks to show us the vanity and aimlessness of wisdom, self-pleasure, living in wisdom, and toil. The preacher here in this section of text is testing the waters. Some compare what follows to that of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. The prodigal son though is one who takes what he thinks is his, goes and blows it, and then comes back to his senses. The preacher, however, approaches each of these without losing control. He maintains his wisdom as he searches these areas and tests them. Is there value in any of this? That is what we seek to find out this morning.

So, I invite you to take your Bible or the Pew Bible in front of you and turn with me to Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26.

Recap

Last week we began our study in Ecclesiastes where we are going to be for 11 of the next 12 weeks. Our time opened with the Preacher, that is Solomon stating that all is vanity.

As we began to see last week, the idea of vanity isn’t that of meaningless, but more of a vapor, a breath. Maybe even that of deceitful gain. And as we continue our study this morning, we are going to be able to grasp this more fully.

Scripture Reading

Read Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26

Main Point: The good life is not found in toiling under the sun after creation itself. The good life is found under the sun in the midst of our toil as we enjoy God and what he has given us as the creator.

Points:

Toiling and chasing after the wind

Toiling and finding enjoyment

Pleasing and enjoying God

Toiling and chasing after the wind

As we work our way through this first point of toiling and chasing after the wind, I want to encourage each of us to take note how we personally are tempted in our lives to make these things the focus of all our toil and energy in pursuing happiness.

Vanity of wisdom

First, the preacher seeks and searches out by wisdom what is done under heaven. He says there in verse 13: And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.

The preacher sets out to find out the satisfaction and meaning of life by applying his heart in a godly manner to seek and search out the things of this life. And his conclusion is immediately seen that it is an unhappy business. Why? Because all is vanity and a striving after wind. You see it’s not that Solomon, the Preacher disregards wisdom. It’s not that he is saying that we should stop growing in wisdom. To do so would go against God’s word, as well as Solomon’s other writings, particularly in the book of Proverbs. Wisdom has great value Christian, but the goal of wisdom isn’t to make much of this world and for self-boastfulness. Wisdom is intended to show us more of the glory of God. But as we see more of God’s glory, this life, this world will completely fail in comparison. For as we grow in wisdom we can grasp what Solomon says in verse 15: What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.

The more we grow in wisdom, the more we look at the world around us, the more we grasp the hopelessness found under the sun. We begin to realize just how broken our world is. The crookedness of some of our situations just cannot be made straight. Philip Ryken in his commentary says, “Some things in life are crooked—not in the sense that they involve criminal or immoral activity, but in the sense that they are so bent out of shape that they resist all efforts to straighten them out again. There are many things in life that we wish we could straighten out but cannot, any more than we can mend a crumpled fender.”

Friends, there are parts of this world that are crooked and broken. There are diseases that we simply hate, yet even with the vast advancements medicine has made, we cannot stop them from their damage. In our city alone, there are hundreds that grow up in an impoverished, multi-generational trend that is almost impossible to come out of. There is the brokenness of families and other relational conflict. Death still strikes, and often way too early. And we could go on and on of the ongoing bentness of the world around us and the ongoing generational sins and patterns.

Therefore, as we seek to grow in wisdom we see these scenarios more and more. And this is why Solomon goes on to add there in verse 18: For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. In the increase in our wisdom, more vexation and sorrow come. For we realize the crookedness and brokenness of the world in which we live and this brings us vexation and sorrow within. It truly is an unhappy business under the sun that we have been given if this is all.

Vanity of self-indulgence

Therefore, wisdom proving to be madness, the Preacher turns next to testing that of pleasure and enjoying self as we see there in Ecclesiastes 2:1. As he tests that of pleasure and enjoying himself, he tests areas that we continue to test today.

Laughter

First, in verse 2, we read that the Preacher tests laughter. He says: I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it? Laughter is good medicine, at times, but only at the right time. Solomon notes in Proverbs 14:13, Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief. Laughter is not the ultimate sign of a life of happiness. For some use it in wicked ways as we find in Proverbs 26:19 where it says: is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!” Laughter proves mad in the end, not satisfying.

Alcohol

Next, in verse 3 we read: 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.

In still holding to the value of wisdom and its guidance, the Preacher searches out wine, but with control and without excessiveness. He searches out if any good in this while the days of life are few. And yet again it is vanity as already stated up in verse 1, for all is vanity. It does not help him to achieve happiness and fulfillment of life.

Art & Nature

In his third attempt at testing with pleasure, it is art and nature that take center stage. We read in verses 4-6: I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools for which to water the forest of growing trees.

From building, to gardening, to making new forest parks, the Preacher attempts to pleasure himself with. It almost seems here in the gardens and forests that he is toiling over as if he is almost trying to create his own new Eden in which Adam and Eve were born into. And yet this proves vanity as well.

Money and Possessions

After no success in searching and seeking laughter, wine, art, and nature for value, the Preacher turns to test money and possessions. We read there in verses 7 and 8a: I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. Solomon collected all of these great treasures and yet even then he found himself finding that even this still was vanity. All the wealth of the world did not lead to contentment and no gain was found.

Music & Sex

So with more proving to be vanity, in the remainder of verse 8 we read: I got singers men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

Surely music and sex will satisfy. Solomon gathers musicians to play for him. He didn’t have the cover band musicians I am sure. He probably had that of the George Strait’s, the Beach Boys, Guns and Roses, or Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors playing for him. And yet, even here he considers it all vanity. As good as the music was, he found no gain in it.

But not only that, he had many concubines. A concubine is that of a woman living with a man who is not legally married to him. And Solomon didn’t just have one, he had many. In fact, in 1 Kings 11:3 we read: He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. Solomon, the Preacher had all the means of enjoying the pleasures of sex and even as he pursued this, found it to be vanity.

Affirmation & Work

Then in verses 9 and 10, we read: So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 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. And while the affirmation of his wisdom and the work of his hands seemed to bring pleasure, notice what is said in verse 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 the wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Pleasure and enjoying self seems like it is enjoyable and is the meaning of life. And yet it too proves to be vanity, it was all a deceitful gain. Self-pleasure, even when done in the ways intended and that are right as defined by God through his word will still prove to be vanity. And if God’s intended ways prove to be vanity, how much more so when the chasing after these is done in sin and wickedness?

For when self-pleasure becomes the driving force in our lives, it begins to shape all that we do. We begin to reject God’s word as we toil after our own self-pleasure. Our attempt at happiness begins to drive us, even if it goes against God’s word. Our self-pleasure becomes what we worship in the end instead of the God who made us and whose image we are in.

Vanity of living wisely

Seeing all still is vanity in seeking self-pleasure, the Preacher turns back to considering wisdom and madness and folly in verses 12-17. The king begins to contemplate what comes after that of kings and comes to the reality once more that only what has already been done, for there is nothing new under the sun. Yet, in this he does realize as seen in verse 13, that there is more gain in wisdom than that of folly and in light than darkness.

Even though wisdom is complicated with its limitations of still not being able to grasp control of the earth, there is still more to be gained by it than a life of folly. Even as with growing in wisdom, more sorrow is brought as we notice the shortness and the brokenness of the world around us, it is better to have been wise and had sorrow than to live as a fool in darkness.

But, then the preacher comes to one reality that sets him back. Look at the last part of verse 14-16, it says: And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. 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. 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!

While the Preacher finds more gain in wisdom than folly, he comes to the reality, as we should, that the end for all is death. The wise and the fool will both die. There will be no remembrance of the wise or the fool in the end. Death is still the end, regardless of how one walks in wisdom or folly. The preacher even begins to question what was the point of living wisely? He adds in verse 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.

Life under the sun continues to be vanity and striving after wind. It continues to struggle the heart of the preacher as he tests these different areas for purpose, meaning, contentment, happiness. And so far, each of these areas has failed. All have proven vanity.

Vanity of toil

Even in further examining his work, the Preacher hates and loathes it. He says there in verses 18 & 19: 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. With death being the end, the reality is that all our work, all our possessions will be left to others. And the preacher in realizing this struggles with what will come of what he worked hard for? Another will now be over all that we leave and worked for. This reality causes distress for the Preacher too. We read there in verses 20 & 21: 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.

Our life’s work and toil in the end leaves not much to show, our toil will go to those who did not labor for its fruits. And this leaves us, like the preacher hating our toil. And in the end the question left will be what we find in verses 22 &23: What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun?

Wisdom, self-indulgence, living wisely, and toil in our work are not intended to be an end to themselves. For if these are the goals in which we aim for, we will be quickly disappointed. All indeed is vanity, it is a deceptive gain. For in the end, we all die. This will come for the wise and the foolish.

When knowledge is our final goal, we become conceited with pride and arrogance. We want to think we understand the world and can control it. We begin to think that we are the sovereign one. When pleasure and enjoying ourselves becomes the primary focus of our joys, then we turn inward and become self-indulged and self-absorbed. It too proves to be vanity and leaves with no gain. Then with our toil, our work, there is the thought to chase after it, building our careers and our careers defining who we are. Our hearts and lives are consumed with work to the point of being burned out, missing its purpose. This too is vanity and proves to be an idol for us.

Each of these areas can become an idol for us as it becomes the driving force for our lives. According to Tim Keller in his New City Catechism, Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security. Hence why chasing after all of these proves to be vanity. We must stop chasing after idols in place of God.

Toiling and finding enjoyment

We must stop chasing after the things of this world and creation to find enjoyment. For in them no joy will be found. Enjoyment can only truly be found as we rightly set our eyes on God who created all of this for his purpose and our pleasure. For it is God who is the provider. And that is where we turn in our second point, toiling and finding enjoyment.

As the Preacher has searched and tested wisdom, pleasure, wisdom and madness and folly, and then hated his toil, he comes to the conclusion that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. In verses 24-25 we read: 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?

Brothers, sisters, and friends, we do not have food to eat, drinks to drink, or enjoyment to be had apart from God. Therefore, these things being given to us are meant to be enjoyed in and of themselves. God has given us all of the things we looked at in our first point this morning. And each of these done within the contexts and ways God has given them is intended to be enjoyed.

Wisdom is a good thing. Wisdom helps us understand things and the way the world works. But that wisdom is not intended to be the end. Wisdom is of great value when it is centered on God and enjoying him in it. For true wisdom as we know from Proverbs 1:7 starts with a fear of God.

Laughter, art, nature, money, possessions, music, sex, affirmation, work, and yes even wine in moderation are all given to us by God. He has given each of these for us to enjoy within his set purposes for each of these. It is good and okay for us to laugh, and I know for a group of ladies in the church, there is no shortage to that. Laughter is to be enjoyed and had. It just isn’t meant to be the driving force of our lives.

Art and nature are good things. Working in the garden, planting new creations, drawing new designs are all good in and of themselves. But as we take part in these, we must understand that we are not going to create a new Eden. We take part in these for what they are, moments to enjoy God and what he has given us. To enjoy God and his creation, understanding as we work with our hands in these, it is God who is the creator, we are caring for his creation in these tasks.

Likewise, money and possessions are not evil and bad in themselves. We have homes, cars, furniture, clothes, food. We earn wages from our jobs. Some have vacation homes and rvs. Possessions and money in itself is not an evil thing. These are to be had and enjoyed. As we hold these loosely and realize that these are not meant for ultimate happiness and satisfaction, then we are doing well. We should use what God has given us to enjoy God, his gift to us in this life, and in loving others. But these possessions should not be our ultimate treasure, for our treasures are to be stored in heaven, not here on earth.

Music too is to be enjoyed. David in his day played the tambourine and danced. Music and musical talents are good things that God has given to different ones. And this too is to be enjoyed as a gift of God. Music can be a beautiful expression of life and bring much joy. Now, we should be wise in what we listen to, but music itself is to be enjoyed. Likewise, God has given us sex. And this too is to be enjoyed in the context of the marriage bed between a husband and a wife. And while many of us are probably blushing at the thought of this, this is God’s design and good gift to us, again in the context of marriage.

And lastly there is that of affirmation and toil. Work is a task that has been given to us from the very beginning by God. He created man and woman and gave them the task of working and caring for the garden. And so work has been a part of life since the day we were made as man. Our work is a good thing. And in our work, we should do our jobs well, doing it all to the glory of God as the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 10:31-38. Our jobs can be satisfying, we can and should work hard in them. But our jobs are not our identity. It is not what will bring us lasting joy and satisfaction.

There is nothing better for us than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in these things in how God has called us to live. For it is God himself who has given us each of these things. And as we enjoy them, it is to lead us to enjoy him. And those who enjoy God, delight in him, and follow him are those who please God. And we read this in verse 26: 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.

Pleasing and enjoying God

Turning now to our third point this morning, how do we ensure we please God and enjoy life? The reality of the matter is, none of us in and of ourselves can please God. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And the wages of sin is death. And this is why death is the end for us all. Our sin has resulted in our own demise. Each of us was conceived and born in sin as David writes in Psalm 51.

But, the same God who created us, the same God who gave us these things we toil after to enjoy is the same God who has made a way to rescue us from our sin and ultimately death. This is why Jesus was sent into the world in order to save us from our sin and death. Jesus came so that by the shedding of his own blood he could purchase us from the bondage of sin. He laid down his life as an offering on our behalf, that by placing our faith in him we could have eternal life in him. Therefore it is by our coming to rest in Jesus for our salvation that brings us to the place of pleasing God.

If you are a Christian, one who has repented from your sin and placed your faith in Jesus for salvation, you please God. Again, not because of anything in and of yourself. But you please him because when he looks at you, he sees one in which his son purchased as his own. He looks at you and sees the righteousness of his son. Brothers and sisters, this is the significance of our salvation. Therefore as we live our lives in this world, we need to see that our lives are not our own. We are called to live our lives in such a way that honors the very God who rescued us and purchased us. We need to live our lives spent enjoying and delighting in him. For this is the way to truly living life here on earth as we pass through on our way to our eternal home in heaven.

For also in Christ, death has its days numbered. For while death is the current end for us all, it will be crushed as Jesus returns. For just as Jesus was raised on the third day, we too will be raised with him as he comes again. We have a great hope in heaven. Therefore let us live life, enjoy it, but let our true treasures be in heaven where Christ our King is.

And friend, if you are here this morning, there is good news for you too. This same hope that we as Christians have is being offered and extended to you. Stop chasing and toiling after the things we have looked at this morning for joy and hope. See that Christ is extending this same good news to you if you will turn from your sin and come to Jesus. You need not try and fix yourself up, for it would be vanity to do so. Come to Jesus as you are. Pray right where you are and ask Christ to redeem you, to save you from your sin. Also, please feel free to come and find me in a few minutes when we are done or send me an email, text, or give me a call. I’d love to walk with you in this.

Conclusion

We have a mighty God who is to be enjoyed as we enjoy what he has given us on this earth. Especially that precious gift of Jesus. Christian, our lives are meant to be lived as sojourners on this earth, living in a way that we realize this world is not our home. And yet, while were are here we are called to invest in this place, enjoy God’s gifts to us and enjoy God himself. As we depart from here today, let us go and find time this next week to simply enjoy God and his precious gifts to us in ways that bring him honor and glory!

Let’s pray...